#also omg equality is great!!! (by equality) it has so many sides on me i love it dearly but its so me for me idk of that's masculine

[quercusrobur]

hi aleks! <3 i hope all is well i wanted to ask what are your fav masculine perfumes? im thinking abt branching out w my scents and i have to consult the experts (you and elina)

AJSHDSK ria omg I'm not even close to an expert and didn't try enough of the ones I would love to yet 😔

Idk what to call masculine tbh without checking what's what on fragrantica, but would just write the ones I can think of now, and we are in the summer so this can probably get way less heavy (still also I didn't try enough of the ones I could probably easily write here if I did)

within the ones I own:

- papyrus by maison crivelli (yeah the sandalwood will smell like a pickle to some and yeah ik it's kinda a dupe),

- black gold by mancera (this is probably the safest option also a bit boring but it smells amazing on me so yeah),

- L'eau des Hesperides diptyque (let's call the 10ml owning and this is SO overpriced tbh for this kind of smell but this is the only fresher one I like that will fit also had to copy the name),

and the other ones I tried and liked a lot:

- myrrh and tonka by Jo Malone,

- 701 by bon parfumeur,

- telegrama from imaginary authors ( and honestly this is so not lavender on me and it's the only one that stays on me and I probably told myself I like it a lot, but I would suggest trying more of theirs - shout out to elina bc she told me about them!!),

- caravansérail Intense from Nicolai ( tho idk if i remember it well enough),

- chergui from serge lutens,

[a-song-upon-the-waves-wishclan]

What are the clangen blogs that you like the most? Im asking this since I just discovered Tumblr, and I’m wondering what blogs should I check out first (there’s so many of them)

Also I absolutely adore your blog already! Great art and story. Keep up the work man 👍

Omg! Thank you so much for the compliment! It means a lot.. <33

I tend to hang in the " lasted" section of the clangen tag...trying to upvote and follow other smaller blogs.

@whistleclangen - AMAZING ART! Isnt afrad to add funny little moments in their comic/meme around/or make their characters look a little silly... They are super chill, nice and so freaking talented!! You wont be disappointed.

@direclan - Amazing art! (you are gonna hear that a lot! I adore a lot of these art styles! <3) They update pretty often! And they know their own characters so damn well! I have no idea where they're getting the energy from. You will absolutely fall inlove with mustache-cat! (and their poor med-cat.) @shadow-in-the-blizzard - Horror blog! I love that they have decided to for something with body-horror, mystery and the paranoia that ANYONE can be infected! You will def lose the chara you got attached to. T_T

@the-tale-of-stingrayclan They have such a special art style! I absolutely adore it!! I love it when people arent afraid to give their cats hair, tufts or any other trait that adds character! Keeps a lot of future cats/cats in general from looking the same. (Clangen only has so-so many pelt colours..)

@attempts-of-fawnclan -YOU WILL GET ATTACHED TO THESE CHARACTERS! Their artstyle is super special! I think it is amazing that they seem to be doing all their art in MS Paint??? I could never...

@sapling-clangen - Cute art, friendly, amazing story and super supportive? Like, they followed me and stuff when I pretty much just 'joined' this side of tumblr!?!? The character development is just... chef's kiss! same for that story.

@cutieclangen - Omggggg! Where do I even start? AMAZING ART! Super friendly, nice and just... that story! they arent sad to dip into drama, but you will get so absorbed into every aspect...

@hound-mutt - Their story has just started, but I am already kinda invested.

@yewtreeclangen - Adding someone's other clan! this is equally good to their other story. <3

@turkeypawed - Story has just started, but the owner is pretty chill! I cant wait for their story to continue.

I apologize for any typos of mistakes! My condition gives me quite a bit of writing issues. ^^;

Edit; I have probably forgotten some amazing blogs! I do have a lot of 'faves' and liked ones! I dont think i could add absolutely everyone of them here.

[beanghostprincess]

Not to keep beating a dead horse so to speak, but circling back to how the anime handles the Shuggy breakup it is personally the first time I've fully understood people who say the manga is way better & the "true" story because on the whole I think the anime is a really good adaption....except for this omg. I haven't read the manga fully either yet so now I'm wondering what else got a totally different vibe than intended & how that colors the perception of the story & characters. For instance, I'm already seeing anime onlys completely misinterpret Buggy's feelings in the shuggy breakup probably because of how brief it was.

I've had arguments in comments sections about people who do not think Buggy wanted to be Pirate King himself & his anger with Shanks isn't tied to him secretly sacrificing his OWN dream to follow him. To me the manga made it very clear that Buggy was making a great personal sacrifice in order to stay with his friend & how that all ties into his own insecurities, but a ton of anime onlys only saw it as Buggy being a whiny baby & not realizing how deep of a conflict Shanks refusing to look for the One Piece was for them 😭 and it's so frustrating! They just think Buggy is being "ungrateful" for everything Shanks did for him. I'm tired of the Shuggy dynamic being viewed so one sidedly in Shanks's favor & Buggy's detriment because they both narratively hold equal amounts of significance to each other. We just haven't been allowed to explore Shanks's side of it...yet. Oda kept Shanks's face obscured for a reason I'm sure.

And since the anime didn't frame it correctly Buggy's speech to Cross Guild about reigniting your dreams & setting sail for Laugh Tale loses all seriousness & comes off as just another gag instead & it breaks my heart because in the Manga while there is humor in it Buggy's tears are REAL & you can literally feel the spirit of One Piece flow through his speech. That speech shows us Buggy is a TRUE pirate! He ALSO inhereted Roger's will! I could literally feel the "I'm gunna become king of the pirates" OST from the anime play as I read it, but the anime framed it like another one of Buggy's "upward fialures" 💔 and it breaks my heart anime onlys don't get that. Imagine if Luffy gave up on his dream & finally after 30 years decided to believe in himself again? Imagine If Usopp really did give up in Water 7 & we didn't see him find the will to believe in himself until 39 years later? Buggy is an example of forgotten dreams & a lesson on it never being too late to go after them.

So I completely agree with you that it doesn't matter how little panel time a moment gets because if Oda can convey all of THAT in like 3 panels then the anime can do so and then some in a minute or 2. I also can't help but think this will confuse viewers later on because I'm certain Buggy is going to get to do some really cool & meaningful stuff in the last arc & a lot of them will feel blindsided because the set up was executed weirdly.

Sorry for sending such a long post & feel free to ignore If ur tired of discussing this I just wanted to give you some validation &let you know you're not the only one who thinks this way. Adaptation has a lot more going into it than just copying manga panels & the a good anime should definitely know when to expand on brief scenes & how to set the correct mood for them.

Oh, please, if it's not a negative ask you can keep sending me stuff about the episode and the breakup all you want!!! I'm just tired of having to defend my opinion. As if it wasn't just that, an opinion. But I'm sooo open to talk about it!!

And you're right!!! It bothers me so much to just think about how Anime Onlys are going to perceive this episode... If Buggy is already misunderstood within the fandom, I can't imagine what's gonna happen now that HIS episode has gotten this awful pacing and explanation (I complain but I've watched the episode so many times already lmao)

People misunderstand their relationship so much and in such levels... I don't get it because it's literally right there. You can't miss it. They're canonically crucial for each other no matter how you see it. It IS mutual whatever they have going on. I know we don't have much of Shanks' POV but you don't even have to read between the lines to see it.

And Buggy being seen as whiny because he has... Feelings... And is emotional... After his whole life crumbles down... Idk about you but if I lived in my best friend's shadow for years and gave up on my dream to trust in his instead, and suddenly when our captain dies he says he won't follow it... I'd be pretty fucking emotional too tbh. I could defend Buggy all day long and explain his character, but I believe I've done that already... So many times... (I love it it's my favorite thing ever)

I love your comparisons to other characters giving up on their dreams because it's so real. Buggy is the representation of people who once gave up on their dream and now are getting the courage back to follow it again. His speech is so emotional I think I know it by heart at this point with how many times I've read this chapter. I always cry-- Every time-- And I'm sooo angry Toei made the episode for laughs basically. It frustrates me in unimaginable ways.

Buggy is gonna do something incredible and people will complain and say it was out of nowhere because his speech in the Anime seems for jokes and like one of his schemes to get away from his problems. But this man was literally having a breakdown in the middle of a torture session and made an impulsive, emotional decision that came from the depths of his heart, because he had been holding onto it for his whole life. That's what bothers me about the animation. The pacing is bad and the way they treat him is even worse...

Don't apologize!!!!! I loved reading this. You expressed yourself sooo well and in such a polite way!!! Basically, you wrote everything I thought about the episode and I'm so glad to finally talk to someone with my same views 😭💖💖

[thyluvcupix]

Sakuatsu fic recs!

im very picky on what i label to be a 'good fic' most of the ones are amazing but only a few will get bookmarkerd by me and here they are! My ao3 acc that has many more book marks mostly nsfw i diddnt put here

1

A liar's truth 49k words

okay this one is just breathtaking? if you havent read this pls do i cried sm😭

summary:

In which Sakusa Kiyoomi is raised to believe that gay people go to hell but then takes one look at Miya Atsumu and thinks, then why the hell did God make them so fucking hot?

2

I'll see you in court, motherfucker 2k words

its short and funny def worth a read if you wanna giggle

Summary:

“You’re still a fraud. You’re—you’re a scammer, is what you are. I don’t know how you convinced the hospital administration that you’re my husband, or that we even have a relationship, but I have—” Fuck, what’s the word? “Lawyers,” Kiyoomi says triumphantly, “I have lawyers, and if you’re trying to con me for some ulterior motive, I’ll have you know—” “Oh my god, Omi,” Miya says, sounding equal parts exasperated and horribly fond. “How can you be so cute?”

A pleasant side effect of being down one vestigial organ is forgetting the existence of your hot Olympic athlete husband

3

The 28 post cards you left me 8k words

Honestly, if i ever break up with someone this is exactly what i want from them? Like omg?? pls send me post cards, Super cute

Summary:

Atsumu takes texting your ex to a new level by sending Sakusa postcards in Animal Crossing instead.

4

The art of the thrist trap 4k words

naughty naughty, but other than that this fic is so funny? like ask ur brother how to rizz someone up

Summary:

“Samu, I’ve got a big problem.”

“Here we fuckin’ go. What is it this time?”

Atsumu needs to think strategically about how he’s going to phrase this. One wrong word and Osamu will hang up on him and Atsumu will be forced to wade through the hell of his own mind by himself.

“I jerked off to one of my teammates.”

Osamu hangs up.

5

Problem 5k words

super cute sleepy omi is something else

Summary:

Atsumu has a problem— somehow, he finds every version of Sakusa Kiyoomi adorable.

In which Atsumu realizes that Sakusa Kiyoomi gets very quiet and very adorable when he's tired. Things simply go downhill from there.

6

Take me where the music aint to loud 2k words

Protetive sakusa>>

Summary:

Winning against the Adlers must have meant something of a great deal to Sakusa, as usually he wouldn’t even consider going out with the rest of his team after the game.

Yet, here he is, in a somewhat crowded club, wearing a black button up shirt rolled up around his wrists and sweating a little under the bright lights.

Atsumu thinks he looks beautiful.

He wanders over to where Sakusa is standing with Meian, hoping that tonight, with a little bit of influence from alcohol, he might be able to get more conversation out of him than he can usually get outside of practice.

But of course, Atsumu can’t have anything good, ever. Because, blocking the way is his ex-boyfriend.

--

or; atsumu runs into his ex in the club, and sakusa has to rescue him

7

ROAD RAGE 2k words

This is funny on so many levels poor atsumu he fears for his life

Summary:

For a man who preaches at any given opportunity about the importance of good self-care practices, Sakusa certainly displays an astounding lack of self-preservation when behind the wheel.

Sakusa Kiyoomi has a driver’s license. Sakusa Kiyoomi cannot drive.

The two are not mutually exclusive.

8

The ascent to love (or descent) 3k words

Im always a sucker for hurt/comfort and this fic gives me that, its also funny as well so its a win-win type thing

Summary:

Stuck in an elevator with his boyfriend after a fight, Sakusa Kiyoomi couldn't think of anything worse. Working through their issues?  Maybe he could think of one thing.

9

Take me home 10k words

i just cannont stress how good this is, like its soul healing on so may levels gosh

Summary:

Turns out, Miya Atsumu never did a good thing in his life – his love was one-sided. And so, he was running away, hoping to meet some friendly people, take a bunch of pretty pictures and get over Kita Shinsuke.

In which Miya Atsumu is an exchange student in Italy, and Sakusa Kiyoomi is the only one knowing Japanese, forced to take care of the new student.

10

Hope is the thing with feathers 10k words

Two dummies taking care of some birds is honestly to good

Summary:

Kiyoomi wakes to Miya banging on his door, yelling words that put the fear of god in him.

“Omi-kun, get out here, we’re gonna be fathers.”

11

In the stars 1k words

In all honesty it made me think of the other side of love i never thought about

Summary:

Miya Atsumu is a romantic. He always had been. He believes in soulmates and destiny and true love in the stars. Sakusa Kiyoomi believes none of that.

My ao3↵

[cairoisashapeshifter]

GoW Best friend Baldur x Reader Headcannons

▪︎ Warnings: a little cussing, angst at the final 5 points, death.

▪︎ Word count: 1,335

▪︎ A/N: Best Friend Baldur might be my favourite thing ever. I love him platonically so so much omg. Here are some of my headcannons for him as a best friend!

• Bestfriend! Baldur knew he liked your personality when you two first met and tried to kill each other and instead cracked so many jokes and had so much fun he forgot what he what he even tried to do in the first place.

• Bestfriend! Baldur who knew you two would be close friends when you poured water for the both of you one night "I can't taste that shit" "If someone said 'I can taste the water' I'd be worried".

• Bestfriend! Baldur dubbed you his closest friend when he noticed you never ate or drank in front of him even if you were hungry or thirsty.

• Bestfriend! Baldur had the love language of words. Because he couldn't feel, when you two hung out your touch would be telling each other affirmations. "I care about you, you know that?" "I know." It made you realise just how important words are when it comes to showing care.

• Bestfriend! Baldur has the voice of a dying animal but loves to sing. His favourite things to sing are sea shanties or the equivalent of "Another Irish drinking song" - which would be his favourite if he was in the modern world - and he loves it when you join in and sing equally as bad, even if you can actually sing.

• Bestfriend! Baldur loves music and knows how to play instruments really well, if you give him any and a few hours or days, he would learn the basics and play it like he had played it his entire life. When he was over at your house, he would play you music all the time. You even had a little Baldur corner filled with all of his favourite instruments he can play.

• Bestfriend! Baldur doesn't care how high he flies with his dragon because he doesn't feel a thing, but, when you became part of his life and rode with him, he always made sure to fly slowly and close to the ground much to your chagrin.

• Bestfriend! Baldur loves comedy. He would spend most of your time together telling crude and vulgar jokes that never ceased to make you laugh. One of his favourite activities is you and him just sitting together somewhere and trying to see who can make either the best joke or the worst.

• Bestfriend! Baldur likes to tattoo himself he hopes that through it he can feel anything. But, when you two were sitting alone and he was working on his leg and you reach an arm out and said "I want one" He never hesitated and gave you tattoos all over one side of your body that matched his own over time. Eventually he tattooed your name on himself in a prayer reserved for siblings or family members, soon enough, you asked for a matching one with his name.

• Bestfriend! Baldur liked making bets and dares with you, especially crazy ones. "Bet you can't climb the wall of Asgrad", "....try me". This was how you met Heimdall and eventually everyone else after you went to the great lodge.

• Bestfriend! Baldur definitely arm wrestles you. He wins every time but he likes to sit down and do it anyway. Over time, you actually became strong enough to hold your own against him and even win at times which he delighted in. This became the way you two said hello to each other, no words, you see each other, you arm wrestle.

• Bestfriend! Baldur has zero self care for obvious reasons but when you two met, he began letting you braid his hair and beard. If the day happens to be a day where you want it slow, he just sits down and let's you play with his hair as much as you like. He found the activity partially boring but since you two had the most in depth conversations during this time he also found it relaxing.

• Bestfriend! Baldur loves to fight and since you have the best friend you also have the pleasure of him trying to get you two to have a friendly match. At first you were against it, but ever since he offered to personally train you and you two have been doing it none stop to the point where it became second nature to 'play' fight.

• Bestfriend! Baldur doesn't like when his touched outside of wrestling or play fighting because it reminded him of his curse but when you flopped down on his lap with your head rested on his thighs after a really bad day he let you stay and would run his hand through your hair. He realised that you do so much to make him comfortable around you so he let you have this for an hour everyday. You never told him he was accidentally pulling your hair sometimes.

• Bestfriend! Baldur spent most of his life without intimacy and he yearned to feel that way again, to feel so close to someone and to hold and kiss and be able to love and be loved by them but he never had that or understood platonic intimacy or love until he met you. You were often the person he went to first for anything, if he was frustrated he would vent to you, if he was happy he would go and share it with you first, if he wanted something he always told you first. But beyond that, you were the one who always offered him that verbal platonic intimacy he needed.

• Bestfriend! Baldur and you had this almost psychic connection. If anything happened to the other you would feel it. If he had a angry day you found yourself anticipating and preparing for it unconsciously, if something bad happened to you he would be in front of your door because "I jus'knew", he never was wrong.

• Bestfriend! Baldur's last moment when he said "snow" was because he wanted to feel the world around him, feel the snow touch his skin for the first time in years. But he also remembered all the time you and him had snow ball fights or made snow valkyries on the ground or created snow men only two throw each other at them, his last thought was he wanted to do all those things again with you one last time.

• Bestfriend! Baldur's death was something your felt like a void in your chest. Like something had been suddenly ripped away. You only understood when he never showed up again

• Bestfriend! Baldur's mother, Freya, watched you from her front door with confused eyes until you said "He-He was my best friend". She held you close to her chest as you both cried together, her quietly listening through her tears as you tried to tell her all the things you two did through choked sobes.

• Bestfriend! Baldur's mother, Freya, became like your own family. She would teach you all that she knew and listen to you as you spoke of him, she would hold you when things became hard, and read you stories she would read to him as a child. She became so much like family to you, you accidentally called her mom a few times and she let you. Eventually you were known as Child of Freya and Sibling of Baldur.

• Bestfriend! Baldur's mother, Freya and you got close because both of you were looking for a peice of him in each other. She found a peice of him in you in the shape of the habits he had that you picked up, in the instruments you played that used to belong to him, in the way you joked and told stories, and in the stories about him you gave. In her you saw the qualities in him that he never knew he got from her, like her penitent for singing or humming, like the way she let you rest your head on her thighs after a hard day.

[ilions-end]

uh oh i've finished THE THEBAID! time to talk about it!

disclaimer: i'm not a roman empire girlie. like with the aeneid, i'm AWARE the author is using the medium of greek myths to say things about the state of the republic and roman culture, and i'm just kinda... not interested in that. i'm here for the plot and the characters. envision i'm a child watching saturday morning cartoons with my bowl of fruit loops going "yayy did you see the character do the thing?! that was so cool!!". basically i'm enjoying these stories on the "easily entertained dumbass" level

and i LOVED it. i got FUCKED UP by this epic in the best way. HOW TO DESCRIBE THE THEBAID?

it's so deliciously engaging and funny and dark. to me it feels more closely related to the iliad than either the odyssey or the aeneid, but it's in conversation with all of them and also so unique. there are bitter ironies everywhere, troubled people making worse choices. ALL the characters are flawed, but in extremely interesting and engaging (and even endearing) ways.

there's something about how it starts out as a GREAT EPIC telling the story of BRAVE HEROES except they can't retain their integrity as the story progresses, they can't fathom their own limitations or flaws. it's like the iliad if achilles HADN'T accepted priam's plea, it's the odyssey if odysseus hadn't retained enough of himself to string that bow or remember the bed. it's a story that tells you "they failed, none of this mattered, but also all of it mattered".

i love how statius as an author is SO present, leading you by the hand through the narrative, offering his views (he has so many opinions and snide asides! and sometimes he complains about how much WORK it is to tell you this story, omg why are you forcing him to do all this work!) and it all feels so -- aw that's my buddy statius!! my funny friend statius is telling me this story and it's great!

this might be the first epic i've read where we know the author wanted it to more or less BE like that, so there are some LONG LINES being drawn from the beginning of the story to the end

i'll be honest, i didn't know much about the theban cycle when i started reading. i knew about oedipus, and antigone, and that diomedes' dad was in it, and that everybody fails spectacularly at what they're trying to achieve. and turns out that was more than enough knowledge to hit the ground running, it's surprisingly straightforward

i'd assumed diomedes' dad was just "one of the seven leaders against thebes", but no he's a MAIN main guy! tydeus is so central, at one point he is ENTIRELY to blame for everything bad that happens later, and i fell in love with that awful little murderman

like the way tydeus introduces himself in the first chapter saying he's from "calydon, the breeding ground of monsters". and you're sitting there like HOHOHO i think we're gonna discover who's the latest monster to come out of calydon!

like the iliad, it shows both sides of the conflict, and arguably our main point of view guys are WAY MORE fucked up than they guys they're fighting. like i love polynices, he's sympathetic because he's been treated so unfairly but that doesn't mean he's not kinda fucked up; i love eteocles, who's a tyrant and cheated, but he's fun to watch and equally fucked up

the wonderful thing is that it doesn't matter who you cheer for, everyone's gonna lose :D

it has everything you want from an epic: gods taking sides, glorious aristeias, tragic battlefield deaths, a trip to the underworld, funeral games, evocative descriptions of weaponry and equipment (statius is SO to the point when it comes to ekphrasis, love him for that), a sexy night raid... the contexts for some of these might surprise you!

AND. AND. IT HAS WHAT THE ILIAD LACKS. that's right: DIONYSUS, baby!! he's here, he's involved, he's getting his hands dirty! also he gets to play a very thetis-like part at one point, which i think is sexy.

statius does amazing work making all these characters distinct. i never thought i'd get a detailed sense of all SEVEN against thebes (and other characters besides ofc) but each of them has their uniquely memorable moments and oddities and they're all so different from each other. it's about PERSONALITIES and it's about those personalities gradually being INFECTED by polynices' transgressive thebe-ness. and still i'm hugging them all to my chest. my little fucked up dudes

it's fascinating that the thebaid is ultimately a tragedy, but it's not like athenian tragedy -- this isn't about how there was no other way, or that everything's already locked down heading for catastrophe; it's the opposite! the heartbreak is in how we see that the conflict could have ended HERE, or HERE, or HERE, or HERE, but they're all so set on doing this they're willing to ignore EVERY bad omen, write off EVERY loss, and convince each other OF COURSE they're gonna win (which they won't!) because they're THE HEROES, DAMMIT. it's HUBRIS, THE EPIC

my favourite moment of "this could easily have ended here" is before the war, when polynices falls out of his chariot during the funeral games, and he's in the middle of the track when all the other racing teams come thundering towards him. statius STOPS TIME at that moment to tell us how close polynices is to dying, that ALL THE PAIN AND DEATH that is sure to come would have been avoided RIGHT HERE if only he'd been trampled and killed, and what a blessing that would have been. but the story has to continue, polynices escapes without a scratch and everything bad happens as it must. THE FLAVOUR of moments like that?? GAWD

so those are some general thoughts. specific moments under the cut because i can never stop talking once i get going

a main thing is how IMMENSELY DISGUSTED zeus is with oedipus, and it never stops being funny. because, like, 1) oedipus' incest kids are adults at this point, and you're still THIS worked up about it?? 2) zeus has got it all wrong, he's like "OMG EWWW can you believe he SOUGHT OUT his own mother to fuck her?? that this PERVERT wanted to fuck his own MOTHER all along?! DISGOSTANG!!" like mate that's REALLY NOT how that happened! and 3) zeus buddy, you're having a tantrum about the concept of incest to your sister-wife........

you know what never gets old? statius describing the activities of the furies' snake hair. the snakes get thirsty! they get sleepy! they get excited! amazing.

MAN how the beginning of book 2 drew me in. we're dropped straight into the action with hermes on an important mission heading out of the underworld, we have no idea what's going on but it's SO atmospheric, it's SO intriguing, and we have to follow his tracks to see where the narrative is going with it. THIS STORYTELLING FEELS SO MODERN

there's a CURSED NECKLACE that i really thought would play more into the plot. i mean it's there to emanate bad vibes, i guess, and indirectly influence things. i'm just not used to full-on CURSED ARTIFACTS in my epics

tydeus' stint as an emissary is hilarious, i'm still not over it. when he loses his cool and basically yells at eteocles "WELL YOU'RE THE SPAWN OF INCEST!!" when he's there ON BEHALF of the other spawn of incest......... tydeus you're SO bad at this

OOOOUGH TYDEUS FIGHTING BACK THE AMBUSH AT THE SPHINX' ROCK IS SO SEXY AND HORRIFYING OMGGG. hang on i gotta go reread that now...

...fucking hell, it's so good. IT'S SO GOOD!!!! it's my new favourite aristeia in any of these epics, from the first cheap shot that almost gets him in the jugular, to the clambering up the rock, and his shield BRISTLING with enemy spears which he pulls out and uses against them, and not to mention how it shows just how fucking EXHAUSTED he gets once the initial adrenaline rush is through

man, statius is so excellent at realistic physiology. like the detailed descriptions of how the runners at the funeral games warm up, how their muscles feel doing this or that... statius obviously knows so many things firsthand

also love how from there on out tydeus lies about the ambush. honey you killed forty-nine guys, not fifty, and you know it!! it's impressive enough, you don't need to round up

i wish athena would play a bigger part as she's taking tydeus as her champion and everything. she's probably the MOST unknowable of all the gods in the thebaid, she rarely speaks directly to anyone, and is kinda only present for her core scenes in the myth. tell me what you're thinking about babe...

we get way more of that "UH OH YOU'RE A GOD'S FAVOURITE, THIS ISN'T GONNA END WELL" with apollo's love for amphiaraus, though. i appreciate that

while we're on the gods, i'm also VERY weak for how openly ares simps for aphrodite. when she jumps in front of his horses to stop him and there's this lovely passage where he rushes from the chariot to take her in his arms and comfort her... awww. and then it's kinda wild when he's like "darling you're my only respite from war"... ares babe, you LOVE war!

there are several suicides in this story, and each one is surprisingly disturbing in its own way, but maeon though??? guy went out with IMMENSE STYLE and INTEGRITY. respect

statius is really good about chronology (since the theban war happens before the iliad-aeneid-odyssey) EXCEPT at one point someone throws a big rock (hippomedon maybe? i can't remember) like polyphemus threw boulders at odysseus and i'm like NO THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. ODYSSEUS IS A BOY IN ITHACA AT THIS POINT

i didn't expect to love parthenopaeus so much!! he's a BOY who's snuck off to war, he's glorious but he doesn't understand the consequences! that's a still-developing brain in there!!! when he's killed, EVEN THE ENEMIES GRIEVE FOR HIM, aaaaah! and statius keeps using him as a symbol of how meaningless the war is, and he's a proto-achilles (proto-neoptolemus?) in so many ways and it just KILLS ME

the whole nemea section is sooooo weird. and i GET that it's meant to be weird, that it's part of this whole campaign's WRONGNESS but it's... it's weird. like WHY does their entire army get involved in this place's family and history and politics? why do they get DELAYED FROM WAR eagerly listening to a nurse talking about the massacre of lemnos? why would she put the baby on the ground and leave it? what's UP with that snake? why do they have these MAJOR FUNERAL GAMES OF MILITARY PROWESS for a random dead royal infant? it's so weirddddd

the funeral games in themselves are great fun actually. and that only makes it worse because the next day the battles start and EVERYONE STARTS GETTING KILLED. the vibes turn on a DIME here

there are so many references to heracles that i can't appreciate because i'm clueless about heracles. i should fix that.

i cackled SO HARD at how statius reveals tydeus' cannibalism. that perspective change?? how athena is watching his comrades trying to WREST the decapitated head from him like he's a dog chewing on plastic? oh gosh it's amazing

AND i love how eteocles USES TYDEUS' CANNIBALISM AS A POINT OF PROPAGANDA. he's SO good at painting the entire enemy force as savages because would you believe even one of their fucking LEADERS chomped on theban brains!! THEY'RE HERE TO EAT US UNLESS WE FIGHT

also. also way later when we're told tydeus' wife's love for him is SO GREAT that she even managed to forgive him for that final taboo... do you know who else forgave him for that? INSTANTLY, without a moment's doubt? who was even impressed with him for it because he's fucked up like that? POLYNICES. his love for tydeus goes unremarked but statius sure implies...

i'm not deeply invested in gore but statius is VERY good at describing gore. he's definitely more... structured about battles than homer is though (two leaders dying per chapter, chosen for maximum contrast and effect, etc), to the point where towards the end of the fighting i was getting hungry for something else

the weirdest quirk of statius is how he will reuse names all the time? if there's a random argive background character you can almost bet that there's a random theban background character with that exact name -- i guess to make a point how similar they truly are -- but in a book that shit gets CONFUSING.

the night raid is clearly based on the iliad's night raid except everyone's more twisted and making worse choices, and i appreciate that. then while the heroes are doing awful dishonorable stuff, you get the lowly squires of tydeus and parthenopaeus sneaking off to steal their corpses back and being ACTUALLY HEROIC! oh the contrast is delicious

when statius interrupts his own storytelling to beg the muses to MAKE HIM MORE MENTALLY UNHINGED for the next part he's going to tell?? this man is GIVING IT ALL to tell you this story properly. i love you statius

polynices and eteocles' final duel is the CLIMAX we've been waiting for the entire epic and it's perfect. oh they're equally horrible and they're equally interesting and ohh yummy yummy this storytelling

i would have been fine if the story ended on the battlefield. i understand the "mini epic" in the final chapter as a way to contrast the whole thing ("look at theseus being an ACTUAL epic hero!") but it is a bit of a major vibe shift in the final round

and then it ends with statius pondering if people will enjoy this story after he's dead? :'-) i'm heeeere i'm reading it love it! it's still so great don't worry!!

[lowcallyfruity]

I don't know if you've made any posts about it before, but what are your favorite pairings for each TWST character? It'd also be cool if you included staff or side characters, but feel free to not even do all of the main cast, I'm just curious!!

:33 omg omg omg I love questions hiiii ^_^

Im a multishipper so I enjoy many different ships, but I definitely do have favorites 😋☝️

Anyways yeah here’s a list!!!

Putting it under the cut bc ohhh boy I talk a lot 🥶

Riddle- RIDTREY IS MY FAVORITE <333 def my fave riddle ships!!! They make me so so so sick and unwell /pos I adore their dynamic so much

Trey- Riddle and Cater!!! I love love love love loveeee ridtreykei with my whole heart!!! I think all 3 of them have such a great dynamic and they are very much married couple to me- I think Trey is definitely dating them both- idc what anyone says he loves them both equally 🙄🙄🙄 I also have so many ideas for them-

Polyamory for the win tbh

Cater- Treykei <333 (same reasons as above lmfao) they’re just super interesting!!! I think they’re really cute and they also have angst potential 😋😋😋 and hurt/comfort potential

Ace/Deuce- ADEUCE!!!!!! I love Adeucee <3 I have a very specific … timeline (? For lack of a better term) for them!!! I like developing ships like a crazy person- dumbass friends to lovers-core 😍😍

Leona/Vil- LEOVILLLL I LOVEEE LEOVILLL SOOO MUCHHH DIVORCED HUSBANDS MY FAVORITE SHIP- I love their ex boyfriends swag-

Jack- I ship Jack with my MC!!! I don’t have any canon x canon Jack ships 😔

Ruggie- I don’t ship ruggie with any canon character 💔 but Ruggie/Kalim and Ruggie/Jade is growing on me-

BUT!! @midnightmah07 has an oc/mc she ships with Ruggie and I love them with my whole heart it’s definitely my favorite <333

Azul/Jamil- I love love love azujami- their relationship is so so so funny to me- they are my favorite ship for both of them

Floyd- 🙄☝️ my main ship with him is my oc☝️ my other favorite/main Floyd ship is him with Neige <33

Jade- I headcanon Jade as Aroace so I don’t ship him romantically with anyone! (But I do enjoy seeing jade ship posts they’re really cute<3)

I don’t really like to call this a ship, but my favorite ‘ship’ is Kalim and Jade as queerplatonic partners <3

Kalim- like I said with Ruggie, Ruggie/Kalim is growing on me 😔😔 and ofc I ship Jade/Kalim queerplatonically

Andddd Similar to Ruggie @midnightmah07 has an oc she ships with Kalim and AOUGJJJJJ THEY ARE MY LIFEEEEE 🫶🫶🫶🫶 I LOVE THEM WITH MY HEART AND MY SOULLLLL THEYRE SOO CUTEEEE THEYRE MY EVERYTHING 🥺🥺🥺

Rook- I don’t ship rook with anyone 💔 (and like with Jade I also enjoy seeing ship posts with Rook, they’re cute)

Epel/Sebek- SEBEPEL ON TOP BAYBEEEE💪💪💪‼️‼️‼️‼️ THEY ARE BOYFRIENDSSSS THEY ARE IN LOVEEEE‼️‼️ I love their interactions sooo much 🫶🫶 they have sooo much potential ☹️☹️

Silver/Idia- IDIASIL MY BELOVEDDDDDD THEY ARE SOOO IN LOVE I LOVEEE THEIR DYNAMICCC 🫶🫶🫶 WAHHH WAHHH WAHHH… they are like my 2nd favorite twst ship of all time

Obviously Ortho is not getting shipped with anyone 💕

Malleus- 😋 I ship malleus with one of my ocs teehee 🤭🤭🤭🤭

Lilia- I ship Lilia with my Oc Prospero!! That is my main Lilia ship… I love them so much 😋😋😋 they r silly 🥶🥶

—

Uhh for the staff,,,

Trein and his wife obviously 🙄☝️

😔 I have ocs that I ship Vargas and Crewel with :33

And uhhh as of now I don’t ship Crowley or Sam with anyone-

(I think that’s all the staff)

-

Yeah this was long ☹️ I hope this is okay 💔 I do go overboard sometimes 😭😭😭

[cate-deriana]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

@pfirsichspritzer Thank you so much for the tag, it was so a lot of fun and I had to really think about my answers.

1 . How did you get into writing fanfiction?

In my case it's a funny question actually, because the first thing I've ever written was a fanfiction. But that was long before I even knew what fanfiction was or that it existed, simply because I was about eight or nine and wrote something about Digimon Adventure on my dad's computer. So I did it long before I knew that was actually a thing.

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

About five or six I think, but sometimes it was really only one story. Oh, and I also did some crossovers (fandoms not included in the above count).

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Ok, let me do the math... as I started with eight/nine it's now about 24 years... is this real? Omg, I'm old, haha. Though there were always years in between were life got in the way and I didn't write anything.

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I'd like to say it's write, but it's definitely read. Also, I think you can only really become better and know what a certain fandom likes and wants to read, if you read a lot.

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

Honestly I can't really pinpoint that exactly. I think it's really a matter of progress over a long period of time. Reading helps, of course, immensely. But also (as cliché as that might sound) life experience. Actually I always liked to incorporate personal side stories into my fanfictions. And I think I am not taking the same things as overly serious as now, I'm a lot calmer now.

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Can't really spontaneously name a topic, but as I am over-invested in always getting characters as close to the original as possible so the story feels "real" I once re-watched countless of episodes of a certain anime to make a chart in excel on how character x adresses character y, z and so on... It was a lot of work.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

I like every simple little 'I liked your story' or just an emoji or the longer ones equally. But I once got a review for a story were I tried to make sense of an anime's ending and I really poured my heart into that one and the reviewer commented with 'you relieved my heart'. It still makes me so happy.

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

The most niche think I've ever done was more the way I wrote a story. I decided on about 30 random sentences before starting and while writing threw a dice to determine which sentence I had to use right at that point in the story. It was so much fun, I recommend to try that out, it's a great challenge.

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Real and believable romance and intimacy.

10. What is the easiest type?

Stories that are funny just in order to be funny and nothing more.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

On the computer. Has always been that way, I am not fast enough for my brain to do it on paper, though I write down ideas in my notebook. I'm (nearly) always carrying something to write on. My best writing times had been evenings mostly, but I can write anytime I am in the mood or really force myself to do it - setting a timer for an hour has really helped me a lot recently.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

A really cool fighting scene, preferably with swords.

13. What made you choose your username?

It's the name of a character I originally designed for myself, to represent myself (like an avatar you could say). Deriana comes from browsing an atlas. It's a great way to come up with names. I just use whatever city, river or whatever sounds nice to me and alter the word a little.

I've no idea who has been tagged already, but I'll try. If you've already done this please just ignore me :D @worldofkaeos @ariadnekurosaki @eudociacovert @womaninwinter @photorose11

[bereft-of-frogs]

friday! ✨

reading:

(in-progress) Jaw Bone - Monica Ojeda - This is an excellent follow-up to Yellowjackets in that it is about how teenage girls can and will start a cult, while an adult figure in their lives looks on in horror and then does something way worse. Also, the line "Why do [girls] love [their girl friends] so much that they would rather see them dead?" tell me that's not Shauna

(phone book) Into the Dark - Claudia Gray: omg I forgot how much I love Reath. This is legit making me considering pushing through my issues with Midnight Horizon because this can't be where we part ways. He's just so me. He stays behind for historiography. I loved historiography. He shows up kind of buzzed for an important journey. Do you know how many times I've gone through TSA still drunk? So many times. Ok not when I was 17 because I was kind of a square back then, but I for sure made up for it in my 20s. I love him. I think my issues with Midnight Horizon were 1) just being #done with forbidden romances. There are like 4 of them. I'd just read Gray's Lost Stars for book club (which was a disappointment). I don't love forbidden romances at the best of times and I was just over it. 2) some of the dialogue literally made me cringe it was so bad. But. I am considering powering through because Reath is just so me. I will say, this is probably because of my MH annoyance, but I do wish that Jora hadn't died, I think she was better for him than Cohmac is but...maybe that opinion will shift during this reread. I also really appreciate that this dodges some YA sins (unlike some others in this recap...���� see below) by making a major theme be that the adults are equally as lost and stressed as our teenage protagonist. Like, they're sort of useless because yeah adults are also lost and confused sometimes, not just to get them out of the way of the plot. I just love the cut from Reath's POV being like 'look at them, they've got it all together, maybe when I'm an adult I won't feel so lost and uncertain' and then to all the adults' POVs being like '*internal screaming* what if I'm making a huge mistake.' I feel like, for me, this is what makes a YA book readable as a 30+ year old, treating the teen protagonist and the adult side characters with equal respect and depth.

Lord of the Rings chapter-a-day: I was supposed to finish this today, based on that blog's schedule, but once I fell behind I just decided to keep with the one chapter per day thing. Should finish by early next week and then I'm moving on to The Silmarillion to spite that one person who didn't believe the 'have you read this book' poll results. Many Partings today <3 ah.

watching (tv):

Severance (AppleTV+): I love how for like half an episode I was like 'idk this might not be such a bad idea' because I have a lot of work-related dreams and I'm like, hm but if I can't remember work, will have I have nightmares about it, and then the show immediately spent the rest of that episode and the three following being like 'hey this is a fucking horror show'. What a nightmare. Possibly the most disturbing show I've watched all year so far. Patricia Arquette's character is legit a little triggering haha.

watching (film):

the only movies I watched this week were all of the Hunger Games movies. They put them on Netflix. And. Look. I have such a complicated relationship with the Hunger Games series, some of you might be like 'um don't you bitch about that series quite frequently' yes. Also, when Netflix puts them on I WILL watch all of them. I saw the new one in theaters. I'm committed but. Hunger Games rant incoming, this is one of those things that has gotten a bit ruined by the fandom. Because I really enjoy it -- at least the first two -- I just don't think it's a masterpiece that is so deep it should be taught in high schools. It's pretty shallow actually. The first two books/movies are so fun, they're tropey and fun and a great angsty setting. (When I'm in a certain mood, oof, Hunger Games AUs? Hit so hard.) But they do indulge in some YA sins. Like not as many as the wave of knockoffs that followed, for sure, but they're there. The one that bothers me the most Katniss is both a blank slate for the reader to project on, and also the only one that's ever right. None of the other characters have depth or development just so that Katniss can be right all the time, even though by Mockingjay that just makes her seem like a hypocrite. Mockingjay, both the book and the unnecessary two-part conclusion, is just abysmal. But it feels like both my enjoyment of the tropey dystopian first two books and my dislike of Mockingjay, gets this response of 'you just don't get it, Suzanne Collins is playing 5D chess--' and I'm sorry, I just don't buy it. Anyway, this is but a fraction of the rant I could go on, Netflix tried to email me a little 'what did you think of The Hunger Games' survey and I was like, Netflix, babe, you don't know what you're asking. I also apologize to everyone who has to put up with my commentary whenever I put these on, the victim this time was @aurorawest thank you for putting up with my commentary. Also Gwendoline Christie is in the last one for like 2 minutes and cannot do an American accent so that was kind of endearing. Ok. End Hunger Games rant.

list:

guest-ready level clean of my apartment. we're mopping. we're doing the baseboards. we're making sure there's not any more butter on the walls (side note, I finally figured out how butter got on my wall: I was holding the butter knife in my right hand while picking up the bread in the toaster with the same hand and it tilted and gently brushed the wall exactly where I found the butter, so. no one asked by that's how butter got on my wall it's been like three days and I've been like....what happened here)

ECLIPSE DAY!!! I am both very excited and slightly stressed because the news has been like 'APOCALYPTIC CROWDS' but I do have to remember that my measurement for 'apocalypse-level crowds' has been shaped by almost exclusively living in places with much, much higher population density. So what I consider intolerable crowds and what the good citizens of this lovely state consider intolerable crowds...is slightly different. I definitely am anticipating a lot of traffic but I do think I need to recalibrate my understanding here. XD We'll see maybe it will be bad, but I have alternate routes planned, we'll have snacks, it'll be an adventure either way.

I have no other plans this is all I've been thinking about, this is the first thing I put in my calendar when I got it, I put in my PTO request in January lol

anyway, happy friday

[gwydionmisha]

Personal: This Person Just Uncleaned My Apartment

I think I need to tell you about the Cleaner, because OMG, but for that you will need context on my pain/meds situation.

So less pain does not remotely equal no pain.  My hip joints were a mess Wednesday, and only a little better Thursday.  My shoulder joints, and thus my arms, started to go bad Thursday.  The fundamental things wrong with my body aren't fixable, but the new meds are doing a stellar job on what I think of as the secondary pain, IE: everything else not joint or tendon or in their immediate vicinity.  It is far more effective than the muscle relaxants I've been using for decades at this since it's hitting the nerves and not just the muscles.  It also adds to the tired.  So much to the tired.  Bonus: on the new dose, I get dizzy if I don't rest enough, and the heart palpitations hit longer and harder when they hit.

Dramatically better means for an extreme chronic pain/chronic illness perspective, not from a remotely healthy person's perspective, if you follow.  I was into about a month of unbearable torment when we tried the one pill dosage.  I'm still not sure my system can handle the two pills, and I plan to stick to this dose.  They are supposed to last eight hours, but I get an extra four hours of partial coverage per pill, and like I said the side effects are scaling up on me.

So right now my balance sucks, I'm exhausted, and my shoulder joints scream at me if I try to do anything remotely strenuous with them, you follow?

So far I've had four different cleaners turn up, two of them twice.  Three of those are hard and thorough workers.  One of those will not wear her mask.  I put up with it because I am wearing mine and turn on all the fans and I'm scared if I don't take her, no one will come.  (see five skipped cleaning appointments in a row).

Cleaning is a hard fucking job and they are underpaid, get no benefits, no set hours, and have to pay their own travel costs including for the ferry if they are coming from the reservation and that is a lot of gas.  I respect cleaners.  I've done it, after all, amoung the many shit jobs I had over the years.  I trust them to know what they are doing.  This has been the case in three instances.  Most of the conversation with those three cleaners has been things like: Where does this go?  Where is (whatever) kept?  What should i do next?  I refuse to micro manage.  In my experience, micro managing is dramatically less efficient and just insults the person doing the job.  I know I hated it, when I was the person being micro-managed.  This works great for Goth Millennial and for the other three cleaners on the other four occasions.

I'm sure you are sensing the big but here.

So the cleaner who came today, turned up the other time she was here high as a kite.  I don't mean a little buzzed, which is fairly normal in this town and this state.  Weed's been legal here for ages.  People with shitty service jobs occasionally come to work a schootch high.  It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things if, say, your barista's a little buzzed.  I don't partake myself for a host of reasons, but most of my friends since... I'm going to say 1985, have/do.  A little high is no big deal.

Orbiting Pluto without a suit is.  She was way out of it girl at a party who's friends have to watch her like a hawk high.  She was barely coherent high.  She drove here.  O.o.  She drove home.  This terrifies me.  after some consultation with my friends including them seeing the mess she made and me acting out vignettes, our best guess is she must have dramatically misjudged an edible.  (It had to be vape or edible.  I would have smelled smoke.  Edible makes the most sense for both the degree of Jesus fuck high and the thinking she was fine when she left home, but waaaay not fine when she got here.  Surely she would have cancelled otherwise, right?).

So basically instead of my working away at the aggregate or tumblr queue programming or whatever, it was a lot like baby sitting a toddler who would not shut up, only the toddler would make more sense and the mess would have likely been confined to things in a toddler's reach.  I had to go around after she left and actually use the forbidden to me for safety reasons ladder to save a bunch of my cups and glasses from the accident I could see happening the second Squirrel opened a dish cupboard because he had jammed them in their so precariously that the door was the only thing preventing them falling.  Goth Millennial came the next day and had to take everything out and restack it.  I could live with the fitted sheet being inside out, so we left that for today.

I did not turn her in to the asshole agency because 1. worker solidarity.  I never went to work on a substance, but I've worked so, so many shit jobs and the Asshole Agency is terrible.  2. I was pretty sure it was a mistake involving an edible. 3. I was big on giving people another chance when I was teaching.  On fuck up shouldn't lat for ever unless that fuck up was malicious or really damaging to other people.

Well, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me.

No, she was not noticeably high this time, though I couldn't rule a mild buzz out.  She also had a shamefaced and subdued demeanor that clearly told me she knew how badly she'd fucked up last time.  She said she'd signed up for me on purpose instead of her other option because I was really nice to her and my apartment was full of interesting things to look at while she cleaned.  My apartment is full of interesting things to look at and I suspect she liked me because I was consistently kind to her when she was a mess last time and hadn’t turned her in.   She really is sweet and nice and she is clearly trying her best but not remotely the sharpest tool in the shed.  Which can be fine.  I've known a lot of good workers over the years with significant developmental or accident related challenges and they did fine.  She wasn't in that category, but I realized she'd need extra supervision compared to the others.  I underestimated how much.

She did walk right up to Tavy and start petting him right away like last time which again confused and alarmed him.  Sure, Squirrel and I and a couple of the Millennials can do that because we are his particular friends, but he barely knows her and and she would NOT stop doing that last time no matter how many times I told her he was a biter and apt to maul when he was worked up.  I was so proud of him because he did not attack her the first three times, and honestly the forth time, I would have bitten her too in his place.  

Tavy was noticeably wary of her.  He did want to watch what she was doing, but he remembered her.  (By contrast, the other cleaners he'd watch from a distance for a while, and then follow around and in a couple cases, get me to pick him up so he could get a better look.  He really took to the GNC person who came once, and kept sniffing their legs).  He did let her pet him without biting her, and she was together enough to stop when I told her he was down, and leave him alone for the rest of the two hours when I said he was in a mood to hang out and watch but not interact.

I got her through the linen change okay and last time she was so high she forgot we had a dishwasher after she'd emptied it and it took her most of her shift except the linen change, but the dishes looked and smelled clean, so I set her to that and did not remotely supervise her enough.  This I did not discover until evening, but we'll get to that.

Then I set her to sweep and mop, which... Like I've worked a lot of restaurant jobs, often with people in a supported worker with severe intellectual challenges.  I've never seen one who'd been doing it for years who couldn't do it correctly.  She said she'd been doing this for several years.

Assuming makes an ass out of me, doesn't it?

Oh gods the mess she made!  I should have known it was too hard for her when she started prepping for mopping before sweeping.  So I told her to sweep first, which she did.  I told her to dump the water in the sink, not the tub, which turned out to be very, very lucky.  (The tub is the most expensive thing I own.  A city program that remodels for elderly and disabled people paid for it.  I will never be able to afford to fix or replace it.  There are super strict cleaning directions for a reason, because the mechanism is delicate.)  I told her to use the liquid all purpose cleaner under the sink.  I should have got it out and prepped the bucket myself, but bending hurts and I was exhausted and dizzy and my arm situation was deteriorating.  I should have done it anyway, because this is So.  Much.  Worse.

She used a ton of water.  Like way, way to much water in a way that suggested she did not wring the mop and/or she was dumping puddles out of the bucket.  It was a terrifying fall risk situation because this was the end of her shift and I really really needed to get ready for bed as soon as she left and forage delivery was late so I had to go drag it in, just as I'd given up and settled into bed.  So I'm dizzy with unreliable legs, using both hands and going careful back and forth over this swamp of a floor with a weird gritty, soapy texture.  Which is... not what you want in a cleaner for elderly and disabled people.  I could fall and end up in the hospital under those conditions.  And it;'s not like I could want a couple hours for it to dry.  There was no point in washing my feet in the bathroom, so I kept using wipes on them before getting into bed.

Then I woke up to pee and realized just how bad it really was.  *head desk*  My best guess is she used Ajax, which is stored under a bookshelf in the bathroom, not under the sink.  Like a TON of Ajax.  The kitchen sink and nearby counter was caked with it and the floor was tacky and gritty and full of muddy footprints.  I couldn't leave it like that.  I cleaned the sink.  I took the other mop with the disability friendly easy to wring it out attachment which had been to complicated for her head and wet mopped it all again, frequently rinsing and wringing it out, until my arms basically gave out and I had to wash up and take a nap.

It's still incredibly dirty.  I feel like crying, because I can't feel clean unless my feet are.  I've been skating around on damp towels, but though my hip joints are a lot better this evening, I wear out fast and it hurts quite a bit if I do it too much.  I hate leaving a terrible mess like this for the millennial, but I simply can't mop any more with these arms.  I'd have been so much better off giving her something else to do, but I couldn't think of anything else simple enough for her, and I know from last time she will not leave early no matter how much I tell her she can just clock out at the end of the hour.

At this point I was debating what to do.  I had settled on calling Monday and asking them to put her on my no list without giving a reason, because I simply can't go through this again.  It's too hard on my body and it's incredibly could seriously injure me dangerous.

Then I went to feed the Empress Livia and discovered something worse.

I'm medically fragile.  Amoung so many other things, I have an immune system that is far more interested in own goals than fighting pathogens.  I can and will catch anything you expose me too.  Anything.  I also have a dicey digestive system.  Anything I use to prepare food or eat or drink needs to be really fucking clean. We prewash for grease and stuck on food then run them through the washer to make sure the soap and anything else is off.  yes, I know this is bad for the environment as it uses extra water, but it’s a serious safety issue for me.

I was very, very clear on directions because I remembered last time.  “Wash the dishes and then put the in the dishwasher.  The dishes in there are dirty, so don’t put them away.  I will run the washer after you leave.”  Did she do that?  No.  Were the dishes cleaned and dried, which would be reasonably acceptable as an alternative?  No.  They were jammed in with the clean dishes, soaking wet and covered in soap bubbles six or seven hours after she left.  We'll have to go through all the pans tomorrow.  I pulled the pans and dishes I remembered were in the sink yesterday.  I have no way of guessing with the glasses and flatware and I don't know which things Squirrel put in there.  

I am exhausted and I hurt and I've been pushed way past the limit of what my body can handle in a day and I can't trust my dishes or the glass I'm drinking out of and I can't get the dirty Ajax grit off my feet.  I'm going to go take a bath, but my feet will be dirty again the second I touch the floor.

She's another poor person.  I feel like a class traitor just putting her on my no list, but she could theoretically kill an elderly person with her mopping, and I can't decide if I should say something, because anything I do will be a terrible option.

This person literally uncleaned my apartment.  I just....

Look, I know it’s a free service, but this is so very much worse than when they don’t send anyone.

[debb987]

UAHHHH!!! i read your eldest brother fic this week (i had started it earlier but hadn’t gotten more than a few chapters and i finally sat myself down to read it), and let me say it’s AMAZING!!!!! probably my fav fic in the fandom tbh. it’s incredible. i love the way you handle both splinters, while not apologizing for their actions you point out that it’s not impossible to change and that GROWING is something that is not impossible. i think that this type of character development, regarding flawed characters who aren’t villains necessarily but are definitely not helping the protagonists is hard to come by and i really appreciate how you handle it. i also would just like to put into words how much i love and appreciate raph and his alters. i am not a part of a system but i know of people who are, and i have sent them this fic so that they know that they are being represented in media!! because god knows there’s not enough DID representation around. raph’s system is incredibly well done and written, and i love each of his alters equally, they’re all amazing. AND RAPH HIMSELF!!!! is a phenomenal character i hope you know that. he has gone from my least fav rise turtle to battling for first BECAUSE OF YOUR FIC!!!!!!! i think he is just. the guy ever /pos. i hope that he gets to keep his new adopted bros as well as the old. speaking of new bros, i love the way both the rise boys and 2012 boys are written. i LOVE seeing the similarities and (haunting) differences each pair of bros has. i cant wait for them to meet up and for them to all just become besties with the same older brother. i also really, really want to see cassandra, mostly because i just want raph to be himself without having to take care of his bros. i just think he deserves someone to talk to and appreciate who doesn’t have to rely on him all the time. truthfully i just wanna see their wholesome dynamic; raph deserves some platonic love.

(mostly i just wanted to tell u how much i appreciate and love this fic. it has been such a treasure to read. you are a phenomenal writer who has made me love both the rise and 2012 boys even more. never stop doing what u do ❤️)

lmao sorry for the rant

I'm gushing right back and it's so long so more below the cut!

OMG AKSJDAKSHD AHHHHHH This is so flattering, I'm exploding!/pos This fandom has so many great fics, for TEB to be among the favorites it's really high praise, such an honor 🥹🥹💕💕

The "Splinter is Trying" tag, my beloved!!! 🥰🥰 Both Splinters are very flawed, yes, but OH How I love sinking my author claws deep into their characters to pull them apart and take a peek at their core. What caused this? Do they realize? Do they try to improve? TEB is just one massive Character Analysis in form of a story aksjdakjshd👌👌

Ahhh thank you so much, I really tried to give justice to the Raph has DID tag!! I'm not a system, nor am I friends with any in IRL, so all of it is lots of investigation on different sources and I'm happy it's coming across as good representation so far 🥰🥹 Even though TEB is NOT an educational novel on these matters in any shape or form, I do try to give good rep whenever possible 💕💕

SFKJSSJS YES! YES! Convert to the dark side, come put Raph among the top fav turtles! 😈😇ksksksk Welcome to the club 🤝🤝 the fact that TEB managed to somewhat rise his spot in the "Favorite turtles" list is also high praise, I'm so flattered, I love him so much and sharing that to the point of making others love him too is flattering🥳🥳🥳

I love writing their similarities and diferences too! The 12 and Rise brothers have so many similarities on their "core" but circumstances shaped them to be different, their own individuals, and I love to explore that along with the parallels ksksks I really can't wait for them to meet! 🤩🤩

Cassandra is the best, fr fr, I'm really looking forward to that part of the story where Raph can finally take a break from family-matters and can just be silly and chaotic with his bff 😌👏

I love the rant, I love it with all my heart, like please, PLEASE, if you can copy-paste it in AO3, Idc which chapter, or if its Anon, just let it be there so I don't lose it to Tumblr ephemerality 🥹🥹 It's such a beautifully long comment, I love gushing about these sm, I love sitting down to answer all my comments in AO3 aksjdajsda but overall just.

Thank you for taking the time to write this and let me know, you brightened my day, I'm smiling so much! As I read this, as I answer this!! Thank you! And I hope the story continues to be enjoyable 🥰🥰

[greensagephase]

Alonda, i dont usually comment or ask anything on peoples pages, but oh my god, part nine was AMAZING.

the detail's were astonishing, and the portray of emotions was perfect. reading the chapter felt so unreal, as if i was reading from an actual published book. your so good with your words, i can almost feel whats happening irl. The attention to reader and miguels friendship was also amazing. im so glad we finally got to see them agree they're friends! reader taking care of miguel was also perfect. it sounded just like the way an actual friend would be helping irl, down to the part of helping him shower. which by the way, made me blush a lil bit HAHA. Miguels reaction to the nails on his scalp was so sweet. and the fact that miguel would give anything for reader to have peter back broke my heart. it was really so sweet. im honestly come across on tumblr.

everytime i read your writing, you sound like a professional. if you tol me you had 5 oublished books, id believe it.

this is the one story i think im gonna be genuinely sad about ending. but im also so so happy to see the finale.

love u, love ur writing. take care of urself! drink water, get a snack and some rest.

-anon

Hi, anon!! Thank you so much for sending this lovely ask 🥺 (also, sorry for the long reply!)

I'm so happy to see that you enjoyed the details and emotions of part nine! Your lovely comment about the chapter feeling like a published book - THANK YOU, omg!! 😭 That has to be one of the sweetest compliments I've ever received about my writing. Thank you so much, seriously! I don't have any published books but I've always dreamt about it and hope that one day I can publish some of my unfinished projects.

I'm also so happy that Miguel and reader finally admitted to being friends in their own ways, and I can't wait for Miguel to say it out loud to reader! I'm glad you enjoyed the caring for Miguel. I really wanted this chapter to be fluffy and cute and it be a way for reader and Miguel to get closer and solidify their friendship, so I'm glad you found the ways reader looked after him realistic, down to the shower, which made me feel shy, haha! So I understand the blushing! That part of washing Miguel's hair - omg. I enjoyed writing it so much and it was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me because I think Miguel would truly find it so relaxing? Just the idea of how he'd react to it - AH! I can't so I'll stop talking about it!

And listen, Miguel being willing to give up everything so reader can have Peter back - absolutely broken! He's so sweet and tender 🥹 To still be willing to give up reader and their friendship despite everything he's lost - he deserves the world!!

And aww, thank you, anon!!! I'll be sad once this story comes to an end, too. It's been great having the opportunity to write more in general but even more so because of a character I truly love. I never expected to feel this strongly over a character (I had my moments with others characters but Miguel has really raised the bar lol) but here I am. And to be able to share it with a community that equally loves this character is just so heartwarming. On the happier side, there's still a few chapters left (not sure how many) but I can guarantee you we still have a bit left for this story as we barely just got into the official friendship territory. Either way, I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the story!!

Thank you so much for reading and for the lovely words! You have no idea how much it means to me! 🥹 And likewise, anon! Please take care of yourself 🥰 I hope to hear from you again! Have a lovely day/night!!!

-Alondra

[solar-halos]

i lied i need to talk some more about west side story

okayy so i’m a fucking freak and have been putting on a song from the original and then immediately switching it to the remake so i can compare and contrast. here are my findings:

1) in the original, the girls carried “america” but in the remake i have to give it to the boys 😔😔 idk i just REALLY love how anita said “everyone there will have moved here” all like snarky and sassy, her banter w bernardo was so consistent throughout the entire song and i appreciated that. but maybe im just jealous bc the flirty way anita said it in the remake wasn’t being directed at me (im just playing) (ariana debose is sooo pretty)

2) the jet song… this one was different but kinda in a fierce way. sad they didkt keep the “great, daddy-o!” line bc even in the original it sounded so silly but i do like how “we’re jets” “the greatest!” was more whimsical in the original and then i equally like how “the greatest” line was said so seriously and kinda solemnly, it tied into the whole peter pan vibes that tony was telling them to grow out of

3) speaking of america… time for the “why are women more willing to assimilate than men” discussion. (in my experience!!! from what i’ve seen growing up!! not saying that this is a universal truth, especially as an Observer and not an Experiencer). well, if your dad moved from a poor town like mine and moved to america, then you’ve probably overheard him saying something like “ughh i would be so rich back home but im so poor over here” so i think it’s kinda like an ego thing? like back in his town everyone was poor, and he thought he was cheating the system by leaving, and then he’s in america and he’s like “pause.. im still poor and i STILL can’t provide for my family fuck this.” and then i think in a social perspective women are kinda just expected to sit there and shut up and that kinda forces them to see the best in things. also i know the us has its own problems but imma just say thank GOD i live here and not where my dad grew up, so there’s also the opportunist mindset that i feel like is rlly appealing even though america has been historically very unkind to woc

4) i was NOT rlly fucking w “gee officer krumpke” in the remake idk like why are there so many pauses just spit it out you are NOT ben platt omg. and seriously why did they take out the “my daddy beats my mommy, my mom clobbers me” line!! like i said, that is SUCH a timeless line and replacing it with “my moms an SOB” doesn’t even make sense (unless they’re using an acronym im not familiar w). also the original was so much more violent omg everyone’s getting slapped around… like chill. BUT “the trouble is he’s grown” was delivered so dcom-y in the remake, like they wanted us to be gagged or something. corny!

5) rachel zegler already makes “i feel pretty” so much better and i think this was something the new movie was tryna make a point out of bc the other songs are like this too, but it really stuck out to me how much space they used in the remake for the dances. like in “i feel pretty” they’re basically confined into a rlly tiny space, and even in “gee officer krupke” they’re literally just outside a building, so it was nice to see them play around w that

[achillesuwu]

The fact that when I read this "But everyone will learn why the Other Arthur always walked alone, stare empty. Everyone will learn how Merlin has killed everyone he loved except for himself, and everyone will know how the Other Arthur has done the same to the Other Merlin." The song I was listening (it's great it's very Arthur coded AND IT FITS THIS AU TOO 🤌✨ https://youtu.be/twI3qZ6_8PQ?t=182&si=9AN09qUcLoSdzGka ) just went to the last lyrics "Oh gods that dwell beyond the stars, if you can hear my cry ; And if you have compassion, let me send no more to die" is fate omg

To come back on the subject : I LOVE HOW YOU WROTE THIS SO MMMMUUUUUCCCCCHHHBBHH (honorable mention to this because I was GAGGED OMG : I preferred you with longer hair.”

Arthur smiles, hand on the pommel of his word. Merlin shrugs, an equally menacing but darker sword materialising on his side, and right in his hand.

“It was better to hold onto when I came inside you.”

Also « We meet again merlin » <- arthur, babe, I know you wanted to ride that man until sunrise came)

>#i also have this irrational fear that someone will steal my fics ideas💀so like i always blog them under your blogs#talk about being dramatic#because i feel safer lmao

>I’m sorry if it will be quite long or under your blog, but you just caught my attention because yes!!! We

I'm very happy my blog can be a safe space! And I always LOVE when people expand on what I write!!

#but also like why i haven’t got all the time in the world to write all of these

I currently have 32 page of idea of wip in my doc (and I’m not exaggerating that’s really 32 pages 💀) and Goddness know how many are actually on my tumblr so I get it 😔😔 BUT WE REALLY NEED TO EXPAND AND CLEAN THAT ONE UP BECAUSE IT'S SO FIRE !!!!!!!!DKBSSBJSBSBSBSBSBSB

#YOUR IDEAS SOMETIMES MATCH MY IDEAS IN A WAY THAT SCARES ME

GREAT MIND THINK ALIKE or as they say were I live "Great spirits met once again"!

#but also like i always imagined this in a parallel world because i want merlin and arthur to actually see for themselves what other#possibilities there could be to their love#if there is a world where they can love each other without consequences

Tbh it could be very interesting if the reason why merthur 1's world was eating magic out of that world in particular is because merthur 2 has magic yes but it doesn't have a stable merthur relationship 👀 like merthur 1 world feed of magic of merthur 2 but merthur 2 feed of the kinder love of merthur 1 👀 and the only way they can both get stable is if not only merthur one go back and legalise magic but also if merthur 2 are put in a room and have a ‘hungry cat in heat fight’ for a week that turn into slow love making as days goes by 🤌✨ like who knew you could make war stop if you make them fuck MORE and not look at your king as you wonder when he will start to fuck less with his mortal enemy please sire it's the 8 time this month we cannot effort another tower cra— *sigh*

(also imagine from an external pov lmao like for the random people of Camelot this kingdom is already a shared custody between the king and his enemy-with-benefits who conquer it for 6 months then the king conquers the enemy-with-benefits’ kingdom then then enemy-with-benefits conquers back his own kingdom as the king conquers once more their kingdom and then—)

I just find it so interesting that canonically merthur can not hate each other. They seem also they never be able to fully live if the other is far away.

Just, this is the perfect set up fot extremely dark and toxic romance.

Like imagine : Merlin and Arthur being from enemy kingdom who are at war. They both killed countless of loved one of the other mentor, friend, lover, family,... But they can't stay away. It's like a drug Arthur needs to see Merlin, Merlin needs to see Arthur. They go out in the middle of the night, they fight, they kick, but they can never give the fatal blow. They hold each other so tightly you could never know where one begins and where the other end. They scream 'I hate you, I hate you, I hate you so much' and yet, between kisses they whisper 'I hate you, I hate you, I love you, goddess, I love you so much"

When Merlin's kingdom manage to take Uther's castle, they make love on the bloody floor. They run their bloody finger in each other hair, pulling on them so hard you could wonder how they manage to never break their kiss. Merlin takes, takes and takes. Spreading blood on Arthur's flanks, pushing him on the cold floor. Arthur fights, fights and fights. Pushing back, searching for a sword but when he find one he barely put it on Merlin’s neck before throwing it away and taking merlin in a crushing embrace.

When Arthur will take back his Castle, when Merlin will lose his and take it back again. When they will have made each other king by turning rivers red. Maybe they will find a different love or maybe they won't. It doesn't matter, as for now, their kisses have only one taste, blood and war.

[lesbow]

my issue with The Sea Beast

so i recently watched The Sea Beast and really loved it. a lot of the visuals were stunning (i was absolutely wow-ed during that one scene of drops of water hitting the deck during a battle). i love the pirate atmosphere and the “world of beasts” concept always calls for interesting designs, such as the Giant Crab.

i also loved Maisie. as a black woman, she was the biggest reason i was drawn to the film. i was so excited to see what kind of journey she’d go on, and seeing how many women in general are given roles in the story was pretty great. Sarah, the red head sailor, the laid back carriage driver, etc. not to mention that found family is always a good plot. the movie just checked boxes all around lol!

i just have two issues. one minor and one… pretty major:

the issues

i would’ve had it where in the beginning of the movie after Maisie breaks out of the orphanage, as she goes through town it’s shown that she’s highly loved by the townsfolk. maybe it’s cause she’s been there the longest and knows many of them first hand, or the others find her curiosity abt things to be endearing, or for any other reasons, idk. i’d just put this tweak in bc personally, all the townsfolk siding with her in the end felt a bit rushed. i knew Maisie was spitting, but i definitely thought “omg no one’s gonna believe her :(“ bc how would they? but the townsfolk just immediately do so lol. by having it where we know she’s already highly respected/admired, their unanimous support would feel more natural.

now this is the “pretty major one”. it was a concern i had before i watched, one that unfortunately stayed with me while watching, but that was kinda sorta not really but kinda pacified by the ending? my issue is with Maisie and Jacob’s dynamic.

(no more numbered points bc we’re abt to go into an essay)

going into the movie, i was worried Jacob’s character would overshadow Maisie’s. i already knew most fans would obnoxiously view them in that way, but i was hoping the movie itself wouldn’t and would give them equal development. unfortunately, up until the finale, that hope of mine was crushed.

a compliment i saw that was given to TSB is that it lets Maisie be a child. but i disagree, i think the story throws child!Maisie out the window pretty quickly. after they get shipwrecked, i found myself constantly wondering exactly how old Maisie was supposed to be, as more often than not she was more mature than grown adult Jacob.

let me put this in perspective:

about 80% of the film is Maisie, a young black girl, having to prevent, teach, and beg Jacob, an adult white man, to not be violent and aggressive. do yall see how this kind of arc could be a little disturbing, to say the least?

i am not saying that Maisie was in danger when with Jacob, im merely pointing out how ridiculous it is that the whole plot revolves around it being a young black girl’s job to educate a grown white man on no longer being violent.

but ofc this kind of narrative isnt specific to The Sea Beast. this is the standard in most “young person schools the older generation on how to do better” stories. Coco, HTTYD, Encanto, Moana, the list goes on. but in the case of TSB, it’s an issue bc it largely overlooks the characters’ racial identities when thats just not smthg that can be ignored. and no i am not saying TSB should’ve been a cultural movie, it having an anti-imperialist narrative is fine. great even! but if you’re going to have a diverse cast, then at bare minimum you need diverse writing to match.

representation in media, especially children’s media, is desperately needed and TSB is a decent example of progress. but it is by no means perfect. when it comes to representing marginalized communities, how many times does it need to be said that some things (tropes, archetypes, themes, etc.) aren’t a One Size Fits All?

comparisons

i’m going to compare two movies that come to mind. a lot of ppl compare TSB to HTTYD, but i think it has much more in common with Moana than anything else. it shares similarities with Treasure Planet as well.

Treasure Planet and Moana also have the theme of a younger person having an older one learn and grow alongside them. John Silver develops as much as Jim Hawkins and Maui as much as Moana, but it is still clear it’s Jim and Moana’s stories as we get more time and focus on their characters than their counterparts.

in Moana, Maui starts the film already wrong and committing an injustice as he stole Te Fiti’s heart and caused her to turn into the dangerous and violent Te Kā. Moana journeys with Maui with the hopes of making a difference and helps him grow into a better person along the way (sound familiar?) Moana’s arc is to find herself and save her home. Maui’s arc is learning he has value not because of but despite his abilities, and to not put others down for one’s own glory. they both have their own arcs, but not once does Moana waste time to sit Maui down at a classroom desk and desperately try to teach him selflessness. her goal is bigger than him. as Jim’s journey in Treasure Planet is bigger than John.

but in TSB, Maisie sits Jacob down and tries to “educate” him several times on how to have sympathy. sadly, her development takes a significant backseat to Jacob’s, and what little she does have is rushed as all hell. Maisie realizes Red is a friend 5 seconds after meeting her. she gets over her parents’ image as “heroes” and comes to the conclusion that they were flawed 5 seconds after that. and then at the end, she realizes all of it is the fault of The Crown after a 3-second book searching scene! ffs let her grow slowly! the film makes it a point to say she has the right to speak, but doesnt allow her arc the right to take up too much time in the narrative.

WHY does Maisie have to speed run her own progress and spend the remainder of the time helping a white man through his?! let them develop naturally alongside one another instead of constantly playing teacher and student. i saw someone say “it’s funny how it’s like Maisie adopted Jacob instead of the other way around” and that person was joking ofc but that’s literally how the plot comes across. TSB does NOT let Maisie be a child and it was so disappointing to see.

possible solutions?

some ways this could’ve been rectified:

switch Sarah and Jacob. this could’ve added the subplot of Maisie having always admired Sarah in particular and wanting to become exactly like her someday. then as the truth about the beasts unfolds, Maisie realizes that the hunters aren’t as great as she thought and that instead of following in somebody else’s footsteps, she should make her own. this would make her standalone speech at the end hit even more than it already does. it also would’ve been interesting for Sarah herself, who is known for being “the most loyal 2nd in command ever”, to over time lose her loyalty the more she learns abt the beasts.

if the main pairing had to be interracial, why did Jacob have to be white? for some reason whenever this type of bond is brought up, most ppl’s first go to is a white person being involved. i promise, they are not a requirement for interracial themes.

and include more scenes about Maisie’s own development! we have way more than enough about her parents as heroes, but what abt her actual relationship with them? she talks abt them as if theyre nothing but symbolic figures. were they close? and if not, have her address that too. how was her time in the orphanage? the kids all seemed to like her, but when she meets up with Jacob, its like hes the only family shes ever known in years. slow down her turn from “hunters are cool” to “hunters are wrong” and make it develop over time instead of it being a lightning quick arc. and maybe, besides beasts, have her and Jacob have a side hobby/interest in common so that we can have some clue what theyre going to be doing after they give up hunting for good.

conclusion

with all that said, i did like Maisie and her speech at the end was beautiful. kudos to the script writers and Zaris-Angel’s VAing bc her words abt the The Crown being the one at fault were very impactful. i was so proud of her! if only the story allowed Maisie to be more of a person and less of a mouthpiece, then i probably would’ve even cried.

[ponyam]

Heyyyyyy! I can’t express how much I love your writing honestly and I really want to request something if your still taking them. Could you do a Zhongli x reader? Zhongli takes reader on a date to propose to them and could you include the wedding too if that’s too much to ask? I would really appreciate it :)❤️❤️

thank you so much! and sorry this took so long omg

devout

zhongli x reader [gender neutral]

synopsis: zhongli takes you on a proposal-date and sweeps you of ur mfkn feet <3

cw: slightly suggestive towards the end, mentions of a [food] coma, i'm a sap

The light of the morning sun shone brightly, yet the air was brisk as it nipped at your cheeks. The crisp smell of sea air wafted in from the docks, while the rhythmic chime of ship’s bells echoed off the walls of buildings, indicating that sailors had risen to greet the day and the unruly tide that awaited them.

Your hand was pocketed with his, keeping your grip warm and secure as you walked closely together through the awakening streets of Liyue. At the brink of dawn, your lover began persistently nudging you awake, peppering your face in sweet kisses while promising you with an even sweeter meal as a form of bargain. How lucky he was that it appeared to have worked.

Mornings like this weren’t totally uncommon with Zhongli, however this seemingly newfound fervor for planning a whole day trip like this was a little out of the ordinary. When you asked him what the occasion was— out of slight concern that you might’ve forgotten it— he denied that there ever was one; he simply wanted to express his “love and adoration through a little quality time together.”

Before you could press any further, something had caught your lover’s attention, as you were suddenly being ushered in another direction. He escorted you to sit at one of the tables at the Wanmin Restaurant and, once you were settled, excused himself to order food, planting a quick peck to your cheek in the process. Looking around you noticed that the area wasn’t too crowded at this time of day; there was a certain peacefulness that had settled over the atmosphere that contrasted heavily with the normally bustling streets of the harbor. Perhaps that was what he intended by waking you up so damn early.

Breakfast was delicious, as promised. It also served to ease some of the bitterness you felt towards being jostled awake at the crack of dawn. Zhongli didn’t hold back, either. Anything and everything that you might like was placed on the table in front of you, and you weren’t sure how he was able to afford it, nor if you’d manage to finish it all without going into a coma.

On top of all that, your lover seemed to have brought his own food from home, though it was neatly wrapped and sat underneath the small table. Again, when you asked him about it— not having ever recalled him making it— his reply was as vague as ever; “oh it’s just a little something for later.”

After boxing all the leftovers from the meal that Chef Mao so kindly put together despite the large request, Zhongli offered to take you to visit Dihua Marsh to show you a few of his favorite sights, and maybe even enlighten you with some of the history as well.

There was something so enchanting about the way he spoke; his deep, honeyed voice coating over his words as he recounted tales of his many years of living. He exuded the calm and sophisticated aura of a scholar, which he practically was whether or not he chose to admit it, yet his occasional naivety and silliness were equally charming qualities of his.

You failed to realize how quickly you were drowning in his presence until he directed a question at you, which you had to embarrassingly ask him to repeat. Fortunately, Zhongli wasn’t irritated that you hadn’t been paying attention, in fact he found the dumbfounded expression you wore to be quite endearing.

“I said,” he began as he reached out, gently lifting your chin with his thumb and forefinger while tucking a few stray hairs and a glaze lily that he must’ve picked earlier, gently behind your ear.

He then leaned in, arms snaking around and pulling you towards him by the waist as his breath danced along the side of your neck, lips ghosting over your skin.

“...would you allow me to take you to see a few ruins with me? There is still so much that I wish to show you…”

A sudden tingle shot down your spine as Zhongli’s lips moved to decorate your neck in soft, delicate kisses that seemed to leave a burning imprint in their wake, leaving you slightly flushed. It was truly astonishing how easily he could leave you breathless, even with such little strenuous activity. His affectionate demeanor was slightly peculiar, too, but you were hardly in the position to complain about it.

“Then show me,” you replied, managing to tame the swarm of butterflies that had almost completely consumed you.

Letting out a deep chuckle, Zhongli withdrew his kisses while his hand moved to cup your cheek. He hummed in satisfaction, admiring you with his glowing amber gaze for a moment before speaking.

“Gladly.”

That afternoon was spent with Zhongli as your tour guide as you traversed the various decaying stone structures throughout the Guili Plains, Luhua Pool, and finally, Jueyun Karst, where Zhongli recalled some of his early memories of the adepti with a fond smile adorning his face. You quickly discovered him to be quite the archaeological expert, not that you ever doubted it of course, but he seemed to have quite the knack for uncovering intricate little mechanisms that had been hidden away and preserved in stone over the course of the last few millennia.

He was also very adamant about showing you many of Liyue’s great sights, and was not afraid to express this by taking you to every available vantage point, regardless of how far or out-of-reach it seemed. Even if you claimed to be exhausted, Zhongli would simply carry you the rest of the way because you were going to see this view. And what a view it was. From up high it was easy to take in almost the entirety of Liyue in all of its golden splendor, which was the original intention in bringing you here. This was something that he spent years constructing and cultivating, something he took great pride in and fought hard to protect. It was his world, and you were his crowned jewel.

As the sun was beginning to set, Zhongli escorted you back to the harbor before excusing himself to quickly go and “check something,” sending you off once again with a sweet kiss, and asking you to meet him at the peak of Mt. Tianheng in about twenty or so minutes. You smiled to yourself as you waved goodbye, curious as to what he had in mind and slightly amused by his frantic behavior. You thought back to your earlier denied inquiries regarding what was so special about today.

Perhaps now you would get some answers.

When you arrived at the rendezvous point, well, least to say you were taken aback. Laid out before you was a spread of a variety of your favorite foods, including desserts and a tea set, accompanied by an array of flickering candles that illuminated the small picnic blanket as well as the single glaze lily that grew nearby. Just past it stood the man that you had fallen in love with, his back turned as he watched the sun sink beneath the clouds.

“What’s all this?”

Immediately you caught his attention.

“Ah, there you are, my dear,” he said, turning slightly to face you. “Come here. I have something I’ve been meaning to show you.”

He extended his hand out towards you, a gesture for you to stand beside him. You approached him hesitantly in an attempt to not disturb the lovely display he had assembled for you, while letting his arm gently drape itself across your shoulders.

Your breath caught in your throat. By the Archons, the view was stunning. Sure, you had been sight-seeing all day and this could hardly be any different from the last dozen places you trekked to watch the skyline, but there was something about the way in which the glowing aura of the evening sky reflected off of Liyue and the twinkling sea of its harbor that left you in completely awestruck.

Had you not been quite as transfixed as you were in that moment, perhaps you would’ve caught sight of the distant, far-away look in your lover's eyes. Maybe you would have noticed the way he was fidgeting slightly, or the way his eyes were no longer trained on the view, but on something far more radiant.

“It’s beautiful,” you said, snapping him out of his trance.

Zhongli smiled, enjoying watching the awe and wonder twinkle in your irises.

“Indeed it is.”

You felt his arm lift away from your shoulders.

“But I think I have found something far more precious.”

You felt his hand slip into yours.

“Oh really? And what’s tha—”

When you turned, Zhongli, Rex Lapis, the former Geo Archon, was kneeling before you, regarding you with such an adoring gaze as if you were the deity to be revered, answering your question without needing to utter a single syllable: ‘You’

“(Y/N),” he began, giving your hands a light squeeze. “There is much I’ve been meaning to say to you, but I fear that I have such little time,” he sighed. “When I first gave up my gnosis, I found myself wandering aimlessly, unsure of my place in this world now that I was no longer Rex Lapis. I am now just a mortal man, with no duty to my people. It was a… foreign concept to me, at first. I wasn’t sure how to lead a carefree life, with a clear and resolute heart, until I met you.

“I never anticipated to meet someone quite like yourself, nor did I intend to fall in love as deeply as I have, but I hold no regrets. You have shown me true happiness, and for that I must thank you.”

Zhongli pressed a kiss to your knuckles as you felt your eyes begin to well up with tears.

“Each day spent with you is as valuable as gold to me. Our time together is boundless. I knew not my place in this world before, but I now realize that it has always been right here with you.”

He let out a shaky breath.

“(Y/N), my love, I cannot imagine a world without you in it, and I wish to form a new contract with you from here on out, so please…”

Reaching into his pocket, Zhongli produced a small, black box. Inside was a beautiful jade ring, crested and adorned with gold.

“...will you marry me?”

—

It was a warm summer’s night, and the moon rose full, its light ricocheting off of crystalline streams of water as they cascaded down the high cliffs which surrounded you. The air was humid, but somehow the combination of mist and the gentle night’s breeze made each inhale feel more rejuvenating than the last.

Fireflies were out tonight. They were dancing about you and your fiancé as you stood together side by side adorned in matching hanfu, rapidly beating hearts synchronizing to the same rhythm. It was a relatively quiet ceremony. There weren’t too many guests, and the venue was fairly secluded, making the process feel much more intimate.

After lighting the altar candles and paying respects, a tea ceremony was held, followed by the exchanging of vows. A few adepti were present, as well as some close friends and family members. Seldom did you release each other’s hand, regardless of what you were doing or who was looking. It provided a sense of security for the both of you, a silent reminder to one another that ‘yes, I’m still here, and yes, this is real.’

Although Zhongli is known for being a very composed gentleman, he still found it difficult to restrain himself from sweeping you off your feet and twirling you around while kissing you all over; he was overjoyed, though he was not the easiest person to read.

Instead of performing such an extravagant display of affection, Zhongli opted for a single, chaste kiss once you completed in saying your vows. It was extremely tempting to turn that one kiss into many, much more passionate kisses, but Zhongli was still quite aware of his audience, giving him reason to hold back.

After the wedding reception was held and you had just sent off the very last guest, your husband pulled you aside, albeit a little harsher than intended. You let out a small yelp as you collided with him, surprised by his sudden brazenness.

“You look divine,” he spoke softly, admiring you as you were bathed in moonlight.

A hand then moved to brush some of the hair away from your face, while his other remained gently clasped with yours. Soft lips moved to caress your forehead, and then your temples.

“I have been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he continued.

His lips then moved to your cheek, then jaw, lingering there for a moment while his hand cradled your face.

“Longer than you can imagine,” his voice was deep, sultry, and right in your ear.

He moved to repeat the same process on the other side of your face.

“So forgive me if I’m a little selfish tonight.”

He kissed the tip of your nose before moving his lips to hover over yours, warm breath mingling with your own.

“I must make up for the lost time, after all.”

Zhongli sealed his promise with a kiss that was deep and devouring, conveying all the emotions he had ever felt for you as well as one last, simple message:

'I am utterly and wholly devoted to you.'