#NOW you can call me a drama maker
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ilminnestrone · 10 months ago
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Let me get this straight, since you all seem to love vague posting so much. This is what I learned from this fandom so far:
You treat a stranger who was agreeing with you like shit and keep on vague posting about anyone who barely crossed you but when said people block you is somehow someone else's fault who has been harrassing you.
This person is so fucking powerful that have the magical ability to harrass you even if they don't interact with you and they don't talk about you for almost three years, but when you constantly post and talk about them you're just stating facts.
If you agree with someone about someone being unpleasant, they clearly manipulated you.
If you block someone who openly lied to you about being friends with someone who treated you like shit and about telling they hate your friends publicly, they are entitled to:
vague post about you;
let people call you names;
misgender you;
trying to get back to you via mutuals;
use neurodivergence as an excuse even if you are autistic;
block you when you say you will think about it.
People who don't know anything about your reasons are entitled to intercede for people you blocked because they personally don't have a problem with them (good for you!).
When you say someone that you blocked a person and their closer friends because you don't want anything to do with them and be completely invisible for them, they will know what you told to said someone word by word no more than 8 hours later. And they're gonna vague post about you.
I have no fucking problem being the "bad guy" here. Are you all okay with being 14-year-olds (with all due respect for 14-year-olds)?
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thetxtdevil · 4 months ago
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PACU Nurse *TXT's Anatomy*
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Nurse!Beomgyu x Doctor!Reader
summary: Missing supplies causes Nurse Beomgyu to go on a "short" break with the doctor.
content: smut, hospital setting (if you don't like anything medical don't read), fem.reader, public, praise, blowjob, cum eating, cunnilingus, fingering, Tyun/Kai/Yeonjun make an appearance!
word count: 2.1k
You wake up in a dark room, your groggy mind matches the hazy unknown area. Rubbing your eyes into focus, you turn your head to quickly remember the night you had with the orthopedic surgeon. Taehyun wasn’t much of a cuddler as a friend, but he had his sign of warmth with a hand lightly over your exposed belly. A small smile forms while admiring the man as your hand reaches to play with his hair until you hear the front door open.
“Shit” whispering to yourself, gently lifting Taehyun’s hand off to get out of the compromising position. Slipping out of Taehyun’s bedroom, you quietly tiptoe to the kitchen hoping you have enough time to look like you’ve been up and just now making coffee. Getting closer to the coffee maker, you freeze at the sound of a gulp followed by a long “ahhhh,” you’ve been caught. Looking over, you see Kai’s long stature leaning against the kitchen sink, downing his morning pills with a cup of water.
“Good morning, how was the night?” you say awkwardly, focusing on putting the filter into the coffee maker
“It was fine, no codes, and everyone lived.” You hummed at his response. “So, how long have you been doing your night shifts with Tae?” he continued, “didn’t know you were becoming… what do you call them?”
“Man-whores” you mumbled under your breath.
“Ah yes, thought you hated them?”
“I don’t hate them, I used to despise them– but people can change.” You felt Kai's big brown eyes burning holes into you. Trying to ignore them as you watch the brown liquid drip into the pot, you then pour three large cups of coffee. Handing one to Kai with a small smile, you swiftly turned to grab the next two headed to Taehyun’s. “Whore” Kai says before sipping his coffee only to have you giggle, sticking your ass out teasingly towards him before walking away.
It was true, you despised the players, the “man-whores,” since internship, they irresponsibly fucked their coworkers to leave them causing way too much drama in the hospital. However, was it true that you might have been becoming one yourself? The sad part was you didn’t care especially when your next coworker to fuck with is someone you’ve had eyes on for a while. 
Choi Beomgyu, the post-anesthesia care nurse, has always looked forward to seeing him when strolling the sleepy patients to recovery ever since residency. When he was new to PACU, the man was a burnt-out geriatric nurse looking for something new and hopefully calming. You smile to yourself thinking of his long chocolate-brown hair and how pretty he is. Something you found surprising was his change of demeanor when he’s not working, from calm and professional to loud and obnoxious. It was always entertaining to see him with the Scrub Nurse Yeonjun.
"Keep your eyes on your patient, not on me, but I am pretty, aren't I?" Beomgyu winks. You’re shaken from your daydream by the sound of the nurse’s voice. Flipping your patient report book closed, you straighten your posture, acting like you weren’t stuck in your thoughts about the nurse in front of you.
“It is true, you are pretty.” The nurse is stunned by your comment, taking it for granted that you would deny what you were doing. You walk closer to Beomgyu, who is now at the computer charting, he flinches feeling your breath close to his neck. “His urine output is 34 mL this hour.”
“T-thanks,” Beomgyu says under his breath tucking his long hair behind his blushed ear.
A smirk grows on your face noticing his bashful demeanor. Walking out of the patient’s room, you see the nurse’s cart sitting at the door, sitting on it was a laptop for patient charts, a stack of medicine cups, a pitcher of iced water, and a few items that Beomgyu must’ve grabbed from the supply closet. Something evil bubbles up within you, resulting in the nurse’s cart looking bare of its supplies.
The brunet boy tears his blue gloves off his hands, ridding them in the trash, then quickly sanitizing while leaving the room. He logs into the system, looking over the next patient’s charts, looking for his next orders only to find none. His lip juts out as he knows your common necessities after a patient’s surgery. Beomgyu thinks it wouldn’t hurt to get ahead of himself and send in blood work, but right when he places his hand down the table he notices his supplies are gone. He steps back, looking everywhere for the syringes he had sworn he stocked up on. With an exhale of frustration, he blames his co-workers, thinking they could just take them for themselves. Swiftly swiping his card to log out of the charting system, he strides over to the supply closet at the end of the hall.
Beomgyu opens the door looking straight towards the container of syringes. His long legs made it easy to take a few big leaps to grab a few, but once he turned around the door was closed with you blocking the way out of it. “U-uh Dr. y/n I didn’t see you there,” his brown eyes scan your body standing with poise, “I need to go back out there.”
As Beomgyu walks up to the door, you push your body against the wooden surface, and your hand snakes down to the handle locking it. Puppy look into your piercing ones, “What are you doing?”
“I should be asking the same thing,” your hand lifts, opening your palm to reveal to Beomgyu his syringes that he left on his cart, “I never ordered blood work to be done.” Beomgyu gulps getting caught red-handed for doing too much, which isn’t bad, isn’t it? So why are you looking at him like he was going to get punished? 
“Your charting skills… they’re quite good,” you push closer to the man only to have him back away, “and don’t get me started on how many shifts you pick up, no wonder you were burnt out from your other job, you work like a dog.”
Beomgyu’s back hits the wall, and he pouts at your words, “What’s your point?”
“My point is, my beloved PACU Nurse, I’d like to show you my appreciation in hopes you relax.” His eyebrow lifts in confusion, you raise your hand, returning the syringes to their container, then bringing your palm to his soft face. Caressing the apple of his cheek, while your other hand finds its way to his waist. Gyu relaxes into your grasp but instantly catches himself, “B-but my patients.”
“Beomgyu, you’re overstaffed today, and you have worked ahead, you’re fine.” He purses his lips in thought until his gaze lands on your lips. Beomgyu leans in to kiss you, oblivious to the fact that you’re surrounded by medical plastics. His lips were easy to mold into with a faint taste of peach from the energy drink he was drinking. Being bold to the delicate nurse, you graze your teeth on his bottom lip. 
His shudders rattles out, “We shouldn’t.”
“Since when did you start following the rules?” You mischievously point out.
“Since when did you start fucking people in the supply closet?”
Rolling your eyes, you grab his face with both hands. Opposite from his verbal cautiousness, Beomgyu deepens the kiss. His big hands grab at your waist, exploring your body under the white coat. With each curve filling his palms, he groaned, feeling the way your body rolled against his physique. Every roll of your hips hits a ticking time bomb within Beomgyu, all restraint and common decency leaving his mind. His groin started to ache as your hands trailed down from his jaw to his chest. Comfy scrub pants started to feel tighter, waiting patiently for your surgeon's hands to operate on his shaft. 
Beomgyu knew your intent, you might be a good doctor, knowing every medicine and protocol, but he was a nurse. A nurse with a great sense of mannerisms can easily read every patient's symptoms without them saying it out loud. He studied the way you teeter from going too fast or too slow. Beomgyu breaks the make-out session staring solely into your eyes. Grabbing your hand leading them to his cock. His eyes flicker to your lips as they part, practically filling with drool as you feel him throbbing.
The nurse's eyes follow yours, keeping the contact while lowering down to your knees. “S-shit.” He gasps, seeing the pathetic little stare you made with your hands rubbing his hard-on through his dark pants. You tugged on your puffy bottom lip between your teeth, your eyebrows furrowed, trying to condescend him. It was working, Beomgyu’s eyes felt heavy with pleasure, and pink lips gaped open for breathless moans.
Tugging his navy bottoms down, centimeters from his glossy rose tip. Kissing Beomgyu’s exposed hips before engulfing the tip into your mouth. The man’s head falls back, deep groans bubble up his throat, feeling your tongue swirl around him. Thrusting into you as you trace the vein jutting out his throbbing shaft. Adam’s apple bobbed down, gulping down his grunts that he so badly wants to let out. “F-fuck y/n-” Beomgyu’s voice was quiet, shaking from the overwhelming work you’re doing. He made the mistake of looking down to see your teary eyes looking up at him.
Beomgyu shakes his head at the scene, so lewd, so inappropriate. He’s upset just because he knows that every time he goes into this room he’ll get hard just by thinking about you. How cute you look on your knees, white coat pool on the ground, loose bun falling apart, stethoscope swinging with every movement of your head. A smile creeps onto your lips, feeling the nurse’s body shaking. Beomgyu fists your hair, body leaning forward so you could see his fucked out expression as his cum runs down your throat.
Leaning back, sitting on your heels, you catch your breath, “Did that feel good?” Beomgyu looked more out of shape than you did. Chest heaving, sweat shining his tan skin. Huffing out a small “yes,” nodding continuously to show his appreciation. Your dainty hands grab ahold of his, lifting yourself, trying to find balance. You sway in your spot, knees aching from kneeling on the hard floor. Beomgyu’s breathing slows, dark eyes watching your every movement. He’s on high alert, wanting to know, needing to know your next move. Leaning to press your lips together, you made sure he could taste his reminisce on your tongue.
“This was fun,” backing away from the nurse, “I hope you stay my favorite nurse.”
Gyu quickly grasps your wrists, stopping you in your tracks, “Nuh-uh, where do you think you’re going?” You pout, ready to continue your shift, then suddenly you’re being pulled against the nurse’s chest. “I’m returning the favor, it's the least I can do.”
Giggling at his determination, you watch the brunet get on his knees. His round nose tracing the curve of your belly through your light blue scrubs. Hands untieing the loose bow of your scrub waistband, letting the bottoms fall to the floor along with your panties. Gasps fall from your lips, your fingers wrap around the frame of the supply shelves. Feeling Beomgyu’s thumb softly rubbing circles on your clit. He pecks your lower lips, humming every time he does so. He was so gentle, like you were his special patient getting the best care in the world, yet it was a tease. His fingers slide into your folds, dipping into your hole, looking up to see you with the face of pleasure. Hot pink tongue licking you up causing your thighs to tremble. “Ah- you’re so good.”
“Mmm I know.” The nurse always cocky but that’s because he know what he’s doing. Digits curling to hit the spots that make your feet curl. Sucking your clit and folds making your body heat up into a fever. Letting go of your grip on the shelves, you let yourself lean against the nurse’s broad shoulders. You’re infamous screams roll off your tongue, cumming on Gyu’s fingers. Legs quitting on you, Beomgyu catches you while fixing you up. “We better get back to work.” You groan at the statement, thinking about how this “break” went over time.
Walking out the supply closet moments after Beomgyu did. Your hair was a mess and scrubs full of wrinkles. Your eye catches Beomgyu at the nurses’ station looking as pretty as ever. Walking towards him you stop in your tracks hearing a familiar taunting voice, “Ha! Looks like you had something good to eat during lunch.” You glare at the Scrub Nurse, Yeonjun, knowing damn well what you’ve been up to. 
“I’m here to return these supplies, and I do want blood work to be done for room 114.” Beomgyu chuckles, grabbing the syringes out of your hand. “Thank you, you're my favorite!”
You walk away before Yeonjun can give you shit about favoritism.
A nuisance,
TxT's Devil
taglist: @inkigayocamman, @naoristerling, @blue-moon-514, @biteyoubiteme, @pagelets
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dangermousie · 7 months ago
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2024 list - cdrama edition
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Yes, it's cdrama world so even though December is halfway though, they may drop 10 more dramas I will check out between now and 2025. But if I wait, this will never get done and it can always be updated, so here we go. This has been one of the best cdrama years for me!
This is only going to cover cdramas that aired in 2024; if I watched it but it was made in a different year, it’s not on the list. As always, very subjective.
DRAMAS WATCHED
(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)
61 My Divine Emissary - it’s actually a pretty good drama year when the worst cdrama I’ve checked out this year is merely utterly shrill and brain dead but not horrifyingly offensive to good taste.
60 Are You the One - no you are not. There are objectively worse dramas I've ranked higher but this is here because I am annoyed at the waste of Zhang Wanyi and this drama's popularity and douban rating. I am a petty bitch.
59 Fight for Love - they had wonderful actors and a great premise and utterly wasted it. There might someday be a good drama about a female general torn between a royal and an enemy general but this ain’t it.
58 Peacock in Wonderland - I am a few decades too old for this brain dead fest but I am glad Zhou Jun Wei is not canceled at least.
57 Her Fantastic Adventures - honestly, this, MDE and Revenger are all the same type of subgenre - they aren’t offensive they are just as empty as air. This also suffers from casting an utter dud as ML and a charisma boat as SML. Why?
56 Lady Revenger Returns from the Fire - the main thing I remember from this is that Miles Wei must have stolen the wig maker’s parking spot. That wig is the one that should have gone into the fire.
55 Fox Matchmaker: The Red Moon Pact - it’s so pretty, so full of gorgeous costumes and actors and I enjoyed the first few eps, but ultimately it was like watching colorful paint dry. It was so dull, I couldn’t even hate watch it, and that is more damning than anything.
54 Your Trap/Imprisoned Love - the plot of this mini made no sense but the softcore vibes of sanitized 1990s cinemax were on point!
53 The Unexpected Marriage - cutesy dumb period romcom. Could be worse, not that this is much of a praise.
52 Love’s Rebellion - so twee, so precious, so full of cutesy awful CGI and actors who aren’t bothering. I am not sure why Zhang Linghe and Jing Tian are in this mess that looks like rainbow vomited on a xianxia set.
51 My Wife’s Double Life - her life may be double but her brain is only half.
50 Jade’s Fateful Love - I lost some braincells trying this one, but (a) it’s gorgeous and (b) no transmigration say you? Multiple transmigration in first ep alone! Good for you, makers!
49 Follow My Heart - how do you have Luo Yunxi, Song Yi and Cheng Lei and waste them so utterly? First few eps were nice and then it’s like exercise in how much you can tolerate before you call it quits.
48 The Story of Pearl Girl - almost made me dislike ZLS and LYN and that's a feat. Dull and stupid and pointless from beginning to end.
47 Brocade Odyssey - more like Snooze Novella.
46 Melody of Golden Age - see write up for FMH because it fits here. This is bland with a side of bland.
45 The Legend of Taotie - an unequivocally bad drama but the look is such a nostalgia trip and I had fun.
44 Sword and Fairy 4 - it’s kinda a mess but I loved the actors and some of the plots and you can do worse.
43 Dawn Amidst Hidden Clouds - I enjoy watching Chang Huasen as a ML but the rest is eminently forgettable.
42 Blossoms in Adversity - dumb as a set of particularly dumb bricks and ML I don’t think could act if his life depended on it, but it was strangely addictive and I watched it often before better dramas. It’s just a genuinely good time somehow!
41 Judge Dee - it’s not you it’s me in action. It’s smart and gorgeous and well acted, I just don’t do procedurals.
40 The Substitute Princess’ Love - it’s like some of those trashy web novels I enjoy. It was clearly cut, its budget was equivalent to loose change found in the pockets of makers of Fox Spirit Matchmaker, but it was a surprisingly fun watch, though I enjoyed the first half better than the second. Also as a drama old, it was a fun blast from the past seeing Dylan Kuo (if you have never watched the old twdrama The Outsiders, what are you even doing with your life?)
39 Rise from the Ashes - a wacky as hell mini where reborn FL wreaks revenge with help of her fake uncle as they carry on as some sort of Borgia/Phillip II of Spain fame hybrid. If you don’t need to use your brain, you could have a worse time.
38 The Legend of Heroes - it suffered from me seeing other versions of this tale before that I liked more and not loving how dark looking it is but that cast is A+ and Wang Hongyi was a revelation as Yang Kang.
37 Beauty Strategy - a mini of what a few years ago would have been a proper angsty drama of palace scheming enemies while lovers, powerless emperor etc etc. Honestly, I loved it.
36 Lovesickness - this year’s gender-reversed Ancient Love Song, not as artistic or good but still a good time about a woman traveling back in time and falling for a powerful but doomed duke.
35 Fragments of Kylin - demon slayer falls for a demon; this one came out of nowhere and didn’t have much of a budget but is surprisingly lovely.
34 Love of Nirvana - the good parts are vvvvv good and points for making the emperor the villain, but it almost never emotionally grabbed me, and a lot of time was spent on narratives I had no interest in.
33 Enslaved by Love - the only reason it’s not the most fucked up drama on this list is because Shadow Sect, Palace Shadows and Burning Flames exist. The ML is toxic enough to be banned by the Geneva convention but FL does get some of her own back and also if you ever wanted to see blindness-curing sex, boy do I have a drama for you!
32 The Princess Royal/The Grand Princess - I am in the minority of finding this drama very mid. The acting was fine (except for former eunuch dude), the writing was fine, but I never really got invested alas. I don’t even know why. I think it’s just not my type of narrative; there was no intensity.
31 Secrets of the Shadow Sect - head of sect lady and her very very subby bodyguard. What’s not to love?
30 Palace Shadows: Between Two Princes - ML pretends to be his own twin, bdsm and sluttiness ensues. I cannot even explain how wild this drama is but the acting is on point and way way fun!
29 Dashing Youth - I had no expectations of this drama (was either indifferent to or disliked everyone in the cast, wuxia and wuxia-adjacent is rarely my genre, the number of characters is huge) but I loved how under its bright colors, it eventually gets very dark (it’s quite old school that way) and somehow I am invested in everyone in the huge cast. This being a prequel to The Blood of Youth makes us know the fates of many of the characters and this adds the air of tragic inevitability to it all.)
28 The Last Immortal - a surprisingly sweet and touching xianxia that works largely because Zhao Lusi and Wang Anyu are so so so so solid separately and together.
27 Burning Flames - the most gonzo drama on this list. I love it for committing to insanity as it should (if you pick insane source material, commit.) Humans taking on the worst Gods since Olympus, fur and chains, sentient crystal FL, ML who goes from Crown Prince to mine slave to rebel leader, bare chests and fur, demon elves, a villain that leaches color from the world - this drama has everything and I loved its unhinged glory.
26 Lost You Forever 2 - it would have been higher except it fell apart in the last third so badly I am still wondering how the makers could misunderstand their own characters and their own narratives so badly. The first season was a masterpiece. This is a hot mess.
25 Fateful Love - this was released after years in the dungeon and feels old school in the best way. It's what reading one of those OP FL web novels feels like, and the OTP is shockingly competent and adult. I loved that.
24 Love Game In Eastern Fantasy - excellent start, mid middle, and a terrible last third but I cannot have truly hard feelings since before it fell off, it really was fun.
23 Love in a Dream - it's a mini that has the most gorgeous cinematography I've seen all year except for Fangs of Fortune and Eternal Brotherhood. I loved the vibes and the story (though of course it suffered from mini running time constraints) and its feeling of tragic love and lost time.
22 Different Princess - a ridiculous amount of fun and ship about an author falling through to her own novel and falling for the villain.
21 Kill Me Love Me - the story is a mess and a half but the OTP gave me some incredible incredible scenes, and Wu Jinyan, Liu Xueyi and Baron Chen are gorgeous and acting their hearts out, plus the whump mmmm.
20 Meet You at the Blossom - this is a Thai/Taiwan/China coproduction so I am including it. It's my list! An uncensored BL adaptation with delicious dysfunction, sunshine x murder boy, angst, shippiness, groveling and wigs that are surprisingly decent for the budget!
19 Sword and Fairy 6 - I love this tale; the young OTP (a whale weapon and a clone of her trigger? More wholesome than you think) who are so ride or die for each other, the other amazing characters (sect leader who has to live as a man and her “twin” who is an ancient trapped spirit, a wolf demon, etc…) It’s just genuinely good and proof that targeted to younger audience doesn’t have to be bad.
18 In Blossom - sure, we all know JJY can’t act, but the narrative was so fun and the visuals were so gorgeous and Liu Xueyi so gorgeous and magnetic in his first proper Male Lead role, it was all worth it. I liked the first half when they were still cautious of each other more than the second but this is just a good time!
17 Snowy Night Timeless Love - a classic, tragic, romantic wuxia the way "they don't make it any more" only they did. Just lovely.
16 The Rise of Ning - such a pleasant, easy slice of period life with a side of revenge and fakecest (but only a teeny side.) Secondary characters are not particularly engaging and the plot suffers from being limited to 40 eps, but the main OTP is so enjoyable and Ren Min and Zhang Wanyi are doing such nuanced, lovely job that I can't even complain.
15 Hard to Find - my second favorite mini on the list, this is an aesthetic feast. The doomed couple from enemy kingdoms, the vengeance, the twists - if ever a mini deserved to be a proper drama, this would be it. But alas, if it was they’d probably not let it.
14 The Double - unhinged web novel vibe done so perfectly in the inimitable Yu Zheng style. The leads were so good even the amazing villains didn’t truly steal the show. Like with a lot of cdramas, it lost a lot of steam in second half for me, but still a great watch.
13 Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 - I never like procedurals. Somehow both seasons of this show are the sole exception. It is so gorgeous, so impeccably acted, with such great characters. I cannot wait for s3.
12 Love in the Desert - a mini drama in story but with a proper budget and run time, this is such gorgeous sensual fun with a great main OTP, a truly incredible secondary OTP and some beautiful visuals.
11 Fortune Writer - the best mini this year and better than most “proper” cdramas (Douban raters agree), this tale of villains in love fighting the narrative has a lot to say about writing cliches and writing conventions. I love how clever it is and how it actually made me care for the characters.
10 Tender Light - except for that ending, this was in the running for my favorite 2024 cdrama. The writers’ lack of ability to commit and carry through pushed it lower but otherwise it’s a genuine masterpiece. The acting, the chemistry, the looping narrative, what it has to say about abuse and complicity of society and blazing your own moral path is something else.
9 Derailment - who knew a little quasi scifi modern would be this high but this one is amazing. If you watch one modern this year, make it this one. Our FL is a rich girl a little in the future who somehow wakes up in a different timeline a few years back in the body of that universe’s version of her (who is poor and has been missing) and her one connection is a young man who was in love with that universe’s version of her. I don’t want to say more so as not to spoil because the twists are twisty but this is EVERYTHING and also addresses transmigration, what it means to love, what is ethical etc etc. And that OTP!
8 Will Love in Spring - this is a year of miracles because I don't just have one modern among my favorites, I have a bunch. This is a gorgeous story about love and healing and awkward, scarred emotionally and physically people feeling if their odd angles and prickly flaws actually fit and working towards a future with fits and starts and it's just so chemistry driven, so tender, so gorgeous.
7 Snowfall - a fever dream of a vampire narrative set in an alternate universe of the Republican era, it’s gorgeous, passionate, hella queer and just like watching the most amazing fanfic come to life.
6 Heroes - a complete masterpiece about three men about to be on the scrapheap of history in the Qing Dynasty about to fall (a constable devoted to obsolete norms, who spent his whole life studying for the imperial exam which got canceled, the world’s best swordsman in the era of guns, and a former imperial guard who emerges from prison into a different world) whose stories intersect as they search for treasure and the women and other people in their lives. This is smart, impeccably acted, filmed in a stunning way, bleak and funny at once and - I don’t use the term masterpiece often but I will use it here.
4 (tie) Blossom - a romantic fever dream, with gorgeous damaged destined lovers. The director is the person who made A Familiar Stranger and Butterflied Lover into amazingness on a short run time and no budget, so when he actually has a proper run time and a budget - oh boy - it's romantic and beautiful and intense, a drama as opera.
4 (tie) The Legend of Shen Li - I am often indifferent to xianxia that suffers from too much CGI, hella immaturity and not enough stakes. Shen Li is everything. It’s gorgeously filmed, it’s adult, it gives the story time to breathe and centers it on characters and relationships. And the OTP is everything you can ever dream of - it reunites Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin, totally healing those Princess Agents wounds - their chemistry is still utter fire but the narrative supports them every step of the way.
3 Eternal Brotherhood - if JoL2/FoF did not come out this year, this would be my favorite cdrama of the year. It’s clearly a passion project with a small budget but this complex and grim tale of three rather different sworn brothers in a world at war is gorgeous, smart, well acted, dark and inspiring at once. There are shots that take my breath away, the love stories are amazing, the pace is perfect, and ohhh our complex mainsssssss.
1 (tie) Joy of Life 2 - (almost) nothing can beat this masterpiece. The first season was perfect and somehow the second is even more perfect. It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, the cast is still impeccable and Zhang Ruoyun still gives a completely jawdropping performance as the focus of all the madness Fan Xian. If you watch only one cdrama this year, make it this one; well, this and Fangs of Fortune.
1 (tie) Fangs of Fortune - this is an emotional and visual feast, with such incredible characters, interesting explorations of fantasy and mortality and morality and what makes life worth living. It made awful actors good and mid actors amazing (and amazing ones extra amazing.) It is also the most stunning drama I've ever watched as well as throwing me back into what it's like to be immersed into an amazing fantasy book as a kid and the characters and the relationships and the themes sing to me. A miracle.
FAVORITE DRAMA
Fangs of Fortune - I have rarely seen a drama that speaks to me so personally, but it is also narratively perfect, emotionally devastating, with impeccable acting, complex characters and visuals that are beyond stunning.
Joy of Life 2 - there is not one second I forwarded, not one unnecessary scene, not one weak link character. It’s a smart, fierce masterpiece.
Eternal Brotherhood is a runner up - it came out of nowhere and owned my whole heart. It’s the sole other cdrama this year where I did not ff a second.
WORST DRAMA
My Divine Emissary may have been the lowest ranked drama on my list but honestly, a drama with a tiny budget and a bunch of nobodies does not deserve to be listed as the Worst. What does? Fox Spirit Matchmaker - a huge budget, fancy stars etc etc and yet it's a completely and utterly unwatchable mess. To make something this thoroughly dull is a genuine feat. I cannot think of a drama that insults its viewer more not just this year but any recent year.
FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER
Fan Xian (Zhang Ruoyun), Joy of Life 2 - how could it ever be anyone but smart, irreverent, fierce, broken, idealistic, funny Fan Xian. The man who fights against the horrors of the universe, who remains human while being so larger than life. This character is everything.
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Or Zhu Yun (Hou Minghao), an ancient, irreverent, vivid, borken demon who wants to die even as he might finally find a reason to live in Fangs of Fortune.
Runner up: Zhou Luo (Zhang Xincheng), Tender Light - idealistic loner who refuses to compromise his principles even as it would be easier to, even as it destroys his life, ZXC has always been a solid actor but here he is beyond.
Alternatively, Zichuan Xiu (Yang Xuwen), Eternal Brotherhood - only way to describe Xiu is “trauma sunshine.” He’s funny, he’s irrevocably fucked up, he is magnetic and intense and he fights for his hopeless ideals and he breaks and he keeps going.
or Xing Zhi (Lin Gengxin), the lonely ancient god in Shen Li discovering the pleasure of life for the first time in aeons.
or Zhuo Yichen (Fangs of Fortune) - a traumatized idealist who goes through so much hell but retains his heart and his core of steel even as he grows up about complexities of the world and the human heart.
FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER
Shen Li (Zhao Liying), The Legend of Shen Li - so fierce, so certain, so alive. She is a goddess but ZLY made her feel so real.
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Runner up: Nan Ya (Tong Yao), Tender Light - an abuse victim who keeps trying to find a way out, she’s strong and damaged and complex and honestly, one of the best performances this year.
Alternatively, Jiang Xiao Yuan (Liu Haocun), Derailment - she makes a character that in other hands would be boring or trite, someone I want to reach through to the screen and protect and love.
Or Mi Lan (Ouyang Nana), Snowfall - a tiny, suicidal, abused, seemingly helpless blind girl who decides she needs to protect a deadly ancient vampire as her reason for living and she is unstoppable, fierce and a force of nature in her goal.
NEEDS TO BE MURDERED
99% of the denizens of the town in Tender Light - selfish every day denizens monstrous because of their very everydayness - they watch abuse and choose to blame the victim and gossip and enjoy the view. I hated them all.
BEST BAD GUY
Li Lun (Fangs of Fortune) - with his glorious mane, equally glorious eventual redemption, and incredibly dramatic attitude to a bad breakup, that was a feast.
The Emperor (Joy of Life 2) - a magnetic monster, smartest and the most ruthless character in any scene - Chen Dao Ming gives an insane performance.
Wang Jia Luo (Heroes) - a revolutionary for conservatism, a young man with brains and ideals who gets destroyed by them, who out-Javerts Javert, his descent into villainy and inability to live in the modern complex world, is one of the most compelling and tragic arcs of the drama.
Shen Yurong (The Double) - both repellent and somehow sympathetic, it takes skill to make me feel for a man who tried to bury his wife alive in ep 1. The performance of the whole drama for me.
City Lord (Eternal Brotherhood) - an utterly vile toad of a man, with nothing truly human and yet hiding it under weak and caring facade. I need him taken out.
"HAROLD, THEY ARE LESBIANS" AWARD
Wen Xiao x Pei Sijing, Fangs of Fortune - Duh.
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"HOW DID CENSORS NAP THROUGH THIS" AWARD
Vamp Daddy and Loser Li in Snowfall and the entirety of Fangs of Fortune.
MALE LEAD MOST LIKELY TO BE BROUGHT HOME TO MOTHER
No, thank you! The few modern ones she'd not approve of (a mortician with issues? A teenager? A man who had his memories rearranged?) and the period ones are no go since few moms would be keen on wild-eyed, bloodied sons in law however hot and long haired they may be.
FAVORITE SHIP
Dou Zhao x Song Mo, Blossom - one of the most perfectly in sync couples out there, smart, competent, different kinds of damaged, get each other before they love or even trust each other. Your OTP could never. Unless your OTP is them.
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Fan Xian x Lin Wan'er, Joy of Life 2 - she is his peace and his haven and the place his busy mind can rest, he is her safety and happiness and ability to live and not exist. They are everything to me.
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Shen Li x Xing Zhi, The Legend of Shen Li - the chemistry, the yearning, the slow inevitable collapse into admittance, the way he protects the world and she protects him, the way they dance around each other, her being the aggressor, his surrender to forbidden emotion, their utter mutual belief in each other’s competence. They are everything to me.
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Whatever the throuple (with sides?) thing was going on in Fangs of Fortune - I've raved enough about it elsewhere but that was insane in its intensity and gorgeousness and emotion and narrative arcs.
Runner up: the OTP in Derailment - those two went through some mind and soul breaking stuff and made it out.
FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP
Hands down Ruo Wen x Ge Xinwei, Love in the Desert. An amoral, magnetic bandit leader and a princess gone wild on spring break stole the drama utterly. His unhinged energy was so matched by her sfl but with an appropriate target fixation. They made me swoon, laugh and cry.
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Amusingly enough, Fu Xin Bo is the male actor in two - the crossdressing sect leader x wolf demon OTP in Sword and Fairy 6, and First Prince x Eldest Princess in Joy of Life 2. What can I say, man knows how to pick them. Those OTPs are both utterly adorable!
If we are talking about an OTP where it’s not that it’s not the main but it’s not a ship-centric drama so they don’t get much time, then we have Si Yilin x Ka Dan, Eternal Brotherhood - they are both such desperately good people in a mad world, tender with each other despite surrounding cruelty and Shen Zhiheng x Mi Lan, Snowfall - a vampire age gap romance done well, the ancient gentleman vampire and the tiny fierce blind girl who decides to protect him.
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And of course Qing Geng x Fei, Fangs of Fortune - Ai Mi and Zuo Ye breaking my heart yet AGAIN.
NOTP
The couple in Fox Spirit Matchmaker - such pretty people, and so bland and boring and pointless together. It was kinda amazing.
HOTTEST SCENE
Ka Dan and Si Yilin (Eternal Brotherhood), the primmest, properest OTP of them all, consummate their love without any marriage, but with plenty of golden light.
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FAVORITE SCENE
God, so many good scenes this year so far - Fan Xian watching the death of the old censor and the aftermath, in JoL2; his confrontation with Wan'er after she finds out about the truth behind her brother’s death, the scene where he poisons Second Prince, his scene with the registrar. Xiu giving up his future to protect the surrendered soldiers only to come back and find Di Lin executed them all in EB, the scene in Ning’s bedroom when he tells her how he really feels because she can’t hear, the very end of that season and Di Lin striding into the light, Ka Dan and SYL’s letters to each other. XZ literally defying heaven’s lightning and all their longing in Shen Li. The last scene of LYN and his girl in Heroes, the way Heroes always intercuts the golden past of the guard and princess and the dreary present (especially when we see her bicycle spin out of control back when and her husband lose it in the present and this time there is nobody to catch her), the big reveal in Derailment and the hairwashing scene, Mi Lan touching Vamp Daddy’s face as their thing in Snowfall, and the cage stuff, the aborted sex scene in Will Love in Spring, so many scenes in Fangs of Fortune but especially the aftermath on the stairs between ZYC and ZYZ post the latter's loss of control, the final sacrifice,Li Lun x ZYC x ZYZ battle against the bad guy, the whole plague demon storyline, ZYC becoming a demon, ZYZ having to slap himself to nerve himself to walk to his death, everything. And we haven't gotten to it yet, but the scene in all Blossom previews where Song Mo falls to his knees in front of Dou Zhao from a dead run is imprinted in me.
BIGGEST CRUSH
Shen Zhiheng (Gao Weiguang), Snowfall - Vamp Daddy made me hormonal in a way I haven’t felt for a cdrama lead since the heady days of Darren Wang in The Wolf. Those outfits, that hair, that height, that restraint, that lack of restraint. THE CHAINS
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BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER
Liu Duan Duan as Second Prince in Joy of Life 2 - what a performance! Unhinged, magnetic, pitiable, terrifying and always mesmerizing. The Second Prince is Fan Xian’s foil and a worthy one. LDD is always a great actor, and with a role that actually gives him something to sink his teeth into - wow!
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Runner up - Baron Chen in Kill Me Love Me. It's the year of unhinged royal princes, I guess.
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BEST COSTUMES AND WIGS
Fangs of Fortune - the whole design is exquisite!
MOST EXTRA OUTFIT
Burning Flames - this drama was a feat of extraness and that meant costumes but even among those, costumes worn by Peter Ho's human king and Jeremy Tsui's psychotic god stood out.
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FAVORITE SECONDARY ML
Wu Shan, Blossom - this man is a literal sunshine angel.
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MOST BLATANT INNUENDO MOMENT
The Double - As our FL fondles her wet flower petals in the bath, our ML wields and swings his giant sword shirtless in the rain. That was eye popping.
FAVORITE 2024 CDRAMA SONG
This Chen Xueran song from Eternal Brotherhood:
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MVP OF THE YEAR
Liu Xueyi (In Blossom, Kill Me Love Me) - this is the year LXY finally achieved leading man status and he was spectacular in both of his outings - so very different in both but equally magnetic in either even if the dramas themselves had flaws. I have a new fave!
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ACTING SURPRISE
Ouyang Nana - Li Muge performs miracles. He made Yang Chaoye be good in Heroes (2022) and now Nana, who was always as wooden as a post, is a revelation as blind abused girl who becomes a vampire in Snowfall.
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Hou Minghao - I've always found HMH a stunningly beautiful man and a thoroughly bland actor. But he was surprisingly solid in Dashing Youth and utterly blew me away in Fangs of Fortune. Like jaw on the floor level blown away.
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Wang Hongyi - found him bland as paint in LYF (both seasons) but his Yang Kang in Condor Heroes blew me away and then he repeated that feat as a very different character in a very different drama (Snowy Night.) Consider me a new fan.
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NEEDS A SEQUEL
Joy of Life 2 of course - I need to see the looming confrontation between Fan Xian and the emperor, though not sure how that will pass censorship.
NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT
FF button has cured me of finding contenders for this category, but perhaps cutting out a lot of terrible acting and lack of stage presence of “not yet a eunuch” dude in The Princess Royal, would have improved it.
TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT
Lost You Forever 2 - there were other issues with it, but all the cuts couldn’t have helped with coherency.
TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE
Same as last year - the emperor cannot be irredeemable. WTF, China, you are a communist country! Though they are nibbling at the edges this year. Also fake feminism - I am all for girl power but not when it's ridiculously anachronistic for the period with no explanation at all. And finally NO MORE TRADE DRAMAS PLS PLS PLS
FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF
Men (and women) knowingly fighting for a doomed cause because otherwise they’d cease to be who they are. Or if we are being shallow all the beautiful men in chains.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Lost Your Forever 2 - the first season was my favorite drama of 2023 but LYF2 just fell apart so so so badly, it was almost fascinating. It totally eviscerated the characters and the meanings of the story.
BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE
So many of top dramas on my list are not dramas that were on my radar at all before airing - Heroes, Eternal Brotherhood, Fangs of Fortune, Will Love in Spring and Snowfall were not anything I anticipated, let alone I realized how much I’d love them. Same for Derailment and Tender Light. This has been a year of surprises.
2024 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH
I have honestly watched everything I wanted.
BEST NON-2024 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2024
Lighter and Princess, hands down. I rarely even enjoy moderns and this one made it into my Top 5 cdrama of all time. This is how you make a love story. This is literally perfect. PERFECT.
Runner up: Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty - I, a procedural and mystery hater (especially when there is close to no romance) somehow fell like a ton of bricks for this gorgeous, smart, impeccably acted show.
MOST ANTICIPATED
A Dream Within a Dream looks like Fortune Writer with proper length and budget, Legend of the Female General looks epic and I love the novel, Divine Tree with Deng Wei is all my fave tropes, Veil of Shadows is peak Guo Jingming, and so many more.
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itsjusthockey · 2 years ago
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December - Adam Fantilli
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Officially in Adam era. Enjoy
I miss him at Michigan
w.c: 1,923 (credit to gif maker)(don't steal my work)
You learned quickly that December is a lot colder without him here. All the Christmas lights seem a little less bright, the hot chocolate tastes a little more bland, and the joys of the season are still there, just slightly muted.
It wasn’t anyone’s fault. He was busy, so were you. College and hockey don’t stop, and the world will never cater to your relationship, no matter how much you wish it would sometimes. Instead, you both learned to figure it out. You FaceTime, call, and text as much as you can. Adam even suggested writing letters, but with his handwriting, you suggested something else.
You both send each other care packages, his typically filled with snacks you knew he’d love or books you insist he needs to read. Yours were always filled with new merchandise and one of his sweatshirts that still smelled like him. It is a good system, and you love how you make it work. But alas, Adam isn’t in Michigan, and you wish every night that he was.
A pound on your door jolts you out of your daze, and you check what time it is on your phone; it’s around 6:30, and you aren’t expecting anyone to your apartment. You’re confused when you look through the little peephole, but that all of a sudden disappears when your second favorite Fantilli is on the other side of the door. He’s not alone either, standing patiently with Rutger.
Each boy is clad in Michigan gear from head to toe, and Luca giggles about something when you open the door. The boys turn to you with the wildest smile that immediately makes you suspicious.
“What do I owe this pleasure?” You ask, narrowing your eyes a bit.
The boys dramatically roll their eyes, and Rutger places his hand on his heart in mock betrayal.
“Are we not allowed to visit our favorite person ever?”
You roll your eyes at Rutger and shift in the doorway, opening space for them. With bright smiles, they shuffle in, dropping their bags and immediately making themselves comfortable. So comfortable, in fact, Rutger opens your fridge and grabs out Capri Sun.
“I love this, don’t get me wrong, but why’re you here? I know you’ve both had a busy day.”
The pair grow quiet, and Rutger looks toward Luca to lead.
“Adam said you were a bit sad today.” Luca pipes up. “And we’re good at making you happy.
A small part of you feels terrible; it’s not their job to check on you, but most of you want to cry happy tears. You love these boys, and it means a lot that they still care about you, even when Adam is gone.
“So, we’re taking you out. No arguments, go change.” Rutger says, shooing you to your bedroom.
You give in because, of course, you do. It has been a bit of a rough day, and it didn’t help that your boyfriend has only texted you a few times today, telling you about how busy his weekend is going to be and he might not be around much.
You pull on some of Adam’s old Michigan gear, and within a few minutes, you’re walking out of your apartment with the boys. They don’t tell you where they’re taking you, but you just follow, content with being with your friends.
“She actually said that to her face?” Luca asks in disbelief.
You are telling the boys about some friend drama when you reach your destination. It’s a cute little pasta place close to campus, and It is one of your favorite spots. Adam took you here a lot in the last year, and you haven’t been able to go as often now that he’s been gone.
You smile as you follow Luca in, Rutger trailing behind you as you continue telling your story. Soon enough, you’re seated in a booth, food ordered, and you’re listening to them tell you about their own lives, hockey, and whatever the hell else.
You’re soaking up every minute with them, and you realize as you’re talking that you miss being around them. You miss the jokes, the laughs, the chaos, and you know that you have to get out of this little funk. They’re still your best friends, and you have to start seeing them more.
The pasta comes, and you dive in. It tastes like heaven, and you’re transported back to all the times you’ve eaten this meal with Adam. Your heart twinges slightly, but you shove the emotion down and continue laughing with the boys.
“So what’d you get A for Christmas?” Luce asks, mouth full of pasta. “Promise I won’t tell.”
You shrug your shoulders a bit. “A couple of little things. But I was thinking about visiting him, but I’m not sure he has time.”
You looked into it a bunch, but every weekend before Christmas was jam-packed in both of your schedules.
“You guys will figure it out.” Luca hums.
“Yeah, besides, he hasn’t seen you in a while, and I bet all he wants is to unwrap you like a pres-“
“Gross Rut,” Luca interrupts him, and you both laugh at his disgusted face.
The rest of the meal goes by, and at the end of it, you’re feeling much better about life. You’re super happy with this reunion, and you want it to continue, but Luca's phone buzzes on the table, and he gives Rutger a look.
“Ready to go?” Rutger asks, and you nod, heading back outside into the Michigan cold.
It’s a beautiful night, and when you step out, you see that light snow has started to fall. It looks picturesque as you stare at the snow and the decorations for the season. You feel your heart swell, then get slightly sad again, but you smile anyway.
“It’s perfect out.” You whisper to the pair, and they nod. “Are you guys going to come back up? Watch a movie or something?”
The pair share a quick look, and Rutger shakes his head.
“We can’t, we gotta head back.”
You’re a bit disappointed, but you don’t show it. They both have lives, and you can’t expect them to stay forever just because you’re a little lonely.
“All good, this was so nice. Thanks, you guys.”
Both the boys smile at you, and you walk back to your apartment. It’s still snowing, and when you reach the building, they stop at the entrance.
“Are you good to go back up yourself? My mom’s calling me.” Luca says quickly.
You nod your head, say a quick goodbye, and watch as the boys walk briskly away. You’re a bit confused, but you wave anyway as they speed off.
You make your way to the elevator, and you feel good as you climb the floors. You’re happy you got to spend time with some of your favorite boys, even if it was just for a while.
When you step out of the elevator and round the hall to your place, you smell a Christmas candle, and a wave of nostalgia hits you. It’s your favorite Christmas scent, and you almost want to cry. However, you don’t because as you come to your door, you realize the smell is wafting from your apartment.
You’re so completely lost, but when you unlock the door, everything falls into place.
There he is, standing in the center of your apartment wearing a cozy ugly Christmas sweater you’d bought him and smiling as though he’s the happiest man in the world.
You freeze, taking in the decorated apartment. You see a small little Christmas tree with a few presents, lights that line the space, and your favorite fucking candle lit on your dining table.
You drop your keys to the floor, and tears flow as he crosses the room to meet you. When he envelops you in his arms, you cry even harder, knowing that this is probably the happiest moment you’ve had in a long time.
“Hey baby,” Adam says into your hair. “Merry Christmas.”
You release him just enough to see his face. His beard has grown back, his eyes are a little glossy, too, and his smile is one of the brightest you’ve ever seen.
“Did you miss me?” He asks, wiping a tear from your face.
You pull back even further and give him a slight glare. “Yes, you asshole.”
You pull him back in, but this time, you pull him down slightly to meet his lips for the first time. In a simple moment, it’s like a world of color appears again before your closed eyes. Almost every thought in your brain is stripped out and replaced with him. He’s here. Really here. He’s here pressing his lips to yours and pulling you closer. He’s cupping your face, running his hand up and down your back and into your hair. He tastes familiar, and everything about him makes you feel complete. You finally feel whole again within his arms.
When you finally convince yourself to pull away, you meet his eyes again. You want to tell him you love him, but instead, your brain fails to string any thoughts together. So you simply pull him back to you and hope your kiss will show him those three words.
———————-
The night goes by slowly, and you couldn’t be more thankful. You spend hours talking, laughing, and staying cuddled on your couch. Only removing yourself when it gets late enough and you can barely keep your eyes open. You eventually make it to your bed, and everything is right as you lay against Adam’s chest, listening to his heart steadily beating.
“So Luca and Rut were your pawns?” You ask Adam, tracing little shapes on his chest.
He lets out a small laugh, and it's music to your ears.
“I mentioned I needed help surprising you, and the team had to draw names to see who would be the distraction.”
You smile at the thought and cuddle even closer to him.
“I missed you.” You say after a minute.
You grin as he pulls you impossibly closer and kisses you gently on the head.
“I know,” he says. “But this doesn’t last forever. It’s just tough right now.”
You nod, agreeing with him. Right now, it sucks, but soon enough, you’ll be done with school, and he’s already out there making a name for himself. You know he knows how proud you are of him, and you support his dreams, even if it means you have to spend a couple of years like this.
You have your own life and your own dreams to keep you busy. But even then, you crave being with one another, and a piece you is always missing when he isn’t around you. But you do it anyway. You love him, and it’s these little moments that remind you why you put yourself through the pain. When he’s with you, when you’re together, everything is aligned, and it's nothing but perfection.
Yeah, December might be much colder when he isn’t with you, but when he is, it’s like you’re on fire. The only feeling you have is endless warmth.
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n3ro-n3o-n3ur0n · 3 months ago
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finally, God
✨Intro post✨
Welcome to THE CHAOS GANG™
Hiya creeps, cryptids, and curious souls! You’ve just stumbled into the absolute mess that is this blog — unfiltered, unhinged, and occasionally undead
First of all:
✨Info on the creator✨
Haii!! My name's Nero Fruity but y'all can also call me Nerinho, Neri, Neno, Neni, Nen or any other variantion of my name u find!! The sky is the limit 😉
‼️I'm a minor‼️I don't mind adults interacting with me just don't be weird
I'm Autistic and a silly goober heheh 😼
I'm a cis female, bisexual and go by She/Her
I'm European, from Portugal ^^
My side blog/writing project blog is @falln-guitar-k3y1
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Made by @g1r-ap0ca1yps3 / @espressodepressoconan
✨What to Expect from Miss Nen Fruity?✨
- Rants
- Rants on my hyperfixations
- Simping
- Simping on my hyperfixations
- Writing (Soul Train Of The Endless and maybe sum other things)
- Gacha
And most importantly
Them ↓
The Chaos Gang™, a very loud (and kinda spooky) group of losers, besties, and gremlins just trying to survive, vibe, and maybe not get evicted this week
✨What to Expect from them the sillies?✨
- Screaming
- Band rants
- Unexplained goo??
- Deep convos at 3AM
- Goth fashion
- Dhampir drama™
- Glitches (?) in our kitchen (thank you ig, Ilya)
And Arakel falling down the stairs again ^^
✨Meet the Creatures... uhh, Members✨
Arakel Hovsepian
(She/They)
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Fanart by @moka-hani-pie // @cage-an-angel
(tap images for better quality)
About Arakel:
20 years old / Romanian-Armenian / Cis Female / Straight / Loudest Creature Alive
→ Your favorite goth goblin! Arakel is a bubbly, fashion-forward force of nature with a voice that carries through concrete. She thrives on Deftones, glitter, and yelling at 3AM about her latest hyperfixation. Think “if a raven drank Monster and watched Invader Zim all night.” She’s your local loud cryptid mom-friend but also a menace to society. Loves Floyd, hates wet socks
+ Albino and proud
+ Goth queen
Floyd Shröder (He/Him)
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Fanart by @tis-iroh
(tap images for better quality)
About Floyd:
409 years old / Irish-German /Dhampir / Demiboy / Bi + Ace / Has seen too much
→ Grumpy undead dad of the gang. He’s quiet, ancient, and allergic to fun (jk… kinda). Think vampire hunter vibes but retired and now he’s stuck babysitting Arakel. Says 3 words a week and drinks tea with the anger of a thousand suns. Would absolutely kill for this gang, but he’ll complain the entire time
+ Eternal sigh
+ Hates everyone but us
Maksim Mirovich (He/Him)
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Fanart by @lord-of-those-who-follow
(tap images for better quality)
About Maksim:
23 years old / Ukrainian / Cis Male / Gay / Chaotic Neutral with headphones
→ Snarky anarchist and professional arson joke maker. He’s like a sarcastic cat that smokes too much and hates cops. Always wearing some obscure metal band shirt and judging your taste in music. Probably wrote a zine once. Besties with Arakel and fights with Floyd for fun
+ Metalhead menace
+ Definitely knows how to make a pipe bomb (in Minecraft ofc...heheh... )
Ilya Mirovich (She/Her)
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Fanart by @espressodepressoconan // @g1r-ap0ca1yps3
(tap images for better quality)
About I l y a:
23 years old / Ukrainian / Trans MtF / Straight + Ace / Autistic / Selectively Mute
→ Maksim’s twin and resident soft dream-thing. She doesn’t speak, but her AAC device (a bright orange one with glittery stickers) is full of poetic nonsense, creepy-cute metaphors, and bubble text about frogs. Her aesthetic is Kidcore meets dreamcore meets uncanny VHS tapes
+ Smells like crayons and static
+ Probably not from here (or from now)
She’s the glitch in the system wearing jelly sandals and holding a dead butterfly
Corey MacQuoid
(He/They)
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Fanart by @smolwriter // @smolisdrawersometimes
(tap images for better quality)
About Corey:
22 years old / British-South African/ Trans FtM / Aro-Ace + Pansexual / Crop-top King
→ Slipknot #1 fan, don’t fight him on it. Corey’s emo as hell, rocks skirts like a punk legend, and will scream if you diss Joey Jordison (rest in peace legend). He’s got the energy of a caffeinated rat and the eyeliner of a warrior. Not as loud as Arakel but definitely louder than Floyd (low bar tbh). Calls his emotional support eyeliner “Greg”
+ Screams about metal at breakfast
+ Could win a fight in 6" platforms
Chevelle Irowa
(He/She)
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Fanart by @cococomiskry32
(tap images for better quality)
About Chevelle:
21 years old / South African / Genderfluid / Bisexual / Very Confused Angel
→ A walking aesthetic fever dream. Chevelle wears pastel lolita one day and neon skeleton prints the next. She uses He/She pronouns because… gender? Never heard of her (but maybe she’s heard of him?). His existence is like if a cursed porcelain doll joined a rave. Loves tea, frosted cupcakes, and confusing the binary
+ Both babygirl and babyman
+ Uses old Barbies to test his juggalo makeup skills
Follow for: chaotic updates, music rantings, simping, autism, weird vibes, Neno being Neno and Arakel’s weekly “Why Floyd Should Smile More” campaign!!
✨Welcome to the mess✨
- The Chaos Gang
- Nero F. 🦋
@espressodepressoconan @g1r-ap0ca1yps3 @ender-afton @tis-iroh @k3nnyb4by @theoisgay0 @bamgyuuu-2001 @worshiptheslice @creationverseblog @alternatememory @atlasprefects @ning-ningx300 @heart-2-hearts @cage-an-angel @matheusgaytriste @izumi-miffy @itzzzzzzyyyyydaaaaa @cadence-is-silly @garbage--account @foreverautisticbrainrot @cool-lesbian-is-here @randomchaos146 @dailydose-of-kazemaru @sizzlingcandyjellyfishhhhhh @infcct3d-zw0mb1eez @i-am-a-fish @inazumafocus @tokytopia
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musicfeedsmysoul12 · 16 days ago
Note
Fic title: Aphrodite
"Slut."
"How can any of those guys stand it?"
"Such a bitch."
Izumi ignored the whispers, keeping her head up high as she headed to the classroom.
The whispers weren't worth responding to.
"Izumi!" Denki said happily when she entered the room. He'd been chatting with Hanta, discussing their next date.
"Hey guys," Izumi smiled at them a bit sadly. Her emotions came down the bond, and Denki instantly frowned alongside Hanta. "No, no, I'm okay-" Izumi held up her hands.
"Izumi," Tenya spoke up, using her first name despite his usual insistence on sticking to propriety and using last names.
"It's all the assholes isn't it?" Ashido piped up from where she was showing a video to Hagakure.
"It's fine," Izumi insisted. "I have to get used to it."
"You shouldn't have to!" Neito said, having just come into the room behind Izumi. She sighed.
Obviously, he'd overheard the end and knew what she was upset about. She always was upset about it.
"I mean, I made jokes about saving boys for the rest of us," Hagakure said. "But like it's a joke? I'm not mean about it. And I made sure that you're okay with it. They are doing it cruelly."
"Meanwhile, if you were a guy with a bunch of girlfriends, you'd be getting praise left and right," scoffed Ashido.
Izumi sighed, pausing when she felt a rush of emotions. "Neito-"
"Texting the rest of your partners is not an overreaction!"
"YES, IT IS."
Summary: One for All is a bit different, a hidden Quirk lingering it in. Bond Maker latches onto potential partners. For Midoriya Izumi, the ninth holder, it's a shock. It also opens the doors to romance, drama and a new path to heroism.
Pairings: IiDeku, MonoDeku, KamiDeku, SeroDeku, ShoujiDeku, MirioDeku, TodoDeku. Various combinations of the pairings honestly.
Notes: If you've ever read One for All, Eight for the Ninth, then you know it's about Izuku having a bonding Quirk that connects him to a bunch of girls. In a bit of a bored zone out, I had the thought of 'if Izuku was a girl with a male Harem there would be so much different'. and then Aphrodite Rising came to mind and...
Here.
I imagine this story is a lot about how Izumi has to hide her bond, but in my head it becomes obvious that Izumi basically is picking up 'similar' Quirks to people she bonds with which she ends up calling her Quirk Bonder and then makes it out as if she can make bonds with people but the prerequisite is mutual interest.
First person - Iida happened during the entrance exam because I think that, as I would also give Izumi the ability to hear the vestiges, she makes a different impression on him. And Iida is also making a distinct impression, creating a cute moment for them. She gains gear shift, hears the screams that Two never gave it out and things begin to be figured out.
The bonds are mostly empathetic at first, then become telepathic as time goes on, and can be broken at any time. For instance, Izumi had a half-crush on Bakugou. He returns it, but as soon as Izumi feels the possessive, obsessive disdain Bakugou feels for her, she snaps it in horror cause it's not healthy. Actually, really toxic. And feeling this, Izumi goes to All Might, who goes to Nezu, and now how Bakugou treats Izumi is out. He's exchanged for Monoma in 1A.
Bond Maker is a bond that like the 849 verse connects to people that could have a connection to Izumi through the vesitges. I mostly went with the Quirks (Unlike 849, the vestiges don't need to want to give Izuku their Quirks because the bond kind forces it.):
One for All (First's bond)- Monoma Neito. OFA can be passed around and collect Quirks. Monoma copies Quirks.
Gearshift- Iida Tenya. It's kinda obvious why with Engine and what gear shift does.
Fa Jin- Kaminari Denki. It's a powerlike Quirk.
Danger Sense- Shouji Mezo. He can hear things and like be aware of things.
Blackwhip- Sero Hanta. Blackwhip/Tape? Kinda just makes sense to me.
Smokescreen- Todoroki Shouto. Smoke - fire/ice can make smoke or steam he uses to blind others.
Float- Togata Mirio. There's not much of a reason other then I wanted a Big Three pairing, and I can't see Amajiki in such a big harem. Mirio kinda can use his Quirk to float?
All Might- The one I don't know? Like a part of me is 'RodyDeku' but that could also just be my brain. I could go Shinsou because of All Might being told he can't be a hero as a kid and Shinsou with his stuff? RodyDeku because they both thought things couldn't change and then they did? I don't know?
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ask-philgraves · 29 days ago
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Hey, Let's Talk.
So, let's get this out of the way by saying, This is an open case. The FBI has been contacted, along with cyber crime tip lines. This isn't drama, this is Alleged because it hasn't been proven in the court of law. This whole shit.
One of my ex-friends has (allegedly) used my past to blackmail me into staying their friend essentially while they employed DARVO tactics against me while knowing I came from an extremely abusive background and was susceptible to these things.
This person is none other than Wesley/Shepherd/PlumstarfellVT. They are a part of the Roleplay community here on Tumblr, Toyhouse, etc. They are in a lot of minor-heavy fandoms, which is why I am making this announcement here.
They are now desperately trying to defame me. Calling me paranoid, saying I backed out of our friendship because I was scared of the FBI (which I used as an excuse to leave our friendship forever), and spreading lies about my past to make it seem like I was okay with his behavior the whole time.
I wasn't. I was being pavlov trained and conditioned to go along with it because I knew him since I was 17... The year after I left my horribly abusive parents' house.
He has a pattern, the minors he (allegedly) grooms are always between the ages of 11 - 14, but always say they're "16" because that's the age of consent... Which he agreed was his "cut off age" at 22. The minors are always having some sort of sexual trauma, or are a system. He targets those that have trauma to the point it can be debilitating.
He gives you attention, and makes you feel great about yourself. However, if you try sharing anything you like, he uses it against you if you try to leave along with any sort of "leverage" he has against you.
He's in the Tumblr RP community, and he knew I loved Dragon Age and Call of Duty, so I wouldn't be surprised if he made a blog to infiltrate and start trying to get ahold of my minor fan base with this ARG and abuse them. He's done so much (alleged) shit that he has a callout document with mountains of evidence.
So, in a desperate attempt to get ahead, I put down some screenshots and my personal testimony. This all happened between the ages of 17 - 18, And periodically throughout my time of having him as an "annoying friend".
In it, I detail how I met him, my mental illnesses, how he used them against me, how I trusted him for a year and a half until I was 19 and he started to add me to his servers and I left from the content I saw there which was reflected in the screenshots themselves.
After I dropped him as a friend he's taunted me by changing his blog line to; In Peace, Vigilance.
Which is part of the Grey Warden's saying they use throughout the game, including when they first become one. It is also, tattooed on my younger brother's arm... Another thing he knows. He also knows how I was planning to get it tattooed, because that specific part means a lot to me.
He has also started going to any mutuals we share that don't have him blocked, and are telling them I turned on him. That he knew this would happen, that I am not to be trusted and that I hurt children.
My track record with kids is clean. I will go to the FBI and submit evidence on my behalf with the document maker.
My evidence can go to court. Everything I have said, while alleged, you know is true Wesley.
So, here's the document. This is the serious and important announcement. Note, this has a fuck ton of evidence against Wesley. If you have any sort of CSA/Grooming/Sexual Trafficking trauma, please be careful going into this. These are explicit, and horrifying.
And before you guys bug anyone else about my involvement, Yes. Rhi and Spooks are well aware, I made them so right after this news broke.
My final thoughts to Wesley: You can try to burn me down, but you aren't going to hurt any more kids. I can promise you that. If I have to dedicate the rest of my life to make sure you never message another minor ever again, I will do that.
Fuck you for doing what you did to our friend group. Fuck you for what you did to me. Fuck you.
As for my Tumblr people: My posting will return after June 25th, not exactly sure when. My ARG will hopefully be wrapped up in September, however if any blog feels uncomfortable with me after this for my past actions, please let me know so I can remove you from the posting list. This goes for any blog, not just the ARG members. Please let me know so I can respect your boundaries and not interact with your works.
If I lose followers because of this, that's understandable. If I lose friends that's okay. I know who I am, I know I have gotten therapy and still am receiving it. I know I am a safe person around kids.
I know Wesley isn't, because he lacks the feelings of guilt, shame and horror for what he did and continues to do. He lacks basic human empathy, and it's all revealed here.
So, until next time, this is Cassie signing off temporarily. (There will be no new posts until after my surgery, but I will be active and checking in from time to time. I promise I will get to DMs and Asks if there are any.)
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e-rated-beardo · 3 months ago
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Scorn and the Saint-Maker, chapter 37: Let me out of this cheap B movie
Scorn and the Saint-Maker is a murder mystery/ineffable husbands romance/who-turned-them-human Good Omens fanfic, set at a university in Scotland, with lots of (as-yet skippable) level-5 smut, ✨sexy maths✨ (reportedly), and one trans angel
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Summaries, art WIPs and such below the break ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Chapter 37 summary: Doctor Fell sits an exam, takes a strange phone call, and breaks his mobile. On the sidelines, Anthony has a bit of a crisis.
Rating: Chapter rated T. Fic rated E for skippable smut and instances of M-rated, heavy topics. (please see tags).
Notices/warnings: Mild CN for mentions of a lot of the previous drama. A mild/minor cliffhanger.
Excerpt:
Anthony wondered if Fell had any inkling that in the past week, between the close brush and giving everyone else a bad day and twigging that he himself was entirely at fault for it, Anthony’s whole brain had rewritten itself. Nearly half a century he had had to get to know his own person, to learn how he worked, his internal logic and his idiosyncrasies (which were, admittedly, many), yet now when he looked at himself, he barely recognised his own thoughts. It was as if someone had cut out the part of him that was his him, the algorithms that determined how Anthony J. Crowley related to the world, and left him there with only pick-up sticks to rebuild with. He knew who he’d been, but he wasn’t sure who he was, anymore.
Read chapter 37 on AO3 ➡️ or start from the beginning ↩️ (158k words, WIP)
Since I had an hours-long fight with the colour green the other day, when I sat down with my pencils this time, I had a serious craving for monochrome. And shading for hours and hours and hours.
It's also that I've just started to figure out how to draw kisses decently realistically and am thrilled at the chance to make it everybody's problem. (Don't come at me with "decently!???!?!" I know I'm a perfectionist we've been through this)
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And since I have an actual proper fucking scanner now (sshh I've been getting my art into the shiny rectangle by taking photos of it and I know that's ridiculous) I can just. SCAN THE THING. Like that. And it's. Good?? Just look at this luxury:
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It's right there. Hardly any cleanup needed. Just a little contrast/brightness shifting and fixing some weak highlights and boom. Art
And the resolution on this fucker. I'm sure there are miles better scanners out there but it certainly is a feeling to have your A4 drawing in front of you at a level of detail suitable for poster size.
@goodomensafterdark
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itspikamefan · 3 months ago
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Save the Tiger AU: FINAL Survivor Exit Interview
(Sorry for just spamming y'all today Inspiration struck me and I found it a fun writing exercise. Anyways the queen's arrived bow for her)
...
*Bzt*
...
"Hello? Mr. Harada? I apologize for calling you back but I was wondering if you knew the location of-"
"Okazaki Hanano?"
"I... Y-yes we need them for- ...Wait..."
"Good evening, Seki."
"Yume! W-Why you are calling from Harada's Number?"
"I'm currently crashing on his couch... His energy's been low on trying to keep his daily activities so Im helping him as best I can with his animal caretaking... Plus Im wanted throughout Nagoya so... Yeah..."
"...I see..."
"Cut the casualties Seki. I know what you're here for. I'm the final one, right? We've established a communication system by now, us four... We know what's happening..."
"...Very well... In that case, let's cut straight to the questions: State your name and Occupation for the record..."
"Okazaki Hanano... I'm a Mask Maker originally from Nagoya... Now Ive set up base in Yokohama... Hopefully rather permanently..."
"Really? No more with your bold audacious villain personality you went on about during the Second Trial? Has all that faded away?"
"... I'm... taking a break from evil... for a little while... I... I think there are more important matters in the world right now..."
"Taking a break from Villainy?! Wow, you really have lost your touch, Yume!"
"Next question, Seki..."
"Right right. So, before yesterday, you spent a total of 36 days in the first session of our Killing Game Experiment. How would you describe your experience?"
"Oh it was thrilling. The Bloodshed, the drama, the tears, all for the sake of some boring scientific research. It truly moved me."
"Wait seriously?"
"No. God. Seki. Take a fucking hint. Did you not get the same answer from the other three?"
"I mean... I just thought-"
"Alright, then let me spell it out for you. I have suffered many tragedies at the hands of that woman that I am disgusted to say that I even share the slightest bit of DNA, much less half. This Killing Game... This Killing Game is so much more disgusting, so much more vile, so much more horrible... So... Much... More... Awful... Than every god damn forsaken thing she's done in her life... Combined... And doubled... If she rots in hell for nothing else... I hope she burns in agonizing pain for what she did to us..."
"...I see..."
"You see, if I had been one of the only deaths, and Id been one of like, what, 3 deaths in the entire game... Maybe I'd find it somewhere deep in my corrupted soul to at least hear her actions out... But not only was she too much of a pussy to kill me without killing my friends... But she sacrificed 12 innocent souls while leaving me to walk this earth... That is the most evil thing I can imagine... And I will never forgive her for it..."
"Wow... Seems we're going 4 for 4... Everyone Hates Hanano..."
"I know what I did... And I know I don't deserve forgiveness... But Haruka Yonekura... She deserves far far less than even me..."
"..."
"..."
"...If you could go back, and change your killing game experience in any way, knowing what you know now... Would you change anything?"
"...So many things... I'll stick to one though... I'd go back... And Kill Nakamigawa with my own hands... No one else... Id let Tsuno and Wada to the end... While I left dead on the floor... That way... Maybe the 10 of them could've snuck out... Made it without me somehow... Tsuno... Hama... Chiba... All of them... They might all have still been alive..."
"Interesting choice... You and Harada Keizou gave very similar answers... Both of you so willing to turn in your lives for others..."
"We know we shouldn't have survived... And we're trying to make amends for that fact..."
"Noted... One more question, and I'll let you go Yume... We'll never speak again..."
"Oh I hope we speak again... I hope I can hear your dying screams as I puncture your neck"
"..."
"But continue, regardless..."
"...Do you really regret what you've done? Do you truly believe that you were in the wrong? ...Or do you only regret it because Nishino committed suicde because of you..."
"..."
"..."
"...How... Dare you..."
"Hmm?"
"...How dare you bring her into this... How dare... you use my actions... to justify her sadness... to justify her tragedy... to try and make sense of a broken and vulnerable woman... You are Pathetic, Seki... Pathetic..."
"...I suppose that answers that question..."
"I hope when... Not If... When this Killing Game finally crumbles... I hope you suffer in agony for as long as possible... As you watch your actions make you lose every single thing you might care about... As you write in pain only the dead could know..."
"..."
"..."
"...Thank you for your time Yume... Your Items will be delivered to the Harada's residence at some point in the future. As with the last two, I'll leave you with-"
"Yeah yeah, I get it... I'm not allowed to blab about the killing game... but you're a fucking idiot if you think that'll stop me... I have 3 allies on my side... 3 allies whos only reason for not trying to end me is our shared hatred of you people. We will stop the Killing Games... And I will make sure you all suffer..."
"..."
"See you around, Kuneyasu."
"Good fucking luck.... Yonekura..."
*CLICK*
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mirai-e-jump · 1 year ago
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TV Guide Dan Vol.50, January 2024 Issue ft. Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Cast Members Sakai Taisei x Masato Yano Interview (translations below)
Publication: January 26, 2024
"Please introduce the character the other is playing in Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger."
Sakai: Yano-san plays Racules Husty, the big brother of Gira Husty, who I play. At first, we were led to believe that he was a bad guy who hurt his citizens, but unknown to Gira, he was carrying a huge burden on his shoulders, and was deliberately behaving in a way that made him look like that. Gira may have lost his childhood memories, but I think he respected Racules in those days, and even now is of great importance to Gira.
Yano: Gira is the younger brother of Racules, but at the same time, he's a mysterious being. Somehow, he can communicate with the Shugods…For the rest of the story, it felt like he was moving forward with innocence, but gradually, he gained leadership, moved the hearts of those around him, and became the driving force for the previously broken up Royal Sentai to become one. Furthermore, he's also been gaining more and more dignity as the new king, and now he and Racules have resolved their differences and are fighting together.
"Outside of your roles as brothers, what's the relationship between you two like?"
Yano: (with a solemn expression) We normally don't get along very well.
Sakai: (with a straight face) We fight alot.
Sakai & Yano: (laughs).
Yano: No, we're just joking. That's not the case at all.
Sakai: Yano-san takes very good care of me. He cares about me, asking, "Are you eating properly?," and also gives me advice on acting.
Yano: I'm not offering anything major. I just say, "Here's what I'm doing."
Sakai: For example, in running scenes, Yano-san breathes loudly with, "Haa, haa" to make the sound easier to pick up. Since Gira has many running scenes, I try to incorporate this in my own way.
Yano: I believe that each actor has their own way of creating emotion, so I often talk about the technical aspects. For example, it's better not to blink during important scenes, as it could distract the viewers. If there's no dialogue in a scene where you're close to a character's face, I'd suggest that you express your feelings by clenching your teeth or swallowing saliva.
Sakai: He teaches me these things in a way that's easy to understand. Furthermore, Yano-san has so many variations to his performance! He's always been a great help.
"Speaking of, what do you usually call each other?"
Sakai: I call him "Aniki."
Yano:…You've never called me that once though.
Sakai: Ahaha! Just now, I got scared~.
Yano: I immediately started thinking about the best way to respond to your joke.
Sakai: Actually, it's "Yano-san."
Yano: For me, it's "Sakai". Sometimes I call him "Taisei." Like when we go out to eat.
Sakai: It makes me happy to be called Taisei by Yano-san. From now on, I want you to call me Taisei!
Yano: You prefer Taisei?
Sakai: Yeah, but Sakai is fine too. I've been called that since I worked together with Yano-san in the drama "Shinyu wa Akujo."
Yano: Everyone called him Taisei, but I intentionally chose Sakai.
Sakai: Eh? Was it to make me feel special?! I'm so happy~!
Yano: Well…that's right! (laughs). What does Ikeda Masashi call you by?
Sakai: You mean by everyone?
Yano: Why'd you respond like that? (laughs). Sakai is like this, and sometimes I can't get through to him. The other day he asked, "What did you eat for dinner?" and when I answered, about 3 minutes later, he asked me the same question again.
Sakai: I wanted him to respond with, "How many times have you asked that?!" (*he wanted to do a bit with Yano)
Yano: Absolutely not. I could tell by your face. Sakai has a different kind of expression when he's like that.
Sakai: Eh? So you can understand such subtle changes! Yano-san is the mood maker on set. When he's on standby in front of the cameras for a monologue scene, he makes strange faces right up until the actual performance (laughs).
Yano: Hey, hey, that makes it seem like I don't take my job seriously! Well, it is true that I make strange faces (laughs).
"We've heard from your co stars that Yano-kun is lonely, and that he posts the most in the King-Ohger cast's group LINE…"
Yano: It's a misunderstanding. There's a reason for that. It's a common occurrence among actors, but even if you create a group LINE with your co stars, after filming begins or after some time passes, no one says anything. I don't like it, so I post frequently, but no one ever responds…
Sakai: I often have trouble speaking up because I'm too considerate of my seniors.
Yano: Sakai doesn't really say anything. Rather, he doesn't return private LINE messages.
Sakai: That's not true. I reply as soon as I see them!
Yano: You didn't reply the other day.
Sakai: I might've been working.
Yano: Let's just leave it at that (laughs).
"Since you play brothers in this work, we'd like to ask what kind of household chores you'd share if the two of you were to live together."
Sakai: Leave the toilet and bathtub cleaning to me!
Yano: Are you good at it?
Sakai: I'm the type of person who makes things beautiful when my "switch" is turned on. However, folding clothes and vacuuming…I don't feel like doing that.
Yano: Well then, guess I'll do it.
Sakai: Please also take care of the cooking!
Yano: How strange! (laughs). Because, Sakai, you have a rice cooker at your house, and yet you eat precooked rice packs, right?
Sakai: Cooking rice is a pain…
Yano: I really don't understand that feeling.
Sakai: Everything depends on my mood (laughs). If I feel like cooking rice, I'll cook it.
Yano: So, on days when Sakai feels like it and cooks rice for me, I'll have to say "Thank you~!" out of consideration. How annoying~ (laughs).
"(laughs). In the future, if you were to work together again as actors, what kind of production would you like to work on?"
Sakai: I'd like to play a yakuza role.
Yano: I see. Your role would be something like, "Even though his face is cute, his face is calm when he kills," does that sound good?
Sakai: That's good!
Yano: Well then, I'll play the role of the detective who hunts him down. There was a drama like that, right? It was…"Informa," featuring Morita Go-san and Kiritani Kenta-san!
Sakai: Ah!
Yano: Sakai would be in Kiritani-san's position in that drama. Or, I'll be in Kiritani-san's position and Sakai will be in Yokohama Ryusei-san's position.
Sakai: That's really good!
Yano: Personally, I'm looking forward to it. What kind of work will Sakai first appear in after he graduates from King-Ohger? I think it's really important to make that first step. What kind of production do you want to be in?
Sakai: I have almost no experience in acting, so I'd like to play any kind of role.
Yano: Then, if you had to choose between comedy, romance, or serious, which one would you prefer?
Sakai: Are they genres I can do? In that case, I'll do it.
Yano: No, don't just say "I'll do it." I just gave you choices.
Sakai: I see, my bad (laughs). If I had to pick, I'd like to do a serious one. Also, comedy.
Yano: You chose two (laughs). And they're completely opposite genres.
Sakai: I'm greedy (laughs).
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cbrownjc · 26 days ago
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Hello!
I'm intrigued with your theory about what could have happened to Daniel in the last episode, and i was too surprised about the eye colour being wrong (I love daniel's purple eyes)
The de-aging could bring new possibilities with Daniel's story while also thicken devil's minion's story post turning (the angst omg), but how do you think they could pull that off?
I have still not read "The realms of Atlantis" but i've seen theories about clones, created bodies and it's interesting that Fareed was already in Dubai messing with his blood, but i don't understand how could they switch bodies withouth ageist agenda, especially knowing the drama in the fandom... And wouldn't that mean that Armand would have to turn Daniel again?
Thank you for your theories/analysis! I always enjoy reading them!
Oh and welcome back!
Hello!
So first, one of the things about my thinking that Daniel has been body swapped is that I don't think Armand turned Daniel in the first place, especially because, unless we see the turning, there is zero way to verify that Daniel -- the one we saw at the end of 2x08 at least -- was telling the truth that Armand was his Maker.
And Rolin Jones flat out said, in an interview right after Season 2 was done, that we were not going to see that moment when Armand turned Daniel. Which flat out says to me that the reason they're not going to show it is because Armand wasn't the one who actually did it in the first place. And that when Daniel's body was turned, while Daniel's soul was not in his body, btw, it was done by some other vampire.
If you haven't read my longer post about why I think Daniel has been body-swapped, you can do so here. It goes into all of this in a lot more detail.
But yeah, IMO, there would be no Armand turning Daniel again, because I don't think Armand turned "Daniel" -- the one we saw at the end of episode 2x08 -- in the first place.
Now, I haven't read Realms of Atlantis yet either. I have less than 100 pages left to read of Prince Lestat, and I do plan to finish that book this weekend so I can finally start reading RoA. So right now, I can't really go into a full speculation at the moment when it comes to things I, too, have only heard about (had spoiled) regarding the RoA book.
But yes, in Realms of Atlantis, there is a full body made for someone fwiu. Something/someone (I won't say who, but I do know who it is) who was a spirit gets a body made for them.
And in Prince Lestat, cloning is also a thing. Lestat's son, Viktor, is basically a clone, though he was "conceived," as it were, and born and raised as any other child would've. So, he wasn't just a clone with a full-grown body right from the start when he was created.
However, with Jacob hinting that both Louis and Daniel were very much "kept things" by Armand, I think Armand probably had access to Daniel for years without Daniel ever knowing it.
I mean, Daniel's apartment gives a pretty big hint toward that, with its sky-blue fresco painted ceilings. In Prince Lestat, Armand owns a place called Trinity Gate (which is three townhouses converted into one big home), which has ceilings painted with sky-blue frescos, just like Daniel's apartment in the show.
And then, of course, there was Daniel questioning Real Rashid in 2x06 about how the tapes ended up in his mailbox when the box containing them had no postmark on it.
So yeah, IMO, Armand has had access to Daniel and his apartment probably since 1985 (when I think their past relationship ended and Daniel's memories were fully altered). So getting blood samples from Daniel -- or anything else -- before Daniel ever came to Dubai wouldn't have been hard for him to do IMO.
But another thing of import I've noticed in Prince Lestat is how many ghost/spirits -- with very solid forms, to the point where some even wear real-world clothes and don't have to manifest them along with their solid bodies -- there are in the book. And Rolin did say the show had to start setting up the concept of "the soul" which is something that ties into the ghosts and spirits we see in the books, Prince Lestat in particular. (And, from what has been hinted to me, Realms of Atlantis as well.)
And while I don't think Daniel's soul would remain a spirit forever on the show or something, I can see the show using Daniel's character to set up that concept for non-book reading viewers (if his soul isn't already in another body yet).
As to things looking ageist by doing such a thing as a body swap with Daniel, it really is just going to come down to how the show executes the plot of it all IMO. I don't think it automatically has to come off as ageist, especially given how I think the whole thing is being set up at the moment.
Because it isn't even Armand who instigated the body-swap IMO. It was clearly Raglan James who instigated the whole thing, if I'm correct about it having already happened. And, IMO, James was doing it because he was using Daniel as a test subject. Again, I go into my thoughts on this in much greater detail in this post.
And as to fandom drama about a possible body-swap here's the thing: Rolin Jones, the showrunner and the one who pitched an at least 8-season show arc to AMC Networks that got him the job, doesn't give a shit about fandom drama when it comes to his plans for the show. He pretty much made that clear in some of his more recent interviews.
When it comes to the overall story Rolin has planned for the show, it doesn't matter to him about any drama about what fandom does and doesn't want that is going on. It doesn't matter what backlash or yelling might come regarding things or where the story goes or might go. He pretty much said AMC is happy with what he has been doing and given him the green light to keep doing what he's doing; they are not going to interfere, and Rolin made it clear he already has a plan for where he wants the story to go and is sticking to that.
And if part of Rolin's story plan for the show involves Daniel getting body-swapped, then Daniel is getting body-swapped. The end. Nothing fandom says about it, con or pro, is going to change that.
IIRC, Rolin said back during Season 1 that he was sure the show would lose some fans but that, as the story continued on, they would gain fans as well. So if fans who hate the idea of Daniel getting body-swapped do complain or even stop watching, then he (and the network) are fine with that and already anticipated it.
But he is not going to change or not do the storyline at all, just because of possible fandom backlash, if it is one he is planning to do.
And hey, when it comes to this day and age, where showrunners and writers on many other networks will pander to fandom (see things like Cleganebowl wrt GOT fandom), I have to say, I respect that Rolin Jones and Co. aren't going to do that.
So yeah, there'll probably for sure be drama in fandom if a body swap with Daniel is going on (as I think it already is), or is even just something that is going to happen. But that drama isn't going to stop Rolin, and therefore the show, from doing it if they've been planning to.
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dangermousie · 5 months ago
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Yup, still thinking about Olive Tree.
I was thinking that at first glance, it may appear rather sudden to have Zan run off to psych ward after that one episode in the hospital and then for Ran, after finding him and marrying him, leave the elope note for their parents and disappear into parts unknown. I mean, yes, it's been only months since he came back and this is ONE big incident, not years and repeat incidents.
One may be tempted to go "but wait! isn't it hurried!" but it actually makes total sense. Not just from the practical aspect of the fact that even this drama, as amazing as it is in centering on trauma, would not make viewers sit through ten episodes of agony as its finishing arc (who could even bear to watch?)
But because it fits Zan's character (and Ran's.) If you think about it, Zan is an absolutist and someone who by choice of profession makes quick decisions and seeks quick solutions. Impatience in term of long time is a trait and so is, tragically a binary sort of "well or not" thinking.
That is what motivates him to go back for the third tour. Yes, he is driven by guilt and desire to help, but even more he is driven by desperation to be healed, to be a whole man for Ran. The thing is, unlike when he comes back at the end, his situation is not horrifying. He is ill and he has episodes and it's tough but he is healing - slowly, painfully, with set-backs but he is. (And if he didn't push his trauma past its limits like with the bomb test, he might do even better.) But he cannot wait and he is desperate because he doesn't deal well with uncertainty and long wait times. I mean, it's so clear that if he didn't go for that last tour of duty, he'd be so much better off - he'd either heal more or even if somehow he never got better than he was before he went, he'd still be miles better than he ended up being.
And I think it's that kind of absolutist, impatient thinking that drives him to the psych ward after the hospital disaster. He is not a man to wait and ruminate and hope. He is so decisive and so unhesitating and that was helpful in his work but is detrimental here. To him this means things are not working - but this time he doesn't have the strength to try to fix it, he just wants to take himself out of equation to protect Ran. (If you think about it, he was motivated to help - like that stranger who fished him out of a well as a child; only this time he's fallen back into that well only so deep nobody can fish him out.)
(Of course, it didn't help that the hospital scene WAS horrific - it was so public and it made strangers look down on her and just...oooof. When you think that he started the story as a man who would turn women's heads as he walked in, who all these coworkers and soldiers and children adored, the light of any crowd and now he's surrounded by faces that hold only pity, fear or disgust...oooof.)
And Ran - she just wants to do what makes him as comfortable as he can be. So of course she is fine with disappearing with him into the aether. I have to say, his shrink is genuinely awful. She was awful the first time (sure, you are cleared to go to the war zone to deal with your trauma WTF) and she's terrible here - there has to be a middle ground that's not "if you don't keep him drugged up to the gills he will kill either himself or someone else sooner or later." Send him to some place that is equipped to handle war trauma for one - she doesn't even specialize in this omg.
Anyway, enough from me for now but I am also amused that the makers apparently said they thought long and hard and decided to change the novel's tragic ending. I mean, I suppose it's not the tragedy of the novel but I can't say I'd call it a happy ending in any way.
PS I love this MV
youtube
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nalyra-dreaming · 1 month ago
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Ok I thought w all the drama (must be a day of the week in the IWTV fandom🙄 17 yrs of fandom and never I have I been in one w this much senseless arguing jfc!! They all have senseless arguing but this is next level. I'm only skimming but I think you need a medal for handling all of it this well) you could use a refreshing "my friend worked on IWTV" ask with 0% drama. My friend worked in the art department in S1! Tragically, she didn't meet any of the actors, but she did a lot of really cool stuff!
She's a print maker, and was hired originally to make the newspapers for the hoarding scene- which were ALL required to be scarily precise and period accurate. Whatever little set details everyone is reading into and over analyzing? Yeah, go ahead and over analyze harder guys, can confirm the level of detail that goes into them is 100x more detail than you even thought possible! She also helped w the ones that are shown up close, like the article about Claudia's body stash-those ones were designed to perfection, down the shades of ink in the layering techniques and placement of each paragraph. They liked her work (we went to art school together, though met at a summer program as teens and remained friends since, she's crazy talented. She correctly predicted I would love the show before it aired lmao, though I only got around to watching it this last year, and became promptly irrevocably obsessed) and signed her up to work w the art department the rest of the season. She got to do some other exciting things, like help set up the pharmacy Claudia gets the laudanum and arsenic from, make some of the hats for Mardi Gras etc. But the coolest thing by far:
She wrote some of Claudia's dairies!!! Also tragically, not the one in Lestat's blood, but a bunch of them. For the pages that weren't featured on screen but needed to be filled, she was given free reign...for awhile anyway, she made up all sorts of stories based on the books and the scripts she'd been given about what Claudia would have been experiencing, feeling and thinking, essentially fanfic within fanfic, but then her boss told her the stuff she was writing was too weird!!!😭 She had to tone it down and she's still, justifiably, mad about that lmao. Bc like Claudia is a fucking vampire!! An adult vampire trapped in a teenager's body with the messiest adopted dad's possible!!! Her life was batshit insane!!!
Anyway, good luck with the slew of anons who (again I skimmed) seem to be arguing about a 2 inch difference in Sam Reid's height??? Why????? As far as I've noticed, their heights go up and down a bit depending on the emotion of the scene? and Sam's got like an inch or two on Jacob. I asked a Sam stan blog once out of curiosity and they said his stunt double casting call listed 5'10 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Louis and Lestat are characters tho, and are as tall as you want them to be in your heart, regardless of the actors actual heights
Ohhh thank you so much for this ask and your kind words!! 💕
Now I want to know what she wrote into the diaries *laughs* Was she also the one who took a part of "The Vampire Lestat" for it?!?!
(And god, I bet she knows what's in the removed pages, doesn't she 😈)
Just so you know, I will now go back to episode 5 and try to get reeeaalllll good shots of the newspapers, because I just KNOW there's more clues and meta commentary in there. I just know it. This show, seriously.
They should win all the awards. AND give us "the art of IWTV" books after...
It makes me so happy that your friend had a good time on the show, and that she seemed to have enjoyed her work?!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! I will pay extra attention on rewatch, that's for sure. (And hope dies last that they will sell some of the costumes on prop store at some point?! Maybe the hats??? :))
And, well, as per the fandom - ... the hiatus is very long. I guess... we're all just going stir crazy. (Though I do feel like a broken record at times :))
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captawesomesauce · 5 months ago
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Thoughts at noon... (drama at the aquarium)
So they introduced a new turtle to the Shark Lagoon at the @aquariumpacific, and dude... he's been a menace... and I feel so bad for the other animals in the tank that he's obviously stressing out. It's really the delinquent tank, where they all have personalities that border on delinquent and detention worthy antics, but more than anything, they're all slow, sleepy, and silly. - Fern the zebra shark will just plop down anywhere she wants and often will get snuggled by the rays and the turtles. Now and then she'll get a bug up her butt and go digging and messing with the stuff under the sand that she isn't supposed to. Mostly she just likes to sleep. - Basalt the reticulated ray is the biggest and sleepiest animal in the aquarium. 400lbs of pure napping energy. It wants nothing more than to just lay somewhere for hours and be covered in silt and dirt. Now and then it'll go for a lap or 10 and have some fun, often it'll lay down and put one of its long sides against Fern. More than anything, all the other animals will come by and wake it up/move it now and then. But they let it sleep for a while before nudging it along. It never seems stressed just like... fine... turtle moved me... i'll just go lay over here. They never chase it or anything, just... hey.. move. - Onyx is another ray, but much smaller... pure black. Thats why we call them Onyx and Basalt... they don't really have names but color wise, that works. Onyx is a little ball of energy, and a trouble maker... loves to attack coral rocks and things under the sand, loves to tease and play with Basalt, and sometimes will bug Fern a time or two. More little kid energy than anything. - Theo and Lou are the two Olive Ridleys and they're big deal is that they sleep... a lot... They're never in the same tank together, they just switch them out now and then. Often you can find them snuggling with the Fern, or just in their little turtle cave that they like to nap in. They are unspatial as fuck. Literally just slowly gliding/crawling through the tank running into every rock, coral, and animal in there. It's hilarious watching them try and get into the cave as it's a game of left left left, NO right!!! right!! bang! Oof, never let them park your car people... it's a disaster. These guys need about 20 hrs of sleep a day, wake up, get air, swim, have fun, take a nap. That's like - their whole shtick. They know they're cute, they have main character energy, and the whole world revolves around them ... which is why it's the walls fault for not moving when they swim into it lol. - and now there is Copper. Copper is the new green sea turtle addition and the dude NEVER lays down for more than a few minutes, never seems to rest for long, and is super annoying and destructive! He has dominance issues with the olive ridley turtles and will nip/bite and bug them constantly... and I mean constantly! Like unrelentingly. He also got into it with Fern a few times, and he has a bad habit of destruction. He is literally trying to destroy the tank and yesterday we snitched on him because he tore some tank lining fabric and ate it. Oof. You can tell how stressed Theo is, the poor thing just wants to lay down and rest but every time he does, Copper comes charging at him. It's even worse late at night. There was a 10 minute turtle tornado - tur-nado where Copper and Theo went round and round and round and round and round... it was one of many long instances of the two of them not getting along. Copper seems really happy ... none of the others in the tank (animate or inanimate) seem to be though.
For the last year, Copper was kept in an isolation tank after being removed from the main exhibit where he had been a bad turtle. We felt bad for him because it was so empty in the isolation tank with just a few rays and a zebra shark or two to keep him company. But dude... it makes sense now seeing how much of a disaster zone he is!
The others are delinquents ... this guy is Juvie hall level. He's cute as hell, fun to watch when he's not being a dick, and just the coolest thing ever with the way he swims and glides and is just an awesome turtle... with a bad attitude apparently.
oof. I'll add some vids and pics in a follow up, but man Theo needs a break if Copper doesn't settle the fuck down!
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nirikeehan · 3 months ago
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Lucanis & Dorian Pavus and angst/whump prompts: Willing/Self-Injury Escaping or Helping Someone Else
Boy this one got galaxy-brained.
Thank you I need Dorian to be Lucanis's mentor figure like i need air
CONTEXT:
The post that mined Veilguard's metadata and reported that Lucanis was originally supposed to be brainwashed into being an assassin for the Venatori has taken up roughly 67% of my brain
I invented my own Tevinter prison he was thrown into called the Arx Silentium bc I didn't know that happened canonically at first and now the name has stuck bc I think it's cool
Dorian fled Tevinter in this AU after an assassination attempt and that's why he's here in Val Royeaux helping out
For @dadrunkwriting
WC: 2413
CW: References to self-harm and prisoner mistreatment
---
The health of the Divine and her Exalted Council was paramount, so the Grand Cathedral had its own medical infrastructure. That, now that Leliana had declared the rise of their clandestine “Aviary,” meant that this infirmary was looking more like a mad scientist’s laboratory. Dagna had taken up residence in one theatre, on loan from Thom Rainier’s Black Company. Another belonged to the hedge-witch-turned-royal-occult-something Morrigan, who was conducting magical experiments with the help of, supposedly, a civilization’s worth of elven knowledge at her fingertips. She wasn’t there when he passed the door, thank the Maker. She gave Dorian the heebie-jeebies. 
The physician’s wing was down an adjacent hallway. Dorian landed in a long narrow room filled with rows of beds and high windows, separated by hanging curtains. On one end were a number of doors leading to exam rooms. Dorian noted the gaggle of his colleagues — Cullen and Cassandra among them — speaking to a bespectacled Orlesian man who was conservatively eighty-five years old: the head physician. Pierre Something. 
“I’m here for the Crow,” Dorian announced, and all heads turned to him.
Dorian received the rundown. The man had joined recruitment voluntarily, though there had been some drama about it. He was the son — grandson? — of the woman who ran the Antivan Crows. And then, of course, he’d spent the time in the prison that didn’t exist. They were worried, not without reason, that a secret prison run by the Tevinter government might have exposed its prisoners to unseemly dark magic as a form of torture. Given Dorian’s experience with former detainees, this was a real possibility. 
“You want me to determine if he’s a spy,” Dorian said bluntly. He wiggled his fingers in the air. “With magic. Yes?” 
Cullen shifted his weight uncomfortably. “If it’s possible.” 
Dorian stifled a sigh. Cullen was a dear friend, but “ignoramus” was a kind term when it came to him and magic. “I can’t just wave my hand and determine if he’s under a glamour. I can speak to him, look for some tells. But it’s guesswork, at best.” 
“It’s better than nothing,” Cassandra said, arms crossed. “You’re our expert on Tevinter, once again.”
“Perish the thought,” Dorian said lightly. “I was hardly qualified for it the first time.”
 And with that, they ushered him into an exam room and left Dorian alone with one of the most dangerous assassins on the continent. 
He was sitting on the exam bed, shirtless. Ramrod straight, palms on his thighs, unmoving. He had long straight hair, a beard, dark, inscrutable eyes, which swiveled to focus on Dorian as he entered. Lethally blank expression. There was something off about his face — too angular and asymmetrical to be handsome. And too young, it seemed, to be responsible for so much death. But maybe that was just Dorian getting old. Everyone was starting to look young to him. 
“Lucanis Dellamorte?” Dorian asked.
The man nodded. 
Dorian raised his eyebrows. “I’m not sure exactly what they told you about me, but you don’t need to be undressed for this.” 
He put a touch of levity in his voice, which Lucanis didn’t seem to pick up on The situation was already absurd, but he just calmly grabbed for his tunic. Dorian took note of a number of scars: long lashes on the back, small burns on the wrists and forearms. Those looked recent; too recent to have been from Lucanis’s captivity. Dorian ought to know — struggling to master fire spells left a lot of marks. He frowned. 
“My name is Dorian Pavus,” he said evenly. “What did they tell you about me, if you don’t mind my asking?” 
Lucanis paused, considering. “You are here to interrogate me.” 
Given the hesitation and the thickness of his Antivan accent, Dorian suspected Common was not his most proficient language. He chuckled, trying to put the younger man at ease. “‘Interrogate’ is a strong word. I’m interested in your experiences in prison. Tevinter is my homeland, you see. I was once a member of the Magisterium.”
Dorian noted a slight stiffening of Lucanis’s shoulders, but he said nothing.
Dorian continued. “I was trying to prove the Arx Silentium exists. My so-called colleagues pretended it wasn’t real.” 
Lucanis snorted. “It is real. I can promise you that.” 
“Oh, I have no doubt.” Dorian pursed his lips, looking around the room. It was small and mostly bare, but there was a stool in the corner. He gestured. “Do you mind if I take a seat?”
A small shake of the head. 
Dorian grabbed the stool and pulled it over. He sat directly across from Lucanis, studying him. No obvious signs, except perhaps the small burn scars, still visible on his wrists. Dorian took note of it for now, but didn’t ask. 
“Do you know much about mages?”
“Only the ones I have been contracted to kill.” 
Dorian tried to let that wash over him without getting spooked. Assassinations were rampant among the upper echelons of Tevinter society, but the mechanics therein were foreign to him. He’d never contracted an assassin, nor did he think it particularly impressive to reach out to Antiva to use one. He thought briefly of his father lying dead, the culprit never found. And the shadowy horned figures in his own manse in Marothius. He cleared his throat. “Were you contracted to do work in Tevinter often?” 
A shrug. “Often enough.” 
Dorian cocked an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”
“No.” 
Trade secrets, then. He may now be a member of the Aviary, but Lucanis was still a Crow. “Did you ever get a good look at your captors, before or after they transferred you to the Arx Silentium?”
Lucanis paused, thinking. “On the ship, they looked like pirates. I think that was on purpose. Afterward, I was blindfolded, until I reached the prison.” He swallowed, the apple of his throat bobbing. “Inside the Arx Silentium, I saw many things. I know what the warden looks like. Most of the guards. Some of them were killed, when Meira broke me out.” 
Meira? Dorian wondered. Was that the girl who had been the sole surviving member of the rescue team? Thalia had dealt with that aftermath, complained about the casualties. That they had sent too many unseasoned agents in for the sake of a political favor. 
And now that political favor has decided to join the cause, Dorian mused. It was an interesting turn of events, to be sure. As was the familiarity with the agent. 
“You seem quite observant,” Dorian said. 
Lucanis shrugged. “It is a useful skill.” 
“Indeed.” Dorian scratched thoughtfully at the beard on his chin. “You must have a number of those.” 
Lucanis smirked. He had sharp incisors, which made him look even more nefarious. “Yes.” 
Dorian sat back, trying to puzzle it out. He had many former colleagues in the Magisterium who undoubtedly had use for an Antivan master assassin. Too many to name, in fact, which was part of the problem. But why not just hire him? It would have been easier, if not cheaper. Though perhaps Lucanis’s display in Vyrantium had made him seem rabid, uncontrollable. 
“Did anyone there ever say what their plans were for you?” Dorian asked. 
Lucanis tensed. Near imperceptibly, but Dorian was looking for it. 
“Not,” Lucanis said haltingly, “in so many words. But.” 
Dorian nodded. “Give me your impression, then.” 
“Sometimes outsiders would come to visit. Their dress was like yours.” Lucanis gestured to Dorian’s Tevinter-styled robe, one of the few he’d salvaged during his flight from the country. “One called me—” He stopped, glancing skyward, as if grasping for the right word. “‘Manageable.’” 
Dorian inhaled slowly. He could smell a corrupt Magister’s plot coming miles off, and this seemed to fit the bill nicely. He would find it repulsive if it wasn’t so predictable. 
“Anything else you remember being said?” 
Lucanis hummed. “That they would need to break me first. I think the term used was ‘primed.’” 
Now Dorian could not suppress a shudder. 
“Terrible,” he spat. “I don’t know if my sympathy means anything to you, but this is exactly the sort of behavior I joined the Magisterium to prevent. That I was unable to is among my deepest regrets.” 
Lucanis cocked his head, but he did not speak for a long moment. “Your sympathy is noted,” he said, “even if it does not change the past.” 
Dorian would have to take it. Though that did leave some other troubling matters. “There are a number of unpleasant magic schools in Tevinter that center around mind control. The good news is most people, even non-mages, have wills strong enough to resist long term tinkering — unless they are ‘primed’ first, so to speak. Put into extremely vulnerable states. Usually via torture.” Given the treatment Lucanis had experienced at the Arx Silentium, that seemed to be step one of their plan. But it was no use inquiring further — if they’d been successful, they certainly would have erased his memory to cover their tracks. 
He seemed to pick up on this, dark eyes widening. “I was going to tell you I was rescued before they broke me,” Lucanis said. “I was going to tell you this with confidence. But that has no bearing on whether it is true, does it?” 
“I’m afraid not,” Dorian said softly. 
Lucanis muttered something in Antivan. He lowered his face to his hands and raked fingers through his hair. He straightened, sniffing. “Can you fix it?”
Dorian allowed himself a small smile. “We don’t know if it’s broken yet, Lucanis.”
Lucanis let out a wry chuckle. “To hear my family tell it, I have gone mad for wanting to come here. So I think perhaps something is broken. Whether that is due to what was done to me in the Arx Silentium, I do not know.” 
Dorian laughed. “My family once said the same about me and the Inquisition. I don’t think wanting to do the right thing is a symptom of what I speak.” 
He could not tell if Lucanis found this comforting. “What can you do?”
“Ascertain a few things, if you’ll let me.” 
The younger man eyed him. “Will it hurt?”
Dorian felt a brief pang of sympathy. He’d spent so much of his life among those skilled in magic that he nearly forgot how ominous it probably all looked to an outsider. “It may, depending on what I find. But I will warn you first.” 
Lucanis nodded. “I am not afraid.” 
Dorian chose to believe this, though he wasn’t sure how much was genuine — assassins must live life on a sharply honed edge — and how much was bravado. He stood, taking a deep breath.
He had Lucanis track movement of his finger with his eyes. Those under a geas sometimes had difficulty with that. No delay, no catching on some distant fixed point.  Dorian held to fingers to his wrist, counting his pulse — also normal. The burn marks poked out of his sleeve. 
“Where did you get those?” Dorian asked.
Lucanis snatched his arm away. “Nowhere.” 
Dorian raised his eyebrows. “They look painful. Did you know I specialize in fire magic? Took a long time to master the art. I know how it feels.” 
Lucanis sighed and glanced at his boots. “It cannot be a sign of what you’re looking for.”
“Why not?” 
“Because I’ve done it since I was fifteen.” He shrugged. “Candles, mostly.”
“Mm.” Dorian tried to keep his expression neutral. Judgment would do no good here. He’d heard of self-flagellants, of course — rumors had even swirled at Skyhold that the Iron Bull had been into such things recreationally. Too bad he couldn’t ask Bull’s opinion, Dorian thought bitterly. Bull would have certainly had a number of delusional things to say about what an assassin might do on his off hours, just to feel something. 
Dorian sighed, smoothing the stray hair behind his ears. He hadn’t agreed to do this to offer counsel to someone who could probably kill Dorian with his pinky. “Is that when you decided to join the Crows?” 
Lucanis let out a mirthless laugh. “Everyone asks these questions. When did I decide to join the Crows? Why did I decide to become a Crow? You have no understanding of the process.” 
“You mean to say you had no choice.” Dorian was beginning to see, just a little, what might make someone like Lucanis Dellamorte leave behind his legacy in Antiva. 
Lucanis shrugged. “You were born a mage, were you not? We all enter this world with specific talents.” 
Dorian wanted to tell him that it was perfectly natural to be born a mage, but that killing machines needed to be made. He didn’t think the point would be welcome, however. His years in the Magisterium had instilled in him a sense — however small — of when it would be better to keep his mouth shut. 
“I can have some salves made, that’s all,” he said coolly. “To help with the pain.” If it’s something you insist you must do. Maker, when did he start turning into his mother? 
Lucanis blinked in surprise. “Thank you,” he said haltingly, as if he wasn’t used to expressing gratitude. 
“Is there any other habits you’ve picked up since you were in prison? Repetitive actions? Sleepwalking?” 
Lucanis shook his head. 
“Well,” Dorian said, “I can tell you that you’ve passed a number of tests. But I’m not sure that puts us in the clear. Mind control is a rather unsavory discipline, one I didn’t study extensively. To exhaust all our options, I’ll have to do some research first.” 
He knew the Divine’s Council would hate to hear this. Lucanis took it with more grace than Dorian feared, nodding slowly. “I assume,” he said softly, “this means I will be unable to partake in missions until you’ve determined I’m not a danger.” 
“I would bet on it, yes,” Dorian said. “It’s not ideal, but the people we work for didn’t get to where they are out of recklessness. We’ve got to vet everyone carefully.” 
Or we’ll have another Solas on our hands, Dorian thought grimly. Or another Thom Rainier. Or another Iron Bull. 
All right, so the Inquisition’s track record wasn’t the best. But Thalia wasn’t in charge anymore. Leliana was. 
“So we’ll talk again soon,” Lucanis guessed, correctly. 
They said their goodbyes, and Dorian went to break it to Cullen and Cassandra that he was going to need lots of dark magic tomes, and that they were unlikely to come cheap. 
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desertfangs · 1 year ago
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For the writing prompt thing: "may I have this dance?" with Lestat/Daniel
I know this took me a millennia to get to so I appreciate your patience. I'm still working on the rest of these as well. This is some Court Angst with Lestat/Daniel, featuring Louis/Armand, Louis/Lestat, and Armand/Daniel. All the angst and drama of that weird New Court Era. About 1600 words. Thank you for the ask/prompt!
Daniel shifts the collar of his shirt, trying in vain to loosen it. When that fails, he tugs at the hem of his velvet doublet instead. Marius and Armand had been delighted to dress him in purple finery and hose and Daniel enjoyed the process, but now that he’s stuck wearing the outfit all night, he feels awkward and uneasy, like he’s wearing a costume. 
Of course, everyone is dressed in various styles of historical finery. Pandora wears a bright orange dress layered over a cream-colored one, sandals on her feet, hair up like a Roman goddess. Marius is dressed in similar fashion, in a red and orange Roman tunic, his blond hair loose around his face, while Armand’s outfit is similar to Daniel’s, though rich blue in color, and his auburn hair is long and loose around his pale face. Daniel watches as his maker moves effortlessly across the room toward Louis, who looks like he’d stepped out of the French court in the 1700s. He pushes down a flare of envy at how Armand gravitates toward Louis so automatically these days. 
He continues scanning the crowd and spots Lestat not far away. Lestat is wearing leather: leather pants with studs on the pockets, a torn white shirt, and a leather jacket. It’s an interesting choice, given that most of the others look like historical reenactors, although an argument can be made that the 1980s are now a historical period. That’s a strange thought, and Daniel looks down at his own outfit, fashion from over five centuries before. How long until Lestat’s wannabe Billy Idol attire will look as antiquated? He laughs at the idea. 
Lestat raises an eyebrow and glances his way. He’s talking with Alain and Gregory, but he excuses himself and makes his way over to Daniel, who’s hovering against the wall.
“Something funny, Molloy?” Lestat asks, expression hard.
Daniel grins at him. “Just thinking how you look like you’re planning to host the MTV Video Music Awards.” 
Lestat frowns. “Do they still do those?” 
Daniel shrugs. 
“I’d make an excellent host. Perhaps I should call my agent.”
Daniel roles his eyes. 
Lestat smirks. “Although I see you’ve opted to dress like one of Marius’ kept boys. I’m sure he’s thrilled.” Lestat leans in and speaks right into Daniel’s ear. “No doubt he’s eager to get you alone.” 
Daniel elbows him in the side. “You’re the one in tight leather pants. Who are you hoping to lure in your bedroom this evening, huh?” Lestat turns his head almost automatically toward Louis and Armand, who are now dancing together in the middle of the dance floor. He stares at them for so long that Daniel adds, “If it’s Armand, you’re working too hard for it.” 
Lestat jolts, pulled from his thoughts. Daniel can’t read them since they both have their mental walls up but he can guess. He’s looking at Louis longingly, as if they’re estranged. Funny, because they were walking together in the village just last week. Wasn’t it last week? Time seems to compress itself here at Court, especially in the winters when the snow can be relentless. 
“Armand does look delectable in his little Venetian boy attire. I suppose you two make a nice matching set. Perhaps it’s your maker who has designs on getting you alone, hm?” Lestat smiles wickedly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. 
“I think he and Marius just like to put me in anything but jeans and t-shirts,” Daniel says honestly. Although both of them did give him long looks earlier this evening. 
The music switches from classical to a pop song Daniel recognizes. He thrusts his hand out toward Lestat. “May I have this dance?” 
Lestat takes his hand without hesitation and leads him to the dance floor, positioning them suspiciously close to Armand and Louis, who, with the change of music, are no longer clinging to each other. But they still dance together, a modern sort of dance common in nightclubs, which looks all the more fascinating in their getups. Daniel realizes he must look the same way. 
Lestat bops to the beat, moving right into Daniel’s personal space, practically grinding on him. It’s hot as hell and Daniel moves with him. 
Armand catches sight of Daniel and smiles at him until he sees who he’s dancing with. Then his expression turns stoney. Annoyed, maybe, or even jealous, though which one of them he’s jealous of is anyone’s guess. So many little jealousies here at Court, when everyone has so much love for each other. But then, Daniel is not immune. 
Hell, even seeing Armand dance with Louis now brings up those old feelings of resentment and loss, his frustration that Armand found such solace in someone else’s arms, while Daniel, mad and out of his mind, was hardly a blip on his radar. 
Lestat grabs Daniel’s face and turns his head so he’s looking at him, right into those intense blue-gray eyes. He smiles and then leans in, kissing him on the mouth before Daniel knows what’s happening. Not that he’s going to complain. His lips are soft and pliant as they move against Daniel’s, his tongue sliding into Daniel’s mouth eagerly. Daniel kisses him back, arms winding around him and soon they’re not dancing at all, but standing in the middle of the dance floor making out. Daniel pulls back when he realizes it, cheeks heating as they undoubtedly go a little red. 
Everyone is watching—of course they are! Lestat is the prince, everyone is always watching what he does!—but most of them have the decency to pretend not to be. Louis and Armand have stopped dancing, too, and Louis turns and walks away. 
Armand looks angry. 
Daniel isn’t sure why. It’s not like he and Lestat haven’t kissed (more than kissed) plenty of times before. Lestat turns and disappears into the crowd. Uneasiness worms through Daniel’s gut and he feels like he’s been played somehow, only he doesn’t know what the game is. 
“Sorry,” he mouths at Armand, who probably doesn’t see; he’s too busy staring daggers at Lestat’s retreating form. Yeah, Daniel definitely missed something. He slips off the dance floor, face flushed, and follows Lestat out of the ballroom and down the hall. He finds him standing out on a balcony. The air is freezing and a fresh coat of snow glitters on the ground down below. 
“What the hell was that?” Daniel demands. 
“I thought you always enjoyed our little dalliances.” Lestat keeps his back to him so Daniel walks up beside him and sees him clutching onto the railing. 
“What’s going on between you and Louis?” 
Lestat looks mildly surprised. “Doesn’t your maker tell you everything? You two are always sneaking off into dark corners and having intimate little meetings.” 
Daniel swallows uncomfortably. They’re off in corners, yeah, making out and actively not talking, because talking leads to dredging up all the shit they’ve yet to work out between them. Talking leads to fighting. They steal away into the nooks of the Chateau to kiss and touch in a setting that’s not conducive to talking. Daniel knows they need to move on from that but things are still new and strange, and the kissing is nice. 
“He didn’t mention anything,” Daniel says. 
Lestat stares at him, as if trying to judge if he’s lying. Then he turns around and hops onto the ledge of the railing, sitting on it effortlessly. “Louis is here to be my royal consort and yet as soon as your maker arrived, they’ve been inseparable.” 
Daniel sighs. That’s a bit of an exaggeration but Daniel understands what he means. Armand and Louis spent so much time together that they are entwined now in a way that Daniel and Armand used to be. He feels Lestat’s frustration. His jealousy. And he hates that he does. Armand and Louis were together long before Daniel was even born. It’s not their togetherness that incites such envy, but rather how they seem like a unit now, two parts of a set, and Daniel doesn’t know where he fits anymore. Obviously Lestat feels similarly. 
“Louis came here for you,” Daniel points out. 
“Did he?” Lestat scoffs. 
“Yes,” Daniel says. Daniel remembers how hurt Armand was by Louis’ decision to do so, and how, though he refused to say so, he hadn’t wanted Louis to leave Trinity Gate. 
Lestat is silent for a long moment. Then he reaches out and brushes a stray hair off Daniel’s velvet top. “He’s acting as if he doesn’t want to be here.” 
Daniel shakes his head. “He’s dressed in finery and at a ball at your behest. He’s making an effort.” Daniel looks down at his own clothes. “We all are. This is all so new. It’ll take some time to acclimate.” 
Lestat considers.
“Tell you what,” Daniel says, “I’ll go pull Armand into a corner for a bit and give you a chance to steal Louis away for a dance or two.” 
Lestat smiles. “Please. I can steal him from the little imp’s grasp anytime I desire.” 
“Then why are you out here sulking?” Daniel asks. 
Lestat punches Daniel in the shoulder. Daniel rubs his arm. Lestat jumps down from the balcony. “But you make a good point. I need to help Louis see what his role here at Court is meant to be.” 
Lestat grabs Daniel and kisses him on both cheeks, and then the lips again. Then he stalks off back toward the ballroom, leaving Daniel out on the balcony alone. He smokes a cigarette and then heads back inside.
When he reaches the ballroom, Louis and Lestat are dancing in the center of the room. Armand is off to the side, watching them with his intense amber eyes. Daniel touches his shoulder. He nods at the exit and then takes Armand’s hand in his and leads him out of the ballroom. Lestat spots them heading out and gives him Daniel a wicked smile. 
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