#also if anyone could draw this that would be brilliant and amazing if you could LMAO

[y0rkshireterri3r]

context: I got overstimulated with forsaken and went into the vast landscape of the ROBLOX EXPERIENCE and found this hidden gem called Forsaken RP.... all the servers I was in was freaky like 😭🙏🏻 and here are SOME of the screenshot I got from my experience with this game 🗿

[mitskicain]

navi | m.list

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the sun is not the brightest star—shoko x fem!reader

© mitskicain all rights reserved. the modification, translation, and plagiarism of my work is strictly prohibited.

synopsis: shoko’s world gets turned upside down when long time truths are disproven

content warning: none :)

word count: 1.1k

· · ─────── ·{ ✐ᝰ.ᐟ}· ─────── · ·

Astronomy tells us that within our Milky Way galaxy, there is only one Sun, and eight planets that revolve around it. This is grade school knowledge. Ask anyone, and they’ll know this. But in Shoko’s world, the sun rises twice. Which is odd, because Shoko is a woman of fact, and the science states that the sun rises once a day, from the east to the west, illuminates the moon, and brings light to the planet Earth. But no—in her world, the sun rises twice.

She remembers the first time it happened. Scary, but also fascinating. Like a car crash on the highway that you can’t look away from. She looked at the light reflecting into her bedroom, its golden rays intense and bouncing off her sheets, and thought—shit, well there goes everything I’ve ever believed in. There goes years of my career as an astronomer. Is this how Galileo felt? When he discovered that the Sun revolved around the Earth? What kind of fate awaits me now? Will I rot in prison too for my discovery? And she thought: no, I wouldn’t survive prison; so she kept it her little secret. Nobody else knows of the astronomical anomaly that existed only through her lens. Okay, she could live with that.

Two suns would mean the end of the fucking world. It would mean global temperatures rising and burning through our atmosphere, drying up oceans and crops—an international crisis, a disaster, a world class fuck up. And yet her world kept on spinning in its little orbit, days blurring into nights. The weeks passed, and there was no sign of the apocalypse—so okay, maybe two suns didn’t mean the end of the world. Maybe something new doesn’t always bring everything else to ruins. Okay, she could live with that.

The second sun was weird, because it didn’t sit in the sky; it was here on Earth, with everyone else, and it seemed like Shoko was the only one to realize that a celestial body existed amongst humankind. She never thought it possible, but then again, there’s two fucking suns. So maybe that wasn’t the weirdest thing. The second sun wasn’t always around. Sometimes it would blend in with the crowds inside buildings. Sometimes you could find it in the farmers market on Sundays. Sometimes in the park feeding the ducks in the pond. At first, it didn’t shine as harshly or as brightly as the Sun in the sky did. It was so much softer. A golden glow like a halo that illuminated each room and corner it was in. It didn’t demand to be seen or noticed like the other did. Instead, it draws you in, and the more and more you notice, the brighter and brighter it would seem, until slowly, it outshone the Sun. One upped every single ray and gave you ten fold of whatever the other could—but it was never blinding. Still, Shoko looked away when it was staring her in the face. Whatever it was emitting—sunlight, infrared, gamma radiation—it made her feel weak. Sick at times, the way you do before a presentation or a school play, but nonetheless weak.

When Shoko was in high school, she learned about the stars. She learned that the stars she saw in the night sky were millions of light years away and likely already dead. You just don’t know it yet because they’re so far away and the amount of time that it takes for that light to reach planet Earth is so long. The Sun is the only star in our galaxy, the center of the milky way, and quite literally, one of the few reasons why Earth can sustain life. It’s light allows for photosynthesis, for sight, for warmth. We need to thank the sun for the brilliant, amazing, and grand things it has allowed for us to do with our lives. The second sun was no different.

It brought light into Shoko’s world. Not the visible light and its color spectrum, but rather, lifted the darkness out of her world. Her apartment, once barren and empty, desolate of life, was now thriving with its golden rays and lush greenery. The more the second sun was around her, the lighter her feet felt, and the easier the days seemed. In odd, inexplicable ways, things were simply better with them around. She sang in the shower, swayed to the music–all the corny shit people do when they’re in love.

Yes, Shoko was once terrified, but now loved the second sun. Loved the softness of its rays, loved the tenderness of its warmth, loved the way it lit up rooms, the way it floated from one place to another. Most of all she loved the person she became around the second sun. Loved the lighter, happier person who didn’t have to hide behind all that bullshit she was putting up with. She was finally, finally happy again after god knows how long.

So now her mornings follow a specific routine. She would get up at 5.45 AM, just a little before the first sunrise. She’d wash her face and brush her teeth in the bathroom, and then slinked into the kitchen to brew her first pot of coffee. As the first sun rises above the horizon, she leans against the kitchen table, and watches the sky turn from grey to golden. She does not squint or look away. When she hears the soft rustling of her bedsheets, she knows that it’s almost time for the second sunrise. She makes her way to her bedroom door and watches, in awe, just like the first time she saw the second sunrise. Eyelids fluttering open, a yawn escaping a mouth, arms outstretched and the softest, most melodic voice. It never gets old. She could wake up to this forever. Watch the second sunrise forever.

“G’morning sunshine,” she says, and you beam. Shoko crawls back into bed, back into your open arms, and kisses the soft skin of your neck. This is how mornings are supposed to be spent.

She pulls back, fingers combing through and moving the hair out of your face, and is struck, by the thousandth time, with just how many things had to go right for this very moment to play. She thanks her lucky stars, Canopus and Ursa Major, for this–for you. Thank you for giving one of your celestial bodies to live on Earth with me. To love me. Love of my life. Light of my life–you. And then, for a moment, Shoko looks away, overwhelmed by it all. You giggle at her sentimentality, and press your lips onto hers, laughter echoing in your mouths. When Shoko thinks back on these moments—when Shoko thinks of you—all she can think about is how her high school astronomy teacher was wrong.

The sun is not the brightest star. You are.

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author’s note: for my beloved @aozui @ghostwoke; like you said—you’re.. in lesbians with her? I hope this is lesbian enough for you :)

[delicatemusickingdom]

Book 1 Part 2 Chapter 3.2

Chapter 3.2

When Flynn removed the lid from the pot, white steam and a delicious smell rose from the pot, accompanied by the sound of bubbling water. Beside it, a shallower pot was being heated over the fire, and similarly, a wonderful sound and fragrant aroma was wafting from it. 

Flynn dealt with the pots one by one with practised ease. He was so skilled that Yuri and the other children could only watch in amazement. His movements were almost like an assembly line — that was how fast he worked, and even if they tried to help they only got in the way. In the end, the boys were left with nothing to do, and could only linger outside the kitchen and watch Flynn cook. 

His skill was brilliant, but his presentation was impeccable as well. The food was carefully plated, and a lot of attention was paid to its appearance, which further stimulated the boys’ appetites. And most importantly, the flavour didn’t disappoint. 

It surprised not only the children, but also the adults present that he could make such delicious meals using only ingredients obtained in the lower quarter. Even Jiri was left at a loss for words upon witnessing Flynn’s unexpected talent. 

This guy really has an infinite number of talents. Yuri didn’t know how many times he had thought this since his first meeting with Flynn, but once again he was deeply impressed. Just how many more tricks does he have hidden away?

“Hey, where did you learn this from?” 

Yuri said as he stuffed his mouth full to satiate his stomach’s cries. 

But Flynn didn’t even try to look him in the eye. He just answered quietly.  

“I didn’t really learn from anyone, or anything like that… I just followed my mother’s notes.”  

Mother. The instant those words left his mouth, the atmosphere at the dining table turned stiff and awkward. The children kept quiet and focused on eating, their smiles stuck on their faces. 

Yuri also kept quiet as he ate. He could easily imagine what was going through Flynn’s mind, but at the same time, he couldn’t hide his surprise. 

If what Flynn said was true, then he’d simply followed what was written in his mother’s notes. Yet, he was able to recreate his mother’s cooking in the exact same way. No matter how good Norein’s cooking was — come to think of it, he’d never had the chance to taste it until the very end — imitating it was a completely different story. It was hard to imagine anyone capable of pulling off such a feat, but Yuri had the feeling if it was Flynn, he could do it. 

The back of the person he was trying to catch up to and overtake seemed to move further ahead again, and the food that should have tasted delicious now tasted a little bitter. It annoyed him that he was thinking about such things even at a time like this. 

A little over a month had passed since Norein’s death. It was more than enough time for Flynn to return to his usual daily life, but not enough for his sadness to heal. He had remained in low spirits the entire time, but no one could blame him for that. 

Having lost his only relative, he had been encouraged by Hanks to move into ‘My Home’. But even though it had only been for a few years, it was still the house where Flynn had lived with his mother, and he was reluctant to leave. In the end, he decided he would only visit ‘My Home’ for lunch and dinner for the time being. 

Usually Jiri was in charge of the meals for ‘My Home’, but when she was busy and couldn’t find anyone capable of substituting for her, the boys in ‘My Home’ would have to cook for themselves. The boys called those days a ‘miss’. 

After all, no one knew how to cook, and it was a pain to do, to say the least. On top of that, regardless of whether it was just one person or a few people, even if they worked hard to cook the meal they would always receive a merciless disapproval from everyone. No one liked doing it, and everyone was unwilling to take the job, and so most of the time they were forced to decide by drawing lots or taking turns. 

Perhaps because he couldn’t bear to watch them, Flynn had offered in a monotonous voice to do it himself, and in front of everyone’s suspicious gazes, proceeded to demonstrate his skill. That evening’s dinner was a ‘big hit’, and the boys would remember it for a long time to come. 

That was how Flynn came to be in charge of cooking when Jiri wasn’t around. Although the role had been half-forced onto him, he had accepted it indifferently anyways. He didn’t find any fulfilment in doing so, and simply performed the task as if it was another one of his manual work. To give an example, it was as if he were a machine that simply carried out its functions, devoid of any personality, unable to produce anything new. 

Normally Yuri would have welcomed the idea of Flynn playing a role in everyone’s daily lives, but the way Flynn seemed to lack a purpose made him feel concerned. Most of the series of procedures following Norein’s death — not that there were a lot of them, seeing how the government didn’t care about their district — had been carried out, and life in the lower quarter carried on the same as before. Even if you scoop out a portion of water from a pool, the surface will look unchanged, because the rest of the water will quickly fill in the hole. That was how it looked in the lower quarter — only now, the ‘lessons’ had stopped. 

The boys had also started moving forward in their own ways. 

Even after purchasing the gravestone, the boys had some money left over from what they had earned. Admirably, the boys had offered to donate it for the lower quarter’s use, and Hanks and the other adults expressed their respect towards the boys’ idea, but told them to use the money for themselves. 

So the boys split the money evenly, and then did as they pleased with their portion. 

Yuri bought a new sword. His first sword, the one he shared with Flynn, was already too small, which made it hard to wield. The other children either bought what they wanted, or if they couldn’t think of anything, stored the money away to use later. Surprisingly enough, Jareth bought a few books. 

However, the problem lay with Flynn. He had accepted his share of the money, but showed no signs of buying anything with it. But it didn’t seem like he was doing it to save up money, either. To buy something was to express a desire. In Flynn’s case, he didn’t have one. 

Business was booming in the citizens’ quarters once again. Previously, there had been obstacles hindering the circulation of goods between the imperial capital and the other cities, but it seemed like they were now gone. The market had regained its former liveliness. The uneasy atmosphere enveloping the imperial capital for months had finally been lifted. No one could say for sure what it had been, or how it had disappeared. 

Anyone could vaguely tell that something big had happened, and then it was over. But that was the only feeling they got. Now that peace and liveliness had returned to their daily lives, there weren’t many people who cared about it. 

There were also strange rumours. That those who had contracted the strange illness but hadn’t died had all recovered. And they had done so without needing panacea bottles or healers. Similar to how it had first appeared, no one knew why. The price of panacea bottles plummeted, and they were even cheaper now than before these series of events had occurred. Of course, they were useless now, and no one wanted them. There were also rumours that some merchants and nobles had suffered great losses and become bankrupt as a result. 

In any case, it had nothing to do with the lower quarter. 

If only Jiri hadn’t been injured. Yuri had thought that countless times, over and over again. Back then, while acting as the ‘Dark Wings’, what exactly was she trying to steal? Why did she fail? If she had been trying to steal a panacea, if only she had succeeded — but Jiri might have been thinking the same way, and since Flynn was keeping silent, he thought his reasoning must be wrong. Besides, either way, Norein was no longer with them. 

Perhaps because they had awakened to the joys of labour during the time they had worked to earn money for the medicine, some of the boys went back to work. Fortunately, the merchants remembered how they had worked so diligently before, and welcomed them back with open arms. This was one of the few positive changes brought about by this whole ruckus. 

The unit of knights that had delivered the monster meat that one time had never been seen in the lower quarter since then. There was also a rumour that none of the knights that had departed from the imperial capital had returned, though it was unclear if this rumour was related to that. 

Yuri thought of the friendly uncle. There was a possibility that he was still somewhere in the vast imperial capital, or that he had returned without passing through Fountain Alley, but for some reason his intuition told him that wasn’t the case. After Norein’s funeral, he became even more aware of it. The uncle was no longer alive. 

The number and frequency of knights visiting the lower quarter had visibly decreased, though their arrogant behaviour hadn’t changed.  

Something had been about to change, but it seemed the opportunity had been lost. Yuri didn’t know what it was, but he couldn’t help but feel a heavy sinking in his chest when he thought about it. 

****

“We’re out of salt.” 

Flynn’s murmur almost sounded like he was talking to himself as he said that, his voice nearly drowned out by the clamour of the other boys. 

That day, Jiri wasn’t in, and the boys in ‘My Home’ had to cook dinner all on their own. But they actually welcomed the occasion, because Flynn was there to cook for them — despite feeling guilty that the smile would never return to his face. 

Compared to before, Jiri’s absences had increased. She would never say so herself, but Yuri suspected that it was because of the injury on her leg. During the day, she acted as if her injury didn’t exist and went about her business as lively as ever, most likely to avoid anyone noticing, but it had to be hard on her. After all was said and done, she was a grandma — though she and everyone often forgot that. 

“You’re right. All the containers are empty. It’s a good thing you noticed before you started cooking.” 

Jareth said, after checking the back of the kitchen shelves. 

“I guess that means we’ll have to go get some from Grandpa Hanks’ house.” 

Flynn looked somewhat surprised at Yuri’s words. 

“Mister Hanks’ house?” 

“That’s the rule.” 

The people of the lower quarter all chipped in money to support the management of ‘My Home’, but Hanks was the person directly in charge. The rough arrangement was that if the children needed anything, they would go to him. The boys didn’t know this, but it was also a measure to ensure that the residents who lived near ‘My Home’ wouldn’t be overly burdened. 

As Flynn made to leave immediately, Yuri called out to him. 

“I’ll come with you, Head Chef.” 

“Yuri? It’s okay, I know the way…”

“But you don’t know where to find anything in Grandpa Hanks’ house, right? Don’t worry and just leave it to me.” 

As he said that, he didn’t give Flynn a chance to argue, and quickly headed for the front door. 

****

The sun had set, and the alleyway Yuri and Flynn were walking down was already empty. Except for the dim, warm glows of light peeking out from windows of nearby houses, everything else was engulfed in shadow and darkness. The cold and crisp light of the barrier rings shining over their heads looked even brighter and more merciless. The season was grey and gloomy, and in the absence of sunlight, the boys couldn’t help but be aware of the cold. This feeling became even more apparent in the night. 

They hadn’t talked since they left ‘My Home’. Occasionally, Yuri would glance at Flynn, but Flynn had lowered his head so his eyes were hidden beneath his golden hair. He didn’t seem to be aware of Yuri at all. 

It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to follow Flynn. Even before Norein’s death, Flynn had started to speak considerably less, and his expressions had become dull. It was understandable, of course, but as this continued, Yuri started to feel a vague sense of unease. It was as if something he had finally gotten used to was drifting away from him again. 

It wasn’t as if he particularly wanted to talk to Flynn alone, but he was curious to know what Flynn was thinking, and tonight seemed like his only chance to do so. 

But once he was finally alone with Flynn, he had no idea what to talk about. 

He didn’t think Flynn needed any words of consolation, after all this time. Yuri had said it numerous times already, and besides, this place wasn’t appropriate for such things. 

Yuri thought about the shadow in Flynn’s heart. Of course, what lay at the heart of it was his mother’s — Norein’s — death, but even before that, he seemed to be burdened by a lot of other things. There was his strange resentment and fastidious attitude towards the knights, his circumstances that had led to him moving from the ‘other side of the wall’ to the lower quarter, and how he hadn't been able to save up enough money to buy the panacea. Come to think of it, he also seemed to have his own thoughts when it came to the matter of the ‘Dark Wings’. They were all different things, but at the same time, Yuri had the feeling they were all connected somehow. These different things all tangled together and clung to Flynn, and as he dragged these burdens around, each step he took must feel terribly heavy. 

Thinking about the ‘Dark Wings’ reminded Yuri of something unnecessary. Right now, they were headed towards Grandpa Hanks’ house. Which was also Jiri’s house. If Jiri was at home. If Jiri was the only one at home. 

Maybe he could ask her something. 

As his interest was drawn to that direction, Yuri frowned, feeling like he was being dishonest for thinking that. 

In the end, neither of them spoke up and only continued walking until they reached their destination. 

****

“Looks like neither of them are home.”

After knocking on the door for a while and peeking through the windows, Yuri finally said. It was too early for them to be asleep, but he could only see darkness through the windows, and there was no sign that anyone was home. He couldn’t really think of a place where they would be at this hour, but on second thought, since they didn’t visit ‘My Home’, it wouldn’t be strange if they really were busy with something. 

“Then there’s nothing we can do. Let’s go back.” 

Flynn’s voice wasn’t disappointed at all, just indifferent. There was something about that tone of his that Yuri disliked. 

“Don’t panic. Like I said, I’m pretty familiar with their house. …Ah, right here.” 

As he spoke, he went around the side of the entrance and pressed on one of the windows, grinning as he did so. 

“What are you doing?” 

“This window is in a pretty bad shape, so even if it’s locked, if you just push it upwards……there.” 

Just as Yuri said, the window creaked slightly as it slowly opened. Like he thought, Jiri and Hanks had to be out. After all, it was pitch black inside. 

“I know roughly where the salt is. Let’s get it quickly and go back.” 

Flynn’s face changed. It was as if a will had suddenly manifested itself on his face. Like he finally understood what was happening in front of his very eyes. 

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to enter the house without permission?! And to go through the window like a common thief—”

Upon saying that, Flynn realised what he had just said and shut up. Yuri stared at Flynn like that, before suddenly turning around and leaping nimbly through the window like a cat. 

Flynn stared into the square darkness that had swallowed up that black hair, but there was no sound coming from inside. 

“……Yuri?”

Flynn was about to stick his head into the window hesitantly — not out of fear, but modesty — when he heard the sound of the front door unlocking. The door opened, and Yuri was standing there. In his hand was a lit hand lantern he must have found somewhere in the house. 

“Come in. Or are you going to wait outside all day?” 

Speaking in a slightly dismissive tone, Yuri turned and went back into the house without waiting for a reply. Flynn stood rooted to the spot for a brief moment, and then took a deep breath and strode into the house. There was a look of indignation on his face that hadn’t been seen in a while. 

As soon as he entered the house, Flynn couldn’t help but stop to look at the inside of the house, illuminated by the lantern. 

There were too many things. Too many, in fact, that for a moment, he thought he had walked into a warehouse or a storage room. It was by no means a mess, but while it was fairly tidy, the floor and shelves were piled — or crammed — high with all kinds of things. It wasn’t to the extent that there was no empty space to place your feet, but no matter how you looked at it, a normal person didn’t need these many items for their daily life. And on the other hand, they didn’t look like furnishings for ‘My Home’ either. 

“The kitchen is in the back. …What’s wrong?” 

Noticing that Flynn had stopped at the entrance, Yuri said to him. 

“Were you surprised by the state of the room? It’s always been like this.” 

But Flynn simply stood there, lost in thought as he stared at the insides of the dark room. He made no sign of moving. Yuri furrowed his brows. 

“Hey, Flynn. You don’t actually think these are all stolen—”

“No, I don’t… think so. The ‘Dark Wings’ only targets the nobles and the rich, and no matter how you look at it, these are all…” 

“Pieces of junk?” 

Yuri said, as if seeing through Flynn. Hearing that, Flynn made a surprised yet annoyed face.

“I didn’t say that.” 

Etiquette bothered him even at a time like this. What a conscientious guy, Yuri thought. 

But in reality, it was difficult for Flynn to deny the truth in Yuri’s words. Under the dim light of the lantern, they could see a brightly coloured but broken roof tile, a wooden doll with one arm missing, and all kinds of other things that didn’t look like they were worth much. And the room was packed to the brim with such things. Maybe some of them were valuable in the antique sense, but even if they were, they were being treated quite carelessly. 

“It’s Grandma Jiri’s hobby. Surprising, right?” Yuri said. “Whenever she takes an interest in an item, she’d pick it up and bring it back… that’s what Grandpa Hanks used to say with a troubled look on his face. But if the person in question likes and treasures the item, then it’s not our place to question it, he said.” 

Saying that, Yuri went deeper into the house. 

Still standing still, Flynn continued to stare at the mountain of items. In the receding light, they looked even more like an unidentifiable pile of shadows gathered together. Flynn’s eyes were searching, as if he was trying to see further beyond that. What exactly lay beyond the shadows—? 

He shook his head, and went to look for Yuri. 

***

Unlike the previous room, the kitchen wasn’t filled with such unnecessary junk. But the kitchen itself was small, and there were ingredients and tableware all over the place, and it gave off the impression of being even messier than the previous room. 

“I’m pretty sure it was either in here or there.” 

Careful not to knock against the pots and pans of various sizes hanging on the walls, Yuri pointed at several shelves fitted with sliding doors. 

The two of them nodded at each other, and then split up and began searching the shelves nearest to them. The lantern had been placed on the floor between them, and because of that, neither of them had enough light to see clearly. They would take out bottles or small boxes they thought were the correct one and hold it under the light, and upon recognising it was the wrong thing, put them back. Once, Yuri almost spilled the contents of a box — some kind of white powder that he thought was flour or something — onto the floor. 

“I can’t find anything else that looks like salt in here. How about you, Flynn? ……Flynn?”

No reply. He called out to Flynn again, but Flynn didn’t respond. Even though Flynn was in low spirits, it was strange to not get even a reply. 

Suddenly, Yuri noticed something strange. The front of Flynn’s face, which was facing the shelf, was dimly illuminated. Even though the lantern was behind Flynn. 

It was faint, but there was definitely something that was emitting light at the back of the shelf. And the light seemed to have a bluish tint to it. 

With strangely stilted movements, Flynn reached into the back of the shelf and pulled something out. 

Something that shouldn’t have been there had appeared. Yuri had a hunch, but he didn’t close his eyes to the truth of it. 

What Flynn held onto was a small glass vial. The liquid in the vial emitted a faint bluish white light as it sloshed slightly in Flynn’s trembling hand. Flynn’s face had drained of any blood, and it wasn’t because of the lighting. Softly, Yuri heard him murmur,

“…It’s a panacea.”

****

“Wait, Flynn, wait just a moment!” 

Still gripping the vial in his hand, Flynn tried to run out of the house, but Yuri somehow managed to catch him before he reached the front door. Flynn didn’t even look at Yuri as he twisted his body and shook Yuri off. 

The lantern had been left behind in the kitchen. Their only source of light was the dim glow emitting from that small vial. In the darkness, one of them knocked over a wooden box on the floor with their foot. 

“Let go—” 

“What are you doing?!” 

Yuri didn’t answer, and simply clung onto the raging Flynn. 

As for Yuri, his mind was in a state of extreme turmoil. He didn’t understand why the panacea was here, nor did he know how to control the situation. He was only sure of one thing, and that was that he couldn’t let Flynn leave like this. He’s definitely going to do something stupid. And no matter what, I can’t let that happen.

Yuri felt Flynn press down on his head. Flynn was using all of his strength to shove Yuri away. He meant to tear Yuri off himself. Yuri desperately tightened his grip on Flynn to prevent that from happening. But Flynn was strong. Yuri hadn’t gotten into a good position, so it was only a matter of time before Flynn broke free. If that happened, then what should he—

Suddenly the pressure on his head eased. Despite that, Flynn’s body remained tense. Is he going to try something? Yuri was wary, but what followed next was something he didn’t expect. 

“……What do you think you’re doing in someone else’s house?” 

That voice was reproachful, but at the same time, carried a hint of something else. 

****

Once again, light filled the room. The light wasn’t from a blastia but the light of a fire, but unlike the lantern, it was bright enough to fill the entire room with light. 

Though the light was bright enough to illuminate the inside of the room, it seemed unable to reach the hearts of the people in the room. 

In the room, surrounded by countless pieces of junk, were four people. Yuri, Flynn, and the owners of the house, Hanks and Jiri. Flynn was still gripping the vial — the panacea — in his hand. In the brightly-lit room, the light it emitted barely affected its surroundings, except for Flynn’s fingers, which glowed bluish-white. 

Jiri seemed to have grasped the general situation just by looking at the boys. She stood there with her arms crossed, but she didn’t seem angry that they had entered her house without permission. She just stared at them with a grave expression on her face. 

Hanks had a somewhat sad look in his eyes. That, at least, told Yuri that the elderly man was aware of the circumstances. Up until this point, Yuri had unconsciously assumed that Hanks didn’t know Jiri’s secret, so he was quite surprised. But now that he thought about it, it seemed only natural. After all, the two of them were husband and wife. Yuri was incredibly curious as to how that Hanks had reacted when he found out his wife was that world’s greatest and most notorious — albeit chivalrous — thief, but now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. 

“So? How long are you going to stay like that?” 

It was Jiri who broke the silence. She was her usual self, with her unwavering, ready-to-accept-anything attitude. There were so many things Yuri wanted to ask her, but he kept his mouth closed. Because Jiri’s words weren’t directed at him. They were directed at one person alone, and that person was Flynn. Of course. The one holding onto the vial was Flynn. In every sense, the one at the centre of it all was Flynn. Yuri knew that. 

But Flynn didn’t speak, and only looked at Jiri with a burning gaze in his eyes. Was it Jiri he was trying to reduce to ashes with his gaze, or he himself?

Nevertheless, eventually he slowly raised his arm, and as if thrusting the evidence at her, held up the glowing blue-white object and spoke. 

“…Why is this here?” 

When you really looked at it, everything boiled down to that single question. Yuri braced himself, wondering what kind of answer Flynn would get. But Jiri remained unfazed, and only gave a slight shrug. 

“Why? Because I stole it, of course. Isn’t that obvious? Do you need me to say it out loud for you to understand?” 

Jiri said as if chastising Flynn for forcing her to say it. 

I stole it. The answer was within his expectations, but hearing it clearly from the person’s mouth had a whole other level of truth and weight to it. The ‘Dark Wings’. As expected, it was like that. 

Yuri didn’t need to hear her confession to know that there was an exceedingly low chance that she had bought it. It was an expensive medicine to begin with. Even though the prices had plummeted, the fact remained that the panacea wasn’t something residents from the lower quarter could buy freely. 

“Then why!? Why did my mother die!?” 

A scream that made the walls tremble rang out. 

If it was impossible for Jiri to buy it at any point in time. If it was impossible for Jiri to have stolen it after she injured her leg. That means she could have only obtained it before she had gotten hurt. At a time when Norein was still alive. At a time when she still could have been saved. 

But Norein lay dead under the ground, and the medicine was here. 

The turmoil that had arisen inside of Flynn became too violent to contain — so much so that he felt like his heart and body would fall apart if he didn’t let it out in the form of a cry. 

Yuri understood Flynn’s doubt. What was the connection between the medicine and Norein’s death? Despite not sharing the same parent-child relationship, he was also curious. Especially since Jiri was involved. 

But there was one crucial difference between Yuri and Flynn. Based on the clues they were given, both of them instantly thought of the possible causes and considered the chances of them happening — but their criteria for choosing was different. 

Even without knowing the right answer, Yuri had enough reason to dismiss the doubt that arose in his heart. Maybe Flynn had enough reason, too. But the amount they had was different. Amount, and weight. As that realisation dawned on Yuri, he felt his heart rate shoot up. 

To Yuri, the possibility wasn’t even worth considering. But to Flynn—

Jiri opened her mouth to say something. But in Yuri’s eyes, her movements seemed oddly slow. 

Grandma, Yuri screamed from within his heart. Whatever it is you want to say, please, hurry up and say it.

But as if to cut her off, Flynn’s emotions exploded, as if he was unable to hold it in anymore.

“You all…” 

Stop. Yuri tried to say. Don’t say anything further. But unlike his thoughts, his body could only respond slowly in this stretched-out moment in time. From Flynn’s eyes, droplets of light — tears? — scattered into the air. 

“You all left my mother to die!” 

Something inside of Yuri snapped. 

****

The next thing he knew, his fist had hit Flynn squarely on the cheek. 

There was a dull sound of impact, and the head of golden hair spun, followed a moment later by its owner’s body. Caught completely off guard, Flynn spun around like he was doing a strange dance, and plunged headfirst into the mountain of junk beside him. The panacea flew from his hand, leaving a glowing trail as it soared through the air, landing and rolling across the floor. 

Yuri leapt at him. He crawled on top of Flynn and punched him again. He could hear Jiri and Hanks yelling, but their voices meant nothing to him. 

He tried to hit Flynn again, but Flynn, who was lying on his back, lashed out a kick. The kick hit Yuri squarely and sent him flying backwards. Flynn got up, and this time he was the one to go on the offensive. As Yuri sat up, Flynn’s fist struck his face. But Yuri bent backwards, and also launched a kick in return. 

As they punched and kicked each other, they both screamed wordlessly. Screams that were neither angry nor sad. Screams that spat out the feelings that couldn’t be put into words. 

The two of them screamed at the same time, and leapt at each other. 

“Stop it!”

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed the boys and, with incredible force, hurled them — in opposite directions. 

The two of them tumbled onto the floor and sat up. In front of their eyes, Jiri stood there imposingly like a wall in between them, her palms thrust outwards towards the boys as if to hold them down. 

Finally remembering that they weren’t the only people in the room, the boys came to their senses. 

The two of them stared past Jiri at each other, breathing heavily. 

Both of them looked terrible. Their hair and clothes were in a dishevelled mess, their lips were cut and bleeding, and their bodies were covered from head to toe in bruises, dust and sweat. Because of their brief scuffle, the room looked like a chaotic force had been set loose and gone on a rampage, and it was in a way, fitting. 

It was at that moment that Yuri realised he was crying. The moment he was aware of it, he also understood the truth behind why he had acted so impulsively. 

Why was the medicine here? It could be that she had missed the timing to sell it off at a high price, or she was saving it to use for herself if she ever contracted the illness. There were a thousand possibilities he could think of. But —

None of them were possible. 

There was just no way. Jiri would never do something like that. Just thinking about the possibility — and doubting her — was enough to make him feel sick, like something was being tainted. 

That was why. 

He was sad. That Jiri and Hanks were being doubted. That Flynn doubted them. Even if Flynn had lost his sense of reason because of the grief of losing his mother, Yuri didn’t want to hear those words come out from his mouth. 

He was sad. That Flynn had said those words. 

That’s why he got angry, and hit Flynn — I thought you became one of us. Didn’t you? 

Flynn stared at the crying Yuri. 

The two of them were still, as if waiting for something to happen. It was as if they had let out everything they had along with their screams. Sensing this, Jiri lowered her arms. The danger of a fight breaking out had passed. 

“Are you two satisfied? Sheesh, I understand how you feel, but at least listen to what I have to say first, Flynn. You too, Yuri. I didn’t know you were that short tempered.” 

I mean, I feel the same way too. As Yuri thought that, he felt a little annoyed. In the first place, he’d only gotten angry on behalf of Jiri and Hanks. 

Whether or not she knew what Yuri was thinking, Jiri pulled out a small chair from the mountain of junk and — probably because her leg was still hurting — sat down on it. The chair looked like it could fall apart at any moment, but somehow managed to withstand her weight. 

“Now then, where should we start, Jiri?” 

Hanks, who had been maintaining his silence up to that point, spoke up. Just by saying that, the tension in the room eased somewhat. 

“Well…”

Jiri looked up at the ceiling, and then into each of the boys’ eyes. Then, in a somewhat worn-out voice — a voice fitting that of an old woman — she began to speak. 

****

Jiri was — like the friendly knight once said — the current era’s ‘Dark Wings’. It all began a long time ago, way before Yuri and Flynn were born. Back then, the lower quarter was just as, or even poorer than it was now. There was always something in short supply, and it was never enough. 

One day, a famine struck the lower quarter for the umpteenth time. The fields were barren, and what meagre reserves they had were quickly depleted. The government authorities didn’t concern themselves with the lower quarter, and any petitions to the ‘other side of the wall’ were coldly turned away. But when she saw how the citizens’ quarter was overflowing with food while the people in the lower quarter starved right in front of her eyes, she gave up on getting help the honest way, and decided to dirty her hands and turn to stealing. 

“I’m not trying to make excuses. It’s just that, this was the answer I came up with.” 

When she was young, she had experienced a lot of rough situations — and that was when she’d acquired the blastia that could project illusions — and that came in handy now. She’d only started calling herself the ‘Dark Wings’ later, simply to add prestige to the name and to confuse the knights. 

Needless to say, she was aware that stealing was a crime, and she had no intention of actively doing it and being dependent on it. 

“After all, a crime is a crime. It’s not something to be proud of. And if everyone started to become dependent on a thief, it’d all be for nothing. It may sound strange to you, but that’s where I draw the line. That’s why even though I know a ton of methods for distraction, generally the ‘Dark Wings’ only takes action in situations when there’s no other option left.” 

When there’s no other option left. For example, when a life was at stake. 

Jiri nodded deeply and slowly at the question in the boys’ eyes. 

“Yes. That’s why, on that day, I stole the panacea.” 

She had finally gotten to the heart of the matter. The boys held their breath. 

“The truth is, when I heard you guys were working to earn the money on your own, I was hoping things would work out smoothly. But as you know, thanks to some idiot fanning the flames, the prices skyrocketed. At the rate you were going, there was a possibility you all wouldn’t be able to make it in time. I felt bad, but I couldn’t say anything either.” 

“Then you really did get hurt because you were trying to save Teacher Norein.”

Yuri said, feeling somewhat relieved. Jiri let out a small sigh. 

“I didn’t want to get hurt, though. But I’m sure this isn’t enough to satisfy you.”

Jiri said to Flynn, who had remained silent. She hadn’t gotten to the most important part yet. Naturally, Flynn had a look of confusion on his face, as if he couldn’t decide on what kind of attitude to take towards all this. Even so, he didn’t say anything, and waited patiently for her to continue. 

“I stole the medicine for Norein. So of course, the next thing I should do is give the medicine to her. Which is what I did.” 

“Don’t tell me…”

For the first time, Flynn spoke up. Hanks lowered his head, and Jiri looked at Flynn with sorrow and sympathy in her eyes. 

“Norein didn’t drink it. …Or should I say, she couldn’t drink it.” 

****

When the panacea was offered to her, indeed, Norein’s eyes had lit up. Aah, with this I can be saved. But as she reached for the faintly glowing vial, all of a sudden she changed her mind and pulled back her hand. 

Norein knew that panacea bottles were extremely expensive. Which was why she realised that the medicine in front of her eyes wasn’t supposed to exist. 

Although she expressed her sincerest gratitude to Jiri for going to such great lengths to get her the medicine, Norein refused to take the vial. 

“The person I loved devoted his whole life to justice, and I have lived together with him. If I were to accept this medicine, it would go against his beliefs, as well as my memories of him.”

Norein’s voice was weak, but even so, she spoke firmly. Seeing the determination in Norein’s eyes, Jiri silently withdrew her hand holding the vial. 

“I didn’t consider your feelings and did something unnecessary. Forgive me.” 

Norein smiled and shook her head slightly. 

It was shortly thereafter that she drew her last breath. 

****

“She really was an incredible person. She chose to protect what she believed in over her own life. That’s not something the average person could do.” 

As if remembering that moment, Jiri closed her eyes and said. Yuri was speechless. 

“She was incredible. Your mother really was an incredible person.” 

“But — But if that was the case, that means Mother… Why would she do that to me……?”

Flynn murmured. His fists, which were clenched, were shaking. His mother’s life could have been saved. But be it for her beliefs or whatever it was, she had chosen to abandon her life. And, in doing so, she had also abandoned her son. 

“It seems you didn’t notice this.” 

Hanks, who had disappeared at some point, returned from the kitchen. He was holding an envelope in his hand. 

“Norein told me to give it to you along with the whole story someday. I think it’s best we give it to you now.” 

Hanks held out the envelope, and Flynn took it. Sealed inside was a letter, addressed to Flynn in extremely familiar handwriting. He could have taken it home with him, but instead he opened it. 

“This is… Mother’s… letter?” 

The letter wasn’t long, but its contents were unmistakably filled with the love of a mother to her son. The letter, like Jiri said, told of how she chose to die for the sake of her beliefs, and apologised for leaving her son behind because of that. 

‘You may not be able to understand the choice he made, or the choice I made, right now. I’m sorry for not being able to stay by your side until you did. Even so, I still hope that you will understand one day.’

He felt like he understood, even if he didn’t want to. No matter the reason, it wasn’t worth losing his mother, 

‘But I’m not too worried that I’ll be leaving you alone. After all, you still have a lot of family left. It was only for a short time, but they welcomed and accepted me as part of their big family. With them around, I can leave you in peace. They will definitely do their best to help you. Just as I believe in them, please, believe in them too. Remember that I will always love you. —Your mother, Norein Scifo.’

Even after reading it, Flynn was unable to move, and he stood there, clutching the letter tightly in his hand. The feeling that he had been left behind by his mother, the feeling that she had truly loved him despite doing so, the desire to understand her, and the reluctance to do so all collided and mixed together, and raged inside his heart like a storm. 

Droplets of water fell onto the letter and stained the paper, and Flynn realised he had been crying. 

He suddenly looked up and saw that Hanks and Jiri were staring at him. Their eyes were filled with sadness, sympathy, as well as affection. The words in the letter crossed his mind once more. 

‘Just as I believe in them, please, believe in them too.’ 

He couldn’t fully accept his mother’s choice, but even so, the realisation of what he had done finally sank in. At the very least, they had been trying to save his mother. But what had he said to them?

“What… What have I done…?”

Flynn spoke while trembling, his throat choked with tears. 

“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t do anything wrong. You did it out of your love for your mother.” 

Hanks’ voice was calm and gentle.

“But still……I’m sorry.”

“Well, I guess you can help clean up this room later.” 

Jiri spoke wearily as she looked around the room. 

At that moment, they all heard the sound of a door closing. When Flynn looked around, he saw that Yuri was gone. 

“Yuri?” 

There was no reply to Flynn’s question. As Jiri stared at the door, she had a similar look on her face as when she had looked at Flynn, but it was slightly different. To the Flynn who couldn’t hide his confusion, Jiri slowly and heavily spoke. 

“……You may already know this, but that child never knew his mother or father. He’s usually level-headed, but after looking at you, he must have felt conflicted.” 

Those words penetrated deep into Flynn’s heart, slamming into him and shaking him from the inside out. The impact stirred up all of the feelings that had accumulated deep within him, and they all flowed through his mind. He thought about the various events that had occurred ever since he first arrived in the lower quarter. About his mother, about Jiri and the others, about the medicine, and about Yuri. 

The injuries he’d gained from their fight suddenly started to hurt. 

Flynn’s lips tightened.

“—I’ll go after him.” 

“Please do. Despite how he acts, that child tends to get lonely. …Don’t tell him I said that.” 

As Flynn walked to the door, he suddenly stopped. Hesitantly, he turned and looked back at the two of them. 

“……Aunt Jiri?”

“What is it?” 

“……Is it okay for me to continue staying here?” 

“What a stupid thing to say, this kid. Of course you can.” 

Flynn nodded, but this time Hanks called out to stop him. 

“Take this. I’m sure you two haven’t had a proper dinner yet.” 

“Thank you — Then, I’ll be off.” 

Flynn accepted the large loaf of bread, and, holding it in his hand, dashed out into the lower quarter streets in the night. 

****

The first place he went to was ‘My Home’. But Yuri was nowhere to be seen, and Flynn left soon after. Jareth and the others had been eagerly awaiting their dinner, but when they saw that Flynn was covered in injuries, they couldn’t say anything and only sent him off. 

It was difficult searching for Yuri. After all, visibility was poor at night. There weren’t many people walking around outside, and it was almost impossible to ask any questions. 

Flynn didn’t give up. After searching every nook and cranny in Fountain Alley and coming up empty, he finally turned his attention to the castle walls. He wondered if that was going too far, but it seemed more likely than finding Yuri in the Grey Alleyways. 

He climbed up the hill, slipped through the unguarded castle gates, and entered the citizens’ quarter. He walked through the marketplace, which was so quiet the bustling activities during the day felt like a lie, searching around for a glimpse of a black-haired figure. Once or twice, he almost ran into the knights on patrol, but managed to evade them safely. 

The people walking on the streets were now gone. Flynn searched up and down the deserted streets. Yuri wasn’t there. Maybe in the back alleys? Not there, either. Before he knew it, it was already late at night. Should he return to the lower quarter? Or should he search in the districts further away? Just as he was starting to doubt he was even searching in the right place — to the point where he was almost convinced he should go somewhere else —, his eyes caught sight of that familiar figure. In the darkness of the night, that hair of his shone exceptionally darkly — there he was. 

Yuri sat on top of the castle walls, overlooking the lower quarter on the outskirts of the city. He liked this place because of its vantage point — right now, apart from the small, scattered dots of light coming from the lower quarter, the land was submerged in darkness all the way until the distant horizon. 

Yuri was looking at the dark horizon that held up the stars without the slightest hint of sleepiness in his eyes, but at the sound of approaching footsteps he closed his eyes. He knew who those footsteps belonged to even without turning around. 

“So it’s become the other way around now.” 

Flynn sat down silently next to him. For a while, he turned his attention towards the shadowy silhouettes of the mountain ridges in the distance. 

“Hey.” 

“Um…”

The two of them opened their mouths almost simultaneously, and closed their mouths simultaneously as well. Another moment of silence passed. 

“You were surprised by what Grandma Jiri did, huh.” 

Yuri eventually said briefly. Still facing the front, Flynn nodded. 

“Yeah.” 

Silence again. 

Yuri didn’t search for the right words to say this time. He didn’t think he’d find them even if he tried. When he saw Flynn cry while reading Norein’s letter, he was seized by an emotion he couldn’t express. Filled with an indescribable feeling of wanting to run away, he couldn’t take it any longer and left. 

He never knew his mother. He never knew his father, either. That was why no matter how hard he tried to imagine it, he wasn’t sure if he could say he truly knew and understood Flynn’s pain and suffering. 

Was he really that different from Flynn? That, he didn’t know, either. 

There were so many things he didn’t know. And that was why Yuri kept quiet. 

For once, it was Flynn who started the conversation. 

“I apologised to Mister Hanks and Aunt Jiri.” 

“I see.” 

He didn’t need to hear the result. As long as you apologised sincerely, those two would forgive anything, no matter what. 

“You too, Yuri…… I apologise.”

“Me? For what?” 

“I was so focused on myself I ended up hurting you…… I’m sorry.” 

“If you’re talking about this, aren’t we in the same boat? Look in a mirror. You look pretty terrible.” 

Yuri said as he pointed at his own face. Even under the faint light of the barrier rings in the dark, it was clear that the swelling and bruises were only getting worse and worse. 

“You also……no, never mind. I was talking about Aunt Jiri and Mister Hanks. And how you got angry on their behalf.” 

Feeling uncomfortable again, Yuri shifted in his seat. It had been an intense anger that even he couldn’t understand. And the feeling of his chest tightening when he saw Flynn crying over his mother’s letter. What was that? Instead of answering, Yuri decided to ask a question he had always been curious about, but had never asked anyone before. 

“……Hey, what is it like to have parents?” 

“Huh?” 

“The only thing I know about my parents is that my mother had long black hair just like me.” 

That’s why, I don’t know what it feels like to lose a blood relative. I don’t know if I really understand your pain. 

Flynn mulled over the question. 

Not having a family. Never having a family to begin with. To Flynn, those seemed to be matters beyond comprehension. He understood the pain of losing your family. He had experienced it. But how could he explain what family was, or what it was like to have one? It was such a given for him that he hadn’t really thought about it before. 

Happy memories, sad memories. 

Flynn tried to distinguish between the feelings that flowed beneath the underlying currents of his many memories so he could pick them up and put them into words. But his feelings were so diverse that when he tried to gather them together, they became words as numerous and varied as his memories. Unable to express them in a single word, Flynn decided to say all of them as they were. 

“My parents… are people who support me, and teach me… they’re big, warm, sometimes strict, but gentle… and, we’re always connected to each other.”  

Having said that much, Flynn was reminded of the anger Yuri had displayed earlier. That was the anger of someone who had witnessed the people precious to them be insulted. Flynn, too, had gotten angry on behalf of his mother—

Carefully, Flynn continued speaking. 

“That’s why… I think Mister Hanks and Aunt Jiri are like that to you.”

Of course, you aren’t related by blood. But I hope it can be that way. Flynn said, half-wishing for it to be true. Because from now on, he would be the same way too. ‘Just as I believe in them, please, believe in them too.’—

But hearing those words from Flynn, who knew what it was like to have parents, made Yuri feel like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. He felt like he had been given the answer — or at least a key to it — to a question he hadn’t known the answer to. A calm feeling filled his heart, and his next words flowed softly from his mouth. 

“I see. I hope so too.” 

“Yuri……”

Even now, Flynn was shocked by the fact that Yuri had been kept from experiencing all of the things he had been enjoying and taking for granted. Even though he had lost them now, Flynn realised just how blessed he had been. I still have my memories of them left. Yuri doesn’t even have that. 

Despite that, Yuri still lived his life. The pain of the loss was still fresh in Flynn’s mind, but thinking of the loneliness Yuri must have endured all these years, he bit his lip. 

Just as Yuri could only imagine Flynn’s pain, Flynn could only imagine Yuri’s pain too. Even so, the two of them found comfort in the other’s desire to understand each other. 

Suddenly, his gaze fell upon Yuri’s head. Yuri had black hair, just like his mother’s. Maybe the reason why he didn’t cut his hair, and was growing it out was because—

Underneath the midnight sky, the two of them continued to exchange words here and there between bouts of silence. They didn’t talk about anything important. There was enough meaning in just sharing the moment together. 

The interval between their conversations grew longer and longer, until eventually, both of them fell asleep. The night air was cold, and their injuries hurt, but the two childrens’ sleeping faces were peaceful. 

****

They forgot who woke up first, but in any case, as soon as one of them woke up, they shivered, feeling cold all over, and shook the other person awake. 

“I didn’t think we’d be spending the night here.” 

Yuri said as he stretched his stiff body. He was surprised he didn’t catch a cold. Then again, toughness was somewhat of a trademark for those who grew up in the lower quarter. 

Above the horizon, the sky was already bathed in the colour of dawn, and the atmosphere was filled with the premonition of a silent explosion. The boys watched in silence as the world, stretching to the distant horizon, gradually rose and emerged from the shadows. 

In the distance, they felt the reverberations of the clamour coming from behind them. The early morning businesses were up and about. The earliest people to rise in the imperial capital had begun their daily activities. 

The clouds drifting in the distance grew brighter and brighter, until finally, a golden glow appeared on the horizon. Under the intense light of the sun, the world, which had been growing brighter and brighter, suddenly changed and grew shadowy silhouettes. And yet, unlike the night, there was an endless depth to these shadows — the depth of the world. 

“I’d like to go all the way to the end, there, someday.” 

“If you really wanted to, I’m sure you can.” 

As Flynn responded to Yuri’s casual murmur, suddenly, their stomachs growled loudly. The two of them looked at each other. Come to think of it, in the end they ended up skipping dinner. 

Flynn remembered the bread Hanks had given him. He took it out of his pocket and split it in two. The bread was a little hard, but it didn’t matter to the hungry pair — although they winced a little due to the injuries inside their swollen mouths. 

“Jareth and the others must be pretty hungry by now.”

Yuri said, his cheeks stuffed with bread. 

Flynn, who had completely forgotten about that, widened his eyes, and bread burst out from his mouth. He coughed and — for the first time in a while — laughed. 

Seeing the comical state Flynn was in, Yuri also started laughing. The two of them laughed. Without any reservations or any shadows hanging over them, they laughed together. 

The morning air was endlessly clear and refreshing. 

(To be continued in the second volume.)

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[planet-crait]

Time for Crock to the Future! This is another one I’ve been curious to get to. Not as curious as Founders Day but still curious.

Wait Hazels dad only has nine Toes? Uhh come again Cosmo? What kind of toe incident gets you chainsaws? But ohhh nice Hazels dad is getting an award! I wonder if we’ll really get into the work exactly he does.

You know persistence is something good when you work in a field involving the supernatural. I do love that he refused to let doubt get him down and make him give up. AJ founded that when he was ten?? When in the show? Cuz they spent the entire time as ten? It’s kind of cute he looks up to AJ so much. I wonder how old he is compared to AJ?

One Hazel your outfit is absolutely adorable you rock pink I love it. Ohhh I see what the show did there. Fourth wall breaks can be done well take note poorly done shows with fourth wall breaks! But wait. How does a paranormal detector…work if they’re trying to prove they even exist? And why keep the paranormal out wouldn’t you want them to reveal themselves? Also is that a Mark reference?

Once again why does Hazels dad mention magic but also doubt the existence of fairy godparents??? How does a paranormal believer draw the line at magic? It doesn’t make sense.

Hazel? Really? You just ran in. Oh wow AJ comes in early lolz. The signs in the show continue to send me every time I notice them like this one with AJ.

Just brilliant hilarious.

They’re really going to steal a small child’s bag? Like is that really legal? And AJ is just chill with this? I have major questions. Why would they do that to an employees child like this feels so beyond sus to me. Are we supposed to distrust the institute? But Hazels dad works there? I just don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this.

I appreciate Hazel being so concerned with making sure her dad has an amazing night but uh your dad’s boss ran off with your purse in a somewhat probably illegal manner so maybe bring that up? Especially since your godparents are on there??

VIVA LA PLUTO I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL.

Wait…am I agreeing with Crocker? Shit. Serious question though why does AJ employ Crocker if he tortured him as his friends as kids? Or does he just. Not care cuz Crocker gave him A’s? I mean it tracks I guess.

I love how he declares his full name seemingly only for the audience he doesn’t know is their and Hazel calls him out. Idk sometimes fourth wall breaks can be funny.

Crocker…I doubt anyone listens to you I’m pretty sure you built that booth yourself. Hazel. Are you really wanting to ask the man clearly obsessed with fairies for help finding said fairies? Is this really a smart life choice here?

Oh he’s a janitor. That makes more sense. Okay does AJ actually have some hair now or??? Wait Fairy atomizer 3000? But Hazels dad doesn’t think Fairy’s could possibly exist so why does THAT exist besides raising the stakes? Why…does AJ think fairies are dangerous? Legit why? I saw and AU that’s interesting wherein AJ does think they’re dangerous and I thought it was a neat concept but I didn’t realize it had roots in the show itself. I’m assuming he must because why else would you build a machine to destroy something you know nothing about? But why would he think they’re dangerous? I have so many questions I doubt will be answered.

Guys maybe stop talking in front of the humans wanting to deatomize you? I love how Cosmo mishears words though I just. I feel that in my soul as someone who also regularly mishears words and has to ask people to repeat themselves because brain short circuited idk it makes me feel seen.

Why are you bragging about handing out F’s? Like that’s not a good teacher trait. Crocker…uh…you’re obsessed that’s true. Even if you weren’t obsessed the handing out F’s thing would also likely turn people away from giving you a teaching position.

AJ…I know it’s good for Cosmo and Wanda the leather is distracting you but also PRIORITIES. Also how did Hazel get a real leather bag???? Those things are pricey? Sturdy for sure. Will last forever yeah but she’s so young!

They’re really going to leave the suspected fairies unsupervised? Uhhh okay off you go. WOW Crocker it took you this long to figure that out? You’ve gotten slow. Smart kiddo grab what you know is the fairies sacrifice the bag.

HAZEL FRIES REALLY? In such a fancy bag? Oh wow another Timmy reference. No names just their last godkid but yeah Timmy continues to kind of haunt the narrative I’m digging it. I just realized though Cosmo and Wanda didn’t have a godkid between Crocker and Timmy which is…a long time to not have a godkid when apparently fairy world is also short on godparents? I know this is just canon from the Og show but it sure is a strange choice from the original writers.

Cosmo maybe uh. Don’t reveal your weakness out loud. Or joke about a giant net yep okay there it is. Yep. How does Crocker have a giant net? Why does no one question its existence?

Oh Hazels dad is giving his speech over Crocker getting the equipment. Oh and he’s looking at Cosmo and Wanda. He knows. Without a doubt Hazel has fairies. Will this be an issue? Probably not. It should because previously someone finding out about a kids fairies got the fairies taken away and memories erased.

Cosmo. Read the room. Oh Timmy again. Oh only his last name getting dropped. I wonder how long they’ll avoid saying his first name. I am curious if Hazel will ever met him in later seasons. Hazel how did you forget about that they just told you their magic is useless.

Wait Crocker isn’t a Ghost why would it capture him??? I don’t understand how that will work?

Hazel uh that’s not a great line lolz.

How did the aliens sneak in and not get caught??????? Uh how? If the scanner can scan fairies they’ve never seen why would it miss aliens we know exist? And does no one notice their skin is green?

Lolz uh AJ why keep Crocker if he keeps interrupting the ceremony? Also Crocker literally assaulted AJ like That should also be a problem. Like good on him for having a backup but still. Cute Hazel is so proud of her dad.

Overall this was a fine episode. I wonder if Crocker will reappear and go after Hazel? I also have some questions on the production end. I know their was previous ideas to have Timmy be the one to have founded the institute but that was scrapped and I’m curious as to why and what this means for Timmy’s potential future within the show. Was this a network forced change or did the writers decide they didn’t want to reveal Timmy too soon.

I’m personally torn on this. On the one hand the original show never got a proper ending which sucks for fans of the original but this show deserves to be its own thing and not be just about Timmy again (heavens know that’s one of the few things I really dislike about Rebels is it repeatedly being used to further TCW characters and arcs at the sheer detriment of the characters if the new show) but also having Timmy’s fate so up in the air especially when it’s clear he was special to Cosmo and Wanda and more so then Hazel is so far and probably honestly ever will be. Like very very early on Cosmo and Wanda were telling Timmy they loved him and Hazel hasn’t gotten that. It raises questions about if something happened that has them putting up walls to not get hurt again or if it’s just Timmy was beyond special to them and they don’t normally get so close to their godkids.

I have a feeling that part won’t ever be explored in the show but it would be cool and I would love to see some resolution for Timmy in something not even necessarily in this show just…something. Though admittedly I have a feeling he will eventually show up based on original ideas for this episode and the way he haunts the narrative. That is if we get a season 2 which so far I really hope we do get a season 2. Onto the next one!

[thelioncourts]

Yeah I absolutely, zero-caveats agree that the show wants us to see the drop as a horrific, relationship-rupturing act of abuse, and that Lestat's guilt over it is both justified and important to his character. I think we can (theoretically at least lol) say that Louis has some flaws without drawing a false equivalence or using abuse apologia there.

And I know some people don't like the drop as a story development, but I thought it made sense, for all the reasons you said. We needed to both understand why Louis felt he had to kill him and to feel like he would be driven to kill him even though he loves him so much. And personally I love seeing Sam act out Lestat's horrible guilt and torment, so it's a win-win.

I can't believe we're finally close to season 3 filming. I am so hungry for any casting news. Do you have a fancast for Gabrielle or Marius or Akasha?

Did you see the official video of that one interview where Sam is wearing the short sleeves? I know we already saw fan videos of it, but seeing him praise Jacob like that in high quality is beautiful.

I think that's another thing I get frustrated with which is that I would like to discuss Louis' flaws (even though it truly takes a lot for me to think of anything he does as wrong or anything about him as a flaw, but I know those are my biases) but it's almost impossible to have the conversation without it becoming about how Louis is the worst character to exist in the show to Lestat, to Armand, to Claudia, to Daniel, to his family, etc. and so I don't want to have those conversations as often and it's a really missed conversation because - especially looking at the Unholy Family - Louis and Lestat's mess ups and flaws and horrors are what ruined them. It's also what made them happier than they've ever been. It's the devastation of it all.

And I do know why some Lestat stans don't like the drop (though I will argue with anyone who says it's out of character) because there are audience members who will never get over the drop and it will, to some people - especially more general audience members - leave a bad taste in their mouths. But I think it was actually brilliant, especially if they do something that it sort of sounds like they may be doing (based on interviews with Sam) which is not only tell Lestat's story which is horrific and so sad and explains so much about him, but make the blood running through his veins, the blood of both Magnus and Akasha, something so powerful that his young mind and body couldn't quite conceal it !! idk I think it makes the drop and the impact of it really great storytelling as we move forward. And yes, seeing Sam get to put his incredible skill to use and bring us to flowing emotion with Lestat's guilt and grief is an amazing thing to witness so.

As for Season 3 filming, I'm so excited !!! We're so close to getting our vampires back in some capacity. Even if we don't see them right away, just knowing that somewhere in Toronto Lestat and Louis are existing again means the world to me. And it's crazy to think that by December/January we could be getting snippets and trailers and posters and stuff. I'm soooo bad at casting, I'm at a complete loss for characters. There was one person I really liked for Gabrielle, but she recently signed on to a very big show so there's no way she would have the time or space to do the part. But I am looking forward to more theatre actors, more incredible talents, and for whatever this team has to throw at us. And I did see that official video, it's :) overwhelming. He always looks incredible, but I really do feel like a Victorian man seeing an ankle with his arms out on display, like !! Put those guns away !! I am but a woman !! and yes, always, hearing and seeing him talk about Jacob, the way he always has a smile, a soft kind of face about it, is enough to make my heart soar. Truly adore them. The first Jam sight might end me before the season ever gets close.

Do you have any fancasts for Marius or Akasha or Gabrielle? I'm always curious to see what people with more actor knowledge are thinking!

[aleksanderscult]

Analyzing "Demon in the Wood" (book) - Part 3

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 4 and Part 5 🫶)

⚠️TW: BULLYING⚠️

I managed to squeeze more than 20 images in this (yay!🎉) so prepare yourselves for a loong meta this time.

That's both amazing and creepy.

Imagine being so ancient that you have actually met those figures. While children in the future were being told fairytales at night, the Darkling lived inside those fairytales. He was part of them.

(It's like saying: "Oh my favorite fairytale is Cinderella!" and a guy next to you says: "Oh that girl? Yeah, met her. Not as pretty as they all say". And in the meantime, the story of Cinderella takes place at 1600s💀💀)

Baba Anezka appeared in "Little Knife".

Petyr of Brevno is a freaking Saint. The patron of archers.

Magda of the Black Woods appeared in "The Witch of Duva" and is a Saint as well. The patroness of bakers and abandoned women.

And Eryk has met them. (let that sink in)

Besides that, the obvious secretive life of Grisha is so painfully clear that antis seem to purposefully miss it. They need to seek each other by listening to rumors and looking in secret while most Grisha try to not be found at all.

Antis: "The Darkling forced Grisha to become soldiers and go to war!!"

And then accuse us for not reading the books.🙂

Before the Little Palace was built, the Grisha had no lives, with dignity and normality. They were living hidden in whatever they could find. Nothing was "permanent", like Eryk said in the Graphic Novel, always on the move and in fear. Trying to not draw attention to themselves out of fear of being exiled, killed, imprisoned, sold, tortured or experimented on.

Then the Darkling convinced the then-King of Ravka to allow him to build a home for them (after going to war for him). And when the Darkling went to find the Grisha, they were afraid of coming out of their hiding.

What if it was a trap from the King? What if they were killed?

Very few went with him and became soldiers because it was the only way for Ravka to accept them. Ravka was constantly involved in wars, so for Grisha to be soldiers was the only acceptable position they could have in this kingdom.

So no, Aleksander didn't make them soldiers because he didn't care for their fates. But because there was literally no other duty they would be allowed to carry. Become traders? No one would board their ship. Instead they would be captured. Become merchants? No one would buy from them. Instead they would be killed. Soldiers? Well yeah, because with their powers they would prove that they could be trusted with the safety of the kingdom. A safety the otkazat'sya needed. To fight the wars that the First Army couldn't win. Becoming servants of the Crown was their only option (and yes, the Darkling was also a servant of the Crown).

Okay I got this out of my chest 😭

Eryk seems really resigned that things will change. He's thirteen and hope for a change is bleak for him. He has seen first hand how low Grisha are in the "food chain". An ethnic group forsaken by everyone else.

His love for animals is so cute!!

I just imagine him standing down hidden and admiring wild animals from afar.

He just wanted to satisfy his needs. Stay at one place and go exploring and looking for tigers.

(The Darkling with any animal: "I just think it's NEAT!")

Also, his mother's "lessons" really annoy him. And it seems they do this wherever they go and with whoever they meet(?). Nevertheless, Aleksander was a brilliant child that grew to become a clever tactician and leader. Whenever his plans didn't work out in the Grisha trilogy, it was because he was letting his heart and feelings rule over his mind (aka: the whole Alina situation).

Baghra: "Aww you seem to really grow accustomed with power"

Baghra when her son gained power and position: "HELLO?? 911??"

Besides Baghra's hypocrisy, LOOK AT MY BABY'S SARCASM

"Your true name is written here. Tattooed on your heart. You don't let just anyone read it." - DitW.

"I want you to know my name. The name I was given, not the title I took for myself. Will you have it Alina?" - Ruin and Rising.

He didn't let just anyone read it. Only to the girl he fell in love with. Perhaps he did it to gain her trust back. Or out of his love of her. Or because he thought of her worthy to know it. She proved to be strong and also caring. She wouldn't betray his trust and let others know it.

"It's my own name I'm afraid of forgetting." - DitW.

"Aleksander. A boy's name, given up. Almost forgotten." - Ruin and Rising.

Or perhaps she gave his name to her so it wouldn't be forgotten.

All his life, his mother kept telling him "Don't say your name anywhere. Just don't. Don't let them touch you. Don't."

And yet he allowed both to Alina. It's not about him forgetting what his mother had taught him. But giving in to his feelings out of a desire to love and to be loved.

He loves evergreens 🥺

And let's not forget that he loved the forests so much that he decorated his room with it:

"The chamber was hexagonal, its dark wood walls carved into the illusion of a forest crowded with slender trees." - Siege and Storm.

Leigh explained in a Tumblr ask why she had the Darkling's room decorated with trees. I'll repost it one day for you.

Oh! And here's a fanart of the Darkling's bedroom from the books:

(art by @feyspeaker)

Beautiful and way better than what we got in the show. 😍

"It felt like summer was still alive", is this confirmation that his favorite season is summer??

GUYS HE TRIES SO HARD 😭😭

The way he was socially awkward as a kid and no one talks about it. When you have your mom telling you to stay away from people and peers then you don't socialise that much and (after a while) you don't how to properly do it.

Is he supposed to be friendly?

Is he supposed to be aloof?

His mother's constant warnings have made him confused about how to talk with other children.

"He'd stopped trying to make friends"

So he was making efforts to make friends and play but Baghra fucked this up and then he simply stopped trying. Reminds me how Leigh said that after losing his lovers, he stopped trying to be in relationships.

*that's your cue to cry*

Eryk: "Great. Another day for other children to run screaming from me. Just another lovely morning."

SYLVI IS SOOO CUTE (another baby to adopt 🥹)

And Eryk's certainty that she will be afraid of him.

STOP!! STOP RIGHT NOW!!

He smiled with her innocent curiosity. She didn't run. She liked it. And he was so relieved.😭

That sneaky, little baby 🥹

OH NO STOP--

"He should be used to it by now"

He couldn't get used to people's aggressiveness towards him. It hurt him, bro 😭

I feel sorry for Annika, man

She's not my favorite character in this book but I find her one of the most intriguing ones.

She has seen things. Lev hasn't. It's probable that he spent all his life inside that camp. But he definitely hasn't seen the way drüskelle hunt Grisha. Annika has and the way she's so overprotective with her sister shows how she can't afford to lose someone else too 😔

The evil villain was ready to defend a little otkazat'sya girl that he barely knew from a bully that insulted her.

Yup. We must hate him.

That just confirms my previous thoughts about how some Grisha only let the strong ones inside their camps. They can't afford to take anyone in. They only need more strength and protection not just random people.

Of course it's a possibility that the Ulle allows them to live there because he feels sorry for them. Throwing out a family is no easy thing.

The way he seems to care for the underdogs. Perhaps because, even though he had great powers, he too felt like one.

How he wanted to sound like: "LEAVE US ALONE!!"

How he probably sounded like: "leave us alone, okay?"

The Darkling is confirmed that he was a victim of bullying as a child.

It's such a far cry from the man that is portrayed in the trilogy. As a child we see him defending two girls (one of them otkazat'sya), he was bullied, he seemed giddy in the prospect of having a stable home and friends and showed regret and sadness when an otkazat'sya village was destroyed. As an adult he's a terrifying leading figure that inspires loyalty and respect and rarely shows his emotions.

It seems that somewhere down the line he hardened his heart, matured and learned and repressed any emotion that could sabotage his plans and heart.

Fuck immortality.

And he's so worried that he fucked up his hopes to stay at camp. He always worries that he'll ruin things. That he's a failure and a disaster for his mother and her plans.

Also, the way he's so afraid that they will fear him and run away from him. He does it "warily" so he still hasn't gotten used that. 😔

SYLVI IS MY ADOPTED DAUGHTER

Look at her being all cute!! Instead of being frightened of him, she wants to be like him 😭

His surprise 😭

It's so clear that he isn't used to this kind of treatment.

Just imagine how many times he's heard Baghra's scoldings to the point that he already knows what he is about to hear from her.

He had one hope and now he thinks it vanished. And he blames himself. For the danger that he'll bring to himself and his mother. He's so hard with himself...🥺

“It was hard not to pull away”

MY HEART IS ACHING

HE JUST CRAVES LOVE

“The unfamiliar pressure of her palm against his”

The feeling of someone holding his hand is strange to him. He doesn't know the feeling and hasn't been accustomed to it.

He wants to trust her and keeps finding good things in her as if he's trying to find reasons to do it.

"He had so many secrets. It felt good to share one"

So, contrary to popular belief, I don't think the Darkling was thriving and cheering inside of him for having so many secrets in TGT. Secrets are burdens you have to carry. He gave a personal one to Alina (his name) and he revealed some of his plans to her in S&B and S&S. He was a secretive person because he had to (and because he wanted to be one step ahead) but not because he enjoyed it.

That could have been the beginning of a beautiful friendship (or even a future cute romance, who can say?) but, alas, Grisha were living shit lives and were too desperate and scared.

(More in part 4)

[asteracaea]

Hello! This ask is way too long, I apologize 🥲

This is about your post regarding the albatross, and @bettyshoweduptotheparty’s addition (I wanted to send this ask to both of you but I prefer being anonymous, sorry I’m shy); if either of you (or anyone else) want to talk about this song, please do, here’s your excuse to do it. Mainly 2 things I wanted to talk about / ask.

1. So, I didn’t know the original line from romeo and juliet, and I hadn’t understood the line “a rose by any other name is a scandal”, and now I’m wondering if the reason I don’t understand many lyrics is that I’m missing the reference. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the only reason, my interpretation skills are rather limited, but I would love to find out. So if anyone wants to make a list off the top of their head of taylor lyrics that reference something, I would love that so much. If anyone would like to do it, please include the obvious ones, good chance of me not knowing it (wish I could blame it on english not being my first language but, again, probably not the only reason). But anything from english literature, and references to popular sayings, I probably won’t know even if it seems obvious. Of course this would be an extremely long list and very time consuming to make, that’s why I’m asking if anyone can add some that they remember off the top of their head. I would absolutely not oppose if someone wanted to make a complete list, though.

2. After gaining some insight on the rose line, I wanted to understand it in the context of the song etc etc and once again my (lack of) interpretation skills are failing me, so if anyone can help me out with the meaning of some other lyrics in this song. “Wild winds are death to the candle”, I figure it’s a popular saying (like “one bad seed kills the garden” in the next part), but I don’t really understand what point it’s trying to make. Next we have “one less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen”, “only liquor anoints you”, and the one I’d like to know the most: “devils that you know raise worse hell than a stranger”. Also the whole bridge (😭 look, I said the interpretation skills were poor) “and when that that sky rains fire on you, and you’re persona non grata, I’ll tell you how I’ve been there too, and that none of it matters”.

Okay, I guess this is it, I’m sorry it’s so long, I really won’t hold it against you if you just delete it.

Goodbye <3

oh dear sweet anon, your ask is not too long and i am very happy to respond! i'm sure @bettyshoweduptotheparty will be as well! thank you for writing!

taylor references so many things in her lyrics, and they often have multiple layers and interpretations, and that's what makes it so fun for me to contemplate and discuss them - i'm always discovering new meanings, even years down the road! and our wonderful brilliant mutuals here on tumblr are constantly discovering new meanings and drawing parallels that really deepen and enrich my experience of taylor's songs. i've been here 4 years now and i won't be leaving because i'm constantly learning about linguistics and art and symbolism and (lgbtq) history.

her music is amazing because it can be enjoyed on a surface level of fun and beautiful music, but you can also dive down the rabbit hole and learn things that are so much more complex and nuanced and universal than just what people she's dated or who she's writing about. imo, she is so much more brilliant than most people realize rn. it's funny because she's like the most popular successful beloved artist in history and yet i don't think most people even begin to know how brilliant she is, or appreciate the art she's been making!

i'm not sure if a comprehensive list of references exists yet, but that's definitely something i would love to do someday! can you imagine the tome... but i think tumblr is a living evolving compilation of references like that. taylor herself has said that she puts easter eggs into her art that people won't understand for years (as we have seen with things in rep, now knowing her conflicts with BMR and SB) and things about her private life that we cannot know now that she may or may not share with the world at a later date.

but i think you may be asking about literary and idiom/phrase/language poetical references? some people may have already created masterposts and analyses of individual songs and lyrics, and if anyone has or knows of any offhand please send them my way and i'll reblog them! but yeah, we're all collectively constantly finding new references which is why i can never leave this hellsite 😂 i'm constantly learning! and especially with this heavily poetic and linguistically dense new album, i'm sure we'll be mining it for YEARS! and that is just so fun and exciting and beautiful to me.

i hope i didn't go off on too many tangents! and you've inspired me to want to start an intensive comprehensive analysis of ttpd and all her music! so yeah in conclusión, that's a great goal, to make a compilation!

[sschmendrick]

ok i've been meaning to send this ask all day but never caught the time. I see so much haikyuu on your blog lately! Tell me more! (funny thing is we are doing a rewatch at home too!) tell me your story and EVERYTHING you want. And also!!!! i can see you shipping hinata and kenma?

OK ok, strap yourself in because I cannot guarantee that this will make any sense. But I’ll do my best.

To be off to a great start, I do not remember how I got into Haikyuu. One day it wasn’t and the next it was. From pictures I have I can say that I was into Haikyuu in my last year of middle school (so 2015-2016). By then I already had mangas but I’m pretty sure I was first attracted to it by the anime so I’d already seen the first season (and maybe the second too) and I had started buying the mangas.

(I shall put a read more here cause this post is LONG, beware!!)

Pictured below is one of my productions during my mandatory stage de troisième. I was in a graphic design agency and I was shy so I’d eat real fast at lunch time and use the rest of the time drawing and my supervisor saw me one day and offered to give me an exercise around it that would make me both enjoy what I was doing and also understand more stuff about graphic design. He was awesome. He really went with all my little cringe interests and encouraged me. The exercise he gave me was to create a cover for Haikyuu. I had a lot of fun with the lettering, understanding the dimensions and everything. He then made me create a brand, understanding why brands are called what they are, making my own logo, and then I worked on one of their (maybe) projects.

(top is the cover I did, the second one is what I was working on when he gave me the assignment, last on is me being crazy and drawing yaoi in a room full of adults at 14 and them going good job, you wanna keep drawing ?)

Yes I already had a favourite character but it will become more apparent soon. I got really into volleyball because Haikyuu made it look so cool. I was never a sports guy so it was really hard to want to have fun while being so bad with endurance and athleticism. All I had to my name was my flexibility because of dancing for years. Once again I think I was very lucky with the people I met. My PE teacher was really nice and could have just let me skip the class but he didn’t. Wait no, this needs more context. I didn’t have many friends in middle school. I spent the first year with nobody. The second year someone approached me and more or less dragged me in the world of people and friends (once again, I met an amazing person that was just selflessly nice to me). She got me speaking to people and I met my friends through her. My best friend from elementary had abandoned me in a matter of days after we started middle school so I felt very awkward in all situations. Anyway, I had a few people I hung out with but that was about it. I wasn’t exactly the bestest of friends with them but they accepted me even if I was awkward and didn’t talk much. They all knew each other for a while and were much closer (and popular), so when PE would come around I didn’t have anyone to pair up with. SO, my teacher instead of turning a blind eye offered to help me with the volley practice (this was in quatrième (before last year of middle school) if I remember right ? but it must not have been before I learned about haikyuu). He took the time to make me practice everything and explain everything and honestly I think that helped a lot with my general technique cause otherwise there’s a lot I would not have understood or just learned wrong and would have to readjust when I got to high school.

Back to last year of middle school. My mind has been overtaken by Haikyuu cause it’s brilliant. I dabble in cosplay and I have no money I can use to buy an aliexpress one (yes the dreaded website but we would go there at the time haha) but I want to cosplay Haikyuu. Lucky me, I have found a group of cosplayer on Paris for the next Paris Manga that’s doing Haikyuu ! I was so pumped up. And they didn’t have my character but they did have his partner so we were all excited about it :) My parents were not very thrilled about it all because I was still just 14 and they were mostly adults but my mom still helped me make my own jersey! I still have it but I’m 100% sure it doesn’t fit anymore :’) Here is me starting to fall for the sport and the cosplay progress pictures I still have

(still so proud of it, I did everything by hand !! and last pic is me with a volley ball cause I was a little deranged already)

Yes I was Akaashi, I loved that character. Acting all polite but an overthinker much with a dash of mischievous and admiration for the people around him. Also nothing grand about him like so many of the characters, but he could still hold up with them. I think I have somewhere on my computer a picture of our group but first I don’t know where it is and second you can only see my face on it so I have no picture of my finished cosplay haha. The con was amazing, I had so much fun with these people, we started hanging out a little more often and going to all the anime cons around Paris as a group and we did more group cosplays. I loved it. However at this con I lost my phone and it was in February so when I needed my dad to come pick me up I had to wait for 45 minutes in short shorts and a thin jersey :’)

After that I kept enjoying Haikyuu as one does, and high school started. Oh high school, a lot happened there. First thing I did was being reborn ! And even though it wasn’t much and only social it helped me be a little more free already. Free enough to allow myself to pursue a certain sport I was looking forward to. Yeah I got the volleyball bug. I was so happy my high school had a volleyball “club” and the first day of it we were only two. It was me and another guy, even smaller than me, who had also loved Haikyuu but we didn’t talk much about it. He was just as fired up about it as I was and we really pushed each other to become better. I don’t know what he’s become now but I hope he kept playing volleyball.

Anyway we were off to a great start with…two players. But still our coach/PE teacher was kind enough to teach us. We managed to have a few more people to come now and then but it was rough the first year. In my three years (well two but that’ll come later) we never had 6 “full time” people in the club so any kind of competition, even to get completely massacred by the other teams, was out of the question sadly. We would play on a concrete court ! It was REALLY rough haha ! But these courts were situated in a sort of closed courtyard space that was surrounded by school buildings and on the top floor were the Prepa classes (preparatory classes to get in higher education schools like engineering private schools for anyone not French reading this). Unlike the rest of my classmates, they liked playing volleyball. They were soooo tall compared to us but they would play with us and teach us some stuff and they were really good compared to us. Thanks to them we got the actual practice we needed cause you can’t learn enough by just playing 3x3 or worse 2x2 with people who can barely keep the ball in play (I was one of these people, I get to trash talk past me).

In my first year of high school I was taking riding lessons at the military school since we wouldn’t be able to go to our family’s house village with the more apparent divorce and moving out and other difficulties. It was an experience and I don’t regret doing it but it wasn’t a great place. I stopped the next year. And then…then I have memory problems. I cannot remember if it was during my second or last year of high school that I did it, but I would say it was during my second year of high school, that I entered an outside volleyball club. It was a Sunday lesson, it was all adults and it was for beginners. We would mostly do matches but sometimes they would focus on serves or hitting (I only remember one lesson about it though lol). It was super cool, I got to play volleyball on the Wednesday with my school club, whenever at lunch break when the Prepa were playing, and the Sundays at my outside club. By then, I don’t think I was reading or watching much of Haikyuu. I think I might have gotten my adhd ass hooked on something else while waiting for the next season and I had fallen in love with volleyball for the playing not just Haikyuu by then. Also something that I’m working on (and I’ve noticed it has gotten better already) is that I have a hard time appreciating watching people do something I love (usually a sport) as much as I appreciate doing the sport. For example, I never enjoyed watching any horse jumping competition even though I love doing it. I think it might come from the fact that I am bad at the things I love and therefore cannot truly appreciate what’s going on. As of right now I watch volleyball matches and rallies and really enjoy it.

Last year of high school rolls around the corner and…our PE teacher/coach tells us that they are closing the club down cause we aren’t enough and she would rather not run from our practice to the badminton’s practice (that she also coaches) and only work with the badminton’s club. After all they had the regional and potential national champions there meanwhile we had no hope of ever participating in a competition. And I had learned at my last lesson at my outside club that since we weren’t enough coming to the practice they would close down their beginner lesson. It was a bit of a shock to go from two practice per week to none at all. I missed volleyball. I accepted to participate at the badminton’s practices (cause it’s also a sport I like but at leisure, not on a competitive level, and less than volleyball) but it was just to keep me doing something. What happened though is I got to choose which sports I wanted for my BAC (high school diploma) since I was in a club the year prior and I chose the one with volleyball and I aced that. I only resented the top players of our group a little cause it wasn’t their sport at all but since they were pretty athletic and good at sports in general they had no problem being good at it when it took me sooooo long :’) yes I am petty.

Then I don’t know what the heck happened. Well yes I know but I don’t know why when I arrived in Montreal in my school I didn’t try to get into the volleyball club. Anyway, I didn’t play for a whiiiiile, years ! And the only reason I did again was because my best friend’s parents ( @nyaoi-warrior ) invited me to play with them and their friends when I visited. I was bad at communicating when I was playing in France (I often forget to say “j’ai”) but this was in Czech Rep, and we couldn’t communicate in English. It was HARD but I had so much fun !! My team lost all of the sets but it was so cool :D

Recently I was looking for something in my old stuff in the basement of the building. I didn’t find it but what I did find were my old Haikyuu manga. And oh god the flame it awoken in me. So anyway here is me a few weeks later with a volley ball in my hands, I’ve found a place I can sneak in just for the end of the year and I’ve been looking at clubs I can enter (and hopefully get better and then do some competition).

Now more about Haikyuu. What an amazing sports manga/anime it is. Of course, with the protagonist being a spiker most people when they start volleyball because of Haikyuu want to spike. I was lucky enough to be in the tall half of my year in high school but now I am tiny compared to most volleyball players. And a thing I love in volleyball I quickly discovered is diving for the ball. I’d be running far back or on the side, sliding until my knees burn to keep that ball in play. I thank Haikyuu for giving each role a time in the spotlight in almost every game they play, cause with what we learned in my school club or outside club I would never have heard of the libero. Ofc when you play for leisure having a libero is a bit meh but now I know that if I ever want to play competitive this is the role I should gun for (or maybe setter but I’m still pretty small so idk).

I just finished watching the season 4 recently and I’m on my way to catch up, and then finish with the scans (and then buying the mangas too). I got spoiled about what happens at the nationals after season 4 and what happens after, the time skip etc but just in the grand lines and I’m fine with that. I don’t think that it takes away from it too much. And (IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AFTER/DURING TIME SKIP DON’T READ BUT ALSO WE WON’T HAVE A FULL TIME SKIP ANIMATED SO IF YOU’RE JUST WATCHING THE ANIME I’D SAY MIGHT AS WELL READ IT BUT ALSO IT’S EVERYWHERE SO YOU MIGHT KNOW IT ALREADY) I freaking love Hinata in Brazil. It’s very funny to me too cause here is this little dude who got me into volleyball, with whom I had an anime-level betrayal and tragedy with my clubs, and now I’m learning Portuguese because of my Brazilian friends and I wanna go to Brazil and HE WENT TOO ?? That was hilarious to me. Maybe I should look into beach volleyball hehehe.

About the ships; I started with the “basic” ones, the most obvious ones that come from the strong bonds and non-stop interactions and how they are shown as more or less pairs by the manga/anime (so kagehina, asanoya, daisuga, bokuaka, etc etc etc) but I am a multi shipper now. I don’t know I have a much more relaxed approach to shipping now, especially for big casts where there isn’t clear cut villains, same with one piece. They all have great relationships with everyone around them and I like many of them. And yeah I stumbled upon kenhina recently and I really like their dynamic. I love kagehina just as much, and also the hilarious way Hinata seems to fascinate all setters. I have seen some really funny tsukkihina fanarts too. I’ve put a lot of stuff in my queue so you got some yakunoya coming soon as well haha. Also from what I’ve heard (haven’t got to see it yet) (yes the premiere was Sunday and it’s only out today) that the movie has big kenhina energy so I’m here for it.

This little red-head guy just makes me so happy. I’m so glad I got to discover one of, if not my favourite sport out there (and that says a lot coming from a horsegirl) and I want to keep it in my life. I’m asking around for clubs and selections and I hope I am accepted. And I’ll be celebrating my birthday watching Olympic volleyball matches :D

OH ! Another thing. During my intensive studying period for my current school’s diploma, I was with friends and before we started studying each morning we would put on music or some kind of stuff, and we put anime opening blind tests and one of them had the first Haikyuu opening (which is still my favourite cause yk…it’s the one that started it all) and I was hit with a wall of memories…yeah :’)

I think that’s all I might have forgotten a few things, I don’t know at this point.

I can’t believe you got me writing more about volleyball, in English, in 2 hrs than I’ve written for my THESIS in a WEEK. This is 5 word pages WITHOUT THE PICTURES.

[acrylicscore]

Can I just say that I hate Tim's Armour with a passion? Yes? Cool.

Like, don't get me wrong, the colours are magnificent. It really gives off regal and godly vibes, really reflecting how Tim was viewed as almost like a god by the competitors in The Games. It really does give off "this armour belonged to a legend". And then when Jesse gets the armour, it really makes them stand out as the hero of the story, like they were destined to get the armour to fulfil their destiny as a legend.

But for me that's the only thing it has going for it.

From a drawing perspective (yes this is the main reason why I hate it), it has so many little details that make it stand out, and to capture that in a design is hard. I have seen a lot of amazing designs for the armour that absolutely make the armour look brilliant on Jesse (and I tip my hat to those artists and I love your work), but for me it's just so goddamn tedious. Like, yeah the armour you get from Ivor can have some intricate designs (my personal favourite being Shield of Infinity), but there's something about Tim's Armour that almost forces you to make a god/legend-like design. You just couldn't get away with having a simple design for that armour, while Ivor's armours you can.

Alternately, I don't think Tim's Armour is an armour that Jesse would willingly put on again. Of course, having the armour in the final fight against Hadrian and Mevia is brilliant and I do love it, but other than that there really is no point, and there are a few points of reason to look to.

It's heavy. As soon as you put the armour on in Episode 8, you can hear it clicking and shifting with Jesse's movements. No other armour in either games does this except Tim's Armour, most likely aiming to indicate that this armour is drastically different. Of course after that episode the armour doesn't make the noises, but it's clearly important enough to include the noises in the first place.

The height. Listen, Tim's legend stated that he was 3 blocks tall, and while Tim wasn't real, the Old Builders would have likely made the armour to suit the legend, which would mean that the armour would be tall. And lets face it, Jesse is not tall.

The attachment. This armour was created by the Old Builders to uphold a legend. While this legend didn't exist, this legend and armour still upheld the hopes and dreams of those that heard of it. It was a symbol of hope to the competitors in The Games, but outside of the games, it was just a cool armour towards anyone else. There's a certain level of attachment to it, and I don't think Jesse would parade around an armour with such value. Of course, that could be my opinion, but armour of such high value in terms of meaning shouldn't really be taken into battle.

I would also like to comment on the durability (while not a main point to look at I would still like to comment), but we don't know how durable Tim's Armour really is. I mean, Ivor's armours you can trust cause the man is literally an alchemist that specialises in enchanting. The Old Builders though? We don't actually know if they even considered enchanting Tim's Armour, let alone what materials it's made out of. Sure, it's safe to assume that the armour is incredibly durable, but there's always the possibility that Hadrian chose to just make it look durable when in reality it's probably made of quartz.

Just saying, but you never know.

I would just like to specify that this is my personal opinion. I know a lot of people like Tim's Armour. I'm fully aware that I'm probably the one person that doesn't like the armour, and I'm just honestly voice my observations and thoughts.

Don't get me wrong, Tim's Armour is cool, I just have a personally vendetta against it and I have no idea where it sparked from.

Please do not take this seriously. I'm just putting it up for discussion.

Thank you for listening to my TED Talk. Have a lovely day!

[eternal-savvy-blog]

What's your favourite artist?

Oh many!!! Buckle Up cos I'm going all in on this one I'm gonna include SFW and NSFW artists haha. I'll mark what each of them do so you aren't blind sided. And of course there wont be NSFW images linked here. Their names will have links to either their main Twitter, or other primary site you can find their art. And I'll @ their tumblr if I know it below that For sure Junji Ito for horror stuff. That almost goes without saying and I don't think I really need to link his stuff xD he's an absolute titan of horror art

MackleNG (SFW & Horror)

Absolutely amazing linework and generally incredible vibes. They are drawing a webcomic called CHOKEPOINT i have been meaning to check out but I adore their art just in general. I've been using a lot of their art as inspo lately and can't get enough of their cyberpunk designs, horror vibes, and use of pops of colour to emphasise and showcase their incredibly in depth line work and details!

QSY (SFW & NSFW) @qsycomplainsalot

I continue to come back to their art and they are also a huge inspo for me. I'm generally trying to find a way to adapt their colouring into my own style because it's absolutely gorgeous! The way its simultaneously crisp and crunchy, while also soft and expertly blended! It's like candy for my eyes! Add into it their fantastic expressions, excellent pallette choices, incredible weaponry, and of course some excellent NSFW with really great curves, colour, and characters, and they're easily one of my top 3 artists

Tyto_Alba (SFW & NSFW)

Do you like Mecha? Do you like guns? Do you like cute girls and/or boys!? Well, hot shit, me too!!! You NEED to check out Tyto_Alba! Straight up, another one of my top 3. He has legitimately changed the way I do my lineart, the way i draw soft shapes (like butts and stuff :3c) and my god the mechs as well! I legitimately had a hard time finding a good singular piece of their art to use here cos they are so fantastic at both sexy art AND mechs that i really had to find something that showed off a little of both! Something that I personally have noticed with their art as well is just how fuckin incredible they are at drawing HANDS! I am obssessed with their skill with hands and I hope to match up to them some day in that regard! I feel like I'm getting there but I LOVE the way theyre always so Shaped and well posed. As well as how detailed they manage to be without being too attention grabbing unless intentionally in the focus! What's more, they use simple colours so effectively! Much to be loved here! And of course, their NSFW content is top tier! Really excellent soft shapes and squish and really fantastic context and intensity!

RizDraws (NSFW)

Listen... LISTEN OKAY!!! We're hitting the NSFW exclusive part of the list and you have to understand that NSFW artists are just as incredibly skilled as any other artist and that porn is FINE AND NORMAL! Having sexual interest is not unusual. Having a desire to draw these things is a human and regular thing. I could talk for paragraphs about how puritanism is harmful and ultimately denying something natural and inherently human and anyone telling you otherwise has ulterior motives. But that's not what this post is about. I say this because an artist showcase tends beat around the bush with this stuff but I am unwilling to be vague about this. NSFW art is valid and, what's more, Important! That being said, Riz is incredible! The squish! The faces! The fluids! The Dicks! All so good! They somehow straddle the line between pinups and porn in such a brilliant way that I would be happy to have their art on my wall and I'm not kidding haha! The particular way they colour with the chalky texture is often sought after and I see why! Personally I don't look to emulate it myself but I most certainly enjoy looking at it! The way Riz uses their lines and their particular style of chalky colour to make the squish of clothes against flesh really look real! It's somethin else!

Andava (NSFW)

Now where Riz does the mid point between pinups and porn, Andava is definitively porn haha! xD That being said. Hot damn dude! In particular the way they do bodies and have a variety in body types, shapes of boobs and faces. Especially faces. Their characters are really good too and it's very easy to develop a favourite (for me it's Erika and Alexis) There's a reason people have cosplayed their characters and it shows! Absolutely love the variety, the situations/positions they draw! Theyre incredible as making stuff feel messy as well! Highly recommend browsing through their stuff and finding a favourite OC of theirs haha! I was lucky enough to get a commission off them years ago when they were still fairly small in terms of following. So long ago that Tumblr still allowed porn at the time haha! I dont think Discord even existed yet! Still wanna grab a commission off Andava of the same character one day! ALRIGHT I think I will leave it there for now! I could absolutely go longer and talk about even more of my fave artists and why I like them, and how they've inspired me but I get the feeling I should hold off haha (unless of course people would like to see more) I hope this has thoroughly answered your question. Though I know for a fact i will kick myself over not mentioning an artist i should of included later but forgot to lol

[lotuslolitasblog]

Coffee Pt. 2

For TD Rarepair Week.

Prompt: Double Date

Ships: Shawn x Amy (main ship) & Jo x Brick

Words: 1283

Disclaimer: High School AU + slight references to other fics I wrote on AO3. You can check them out, but it’s definitely not necessary. @totaldramararepairweek2023

For Amy, getting coffee always meant a recipe for disaster. After a fateful exam day, she had decided to steer clear from it to not cause any more wardrobe problems.

This was not a normal day, however, since Shawn and Amy were going on a - sort-of - date.

The local coffee place - Pahkitew Flavors [1] - had a lot to offer. It was more of a diner actually, but Shawn and Amy often went there for their amazing coffee. It became some sort of tradition. It also helped that Sammy worked there and was always willing to give them something extra at a family rate.

Sammy brought them their respective coffee orders: a skinny latte for Amy [2] - she made it her mission to always order something else - and just a plain black coffee for Shawn. “The waffles are coming right up! After that I’m going on break.”

Sammy having walked away, Shawn turned back to Amy. “So, what do people do on dates?” That was… weirdly upfront. Then again, Amy - obviously - had a lot more experience in the matter. She wouldn’t be surprised if Shawn only ever kissed the tender crook of his elbow. [3] “Well, usually, we talk about ourselves and get to know each other, but since we know each other, let’s skip that stuff. We can just talk about whatever comes to our mind.”

“Have you heard that Zombiebusters is getting adapted into a TV show?” “What? No way! They’re so going to ruin it,” Amy scoffed. “Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. At worst we get to make fun of it!” “You make a strong point.”

Sammy came back with the pancakes and then went back to change out of her work uniform. Meanwhile, Amy and Shawn were discussing who they would cast as the leads in the Zombiebusters TV series. “Timithy Chamalamadingdong? Hell, no. Anyone but him.” “He’s hot enough to draw a thousand fans in.” “His acting style doesn’t fit Alex at all!” “It would definitely fit for the earlier books.” “Nuh uh.” “Do you at least think Nichelle Ladonna should play Grace?” “Duh. She’s amazing. Her stunts are incredible!”

“And for Maja?” “Mmmh. I don’t really know. Not a lot of people could pull it off. She needs to be cold, calculated, good at sports and to have a few screws loose.” “So, like Axel from sci-fi club?” [4] Axel was the newest addition to the sci-fi club. She was a survivalist at heart, with a survival rating - Amy didn’t know people had a survival rate. What could hers be? - of 9,7. She also seemed to believe in the zombie apocalypse. Shawn found her brilliant, but Amy thought there was something seriously wrong with her. “She could fit, oddly enough. I don’t know if she’s the actor type though.”

“Hey!” they heard. Amy’s voice shot up in the direction of the sound. Sammy was walking towards them, uniform in hand. “Did you see someone near the table there?” she asked, pointing to the booth right in front of them. Amy hadn’t remembered seeing anyone there. The booths were pretty much closed off so only the staff and creepy people watchers could see you. Amy wasn’t a creepy people-watcher, but she was curious. She shifted her position to see if anyone was there. No one was sitting at the table. Under the table however…

Jo and her friend Brick - although Amy had some suspicions about that friendship - were hiding under the table. Jo was quite possibly dying of embarrassment, while Brick gestured for her to not tell Sammy. “Nope, no one!” she said.

“Oh, but there are drinks on the table, I should probably take them back to the kitchen,” Sammy replied. “No need, you’re on break! Someone will do that eventually.” Sammy insisted, but eventually, she went out of the diner door without ever approaching the table.

The moment Sammy walked out the door, Amy grabbed her latte & the plate of waffles and she went over to Jo & Brick’s booth. “Hey, where are you going?” Shawn asked. Amy slowed in her tracks, realizing Shawn hadn’t seen the two hiding under the table. “You’ll see.”

Amy entered the booth and put her food on the table. “She’s gone, you can come out now.” Brick and Jo both resurfaced. Jo was holding her face in her hands due to her ever-increasing embarrassment. “Well, cats out of the bag. Why were you guys here?” Amy asked. Jo sinked further into her chair. Brick ended up spilling the beans: “We were on a date…”

Shawn congratulated them and gave Brick a high-five. Amy shared a look with Shawn and grinned. She then turned back to the new couple: “How long have you two been dating?” Jo answered: “He asked me out last Tuesday.” Amy smiled, all smug and mouthed at Shawn to pay up. Shawn grumbled and took out 10 dollars out of his wallet, mumbling “Couldn’t you have done it two days earlier?”

Jo addressed the elephant in the booth: “What are you guys doing?” Amy grinned and replied: “We had a little bet going on about when you would finally ask each other out. I bet on the period between last week and this week. Shawn bet on the two weeks before that.” Brick smiled. “I don’t appreciate you betting on my love life, but if you’re gonna do it, at least milk him for what he’s worth,” Jo said. “Oh but combined with everyone else I get 60 dollars. Everyone was in on it.” “Everyone?” Jo widened her eyes.Shawn nodded.

No one was particularly surprised by Jo and Brick’s attraction to one another - except Lightning who had a lot of trouble understanding that Jo was not a gay male -, but they were all a bit perplexed by the time it took them to admit it. Brick was pretty much the only one to be willing to play peacemaker to Jo’s petty squabbles with Mike, Lightning or… anyone really. Adding onto that, they were basically linked at the hip.

“Does anyone else know?” Shawn asked. “I think Duncan has a feeling, but he’s not really friends with anyone in the group except me so he wouldn’t have told anyone,” Jo said. “Goddamn, you really gotta start hiding it better,” Amy snarked. She really enjoyed hanging out with Sammy’s friend, even if that came with a drop in popularity. Then again, she wasn’t the only cheerleader whose mask was slipping. Dakota was spending an awful amount of time with a gamer named Sam lately.

Jo ended up changing the subject: “I didn’t even know Sammy worked here. Brick, I thought you remembered that sort of stuff.” “Well, Sammy never named the place she worked at. I thought it was a coffee place though. This is a diner!” “Yeah,” Shawn confirmed, “but a diner that makes excellent coffee.” “Ugh, coffee,” Jo grumbled. “I don’t need a drink to stay energized.” “You don’t like coffee? Not even in ice cream,” Amy asked. “Especially not in ice cream. Who thought that was a good flavor idea?”

That conversation turned into a debate about the best ice cream flavor. Amy maintained it was coffee, while Shawn - the traitor - preferred strawberry. Brick liked mango sorbet the most and Jo’s favorite was pistachio [5]. “Pistachio?” Shawn said. “That’s just plain wrong. That’s as good as broccoli cream soup.” Brick nodded. “Et tu, Brick?” Jo gasped. Brick defended his opinion: “You’re plain wrong.” “Judas,” Jo mouthed. “Geez, what happened to having correct opinions? Coffee is the right answer.” “No!” the three others answered in unison. Shawn and Amy’s sort-of date had turned into a full-blown double date. And honestly? It wasn’t that bad.

[1]: AKA Explosive Flavors ;p

[2]: I honestly do not know if you can order that anywhere. I just looked up “basic white girl Starbucks order”

[3]: Why yes, that is a Glee reference.

[4]: Foreshadowing? Possibly.

[5]: They’re all wrong. Raspberry sorbet >>>>

[eemamminy-art]

your art is amazing and your skill with line weight and color is brilliant and I'm jealous akshsgshsksks also you draw noses so good??? I struggle with that so hard, you're an inspiration fr

You're so kind anon, thanks so much!!! 😭 I honestly really had to work at learning color theory, believe it or not but years ago you'd never catch me coloring anything! And line weight is so magical, I started really paying attention to it around like 2022 and now I find myself weighting my lines even in my sketches! It's something small that makes a world of difference :3

As for noses, I just love them!! But if you or anyone else would be interested I could probably put together some resources for how I draw them!

[iamnicodemus]

I think it's impossible to tire of how you write Loki. His mannerisms, his quirks, his delightful dynamic with the reader character (their chemistry in this was off-the-charts); his insecurities, those melancholic moments, everything. You've captured Loki perfectly in each story you've written with him, and this is no different.

I loved this. It struck a brilliant balance of fluff and comfort with a twinge of angst that makes so much sense for a reformed Loki dwelling among his former enemies. It's so sad to see how unwelcome he feels, how he's used to drawing odd looks and harsh comments; however, it makes all the sweeter how she treats him, as though he's the most precious, lovable being in her universe.

I mentioned their dynamic earlier and I'll do so again. The way they'd already crossed the line of friendship without officially becoming something more, how the ease and closeness with which they interacted, was portrayed splendidly. And it's adorable how he's been harboring these feelings for her, and that comes around to being sad again because he doesn't feel worthy-

You've knocked it out of the park again. It's not even Christmas day, yet here you are with the early gifts. I use the word precious a lot when referring to your stories and I meant it wholeheartedly with every repetition of the word. You create such an evocative atmosphere of warmth and sweetness with these that I want nothing more than to be lost in them, and I always find that I am, with no desire to be found anytime soon <3

highliiiiiiiights (sadly, quoting the entire fic might be a bit unreasonable, even if it would make sense)

A breathless chuckle went past your lips, eyes glinting with amazement as you watched it all unfold. It was incredibly endearing, the way that, despite seeing so much of it, you never ceased to be enchanted by Loki’s magic. He secretly took pride in it.

The most adorable thiiiing omg.

And Loki loved you like this, all pink cheeks and bashful eyes, as if he had the same effect on you that you had on him. He hardly dared to dream of it. But he allowed himself to bask in these tiny moments by your side.

I cannot describe the giddiness of reading this and being so invested in their connection.

He’d steal glances at you from time to time, watching as the sunlight shaped your serene profile and how you looked genuinely breathtaking amidst the white horizon

These descriptions are breathtaking.

Everything felt perfect for a precious second and Loki wished he could slow down time.

Trust me Loki, the fact that you can't slow down time is FAR better for your happiness (and ours). We just got a whole show about what would happen if you could.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, slowly running a hand over the smooth fabric of his black suit. Did he like what he saw? The person staring back at him? Would you?

He'd be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't like the sight of him in a black suit.

He also couldn’t deny that those not-so-kind comments didn’t get to him sometimes, much as he’d like to.

:(

“Anything special?” Natasha’s sultry voice made Loki look up. She stood behind the bar with an inquiring eyebrow raised at him.

NAT I LOVE YOU <3 <3

AND she doesn't mind that he's here? She's the best.

You stepped out of the elevator slowly, one hand smoothing out the fabric of your red dress—a gorgeous red dress that hugged your body and accentuated your curves to perfection. Your hair was up in a bun and there was golden jewelry highlighting your features. The god was frozen in place, entranced by the beauty that was you. He’d never been so taken with anyone like he is with you. And when your eyes met, and a small, timid smile graced your glossy lips, Loki swore he could feel his heartbeat stumble.

This is an "x Loki" fic, yet here I am falling for the reader.

Of course you’d know. Of course you’d notice the stiffness of his shoulders and the guarded look in his eyes. If there was anyone who could read him like an open book, it was you.

I love how attentive she is to him, and how meaningful it is. He's spent over a thousand years mostly successfully hiding his feelings behind a sharp tongue and a mischievous streak, bearing the weight of his emotions alone. Yet she sees through it in no time at all and immediately wants to help. I-

But you heard anyway, and your answer came in the same heartbeat. “You already do, always have.” Your voice caught slightly in your throat, overwhelmed with the affection you felt for him.

Don't cry don't cry don't cry-

his heart beat out of his chest, for you, for you, for you

always a pleasure seeing this trademark of yours <3

You hummed, a small smirk coming to your lips as you settled back on Loki. “I don’t remember putting it there.” You raised a brow at him, standing so close you breathed the same air.

Romance at its finest and I cannot get enough of it.

The taste, the feeling of you, put Loki’s most beautiful dreams to shame. It’s white noise and being submerged underwater all the same time—sweet, warm and tasting like brown sugar and the sip of champagne you had earlier.

Your mind works in the most beautiful ways that it comes up with these. Absurdly good writing, the kind that ought be studied. The entirety of the kiss is a highlight.

Loki watched the stars dancing in your eyes, looking down at you as if you were his universe, and delighting in the way you looked up at him as if he were yours. Maybe that’s what love was all about.

Is this kind of love too much to ask for? :')

Loki followed you inside with his cheeks and heart feeling all warm. And if the mistletoe disappeared in a flash of green after you turned around, no one needed to know.

Oh Loki, you sly, smooth little trickster you :D

Another Christmas masterpiece. Two in a row. Are you sure you aren't Santa Claus?

too close to the stars

Loki x Reader

Summary: Somehow, between your overwhelming sweetness and insistence on treating him as if he was someone worth saving, you had managed to sneak your way into Loki's cold heart. He simply hadn't managed the guts to tell you, but a bit of a Christmas spirit might just change that.

A/N: I wish everyone a very happy Christmas. <3

Word count: 3k

Masterlist

The sun peered over the horizon this morning only to shine over the white expanse of snow that covered the grounds of the Avengers Compound.

It had snowed pretty heavily over the night, and as Loki looked out his window, he couldn't help but think that the landscape was rather pleasant to look at—Thor had already made his way outside to shovel snow out of the driveway along with Steve, the once green fields were now a blanket of glistening white, as were the many trees around. The air was cold, but a pleasant kind of cold; it brought a feeling of calmness.

That is, until a rather sharp noise of something scratching the floor outside his bedroom disrupted Loki's peace.

Accepting that another day had begun, the god made his way outside onto the common area, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and putting on his slippers.

As soon as Loki rounded the corner to the spacious living room, his lips hung open in bewilderment and his brows furrowed in mild confusion.

You were standing on the very top of a ladder, stretching your body so you could reach the ceiling trims and lamps, all while holding an ungodly amount of ornaments, string lights, and garlands. It looked like a rather precarious arrangement and Loki found himself worrying for your safety for a moment.

"What on earth are you doing?" Loki asked, exasperated, frozen in place as he watched you.

The ladder wiggled in place when you quickly turned around to face him and Loki nearly bolted forward to catch you if you were to fall. He cursed under his breath when all you did was give him a cheeky smile.

"I'm decorating," you gestured around to the expanse of the living room, which already had most of its nooks and crannies filled with garlands, Santa Claus plushies, stockings, and the like.

Loki's frown only deepened, "We already have decorations." He pointed to the exaggerated Christmas tree that had been standing beside the TV since before the beginning of December. Honestly, he had yet to understand the humans' obsession with said holiday.

You chuckled, and the sound naturally brought the ghost of a smile to Loki's lips as well. "No, silly. I'm decorating for our little Christmas party tomorrow night, I thought the place looked a bit bare still." You winked at him and went back to work.

Loki shook his head, his heart swelling with affection. He was way past denying it already. Somehow, between your overwhelming sweetness and insistence on treating him as if he was someone worth saving, you had managed to sneak your way into Loki's cold heart. He simply hadn't managed the guts to tell you, yet.

With a flick of his wrist, the living room erupted in a myriad of greens, golds, and reds. Each decoration you had on your arms—and more—magically took its rightful place in the walls and between furniture.

A breathless chuckle went past your lips, eyes glinting with amazement as you watched it all unfold. It was incredibly endearing, the way that, despite seeing so much of it, you never ceased to be enchanted by Loki's magic. He secretly took pride in it.

"That's convenient," you mumbled with a faint smile.

"Quite," Loki stated, taking a step closer, "Now please get down from there before you break something and have to spend your precious holiday in the med bay."

You skipped down the ladder as if gravity would bend to your will, were you to fall; the tilt of your lips ever present as you came to stand before Loki, much closer than what would be socially acceptable for ones who said they were merely friends. Yet Loki would never dare to complain. If anything, he held himself back from pulling you even closer.

"Do I detect a hint of worry, trickster?" You raised a brow at him. "Would you miss me if I didn't attend the party?"

Loki chuckled lowly, his smirk was teasing but his eyes avoided yours. "Darling, you're the only reason I'm even going to this party."

You bit your lower lip to keep the smile from getting any bigger, "Flatterer," you breathed.

And Loki loved you like this, all pink cheeks and bashful eyes, as if he had the same effect on you that you had on him. He hardly dared to dream of it. But he allowed himself to bask in these tiny moments by your side.

Then your pinkie hooked around his own, and Loki was putty in your hands.

"Come on, let's take a walk outside, enjoy the sun while it's out." You tugged him toward the elevator, not once letting go of his hand.

It was indeed very pleasant outside, the soft rays of sunlight were just enough to bring a bit of warmth along with the cold winter breeze, the air was fresh to breathe in, and the snowy landscape was beautiful.

Loki's boots crunched the snow and frozen grass underneath as he lazily walked beside you. He'd steal glances at you from time to time, watching as the sunlight shaped your serene profile and how you looked genuinely breathtaking amidst the white horizon. Everything felt perfect for a precious second and Loki wished he could slow down time.

His musing was suddenly interrupted, however, when he was hit in the back of his head with something mildly solid and very cold; causing an oof to escape his lips.

He whipped his head around in your direction only to see you muffling a giggle with one hand, while the other held a snowball.

A halfhearted scoff went past Loki's lips. He raised a hand to brush off the remaining snow from his hair, as a mischievous smirk painted his features, "You little minx, you have no idea what you've gotten yourselves into."

A mix of a squeak and a chuckle fell past your lips the moment Loki bolted towards you and you naturally sped off in the opposite direction. You struggled to run amidst the rather thick snow and Loki took the advantage to bunch up a snowball of his own and hit you square in the back.

By the time you had made it back inside the Compound, you both had nearly run two full laps of the whole yard and were a mess of snow-covered clothes and breathless laughs.

"I.. win," you spoke in between deep breaths, one hand resting on Loki's chest to brace yourself.

"Absolutely not," Loki frowned as if you'd personally offended him. He took a deep breath himself, gesturing to your snowy clothes, "You're way worse off than I am."

"Uh uh, lies," you insisted. "I hit you way more than you hit me, your aim is shit," you chuckled.

Loki's smile followed yours naturally, he raised a hand to brush wild strands of your hair away from your eyes, his touch all delicate and soft. "You keep telling yourself that, love."

─── ·❆· ───

When the night of the celebration finally arrived, Loki found himself hesitating to get out of his room. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, slowly running a hand over the smooth fabric of his black suit. Did he like what he saw? The person staring back at him? Would you?

It was no secret that, despite accepting his presence, a few wary looks and comments still lingered between his teammates whenever he walked into a room. Loki couldn't blame them, not really. He also couldn't deny that those not-so-kind comments didn't get to him sometimes, much as he'd like to.

But then, there was you, who had never once made him feel unwelcome or unworthy. You who made him coffee in the mornings and always saved him a seat at the table. You who had a smile reserved for him ever since his first day here. You who made his heartbeat stumble and his silver tongue get caught in his mouth.

And Loki so desperately wanted to be someone deserving of all that. Still, he feared he wasn't.

A long sigh went past his lips. With a final tidying of his hair and the tie around his neck, Loki made his way out.

There was music playing in the common area. The several blinking lights you had so meticulously arranged were illuminating the room beautifully, reflecting against the many Christmas ornaments in warm shades of orange in the night. Tony, Thor, and Natasha were hanging out by the bar, with drinks in hand and loose smiles on their faces; Clint and Steve were sitting on the couch, laughing at something that Loki couldn't hear; Bucky and Sam were standing together by the Christmas tree, apparently trying to guess what was inside each present.

A few of their gazes turned as Loki stepped into the room, he could see as well as feel it, the weight resting in each one. He gave a polite smile and nod to no one in particular as his gaze skimmed around, looking for the reason he came. When he couldn't find you, he walked straight to the bar.

Loki leaned his elbows on the glass surface, closing his eyes and breathing in. There was a reason he wasn't overly fond of the team's social gatherings; he felt like an intruder, someone they were merely putting up with.

"Anything special?" Natasha's sultry voice made Loki look up. She stood behind the bar with an inquiring eyebrow raised at him.

"I'm afraid she's not here yet," Loki mumbled, which elicited a low chuckle from Natasha. The spy was a dear friend of yours and probably something close to it for Loki as well, one of the few people here who he knew didn't mind his presence.

"Actually," Natasha started, nodding towards the opening doors of the elevator, "I think she just arrived."

Loki turned around and his breath hitched. You stepped out of the elevator slowly, one hand smoothing out the fabric of your red dress—a gorgeous red dress that hugged your body and accentuated your curves to perfection. Your hair was up in a bun and there was golden jewelry highlighting your features.

The god was frozen in place, entranced by the beauty that was you. He'd never been so taken with anyone like he is with you. And when your eyes met, and a small, timid smile graced your glossy lips, Loki swore he could feel his heartbeat stumble.

You were about to make your way to him when Steve called your name and stole your attention. And then Bruce, and then Sam. Seemed like everyone wanted a piece of you tonight.

Loki had a near-empty drink in hand when you finally managed to walk up to him.

You approached him with a smirk, leaning on the bar just beside him and raising a hand to gently tug on the lapel of his blazer. "Well, don't you clean up nicely, trickster?"

Loki hummed, leaning just a tad closer to you, "I'm not the one everyone is trying to get a hold of this evening." He said lowly, only for you to hear.

"Oh please," you chuckled, briefly avoiding his gaze. "I only have eyes for one person tonight."

A beat of silence passed, even if the room was anything but silent. Tony was going on about one of the many Christmas stories he shared every year, eliciting laughs from your teammates who by now had gathered all around the living room. From the corner of his eye, Loki noticed Bucky trying to straighten the star on the very top of the Christmas tree, the one the soldier himself had knocked over earlier.

You'd be mad, Loki thought. You'd be saying something about manners and being more careful, with a smile on your lips as you easily fixed the golden star yourself.

But instead, you were here; attention solely on Loki, in your little corner of the world as the chatter around you turned to nothing but muffled noise.

Why? He couldn't help but wonder. What could you possibly see on him?

"And who is this lucky gentleman?" Loki asked, his voice suddenly way too quiet as he kept his eyes trained on his half-empty glass, "Or lady?"

Only after you didn't answer, did Loki finally look up at you. There was a soft smile on your lips, painted with a feeling he couldn't name.

"That's a secret," you whispered back and took hold of Loki's glass of champagne, leaving it on top of the bar before closing your hand around his own instead. "Come on."

Loki followed easily, he allowed you to guide him to the balcony, where the cold wind was flowing and the warm lights from inside were nothing but a faded glow coming from the glass doors.

You didn't let go of Loki's hand when you stopped walking, only squeezed it once as you looked up at him with softly furrowed brows and an adorable tilt of your head. "What's wrong? You've been all tense ever since I walked in."

Of course you'd know. Of course you'd notice the stiffness of his shoulders and the guarded look in his eyes. If there was anyone who could read him like an open book, it was you.

A breathy chuckle fell past Loki's lips, he drank in the sight of you in the night; as wisps of your hair flew with the wind and as the light from inside outlined the shape of your features.

"You know it as well as I do that they don't want me here," Loki shot a pointed look at your teammates inside, not accusing, simply stating. "I don't… belong here…" Loki's fingers tangled with yours, his thumb gently brushing the skin of your hand, "With you." The words were nothing but a breath.

You raised your free hand to his face, twirling a strand of his hair between your fingers before you gingerly traced his jaw. "But you do," you took half a step closer to him, your heels bumping his shoes, "You may think that you don't, but you do. I'd miss you greatly if you ever left."

Loki met your gaze again, his eyes a pool of sentiment, walls down and as vulnerable as you'd ever seen him. He leaned into your touch, all soft and pleading. "How could I ever deserve your kindness?" He spoke quietly, almost as if he never meant to say it out loud.

But you heard anyway, and your answer came in the same heartbeat. "You already do, always have." Your voice caught slightly in your throat, overwhelmed with the affection you felt for him.

The softest of smiles graced Loki's lips, the back of his eyes burned and his heart beat out of his chest, for you, for you, for you. He leaned in, biting the inside of his cheek and closing his eyes when you didn't pull away. His lips met your forehead in a lingering kiss, a promise of the thousand words he wished to say to you, of everything you made him feel that he couldn't put into words.

When he pulled away, you were looking up at him with something akin to adoration—maybe he could dare to call it love. Your eyes shining with a twinkle of expectation.

Loki squeezed your hand, feeling his cheeks heat up. "I couldn't break your silly tradition, now could I?" He shot a glance up.

You followed his gaze and finally saw it, a glimmer of green leaves with a small red trinket tying it together, delicately flowing in the wind as it hung by the door, pretty much on top of your head. A mistletoe.

You hummed, a small smirk coming to your lips as you settled back on Loki. "I don't remember putting it there." You raised a brow at him, standing so close you breathed the same air.

"And yet it's there anyway," Loki mumbled, lost in your orbit. His eyes darted down to your lips; it was a quick glance, all timid and boyish, but you caught it.

"So it is," you chuckled quietly, taking hold of the tie around his neck so you could pull him closer still, "And I wouldn't want to break tradition either."

You kissed him then, soft lips fitting with his own like a missing puzzle piece. A quiet gasp of surprise escaped Loki as soon as you closed the distance, yet you were quick to kiss it away, trapping his lower lip between yours and bringing one hand up to tangle in between his hair.

The taste, the feeling of you, put Loki's most beautiful dreams to shame. It's white noise and being submerged underwater all the same time—sweet, warm and tasting like brown sugar and the sip of champagne you had earlier.

The world around faded to nothingness as Loki's hand traced your spine and tugged you flush to him, his breath came in trembling puffs when you pulled away just the tiniest bit. His lips tingled as they brushed against yours again.

What a remarkable mortal you were, to have a god shivering beneath your touch. And selfishly, Loki wouldn't have it any other way.

You opened your eyes slowly, tongue running over your bottom lip as your thumb traced his jaw. You breathed in deeply to catch back the air he whisked out of you.

Loki watched the stars dancing in your eyes, looking down at you as if you were his universe, and delighting in the way you looked up at him as if he were yours. Maybe that's what love was all about.

Your hand trailed down his arm, brushing the fabric of his blazer until you tangled your fingers with his.

Squeezing your hand, Loki smiled. He felt like he belonged, right here by your side.

"Come on, before they open all the gifts without us," you winked, raising your free hand to clean the smudged lipstick by the corner of your mouth.

Loki followed you inside with his cheeks and heart feeling all warm. And if the mistletoe disappeared in a flash of green after you turned around, no one needed to know.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keeps me motivated to continue posting here, so I’d appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment. <3

You do not have permission to repost, copy, or translate my works on any platforms (even with credit), please respect.

Loki’s taglist: @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @justaproudslytherpuff @justanotherkpopstanlol @chronicallybubbly @chaoticqueen33 @7minutes-tomidnight @uncle-eggy @oliviaewl @dd122004dd @tani725 @innebulae @mochminnie @mayemperess @alyeskathewave @buginktsworld @cremebruleequeen @wyvernthekriger @cheshire-salvatore-mikaelson @avengersfan25 @mischief2sarawr @yokolesbianism @athenasproverbs @h-l-vlovesvintage @princess-ofthe-pages

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[cat-madhouse]

Please talk about him?

Do you mean Basil OMORI? If you mean Basil OMORI you're in for a brilliant time anon let's get this essay going

Basil OMORI is perhaps the most perfect and cool and cute and amazing boy out there. The "perhaps" is debatable. I have vowed to dedicate four straight years of my life thinking about him every single day and I only have two more years to go, after which I will not only keep thinking about him but also draw, write, and sculpt him every occasion I get as I have been doing this entire time. The gay little sunflower doodle that I made, like, over a year ago on the whiteboard in my kitchen is still there and undamaged. There is nothing I would change about him. I love his qualities as I love his flaws. He had the fluffiest, prettiest, most beautiful hair that the human brain will ever be able to conceive; he has the cutest face with the purest smile and brightest eyes and sweetest smile; he has a kind heart that deserves so much more than humanity could ever give him. Just thinking about him brings me joy. Seeing him and drawing him and reading about him and anything about him makes me so happy. Sometimes I'm scared of seeing other people's opinions on him because they might only recognize him for only his bad, or only his good sides. He is a deeply a complex boy who always made me feel understood, human, and never judged. He always wanted the best for me. He wasn't as I made him out to be in Headspace; and what we see of him in the Real World isn't all he was either. But he was always so good, and so kind, and so cute, and gentle and so pretty and nicea dn cool anxvslbbm that I just want to see him and save him from danger because then he'd be like my princess and if i save the princess then i'll marry the princess and and

(Less deranged and over-the-top version of this post: I love Basil so much you cannot even IMAGINE I don't think I've ever been so partial to anyone or anything for as long as I have been for this boy. I am deeply homosexual for him but mostly I just want to see him happy. I was never as a good a friend to him as I should've been and seeing him happy is just. cool and good. He deserves it. I'matinylittlebitobsessedwithhim but I just. think he's great and I want him to be happy real bad. I want to take care of him. I want to make him happy. I want to see him thrive and love himself and healthy and as positive as he always wanted to be. I want to see him become the sunflower he cherished the idea of.)

(Also I really want to run my hand through his hair. And kiss him . j just a little bit .)

[cup1dt3a]

I loved your Wally x reader and their little sister its so cute I hope its ok if I request a Wally x reader who loves to draw and reader starts looking for inspiration and they come across the show and they start drawing the characters Wally seemingly there favorite to draw

Tysm for the request and kind words! It always makes me happy to know people are enjoying my writing! And your request sounds very intriguing I like it! Hope you’re doing well or that things get better!

“ Ugh! Why must artblock be such a bitch!?” You cried out scribbling over the drawings you deemed not good.

You’ve had nothing but what feels like years of artblock. Even though it’s only been two weeks you just really wanted draw something and be happy with it but with whatever you drew you immediately hated it or just couldn’t get it how you wanted it to look. Including when a single idea came to mind it would completely vanish the moment you tried to draw. It was almost as if the gods forbid you to draw. Eventually you sighed out too frustrated to keep going as you tossed your sketch book to the side of your nightstand with your pencil and eraser.

“ Maybe watching some TV will do the trick?” You questioned to yourself .

As you grabbed the remote to the Tv flipping through the dully colored shows. Some more mature, too childish for you, others too in appropriate for you. Soon enough after your mindless flipping you came across a bright and colorful show displaying its intro. Now this looked interesting! You put the remote down onto a nearby surface as your eyes were now glued to the TV. Everything about the show from beginning to end captivated you. The show’s character designs were outstanding, the animation even more the puppets was almost too smooth like they were alive, and just everything about it made you admire it. But one character in particular caught your attention.

Wally Darling the main character of the show drew you into it even more. You loved his design and character traits. He was like a little gremlin! It didn’t help that he was also 12 apples tall. He was just a tiny little gremlin in your eyes that loved apples and drew. Him also being an artist was just a bonus for you!

“ Now! What do you think I should draw today?” He asked through the screen staring at the viewer who was currently you.

“ How about I draw you?” You muttered eyes flickering back and forth to a cream colored page and the colorful puppet.

Your art block finally vanished from your new obsession with the main character Wally. His design was supper easy to draw his figure too was just as easy. It didn’t help that the day after watching the show and drawing him the next few episodes all he did was give you brilliant and adorable poses. It was like he was practically begging you to draw him.

What a model he was. It was almost as if he never wanted you to take your eyes off of him. Like he was your little model doing anything you needed without being asked to. The perfect model indeed. But everyone has their secrets right? And your precious model had many.

He swung his legs back and forth with glee as he laid on his plush stomach on the the floors of your room. Flipping through your many many many pages of him and his friends. But mainly him. He couldn’t believe that he was the main focus of your inspiration. Him! Wally Darling the main focus of your own masterpieces. He had to admit you really did have some talent with shading and even just with drawing in general. You were just as good as him! It made him so happy almost too happy.

Looking over to your sleeping figure he couldn’t help but just want to give you a hug as a thank you for your amazing work. What kind of neighbor would he be if he didn’t thank you for being so kind as to draw him?

So as quietly as he could he had gotten up off of his little legs pushing up from the ground to tip toe over to your sleeping figure. Somewhere in your own dream land unaware and so unknowingly vulnerable to anyone who came in here. You should be glad it was him and not some horrible soul! Wally never exactly understood sleeping. Every time he tried he’d wake up in a panic scared of the horrible things his imagination came up with in his own dream land. You just looked so peaceful. He must admit that he envied you and his friends for having the gift of sleep. He’s almost surprised he doesn’t have eye bags like Franks. Just as he reached your comfy bed he couldn’t reach up. Pouting as he tried to quietly jump up without waking you. He couldn’t reach you even as he pitifully tried. Your bed was too high for his small plush legs to reach. He wondered how you even got up her everyday. You must of had to do some kind of cardio to achieve the top of this thing!

You stirred around on top of the bed hearing a small pitter patter constantly tapping your floor. You assumed it was your pet wanting attention. It was your fault for spoiling them so much they they only scratched at your bedside or tried to jump onto it so you would cuddle them. Tiredly sitting up you turned to the side of the constant pitter patter you felt around for them eventually feeling something soft and pulling them up. Not even giving it a second thought to the difference in the texture of your baby.

“ You’re so pitiful.” You told them nuzzling their forehead before dozing off to sleep.

Well this was unexpected. You’re now hugging him and he can’t get out of your grip now. Home is going to be so mad at him if he doesn’t hurry up. But at the same time you’re so comfy as you gently huggs you with his plush form. Why must the world be so cruel that he has to go soon ending this amazing moment sooner than he wants it to. If he could he would just lay in your arms forever always able to have your warm figure cuddling him. Wow he could actually go to sleep for once. But the sun is about to rise and home will lock him out again if he doesn’t come back! This was so unfair. After he sadly wiggled out of your loving grip he jumped off the bed. Landing face first onto the hard floor. How lovely?

He bit his tongue rushing towards the TV to scream out in pain as freely as he wanted to.

You woke up in an award position as if you were hugging something. You stretched your arms out trying to undo a few knots in your back. All the sudden you heart your pet making a ruckus at the door. You huffed getting out of bed to see what got them so rilled up. Soon you came to the door hearing the bell ringing. Opening the door you saw a small rectangular box at the bottom of your feel. Looking around the corner unsure you ordered anything that was supposed to arrive today.

You brought it inside to see if you could find an address or anything to know who’s it was and to your dismay there was no sticker or anything just a colorful. Little box the red, orange, and yellow pattern looked familiar. You decided to open it up to see if there was anything in there.

As you opened it you couldn’t help but squeal. It was a little Wally puppet! Whoever this was supposedly to go to was never getting it back now. You couldn’t believe it! There was only so much and so few Wally Darling puppets ever sold. You fawned over the doll not noting its smile growing by the moment as you hugged it.

Hope you all enjoyed this! I’ve been having a bit of writers block but managed to get through with this I’m so happy! I hope you’re all doing well or that yo ur day gets better.

Also ty all so much for the kind words you all comment on my works. It makes me so happy to know you all are enjoying my writing. I had written my first Wally Darling fic and a joke tbh and because I was bored and next thing Ik I’m now doing it so often I bearly write for twst XD.

Sincerely-Cup1dT3a 💌

[britishmuffin]

Hello, Britishmuffin

I hope you are having a wonderful day/night.

Just wanted to know what inspires you to make such amazing art pieces? As well how do you deal with art block?

Im a artist myself but times get tuff and I lose motivation and start developing art block.

Sincerely, fisheggsoup :)

Morning! Love your name :D

Truthfully, my biggest motivator is born of necessity these days. I create art because I have bills to pay and family to support. My patrons are a huge driving force in all this, cheering me on from the sidelines while I work; my band of blessed saviours.

I also make sure that my social feeds are full of artists I love, who make art that makes me happy. I'm always watching films and playing games, always constantly absorbing media in this wacky age of technology-infused information. Then if I'm lucky, I get the chance to step outside for a walk in the woods with my sibling to help ground ourselves in the world and reconnect with nature, pure medicine for the troubled soul.

All of these activities serve to stir the Brain Soup and sometimes reflect in my artwork. I rarely get struck with the "fabled bolt of inspiration" these days, but I blame the current climate. I did used to.

As some of you will already know because I'm being quite open about it this time, I'm currently battling the worst bout of burnout I've had in literal years. So really, I'm not sure I'm the best person to be asking on the topic of how to deal with it, but here you go:

In my experience it’s not the best idea to wait for inspiration to strike. Inspiration is unreliable, constantly waiting can leave you anxious, and also most of us just don’t have the luxury of being able to. I kinda think we just need to create despite it (or TO spite it, or in order to spite someone who told you you couldn't, if that's your sauce).

If you feel like your art sucks, instead of expecting perfection try just giving yourself permission to be bad at art for a while, you might be surprised about how much of a relief it feels. Make a hundred terrible little sketches, doodles, scribbles, or just make marks on paper. You don’t even have to show them to anyone, they can be just for your eyes! More often than not I’ve found that the physical act of creating artwork can genuinely inspire you to make more, and better work. It flexes those art muscles and gets the creative cogs whirring. Just make stuff!!!

As a person who’s had little choice but to create for years, it can be really helpful to push through it. Not always, though.

Sometimes the art block you’re staring down actually goes layers deep into the realms of debilitating mental health and poor living status, right into dangerous burnout and breakdown territory. Some would argue that creating art in times of real pain is the best medicine, and indeed, creates the best results. I wholly disagree.

My advice is to always make art in those moments when you can, even if it sucks. And when you just can’t, then rest. Watch your favourite guilty pleasure anime, cook some delicious food, hug your pets, go exist in nature for a bit. Have you ever seen Kiki’s Delivery Service? That!

Helpful links to combat art block:

Line of Action has great learning resources, while also being a brilliant tool for a variety of speedy sketch warm-ups

Don’t know what to draw? Use a character description generator!

You could flex your figure drawing muscles with models on Figurosity, AdorkaStock, or ArtModels360 (nudity warning)

Improve your fundamental art skills with Drawabox or videos on The Fix List

Generate some colour palettes to use as a challenge. Adobe’s colour wheel tool isn’t too bad either

Other more practical tips include:

If you struggle staying motivated, try to refocus by sitting down and asking yourself "What kind of art do I really want to create?” Try to rediscover what excites you! Is your aim to work in the art industry? To be able to draw your OCs smooching? Draw beefy bara men? Do you really just wanna paint cool rocks? All valid af

Pull up images of your favourite artworks and study them. Ask yourself “Why do I like this artwork?” Are the outfits really cool designs? Is the lineart super stylish? Do you love the way they used colours? After that, think about what you need to learn to get to that point yourself, and start small. Mimic your favourite artworks in order to learn how to do it.

Example: If you realise that you want to improve at drawing hands, just spend a week learning about them. Draw pages and pages of them, find a way to make them fun and sexy to draw! I did just that, and now hands are actually one of my favourite things to draw, it works.

Warm-ups are SO important. If you just started on a piece and already feel defeated, ask yourself “Did I warm up enough first?” You can try looping fifty quick spirals in different sizes with your pen, scratch out some box shapes, doodle some funky wiggly shapes, crosshatch them, whatever you want! Just get that hand moving before you leap into your artwork of choice, it helps to loosen up to keep your lines from becoming too stiff.

If it’s just not working today, that’s okay. Take a break by filtering your creativity into another entirely different creative pursuit. You could try baking something tasty, making music, writing for your next D&D campaign, building cute houses in minecraft or the sims, painting miniatures, crafting with paper or sewing fabric, etc etc. Anything that keeps the creative brain ticking that isn’t drawing is also worthwhile.

And, mentally:

Try not to worry about what other people think of your artwork. Doesn’t matter what age you are or your background, the fact you’ve created anything at all is incredible. You brought something into the world that didn’t exist before. You’re powerful as hell.

Related: please please please don’t focus on being “successful” on social media. Even though I know it can feel awesome to post your art and get instant reactions, these things are a death spiral of addictive behaviour and shouldn’t dictate your creativity. Use sparingly.

Remember that your kid self would absolutely be losing their mind over the cool stuff you’ve made now. Same goes for your ancient ancestors who used to make those little clay animals. You’re doing great, be proud.

Don’t be so damn hard on yourself. I mean it <3

If you keep drawing you will improve. You will get your motivation back. You will make art again even if it takes you a while. And know that a muffin is cheering for you c: