#also ive never known peace

[tomdelongeschlong]

[liquidstar]

and now for something stupid

[iatrophilosophos]

Hey I'm hearing uh. More, and more, and more buzz about GLP-1 agonists like ozempic from random ppl and healthcare providers alike and there's like a terrifying lack of lucidity abt it so I just wanna say, if you've heard some stuff and are curious:

Ozempic is a chemically-aided crash diet. That's it.

Like metformin, an older diabetes medication used off-label for weight loss, it's functioning as an appetite suppressant in this use-case. It's not magic; it's not changing how your body makes or uses fat; it just makes it less miserable to eat less. It is contraindicated by histories of disordered eating and should absolutely not be prescribed without a full screening for above-adequate food intake and nutrition *and* ongoing screening for adequate nourishment/malnutrition: this is broadly not happening.

I've also seen no indication that ozempic/GLP-1 agonists are any less likely to lead to weight cycling (w/o constant use) than a straight crash diet, or do anything meaningful to limit the known, significant health risks of weight cycling.

Nothing has changed:

The main things we know from a western scientific perspective about weight and weight loss are that 1) almost all people who lose significant weight gain it back and 2) weight cycling causes cardiovascular and metabolic health complications. Yall we aint even have strong evidence to suggest that weight loss is beneficial to health conditions associated with higher weights. This *should* point to Dr's never ever reccomending weight loss (we do know it can hurt, don't know it can help) but yknow we live in uhhhh fucking world.

We are possibly ripe for an aggressive intensification of anti-fat medical rhetoric, especially in pediatrics

Among the projections for an RFK FDA that ive gotten from folks i know in these fields is a renewed focus on childhood obseity and general military-style fitness. As the ozempic fad has already been ramping up, I'm kinda! concerned! about this being a major point of focus for the oncoming administration--i figure we're ripe for another mass diet craze associated with a wide variety of deaths anyway and that existing cultural+market inertia added to it being literally on the agenda spells some not great things. I really seriously reccomend paying extra attention to this area.

Clinics love ozempic because it's extremely popular and extremely profitable--i even know someone who's job was threatened for refusing to prescribe it. We already know that we cant trust doctors to be informed around weight or for the system to sound public alarms.

Obviously, people have the right to do whatever they want--but the disclosure just isn't there and people are being sold this stuff based on the idea it'll make them *healthier* and prevent disease. It can't and it won't.

If the claims here about weight in general are new to you, start here: (Don't love the title of the article, second the exasperation)

If you want to understand more about glp-1 agonists specifically, like, start with the Wikipedia article and do some googling it lays out the pharmacology in relatively plain language. Sry i ain't doing a buncha work to find citations ppl won't click; there's not a lot of good critical stuff out there that's actually published but it doesn't actually take a lot of reading up on critical weight science to form a critical take on the sources singing ozempics praises.

Peace, good luck, do whatever you want forever, maybe tell ur mom that this isn't any different from the disastrous weight loss fads of the 90s.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Leaving IV

Alexia Putellas x Teen!Reader

Summary: Alexia takes you on holiday

The first time Alba and Alexia went on holiday with each other was when Alexia turned eighteen.

Suddenly, she had independence and some adult money to blow on frivolous things so she took Alba to Ibiza with her.

You got left at home because you were still very little and going to the beach and tanning was not something you enjoyed.

Instead, with both of your sisters in Ibiza, Mama took you to the beach near the house and you did fun things like building a sandcastle and eating your weight in ice cream.

Mama made a weekend of it and you were certain you had a much more fun time than Alba and Alexia did. You couldn't imagine laying in the sun and sleeping the day away with fruity drinks could be much fun or, at least when you were younger you couldn't imagine it being fun.

Now though, as a teenager that was also an athlete, you enjoyed you sleep. Naps were an important part of your routine. You came home from school and napped before getting up to go to your training. Then you would come home and nap until dinner.

It was good routine. You liked your routine.

You didn't like having it interrupted at three in the morning by Alba shaking you awake.

You blindly bat a hand at her. "Go away." You roll over onto your front and bury your head in the pillow. "Five more minutes."

"You'd already said that," She says," Come on, get up."

"No."

"If you don't get up now then Alexia will be up with a bucket of water. Then you'll have to get up and change your sheets. Come on, up!"

You groan loudly, muffled by your pillow before forcing yourself up.

The only reason you agreed to going on Alexia and Alba's sister holiday was because you thought you could relax. But, with Alexia in charge, you should have known that would never be the case.

She'd booked the flight for six forty-five leading to this three in the morning wake-up call so you dragged yourself out of your body and changed into some plane comfortable clothing.

It was barely an hour's flight from Barcelona to Mallorca so you've no idea why Alexia insisted on the stupidly early flight.

Either way, you drag your suitcase down the stairs and flip your hood up in an attempt to show your protest at the early morning wake-up call.

Alexia pulls it straight back down.

You flip it up again.

She pulls it down again.

You reach to put it up. Alexia's stern look stops you.

You kick her in the shin.

"You kick like a baby," She says, sticking her tongue out.

"I'm going to bite you."

"Ah," Alba says wistfully, throwing her arms around each of you," Just like old times!"

Alexia grins and ruffles your hair. You pretend to be annoyed.

You manage to have a small nap on her shoulder on the flight over and then get rudely awakened by her shaking you.

The villa is nice though and it's even nicer when you remember Alexia is paying for absolutely everything.

The house has a pool and a shady spot for naps and a big inflatable sword that you're going to use to smack Alba when she annoys you. It's near the beach and is only a ten-minute walk or so into town.

All in all, you're actually quite happy to be on this trip with your older sisters, even though Alba shoves past you to claim the room you wanted as her own.

The sun is nice and hot and you close your eyes for your midday nap as Alba floats around in the pool and Alexia paces around on the phone to her girlfriend.

It's nice and peaceful and sleep comes easy to you.

You don't know how long you've been sleeping by the time Alexia wakes you up by squirting cold sun cream onto your back.

You shriek, flinching away but her strong hands follow you and you can feel her rubbing it in.

"Ale," You whine," I don't need any."

"You do," She insists, working it more furiously into your skin," I got the strongest I can find."

"But then I won't tan!"

"Good. Tanning can cause skin cancer."

"You tan!"

"I don't have delicate baby skin," Alexia says and you turn your head back to look at her in disbelief," Skin cancer is scared of me."

From the sunbed next to you, Alba scoffs. Her face is covered in sun cream that hasn't been rubbed in yet. Clearly, she was Alexia's first victim.

"I don't have delicate baby skin!" You insist.

"Yes, you do." Alexia bats your arms away. "Mama made me promise to make sure you two wore your sun cream which means no tanning oil and no fighting me on it! I'm the oldest. I'm in charge!"

"You can't be in charge of me," Alba says," I'm an adult."

Alexia thinks for a moment before nodding. She prods you in the pack. "You're a baby so I'm in charge of you."

You groan. "This is so unfair!"

"Life's unfair," Alexia says impassively," Now, stay still. I might have missed a spot."

You're pretty sure she dumped the whole bottle on you.

Alexia's a hoverer. She always has been and she always will be.

Her arm is slung around your shoulders as you make your way down the street to find some food. She's insisted on getting you a big floppy hat to protect your face even though she's completely drowned it in sun cream.

"I'm kind of craving seafood," Alba says," Seafood and pasta."

You nod. "I want pasta too."

Alexia nods along. "Pasta sounds good."

"I want dessert as well," You continue.

"That's such a good idea!" Alba agrees quickly," I could kill for some warm cookie dough right now."

You nearly drool at the thought. "With whipped cream."

"And caramel sauce!"

Alba grabs your hand, pulling you out of the security of Alexia's arm and starts sprinting down the street, to where all the restaurants have lined up their menus for the night.

You allow yourself to be dragged, easily keeping pace with her.

You turn to look behind you. "Ale, come on!"

Alexia catches up in record time, grabbing your other hand.

"Seafood, pasta and cookie dough," She laughs," I want dough balls too."

[jozor-johai]

This is just a short note I will expand on elsewhere, but GRRM has this somewhat infamous quote about LOTR, about what to do with the orcs after the story ends. This is about rulership—what happens after the conquest?

Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs? By the end of the war, Sauron is gone but all of the orcs aren’t gone – they’re in the mountains. Did Aragorn pursue a policy of systematic genocide and kill them? Even the little baby orcs, in their little orc cradles?

Part of what I love to death about ASOIAF is that it seems fundamentally more interested in these questions than the excitement of the conquest itself.

I see this quote brought up about the Others every once in a while, but I also think that we might be seeing one iteration of this idea with Dany in Meereen and the children of the slavers:

“The Sons of the Harpy are laughing in their pyramids,” Skahaz said, just this morning. “What good are hostages if you will not take their heads?” In his eyes, she was only a weak woman. Hazzea was enough. What good is peace if it must be purchased with the blood of little children? “These murders are not their doing,” Dany told the Green Grace, feebly. “I am no butcher queen.” (ADWD Dany IV)

There are obvious differences—for a start, humans have the potential to grow up to be anything, rather than the known entity of the inherent evil when it comes to orcs.

In an ASOIAF-relevant context, though, the question is similar: you won, do you eradicate your enemies? Their remaining families? What if it looks like a direct path to peace for those you were fighting for? “What good is peace if it must be purchased with the blood of little children?”

Considering that slavery is some of the clearest evil we’ve seen in the books thus far, I think this is one way GRRM is be bringing his thoughts on fantasy rulership to a more human context in ASOIAF.

The issue of letting the children live (or not) also makes for another very interesting parallel between Dany and Robert Baratheon, who is another key figure in ASOIAF’s exploration for how one rules after the battle has been won. Barristan makes the connection nearly explicitly for the reader, standing up for Ned’s name:

“Your Grace,” said Selmy, “Eddard Stark played a part in your father’s fall, but he bore you no ill will. When the eunuch Varys told us that you were with child, Robert wanted you killed, but Lord Stark spoke against it. Rather than countenance the murder of children, he told Robert to find himself another Hand.” (ADWD Dany II)

Robert was faced with the same choice and, over the course of his reign, has been given two different takes, one to start his reign and one at the end of it. Robert’s peace was bought with the blood of Rhaegar’s children, the young Aegon and Rhaenys, delivered—albeit unsolicited—by the Lannisters, to cement Robert’s legitimacy and their own stake in his rule. At the end of his reign, Robert is faced with the premise of a new Targaryen baby being born and Ned offers an contrary opinion much like Dany’s own (in spirit if not in allegiance):

“Robert, I ask you, what did we rise against Aerys Targaryen for, if not to put an end to the murder of children?”

There’s plenty more to be said, but I just want to point out this angle for interpreting the GRRM LOTR quote. For one, sometimes people take issue with how literally GRRM himself is enacting his criticisms (saying things like, 'we never see Robert's tax policy either')—but this is a great example of how GRRM can raise a criticism that fits for a different series and make it work within his own world by adjusting the circumstances.

Also, I think that for discussions that attempt to predict where the story will go from here based on comments like this from GRRM, it’s important to see where GRRM is already exploring these ideas. In ASOIAF, this sort of application doesn’t require this idea to be explored with some kind of similarly-undying evil like the orcs or like Sauron, GRRM is applying these ideas to much more human evils, like slavery, and much more human applications, like any kind of military victory.

[n1ght0f-nyx]

woven bonds pt 4

pert'ah x fem reader

you've struggled with sleep since you first moved in with your arranged orc husband, one night you find him awake in front of the hearth, drawing quietly

tags/warnings- arranged marriage, human female x male orc, gentle giant, your starting to develop feelings for big man

also feel free to request non-woven bonds related things that involve pert'ah or my other ocs (see my masterlist) i love writing for all these characters and seeing the mass of support ive gotten over the last month!

word count-1025

The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its warm, golden light flickering across the small room. You were curled up on the straw mattress, a blanket pulled up to your chin as you tried to sleep, but rest wouldn’t come. It hadn’t for weeks now—not since your father had sold you to this…orc. You didn’t even know how long it had been since you arrived in the orc’s encampment. Days blurred together in a haze of resentment and exhaustion.

You shifted under the covers, your eyes squeezing shut as you willed sleep to take over. But the soft, almost rhythmic scratching sound near the fire caught your attention. You opened your eyes and turned your head just slightly. Pert’ah was seated by the fire, his broad, muscular form hunched over something in his lap.

You studied him, curiosity tugging at you despite the cold distance you had tried to maintain. His rough features—large tusks, strong jaw, and dark green skin—were cast in soft shadows by the firelight. His long, dark hair was tied back, leaving his sharp, intelligent eyes exposed. He was so different from the human men you had known, yet there was something almost peaceful about him at this moment.

He didn’t notice you watching him as he worked. His large hand moved with surprising gentleness, guiding a piece of charcoal across the page of an old, worn book. The scratching sound was his sketching. It struck you as strange at first—an orc, known for their brute strength, sitting quietly by the fire, creating art.

Your gaze drifted to the rest of the room—his space, now shared with you. It was small but organized with care, wooden furniture crafted by hand and everything in its place. There were his weavings, hung neatly on the walls, adding splashes of color to the otherwise drab space. You had always kept your distance from him and his belongings, but tonight, your defenses felt weaker. Maybe it was the late hour or the quietness of the moment, but you couldn’t help but feel a small spark of curiosity.

Slowly, quietly, you rose from the mattress and tiptoed toward him, careful not to disturb the peace. He still hadn’t noticed you, his focus entirely on the sketch he was working on. You hesitated just a few feet away, unsure if you should say something or return to bed. Before you could make up your mind, his hand stilled, and his head lifted slightly.

“Why you awake?” His voice was low and gruff but not unkind. He still hadn’t turned to face you.

You swallowed, caught off guard by the question. “I…couldn’t sleep,” you mumbled.

He nodded, still looking down at his work. “Fire helps. Calm mind.”

You shuffled awkwardly, unsure how to respond. His broken English always made conversations feel a bit stilted, but you could tell he was trying. He always tried. Despite everything, Pert’ah had never been cruel to you. Frustratingly kind, even. Still, the bitterness of your situation gnawed at you, making it hard to accept any gesture of goodwill.

“What are you drawing?” you asked softly before you could stop yourself.

Pert’ah finally turned his head toward you, his expression unreadable in the firelight. He hesitated for a moment, then held out the book in your direction.

You took a tentative step closer, eyes darting down to the page. Your breath caught in your throat.

It was a sketch of you.

In the drawing, you were lying asleep, the blanket pulled up around your shoulders. It was a peaceful image, detailed and precise. The lines were soft, capturing your form with care. He had been drawing you without your knowledge, but there was no malice in the action—just quiet observation.

You stared at it, unsure of how to feel. His drawing was beautiful, but the thought of him watching you sleep, even harmlessly, made your skin prickle. “Why did you draw me?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Pert’ah looked back at the sketch, then at you. “You are…here. In my life now. I want remember this. Peaceful moment.”

Your chest tightened. A part of you wanted to snap at him, tell him that you weren’t here by choice, that nothing about this was peaceful to you. But another part of you—the part that saw the care he put into that drawing—felt…something else. Something softer.

You didn’t say anything for a moment, unsure of what to do with this strange mixture of emotions.

Pert’ah’s gaze fell to the floor. “I sorry… if this upset you,” he mumbled, his shoulders slumping slightly.

“No,” you said quickly, surprising yourself. “It’s just… unexpected. But it’s—” You paused, searching for the right word. “It’s nice.”

He nodded once, clearly unsure how to respond to your hesitant compliment. The awkwardness lingered between you like an invisible barrier, but it wasn’t as heavy as it had been before. You glanced at the sketch again, still processing how gentle his work was despite his imposing exterior.

Without thinking, you reached out toward the page, wanting to take a closer look. Pert’ah, moving at the same time, reached to turn the page, and your hands brushed together.

The touch was brief, just the lightest contact, but it felt like a jolt of electricity had passed between you. Both of you froze. Your eyes flicked up to meet his, and you saw the surprise mirrored in his expression.

The air in the room seemed to still. Your heart thudded in your chest, and you didn’t pull your hand away. Neither did he. It was a simple touch, nothing more, but the warmth of his skin against yours lingered, refusing to fade.

Pert’ah was the first to break the silence. He pulled his hand back slowly, looking down at the book as if embarrassed by the moment. “I… make you new blanket,” he muttered, his voice quieter now. “Orc blankets warm...Keep you comfortable.”

You swallowed hard, feeling the tension settle back into the air. “Thank you,” you whispered, stepping back toward the mattress. Your hand still tingled from the brief contact, and you weren’t sure why it affected you so much. You shouldn’t care. You shouldn’t let any of this matter.

But it did.

As you lay back down, you glanced at Pert’ah once more. He had returned to his sketching, but his movements were slower, more hesitant. You could still feel the faint trace of warmth where his hand had touched yours. It was a small, fleeting moment, but it stuck with you, lingering long after the fire had burned low.

Maybe it was the quiet of the night, or maybe it was something else entirely, but for the first time since you’d arrived, you didn’t feel completely alone.

In the quiet darkness, your thoughts churned, and for the first time, you wondered if perhaps things might change—if maybe, just maybe, you could learn to see Pert’ah not as the orc who had taken you, but as the quiet, kind soul who had always offered more than you could give in return.

You weren’t ready to admit it to yourself, not yet. But something had shifted tonight, something you couldn’t quite put into words.

And for the first time in weeks, sleep came easier than before.

[miyamoratsumuu]

in love all over again

↳ as you walked down the aisle, the song that described the story of your love played in the background. or your wedding with them as opm (original pinoy music) songs note: lyrics are translated to english, and reader is referred to as the character's "wife" at the second song first song aka the one with iwa may or may not be specifically written for @berrisweet hihi my fav filo iwa enthusiast 🫶🏻

now playing, MUNDO (world) - IV Of Spades hold on tight, so you don't slip away. my love, you are now my home and my world let us forget the world, so we can be together

you were his anchor, and every time he looked you in the eyes was a silent plea for you to never let go. he prayed that you stay with him as nothing else mattered right now. not when he was standing face to face with his whole world right in front of the altar.

ᯓ iwaizumi hajime, miya atsumu, oikawa toru, kageyama tobio, kozume kenma, keigo takami, nanami kento, higuruma hiromi

now playing, LIGAYA (happiness) - mrld isn’t your heart torn about where to go? how about towards me, my love? please don’t worry, I won’t leave you alone. I will be with you, until the end

he made a promise to be the one to ground you when anxiety and worry swallowed you whole. he swore to be your happiness until the end. and now here you were, the both of you with grins as wide as they could be as you were announced husband and wife.

ᯓ bokuto kotaro, hinata shouyo, sugawara koushi, midoriya izuku, kaminari denki

now playing, UNANG SAYAW (first dance) - nobita until the last step of our dance, I know that I will love you forever I'll dance with you slowly, until you realize that I'm the one you need, and the one you want to marry

he told the moon about you, and danced with you right under the moonlit sky. you convinced him that he can find the love of his life. and now that he was your husband, he's sure that he'll be spending the rest of his life loving you.

ᯓ nishinoya yuu, kuroo tetsuro, kirishima eijiro, sero hanta, geto suguru

now playing, KUMPAS (compass) - moira dela torre I hope you can accept who I really am you are the sanctuary that I need even if you don’t know how many times you saved me. you are my destination, and my ending.

you were an unexpected blessing that gently broke down the walls he built to hide himself from the rest of the world. long before today, he dedicated to spend the rest of his life to you, his compass. him slipping the ring on your finger only solidified that dedication.

ᯓ tsukishima kei, sakusa kiyoomi, ushijima wakatoshi, bakugou katsuki, shinsou hitoshi, shoji mezou, gojo satoru

now playing, ARAW-ARAW (everyday) - ben&ben our eyes must have known each other long before they've met. how did you slowly captivate my heart? I will choose you now and everyday. what I feel for you is clear

he finds peace in just looking into your eyes. it's a sensation he can't explain. and no matter how many people he's looked in the eyes his entire life, he would choose your gaze looking back at him any day. and as you begin to share the same last name today, he's more than happy to be part of your every day.

ᯓ akaashi keiji, sawamura daichi, kita shinsuke, yamaguchi tadahi, todoroki shoto, rody soul, gojo satoru

navigation . . . ║ haikyuu masterlist ║ mha masterlist

a/n: this has been rotting in my drafts for a while now but since I was already emptying out my drafts

++ not to be biased but I absolutely love the concept of filipino love songs. especially unang sayaw, I had to hold back on writing a whole fic for it IT'S SO DOMESTIC AND SOFT AND AAAAAAAGH I LOVE IT also I think listening to the songs while reading this is really nice even though it's really short

[xq1zi]

look of love

gaara x reader

warnings: not proof read, english not first language, and no capitalization.

word count: 2.4k

A/N: gaara needs more love. also i recommend the song “strangers in the night” by frank sinatra. it describes this fic perfectly i think and it wasn’t even intentional lol. also this kinda dumb

when the chunin exams had begun you weren't there due to being away on a mission with your parents. and when you came back so much had happened such as sasuke leaving the village. naruto going to go train with master jiraiya.

you would be filled in once you came back and saddened that you didn't get a chance to say goodbye to nartuo. but wasn't the end of the world since what caught your interest was the three they called the “sand village siblings”.

and was told how scarry a guy called “gaara” was. sure when this was told to you all of it already happened so you had nothing to worry about but still left a bad taste in your tongue.

but nowadays its peace was made with the sand village so nothing goes on with them anymore you gradually forgot about them. then you were told to go assist team 10 going to save the current kazekage.

after the cheering and sad moment for lady chiyo, he had gotten up to go back home. but he had looked around for a second to see who had come. then your eyes met.

it could be because he's never seen you. or simply you caught his eye for some reason. but for that moment it felt like staring into a person you've known for years. comfort. but it ended as quickly as it started.

then everyone went back to the village and naruto suggested that they should go out to eat. so many went to a restaurant to celebrate the fact that gaara is alive.

the restaurant had a second level balcony and you went out to get fresh air for a little while. then the door slides open. “oh, i didn't realize someone was already here.” a quiet voice says.

“oh no, don't stop because of me here.” you invited gaara to come out with you.

“i don't think we've met before. i was certain i had met everyone of naruto friends by now” he spoke again. “i was on a mission when you first came to leaf village so i didn't have a chance to meet you. im [name] nice to meet you.” your eyes couldnt leave his.

“same to you. gaara but i'm sure you knew that by now…” silent grew but looking into each other's eyes you didn't even notice it one bit.

but subconsciously without thinking, you blurted out the one thing that should've been kept inside. “you look so beautiful..,” quickly slapping your hand over your face and turning away from him.

when you saw him like this your cheeks reddeden even more but this time from the way he looks so cute in this moment. but as it was his power to interpret, nartuo came in looking for gaara. “GAARA THERE YOU ARE HERE COME DOWN- huh what are you guys doing here”

“nothing naruto, just getting to know one another since this is my first time meeting” you said back to him.” “oh okay!,” he gave his big smile “GAARA LET'S GO COME ON” he screamed even more, “very well, nice to meet you, hope we meet again.” he looked at you, seemingly not wanting to go. “yeah..same” both of you stand there before naruto starts yelling again.

a few days passed and you can't stop thinking about the feeling you got with gaara. then as it seems like luck was on your side you were given an assessment to go and give documents to the sand village. after three days of travel you arrived at the sand village. you were at the kazekage doors.

after you knock you hear his voice. “come in.” you opened the door and he looks at you with surprise. “ive came to drop off some reports from what..well you know happened.” you said a bit shyly.

“ah, yes t-thank you.” hes a bit red. “w-well ill be going now.” you said. “w-wait! well arent you tired? y-you should sleep before going,” gaara said without thinking.

not sure of what he was doing he continued on. “you can sleep within my residence, as a guest of the kazekage. rest for a while.” he was still timid but calmed down.

“you sure? i wouldn’t want to be bothersome.” everything seems like it’s coming to place. “you wouldn't, i can assure.” he replied.

“well i guess a quick power nap wouldn’t hurt,” you didn’t sleep that well and you could use a hot shower. “okay i’ll take you up on that offer.”

“good here, follow me.” he said. you two walked for a bit and got to the entrance of his home. then we walked over to a room.

it was nice and tidy. “take my room. my bed is more comfortable than the one in the guest bedroom.” don’t know why he brought you to his own room. but he felt so comfortable with you that he didn’t mind it.

“oh thank you so much.” you said in a genuine tone. “yes, no problem, have a nice nap.” he smiled at you then left to go back to his duties. once his presence left the room you quickly felt your heart racing. why was he making you feel this way? surely it can’t just be you feeling this away.

and you would come to the right conclusion because little to your knowledge he also felt his heart beating in a way he can’t explain.

you changed into some sleeping clothes you packed just in case. and slept for a while. but unfortunately the thing that woke you up was gaara coming into the room thinking you’ve already gone home. since it was only going to be a “quick nap”.

“forgive me i thought you would’ve gone home by now.” he said, very sorry for coming in while you slept. “huh?! NO DID I OVERSLEEP…” you shouted just a bit. “seems as though you did.” he said back. “awe man, wasted a whole day. i have to start leaving now.” you said while getting up from the bed and remaking it.

“i’m assuming you haven’t had dinner yet. it’s not good to go on an empty stomach.” gaara had a point there. “do you have anything in mind?” you said. “i can show you a good restaurant if you want,” he suggested. “i haven’t had dinner yet either”

“okay sure let me get ready and i’ll meet you outside” you replied and started to get dressed once he left. after being done you went down and met with him. and walked to the restaurant together. the two of you sat down and ordered.

“thank you so much for letting me sleep. saved me money and sleep deprivation!” he chuckled at the statement. “yes, no problem just wanting to return the favor to the leaf after coming to my aid” conversation was going smoothly. two of you ate and talked like you’ve grown together over the years.

then finally this moment came to a close and two of you stood outside the restaurant. smiles both placed on each other's faces. then when you started saying goodbye you said something.

“hey! gaara…don’t you feel like we’ve known each other for years. for some reason i’m so comfortable with you.” you said in a soft tone.

“well, yes i do feel like that. i thought i was simply imagining it.” he gave you a soft answer.

“my heart is telling me to keep seeing you or at least keep in touch…hope that doesn’t sound too crazy if you know what i mean.” you chuckled.

“no,not at all, i wouldn't mind. we can exchange letters until we meet again.”

“oh that 's so great! bye gaara!! you’ll get a letter from me once i arrive okay?!” you left giddy knowing that you took a risk and it paid off. faith is certainly doing its course.

over the past couple of months you and gaara exchanged letters. you would wait for his letter to come every time. of course many took notice now a certain type of bird will find you and hand you a letter. it would be rare that you two would meet but every time it was perfect.

“[name] spill we know you have a mystery man.” sakura said while ino stood next to her. “yeah we’ve been dying to know!!” ino went next.

cheeks red from the sudden accusation. you start to rebuttal them. “huh?! i don’t have a mystery man, what are you guys on about!” you wave your hand at them.

“lies! you receive letters from him and every time you read them your face smiles from ear to ear.” sakura shouting at you. this continues on for a bit after you reveal that it's been gaara you’ve been talking to. but nothing is going on.

“nothing going on my butt, you clearly have feelings for him!” ino said. “oh my it’s quite literally love at first sight!” sakura smiled. “sakura what are you on about?! It's nothing like that.” you defend yourself even though deep down you know it’s the truth.

“you can’t even hide it well. your eyes light up so much when you see his letter.” ino remarks. you don’t speak knowing it’s true. “you can’t even say anything because you know it’s true” sakura teased.

while you were enduring this torture, gaara seemily was also going through the same things.

“hey gaara i’ve been wondering who sends you so much letters.” kankuro said. “hey! i was just thinking the same thing!!” temari stated.

“oh, it’s nothing really. just a friend.” they both gave “ohhh”s. “who it’s it naruto? man is he surely consistent with them.” kankuro said. “well it’s a she so it’s not naruto” gaara corrected him. both of them were confused and shocked. “it's a girl?! who!?” temari interested in what her little brother is doing.

“she’s from the leaf. we met when they came to our rescue. for some reason we connected right away.” gaara said bluntly.

“are you serious? i wouldn’t take you for a person who would connect right away.” kankuro laughed. “well who is she? you haven’t answered that.” temari asked again.

“her name is [name].she wasn’t there when we took the chunin exams. so you didn’t get to meet her.” he answered. he gave a slight smile when talking about you.

“gaara do you like her as a friend or something more? you seem to light up as you talk above her.” temari teased him. “you should definitely ask her out if you do” kankuro joined in.

“it’s nothing like that.” gaara defended himself while a tint of pink appeared on his cheeks. this continued for a while seemingly with no end. but at the end of the day both of you came to the same conclusion. you both had a crush on each other.

when finally it came time for you two to see each other again. it was a bit awkward. “so gaara how have you been..?” you asked shyly while walking. “good, a bit tiring but nonetheless good.” he replied back.

“good, good, uhm gaara do you want to go somewhere? i know a really good place.” you said to him. “sure, lead the way.” he smiled at you.

while you led the way you too talked. with those quick silent moments where you two just look at each other with a deep understanding. just like falling in love.

“look gaara, how beautiful the view is!,” you said while looking over the beach as the sun goes down. and the waterfall falling into the water make a nice and calming sound that you can just fall asleep too.

“here!, come!! sit! look at this view gaara isn’t it great.” you said while being hypnotized by the view.

“yes. it is certainly beautiful.” gaara said but not looking at the view rather at you. the two of you sat there for a while listening to the waves and wind. you gave a sigh “gaara… i feel like i’ve known you for so long… i feel so safe around you.” you turned now looking into his eyes. drowning in them you lose yourself in them.

“i feel the same. not sure why but i want to stay close to you.” he turned red because he never felt so open like this before.

“me too…can i be honest gaara?,” he nodded so you continued. “i have feelings for you… when i first saw you i felt a sudden connection i know it sound silly-”

“it doesn’t. it’s not silly.” he interrupted you. “you sure?” you giggled. “i’m sure.” his smile was so bright.

“would you like to be with me?” he said. it was sudden even though you felt the same you were so shy to answer. “y-yes. i would!” you said while turned red. “good. thank you.” he pulled into a hug and kiss the top of your head.

after a couple of hours you two returned to his home. as it was closer. “so now that we are together…what do we do?” you asked.

“not sure what you mean.” he was confused. “i mean do you want to cuddle and sleep together?” you nervously laughed. “you can if you want.” he looked away with a slight blush. “you look cute, did i tell you that?” you giggled. he blushed even more.

you got ready for bed. his bed was large so certainly enough space for both of you two to have your own space. but you chose not too. embracing each other. and falling asleep as newley lovers. who seemingly fell in love at first sight.

did guys like it? i worked on it in class lol. i probably would make head canons for him or a part 2 if you guys want!!

[amalythea]

omg i love this new event and ive been scrolling thru your acc since i read that one kazuha fic!! if possible, may i pls request 46. “i can't help but wonder if you ever truly loved me.” with kazuha since i need some angsty angst and i adore the way you write him! tysm, and feel free to ignore this request ir you're busy! <333 THANK YOU FOR FEEDING US!

「goodbyes 」

⤷ info: kazuha x gn!reader || angst, hurt/no comfort || wc: 741

⤷ warnings: break up, heartbreak, angst. i cried when writing this. reader is tired, alone and upset guys let's give them a break

⤷ extra: hi!! i'm honored omg thank you!! also i made up the flower (hoping there wasnt one called flame lotus in genshin already)

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky painted in deep hues of indigo and violet. The quiet hum of cicadas filled the air, their droning chorus a poor substitute for the voice you had longed to hear. The teapot on the stove had gone cold hours ago, its contents untouched as you sat at the table, staring blankly at the faintly glowing lantern.

Another evening alone. Another night without him.

You tried not to let it weigh on you, tried to understand. Kazuha was a free spirit, a wanderer by nature. You had known this when you first fell for him, when his poems were your only company for weeks at a time. But something in your chest had begun to ache in ways you hadn’t expected, hollow and gnawing, growing with each passing day.

The door creaked open, and his familiar silhouette appeared, framed by the dim light of the moon. He stepped inside quietly, as if afraid to disturb the peace. His soft smile reached you first, a flicker of warmth that you would have once found comforting. Now, it only deepened the bitter weight in your chest.

“Did I keep you waiting?” he asked, his voice as calm as the ocean breeze. He shed his coat, hanging it neatly by the door, and turned to you with those gentle eyes of his.

You shook your head, though the words you wanted to say burned on your tongue.

He moved closer, setting his travel-worn bag by the wall. “I found something today that reminded me of you,” he said, withdrawing a delicate flower from his pocket. The petals were a vibrant red, trembling slightly in his hands. “It’s called a flame lotus. The vendor said it thrives in solitude but burns brighter when it’s nurtured.”

You stared at the flower, at the care he took in holding it, and something inside you snapped.

“Kazuha,” you said, your voice steadier than you felt. “Do I mean anything to you?”

He blinked, startled, the flower dipping slightly in his grasp. “What kind of question is that?”

“I can’t help but wonder,” you continued, the words tumbling out before you could stop them, “if you ever truly loved me.”

The air grew heavy, the cicadas outside suddenly silent. Kazuha’s eyes widened briefly before narrowing with something that might have been hurt or disbelief. He set the flower down carefully, too carefully, as though it might shatter under his touch.

“Why would you think that?” he asked softly, but his voice carried the weight of a thousand storms.

You stood, your chair scraping against the floor, and faced him fully. “Because I feel like I’m always waiting, always hoping you’ll come back, but when you do, it’s like I’m just another stop on your journey. I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m enough, that I can handle the loneliness, but…” Your voice cracked, and you clenched your fists. “But I can’t anymore.”

His gaze dropped, his silence cutting deeper than any argument could. You wanted him to fight, to deny it, to promise you that he loved you, that he needed you. Instead, he simply stood there, the distance between you growing insurmountable.

“I never meant for you to feel this way,” he murmured, his tone laced with regret. “I thought... I thought you understood.”

You let out a hollow laugh, shaking your head. “I thought I did too. But understanding doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

Kazuha opened his mouth, then closed it again, his expression unreadable. The poet, the wanderer, the man who always had a verse ready for every occasion, now had nothing to say.

The silence stretched, oppressive and cold. Finally, you turned away, unable to bear the sight of him any longer. “Maybe it’s better if you go. You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

His sharp intake of breath was the only indication that your words had hit their mark. He didn’t move, not at first, but when you risked a glance over your shoulder, he was already reaching for his coat.

He paused by the door, the flower still sitting untouched on the table between you. “I do love you,” he said quietly, so quietly you almost didn’t hear it. “In my own way.”

And then he was gone, the sound of his footsteps fading into the night. The flame lotus sat there, its vibrant red mocking the emptiness in your chest.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

@amalythea 2024. | do not re-upload, copy, translate, etc. my works on any form of media.

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Damn that ivy fic hurt so good I need another.

How about ivy x reader but iii is in love with reader too but always thought she only loved him as an older brother but on a random friday she‘s tipsy and confessed to him that she had a huge crush on him but he never made a move but ivy did and she eventually fell in love with him?

Love in depths of silence

iii had always been a class clown. Never cared much for it. Never cared that he looked silly or unserious. He enjoyed it. Letting his bubbly personality show. It was him being his true self just… minus the deeply loving and caring side. When you had walked in with just as much sas he knew you were gonna get along just fine. And boy had he underestimated.

Crew often joked that you two should never be left alone unsupervised because if not one then the other was dancing on top of the tables or trying to prove that one could lift the leg higher than the other. There was constant laughter with you. Genuine one. One that made him giddy inside for hours as he thought back on it. But there was also a deeper part to this. One where you two would only have to look at one another to feel it. The pull. The slowly growing desire. They say that eyes never lied and in this case, they did the most talking.

When the flirting started it was hard to distinguish it from silly banter. So the push and pull started. That night in London after the fully sold-out arena happened. The thrill of it all. The buzzing in the air. The pins and needles in the fingers. The dim back room. iii’s hand in your hair as he pressed you against the wall. That kiss had it all. The longing. The desire. The love blossoming in silence. You had been the outlet and then when he had seen your big eyes looking back at him as he pulled away. He had panicked. Fully panicked he spewed something about this being a mistake as he stumbled back into the main room.

It had all shifted after that. For a handful of weeks, you two had fully ignored each other. iii knew that he had to be the one who had to take the first step. But how do you make a comeback after that? So he waited. Watched. You slowly went back to a somewhat similar banter. And after thinking of it for days he had finally bit the dust and went up to your hotel room. Palms sweating as he waited for you to answer. “Hey”, your cheeks were flushed, only a button-up jacket over your frame. “Hi, I was…”, iii frowned slightly as he let himself drink you in. “I…”, “Baby, who is that?”, that voice alone sends iii’s heart falling to his feet. “Did you need something?”, you asked softly but all iii can focus on now are the rustling sheets and the sound of footsteps. His shirtless bandmate walking from the back side of the room. “Hey, dude what’s up?”, iv says casually pulling his pants back up. iii honestly felt like laughing. No, the first reaction was to punch iv actually but he knew he had no right to so he had to back away. “Can’t seem to find my phone, thought that I maybe…”, iii was quick to shrug, “Actually maybe I do know where it could be”. And he’s turning so quickly he’s surprised he doesn’t tumble.

It was one agony-filled pretend fest after that. His only salvation was that you two didn’t seem too keen on public affection but even then fate would pull him to you. Making sure he would end up in the back room just as you were straddling iv, kissing him. Eyes falling to your interlinked fingers as you walked back to the bus. Ivy’s clothes you wore. He had a feeling that he could have had that. That it had been right there but he had fucked it.

And he had thought that he was starting to get over it. That he would move on. Make peace with it. Should have known it was a fool’s dream. The moment you stepped into the pub for that post-tour celebration. All iii could do was look at you. The lace dress. The heels. You were a vision. A fucking apparition he had been chasing for months now. One that had given him a fleeting hug before settling on iv’s lap.

“You’re quiet”, you nudged his shoulder as most of the guys had taken it upon themselves to either go dance or refill everyone’s drinks. “Just tired”, iii shrugged. You were inches apart. He could feel the warmth from your body. Smell your perfume. Then you just let out a giggle as you shook your head. “What’s so funny?”, he asked turning to you slightly. “Just… you know I had the biggest crush on you”, you mussed still shaking your head, “and I still think that you’re an ass for what you did”. iii wrapped his hand around his glass tightly, “I apologized”, “Did you?”, you asked bitterly. “I was pinning after you like an idiot and then you had pretty much called me one too”, you sighed, staring ahead. “Ever thought about the fact that maybe I had feelings for you too?”, iii bit back. “Oh, please”, you rolled your eyes. “I’ve been in love with you for months and I fucking blew it all out the window”, iii put his glass down on the table running a hand over his face. “Iii”, “Don’t give me that pity party boo shit”, he grumbled pushing out of the booth. “Don’t you fucking walk away”, you hissed following after him just his steps were a lot bigger and faster. “Iii this is your last warning”, you grunted as you both pushed into the called night. “Or what?”, he turned back harshly. You two were all up in each other’s faces at this point. “Or I will let go and you will never be able to reach me”, you whispered. “Go back inside”, iii said coldly, “your boyfriend is looking for you no doubt”. “You’re being an asshole again”, you muttered. “Just let me go”, he shook his head, stepping backwards. “Do you really want me so bad if you’re walking away for the second time?”, you muttered bitterly. “You don’t know shit about it”, iii shook his head, walking away.

[lychniis]

⚘ ― EVENFALL ! ( valentines day event ).

( # )ㅤ evenfallㅤ —ㅤ twilight ; dusk. the period or the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night.

syn. a valentines day / white day event inspired by hozier lyrics ( and also seconding as my 1000 follower event i suppose XD ). feel free to drop by and select a prompt from the list below alongside a flower / genre. you could always opt for more flowers. however please note that minors are not allowed to request for / interact with nsfw works. please note that the maximum character limit is three.

this was more of a last minute bout of silliness, but i'd love to write some requests for you guys after supporting me and my bs for nearly two years now XD. so hey hey, my inbox is open to be raided! i'm currently taking this event for genshin impact and honkai star rail!

prompts. the prompts and flowers available are listed below. you can request a single prompt + one of more flowers of your choice! you could also add some additional suggestions if you'd like, say a setting or an au or a scenario! requests close by the 20th of febuary. i'll start posting on white day, march 14th.

daisy — fluff.

hyacinth — angst.

tulip — crack / humor.

orchid — smut.

i. ❛ there’s nothing sweeter than my baby. ❜

ii. ❛ no grave can hold my body down, i’ll crawl home to her. ❜

iii. ❛ you knew who i was with every step that i ran to you. ❜

iv. ❛ some like to imagine. the dark caress of someone else. i guess any thrill will do. ❜

v. ❛ honey, when you kill the lights and kiss my eyes. i feel like a person for a moment of my life. ❜

vi. ❛ i’d suffer hell if you’d tell me what you’d do to me tonight. ❜

vii. ❛ honey please, try to love me. my love will never die. ❜

viii. ❛ know that i would gladly be the icarus to your certainty, oh my sunlight. ❜

ix. ❛ you don’t understand, you should never know, how easy you are to need. ❜

x. ❛ idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on his sword. ❜

xi. ❛ honey, just put your sweet lips on my lips. ❜

xii. ❛ i'm so full of love I could barely eat. ❜

xiii. ❛ honey you're familiar, like my mirror years ago. ❜

xiv. ❛ i know who i am when i’m alone. i’m something else when i see you. ❜

xv. ❛ there’s something tragic about you. ❜

xvi. ❛ there’s nothing sweeter than my baby. ❜

xvii. ❛ still my heart is heavy with the hate of some other man’s beliefs. ❜

xviii. ❛ i’ve known the warmth of your doorways. through the cold, i’ll find my way back to you. ❜

xix. ❛ screaming the name of a foreigner's god, the purest expression of grief. ❜

xx. ❛ i couldn’t utter my love when it counted, but i’m singing like a bird about it now.

xxi. ❛ the only heaven i’ll be sent to is when i’m alone with you. ❜

xxii. ❛ i’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies. ❜

xxiii. ❛ i have never known peace like the damp grass that yields to me. ❜

xxiv. ❛ honey please, try to love me. my love will never die. ❜

xxv. ❛ i had been lost to you, sunlight, and flew like a moth to you. ❜

xxvi. ❛ it’s not my arms that will fail me, but this world takes more strength than it gave me. ❜

xxvii. ❛ i need you to run to me, run until you feel your lungs bleeding. ❜

xxviii. ❛ i will not ask where you came from. i will not ask and neither should you. ❜

xxix. ❛ be still, my foolish heart. don't ruin this on me. ❜

xxx. ❛ honey, i wanna race you to the table, if you hesitate, the getting is gone. ❜

( all the dialog prompts presented here are taken from songs by hozier. i own none of them. )

EVENT WORKSㅤ •ㅤ ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

Having said my piece on Nosferatu (2024) as an adaptation, I’m still just stewing over it as a separate story

I think it’s interesting that people presenting the movie as only a dark romance between Ellen and Orlok spin their relationship as a means to open a door to her sexual liberation from the stifling norms of society. The idea of society as something she would want to exit

I frankly felt the film was going for the exact opposite. There is certainly a (rather hamfisted) attempt at presenting the Victorian culture and norms she lives in as cruel, patronizing, and misogynistic. But that seemed more in the effort to showcase how society, the sphere of polite respectability, could easily discard her and bar her access. That she is walking a very thin line, where she could so easily be declared mad or sent to an asylum, and essentially dehumanized, as a result of Orlok’s preying on her. The doctor dosing her with laudanum to stop her ravings, or tying her to the bed, all contribute to that

And from how she describes her childhood, and her worsening “melancholy”, it seemed she already came perilously close to that point before, and that it was her marriage that allowed her to claw her way out to a respite of peace and respectability

This ongoing conflict felt the most in conversation with Penny Dreadful to me. The movie did not have the run time or the interest really to explore what life looked like for her before the movie began. But, tangentially, the broader overlap Ellen has with Vanessa Ives, make me speculate about the passing details we get about her mother’s death, and there being some sort of tipping point with her father where he accused her of being “unclean” after she was found sleepwalking naked. Compared to the way Penny Dreadful uses Vanessa’s possession/ongoing curse as a metaphor/vehicle to expand through subtext her likely having experienced sexual abuse or a traumatizing expression of sexual interest from a father figure— which would tie into why leaving the family home was what put a stop to the psychic sexual assault. And also explain why she was begging for an angel to help her in the first place

Because of the emphasis on how alienated and alone she was because of the ongoing abuse, and the threat of societal dehumanization, I found it particularly effective when Thomas returns from Transylvania with a new understanding of her trauma, having undergone similar trauma himself. When she could not speak of anything supernatural (or traumatic) or be affected by it without being dismissed as mad or unclean, which could in turn become a total dismissal of her humanity. Where Orlok in his knowledge of her abuse, as the perpetrator of it, is the only source of understanding and acknowledgment, her being offered that through Thomas is significant

In the same vein, I really liked him realizing far too early that the hunt for Orlok was a false one, and also the moment when he finds her just at the point of death, and holds her hand

The theme that she may be doomed, that she may never have had a real way out, but that at least she achieved a real connection and was known by someone else, outside of Orlok, without them recoiling or dismissing her, is a poignant one

[whencyclopedia]

A Gallery of Tutankhamun & Family

Tutankhamun is easily the most famous Egyptian ruler in the world thanks to his nearly intact tomb discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 and the "mummy's curse" associated with the opening of that tomb. Although Tutankhamun was initially thought to have been a minor ruler, that opinion has changed, and he is now regarded in a more favorable light.

Tutankhamun (r. c. 1336 to c. 1327 BCE) was the son of Amenhotep IV (better known as Akhenaten) of the 18th Dynasty and his wife Nefertiti. He came to the throne at a young age and died soon after. His father had changed the religious paradigm of polytheism to a monotheistic worship of the god Aten, and the young prince was originally known as Tutankhaten ("living image of Aten") before he changed his name to Tutankhamun ("living image of Amun") when he discarded his father's new religion and returned Egypt to a worship of the old gods, including the popular Amun.

When the general Horemheb (r. 1320-1292 BCE) came to the throne, he tried to erase all evidence of Akhenaten and his family including, of course, Tutankhamun, claiming for himself the role of champion of the old gods and restorer of tradition. Tutankhamun's tomb was accidentally buried later by the workers building the tomb of Ramesses VI (r. 1145-1137 BCE) and was forgotten until its discovery by Carter.

The famous "mummy's curse" or "Curse of Tutankhamun" that became worldwide headlines in 1923 after the "mysterious" death of Carter's patron, Lord Carnarvon, was based on a misinterpretation of an inscription found in the tomb which was reported as reading "I will kill all of those who cross this threshold into the sacred precincts of the royal king who lives forever" but which actually read "I am the one who prevents the sand from blocking the secret chamber" – the "I" being the door. Howard Carter was aware the "curse" was fiction but never challenged it because it kept people away from the tomb, and he could work in peace without constant interruptions. The "curse" also scared people who had either smuggled artifacts out of Egypt illegally or purchased them on the black market into returning them or donating them to museums. There was nothing mysterious about the death of Carnarvon or anyone else associated with opening the tomb. Carter lived until 1939, and Carnarvon's daughter, who was present when the tomb was opened, lived until 1980.

This gallery presents some of the artifacts found in Tutankhamun's tomb as well as images of his parents, the famous image of the young king and his wife Ankhsenamun, and, of course, one of the best-known images associated with ancient Egypt: the golden death mask of Tutankhamun.

Continue reading...

[dirhwangdaseul-archived]

hi everyone, my name is suco, im from méxico and im a teacher by trade, i don't really make a lot of money, i had a previous post asking for help cause i had to take care of some people which is all i do in life with my money and my own life i guess, but anyway it stalled and tbh things have gotten worse so, uh, i usually just go from job to jobs to. jobs but i couldn't get shit for summer and i just don't know. what the fuck to do and i still need to pay the debts cause time is real and while also getting groceries and other shit fixed so im just posting this again in hopes a shorter newer post and goal and brand nee begging helps somehow idk man i just hope we all get what we need, please anything helps fr, anything does, reblogs too 💪🏽🥲💕

my link and my thanks, and my please for the love of god im. on my fucking. knees here. it never fucking ends like i don't think ive ever known peace but for days or hours.

0/600.

[ladylokilaufeyson5]

Where The Shadows Dance (iv)

Bodyguard!Azriel x AutumnDaughter!Reader

CHAPTER IV: The Scars

SUMMARY: The morning after the princess's nightly adventure

WARNINGS: mentions of murder (yay), swearing, mentions of jealousy and past relationships, and also violence

NOTE: and again thank you to my moots @icey--stars and @fieldofdaisiies for proof reading my work <33

WORDS: 2.1K

The princess didn’t rise until noon.

Azriel had awoken three hours earlier. It was later than he normally would, but with his little trip to bring the princess back home, he’d been so exhausted that he hadn’t even realised the sun was up.

The princess’s soft snores filled his ears from behind her bedroom door as he was reading  through a novel, something mundane and uninteresting. It was a book that Nesta had recommended, and he wondered when the smut would start.

Y/n’s snores came to an abrupt halt, and Azriel looked up from the novel. He heard her shuffling about, before she exited her room, a scarlet robe draped over her body. Her hair was frizzy, and her eyes looked as if they would close any minute.

“Good morning, Princess,” Azriel greeted, a small smirk on his face. “Enjoying the consequences of an illegal night out?”

Y/n groaned and slumped beside the shadowsinger on the couch. “Please don’t speak right now. I may throw up again.”

Azriel passed her a cup of tea that had magically kept warm for her. She took it without a word and began drinking, closing her eyes as she did so. Azriel returned to his novel, turning pages every now and then. Y/n finished her tea, and when Azriel looked at her again, she was watching his hands.

“I apologise if I offended you last night,” the princess said quietly.

Azriel remained silent for a few moments. “I have never thought of my scars as pretty before,” he murmured after a while. “I don’t think I ever will.”

Y/n nodded softly, as if she understood. Azriel didn’t know how or why she would have any sense of understanding of the situation, but as she stared at his hands, it was as if she was in another world.

“How did it happen?” she finally asked. “If you’re comfortable sharing, of course.”

Azriel’s first instinct whenever he was asked this question was always ‘no.’ He never willingly recounted what had happened in his childhood, especially with someone he’d only known for a few weeks, but… Y/n was different. Something about her was different. Despite the fact that they’d lived such contrastive lives, Azriel had a feeling that telling her what had happened was something that was inevitable. Not in a catastrophic way, but more so in a peaceful, final way.

“When I was eleven, my half-brothers decided to see how well fire and Illyrian healing magic mixed,” Azriel stated.

Horror clouded the princess’s eyes, before white hot rage filled them, as if fueled by the magic in her veins. Something in him purred at the protectiveness in her eyes, but he ignored it.

“What happened to them?” she inquired, calm despite the flames in her eyes.

Azriel shrugged. “They got a slap on the wrist, and then Rhys and I… we did a little more when we were older.”

She paused for a moment, waiting for more. “You’re joking,” she spat. “They didn’t… they’re still alive?”

Azriel nodded, watching the princess’s reaction. The way she responded to his story stirred at the feelings he was trying to push down. He could see her thinking, calculating, figuring out what to say next.

“Why haven’t you gone after them?” she queried. “Why hasn’t Rhysand, or Cassian?”

“They’re not worth it,” Azriel replied simply. 

Y/n was silent, and Azriel assumed that was the end of the conversation. What did she care, anyway? Azriel must have been such a confusing book for her to read, with his jumping back and forth between cold disinterest, attempts and friendship, and maybe something more. Azriel was about to open his novel, when the princess spoke. 

“If you ever want them to have a taste of their own medicine, say the word and it will happen,” she promised.

Azriel could picture it. He could picture the two males he was supposed to call brothers on the ground, skin sizzling red. He could almost smell the singed hair and burning flesh, just the same as it was all those centuries ago. And he could picture Y/n, standing above them, flames engulfing both of her hands and embers swirling through her unbound hair. He could imagine the rage in her eyes, the slight downward curve of her lips.

He wanted to say yes. He wanted that image to become a reality. He wanted to see the princess lose control for him, to go into a spiralling need to avenge him.

“I will,” Azriel said instead.

A knock sounded at the door, and the princess stood up to answer it. Azriel rose as well, following her, ever the perfect bodyguard. Azriel frowned when he was greeted by the sight of red hair and amber eyes.

“Y/n,” Eris said, a small smirk on his face. “How was your night?”

“Peaceful as can be,” the princess replied. She did not look anything like someone who’d had a ‘peaceful’ night, but Eris didn’t comment on it.

Eris’s smirk softened into a smile, and his eyes flickered to the shadowsinger. “I thought so.”

Unspoken words gleamed in Eris’s eyes — speak of her outing to my father, and I shall skin you alive. Azriel hadn’t been planning on doing that, for many reasons, but the fact that Eris wanted to protect his sister…

“I saw your old friend,” Y/n said carefully to Eris. “He misses you.”

Eris’s eyes softened slightly. “I may have to pay him a visit. Did you see Corren?”

Y/n smacked her brother’s arm. “Asshole.”

Azriel tensed, ready for the heir’s backlash, but he simply grinned at his sister, the action so similar to Cassian when he was riling someone up for fun. There was no yelling, no fury at a female hitting and insulting the prince, even if it was playful.

“Not everyone here is heartless, Shadowsinger,” Eris stated, as if he knew what thoughts swirled around his mind.

Y/n looked at Azriel, and then back at her brother. The three stood in silence, just watching each other. Azriel’s thoughts were still slightly puzzled — Eris seemed to actually care about something that wasn’t the throne. And it was truly genuine, if the raw emotion that filled Eris’s eyes was truthful.

She hopes you two could get along one day, his shadows whispered. You are both very important to her.

Again, his shadows told him something about Y/n that they could not about others. It was as if they were in her mind, her heart, and they could tell him the most personal things about her. It was as if they had some sort of connection with her.

“We have a dinner with the court tonight,” Eris reminded his sister. “You might need these next several hours to get ready.”

Y/n scowled and hit her brother again. “Fuck off.”

Eris grinned and bid goodbye to his sister before leaving, shutting the door behind him. Azriel watched the princess, going through the conversation in his head. Something kept circling in his mind.

“Who is Corren?” Azriel inquired.

The princess turned to face him. “Someone I had a relationship with, a long time ago.”

Azriel frowned, suddenly hating this ‘Corren.’ He wanted to hunt him down, and make sure he never touched his princess again.

“Jealous, are we?” the princess purred, that mischievous grin on her face.

Azriel cocked his head. “Should I be?”

Fuck. He’d meant to say “why should I be?’ but his mouth had run faster than his mind, and now it sounded… It sounded almost flirtatious. 

But the princess just grinned and pat his shoulder, before heading into her bedroom.

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[seonghwaddict]

★ NEVER SAY NEVER. [ 005 ] coca cola mashita.

synopsis. something about the eight most well-known boys of your campus just didn't sit right with you, so you never gave any effort to interact with them. but after a series of... interesting incidents, they can't seem to leave you alone. pairing. college students! vampires! ot8! ateez x fem! reader. genre. fluff, angst, eventual smut, college au, vampire au. chapter warnings. swearing. word count. 1.7k

　　　　　　　　chapter iv // chapter v // chapter vi

It had been a week since Wooyoung invited you to their party, with only a few hours left until the occasion. You met him nearly every day in the past week, sometimes at his house and sometimes at yours. You also met another one of his very interesting friends.

You and Wooyoung had been walking from the art department to the library, where he temporarily left his bag because he was too lazy to carry it all the way to the art department. Everything was fine and peaceful until someone came barreling into Wooyoung. They both fell to the ground and for a split second, all you could make out from this mystery person is his head of dark hair.

But as he stood up and helped his best friend up, you had to stop yourself from staring at how broad his shoulders were compared to his tiny waist as he towered over both you and Wooyoung—not to mention his gorgeous face. The two had a short conversation until he noticed you standing by Wooyoung, awkwardly rocking back and forth on your heels.

“Oh, hey,” he smiled, a stark contrast to his chic hair and sharp features. “You must be Y/N. I’m San!”

You smiled back, offering a handshake, “Hello, San.”

“Great to finally meet you.” He chuckled and accepted your hand, shaking it enthusiastically. San stepped between you and Wooyoung, slinging his arms on either of your shoulders. “So, where to?”

You had also seen Seonghwa a few more times. Since the two of you met in that kitchen and you sympathised over linguistics, he opted to sit next to you instead of his usual place on the bench at the very back row. At first, you were confused but didn’t question it, and eventually, you came to accept it, placing your bag at your feet instead of your side like you used to.

Currently, you sat in your room at home, staring at your closet opposite of you trying to figure out what to wear. You weren’t really one to go to parties, so you never really bothered buying clothes that would be suitable for one. As you sighed, your phone started ringing from where you had tossed it on your desk. As you stood up and glanced at it, Wooyoung’s name lit up on the top of the screen.

“Hello?” You held it to your ear, collapsing back into bed.

“Hey, is it possible to buy some Coke and bring it over here? San and Mingi just came from shopping and these dumbasses bought anything but that and now they’re complaining because they don’t wanna go out again because they need to help set up and- just… could you please do me this favour?”

The desperation in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by you as he groaned in frustration and suddenly you found yourself nodding along to his request, at least until you realised he can’t see you. “Yeah, sure. Just send me the address, okay?”

“Oka- actually never mind, I’ll just come get you. You don’t even have a car anyway.” You heard him laugh on the other line, any hint of stress melted away from his voice.

The grocery store was close enough to where you lived, so it took less than 10 minutes to walk there. As requested, you grabbed a cart and went straight to the drinks aisle, getting enough packages of canned Coke to supply what you assumed would be around a hundred people. The cashier looked at you as if you were a mad woman as he scanned each 8-pack.

As promised, Wooyoung was already outside of the store when you left, dragging multiple bags of coke so heavy you felt as if your arm would fall off. Seeing you struggle, he got out of the car and rushed over to take some bags. In fact, he took all the bags and you watched with mild fascination as he carried them without even a hint of struggle. His muscles tensed as you watched, you were surprised as you realised he wasn’t as scrawny as he looked.

“So, you rented a house just for a party?” You asked, leaning against the car as you watched him load the bags into the trunk.

He laughed, “Yeah, can’t have another thing breaking. Seonghwa was positively murderous when we found the remains of the chandelier.” You got into the car, strapping your seatbelt across you as you listened. “It was absolutely terrifying.” Wooyoung visibly shivered as he recalled the memory.

“Well, then I’ll make sure not to piss him off.” You let out a short, amused huff of air as you got comfortable in the all-too-familiar seat.

“Can we go back now–” You jumped in your seat, a small scream escaping you as you whipped your head to the backseats where San just made his presence known.

“San! Can you not?” You whined, collapsing your body into your seat before turning to glare at him. It was then that you noticed an unfamiliar person on his right.

Much like San, his features were also sharp. His nose seemed slightly sharper and pointed and his lips so very plump and pillow-like. He dressed himself in an oversized off-white sweater with a black turtleneck underneath and black straight jeans. You could tell he was taller than the other two men in the car, judging by how his knees were much more bent so he could fit into the seat.

“Mingi,” he introduced himself, a prideful smile lingering on his face as he noticed that both Wooyoung and San caught the way you scanned him with so much interest. None of them missed the way your eyes widened ever so slightly as he spoke, slightly taken aback by his voice.

You gave him your name and shook his hand, which felt so much bigger than yours. “Pleasure to meet you, Mingi.”

“Pleasure’s all mine.” He winked and your cheeks burned as you turned to face the road again.

You faced Wooyoung and narrowed your eyes at him. “I thought you said they refused to get out to get Coke.”

“When I told them I was gonna be picking you up they practically begged me to take them with me.” He rolled his eyes, ignoring their protests against his words.

The drive to their rental house was a lot shorter than the one to their actual house, a little over ten minutes versus nearly half an hour. The entire time the four of you sang your hearts out to whatever song was playing on the radio.

The house they picked was pretty much a regular house, nothing fancy like their mansion. The walls were white with two floors and a dark grey roof. Instead of having a grand driveway with a gate, the house was situated right on the side of the road.

Wooyoung pulled over on the side of the street and you all got out, the boys taking the bags of coke from the trunk and firmly rejecting your offers to help them carry them inside.

You followed them inside and the interior looked just as mundane as the exterior. Wooden floors covered with grey carpets, a single grey couch pushed to the wall to make more space, wooden stairs leading to the second floor, and the kitchen cupboards and cabinets made of even more wood.

You continued to follow them into the kitchen where they loaded all the cans into the already-packed fridge. Again, you offered to help but they told you to just sit and relax, and that they would take care of everything.

“Ah,” you turned and saw Seonghwa coming from down the stairs, “I thought it was you that I was hearing.”

He went over to you and engulfed you in a short hug, thanking you for getting the beverages that San and Mingi were too lazy to get (the two men in question nearly knocked him upside the head). You chuckled and stepped back from him, spotting three more men you didn’t recognise descending the stairs.

One of them was tall, you assumed as tall as Mingi or even taller and had dark and light brown dyed hair and wore an oversized dark grey hoodie with some lettering and a pair of grey sweatpants.

The one behind him was definitely a lot short, maybe around Wooyoung’s height, with dyed bright blue hair and a blue t-shirt over a long-sleeved white shirt, both tucked into his baby blue jeans. This one had an array of jewellery on him, from multiple earrings hanging from his ears and rings adorning his fingers.

The last one to come down wore black jeans, a black hoodie and a grey trenchcoat. You recognised him and his distinct red hair, he was a regular at the bookshop you worked at. 

They introduced themselves with kind smiles before excusing themselves again, saying they had to go buy some speakers and pick up some of Hongjoong’s equipment. Whatever that meant. The one with the blue hair—Hongjoong you’d come to learn—offered you to join them, but you had other plans.

“Oh, I’d love to but I need to go buy something to wear for tonight and–”

Before you could even finish your sentence, Yunho poked his head back in from the front door. “We’re going to the mall for the speakers, so you can go buy your stuff while we get the speakers and then we’ll meet and stop by the house so Hongjoong-hyung can get his stuff.”

You contemplated the options for a moment, though you didn’t have to think too long before you nodded. The boys in the kitchen bade you goodbye as you exited the house. Wooyoung flung himself on you and clinged to you as he begged to be taken with you, but Seonghwa quickly shut down his whines and reminded them they still had a lot to do before the party.

With a pout, he gave you his best puppy eyes but you only laughed and pinched his cheeks, assuring him that you’ll spend time with him later. You got into what you assumed was Yunho’s car as he sat in the driver’s seat. It was a sleek black Mercedes-AMG with tinted window you wouldn’t be able to see through even if you tried. Jongho got into the passenger’s seat which left you and Hongjoong to the backseats. Nodding, you appreciated the clean interior with an approving hum.

　　[ lilo's notes ... ] i think i'm gonna change my upload schedule to saturdays at 2-3 pm instead. i live in europe, so if you live somehwere else please go ahead and convert the time if you wish. i envision san as inception era san, because inception san has a massive chokehold on me and mingi's visuals is based on guerilla era. i was originally going to do halazia era mingi because that's my favourite hair on him, but for some reason i decided to go with guerilla gi. as for hongjoong, blue is the only right answer (oreo joong is an honorable mention).

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