#You are not happy with me starting doing my hw now but you are also not happy with me not doing it

[rose-petles]

Wake up -> Y.JW [ 정원 ]

Warning → None.

Paring → Softdom!Jungwon x Softiefem!Reader.

Synopsis → Jungwon comes home early from work and finds you sleeping.

"Love I'm home!!" Your boyfriend, Jungwon, shouted from the hallway as he entered you the shared apartment.

The smile on his face was unbreakable. The sun was still up, the time only a little after three o'clock in the afternoon.

It's rare that he gets to be home this early but hw wasn't gonna complain about that. He always came home later in the evening, so he was happy to come home earlier.

He was practically over the moon about it; knowing he's got the remaining hours of the day left to spend with you and only you.

It was a little unusual.

The living room was empty.

Odd, considering that he knew you planned on binge-watching some k-drama's or movies a bit today.

Jungwong thought he’d find you on the sofa, covered up with a cozy blanket, and intrigued with whatever it was you were watching on your phone or ipad or even your imac.

He checked the kitchen but it was also empty.

He started to walked around the hallway and he did so quickly, curious, and slightly nervous, as to see where you may be hiding.

But a moment later, when he stood in the doorway of your shared bedroom, all of his worries faded as he was met with a precious sight.

Curled up on his side of the bed, you were sound asleep, wearing one of his hoodies. Small, quiet snores fell from your parted lips.

Your cheek was pressed against his comfortable fabric of the pillowcase, and you were covered with his blanket and dressed in his hoodie.

It was all so much for his heart to handle, a feeling of love causing it to swell and skip a beat again and again.

Jungwon tiptoed to you and crouched down in front of you.

He reached up to caress your cheek lovingly and when your eyes opened slowly, you were met with her soft brown orbs gazing into yours with a look of adoration.

"Hey, my love." He smiled. "How's you sleep? Did you Sleep okay?"

His heart fluttered when you wrapped your fingers around hus hand and brought it to your lips for a few kisses.

"Yeah. I guess I fell asleep somewhere along the line during my binge-watch. Missed a few episodes." You pouted, causing him to chuckle softly. "You're home awfully early."

"Yeah. Didn't have a lot to do today, so they let us all go home early. I'm definitely not complaining. Means I get lots of time with my love and the more time i spend with you is the most time i'm happy."

You grinned and cupped his cheek to bring him in for a kiss.

"Are you tired still?"

You shook your head and scooted over in bed, pulling the blanket up for her to climb under the covers beside you. He was happy to do so, joining you in a heartbeat.

You rolled into her arms, feeling comforted as soon as they were wrapped around you.

"I'm so happy you're home early. I've missed you so much really i do..."

"Missed you more, baby," Jungwon spoke before pressing her lips onto yours for a few more loving but passionate kisses.

"Now, what are we watching? Fill me in so we can watch it together!"

Your eyes lit up. It always makes you feel good about how he always takes such interest in the things that are so important to you. You know he cares so much, finding that the things you love most become just as important to him.

You put your head on her his, ear resting right over her heart so you could hear it beat while you explained the first episode to him. He was all ears, looking at you with the most loving look in hus eyes.

And you were happy, you had him for the rest of the day.

Back to -> | Navagation | Masterlist

Copyright © 2024 rose-petle/Rostle. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Do NOT edit, copy, translate or repost any of my work without permission.

[layraket]

THERE WAS AN UPDATE SLEEPING? WHATS THAT??

first of all we start with this beautiful shot

god thats some cool architecture i have no words clapping

Wind is so ready to kick that lizard's ass i love him

this confirms the fact that theyre in the same place but in a different era (also i swear im convinced that this place takes place at least no far from Hyrule's era, the statue behind Legend and the corridors inside are almost the same as in Zelda1 and 2)

that was the worst joke i have heard today good job rulie lots of kudos /lh

the boys entering a place where they could find the most dangerous shit in all Hyrule, and then there's my girl who is having the best lunch ever

when i first read this i almost spit all my water on my phone cuz. Wars my man these people are like. crazy with dungeon crawl. you can't say that and expect a normal reaction.

their expressions are gold no notes

TIME'S SIDE EYE LMAO

Sky looking concerned, and Wars with the most "i dont know what is everyones problem but alright" face i love him

In a war there's no time to explore or search for things that can be useful, or even search for clues, less with the fact that youre leading an army. There was no puzzle, no mistery to solve or objects that needed to be obtained, just plain fight and confrontation, not leaving space for investigation or even a good rest in town

They have a point, without exploring they wouldn't have the arsenal that they carry; powerful items that can kill a whole army of monsters, a gift left by the hero before them to help, shinies. All that is really useful when you want to save the whole kingdom

lets not forget all the weapons that you can get on HW, there are some that are like, crazy powerful, and the materials get from the enemies are also really helpful

guys i think youre the only crazy people who love to enter a random place full of monsters and maybe a demon lord or smth

OK THIS IS THE PANNEL WHERE I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE ABT

This reminds me of this short comic where Wild was almost grabbed by a wallmaster, do this takes place some time before this scene?? or just from another time?? I find possible the first option cuz Wild looks more wary the whole update, like if he already found out what will happends if he puts his guard down

Also the fact that the closest thing that he had as a dungeon were the Divine Beast and the shrines, which both of them lacked a lot of things that were usually in the clasic zelda's dungeons, like keys, mini bosses, special object and pots.

Hyrule my guy you dont. have to scare him like that. i hate these things too but calm down.

fucking gremlin /pos

taking this as an opportunity to talk about how Legend's behaviour has been seen changed in the past updates, he's more relaxed and playful, taking a moment to just have fun and prank the rest of the chain

this reminds me

here is left clear that he's still young, maybe not even on his twenties, and now after that stressfull time with Twi being on the verge of death it makes sense that he feels the need of just, goof around to cope after all that

Yes he's the most experienced, yes is maybe the most powerful of them, but he's still a young boy who was dragged to all this, he deserves to have some fun

happy guy :)

and then we have Time, he looks like Not Having A Good Time™

Messy hair Warriors <3

also i know we all put Sky as one of the adults, but cmon he's a little shit as much as the rest, thats why he finds funny Legend's joke

Wild my man you good? like im genuinely asking at this point, it is weird seeing him so serious

god thats such a cool design of a skulltula, its so scary 10/10

Wild has never seen in his life a spider of this size, so it makes sense him just, straight up getting surprised by that thing

OUGHH I FELT THAT

Sky being right-handed looks like a problem in this closed space, soon or later it would make some troubles

Legend no offence but did you see the little accident they had right there. like. that really hurts if you ask me.

Okay Time is really at his limit here, the past days has been hell for him with the stress of almost loosing the one that he might see as his son, and seeing all the boys just playing around is not helping. Theyre all heroes, they should take this danger seriously if they want to stop all danger.

He wants to protect the ones that he cares for, even if he has to snap for it.

Here he might be planning to team up with Twi and Wind? The youngest seems to have gained his attention as his second successor. He will make anything it takes to not let all of them get hurt, and with everything he means it

Just wait when he learns that Legend is also his successor, automatically adopted

NOW MY FAV PARTS WITHOUT COMMENTARY!!!

SOMEHOW I GOT THE IMAGE LIMIT???? I DIDNT THOUGHT THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE ON WEB

anyways have confused warriors as the last one pls aprecciate him

tumblr pls let me eat the art i beg you

art credits as always towards @linkeduniverse! always feeling blessed with all this fantastic work!

[princessmixx]

꒰୨୧◞ ⤷ ❛❛ THE MIDAS TOUCH ❜❜ .ᐟ o. hw, l. jm

pairing: oh haewon x lily morrow

[ ⟡ ] ── minors do not interact ! smut, g!p haewon, rough sex, haewon’s a flirty bitch (because she is irl), super sub lily, lily’s a little whiny bitch, haely backshots, smut with just no plot, blowjob, slutty lily, etc.

a/n: okay but haewon definitely got that midas touch. i mean, how do people hate this bitch? she’s more beautiful than earth itself. ALSO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SKIBIDI LILYYY 😛

“Haewon, you fuck me so good!” Lily screams as she gets plowed into the floor by Haewon’s dick. She loves that dick as if it’s the last thing she needs on earth.

“You love it when mommy fucks your cunt, Lily-ah?” Haewon growls in her ear, speeding up her pace. God.. Haewon take it slow! Don’t knock up Lily yet!

Lily could only scream, moan, and gasp as Haewon pounded into her. “Y–You—Haewon—i’m gonna-!” Lily’s words cut off as she squirted on Haewon’s cock. “Slut. You came too fast.” Haewon said, giving Lily’s cute bubble ass a firm smack, making her yelp.

“Now, does the birthday girl have a present in mind for mommy?” Haewon whispers, making Lily whimper and nod. “So tell me what you want, sweetie. What does my babygirl want for her birthday present?”

“M–Mommy—please..breed me! Breed your birthday princess. I–I’ve been so good for you..” Lily begs in a shaky voice, tempting herself to not just start stroking Haewon’s cock. “You wanna be bred, hm? I can make that happen..” Haewon replied, before flipping Lily on all fours, giving her ass another smack.

“M–Mommy!!” Lily let out a shaky giggle, a sleazy grin on her face as her ass jiggled from the impact. “Sorry. It just looks too good in the air like that.” Haewon said, before putting her dick inside her, making Lily’s eyes roll back and her tongue fly out of her mouth.

It wasn’t long before Haewon started pounding into the little birthday slut, pulling her hair and biting down on her neck. Lily’s loud moans echoed through the room, as she pushed back to meet Haewon’s thrusts, her tight ass slapping against her thighs. “Mommy..! A-Are—are you close?” Lily asks between each thrust, but Haewon couldn’t for a word, only nodding.

And before Lily knew it, her insides got filled with Haewon’s cum. Oh, did she love that.. Haewon pulled out, her hand giving Lily’s asscheeks another slap each, before pulling out her phone camera.

“Smile, cutie.” Haewon said, as Lily, completely fucked out and completely tired, tried to smile with her tongue out and eyes rolled back. As soon as Haewon snapped the picture, she started giggling.

Haewon: Maybe I should show our unnies how I got to fuck the birthday girl’s cunt?

Lily: Bae will murder me, mommy. Please no.

Haewon: I’m kidding!

Lily: Okay, good!

Haewon: Happy birthday, baby.

Lily: thank you, Hae~

[thevikingwoman]

FFXIVWrite 2024 - Prompt 9

Emmanellain has some doubts about his capabilities. As usual I have lots of opinions about how his family treats him

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV | Words: 613

Meryta Khatin (wol) & Emmanellain de Fortemps | HW patches Rating: Gen. friendship, support, expectations, past Meryta/Emmanellain

Lend an Ear

Meryta is surprised when it’s Emmanellain who greets her at Camp Dragonhead. Though he’d done his best to prove himself in combat, it’s not his strong suit. Trying to live up to Haurchefant – that’s a fool’s errand. All said and done, she’s happy to see him. Aymeric concludes his business, and they have to be on their way, but she lingers. 

“Emmanellain – how are you? Truly?” she asks, once everyone save Honoroit has left.  

“Meryta, pretty girl. I could use an ear, my friend.” 

“I can stay and listen, Emmanellain.”  

They’ve worked out whatever awkwardness they felt around each other after she ended their fling, and their friendship has been a steady growth since. She still feels her cheeks heat with pretty girl, but it is surely better than old girl.  

“Honoroit, fetch the mulled wine after all. It’s blasted cold here.” 

He runs dutifully runs off. She’s glad he’s here, though she wonders of the burdens on his shoulders. Then again, kids are more capable than anyone thinks, as long as you let them.  

She seats herself in front of the fire with Emmanellain, and tries not to think of the last time she was here. She waits. Emmanellain starts talking soon enough.  

“Do you really think the Garleans will come here?” 

That was not what she expected. She shrugs.  

“I think once we march on them elsewhere, they will probably worry about that first.” 

“Yes. Of course. Surely.”  

Honoroit comes back, and pours mulled wine for them both. It’s hot, and she warms her fingers, and blows on it. Emmanellain takes a big gulp, and for a moment she wonders if steam will come out of his long ears.  

“Thank you Honoroit. Pray leave us alone.” 

“Of course, my Lord.” 

Honoroit runs off, leaving the mulled wine. Meryta takes a small sip.  

“It’s not that I’m worried you know. Well, mayhap a little.” Emmanellain pours himself another cup. “I’m determined to do my best to lead everyone, but you see, Meryta, I’m not – him.” 

“You’re not, Emmanellain. And you shouldn’t be asked to be.” 

“Surely. I – do you think…” he pauses, frowning. “I have really endeavored to train and – but I’m afraid I’ll muck it all up.” 

She reaches for him. It truly isn’t fair, making Emmanellain in charge here. The soldiers – like everyone – loved Haurchefant, and he is missed. Even was Emmanellain even the most skilled of knights, he’d still be unfavorable compared. She wishes Edmont would have asked him to do anything else. Given how well he’s taken care of Honoroit, she wonders if he would be better suited as a teacher. He shouldn’t have to be a warrior just because that is what his father wants – but that’s not a useful thing to say.  

“I’m sure you will do fine, Emmanellain. No, I mean it. You have both been practicing your fighting but what’s more, running a garrison is also about the people here. Having the right people do the right thing. Figuring out what everyone needs.”   

“I guess – I guess I can do that.” 

Emmanellain looks at the drink in his hand. Meryta pats his knee again.  

“You’ll do well enough.” 

“I’ll do my best. I would like him to be proud of me.” 

He doesn’t specify if it’s Haurchefant or Edmont, or even Artoriel. It doesn’t matter.  

“I know you will, Emmanellain. Truly.” 

“I’m glad hearing that, pretty girl.” He smiles at her and puts his mug down, bouncing back in his usual fashion. “Yes, of course I will. I will be the best – ah, mayhap the second best – commander this garrison has ever had. Now, off with you to Gridania. I will manage matters here.” 

[the-dumpster-fire-of-life]

Hi hi hi hi hii!! Can you do Tom Kaulitz with Polish male reader or gn reader? Your decision. There's like zero fanfics about Polish readers, it's usually Mexican, Korean. Maybe Tom visits his s/o in Poland for a couple of weeks and it's all cute, like Tom tries most of the traditional food, pierogi for example. And Tom never heard his s/o talk in Polish so when he did he was like *wow😯*. And reader also know how to bake so they make sernik or cheese cake(I think it's the same thing?) Or just cupcakes, so yayyy cute happy couple.

Love ur fanfics, pookieeee!! 💙

(Hello! So sorry this took so long and I saw your other requests and I feel bad for not responding, DW they're still in my inbox I was just being lazy. But enjoy!)

Tom K. x Polish!Reader

I feel like you being from Poland and having an accent was what drew him to you at first

Obviously later on it was personality and who you are but just you being from somewhere else was cool and hot to him

I mean he and Bill have both said that they like people from other countries/places

He could listen to you talk for hours

Was the one to start playfully copying your words in Polish just because he wanted to annoy you

That or he learned curse words in Polish just to call people assholes or bitch in another language

*Cough* Georg *cough*

But then he would be picking up Polish quite a bit

He also has you teach him to get words and sounds right even if they were the easiest ones on the planet

Just because he likes seeing you and hearing you teaching him

If that makes sense

He could listen to your accent go on and on for hours on end

No matter what language because he is just addicted

But what he did not expect in the beginning was for Polish to sound sorta aggressive

He was caught off guard for a moment when he first heard it, staring at you like

"What did I do?!"

Especially if you're yelling at someone man he is by all means be supporting you but by afar

He don't want to be caught in the crossfire

One time he walked in on you arguing with Gustav

And he couldn't even tell what was going on by all the screaming in German and Polish

He was standing there dumbfounded and fled before anything could turn to him

But even sometimes just talking sounded aggressive but he learned your mannerisms for when you're actually mad

So he knows the drill know babes

Hw loves learning more about you, your background or your family

Everything is just so cool and new to him, and he would especially appreciate it if you also did the same with Germany and his culture

He indulges in your culture 100%

Your family is now his family from the times he sneaks up to visit y'all

Or sometimes just them because he likes seeing your mom and your siblings

Him and your dad surprisingly get along, considering how most dad's get along with their sons boyfriends

He literally loves cooking and baking with your mom

He may suck at it but man does he gossip with your mama

But he does try his best when with you

Mainly with your mom he's sitting on the counter, kicking his feet and talking as he hands her ingredients

But with you he likes to impress you by cooking your cultures foods

And when he tries he can be absolutely bomb at it let me tell you

He had never heard of the dishes before, especially tasted them so he was genuinely happy when they tasted to good

He stole so much and was eating it the whole time

He just loves spending time in poland with you, learning your language and culture, and hearing you talk

He's so whipped let me tell you

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

Taglist: @billsjum6ie @bigbootahjudy @ilovebill-and-gustav @r3dheadedw0rld @kiwitsune @V4mpyboyy @novaaisstupid @billybabeskaulitz @yas-v @iischafer @dilfverz @ahswhore0 @graciegizmo3184 @sweetpuffy12 @80s-tingz @ryiana @yuriayato5 @bunnysenpai31 @banshailey @bellastoner420 @victryzvv9 @stxngnr @killed-kiss @stilesandjames

[myreia]

15 Lines of Dialogue Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you’re free to include those as well!

thanks for the tag, @thevikingwoman and @bearlytolerant, ty frens!

tagging: @roguelioness @lilas @galadae @ellstersmash @fourteenthz

@tsunael @birues @ardberts @gatheredfates @anneapocalypse

@impossible-rat-babies @coldshrugs @gefiltefished @consulaaris

sorry if you've been tagged before, I have... lost track of who has done what. 😂 No pressure, ofc! 💖 tags also for anyone else who would like to share their writing! Feel free to tag me even if I didn't tag you or even if we're not mutuals, I'd love to see what you're working on!!

These are from published (and one unpublished) ffxiv fics. Because a lot of my favourite Aureia lines happen within the context of banter, I had a hard time deciding what to cut and where.

— 1: Far From Happenstance [ARR]

“What’s that thing on your arm?” “This? Ah… well… Perhaps this conversation is best saved for later, perhaps in a less conspicuous place?” “Or we could have it now. Your choice.”

— 2: Uncertainty [ARR]

“Tailing unsuspecting women about the city is nothing to be proud of.” “I have done nothing of the sort! Our meetings have been no more than happenstance, a quirk of nature drawing us to the same spot at the same time. I assure you, Aureia, I am not following you—” She stifles a snort, laughter tugging at the corners of her lips. “Oh…” He blows out a breath. “Oh, you’re joking? That was a joke. You have an unfair sense of humour…” “Don’t make yourself such an easy target next time.”

— 3: To Ash and Ember [ARR]

Lahabrea stares at her, startled out of his victory, mouth twisted with contempt. “How—” Aureia raises a hand, palm sheathed in blinding light. “Get the fuck out of him, you bastard.”

— 4: Sand and Stone [ARR]

“This is good for us,” she says quietly. “The Scions, I mean. We’re exposed here. Ascians, Garleans… it’s only a matter of time before they try again. Mor Dhona will afford us some means of protection we’ve lost.”

— 5: Bitter Frost [ARR/HW]

“You press on,” she says after a moment. She cups her palm between them, subconsciously pulling on the aether around her. A faint flame sizzles to life, warming her fingers. “Guilt can only carry you so far before it bleeds you dry. Just know that the next time… the next time will be different. Better.”

— 6: Divergence of the Heart, Chp 5 [HW]

“I don’t care what they say about me. I’m a hero to some, a villain to others. I can live with it.” “You should not have to. If there was a way—” “Please, Aymeric, I’m begging you not to draft a new statute on my behalf. You can’t decree change and expect centuries-old beliefs to shift overnight.”

— 7: Divergence of the Heart, Chp 7 [HW]

“Happiness? What makes you think I’m happy with this? With any of this?” “You’re the Warrior of Light. Defender of Eorzea and a beacon of hope. Blessed by Hydaelyn and beloved by all. What possible reason could you have not to be?”  “Oh, fuck you.”

— 8: Divergence of the Heart, Chp 8 [HW]

She blinks. It shouldn’t be more simple than that. Does he not comprehend why this is so profoundly embarrassing? “And..?” “And how would this fact be of such radical importance that it would be the sole cause of a change in my opinion of you? Do you believe it so crucial to your identity that I should judge you differently for it?” “No, I don’t think that at all. I suppose I feel I’m… a failure, somehow. As a person.”

— 9: For All the Truths Left Unspoken [HW]

“Oh? Because you seem a little haggard, Thancred. Why don’t you look me in the eye and tell me what time you went to bed last night. Or if you went to bed at all, for that matter.” “It is not your concern—” “No, but you could have at least done the decency of admitting what was going on before you started fucking my friend.”

— 10: A Question of Desire [HW]

She cuts him off with a kiss. [Aymeric] groans softly, leaning into it, and she laughs with delight. “Save it for later,” she murmurs against his mouth.

— 11: Bound by Faith, Chp 2 [ShB]

“Under pain of further admonishment, I told her what I could.” “Nothing unfavourable, I trust,” she says drolly. “Who do you take me for, Aur?” “An idiot, if I’m being honest. Next question?” “…stumbled right into that one, didn’t I?” “Yes.” Her eyes sparkle with fondness. “You did.”

— 12: Bound by Faith, Chp 2 [ShB]

“There. That’s it. Aureia was a name I took by chance. Not because I wanted it, but because I needed it. An alias intended for Ul’dah alone, one I intended to relinquish the moment I could escape the city. But then you called me Aur and it… stuck.” She hesitates, her voice breaking. “I don’t know why it felt right, but it did. You gave me a name, Thancred, without even realizing that that was what you were doing.”

— 13: Bound by Faith, Chp 4 [ShB]

“They don’t hurt. At least, not like this. Sometimes, with astral fire…” She closes her eyes and swallows hard. “He did something to me, Thancred. Whether it was his intention or not, he left a mark that is more than skin deep. Like a part of his aether was seared onto mine. It makes me powerful, yes, but… my magic is not always controlled. It’s never been the same since then.”

— 14: Untitled Post-5.3. Fic, Chp 2

She glances at him and finds him glaring at her. It’s not a real glare—behind the dark look and mock exasperation is a knowing smile. “She’s taken full reign of the apartment. Mess everywhere. Looks like a tempest went through the place.” “Far too easy to imagine that.” “I don’t know where she gets it from.” “Oh, I know for certain. That’s the influence of your bad habits, not mine—” “I—listen here, you ass—” “Oh, an ass, am I? Bit early to deteriorate to name calling, no?”

— 15: Untitled Post-5.3. Fic, Chp 4

“Aur… that suite I mentioned earlier… I was quite serious about it.” “The suite or the sex you want to have with me in it?” “The whole matter.” She pauses, holding the soup out to him. “You should finish it,” she says quietly.

[owo-writing-man]

Related to my last post (sorta.my last post made me remember this) but when I figured out I was traumatized I was so fucking mad no one knew.

But they did. My teachers constantly gave me special expectations to rules. I was allowed to leave classrooms whenever. The principal would talk to me a lot about my day and how I was doing and if I was happy. Starting in 5th grade I had twice a week meetings with the school counselor. After I had my first ever anxiety attack in public they let me redo test and take them sitting next to the teacher. They never called on me in class unless I raised my hand. They let me sleep in class. My hw and work load was also different than other students. (Part of it was because I was above my grade level)

A lot of my memories of elementary school was me wondering around the school with an adult with an ice cream in my hands talking about the things I didn't talk to my parents about. (Maybe I don't have other memories because they are all negative but.)

I think 7th-10th grade was when teachers didn't give Me a lot of wiggle room. (Mostly because that's when subjects had different teachers. It's also when I was learning I was traumatized and was pissed no one did anything for me. ) even then I had a teacher who would let me skip her class everyday for the school guidance counselor.

Then 11th and 12th grade the general rule by all the teachers for me was "as long as you don't kill yourself and submit the work before the end of the marking period you pass"

I definitely got some of these passes because I was very smart and passed all my classes with a's and b's.

But I don't know. It's nice looking back and knowing people cared. And my life was easier because of their direct care. Even if I couldn't tell that's what was happening. Because it made me feel a lot less alone and scared. It made me love school because it was a safe space. And it makes me now go "it's not that bad. I felt safe when I was young" I felt safe in school. I felt safe because of my principal, librarian, school lunch ladies, and teachers. I felt safe because someone saw and someone cared and helped.

-dorian

[xoxitgirl]

ALL MINE ♡ STATES CHALLENGE RESULTS!

🎀 february 6th

i started my challenge the day i posted it so 2/4 and hopefully ending 2/18. my main goal was not being at war in my own mind and instead asking myself when i was in a state I didn’t resonate with;

“who am I?”

“is this the energy I want to embody?”

“would the me who has xyz act this way?”

and this was only the first day—it was like a switch went off and I’ve been feeling so fluid ever since. like personally, the resistance at first can be a bitchhh depending on how you look at it. but my mind has finally accepted that imagination is the only reality like there is nothing i need to worry about or do or change but my state of awareness. and I start to find myself smiling and shit in class because in my 4D I’m doing shit for my business and idk that shit just feels so transformative. *updating every few days!

🎀 februrary 8th

I have a quiz today so a good day to updatee, im manifesting good grades as well without really trying and being the person who bullshits but still passes with all A’s. my goal for this challenge is not to check the 3D consciously—as long as my dominant state is a state of having/being then I have nothing to worry about! doing an edward art meditation before class laterr—ttyl!!! update—improved my grades and got a B on my calc quiz! + im understanding calc + harder econ which is insanee to me

🎀 february 15th

so I got hit up by my graphics design client/manager that made me HELLA money in 2020 for a commission + an upcoming event… y’all long story short I have multiple jobs lined up. I also been spending time alone and spoiling myself and I got this cute ass belly ring likee period. im meditating again tonight (Edward Art) but I feel so confident. I am also adding 5 more days because I checked the 3D/wavered about something business-related so my new end date is 2/23!

🍨 results!!

so im finally done with my challenge which felt like it flew by. everything I manifested—

• freelance opportunities + getting commissions for my graphic design business. my second business is also starting to grow, i even have models lined up (,:

• I literally always have money + my parents got better jobs opportunities—n when I say this shit manifested I mean I’m doing A LOT better financially

• my skin is so clear and my hairs easy to do??? I used to struggle a bit but now I can do it within 30mins-1hr + my hair’s now likee 4a/3c and touches my mid back its growing pretty quick

• playing the sims 4 again + hella expansion packs games would literally break my computers b4

• my dimples are prominent asfff! I have a lil more freckles too ((:

• buying whatever I want/getting it bought for me like new piercings + haircare + stiiizy pods + having my nails done when I want

• wasn’t even focused on my body at first but I asked myself how I would feel/react if I had my desired body and y’all.. over the last 2ish weeks I noticed I have the most toned stomach I’ve ever had and my butt grew an inch?? likee I haven’t worked out n my body only looks better

• my relationship is so perfect! my bf plans dates and stuff and suggests cute shit all the time for ex. he wants to take me to see the snow for the first time and were going on a trip next month for our anniversary <3

• i literally doodle in class, bullshit my hw, n still get good grades

these were the things I was really focused on during February but overall I’m super super happy with my results!! ౨ৎ

[kojandra]

Idk how they're supposed to communicate and rebuild their relationship when one of them has diminished mental capacity? I'm so confused is HI acting like this part of her character development where she'll realize she was just as responsible for the mess of their marriage as he is or is the writer actually acting like the entire thing is on HW? bc why is she acting like she was an amazing wife and he just betrayed her rather than she treated him awfully and let her family do the same. He's always the one reaching out and apologizing and I'm starting to think this is the way it's gonna be for the entire show

From how I interpret the plot right now, Hae In will go through cycles in her "present-ness". She will forget recent memories and be as innocent as she was before she got angry about recent events then discover the current state of her life (divorce, betrayal, etc.) and do it all over again. I definitely think there will be events that open them up to each other whether it's when she's aware of current events (angry) or forgetful of those (gentle). Hyun Woo will be suffering continuously because he has to watch his wife get hurt in cycles whereas she will only be hurt when she rediscovers the betrayal from him (in cycles).

I can defend each character to a certain extent. For Hae In, she thinks she was a good wife mainly because (I mean, look at the way her family is...) of the way she was brought up. To be cold, calculating, cut-your-losses type business woman. But she wasn't always like this! She used to care openly and be warm towards Hyun Woo. We used to be a society!! Hae In was trying to deal with her loss of the child by moving things out because she didn't want to be reminded of them. (I seriously think they should have talked at this point). But then Hyun Woo, I assume wanted to keep the things while he mourned, was the one who instructed the housekeepers to move his things out of the master bedroom without explaining anything to Hae In. She thought he needed space to mourn and that he will come back when he's done. She always waited for him to come home, and she always stood on the other side of the door. He didn't know she'd welcome him in, but she always wanted to. (again, this couple.....does not know how to talk to each other...). She also defended him from Soo Cheol in episode 1 ("don't disrespect my husband ever again") so I feel like she was doing that all this time.

The cyclic nature of her memories will trigger something in Hyun Woo to initiate change (I hope!) to address this. I hope her memories of her "present" state will carry over into her next cycle of presentness so that she will be kinda living in two timelines. I know and believe Hyun Woo will find a way to talk to his wife in rationality. And more so, taking care of and finding those windows of rationality of your feisty wife who is also a patient is not easy. They are both trying their best.

I do have a theory that Hae In is getting poisoned at her home because when have we ever seen Hae In hallucinating in Germany??? (That semi truck scene does NOT count because she was out of it from all the shock and wanting to die because she has nothing to live for anymore). And wtf is a cloud cytoma???? (I tried looking for it online and it's a made up disease....the plot can literally go anywhere and I'm terrified!)

I feel like Hyun Woo definitely wears his heart on his sleeve more than Hae In, which is where we see their differences in their approach to reconciliation (in the present, at least). But as seen in episode 7, Hae In can show emotions too! In her state of forgetfulness of recent events, she said "I love you" to him the first time (that we've seen). And talked to him a lot more openly than we've seen before. Hae In definitely realizes she’s the problem too. In the epilogue scene for episode 7 she says “no wonder he married me when I said I’d make him happy.” Then her FACE after…yeah I definitely think she knows.

I believe this drama will be the journey to finding that communication and love and trust between the two (while dealing with all the shit in the world).

I hope we get a full arc for these characters! They're so complex with lots of push and pull and deserve some good angst and development.

(but please....let them be happy in the end).....

[chocoboyjames]

Gonna ask you 7, 10 and 15 for the relationship ask :3

HAYOOO! <3 THANK YOU FOR ASKIiiiing! Brrr xD (Hehe I am just always so giddy when it comes to sharing the love for the same NPC)

7. How Important is other people's investment (or enthusiasm) in your character's relationship? was there a consideration when you were planning it? Have you ever changed a character's relationship(s) due to other people's response to it?

I actually have had more bad than good experiences with the ship than I realise. (lately more leaning to good) Thinking back on it, I always make ships that make me happy. Which James x Ilberd does. It was the first time in my life I actually dedicated myself to shipping so hard with a lesser loved NPC. People would exploit it, make fun of it, or just simply hate on Ilberd to see me rage (cause I could easily fall for things like that) and then point at me saying; see I told you. So those actions made me realise that other people's enthusiasm for the ship/NPC doesn't matter as long as I enjoy it. Of course the positive outcomes about it, such as you now also seeing the fics and oh man- *Blush* Let's just say the POSITIVE side, now that's a treat! And I am very thankful that my 'sloppy' writing has been entertaining so far! <3

-

10. Is it important to include tension or outright areas of conflict in a relationship? If so, how do you explore these? Or does it not appeal to you?

Ilberd's literally seeping with lore that can add so much tension to a relationship. I never realised how much until I started daydreaming about it. James is the complete polar opposite of what Ilberd is and does in ARR - HW. But the love makes him blind to manipulation and other things.

But then Ilberd realises James as always been trying and has been legit and then realises he exploited him- just... Yes. xD (Maybe one day I will redo the entire storyline with a revisited mindset)

-

15. Did you build up to your OC being in their relationship? Or did you put them into it quite quickly and then filled the background in retrospect?

WELL- *Ahem* Now listen up here's a story about a lil' yellow guy- No but. James had been the "WoL" ever since the narrative of the game wished him to be. That was until the absolute end of Stormblood/Shadwbringers. I had already written some parts here and there on how it would work between a WoL/Ilberd and in the end I just shook my head and went; "WELL this isn't it."

So I made James into the position I have put him in. Just to see if the ship would work more like that, and it all sounded so much more involved. I wanted more angst, I wanted more 'screentime' with Ilberd. I needed more scenarios other than what the game had given us. And with a WoL, 50% of what I wrote between them, would not have happened or could not have happened. I know writing is what you make it to be, but I am a very picky person when it comes to filling in gaps on an actual story. Timelines etc... As an example, I could never seem to figure out how my James as WoL would not figure out or catch Ilberd planning the act of end post ARR, for example. I would never see James being THAT naïve. That and he would want to pursue Ilberd more than going to Ishgard in HW lmao. And stand with freeing Ala Mhigo rather than solving a 1000 year old war he barely knows stuff about xD Since Ala Mhigo is is homeland and all... ...

SO YEAH- before I ramble on- That's why James became the OC I know and love, and he's a happy (and stinky ;P) chocobo caretaker that has seen some shit and is now retired after Stormblood (Unless Square gives me more Ala Mhigo lore... Which I doubt kekw)

[aroace-poly-show]

Hi you said you want to ramble, could you ramble some more about hollow ☆ wonderland i tried looking through your blog but search is. not working. so i failed to find anything at all

HEHEHEHEHH OF COURSE!!! and the reason for that is probably bc i haven’t posted very many details about them!! most of my rambles have been contained to dms with two of my friends and a currently 2.4k word doc of word and idea vomit 👍

anything posted before the most recent ask hasn’t been tagged correctly either, iirc i had a brief summary of the group a while ago though, tagged with “nightcord wxs” i think?? cause i didn’t have a name for them yet at the time. not changing it cause i’ve figured out more stuff since then so it’s sort of outdated. there’s probably a few posts lost in the marlo’s stuff tag, though that i didn’t tag properly but it’s okay those rambles are probably somewhere in my google doc.

anyway, since you didn’t rlly specify something in particular i’m probably just gonna ramble about whatever comes to mind. once again under the cut cause i can tell this is probably gonna get a bit long:

hollow ☆ wonderland is an online music group, and their videos are like kikuo style ones. but not necessarily ones like you are a useless child and aishite, more ones like and then you became the moon, welcome to the star inn, don’t look at me in that way, etc. pretty cutesy and happy sounding with a cute art style and then the lyrics tell a pretty dark story. that’s their general vibe. there’s a few songs i associate with them like judas by abuse (like i mentioned before) but i can’t confidently say it’s the kind of music they’d make. maybe that’ll change though we’ll see.

the group is composed of hoshi (tsukasa) the main lyricist, koki (emu), the artist, tako (rui) the animator and eventual co-lyricist, and kurage (nene), the composer.

they’re all silly online friends who like making music videos together and while none of them really talk about their issues pre-main story given that they’re not super close/don’t know each other super well yet, they still enjoy doing this together and care at least a little bit about each other.

i’m still figuring out how exactly the main story goes, but i’ve definitely made more progress now so HOPEFULLY i figure out a coherent story soon. i rlly do want to write a fic for them but don’t get your hopes up too much.

a few basic ideas i do have currently are some stuff like tsukasa, despite also being on his last hopes like the rest of them, is going to be the one to really encourage them all to start theater again. their sekai is a rundown theme park with lots of fireflies around, all the plushies are still there but they’re also worn down and have lots of patches and stuff on them. wonder stage has been closed down already, but it hasn’t been like torn down or replaced with a new attraction or anything. will it make a comeback? will hw be using it? we will see :)

i think the world hasn’t even started yet is still gonna be their untitled too. i’m thinking for their unit fits it’s gonna be something similar to the circus jester set cards? or at least the face paint thing. i’m absolutely giving them the face paint thing. and then there’s some other plot ideas i have but i’m not totally sure about them yet and i dunno how much sense they make on their own so i’m not gonna add them here.

uh. tsukasas name is hoshi since it means star iirc? so obviously he gets that name. koki meant something like to glitter, to shine, and i think emu would have liked that enough to choose it. and i already mentioned why rui and nenes names are what they are 👍

that is all for now. once again i’m more than happy to answer any other questions (like seriously i was so giddy and happy getting asked about them) so yknow feel free to ask. might answer a bit late cause i’m in school atm and have a lot to say but i will answer it eventually :3

[ivyshrinks]

semaglutide update: week 14

my last update wasn't a very informative one, so I'm going to try to talk a bit more about what's been going on lately in this post! I'll make some bolded headers for different topics I discuss in case there's anything in particular you do or don't care about.

weight update

I haven't had the best few weeks. I've been eating kind of like an asshole - ordering doordash a lot, started (and stopped) drinking alcohol again, etc. however, I've been back on track for a bit now, and I'm down to a new low weight of 347.7 lbs (down from my april hw of 390 lbs and my july 9th sw of 380 lbs). this means I'm a little over 30 lbs down in three months! losing at a rate of 10 lbs/month is great, and I'm really happy with the progress I've been making.

medication update

I'm still taking 20 units of compounded semaglutide a week, which I think (based on the concentration of my meds) is equivalent to the 1.0 mg dose of the actual stuff. I plan on staying on 20 units for a while, maybe throughout my next vial of medication (which should last about 10 weeks at 20 units/week), then I might discuss with my doctor going up a bit if I feel like I need it. I think the therapeutic dose of wegovy for weight loss is 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, so I'm still technically below the therapeutic dose, but it's been working fine and I don't want to jump up in dose too soon if it's not necessary.

struggling with knowing when to stop eating on semaglutide (tw: vomiting)

something I've been struggling with is getting used to my new stomach and fullness cues. I never really had fullness cues until starting semaglutide, so I have a hard time knowing exactly when to stop eating. this means I often eat slightly too much, and then immediately have to go vomit - not self-induced, but just too much in my stomach that my body rejects it. I've been vomiting a few times a week from eating a little too much during my regular meals, which is something that really bothers me. so now I'm trying to be more mindful of portion sizes, how much I put on my plate, and unlearning being part of the "clean plate club." I always feel the need to finish everything I put on my plate, but I need to realize that it's okay if I save some leftovers for later or even throw away the rest of my food when I'm full.

sobriety struggles

as for the alcohol that I mentioned earlier, I bought a big bottle of vodka a week or two ago and thought "I can just have a little bit here and there, and it'll be fine!" without realizing that I am not in fact a queen of moderation when it comes to alcohol. after one evening of drinking my usual (large) amount, I woke up at 1 am with a headache, tummy ache, heartburn, etc., and I just thought to myself "I hate this and it's not worth it." when I woke up in the morning, I poured the rest of my vodka down the drain. I don't need it. it's not good for me mentally. it's not good for my weight loss journey.

exercise

I want to start exercising regularly again! for a while, I was struggling with back pain and sciatica, causing me to lose feeling in my right leg if I walked too far, which scared me out of going for walks. I didn't want to get hurt from falling. however, that pain has disappeared now! I've gone for a few walks this past week, with each walk being between 1.5 and 2.5 miles in distance, and I love it. I also plan on starting up yoga again to hopefully help with my flexibility and mobility, as well as for mental health benefits. I plan on using the underbelly website (which promotes yoga for people in all bodies with an emphasis on accessibility) for yoga at home a couple of days a week, and I even signed up for a gentle yoga class at a wellness center near my house! my first class is supposed to be tomorrow night, but I might have to skip it - unfortunately I have come down with a cold, and I'm not feeling too hot right now.

new doctor

I received a devastating email a few weeks ago saying that my primary care physician (who I have worked with for years and who I adore) will no longer be accepting my insurance in 2025. my doctor and the physician's assistant have been so supportive and incredible, both while on my weight loss journey and even when I was struggling with weight gain. they're healthcare practitioners who are supportive of my weight loss journey without being fatphobic or condescending about my weight. so, learning that I need to find a new doctor was devastating and scary. I did a lot of research and found a couple of doctors who seem to have very good reviews and are consistently described as kind and compassionate, so I have a new patient appointment with one of these other doctors in a couple of weeks. I hope she's as supportive as my last doctor. I'm kind of scared about starting off fresh with a new doctor, especially since I used this opportunity to switch to a doctor with a different hospital affiliation, which means she won't have automatic access to my old records. so when I go to weigh in for the first time with my new doctor, they're just going to see that I'm 300+ lbs, not the fact that I've already lost 40+ lbs. I hope to get them up to speed, but it's still a bit daunting. I hope everything goes well with this transition.

where do I go from here?

I'm going to keep on truckin! I'm going to try to limit how often I order doordash, and try to make healthier choices when I do. I'm going to avoid alcohol. I'm going to continue going for walks when the autumn weather is nice and start practicing yoga a few days a week. I'm going to try to get a little better about drinking my water on workdays. I'm going to try to post more in the discord weight loss groups I'm a part of for support since sometimes being on a weight loss journey can feel a little lonely. and I'm just going to keep marching forward!

[our-t4t-experience]

WE ARE :D

okayokay and also a lot of it has to do w transness

i am a t4t gayboy and i met this other guy whos the coolest ever and hes also a gayboy (i dont think hes t4t but !!)

ESSENTIALLY, as is in true gay fashion, i became friends w him at the beginning of the school year, and weve gotten more and more close ever since.

i have my seminar with him, and every day during seminar we sit under the table and talk about life, and his favorite bands (which are now mine, because i like to steal the interests of the people i love) and its awesome. i love being around him, his presence is comforting.

on A days, i sit with him and a few friends at lunch, and the cafeteria is quite loud (and i have major overstimulation issues,) so sometimes ill get overwhelmed and he always notices and makes sure im okay, and sometimes when i don’t feel like i can do it, hell sit with me in the stairwell and let me talk about whats bothering me and he’ll just listen and give advice. On B days, during lunch, we just sit in a corner somewhere and talk. he’ll always listen and help me and ill so the same for him. if its not him comforting me, i get to talk to him and hear him ramble about his bands and his favorite things and i love the way he sounds when hes happy - i love the way his smile is so bright, and i love the way he looks when he gets embarrassed and realizes hes loud (i dont mind it - its not aggressive.)

every day after school, we hang out for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, just. coexisting. its awesome. i love him. and we spend this time working on hw together, and talking about the things we love.

i have a very all-over-the-place tumblr blog, which comes with a lot of yearning, because im lonely and in love. but this boy, my boy, my crush, follows me and we like constantly support each others blogs. so sometimes, ill post yearning posts and HE’LL REBLOG THEM 💞. maybe im overthinking it but like if were looking for the same things in a relationship.. i mean !! it cant mean nothing!! like the other day i reblogged a post that was like “all i need in life is a boy to lay on my lap and let me play with his hair” and he reblogged it with the tags “#all i need in life is a boy to let me lay on his lap and play with my hair” AND OMG??? LIKE MARRY ME UGH gosh this is so exhilirating.

also the other day i wrote him a long paragraph about how much i love him (we say “i love you” to each other consistently, presumably in a platonic way, but its never been specified or indicated, sadly :() and it was like (ill include a little excerpt)

“[…]nothing can come close to [describing] the feeling i get when im with you, not by a long shot. its so much stronger in a way that youd think it would have its own word, like how "a lot" has "a myriad," and ones stronger, more intentful, more meaningful. if there was a word that was as to love as myriad is to lot, my love for you would still be stronger. i am more than eternally grateful for your presence and where you have brought me since ive met you. talking to you has been the actual light of my life lately.” AND SO SO MUCH MORE IT WAS LIKE 700 WORDS LONG - AND IT WAS ALL LIKE THAT YK

and the next day i get this:

“I love you a alot (name). […] I love you so so much. […] I want to give you all that you deserve. Because people don't remind you of your actual worth. And if I can be a start to help you to that path, I'd be so fucking happy. I, more than anything need you to know just how much of an amazing person you are. […] I promise to always listen to you. Always. It's the least I could do. You're an amazing person <3” WITH A LOT MORE BUT I CUT A LOT OF IT FOR WORDS SSKE BUT AAAAAA HE WROTE ME A PARAGRAPH!!!!!!

ALSO we call almost every night and i always text him good morning and hes the awesomest and i love spending time with him.

sometimes i also get text exchanges where i say “text me when you get home” and he says “im not home but i just couldnt wait <3” AAAAAAAAAAA

and “wish i had a boy to hold me n warm me up <//3” and he said “i volunteer as tribute!” AAAAAA

i think the point of this is i dont feel like he likes me back but im in love w the man dude like the other day he let me lay on his shoulder and he played w my hair and i nuzzled into his neck a bit and he giggled and i was like “hm?” and he said “youre adorable” AAAAAAAAAA SOBBFIANDBSJ and i just buried my red ass face in his neck and he giggled at me again and i said fuck you and UGH i love him so much and all i wanna do is just be his i just wanna be his boy and he can be mine and we can be boyfriends!!!

and also hes also so awesome because he makes me feel so validated and sometimes when i like my outfit ill send him pics of it and he’ll say “you look very boy / very cis” and ill be like “no” and sometimes hell tell me how i look cis and sometimes hell say he wishes i could see myself the way he sees me. i wish i could understand how he sees me. i wanna know how he thinks of me, i wanna know if hed ever love me the way i love him!! i love him. so much. id do anything for him.

thank u for letting me ramble, i needed to get it out of my system because i cant tell anyone else cause theyd tell him but god i love him. so much.

p.s. if you see this, i love you dude. youll know its you. if you dont love me back, just . idk . act like u never saw it ty <3

-🧷

send me an updated ask when u two get together

[maniacalgenius]

08.16.24

hi friends! this post is just labeled with today’s date because the last few days have been all over the place with getting back to town and moving in, so i’m treating them as if they are a Pocket Dimension outside of the real passage of time because they have had Absolutely No Structure.

academic:

🧬 looked at the canvas pages for genetics lecture and genetics lab!

🧬 started the orientation module for a course i have to do as part of my scholarships appeal

🧬 bought my genetics textbook, read the first chapter, and did the online in-textbook quiz and hw! 100% x2

health:

🌺 got my first allergy shot in 8 years yesterday. starting a new round (2-5 years) to hopefully get my allergies under control

🌺 managed to get to my doctors appt at 8:30 this morning

🌺 decided to get breakfast with my mom after the dr. i have food issues so eating (not to mention WANTING to eat) a whole meal at 10 am is a huge win!

🌺 last night after a couple hours of being Very Upset i decided to believe that if the past few days hadn’t had Absolutely No Structure then the intrusive thoughts wouldn’t be getting to me and i would be fine. this resolution allowed me to relax and get lots of sleep! so to recap: mental health win of managing to self soothe, and physical health win of sawing lots of logs!

personal:

🧚 moved in to the new place!!! really this has about 100 subtasks, but in a nutshell, i moved (a subset of) my stuff into the new place, worked on organizing things, bought a new bookshelf, et cetera. it’s slowly coming together

🧚 the day i moved in, @sleeping-academic came over in the evening to provide moral support and help unpack some things! i made us chicken and there were some bumps in the road; it was really stressful to do the process in a new place, most of the kitchen stuff wasn’t unpacked so we had to root around for everything like we were hunting for truffles, and i was using a new pan that didn’t behave like my old one which freaked me out. BUT i persevered and we had chicken for dinner (plus a lot of laughs at my silly antics) so HUGE WIN!

🧚 it is also a huge win that i even attempted a familiar process in a new place right after moving in, rather than just lying down and rotting in my bed

🧚 honorable mention down here for the last health one about self soothing because i am hardly ever able to do that so it was a big victory :)

🧚 i got to drive dr sandwich’s 12 year old son home from school yesterday! she pays me to help her (i drove him from school to math tutoring every monday this spring) but she hasn’t needed much help this summer because she wasn’t teaching summer classes, so i had really missed my little buddy!!!

no cute pics of the new place yet, sorry! still making everything cute. stay tuned!

🎶 song on loop: “it’s alright” - mother mother. current anthem as well as message i need to internalize :)

📖 current book: i finished nowhere girl by cheryl diamond! i gave it 4/5 stars because it was really good and i liked it but it just takes a Really Special Something for me to give a book that last star. i also finished the fairy-tale detectives and am now on the second sisters grimm, the unusual suspects. the story of russia by orlando figes: 190/302. my new fun book is i have some questions for you by rebecca makkai: 38/439.

🕰️ time focused: 55m. this was just for today, so not up to my 4 hour goal for this semester but i also did a LOT of other stuff today and school hasn’t even started so it’s okay!! 🤩

excited for the rest of this weekend and for school to start and be back in my happy place. (dr sandwich’s office.) mostly just excited to go to sleep in a few minutes.

love you all

xx

[thelongestway]

Dawn: Trailed

Now that the spoiler embargo is gone, well...

This is probably my favorite expansion. On par with, if not better than, HW (My personal rating otherwise goes HW>ShB>Ew=Sb=Arr). I went through it without reading anything about others' experiences, and you can imagine my surprise about the incredibly mixed reception!

I was even more surprised, because I was going in very burnt out on FFXIV, and had really been expecting to go in and say "eh, this was ok, sure, but nothing special."

Instead, I got exactly what I wanted or, dare I say it, even needed. That is to say, this:

So this review is going to be reflecting over the type of story this is and what made it so appealing to me specifically.

Tons of spoilers below the cut!

What I thoroughly enjoyed about Dawntrail:

the "not my circus, not my monkeys" vibe

the worldbuilding

the pacing

And I think these things are related. But let's start with the pacing.

My usual way of playing is "do story, do available sidequests as they pop up, a couple of fates along the road, etc". I usually wind up with a class fully leveled and a class half-leveled by the end of the story. My WoL is very thorough and meticulous, and a firm believer in "get the lay of the land" first.

In most previous expansions, that meant there were spots where I went stir-crazy, because something about that flow didn't click; there were many places I was bored but also did not want to skip things, because while it felt bad to do them immediately, it would feel even more out of place to do them later. To wit: Moogles HW (even though I loved the crafter quests later), Ruby Sea SB, Twine etc ShB, Ultima Thule EW (yes, not Labyrinthos part 2 - sorry my friends, I love insane academics, while Ultima Thule really, really did not hit for me).

This was not the case in DT. There wasn't a single moment I felt truly bored. And specifically I enjoyed the vibe that you can come and go at any moment - the fact that the succession isn't really your problem helps with this a lot. This is why the amount of Wuk Lamat didn't particularly bother me - my WoL just went "oh, fantastic, any fallout is your problem, not mine - I'm just here to see the sights and talk to people". He got to have a good night's sleep without being interrupted, for gods' sake - unheard of!

On a player level, this worked wonderfully, because I hate it when writers try to raise the stakes by making it personal. Usually, I have a very visceral reaction to that, which is primarily "you do NOT get to decide what makes it personal for me", and I can count the number of times that kind of bait worked for me on one hand. In FFXIV specifically, Haurchefant and Ysayle in one expansion - and never again (although should anything happen to the twins, yeah, that'll work). Having another character take the brunt of "this has to be personal For Them" is really one of my favorite vibes. That said, I'm very much a worldbuilding-over-story girlie. Give me a world to muck around in, and I'm happy. And if I don't feel punished for taking my time, this becomes even better - I detest time-based long-term gameplay, I have enough of that IRL. Which means that for me, the vibe of this whole expansion was "excellent, I've got an excuse to be here - oh, we're moving on? You go on, I'll catch up". The last time I felt like this was really in HW, while the resolution to the Monetarist plot was brewing in the background. "Yeah, we can't really go back to our three home states for long. Great - let's explore the floating islands and see what the deal with the Dragonsong war is. We've got nothing but time." In both expansions, giving me time to fool around let me develop a personal connection - not to the characters, to the space. And by the time the plot picks up, I am hooked.

So aside from being my favorite type of worldbuilding, the feeling that "the plot is on pause and I have time to breathe" is unironically one of my favorite things in games, and what lets me feel like I've been relaxing while playing a game. And, well, I really needed a vacation from IRL bullshit, and I got just that.

It was one heck of a surprise for me to see that's not the case for most other players. To showcase this, I actually quite enjoyed one of the most controversial storytelling moments - which was "you've found the City of Gold! ...Now before you go in there, the current ruler needs to inform their successor about the bullshit going on down there, and you're not invited". My WoL's reaction was an amused "yeah, sure, I'm not in a rush - we'll get there (not that you can stop me from poking my nose in). Now, what else did you say was here? Xak Turaal?"I know a lot of other players got thrown out of the illusion of verisimilitude here; for a lot of people, the pacing here felt like a jarring stop. For me, though, it felt like breathing space; like a promise - there's no rush, we'll get there. Take your time, relax. It was like the game said "yeah, I see the load you carry normally. You don't have to for a few hours". And that was great.

It was the same with Wuk Lamat. The big cat wants all the bullshit I hate? She can have it, and my gratitude with it! The only time my WoL felt irked with her was the "invitation to be part of her government" - but even that moment was basically fixed immediately by the WoL's reaction! Which is: you stare at Wuk Lamat silently - silently even for the WoL, no gestures or implied responses, she sheepishly goes "you don't have to answer now... also I got you that pass to Xak Tural I promised?.." Only then do you smile. And you have the option of basically turning around after that and walking directly into Xak Turaal without talking to anyone except Erenville, which I found appropriate and more than a little hilarious. Finally, much later, Wuk Lamat even goes "ok, yeah, I get it now, the invitation was kinda stupid, sorry" - which is a big Point for her in my WoL's eyes.

And you get to just walk away! And there are no problems arising from that! And you walk into Shaaloani, doubling down on the "nope. I am On Vacation. Nothing but the wind and the vibes", and it was exactly what I wanted and needed. And then, after Shaaloani, once I've thoroughly relaxed, the plot picks up! I've had my rest, and now I get to do shit! 10/10 hit in the personal preferences, no notes.

All of this would've been enough to bring DT on par with HW and above ShB (which had the "new world exploration" down pat, but was also much more inconsistent in its pacing for me). But what brings it really... Above HW for me was the last zone. Because that zone hit stuff I'd been needing to have a good cry about, and I spent 8 hours doing just that: reading through and sobbing.

Now, this was a very personal hit in the themes. I mean, it was mostly coincidence that it hit that hard. But it was what I needed.

Dawntrail is an expansion that has two main themes: vacation (break, pause, freedom) and death. Death, while always present as an FFXIV theme, here is discussed specifically in the aspect of "leaving behind stuff for others to take care of". These two themes are bundled in extremely neatly, you keep going back and forth between them, and they reach a crescendo in the last zone, which is a memorial disguised as an amusement park; a memorial whose paperclip-optimizer managing AI was about to try and kill everyone it could reach in order to keep that memorial's lights on. So you walk into a deteriorating attempt to make the "between-space" of vacation last forever, and then you turn that vacation into death, and that comes as a relief.

I won't go into the IRL bullshit that made me cry over this. But the mix of "you can't capture happiness in a gilded cage" and also "you cannot exist in that liminal space where you temporarily leave your burdens - you shouldn't try to actually live there", and finally "someday you will have to leave your burdens to someone else, and you will never solve everything forever" - yeah, I needed that. I needed a good ghost story right now, and I didn't know I did. So the last zone hit insanely hard, and I loved it.

And it hit all the harder because the focus wasn't on me. For contrast, Ultima Thule was my least favorite zone of EW. It was a total, absolute miss for me - the exact kind of "the writers are trying to make it personal" that I hate. I think I have the exact feeling about Ultima Thule that most people have about Dawntrail: if the plot had been moved a few steps to the side, I would've enjoyed it - say, have the Scions lean into "we're building a bridge, and whoever gets to the end will have to handle the rest. WoL, though - you're gonna have to be the last one to go, we need you to bring us back. Let's walk into this with our eyes open" rather than into the "sacrifice" aesthetic. But they didn't, and it didn't hit for me. I felt sort of numb and irritated throughout.

Meanwhile, Living Memory - and its focus on a bunch of NPCs I didn't know, and then Krile, and then Erenville and Cahciua - let me experience what I needed to experience without also feeling like the writers are dragging the requisite emotion out of me with pliers. For once, playing through the story as a Black mage was amazing - I was very much "okay, time to put on my thaumaturge ritual robes and hold a funeral". It was a somber feeling, but also it felt like it should.

And then you get a multidimensional key out of it! And you end 7.0 alone, looking at a map with the key in your posession, and you can see the gears turning in your WoL's head as they plan... That's my personal perfect ending.

As a result, this expansion made me reflect very heavily on my own personal preferences on pacing and plot, and how the niche that I inhabit is probably smaller than I thought. Things that are absolute dealbreakers for other people are barely blips on my radar; while things that are absolutely monumental to me often go unnoticed. Good stuff to know for a writer - and I'm very grateful for getting a story that was written so close to what I like.

[soulgathered-archived]

alright time for the opinion post . I wanna start with a few things that won't need to be spoilered :

I strongly dislike the changes the graphical update did to mae & knew that would potentially sour the way I feel about dt & I was right. there were some angles that got me all "oh u know what I totally am on board with this!" & then the angle would change & I'd, in reallife, make a lil offended gasp bcs "ohh no. hate this ! hate this ! I want my wol back" this isn't in regards to mods. I just legit miss vanilla mae from pre-dt. miss their old lips (which are the biggest issue to me) miss their old eye shape, their face shape etc.

if you cannot handle someone critiquing something you love ( mind you that I love 14 too ) then this post is not for you. the amount of disgusting hate i saw towards people with legit critics of the expac is... baffling. the devs won't be able to grow if we just coddle them.

I still think ew should have been 2 expacs, to finish the arr-ew storyline better & set up the new one.

I have played with JP voices since HW because this was an actual advice back in the day. HW + its patches were not big enough yet to warrant having to listen to what ARR delivered. I also always watch at least one streamer play 14 with english VAs to get both experiences ! because yeah actually english gives you the proper feeling of scale & distance by having characters with accents. as far as I can tell right now I think all the DT voices are amazing

& from here on spoiler territory !

...you were warned if you are still here this is on you .

but I wanna start with stuff I liked / adored .

wu.k lam.at & ko.ana's family bond. I will forever be weak for chosen family bonds & they are soso cute. I love their personalities. I wanna see more of them.

In general the environmental story telling & the details they put into telling the stories of region was soso much better, loved it. I loved exploring the zones & noticing stuff or just talking to NPCs.

the end reveal with the key showing the az.em symbol made me giggle. I am sure it won't lead to a "oh so az.em fucked up" thing but it still amuses me to think they did.

happy kr.ile got character development, she really does deserve it & she is a lovely addition to the team.

erenvil.le, ko.ana & wu.k la.mat are among my faves now without a doubt.

the third & lvl 95 dungeon music slapped. actually when the music is good it's SO good.

t.uli.yollal is stunning, feels so lived in. I like spending time there & just zooming around. srsly the graphic update looks so good in environments & the DT ones are soso stunning. also best inn / tavern room we ever had. who needs housing i am staying in there !!!!

however a good base does not make a great game & overall the story was just. mid. it exists I guess. it feels so weirdly cut off from past expacs? like you tell me they didn't hear shit about anything ever? other continent or not how do you miss the final days I don't care if it was "contained to some places" that kinda stuff goes around.

I don't need the people to know the wo.l's name or look but come on you have heard of them + the sci.ons. I know ppl say "we don't need to always be the mc stop demanding that" ...sorry that in a game that I pay money for I want my character to be important. all our character does is nod sagely to give WL some confidence & half the time she isn't even looking. if i can write my character out within seconds & end up at pretty much the same point at the end then there was no point for us being there.

this legit felt a bit like them looking at what ppl adored at previous expa.cs, copying it & copying it worse. zone 6 ? this might be my biased but like changing it as we did? that should have been an amau.rot or elpi.s thing. at least that had impact. I only cared for one character in there & yes her memories being shut down was sad but like. kay.

...can we stop with fantasy races who love money btw? I am sure it was not meant that way but man did that make me feel uncomfy as a Jewish person. especially the whole 'they used to be slaves now they are merchants adoring money' GUESS WHY SO MANY JEWS WERE MERCHANTS !! guess what was one of the few things they were allowed to do esp when romans took em along as slaves.

However in the same sense I did love the tradition of remembering the dead because that way nobody is really gone. Again I doubt SE planned that they accidentally nailed Jewish philosophy but that was fun.

....zor.aal j.a was boring. I kept waiting for some big twist but no he's just another daddy issue guy. only that the story really wants me to believe his dad is great !! so caring !! ....can't fcking see his son's own issues. the guy who DEFINITELY knew about how fcked bless.ed siblings were & he can't see the strain that being called a "miracle" put on his kid? this is why i waited for some plottwist of ZJ having other plans all along.

also I am sorry "we had war 80 years ago people are too comfy with peace" ...that. that is within living memory especially with 14 races ! that was the worst motivation. at least stretch the time!!

sph.ene was actually fine I like her, it's just.............we had her. several times. hello there moe-fied as.cian ! hello there not-amau.rot. totally not. this is not copied homework. at all. it was just a narrated last dungeon once more telling us about how great things used to be until they weren't. it totally wasn't "person who was loved by their people got twisted to save them" this is all...so...new...

this is a nitpick & an amusing one but ere.nvilles accent just makes no sense anymore. they really just wrote smth & were like "screw established stuff from before" ( i don't remember if it's a quest detail or one of the extra published stories but they had to go back & rewrite smth bcs it contradicted DT )

which maybe is my biggest gripe with the story. unless they HAD to acknowledge smth from previous stuff they just. copied it - in a worse way, for me at least - or just ignored it which at times felt so insulting.

the scene with the sick kid? eh hello? fairly sure we fixed stuff like that. we can just go grab ali.saie later & bring ange.lo along--? i feel like in previous expacs wo.l at least would have mentioned that to sphe.ne but then stuff with ZJ goes wrong so it gets pushed aside (but it's at least on our mind & not a surprise when the solution appears randomly bcs I fear that just might happen)

....most of the scio.ns felt like they were forcefully written in just so we had full parties for trials.

minor dumb stuff that is very me specific: i don't like sol.ution 9. i don't like the aesthetic, the vibe. just i don't like it. didn't like the ending song either. felt very shou.nen isek.ai-ish it's just not my type of song.

...wu.k lam.at i love you but you are among the worst trust characters i ever encountered I am sobbing i dunno if this is supposed to reflect her personality or she is programmed that badly. I never struggled with a trust so much.

I don't mind the trope of "love & friendship will safe the day" but....again it was just done better in the past ( end of ew, drk story, stb why we went with ly.se & stuck by her, arr raids...just. it has been done better )

as much as this probably sounds like just hating in truth it was. absolutely an okay expac.........just very mid. we had better, we deserve better but this wasn't "the end of 14" like how some ppl act. it served its purpose & i so hope that as the story goes on we look back at it more fondly for setting stuff up. a severable start to a new story. probably. depends what the future brings. a 6/10 for me.