#So maybe Kae will be super bright

[woolmasterleel]

You guys remember Kaegora right

The creepy giant jester Pseudo-Human...

LOOOK AT HIMMM

I really wanted to get a least a chibi full body of him for AF... I love him

I wasn't gonna spoil his story because oooh plot twist but I have like. Two people invested in IV

ANYWAY HERE'S EVELYN TOO ATOMUS ISN'T DONE YET

[imagine-nation20]

I’ll Stay Right Here

Summary: Living in mondstadt meant being used to living near the water. You however, never seem to get used to finding shells along the shore. You’ll do anything to get your hands on them, even take a hit from a shield-wielding mitachurl.

Requested by: Anon

Request: I'm starving for Kaeya content😤 so him with a s/o who fucking adores collecting shells and pretty flowers even if they're in the middle of a battle or if there are enemies camping nearby. The amount of times I've died trying to get a starconch is unreal. But it's always worth it bc pretty shells. They also like to give them to Kaeya too as a gift or sometimes an apology. I just l o v e collecting pretty shit man😭

Warnings:A bit angsty. Reader gets injured.

A/N: Anon, you are a whole mood. Now that I’m at a high enough level, sometimes I’ll just let the enemies hit me once or twice while I pick things up. Also, pausing mid climb to grab a geo sigil? More likely than you’d think. Also, I am sorry if this is super ooc, this is my second fic for Genshin Impact, and my first Kaeya fic, so I might need a bit more practice before I nail down his character completely.

~~~

Kaeya loves you, he really does, but sometimes you can be so frustrating. As captain of the cavalry, he has to deal with more than one oblivious airhead on the daily, and while he wouldn’t give you the title, he wouldn’t completely abstain from suggesting you can have airheaded moments.

Such as now.

It was supposed to be a simple clearing assignment. Jean had gotten reports of some particularly nasty hilichurl camps near the shore. Particularly over by Dawn Winery. If Kaeya had the chance to bother Diluc while also getting work done, he wasn’t going to pass up that chance. So when he heard Jean give you the assignment, he volunteered to accompany you. Doing work, annoying Diluc, and spending time with his significant other? Three birds, one stone.

Now, he was regretting coming along. You had gotten distracted pretty early on in the search for the camp, eyes landing on the sparkly item buried partially by sand. Kaeya knew you had a whole mantle full of them at home, but he never realized that you still were adding to said collection.

You turned to him, eyes shining in excitement as you bounced up and down on the balls of your feet, hydro vision bouncing and twinkling from where it hung on the lapel of your coat.

“Kaeya, do you know what this is?” You asked, holding up what was obviously a starconch.

Kaeya quirked a brow, a slight smirk on his face, “A shell?” He asked, already knowing that wasn’t the answer you were looking for.

His guess was only confirmed by the roll of your eyes and the drop of your shoulders, “It’s not just any shell, Kae,” You stressed. “This is a Starconch. They’re usually only found in Liyue. I’ve never gotten to see one in person before, and I never thought I would!”

Kaeya chuckled slightly, eyes filled with fondness at your child-like excitements. “Well, in that case, I’ll be on the lookout for more in the future.”

He was almost sure he actually physically blushed at the adoration in your gaze when you looked back at him. Your smile was big enough that he thought your face might stick that way, and oh what a sight that would be to see everyday. He wasn’t sure he would actually be able to handle it.

His excitement dropped when a figure, quickly approaching, loomed behind you. Just as he registered the wood of the mitachurl’s shield, you bent down to look through the sand more.

“(Y/N)-” He began to shout, his one uncovered eye wide. 

You must’ve felt the vibrations in the ground, because your head rose just as your companion took quick steps towards you. He was too late.

The shield slammed into you, sending you flying through the air and back into the sand. The sickening sound of the wood hitting your body filled his ears. You lay unmoving in the sand. Kaeya’s gaze was fixed on your immobile form until the sound of the mitachurl’s footsteps pulled him back to reality.

His icy gaze landed on the large, hulking monstrosity, crystals of ice beginning to form and float around him as the temperature in the area dropped significantly. The mitachurl didn’t last very long there after.

~~~

When you woke, you were tucked tightly into an unfamiliar bed. The sheets were soft, but the entire room was much too dark compared to your own. The blue blankets that draped over you were placed in such a way as to suggest that you had been covered and not just pulled them over yourself.

The door on the far side of the room opened, and the short, bright form of Barbara walked through. Her white dress was a stark contrast against the rest of the room. The heels of her boots clicked ont he wood floor. When she spotted you sitting up and awake, she gasped, a smile stretching across her face.

“Oh thank goodness!” She squeaked. “I was worried for a moment there. I mean… we all were.”

You were confused by what she meant until you followed her gaze down to your body. From almost head to toe, you were wrapped tightly in white bandages. 

“I should get Kaeya,” She mumbled, placing the tray of bandages she had in her hands onto the coffee table across the room. “He’s been with you almost day and night. Diluc had to come and drag him out so he would eat.”

“Diluc?” You’re brows raised. Barbara nodded.

“Not even Jean could convince him to move from that chair. Diluc didn’t even have to say anything to him though. It was scary,” Barbara seemed lost in thought. She promised to be back quickly before leaving the room again.

Your eyes wandered, recognizing where you were finally. This must have been Kaeya’s room. A shine caught your eye, and your head turned to the nightstand, spotting the starconch you had picked up before your injuries.

A bandaged hand came up, lifting the cool shell from the table and bringing it to your lap. Your eyes looked over it, studying each detail. It didn’t seem all that worth it now.

The door burst open and in strolled an unusually disheveled Kaeya. It was unusual to see him without his eyepatch, and even less so without his usual cape and fur. The only thing he was wearing was his pants, boots, and the white undershirt.. His hair clean, but it looked like that had been a recent development, as the ends were still damp.

He sighed out at the sight of you, speeding up to sit in the chair that had been pulled up next to your beside. His hands reached out, hesitating only slightly before he ran a hand down your cheek. There was a deep frown on his face, and for once, he didn’t have a witty one liner to fire at you.

“How are you feeling?” He finally asked, breaking the silence.

You frowned at his creased brown, hand coming up to smooth the anxiety that knit his brow. He sighed, eyes closing. His hand came up to gently pull yours away.

“I’m perfectly fine,” You whispered out. “I’m sorry.”

You looked down to the shell in your hand, moving to place it gently into Kaeya’s upturned palms. He stared down at it, unmoving. In the blink of an eye, he was almost doubled over in light laugher. It twinkled, like a bell, soft against the pounding of your head.

“Next time you want a shell, darling,” He still cradled the starconch like it was a precious treasure. “Just ask me to retrieve them for you. Maybe then we can avoid more accidents like this.”

You smiled sheepishly, but nodded. Kaeya smirked at you, leaning up to place a gently kiss upon your forehead, and then your nose, and then down to your lips.

“Rest,” He mumbled. “I will stay right here.”

[wetalkinboutbooks]

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Summary: People lived because she killed.

People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. 

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine. (Taken from Goodreads)

Our Ratings: 

 → Geena: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 → Kae: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: We Hunt the Flame is a rich Arabia inspired fantasy with characters that you easily fall for (like the two of us with Altair lmao). Personally, we wouldn’t classify the romance as an insta-love, it’s more of an insta-annoyance and gradual build up to feelings. The story keeps you on your toes and Hafsah does an amazing job at tying in different plot points together. Also, it’s got that amazing unlikely group of friends trope :’) SO if you haven’t already, check out this book we highly recommend it! 

Spoiler-Full Discussion Below...

The Good: 

→ The Premise and Characters

Kae: So we start off with Zafira hunting in the Arz, a forest that is full of darkness. Once you go into the Arz, there is no coming out. But our girl Zafira is a baddie and she can travel the Arz without much trouble. She can always find her way out. She hunts in the Arz for her village because it is an icy, barren land and it is their main source of food. The thing is, Zafira is a woman so no one can ever find out she is the famed Hunter of the Arz, or she’ll probs get like, banished. But her two best friends, Yasmine and Deen, know her secret and keep it safe. Along with her sister and bedridden mother. Zafira has acquired this wonderful hunting skill from her father, who taught her everything she knew so she could fend for herself and well… Those skills came in hand because he got lost in the Arz one day, kind of went crazy, stumbled out, then tried to kill his family. So Zafira’s mother did what she had to do and killed him to save her daughters. She (Zafira’s mother) has been plagued by nightmares since. 

Geena: Kae outlined the premise of Zafira’s story really well! On the other hand we have Nasir, the crown prince of Arawiya and one of the most feared assassins across the caliphates. He’s also hated by literally everyone in his life… especially his dad. Nasir was raised (See: forced) into becoming the Sultan’s weapon, killing anyone that dared to oppose him. We find out that Nasir’s mom, the Sultana, died ~mysteriously~ when he was young and after that his dad went batshit crazy essentially. Nasir does everything as a means to get his dad’s love and approval (even though he likes to pretend that he’s just doing shit just because ‘i have no life so might as well kill’). Nasir ends up falling for some servant girl, who’s tongue the Sultan serves to him in a golden box. After that he is very angsty like, “I can’t love anyone :( ” Or so he thinks. 

Kae: Then we have our secondary characters. Like, the ‘friends we made a long the way’ characters who all def were trying to kill one another but it’s cool now ‘cause they love each other :) 

Geena: The magical artifact was the magic of friendship :’)

Kae: LMAO YES. So we have Kifah, she is from Pelusia and she is a badass legendary warrior who is fast as lightniiiing, WILL ABSOLUTELY kick your ass with a staff (she won’t hesitate, BITCH) and she’s also really pretty and tall and she brings her own snacks and seasoning. I can relate because I too, bring seasoning and snacks when I know they will be needed. Kifah is funny, sarcastic, and one of the few people that has a witty retort to Altair and his tomfoolery. She also has a thing for Altair. 

Altair, we love him! He’s a big buff boi with pretty eyes and a dazzling smile. He also makes a lot of dick jokes and is an absolute CHILD. But we love him for it and so does Kifah. They have the hots for each other.  My boi doesn’t have good aim and he killed his homie on accident but we’ll get to that later. He is the #1 general in Ghameq’s (Nasir’s father) army and is ordered to tag along with Nasir on this unintentional road to friendship. He is the sunshine in Nasir’s life and Nasir HATES IT BECAUSE HE’S AN EMO BOI. 

Geena: ALTAIR IS THE SUN TO NASIR’S MOON HONESTLY. ALSOO, we got our two best boys that unfortunately didn’t make it to the end :/ Deen, aka the boy that loved Zafira enough to go on an impossible quest with her and then die for her too. He’s Yasmine’s older brother and an absolute sweetheart who wears his emotions on his sleeve when around Zafira. In a way, he was Zafira’s first boyfriend who she didn’t love romantically. Deen proposes to her and she’s like *radio silence*. I DIED AT THAT KAE…. SHE WAS LIKE “NO COMMENT” 

Kae: RADIO SILENCE LMAOO SHE WAS. She pulled a, “okay but like the arz tho…”

Geena: But yea! Deen literally dies in the first few chapters because of Altair’s shit aim…. No one ever hand him another bow and arrow again plz. So like I’m thinking Hafsah made him super sweet the first few chapters just so we would be devastated when he died like 5 chapters later or something.

We also have our wise old Safin (essentially an immortal Elf but like cooler) Benyamin, who is centuries old and a book nerd (relatable). He and Kifah join Nasir, Altair, and Zafira later on in their quest, and he seems to know a lot more than he lets one. We learn that Benyamin is the living embodiment of that one meme “Baby jordans, never worn - for sale” bc of his baby that didn’t make it :/. He wants the whole crew to be like a little family so bad that he enforces the word “zumra” aka gang on them and overall he was sly but sweet nonetheless and he too…. Kicked the can… all for the zumra :’(  

→ The Ride or Die Relationships

Geena: One thing that Hafsah Faizal writes really well is the friendships between Zafira and the small crew that knows that she’s actually the Hunter that’s been keeping them fed for years. Zafira’s absolute best friend, Yasmine, supports Zafira in all her decisions EXCEPT for the decisions where Zafira parades as a man. Deen I suppose is the same as Yasmine, except he’s less snarky. It’s canon that Zafira would lay down her life for Yasmine, and not to sound like a weirdo but Zafira was wildly jealous when Yasmine got married to Misk... like “ugh now I have to share my bestie with a man??” only explanation is that Zafira is bi confirmed. Also, where we had Zafira ready to die for Yasmine, we also have Deen ready to die for Zafira (and he does...😭). IDK how Deen was hot, smart, sweet, and everything in between and he still died. Hafsah gave us the perfect man and was like “yeea FUCK that, the only love interest will be leech-scars sad boy.” ANYWAYS, The Zafira-Yasmine-Deen triangle is a whole “I would die for you” thing, whereas Yasmine is more of a “I would kill for you” and I think that’s beautiful :’) 

Kae: Alrighty, so we also have the relationship between Altair and Nasir. They aren’t as close as Zafira, Deen, and Yasmine. At all. But they kind of have this “if it were not for the laws of this land, I would kill you” thing between them and it’s hilarious. Nasir is constantly like, “I can and will kill you, you bastard brute of a man” and Altair is like “do it bitch, I dare you” and Nasir tears up and stomps away like a brat. But as this journey continues, Nasir gets a newfound respect for Altair because he soon learns Altair isn’t a dumb brute at all and is actually pretty bright. Did we mention they’re brothers? Yeah, that’s a thing. But Nasir doesn’t learn this until the end of the story. Did Altair know the whole time? Yes. Did he swear to their mother to protect him? That as heavily implied so also yes. SO now Nasir is like, “oh noooo, I wanted to kill my brother and was also ORDERED BY MY BITCHASS DADDY TO KILL HIM” then boom goes the dynamite and Nasir finds that he can be a good boi. ANYWAYS WE LOVE ALTAIR IN THIS HOUSE. 

Geena: OKAY SINCE KAE MENTIONED IT, AND THE WHOLE ALTAIR-NASIR THING. See since I have poor reading comprehension, I didn’t realize that Altair had promised to protect Nasir. SO THIS BRINGS ABOUT THE QUESTION of the servant girl, Kulsum, that Nasir realizes is working for Altair. The same girl that appeared around the time Nasir’s mom “died”, so does that mean Altair had sent her to help console his brother 👀 Does Altair feel partly responsible for the Sultan tearing out Kulsum’s tongue?? If so… both Altair and Nasir need mad therapy 

The Bad:   

→ The Sea Monster

Kae: So, this isn’t inherently bad and we honestly have nothing bad to say about the book, let’s get that straight. But we wanted to mention it because it was eh. So we have a sea monster scene when Altair and Nasir are on their way to the island. It’s from an old folktale they’d heard growing up, that sea monsters lurked in the sea. They end up running into a sea monster and it is blind and attacking their ship. It is following them by sound so they eventually realize they need to shut the hell up. But then there is our wonderful golden buff boy, Altair. He starts singing, taunting the sea monster and Nasir is like “BOY IF U DONT-” but then his singing kills it. Apparently, the monster hates music and song? So there’s that. It as a very quick scene and I kind of wish I was longer and more dangerous. I wanted some bloodshed! Maybe a sunken ship! But it was still okay. 

Geena: Kae said everything that had to be said about that scene. And I agree, it was cool to have a monster from the author’s folklore, but at the same time, it didn’t really add much to the story other than the fact that Altair knows how to sing (whether he can sing well is a different story).

The Ugly...Crying:

→ The Lion and The Sultan

Geena: This is going to be very cliche but the ugliest thing in this book was the Sultan, our main villain, who is later revealed to be controlled by the Lion aka some ancient ifrit-safin hybrid dude that was the cause of all of Arawiya’s problems. First off, we find out near the end that the Sultan is possessed by the Lion because Nasir’s mom had a big swig of dumbass juice and gave the Sultan a pendant from the place where the Lion was imprisoned. So, following his mother’s “Death” Nasir watches the Sultan’s descent into a sort of madness and suffers under his dad’s abuse. The Lion is also Nasir’s Mom’s Ex so you can imagine what kind of shitshow that was. The Lion is also coincidentally Altair’s dad, and I’m guessing the Lion was like “fuck them kids” because he wanted Nasir to murder Altair... his only son :/ ANYWAYS, the Lion is a terrible dad 0/10 should ever have kids. 

ALSOOO THIS BITCH WAS OUT HERE CONTROLLING ZAFIRA HALF HER LIFE??? And was instrumental in her dad’s death, since he’s the embodiment of dark magic -- which makes up the Arz (evil forest) -- we learn that the Lion coaxed Zafia’s dad into entering the forest and essentially turning him mad, which lead to her mom killing him. AND IN A WAY, he can control Zafira?? Or at least get into her head.

Kae: Geena said everything perfectly. The Lion is a skank bitch and we HATE HIM. But if we hate him, that means he was written really well so HELL YEAH HAFSAH. Now to the Sultan.  The Sultan, like Geena said, is possessed by the Lion. And upon learning that in the book, I kind of felt bad for him and Nasir. Nasir remembers when his father was kind and loved him. He has watched the decline of the Sultan and this drastic change from kind to 100% evil as fuuuck. The Sultan has no control over this and Nasir just wants to please his father to get that love back from him. He sees small flashes of the man the Sultan used to be, but they are very quick and sometimes he almost misses it. The real Sultan is stomped out by the Lion whenever he peeks through. 

Geena: Like can the sultan see the shit that the lion is doing? BRO THAT WOULD BE TORTURE! Oh my god, when they finally break the spell on him there are going to be so many tears between Nasir and his dad.  

Kae: YOO WHAT IF IT’S LIKE HE CAN SEE EVERYTHING OUT OF HIS OWN EYES BUT CAN’T CONTROL IT? DUDE NOW IM EXTRAAA SAD. 

Geena: What’s sadder than all that? THE FACT THAT OUR FAVOURITE HIMBO, ALTAIR, GOT LEFT BEHIND. At the height of the action as Nasir and the surviving zumra are escaping we find out that Altair never makes it to their escape ship…. Even though it was Altair’s powers that helped them escape. And then we find out that he’s stuck in the Lion’s lair…. Thinking that no one cared to look for him… scuse me while I weep…. Hafsah didn’t have to do him like that 😭 

Kae: OKAY MOOD. YOU SAID IT PERFECTLY. And like, she wrote that part so well. Because you know how sometimes the reader knows something the characters don’t? Like, NONE OF US, THE READER OR THE CHARACTERS realized Altair was left behind until Hafsah mentioned it. It was heart-shattering. And everyone is instantly like “shit shit shit shit we fucked UP. We have to go back.” But they can’t go back. So everyone in this feels horrible. Altair feels horrible because he thinks his friends (and beautiful warrior crush) have left him behind. Nasir feels horrible because he left his brother. And the rest of the zumra because they left their friend. Also, the reader, because we see how all this shit went down. It’s just a whole roller coaster of emotions and ALTAIR IS LOVELY AND WE WANT HIM BACK. But this also leaves potential for him to switch sides and join his evil father. It’s totally a possibility and we do NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO OUR FAVE. OUR HABIBI (because he calls Nasir that and Nasir, the brooding death prince hates that) HAS TO COME BACK SAFE AND UNHARMED... fin

Conclusion 

Geena: That concludes our review, we didn’t really touch on the romance and so on but it’s how you say… a slow burn? Also, we had so many thoughts about the characters because they’re all soo interesting and have their own stories that we LOVED. Hafsah did a great job at world-building and introducing her individual characters gradually, she didn’t just slap us with like six characters at once and call it a day. AND HER PLOT TWISTS??? POETIC CINEMA… As a self-proclaimed dunce, I did not see half of them coming, every single thing I thought would happen didn’t happen. For example, I thought that Benyamin was Altair’s dad at some point. Overall, this is a great Arabia inspired fantasy with engaging characters and a fast-paced plot that keeps you guessing what’ll happen next. I give it 9/10 (-1 for Altair’s suffering). 

Kae: Ngl I totally forgot about the romance. “It means nothing” GAH THE FOOL. BUT YES. I can’t believe we forgot the romance and their collar bone touching. Also the inevitable ‘omg I just caught you coming out of the bath and now I see your scars oooo’ and honestly tho mood because I wouldn’t avert my eyes either. ANYWAY, the world-building is beautifully written as were the characters. Geena is right. Everyone has their own stories and the time was taken out to tell each one. None of the characters were dumbed down and neither were their backstories. They all had their own personalities and interests and quirks. The fantasy, the magic, and the history was rich.  There was never a boring moment. I give it a 10/10 because I was super entertained and the slowburn was to die for. BUUUT. I’m still SICK that Deen was killed off five minutes into the adventure because I would’ve loved to see him giving Nasir the ~death glare~ whenever he looked at Zafira ASJDADKLJK. 

Geena: IM CRYING, YES I AGREE 100% Wish we had gotten that good ol’ Deen-Nasir beef.  

Kae: omg it would’ve been such a good beef because I feel like they would absolutely become friends at some point and HATE that they respect each other. WELP. THAT BE ALL, FOLKS. READ THIS BOOK CAUSE IT’S GOOD. 

[actionjaxkol]

Crystal #?? - Interview with Jaxkol

“Alright, Interview... whatever number this is. Trixie Spinwhistle with the Gift of Gob --”

“Wait -- wait so how does this work?”

“I ask you questions and you answer ‘em, babe. S’not rocket surgery.”

“Oh. So what is --”

“Don’t hurt yourself, kid, save the brainpower for the answers.”

BASICS

► Name ➔   “Jaxkol Dawnsedge. Previously Shadowriot. Previously-Previously Shadowfel” ► Are you single ➔ “Nope! Some beautiful weirdo had a terrible lapse in judgement that I am not letting them weasel out of.” ► Are you happy ➔   “I actually don’t remember being this happy before. It’s... nice.” ► Are you angry ➔  “Weirdly, I get angry easier than I used to. Only when people are treating others unfairly though.” ► Are your parents still married ➔   “As far as I know. They’re Nobles, ‘divorce’ isn’t a thing they do. I think my mom has a consort though.”

NINE FACTS

► Birth Place ➔ “Silvermoon City” ► Hair Color ➔ “White blond naturally, the illusion makes it grey-black.” ► Eye Color ➔ “Green naturally, blue with illusion. Sometimes I wonder what color they’d be if they didn’t glow. I’m kinda jealous of humans and dwarves and stuff, their eyes can be all different colors.” “Focus, kid.” ► Birthday ➔ “May nineteenth.” ► Mood ➔ “Restless, anxious, eager but shy. Lonely, but the temporary type. At odds with myself” ► Gender ➔ “I’m a guy, but I’m also an elf and on the small side, so I get mistaken for a girl like, once an month. Not as much in Stormwind though, but it’s happened. It’s amusing.” ► Summer or winter ➔ “I dunno. Living on the streets, both suck, but it was easier to cool down than it was to warm up when you’re skinny. I have a home now, so I’m curious to see what winters are like. ...and now I’m thinking of Pryn as a snow bunny. Yeah I definitely want to see Winter.” ► Morning or afternoon ➔ “Afternoons. That’s when everyone is starting to wind down and relax. But lately I’ve had to get up super early for Argent training and watching the sun rise over the harbor is just... spiritual or somethin’.”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

► Are you in love ➔ “I keep... trying to tell myself ‘no’, that I’m being stupid but... yes. I absolutely am.” ► Do you believe in love at first sight ➔ “So, it kinda works opposite for me. If I fancy someone right off the bat, it’s gonna end bad. If my first thought is like ‘who the fuck do you think you are?’ then we’ll probably be friends forever. Or mortal enemies. Like, Noah and I fought when we first met, but we were friends until.... Anyhow. Jiang and I hit it off immediately, but fucker was married. I hated Vyn when we first met, but... I trust him with my life now, he’s my brother. Totegar I was smitten with from the start and he.. Yeah. Let’s not talk about him. I didn’t know what to make of Pryn at first, I thought she was my exact opposite and that we’d be at odds but she’s my best friend. Oh shit, and Izzy! I was fucking scared shitless of him when we met and now he’s my baby brother!” “Yes or no would’a sufficed, kid.” ► Who ended your last relationship ➔ “Totegar was afraid to come to terms with being gay, so he kinda settled for me. I was safe and harmless and non-threatening. When he figured out that sleeping with another guy wouldn’t bring about the next Cataclysm, he dropped me like a bad habit and went after someone better. Like. The very next morning. ...It’s whatever.” ► Have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔  “I wanna say ‘no’ but, I mean, maybe? I know I really hurt Jiang’s wife, Yue, when I told her but... I didn’t know so I couldn’t stop it. I might have broken Red’s heart by telling him no. Over and over and over again. And probably a few more times to come...” ► Are you afraid of commitments ➔ “I’m not afraid to throw myself body and (what’s left of my) soul into things, but I’m terrified that I’m going to let people down...” ► Have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ “Yeah! I used to be really afraid of contact, anytime anyone touched me it was ya know. Never for good stuff. Vyn started making a point to hug and touch me just in a friendly way. And then I get to the Keg and people aren’t afraid to hug me and it’s.. Nice.” “Man, you are a talker...” “Sorry...” “Nah, this is good.” ► Have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ “I don’t... think so? I’m just amazed I have not-secret admirers.” ► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ “Yeah... a lot. Like... daily. Wait is that not normal?” “...No, kid.”

SIX CHOICES

► Love or lust ➔ “Love. I mean, I think you need some lust in a relationship, but you need that love first. Otherwise it’s just... meaningless.” ► Cats or Dogs ➔ “So my sister Jaelys used to have a cat, and she loved that damn thing. In Silvermoon, cats are everywhere, right? But this one used to like, ride on her shoulder and sleep in her lap while she studied. She even got it this pretty collar and like... we didn’t have spending money so I don’t know how she got it. Anyhow, my brother I guess didn’t like it as much, cuz when he was rising into the Fel arts, he used the cat for a ritual. I’ve never seen my sister cry, but... I did see something die in her eyes when he brought her the little body...” “...Kid?” “...Hmm? Oh! ...Dogs. I like dogs.” ► A few best friends or many regular friends ➔ “I get... really attached to people fast. Like, if I’m going to get close to someone at all, I’m in for everything. So... probably a few best friends. But I’m friends with everyone until they give me a reason not to be! Hey, like a dog I guess!” ► Wild night out or romantic night in ➔ “It’s hard to say. I really like going out and getting that energy out, but being alone with someone special, just... watching them do those little, meaningless, private things that make up their secret world... It’s so beautiful I never want to leave it.” ► Day or night ➔ “Day is hot and involves a lot of running. Night.”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

► Been caught sneaking out ➔ “Growing up it never crossed my mind to disobey. If had to leave the apartment for any reason, I got permission from either Mother, or Father or failing that one of my two eldest siblings. Jaelys and I always had to have escorts. When I was living with Vyn for a while, I’d sneak out if... my brain started eating itself, I guess. He always found me though. So. Yes?” ► Fallen down/up the stairs ➔ “Yeah my feet and I don’t always communicate correctly. I’ve tripped over my own shadow.” ► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ “Yes... But it’s this weird, beautiful pain. I like being close to her because when she’s not there, I can’t believe that I have someone so amazing in my life. If I told her that she’s just call me stupid and whack me with her tail though.” ► Wanted to disappear ➔ “...yes... I have disappeared a few times. I can’t... seem to make it stick though. I guess for the best.”

FOUR PREFERENCES

► Smile or eyes ➔ “I like a smile that takes up the entire face. I mean the kind that makes the eyes bright like the stars. I like it when the mouth and the eyes agree with eachother. Izzy has an amazing smile that just lights up everything. Vyn’s is strong, protective, kinda like Ash’s. Jiira’s has secrets. Pryn’s has light that like... changes colors. Vali’s is hard and cold, but there’s fire beneath it. Drex’s is mischief. Kae is fire, white hot or smouldering embers, rarely anything in between. Aida... Aida is made of chocolate and cheesecake and -- oh shit chocolate cheesecake that’s a great idea.” “What about mine?” “...Sharp. Your smile is a blade and your eyes cut through people...” ► Shorter or Taller ➔ “I got a thing for people bigger than me. Which I guess isn’t hard.” ► Intelligence or Attraction ➔  “Humor. I’m not smart, so everyone is more intelligent than me. And I don’t.. really get attracted to people’s outside the same way other people do I guess. I don’t go ‘DAMN that dude has a nice ass, I must pursue him’ it’s more like... ‘your personality is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, I need to see every angle of it, good or bad’. Fuck, I would probably fall for a blighted murlock if we got along well enough.” ► Hook-up or Relationship ➔ “I’ve done the hookup thing, it doesn’t... it just... makes that void worse. Like drinking saltwater.”

FAMILY

► Do you and your family get along ➔ “No.” “...what that’s it? Kid you’ve rambled on ‘cat versus dog’ and that’s all I get?” “I... failed. I’ll pay for it when my luck runs out, but.. No. Three sisters, two brothers, and my parents - no we don’t get along.” ► Would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ “I really don’t think so, but I’ve been told otherwise. I think everyone goes through their awful shit, just cuz mine is more colorfully explosive, doesn’t mean it’s any more messed up than anyone elses’.” ► Have you ever ran away from home ➔ “Not before the Incident, and after that, I didn’t exactly have a home to run away from. I ran away from Vyn when I was supposed to be staying with him and got overwhelmed, but I don’t think that’s the same thing.” ► Have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ “Yeah.” “...is that all you’re gonna say on that?” “Yeah.”

FRIENDS

► Do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ “What?? No that’s fucked up. We might not get along, but I don’t hate anyone.” ► Do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ “I mean, some are better or closer than others, but I think everyone is exactly how they need to be.” ► Who is your best friend ➔ “Ah shit, hard question. I don’t have just one ‘best’ friend, they’re all amazing in their own ways. Sera is pretty awesome, I love Izzy. Kae is amazing and strong and I envy her. Pryn knows me probably better than Vyn at this point. Aida is adorable...I can’t... really answer this. Though now I’m curious if I’m anyone’s best friend.” ► Who knows everything about you ➔ “Pryn or Vynlluthein.”

(Art by @attractive-zombies Big ole stack of art here. )

Tagging: @attractive-zombies @wests-wow-gang @rouilleandcompany @lemmeaxeyousomething

[stylesenders]

So, I decided to make this blog post a bit more pictorial than literary since I have so many fabulous photos I want to share with you all from this remarkable day. I like to think of it as my photo diary through Paris… anyway….

WHAT I WORE:

Shoes–Nine West , Coat–Forever 21, Purse–Jules Kae, Dress – Eloquii, Tights–HUE

After window shopping around town we headed to the Louvre. We entered through the Jardin des Tuileries which even on the cloudiest of days was one of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever seen. The Jardin des Tuileries is a garden/park that surrounds the Louvre which was once the Palais Royal. Walking along the path that lead to the Louvre I loved seeing the street artists selling their work and this one man who I called “The Pigeon Man” herding his flock of pigeons as if he were choreographing a dance; The Pigeon Dance instead of the Chicken Dance! Haha. It was pretty cool to witness. Walking towards the arc that lead into the grounds of the Louvre my heart beat began getting faster and faster. I have wanted to come here my entire life, and seeing it in all of its glory felt unbelievably surreal. I simultaneously felts as if I was there before and if I had never been. (strange feeling) I kept having to ground myself to actually realize I was there. When we got to the campus we did what bloggers (cough cough, tourists) do naturally…took pictures and lots of them!

I AM THE BIGGEST KID AT HEART IN THE WORLD SO, I HAD TO BE THE ULTIMATE TOURIST…and talk photographs like these…

I’ve never been one to partake in ultra touristy activities when traveling. I prefer to do things as the locals do. But sometimes you just been to go all out and be the tourist your heart desires. I chose to act in the fashion at the Louvre. I’ve wanted to come here for as long as I could remember, mostly to see the art and witnessing Michelangelo’s portrait of a subtly smiling Mona Lisa. However, I couldn’t leave without taking photos by the pyramids and pond. Another Louvre photo moment that I needed to fulfill like a kid at Disney World taking a photo with Mickey Mouse, was standing on one of the platforms and pretending to touch the pyramid. (giggles) And, guess what?  I DID IT LIKE A PRO! (more giggles) I will be honest, being in a dress and trying to step up on the 4 foot pillar was not an easy task, getting down was even worse. But, it was probably really funny to watch. My favorite moment was when I pretended to act like a Degas ballerina because degas is my favorite artist. When at the Louvre….right? I will say however, to our surprise the Louvre was closed the day we went and I did not get to see the Mona Lisa or any other of the artwork I have been so excited to see. Oh Well, I’ll just have to go next time…

Seine, Musée d’Orsay, and Le pont des Arts (You know, the Lock Bridge!)

As we kept touring I really wanted to take a walk along the Seine!  I kept picturing myself as Leslie Caron in my all time favorite movie “An American in Paris” or as one of the characters in the Woody Allen movie, “Midnight in Paris“. It was really pretty to see the contrast of the fall clouds and bright colors of the trees reflecting off the river.  To my left was the Musée d’Orsay, another museum I really wanted to go to but did not have the time to on this trip. As we kept walking I asked my beau where the lock bride was and if we were near by. It just so happened that we were only a 7-10 minute walk from it so on we went in search of Le Pont des Arts (also known us Americans as the lock bridge) I knew they had taken most, if not all the locks off of the bridge a few months before my visit because of the weight of the locks destroying the infrastructure of the bridge (which is kind of scary) but I was happy to see that people still keep the tradition a live by locking their love to the bridge. It’s a pretty romantic gesture, if I do say so myself or maybe it is for a non-parisiene. I must add that Le Pont de Arts did have a very beautiful view of Paris. I needed a moment to rest so I just needed on the wall basking in the beauty of the Seine and thinking to myself, “Dara, you are actually here!”, as I did many, many, many times on this trip and thinking how much fun I was purely having so far with the company I was with. After, we walked back to the Jardin des Tuileries to head towards Champs Elysee and tumbled upon a part of the park that I kept asking about, but did not know how to explain at all, since I’ve only seen it in photographs! It was the nicest surprise and I was in pure awe! We stopped and sat on a bench for a little while to enjoy the parks surroundings and plan the rest of the evening. While sitting on the bench we were across from a group of teenage boys were all complaining about girls. Girls they were dating, girls they had crushes on, or girls that were giving them hard times about everything under the sun. It was really funny to see that the same teenage shenanigans happen all over the world. It put a smile on my face and I thought it precious. I wanted to interject with a joke but then realized they would have had zero idea what I was saying. I can understand a lot of french but I can’t speak very well….I’m learning, I’m learning!

Processed with VSCO with hb1 preset

Place De La Concorde (You know, where Ann Hathaway tossed her phone into the fountain at the end of The Devil Wears Prada! Yes, I went there, No I didn’t toss my phone!)

Okay my lovely readers, If you have gotten this far I am super impressed with you and you deserve a crescent! (giggles) So, there’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. The only person that really knew about this is my mom. I was a soon to be freshman at FIT when the movie The Devil Wears Prada came out and it was the best “Welcome to New York” movie that could have been made. Timing on this could not have been more perfect. So, you know at the end of the movie Andie and Miranda go to Paris for Paris Fashion Week and then Andie quits her job by throwing her ever so annoyingly ringing cell phone into the fountain? Well, I have always wanted to reenact this scene. I have no idea why, but I always found it super dramatic and funny at the same time! hmm? Anyway, as we walking through Les Jardin des Tuileries up to Les Place De La Concorde I started smiling so hard my face almost cracked. YOU GUYS!!! I CAN NO THROW MY CELL PHONE INTO THE FOUNTAIN!!!!! Okay, well not really! I thought about faking it for a picture but then realized with my luck, I would have accidentally dropped it and then in that moment I would kissed goodbye my entire day…trip…year…life? (giggles) But taking photos by the fountain was just as good for me. There are many of them in the Place De La Concorde that are larger than life and utterly beautiful. I couldn’t get enough and did not want to leave this area! It was so beautiful and I can’t wait to go back again! Maybe this time I’ll take an old cell phone and reenact the scene…I just don’t want to get arrested in doing so! (hahahaha)

Processed with VSCO with hb1 preset

Avenue Montaigne – CHANEL, CELINE, GUCCI…OH MY!

As we walked and walked and walked some more we landed at Avenue Montaigne – the most glorious street any fashion enthusiast would have couture cardiac arrest at. It was like being on Madison Ave and Rodeo Drive but with more polish and panache! There is nothing more I can really say about this street other that it is absolutely beautiful. I had fun exploring the different designer shops and being treated to personal tours by a sales person of what the hottest selling items were and what the hottest items from the last collections were. It was rather special and I enjoyed every minute of it. Even thought I have been to these stores in the states, something about going into a Chanel in Paris amplified its ambiance to me! It felt more authentic. If only I could have gone on a shopping spree, but hey…a girls gotta eat right? Or maybe I should have cashed in all my money for that Chanel I had been eyeing….oh well! (hahaha)

TOUR EIFEL – SEE IT SPARKLE AND SHINE LIKE CHAMPAGNE

Avenue Montaigne was beautiful but it was almost 6pm and the shops were closing. So on we went towards more fun. We walked around a lot and as it got darker I started to see a very bright beam circling the sky. I knew at that moment it was the Eiffel Tower. My beau told me that’s where we were walking to and I was so surprised. He wanted me to see it for my very first time at night. At this point we were about a 15-20 minute walk from there and my feet and legs were on fire from walking around for almost six hours non stop. So, we decided to hop in a taxi because there was no way I’d be able to enjoy myself the rest of the night if I kept walking. While in the taxi we passed the Moulin Rouge and the Arc de Triumph. While at a traffic light I was asking the cab driver not to move since I needed to take a picture of it. BY beau was laughing at me because I completely forgot that the taxi driver probably didn’t speak English and I was just chatting away saying “PLEASE DO NOT MOVE THE CAR!!! I NEED TO GET THIS PHOTO!! OKAY…..ONE MORE….OKAY…We’re good you can go now!!” But I think he got the point since I was so loud! But hey, I need to get my shot, which I did. Thank you taxi driver for stopping and probably thinking I am a crazy American! For the rest of the car ride, I was not allowed to look out the window and had to sit facing inward so I would not see the Eiffel Tower by car. It was a very sweet gesture and I am so glad my beau did this. So for the rest of the car ride I was basically sitting side-saddle, but it didn’t stop there. As we got out of the taxi I had to walk the entire way with my eyes closed. That was pretty terrifying since the streets were packed and knowing me, I’d trip, fall and break my ankle. (laughs) But my beau held my hand, lead the way allowing me to arrive at the Eiffel Tower in one piece. As we got to the pavilion after walking up a few steps blindly, he told me to close my eyes and stand here. He had me stand there for what felt like 10 minutes but I know it was only about 30 seconds. He then said, “OPEN YOUR EYES!!” and so I did. The Eiffel tower was sparkling in full effect and it was the most magical moment thus far in Paris! We stopped to take some pictures and walked closer and closer to the Eiffel Tower till we were standing underneath it. On the way I found a carousel that I just had to stop and look at. I love carousels. At this time it was around 8PM and the line to go to the top was too long so we decided to go on a river cruise instead. Although freezing, was so much fun and a nice way to enjoy the city of lights by water. Towards the middle of the tour we got glasses of champagne. Yes, it was really nice however I am really glad my beau was the first to state how horrible it tasted. I didn’t want to be rude. But we both laughed then tossed it into the Seine! Yuck! I never knew Champagne could taste so terrible. You live and learn, I guess. (haha) On the boat there was a concession stand that sold food that had a sign for Manhattan Hot Dogs this made me giggle. Taking in all of the sights and being educated about the monuments being shown was a real treat and I am so happy we did this.

with a6 preset

DINNER FOR TWO –

Afterwards we headed to dinner, that was super comforting and delicious! I don’t remember the name of the restaurant but it felt just like home. It had a very young professional, after work scene that was really refreshing and the food was really good, too! We sat there for a long time talking about the day and so much more. After one of the groups of friends decided to close the place down with a dance party that was very fun to watch. We could have joined if our feet weren’t hurting us so much! It was now about 1am and our tired feet needed to get to sleep because we were heading to DISNEY LAND in the morning…..

xoxo Dara Senders – The Style Senders

An American In Paris: Oh La La Louvre, Place De La Concorde & Avenue Montaigne, Tour Eiffel So, I decided to make this blog post a bit more pictorial than literary since I have so many fabulous photos I want to share with you all from this remarkable day.