#also what a delightful character to have for Valentine’s Day

[aeris-blue]

N is for Nightcrawler from XMen Evolution!

[deppytwistverse]

NRC's Valentine Service~💘

Welcome to the Night Raven College Valentine’s Special Host Club!

Tonight, romance fills the air as we invite you to indulge in an evening of charm, elegance, and unforgettable memories. Let your heart be captivated by the spellbinding atmosphere, where laughter and love awaits.

Allow us to introduce your esteemed hosts for this special occasion: Tod Vultire, Fatin Samaka, and Zeronis Gentlehaven.

Whether you seek playful conversation, refined elegance, or a night of lighthearted fun, our hosts are here to make this Valentine’s day one to remember. So, dearest guest, shall we begin? 💕

Hiya everyone!

To thank you for all the love you have given my fellow boys over the years, i bring you a treat~

For the upcoming week, my inbox will be open for you to request a special interaction from one of my boys. Be it a kiss on the back of your hand or a date on the beach at sunset, they shall be there for whatever your heart desires💕

below, you will find the rules for this event, the menu, and of course meeting the hosts themselves.

Rules

I'm not obligated to answer any asks i do not feel comfortable doing, or for any other reason.

🍰- Roleplays and OCs are more than welcomed!

🍰- Only one ask and host per person.

🍰- Slight suggestive themes are ok, keep it pg 16.

🍰- No cannon characters

🍰- be patient and respectful, this is a one man team.

🍰- No fetish or kink related requests

The submission period ends 21.2

To order, you need to include in the message somewhere:

Order Emoji

Who you would like to host you.

The Menu

The menu is to be used by you, the guest, to order what service you'd like to receive. Be aware that i will not answer any asks for this event if it fails to include a selected emoji.

You can also add on specifics, where the date could take place? Where you'd like your kiss etc.

🍫💝~ A kiss 🥂💓~ a date 🥞💗~ Head pats/face grabs 🍨💞~ A dance 💌~ Custom order

Custom orders are for services that aren't mentioned, and can be of anything you desire, within reasonable limits of course.

The Hosts

Tod Vultire | 18

🤍Introverted 🤍Observant 🤍Tolerant

The awkward type. A humble student from Pomefiore who avoids the spotlight as much as he can. He is skillful with the camera and has an interest in murder mysteries.

Fatin Samaka | 19

🧡Seductive 🧡Insightful 🧡Self-confident

The Charming type. A performer of Octovinelle's Monstro Lounge. With his good looks and charming act he attracts his customers. He also lives for the drama and gossip.

Zeronis Gentlehaven | 17

💚Courteous 💚Seld-assured 💚Insecure

The Rebellious type. An Ex prince from Diasomnia, who rebels against his family's status quo. Who believes magic to be a blessing to all, yet holding his own talents back.

I hope you'll have a delightful time at our event, farewell~

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Rec List: Polyamory!

Happy day-after(-day-after)-Valentine's. What's better than love? MORE LOVE.

I absolutely love how excited y'all were for this category -- we have 22 amazing fics, with a wide variety of groupings. We have OT5, Zourry, Zouiam, Zourriam, as well as ships with people outside the band like Emma Corrin, Elgar Johnson, and a bunch of Stylinshaw. We've got fics from 2,000 words to 200,000 words, from Teen to Explicit, and just reading the summaries and recommendation reasons has me absolutely vibrating with excitement to dive into some of these -- my TBR just keeps getting longer!

Read, reblog, kudos, comment, share, and get ready for the next list!

Daisy Chains by inkandella/@shehungthemoon (15617, Teen, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

A canon timeline fic where the boys have been solo for a bit now; it's a realistic take as to how the five of them could have a relationship with each other being who they are, and how they build a home from themselves away from everything else. Love-letters through text messages and grocery shopping and writing music for each other

Reccer says: I love how there's this already established love between all five of them, and the fic just sort of cements it and lets it grow into something permanent. The author captures Louis' voice so well and it's just really charming and fun to read. Everything's sickeningly sweet in the best ways and it feels like a balm, there's just enough realistic angst to tug you along and ofc a happy ending.

Tell Me It's The Strongest Shape by YesIsAWorld/@louandhazaf (73224, Explicit, Louis Tomlinson/Nick Grimshaw/Elgar Johnson) – fic post Warnings: Grief/Mourning

Nick and Elgar have it all. They’re famous, successful, and engaged to be married—and sometimes they play with others. When uni student Louis gets street cast by Elgar for a GQ photoshoot, he's drawn into Nick and Elgar’s complicated relationship. They've always invited mates into their bed. It doesn’t ever mean anything. Until… it does.

Reccer says: This fic is everything, I wish I could read it again for the first time. The characters are imperfect and the relationships so tender, and the LOVE. I want to live in this fic.

I Like Different Places (Nobody Calls It a Sin) by YesIsAWorld/@louandhazaf (3746, Not Rated, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

The one where Harry comes out to his family.

Reccer says: I am obsessed with every word of this fic. The relationships are so DELIGHTFUL, and I have so much empathy for Harry.

Equilateral by HelloAmHere/@helloamhere (52158, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Harry and Louis are childhood best friends. Louis moves home from NY and becomes close to Harry. And his boyfriend Zayn.

Reccer says: The fic of bad feelings! This is a work in progess, and every update has been enthralling and magical and all the things. Hello is a gift.

The Only Things That Keeps Me Grounded by lululawrence/@lululawrence (27664, Not Rated, Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is trying so hard not to fall in love with a married guy, let alone two married guys, let alone two married guys married to each other. But it turns out that the married guys are also trying not to fall in love with him. Sometimes, you just have to let it happen.

Reccer says: I have a hard time being coherent about this fic, it is so very good and I love it a lot. I love how Harry falls in love with Nick and Louis, and the scene where he overhears them lives in my marrow. I particularly liked all the conversations and the focus on consent, how everyone is so respectful and considerate almost to a fault -- no one wants to push but also OH MY GOD JUST KISS ALREADY HE LIKES YOU BACK

Orion's Belt by LadyLondonderry/@londonfoginacup (24307, Mature, Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Louis and Nick have been in a happy committed relationship for two years, their matching soulmarks on display for the world to see. It’s been them against the world, the alpha/beta singer and radio DJ power duo. All that changes on February 1st, when they wake up to a third matching soulmark. As they say, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Reccer says: this fic is AMAZING

Take the Middle Path by yeah_alright/@uhoh-but-yeah-alright (2580, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry's desires are plentiful and complicated in a way that's always worried and confused him. Being with Louis and Zayn helps him explore the seemingly disparate aspects of who he is and what he wants, and to realize he doesn't have to choose just one.

Reccer says: this grabbed me by the throat at the killer opening line and didn't let me go until the very end (or, has it let me go yet?).

Moonstruck by Lhhome/@lhhomefics (9318, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson/Emma Corrin) – fic post

Harry is just trying to figure himself out, Louis just wants to help his long-term partner but doesn't know how and Emma's best friend Florence just might claim she is a matchmaker.

Reccer says: This fic is so, so lovely. I love how it flowed, and the build was so natural.

another friday night by wabadabadaba/@badger-bear (74493, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson/Original Female Character) – fic post Warnings: Biphobia, Mentions of Suicide

Louis Tomlinson thought signing to BMG would mean he would be free to make his own choices. He should have known better. Tasked with getting a public girlfriend, Louis decides to try his hand at finding the right woman himself. From the moment he met Lennon Adair he felt a connection with her but he had no idea how deep that connection would go.

Reccer says: This is such a lovely contribution to our fandom. The author took the time to let the story progress, and there was so much love and care put into it.

Abstract by star55/@star55 (8414, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

After Zayn draws a naked Harry for her art class, she finds that she can't stop drawing Harry and Louis' naked bodies, usually engaged in some form of sexual activity.

Reccer says: This fic is hot and delightful and did I mention hot??

And That Was That by lightswoodmagic (sarah_writes)/@lightwoodsmagic (22550, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Or, Zayn and Liam have been polyamorous for years, but Harry and Louis are monogamous. When Zayn meets Louis and starts to fall for him, it opens them all up for something they've never experienced before.

Reccer says: This fic lives in my head rent free. I love how each chapter is a different POV, and seeing the story develop from each character's POV. The story progresses so beautifully, and I love the characters, and I love how the chemistry leaps off the page.

That’s Happiness To Me by louislittletomlintum/@louislittletomlintum (25000, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Zayn and Louis are friends with benefits and have a crush on the same person but they don’t know it. Non-conventional relationships between most people in the fic!

Reccer says: I liked how it had aro representation which I don’t often see in fics - I also liked how the perspective changes. And the smut 🥵 please bully the author to write more poly!!!

Parallel by SomeDovesFly/@somedovesfly (96651, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

OT5 poly AU, BDSM comfort fic. OT5 work on a hit show. This is a story about the Happily Ever After

Reccer says: Absolutely the healthiest BDSM fic I've ever read, communication, realistic scenes and so much love and spice!

Balance by SomeDovesFly/@somedovesfly (104400, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Continuing happily ever after! Boys navigating living together, new relationships, jealousy and self doubt, and so much smut, kink, and love

Reccer says: Fantastic kink and smut, but wrapped in love and communication

Equilibrium by SomeDovesFly/@somedovesfly (148062, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) Warnings: Graphic Depiction of Violence

The boys are continuing their kinky lives, with someone's past coming to haunt them

Reccer says: They're growing in their roles within the relationship. Angst and drama in this one!

Constellation (Previously called Four) by SomeDovesFly/@somedovesfly (231958, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

The boys are reaching new levels of their relationship, both in and out of kink

Reccer says: Fantastic depiction of a polygamous relationship, showing the love and jealousy that can come with, even if no one is in the wrong

Just Let Me Adore You by Anonymous/ (63432, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Soulmate au that's OT5, a story of getting together

Reccer says: Lots of love, some angst, and just a sprinkling of smut

You Only Fall In Love Twice by Beanno28/@beanno28 (57670, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Louis meets popstar Harry Styles while he is working at a festival and they hit it off right away. When he is introduced to Harry’s boyfriend, Zayn, Louis is invited to learn about their world of Polyamory. Will he decide it’s not for him or will he embrace the new lifestyle? This could be the start of something new…

Reccer says: I loved the communication in this fic and how all of them had their own dynamics and approached their relationships at a pace that felt right for them individually. I also really liked how the discovery of polyamory is described, with the struggles but also all the love between them.For the first time ever it made me understand what it could be/feel like.

Out of Our Systems by Rearviewdreamer/@all-these-larrythings (34000, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

After a year of long distance, Louis knows exactly what to expect when he and Harry finally move in together. An endless loop of good morning kisses, romantic weekends exploring the city, and falling asleep in each other's arms every night is all they’ve ever wanted. Then, they meet Zayn.

Reccer says: It’s hot !!! And there’s also love

Equilateral by HelloAmHere/@helloamhere (58000 at time of submission -- WIP, Explicit, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Harry and Zayn try to cheer up their single friend Louis, but what starts off as an experimental threesome quickly grows into something more complex.

Reccer says: The author calls this the fic of bad feelings, and for good reason. There's so much angst and pain, but also touching moments where they are learning to navigate the messiness that comes with a longtime friendship changing and growing into a poly relationship.

Make It Up As We Go Along by lululawrence/@lululawrence (52000, Not Rated, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

A baby left on their doorstep shakes up their lives. A Three Men and a Baby AU

Reccer says: There's so much chaos and it comes together brilliantly with the addition of each of the boys.

The Grundy County Auction Incident by haztobegood/@haztobegood (4000, Teen, Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is a sugar baby on the lookout for a new daddy (or two) at a rural livestock auction.

Reccer says: It is inspired by the country song The Grundy County Auction Incident

[mi6-cafe]

MI6 Cafe Anti-Valentine's Week

Because romance is celebrated for most of the year in Bond fandom, we wanted to take a week in February to celebrate non-romantic love! Whether it’s the love of friends, love of family, love of country, or even the love of the great outdoors, we’d love for you to celebrate Bond characters’ non-romantic relationships this week! From February 8-14, share your headcanons, write a drabble, post a fanart or moodboard, or rec a creation that you love.

February 8: Friendship, comradeship, queerplatonic and aromantic relationships 

February 9: Love between parents/guardians and children

February 10: Love of nature and/or animals 

February 11: Love of country (or of any other greater-than-the-individual cause)

February 12: Self-love (positive and negative) 

February 13: Love of fun and hobbies/obsession  

February 14: Free choice! If you only post one non-romantic thing this week, post it today!

Not sure what to write? Some ideas/prompts for each day are below the cut

February 8: Friendship, comradeship, queerplatonic and aromantic relationships 

Celebrating Bond’s work buddies, friends, life partners, or even people he can’t stand but trusts to do the right thing professionally. 

Ideas: Bond golfing or having lunch with Tanner, Nomi and Moneypenny going out for drinks, the complex relationship between James and Alec, the unmitigated delight of book!James and book!Felix when they meet up again, or the way Bond teases M about his butterfly collection. 

February 9: Love between parents/guardians and children 

Celebrating the relationship between a younger generation and the people who act as their parents, guardians, aunts and uncles, or meaningful mentors. 

Ideas: Bond’s relationship with M, Kincade, his actual parents; Bond’s relationship with Madeleine or another child; OC parents/guardians of our other favorite Bond characters (what does Jaws’s mum think of his teeth?) 

February 10: Love of nature and/or animals 

Bond movies feature beautiful oceans, gorgeous mountains, shimmering deserts, and striking moors. The camera loves these locations; which Bond characters do too? And do they express that love with photography or with some mild eco-terrorism? 

We also have Bond characters who love their pets: Q’s cats, Blofeld’s infamous Persian, Kincade’s dogs, and maybe even the komodo dragons in Macau (who surely have keepers who are unhappy that a Walther PPK was part of one’s diet) 

February 11: Love of country (or of any other greater-than-the-individual cause)

GoldenEye gives us the "For England?" line, but "An eye for an eye" and "The money" are also classic Bond loves (or obsessions).

February 12: Self-love (positive and negative) 

Explore the ways in which characters think too much of themselves; there’s no shortage of ego in the Bond franchise! 

Consider the ways that Bond characters might engage in self-care, which might look like eating well, finally putting those framed pictures on the wall (looking at you, Spectre!Bond), or just having a nice wank. 

February 13: Love of fun and hobbies/obsession  

The thrill of a fast car, the suspense of a game of chance, the triumph of a perfect Scrabble letter—this day is all about Bond characters’ love of fun and play. If that love sometimes veers too far, into obsession, well…sometimes that’s what’s needed to win. 

February 14: Free choice! 

If you only post one thing this week, post it today! Anything you like as long as it is a celebration of non-romantic James Bond relationships!

[misc-obeyme]

Hello my beloved CC I’d love to hear about how Mephistopheles would react to MC giving him conversation hearts?

Dearest Violet, I hope you're having a fabulous Valentine's Day!

I really thought I wouldn't have time to do all the other characters today, but the stars have aligned and gave me some unexpected extra hours! So I went ahead and did everybody, including of course our man Mephisto! I also did my OC Arsenios because I was curious about what his reaction would be lol.

Thank you for asking! 💕

XOXO Part Two - GN!MC x side characters & OC Arsenios

Warnings: none!

Part One

Diavolo

Absolutely thrilled, of course. Tell him everything you know about conversation hearts, even if it's just that they exist and are sold every year. Watch his eyes get all shiny as he looks at them because he thinks they're so adorable.

He will eat them, but he will read every single one in the box out loud to you first. And he'll want you to eat them with him, so he's going to deliberately give you the ones that he would actually like to say to you. This means you end up eating most of them because he can't help himself.

Give him the one that says MY HERO and watch him blush. He tries to keep his cool, but you can see how much it means to him. He's happy you gave him these, MC. Thank you for sharing a piece of your world with him.

Now you're the one blushing. Diavolo gives you his signature laugh and pulls you into his arms. Gives you the last one that just says KISS before doing exactly that.

Barbatos

He's surprised, but quite happy because it turns out he actually made his own version to give to you. He thought you might like a little piece of home, but he never expected you to share that same thing with him. He's touched that you thought of him, MC.

He is aware of them because of his tendency to learn about human world desserts and candies. The ones he made for you are beyond delicious. You insist he share them with you because they taste better than the normal chalk version. Barbatos is happy to, but he finds the regular human world variety quite charming as well.

His hearts have a lot of the usual cute sayings, but a couple of them have more elaborate decorations such as a little bouquet of flowers or an elegant lace pattern. You can't help but blush when you find one that just says your name.

He finds the same message in both sets of hearts and gives them to you. They say BE MINE. Give him one back that says I'M YOURS and all the sweet candies are forgotten because he needs you in his arms that very second.

Simeon

Oh these are incredibly cute. He's so happy that you've given him some! If the box happens to have any texting acronyms, though, he will be baffled. Holds one up for you that says TTYL with a question in his eyes. Explain to him what they all mean and that it's only something they include because they're short enough to fit on the hearts.

Simeon finds them delightful. He'll be especially pleased if you give him an extra box for Luke. He thinks Luke would love to decorate a cake with some of these!

But he has to admit that the messages are a little too short to truly encompass how he feels about you. He shifts some of them around to from little sentences, eventually landing on REAL LOVE, PEACE, FOREVER. Do you understand what he's trying to say, MC?

Maybe you form your own sentence in hopes that he'll see you do understand. Something like ONLY YOU, ANGEL. Watch him blush and smile. Then he's kissing you and it's far sweeter than anything a conversation heart has to offer.

Solomon

Of course he's already familiar with this particular item from your shared human experience. He was probably alive when they first came on the scene and he might tell you about it if you prod him enough. He might not have been paying much attention, though, so likely his memory on this just that they showed up at some point.

He's really quite happy that you gave him some. His instinct is to wow you by using magic to alter them. He turns them different colors and changes the words on them. He makes one spell out a whole Shakespeare sonnet one or two words at a time.

You can't help but laugh at that, but you tell him it's cheating. If he really wants to let you know how he feels, he has to use what's already in the box. He accepts your challenge. Have you forgotten who you're dealing with, MC?

Surprises you by not giving you a whole stack of them. He only hands you a single heart. It says, boldly and clearly, I LOVE YOU. He's smiling his mischievous smile, but there's a slight blush there, too. Your answer is a kiss.

Mephistopheles

At first he's somewhat confused. Why are you giving him a box full of chalk, MC? He's not exactly familiar with human world stuff, so he doesn't realize it's candy at first. Explain it to him and he's surprisingly appreciative. He wasn't expecting you to think of him.

Really knock his socks off by giving him a few extra boxes for his little brother. The fact that you remembered he has one really makes him soft. It also gives him the opportunity to ask about your own family. He wants to know about them, if you want to talk about them.

Now you're having a whole conversation that goes far beyond the hearts, but you're both enjoying them together. He might not even like them all that much, but he seems to be content to eat them with you.

Deliberately give him one that says FIRST KISS and watch him get flustered. Acts like it wasn't an invitation on your part, so you'll have to be a little more blatant if you actually want him to kiss you. Eventually he gets the message and it turns out he's wanted to kiss you all along. You can tell by how hungry his lips are and the way he wraps his arms so tightly around you.

Raphael

Surprises you by actually knowing about them. Seems confused by your surprise. Surely you've heard about Michael's preference for sweet things. That extends to human world items like this, too. He doesn't really get the appeal, but he is happy that you thought of him.

He actually likes the brevity of the messages. They're short and efficient, communicating a single sentiment quickly and clearly. Nobody could misinterpret something that says CALL ME. That's pretty straightforward, don't you think, MC?

This argument is all well and good until you give him one that says XOXO. He has no idea what that means. Perhaps it's in a human world language he's not familiar with? He takes back everything he said about clear communication.

Once you explain what they mean, he gets a little flustered. Hugs and kisses? Why not just say that? Distract him by pulling him in for a simultaneous hug and kiss. He's blushing for real now. He understands the essence of XOXO a little better, but he wouldn't mind if you showed him again.

Thirteen

Wow, humans do some really adorable things, don't they? Look at these tiny hearts with cheesy words on them! They look like chalk, but she finds them endearing. And of course she's trying to hide how pleased she is that you gave her something. It's really cute of you.

She's already coming up with ways to use them for traps. Put a spell on one and leave it somewhere an immortal sorcerer just might happen to find it. She might do it, too, if you don't distract her a bit.

Find one that says MY GIRL to give to her. She smiles and blushes just a little, but leans in to ask if you think she belongs to you. Maybe you tell her that you'd like that. A direct response such as that flusters her and now she's not sure how to react.

Searches through the hearts, but she can't seem to find one that says what she wants, so she just shoves the first one she picks up toward you. It says LOL. You actually do laugh because it's pretty cute how flustered she is. She decides to clear things up by kissing you. You get a little dizzy at how quickly she goes from shy to bold. It's some time before she lets you go.

Arsenios

The minute you put the box in his hand, he's fighting down a blush because wow, you are really cute, MC. A sweet little human like you actually taking the time to give him these candies stamped with lovey phrases really surprises him.

He takes them all out of the box and lines them up in the way that makes the most sense. You're a little confused about why he's doing it until he takes out his guitar. A few chords later and he's singing you a song using every phrase from the box. You're both laughing pretty quickly because the words are mostly nonsense.

But Arsenios deliberately left the best group for last and his voice becomes sweet when he sings you the final line. ONLY YOU, MY LOVE, BE TRUE. It's still only a fragment of a sentence at best, but the sentiment rings through the notes and you can see it in his eyes.

He smiles at you as the notes fade away because he's pleased at your reaction. But it isn't enough, so he takes your hands and asks if he can kiss you. If you say yes, you'll find yourself so distracted in his embrace that you don't notice that he never actually ate any of the candy hearts.

xoxo part one with the brothers

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[homestuckreplay]

take me down to the pesterlog city where jade’s text is green and john gets all petty

(page 1394-1406)

It’s pesterlog time!!!! In a 12 page spread (1391-1402) there are seven pesterlog pages representing five characters. I feel like I am a medieval peasant attending my first palace banquet. The rich offerings of character moments and variety of colors on display is blowing my gruel-fed brain.

The art also kicks ass this update! Tbh I am going to make a post about the art more generally as I’ve noticed some big changes recently (and some slow changes that are very apparent when jumping back) so for today I’ll just say: look at this super cool art of John exploring LOWAS on page 1395. He’s so clearly questing in a way that the sprite just can’t represent. I would get this framed for my wall.

I’m delighted to get a longer conversation with CG, who I’ve named Reggie. They’re actually fun and creative with their trolling techniques here, and knowing what they look like means I get to imagine this little grey kid grinding their fangs as they tap away on their keyboard furious at a comparatively sweet and clueless guy. They look like a goofy nerd whose bark is way worse than their bite.

‘IT WOULD MAKE ME SICK TO MY HUMAN STOMACH IF I HAD ONE OF YOUR HUMAN STOMACHS’ is VERY funny. Reggie feels similar to the Felt and Midnight Crew in being so over-the-top in their violence that it loops back around to being funny. And John’s reactions are good too – he’s not upset at the trolling like Jade is, he’s hilarious and willing to turn Reggie’s snark back on them. Their willingness to play off each other definitely increases the ‘enemies to lovers’ feeling of this Valentine’s Day conversation.

It is interesting that Rose accepted GA’s offer to be friends (p.1093), and now Reggie is telling John that they’re friends in the future (p.1394). So suddenly the trolls, who act and look textbook malicious at first, are trying to play nice. Are the trolls setting this up in order to double cross the kids in the future? Or are the trolls trying to incorporate the kids into their group and get them to follow some sort of dark trolling agenda? Or are they also just outcast alien kids who troll people because they’re lonely and want some attention? Hard to say when we have only heard from three of them.

There is something amazing about PM’s sword previously being used for vengeance (p.844, 870) and this time when she tries to do similar, she’s interrupted by WV who convinces her to use it to open cans and share food instead. WV may be from the dark kingdom but he feels like a peacemaker between the light and dark sides, refusing to fight against either PM or AR. I mean he is literally followed around by the light of serenity. And now he sits between PM and AR and shares his food and Tab and they all become friends, which honestly, is amazing mayoral work. Solving disputes in the town already. I really think he could build a town just like Spades Slick did.

This view of Dave’s city is cool too, I love the color of the sky! He straight up lies by saying ‘i always keep birds in here its sort of my thing’ (p.1400) and calling it sincere, considering his earlier bird-free room (p.312). He is on way too many layers of irony to decode (i.e. he just says whatever bullshit comes to mind that might be funny with no regard for whether it’s true or false). Which is soooo great for getting to know his character (also he should stop saying slurs).

However, I can see why Dave is annoyed by Rose here. Like he does kind of bring this all on himself by being so ironic all the time and talking about how ‘cool’ his brother apparently is, but, it’s gotta be hard when he’s been telling Rose about fighting his brother on the roof and she’s dismissing that he went through a lot to get the beta to save her, when Jade had it literally handed to her. Rose doesn’t know the details so I’m not mad at her, but it still can’t be easy for Dave to hear that dismissal from a friend.

I do feel like Rose and Jade have this alliance in seeing themselves as the two who know what’s going on, with the combined power of Jade’s visions and Rose’s perceived high intelligence. This whole update is very gender roles but this does evoke page 838, where Rose is far more aware of Jade’s powers and the type of information she has access to than John or Dave are.

Meanwhile in Dave and John land...

TG: i should probably text him soon TG: see whats up TG: because TG: i love him

Straight up adorable. Don’t even pretend to me that there’s a shred of irony in this. I love how close these guys are. This is sort of the first declaration of love in Homestuck unless you count John’s telling Liv Tyler on his Armageddon poster that he loves her (p.223).

We specifically don’t get to see Rose’s conversation with a troll (yet), but I think we can assume she’s talking to GA, probably the only troll she respects enough to prioritize over Dave. We also don’t see where in the Medium Rose is; John assumes that she’s also in the Land of Wind and Shade, but according to Rose, ‘It’s hard to say for certain. But I think I like it here.’ (p.1402). If the Medium has four planets in between the light and dark (p.703) (holy shit half the story ago) then it makes sense for the players to all start on different planets and have to find each other, so we could be getting ANOTHER super aesthetically cool land within the next few weeks. Or teased repeatedly until the end of the act, who knows.

The puppets (including a wizard puppet) clinging to the totem lathe on page 1403 is a very good gag. Also, ‘eggy loking thign’ (p.240) spotted here in the menu?? Implying a limited set of Sburb entry items?? Also 2,000 starting build grist for Jade to use compared to 20 for Rose, and a bunch more gizmos and gadgets available to deploy, including a disc with a piece of green grist (?) and two devices shaped like captchalogue/strife cards; a further tease of what’s to come.

Finally, I’m so glad Hussie agrees with me that there’s no fucking way Jade knows how to clean a house. Even if she has absorbed gender roles and sees cleaning as a woman’s activity (p.1405) she definitely was not taught to do that and designed some kind of robot to do it for her.

[gaymingwriter]

Halloween With the Egos

(Well, some of them)

This isn’t my entire list of characters I write, but they’re some of my favorites and I’m writing this on the 30th so I don’t have time to write all of them. This is a headcanon list like my Valentine’s Day thing was

I’m trying to get back into writing, so I hope y’all like it

Characters in Order: Darkiplier, Damien, Googleplier, Date Mark, Illinois, Eric Derekson, Yancy, Jameson Jackson

Warnings: One part of Illinois’s is slightly suggestive

Reader is intended to be gender neutral and these headcanons are romantic (with a pre-established relationship). I wrote part of this while sleepy

Darkiplier

- He refuses to dress up

- …he’ll wear little devil horns or something else small if it makes you happy, though

- He’d probably prefer to take you to a fancy Halloween party, but if you wouldn’t like that, he’ll respect it

- If you go to a party, he stays by your side all night

- If you stay home, he’ll either make dinner or order takeout and watch some Halloween movies with you

- He likes horror movies (partially because you hold onto him if you get scared, but he won’t admit it out loud)

- He doesn’t mind at all if you dress up for Halloween. You look dashing and/or lovely and/or cute in your costume, so he certainly isn’t complaining

- Both of you head to bed fairly late

- Overall, a lovely night regardless of what y’all do

Damien

- Similarly to Dark, he’d also prefer to take you to a party. But he’s happy regardless of if you stay home or go to a party

- He’d love to do a couples costume!

- He likes the idea of a sun and moon couples costume. Regardless of which of you is the sun or moon, he thinks it’s fitting

- If y’all do go to a party, he stays with you the whole time. He wants to make sure you’re comfortable

- If y’all stay home, he helps you hand out candy to trick-or-treaters and orders delivery for dinner

- After the trick-or-treaters are all gone, Damien suggests spending the rest of the night watching movies

- Y’all end up sleeping on the couch all cuddled up

Google

- Doesn’t quite understand Halloween at first, but he does get that you find it fun

- He is willing to wear a costume, as long as it isn’t too silly

- You could probably convince him to do a vampire couple’s costume (though he may buffer for a moment, you do look very handsome and/or beautiful in your vampire costume after all)

- He’s content with staying home and handing out candy to any trick-or-treaters with you

- Afterwards, you can watch movies together and order takeout

- You fall asleep with him holding you on the couch

- Google likes Halloween now

Date Mark

- He suggests a couples costume before you October even starts

- He finds the most cheesy and sappy costumes ever

- Wants to be peanut butter and jelly because “we go together perfectly, just like peanut butter and jelly! <3”. This man is just too adorable sometimes

- You agree, much to his delight

- He halfway wants to make it a date night, but you remind him that there’ll be trick-or-treaters showing up

- He settles for takeout and candles on the table

- When you do start giving out candy, he gets some fold-up chairs so you two can sit close together without being on the ground

- After that, you watch a movie (he found a Halloween romance movie, and really wanted to watch it with you)

- Y’all fall asleep holding each other

Illinois

- He practically begs you to do an Indiana Jones related couples costume

- You agree and find a character you like to dress up as

- Illinois would love it if you dressed as a love interest (a genderbent version is completely fine with him if you’d prefer that of course), but he really won’t complain either way

- He does joke that you could always wear less clothes, but he shuts up when you playfully pull his hat down over his eyes

- He makes you dinner before the trick-or-treaters start showing up

- You make some cookies for the both of you

- After an hour or so of handing out candy, y’all leave a bowl of candy out so you can go back inside and watch movies

- After you bring the bowl in, y’all head to bed

Eric

- He would absolutely love to do a couples costume with you, but he’s a little shy bringing it up

- He gets much less shy when you tell him that you’d like to do a couples costume with him

- The two of you pick angel and devil costumes (him being the angel, of course)

- Y’all both have a lot of fun planning the night

- Eric makes some Halloween cookies, and you make dinner

- Y’all pass out candy to trick-or-treaters for a couple hours, before retiring to the living room

- As cute as falling asleep together in the living room would be, both of you agree that your room is more comfortable

- Y’all fall asleep to a campy and fun Halloween movie in there

Yancy

- So, he’s out on parole. He hasn’t had a normal Halloween since he was a kid

- Jokingly, one of you suggested that you two dress as prisoners for Halloween

- …at some point, it stopped being a joke

- He took a couple of his old prison uniforms and let you try them on

- If they’re too big or the right size, you use it as your costume. If it’s too small, you find some very similar clothes to wear

- Regardless, Yancy thinks you look adorable and/or pretty and/or handsome in his clothes. He does understand if you’d prefer clothes in your own size if his isn’t right, though

- Tonight, his tattoos on his knuckles say “Bats” and “Dark”

- (They just change somehow, neither of you really question it. You assume there aren’t many four letter Halloween related words)

- You order delivery for dinner

- Yancy had a lot of fun handing out candy to trick-or-treaters for the first time

- Y’all spend the rest of the night watching Halloween movies together <3

Jameson

- Poor Jameson has a love/hate relationship with Halloween

- He loves the holiday itself, but his run-ins with Anti all those years ago has made him a bit cautious

- You reassure him that everything will be okay, and that the two of you don’t need to do anything big

- Y’all find some 1920s style costumes and modern clothes so the two of you can do an “outfit swap” of sorts

- (Hell, if your clothes are the right size, y’all might as well just swap actual clothes. You’ll both probably get flustered seeing each other in your clothes, though)

- He had also crocheted some little Halloween related plushies, teaching you a little if you don’t already crochet

- He carved a small pumpkin with you. He really does love carving pumpkins, but he’s been cautious since that Halloween that Anti took control of him

- You’re very proud of him <3

- Y’all spend that night handing out candy to trick-or-treaters and relaxing at home until you fall asleep

[justforfunfic]

How they spend Valentine's Day

A/N: I’m a little late for Valentine’s Day but I thought this would be a fun prompt for some of my favorite GoT characters. Some of the characterization might be a bit off just for my preference but I hope y'all still enjoy :)

Jamie: Jamie is not a huge fan of  Valentine’s Day, but he sure knows what to do for it. Expensive roses, fancy chocolates, reservations at a three Michelin star restaurant, you have everything you could ever want on Valentine’s Day with Jamie. It was all for you, to show his love and devotion to you, but there was another reason he did it, not that he would ever tell you. He loved one-upping everyone else. The other men dining at the same restaurant with their girlfriends and wives were obviously able to get reservations, but were they able to get a matching set of gold earrings and a necklace for their love? He didn’t think so. What was more is that he knew that none of your exes had ever done anything like this for you on Valentine’s Day, or would’ve even if they had the money. Those thoughts, along with your smile and visible delight, went straight to his head. He was on a power trip and couldn’t wait to take you home. That’s where the real delight would be. 

Sandor: Sandor doesn’t really care for Valentine’s Day, but to do nothing would be a disservice to you. He’s never had someone to share Valentine’s Day with, so he’s accustomed to sitting at home and drinking by himself. He rarely went out because he didn’t want to see others coupled up around him, suffering dozens of love declarations, a handful of proposals, and twice as many stares. But being with you changed that. One your first Valentines together, Sandor asked you what you wanted and where you wanted to eat that night, and the both of you settled at a local Italian restaurant. Sandor brought a small bouquet of flowers, but nothing grand. The wine was nice and the night even better. The next Valentine's Day you spent together was better though. Sandor had still brought you flowers, but this time insisted on cooking for you. He made steaks, searing them to perfection, as soft music played in the background. The two of you laughed in the kitchen while he cooked and you chopped a salad, despite Sandor’s protests that he wanted to make everything. The two of you ate in the dining room, an unlit candle between you.

Tormund: To Tormund, Valentine’s Day is just another excuse to have sex. While other couples spent the day re-declaring their love and showering their partners in affection for the first time in a while, it was just another day with Tormund for you. He was constantly telling you how much he cared for you and regularly took you out and gave you gifts throughout the year, so Valentine’s day was like any other weekday but with roses. However, that’s not to say you wouldn’t celebrate. The two of you would go out for a nice dinner, something hearty with a baked potato for a side. In the car, chocolates would be waiting for you. Little did Tormund know, you also had chocolates for him, or rather chocolate syrup and a can of whipped cream. You told him about your little surprise in the car, smiling shyly and waiting for him to get the hint. Whether he feigned confusion or really didn’t understand, you don’t know, but you leaned over in your seat and whispered what the syrup was for and where it would go, eyeing his chest. It clicked for him instantly and you spent the rest of the concerningly short drive begging Tormund to obey traffic laws.

Jon: Valentine’s Day with Jon is special, but not in the way your friend’s think. While your friends are spending the evenings with their partners at a fancy dinner, the movies, or in the bed, you and Jon are makin moves. Your Valentine's Day plans are centered around your shared interests and goals. The two of you had been planning a big hike on a difficult but beautiful trail through the mountains together. It would be challenging, but facing a challenge with Jon was one you didn’t really mind. At the same time, the two of you had been wanting to learn how to throw pottery. Ok, you really wanted to and Jon was slowly roped into the idea, but now he was just as excited as you. He pictured hosting a small party of your friends, showing off the vases and bowls that you made together. The two of you probably wouldn’t decide which activity to do until the night before, but it wouldn’t matter which one you picked because either way it would be something you both enjoyed.

[weirdmultishipper]

WTH DO YOU MEAN VALENTINE'S DAY?!?!?!?!

uM, Spoilers for Wiege or Part 9 of ALNST by VIVINOS. The team worked really hard on it so go appreciate their work and dedication! If you haven't watched it yet, here's the link! Hope you sob-I mean, enjoy this episode!

Wiege｜ Alien Stage - YouTube

...

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ You done? Okay, back to the show down below.

To begin, I would like to say what "Wiege", the name of episode 9, means. Wiege directly translates to "cradle" and more likely than not "baby's cradle". But if you look into it, it can also mean "origin".

Today, we'll be looking at Luka and Hyuna's untold origin story.

So, LUKA NOT BEING ABLE TO SPEAK CAUSE HE'S SO HAPPY BUT SO UNSURE ON WHAT TO SAY TO HYUNA AND YOU KNOW ITS BEEN SO LONG TOO LONG AUGHHHHHHH!!!!! o(TヘTo):-)

His smile? His joy? His cheeks pink with delight? His childlike ey-Oh, wait, that picture at the top give the wrong idea. Wait-

THIS is what I'm talking about. HIS HAND REACHING OUT TO HYUNA SLIGHTLY!!!! And see his face?! HIS EYES GODDAMN EYES!!!! The art has changed so much over the course of the episodes and it's a SIGHT to see!!!

No, like, other than the beauty of it, The giddiness in his eyes is so... devastating to look at. He's so open, so vulnerable, so HUMAN, and so unlike the manipulative state we've seen him in in the last episodes. It's a look we've never gotten from Luka before and the first time we see it, he's about to lose Hyuna. His love-for another life.

இ௰இ Vivinos is cruel posting this on Valentine's Day, but their tragic romance and story parallels so well with this day that I can't fathom the pain I am feeling, hence why I'm writing this post.

Oh, speaking of life, I have a theory that may seem a tad, no, maybe a lot desperate but here me out:

If y'all watched the video, you better know EXACTLY what this scene is. And if you do, you're just as depressed as me. Because as far and as unrealistic as it may seem, we still believe in this god-forsaken modern AU. Vivinos isn't helping to stop our delusions either, so for now, let us dream. 🙂‍↕️

Also, official art confirmation that they were all besties?!?!?! FINALLY?!?! I mean, we all knew in our hearts they ewere friends and with SuaxMizi, IvanxTill, and Till and Mizi it was obvious but them actually hanging out together heals my crippling little soul. 🥺💔

Also, confirmation that Lika accidently killed Hyuna's brother?!?!?! Not sure, but it sure seems like it!

So pretty innocence destroyed :'( This darling little chub didn't deserve to be turned into a manipulative not-human. But alas, that's how thing are like, mm?

I'm glad how much we got to focus on Luka's and Hyuna's life on this portion of the episodes while also including bits and pieces of the other four. We learned that Hyuna lost a game, making us think that's when she decided to escape. And not only have we gotten more context on the dead brother scene, but we can also do a deep dive into his character now that we can see different parts of him at different times.

Hyuna and Mizi talking about what I assume is Sua's sacrifice was such a small yet touching scene, just like the rest of Alien Stage. I'm glad that was included, no matter how small. (THAT DAMNED ROCKET SHIP AHHHHHHH)

Ah, the dialogue for Hyuna's death was very heavy, oddly uplifting and downlifting at the same time, and so, so true. The only thing keeping Hyuna from completely breaking free from her chains to her past on ALNST was Luka, is Luka, and will always be Luka. Se almost made it but seeing him again cost her her life because she could not LET GO. He kept her held back in the smallest yet most impactful way possible.

"LUKA, live with love."

And he will, because that's all he's got left. He's lost his friends, possibly his career, and his humanity. but from that smile he made as he went for a hug, we know that he can still love.

For now, at least.

Oh. OH. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NAH. SH*TS GONNA GO DOWN BOYS!!!!! OUR GIRL MIZI LOOKS LIKE SHE'S BOUT'A SNAP. She's like us fr fr cause she's watching EVERYONE die. I bet Luka's next y'all.

Honestly, I hope Mizi and Luka can look past their (many) differences in their grief and work together to... join the rebels? Take down ALNST? IDK, but whatever they do, I think they'll have to stick together because they are each other's only sense of companionship left on this world.

Notice I said "this" world? Yep, modern AU still working in my mind 24/7.

[dennydraws]

What do you mean it's mid February!?

Anyone else feel like time is kinda speed racing? :D;; only me?? Work has been a landslide, holiday event after holiday event which made me overdo my regular coffee intake and now I suffer the consequences of wrecked sleep, migraines and back pain and my friends will probably put me in time out box after reading this... u_u;; I always stress eat/drink during work's more intense periods... and by drink I mean coffee - alcohol is not something I'm fond of anymore.

It feels like a pattern of, work gets busy, I stress, I can't manage with my own personal project, I try to unwind with shows/games then feel guilty stressed I didn't work on said projects and aaaa...

Now that work is calming down, I'm trying to get back into healthier habits and reducing the coffees to 1-2 during the day instead of having the coffee machine injected into my veins through the weekdays lol;;;

I feel iffy I've fallen off with my OCKiss Week challenge, I was excited to do it and my eyes are always super tired once I'm home after work. I hope to get at least 1 drawing done ;u; I was thinking of sketches but maybe just 1 finished piece will be okay. Kisses are still actually kinda hard for me! I end up locked in a loop of adjusting the sketch forever xD;; but that's also fun part of the challenge!

I'm iffy I'm still not done with Sneric Comic chapter 15... I do good progress then something else pops up and I have to do that in the weekend instead. It doesn't help that it's like 9-10 pages and procreate suddenly reminded me I have way too many layers :D;;;; It is a bit too much for a chapter, I admit. My chapters are like 5 pages top and this one is twice the size. I did recently do an overlook of what's left to illustrate, there is still some big story points to hit... so much about "short comic" ...u_u;;;

Admittedly when I started this, supposedly short story, I didn't think it will go for over a year. I did learn some things though! Like, I miss when I draw pages traditionally and I should never underestimate the importance of pre-planning and thumbnailing xD;; I should've learned by now but nope... I thought I could yolo it cause I wasn't super serious with this comic and went off with purely vibes.

Other than that... I'm at the final post end game content in Rune Factory 4! It was a ton of fun :D I loved the characters so much! I am floored at the amount of dialogue and attention to detail. This game spoiled me greatly... u_u;; I don't know if I can finish the Rune Prana dungeon by the end of the month but I will try (Suikoden Remaster is coming in March aaa)!! My Frey got to marry Arthur and I was not prepared for the amount of feels his events brought me. This poor, poor man needs to be pampered and loved. I hope I can squeeze some fan art sometime soon... T^T;;;

Other than that, I'm eating well with Severance season 2!! Oh gosh, this show is an absolute delight to watch... visually and mentally. I'm kinda glad there is one episode every friday otherwise I'd have binged everything and this show feels like it needs a slower consumption. xD It's nice to see a show where the little "whatfuckary" is actually well thought out and intentional.... unlike this other show -side glance at From- .... at least this is the impression I'm getting so far! :D Anyhowsies! This was my quick life update... and I need to scoot back to work now! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoy the chocolates for St Valentine, spend some time with loved ones or give yourself some much deserved quality time! :>

Thank you for stopping by, dear reader!

[fateunwritten-if]

Heyyyyy Amelia.

Hope you are well. Idk if you do reaction asks.

But since tomorrow is valentine's day. I typically love spoiling my husband so if your kingdom had something similar.

So, as a fellow baker:

How would the ROs react if MC decided to surprise them with heart-shaped cookies. Since mc likes baking.

Heyyyy! 💖

First of all, thank you so much for this adorable ask. And yes, I absolutely do reaction asks, especially when they’re as cute as this one. Also, happy (early) Valentine’s Day! I hope you and your husband have the sweetest day together. 🥰

Now, let’s dive into how the ROs would react to MC surprising them with heart-shaped cookies. Since MC is a baker, you know these cookies are going to be absolutely perfect (with the help of chef henri....shhhh).

Ivan

Ivan would be flustered. Like, he’d try to play it cool, but the second he sees the cookies, his face would turn pink, and he’d start fumbling over his words. “You… made these? For me?” He’d take one, nibble on it awkwardly, and then immediately try to hide how much he loves it by clearing his throat and saying something like, “They’re… adequate.” But later, you’d catch him sneaking the entire plate into his study to hoard them.

Shadow

Shadow would raise an eyebrow, looking at the cookies like they’re some kind of trap. “What’s this? A bribe?” But after some prodding, he’d reluctantly take one, and you’d see the tiniest flicker of surprise in his eyes. “Huh. Not bad.” He’d never admit it, but he’d secretly be thrilled that you thought of him. And if you’re lucky, he might even drop one of his cryptic, half-compliments like, “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Flora

Flora would squeal the second she sees the cookies. “OH MY GOD, YOU MADE THESE?!” She’d immediately grab one, take a huge bite, and then talk with her mouth full about how amazing they are. “These are literally the best cookies I’ve ever had. Like, ever. You’re amazing.” She’d probably try to convince you to open a bakery together, and then she’d sneak a few extra cookies into her bag “for later.”

Astoria

Astoria would be so touched that she’d get a little teary-eyed. “You made these… for me?” She’d take a bite, and her face would light up like the sun. “These are incredible! You’re incredible!” She’d probably hug you so tight you’d drop the plate, and then she’d spend the rest of the day telling everyone she meets about how her amazing partner made her the best cookies in the world.

Emir

Emir would be quietly delighted. He’d take a cookie, examine it carefully, and then give you one of his rare, soft smiles. “Thank you. This is… really thoughtful.” He’d eat it slowly, savoring every bite, and then he’d quietly ask if you’d teach him how to make them someday. (He’d probably burn the first batch, but he’d keep trying until he gets it right.)

Idris

Idris would act all gruff at first, like, “You didn’t have to do this.” But then he’d take a bite, and you’d see his expression soften just a little. “These are… good. Really good.” He’d try to play it cool, but you’d catch him sneaking a second (and third) cookie when he thinks you’re not looking. Later, he might even say something like, “You’ve got a real talent for this, you know.”

BONUS CHARACTERS:

Queen Hera

Hera would be shocked that you went to the trouble, but in the best way. She’d take a cookie, give you a rare, approving smile, and say, “You’ve outdone yourself.” She’d probably insist on sharing them with the rest of the family, but not before sneaking one or two for herself. And in her mind, she’d think about how lucky her son is to have you—and how lucky she is to have a daughter-in-law like you.

Callan

Callan’s eyes would light up the second he sees the cookies. “Wait, you made these? For me?” He’d grab one immediately, taking a big bite before you can even answer. His face would go from surprised to absolutely delighted in seconds. “Holy—these are amazing! Like, seriously amazing.” He’d probably tease you a little, saying something like, “You’re trying to win me over, aren’t you?” But then he’d get all soft and sincere, adding, “It’s working, by the way.” He’d finish the first cookie in record time and then shamelessly go for a second, grinning the whole time.

I hope you enjoyed! Honestly, now I’m craving cookies.....

[thedeafprophet]

Delayed Gratitudes

The Boisterous Author recieves a late, and unexpected, feast gift.

I have given into my concept of 'what valentines 'gift' would the captivating princess give to Jamie', and this has resulted 😌

Ty freddie and warabola for giving me gift ideas :3 <3

Word count: 2.1k

Relationship: The Captivating Princess/Original FL Character

Rating: teen

Tags: Gifts, Vague references to kink

Also on ao3

Jamie was exhausted after the week's events- a good kind of exhausted of course, the one that only comes after many nights of parading around with delightful people and intriguing conversation. A type of tiredness that, while thrilling and exhilarating, would lead them to hiding away in their room for many days after. Preferably with a cup of tea and some lovely strawberry biscuits. The curtain had fallen after the performance, and it was time to recover before the next.

Jamie had not gone directly home after the end of the last party; in fact they were not entirely sure when they had fallen asleep to begin with, but they had at least returned to awareness in their own bed, so one must assume that they had gotten home relatively safely. It was not the first time they've woken up somewhere without knowing how they got there, and they were sure it wouldn't be the last. Perhaps they ought to drink a touch less at parties, but where would be the fun in that? 

It seemed to be well into the middle of the night when Jamie woke, as they blinked blearily at a clock on the wall after they padded out of bed. They would be the only one in the house at this hour, a grand shame of having no opportunity to incline Edith for a mid night snack, the hours stretched between now and when she would be arriving in the morning. Jamie pouted at the clock, as if the lack of snack opportunities was its fault somehow. 

The most logical action, of course, would be to return back to bed, but Jamie had only found themself getting up in the first place due to some lingering antsy energy. They didn't think anymore sleep would be found for the moment. 

That is how Jamie finds themself throwing on a wrapper, and padding on over to their office on the other end of the hall. Perhaps there was some work to be done, some writing inspiration sourced from the chattering and delights the prior week had given! The flutter of romance in the air always left inspiration for a good novel penning - and often for tragedy as well. 

Despite that in mind, instead of settling down with their typewriter, Jamie's motion paused when they sighted the pile of mail waiting on their desk.

Ah, right. That. Jamie had been….postponing responding to letters - there had just been many! And they had activities to attend! One cannot be blamed for remaining on stage when the crowd cheers for an encore! 

Jamie felt a little regret at leaving it for so long, now that they were faced with a pile to sort through. They could leave it a little longer couldn't they? Ah, but then they'd have even more to deal with wouldn't they….

With a deep sigh, Jamie sits down at their desk, flicks on their lamp, and pulls the first pile of mail towards themself. 

They flick aimlessly through their mail - fan letters for their work kept aside for later rereading, a heckling letter laughed at, then crumbled into a wad and tossed away. An invitation to some boring get-together, pass. A missive here or there from a friend, put into a pile to be responded to. Another party invite, this one more compelling. Oh a love letter, how endearing. And amusing. All very, utterly, typical. 

It is only when they are about half way through sorting the pile that they notice the box. Sitting ever so innocently behind the pile of mail sat a pristine, ribboned gift box, waiting ever so patiently for their attention.

Odd, it was well past the time for feast gifts, and Jamie had been sure to at least pay mind and open all of those. That was half the reason they hadn’t had time to get to the rest of the mail. Had they missed one? That didn't seem like them - no, whoever sent it must have clearly thought themself above the propriety of the time frame. Jamie huffed, and decidedly turns their focus back to sorting through their mail. 

That barely lasts a minute, before their thoughts return back to the question of the box.

Well, technically it was part of the mail too, wasn't it? So it still needed to be opened. And it seemed so much more interesting than another boring letter. 

Jamie nods to themself; perfect reasoning, and a good excuse to pause in looking through the mail. They pick up the box - not too heavy at all, but clearly something giving it weight - and walk back into their room to open it, lest they feel guilty ignoring the pile of mail they had set to complete. 

Sitting atop their bed, Jamie pries off the ribbon tying it together, a delightfully silky texture in and of itself. Their eyes are drawn to the contents of the box as they remove the lid, noting first a flower gracefully laid on top of a cushion, next to what appeared to be a necklace. 

Jamie reaches automatically to gently pull out the flower to examine it - but is met with a sharp, sudden jab of pain. 

Jamie pulls their hand back with a gasp, watching as the blood flows from the scratch in a rivulet down their finger. With a distant artistic view they can't help but note it matches ever so well with the colour of the rose. 

They mutter under their breath to themself as they put the box down; Of course it has thorns. Why didn't they check for that?  That's the first thing you look for with a rose. Jamie sighs as they pull a cloth from their beside table to apply pressure on the wound, red soaking through the fabric almost immediately. That will be a trial of a stain to get out, though this household knows all too well the process of removing red stains at least. Jamie can admit they have a…habit of spills, so to speak. 

When the scratch finally deigns it time to stop bleeding, Jamie returns their attention to the box, already put off from whatever this so-called gift is. Carefully, avoiding any thorns this time, they remove the flower from the contents. 

The flower is a deep, dark colour. At first glance, Jamie assumes it to be an exile’s rose, something one usually finds throughout the season - Jamie had already received such back during the proper time to be sending gifts. 

But it doesn't quite match the ones they have received. Its colour is not the same, the shape of this rose differs.  By all accounts, it looks like a regular flower, beautiful and unblemished, but something about it sets them at ill ease. Some sense of familiarity pricks  at the back of their mind that they just can't yet place, but makes them nervous, and unsteady. 

Jamie quickly decides to put the flower down on the bed beside them, wanting nothing more to do with it. It had already caused enough damage, thank you very much. They give the flower a short glare for the harm it caused, before turning their attention back to the box. 

Jamie picks up the necklace very slowly, not putting past it to have secret sharp bits too. They had no intention of any further scratches tonight, and will set to be careful with the matter! Their carefulness is unnecessary in the end, the whole thing seems rather smooth, even the gems that had been encrusted in it being of a rounded shape. 

The shape of the object confused them, solid and heavy in their hands. It was a shining, brilliantly polished silver, encrusted with dazzling blue sapphires and diamonds. The inside had been lined with a soft, plushy fabric, perhaps to keep the cold metal at bay.

It was evidently not something cheap to acquire, most certainly custom made, and from just the look of it, would fit perfectly sized around their neck. They squinted at it confusedly, odd for it to have a loop in the front-

Ah.

Yes, they don't know why they didn't realize sooner; it wasn't a necklace at all, it was a collar, with a clear spot that a lead could be attached. 

Jamie huffed to themself with a raised eyebrow. My, now that was rather forward, wasn't it? They can't recall the last time they last let someone put such a thing on them; that was an honour that had to be earned, and so few seemed skilled enough to earn it.

At least show your aptitude before sending it in a box right to their doorstep. A performer as talented as themself has very high, exacting standards. 

As Jamie looks back down at the box from whence it came,  it's only then that they notice the items weren't alone in the box. Underneath where the collar had been laid a small card. A note, perhaps? A sign off? Seems odd to Jamie to have placed it beneath anything - was the time between seeing the items and reading it intentional? Whatever it was, they intended to find out.

The words have Jamie's thoughts stutter all at once, realization hitting them like falling through the ice of a haphazardly frozen lake.

They knew that handwriting.

Knew it all too well.The cream card was embedded with delicate, flowing cursive, made by a perfectly practiced hand. 

‘See you soon~’

It had no signature. It didn't need one.

Jamie swallowed heavily at the implications of the note, glancing with trepidation at the items they'd received. They shivered in the dark understanding of where exactly that rose had come from, the distant recollection of pained screams and buzzing whirring in their mind. Farbeit for The Captivating Princess to send any sort of ‘gift’ without a cruel, underlying malicious motive. 

Their eyes flicked over to the collar.

Did she-

Was she implying-

Jamie feels a lump in their throat growing, as the all too familiar memory of hands on their neck, throat, back, stumble unbidden into their mind. The thought of delicately strong hands coming their neck, the weight of the collar heavy on their throat, clasp clicking shut and out of their reach-

Their face flushes heavily at the thought of what exactly she intended with this, given the context of their past encounters. 

No, no. Surely not. This was a threat, a power play, nothing more. They were sure of it. Whatever her intentions were, Jamie was having none of it. Just another one of her irritating little games, their own overactive imagination was surely getting the better of them. 

Still… What to make of this? They most certainly don’t want it- well, perhaps if the gift had truly come from a different source, they may have… considered entertaining the concepts. But not from her, never from her. Not if they had anything to say about it. 

They should toss it in the stolen river, throw it somewhere no one would ever find it, or maybe just pluck out all the diamonds and trade them for the cost. That would certainly be far more considerate then whatever the aim was here, and a good comeuppance for the cruel joke.

Jamie ponders over countless thoughts of how they could be rid of it, before their thoughts drift to how she might react should she find out her so-called gift was disposed of. 

Was she expecting them to keep it? Did she have… intentions? They certainly didn't want to give into her domineering behaviour, but to needlessly anger her with no benefit to themself…

The phantom pain of recently healed scratches burn on their back. 

In a rush, Jamie is shoving both the collar and the flower back into the box, and slams the lid back on. They ponder only for a second, before walking over to their wardrobe, opening the doors and shoving the box far into the very back, behind lesser worn shoes and other miscellaneous boxes of items. Hidden, at least from view if not from mind. 

They slam the doors of the wardrobe shut, and tamp down forcibly on the rest of their wandering mind. This doesn't bother them - it doesn't, not at all! They will simply pretend the box doesn't exist, and no ‘gift’ was ever opened.

It can rot at the back of their wardrobe; but still there, just in case. 

Jamie does their best to shove the whole concept of the box out of their mind as they return to their office, and back to their mail. The actually important matters, things that actually serve a purpose. They can focus all their energy on that, and not on some foolish power play they most certainly don't care about. 

At least, they can tell themself they don’t care about it, to the best of their capability. Whether that was actually true or not was their own business. 

[thebroccolination]

THE EX-MORNING Q11: LOVE SCENE TIME!

Okay, WELL! I signed off in my Q10 post yesterday with an assumption that I'd see y'all again next Monday, since shooting has generally fallen on a Mon/Tues pattern.

But then I woke up close to 4am with a feeling that I should check Instagram, and when I did, behold!

A SURPRISE Q11 APPEARED ON THE SCENE!!!

Okay SO! Before we continue, I have a guess about those dried sunflowers.

On Valentine's Day, the official Ex-Morning account shared the two photos below of Tamtawan giving a sunflower to Pathapi in their uni days. I'm guessing it was their last year of uni before Tam broke up with Pathapi.

Yesterday, we learned in the behind-the-scenes footage from Livehouse that they were filming in the house that belongs to Tam, and since there are four sunflowers in that vase, I'm going to guess that giving a sunflower was an annual tradition for them when they were dating, either on Valentine's Day or for their anniversary or some other occasion between them.

Obviously, if Tam kept them all these years, he still cares for Pathapi. Which means I'm going to be beyond feral about these two. Not that anyone suspected otherwise.

We also got this beautiful, melancholic shot from the official account with Pathapi and Tam facing each other. I'm going to guess this is a flashback since KristSingto seem to be styled more casually when their characters are younger versus the more expensive clothes they wear when they're older and more established in their careers and finances.

[Twitter Caption: “‘The more we fight, the more we understand each other.’ Is that true?”]

Aaand of course, The Love Scene™️! (A second one, maybe? I feel like there might've been one before this in Q4, or else they were just hanging out in bed together. This series is aiming directly at my soul, I swear. The yearning. The mature, pining domesticity of it all!!!)

In the second clip, Camera Chef Nidchaya visibly struggles to angle the camera, twisting both spine and physics, with perhaps the most entertaining faces of horror as balance is lost in the The Heat of the Moment.

If it hasn't shown by now, I'm becoming a genuine fan of Nidchaya. GMMTV, please hire Nidchaya on all the things.

AND OF COURSE, WE GOT MORE SOSAY:

If this cat doesn't go home with Singto after filming, I'll be sad for me because I love this cat already. I'm also, like, a billion percent sure we're gonna get merch of this cat. Be My Favorite had Nong Kawi, The Ex-Morning will have Sosay.

(They also need to make a retroactive gear plushie for SOTUS's tenth anniversary, just saying.)

Aaaand it seems like they wrapped at their usual 9pm! With cars. At night.

Literally every time they show a set at night around cars, I think it's the car crash scene from the teaser.

I know they revised the script but I need them to keep that in. I have so many fic ideas.

And that was Q11!

NO idea when I'll update next now! Probably Monday, though? Maybe? Everything's in chaos now! Last week they filmed Tues/Wed, and this week we got THREE Qs! Absolute unpredictable madness. What a delight. \:D/

See y'all at some point for Q12! <3

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

My memory is terrible so I wanted to do a breakdown of my stuff every once in a while. Might be monthly, might be whenever I feel like it.

BL - Currently Watching

7 Days Before Valentine [11/12] - Unlike some other shows, this one is actually getting better towards the end. I appreciate that Sunshine did some self reflection and became a better human being and I really enjoy the visuals here. Also, 7 days before valentine we will watch the finale, so that's neat.

Cherry Magic Th [7/12]– I like what the thai version is doing with the source material, I think they are being really smart and I'm so happy I got to watch the shopping date and the helicopter ride that were missing from the japanese live action.

Cherry Magic Anime [4/12]– I'm enjoying all the parallels way too much. Part of me wishes that it had stayed closer to the manga but since I get that also from Thailand, I can't complain.

Cooking Crush [9/12]– My expectations weren’t as low as maybe other people because I'm a OffGun fan but I am enjoying this show way more than I thought. It’s so refreshing to see good communication and well rounded characters that are given the space to work stuff out and be honest with each other. I feel for Samsee, cause, been there.

Dead Friend Forever [6/12]– this show continues to surprise me every week. I’m a big horror and slasher fan so for the premise alone I was gonna watch it. But I’m liking the way they chose to structure this story, moving from the slasher bit to the past at that moment was really smart. The visuals are so strong in this and I’m enjoying the communal murdering impulses towards the original friend group.

Ossan's Love Returns [3/12] - It’s chaos but the kind that only Japan can get away with for me. That season opener alone would’ve made me stop watching if it wasn’t for that. But the thing about these characters for me is that they get to be this ridiculous because it’s all grounded in such heart and kindness towards each other. It's a balancing act that only Japan can deliver at this level.

Playboyy [10/14] – I applaud the effort to make something new and out of the bl box, I think the show is trying to talk about interesting things and there are moments where the visuals are very strong. However, the acting is the weakest part of the whole thing and so I cannot connect to the characters, which leaves the whole experience kinda empty for me.

Although I Love You, and You? [3/10]- Japan my beloved. What’s there to say? Sakae is my new favourite boy and I’m really enjoying these two bridging the gap in their personalities.

The Sign [10/12]– Phaya and Tharn are delightful. Yai is the bestest boy ever. But there’s too many loose threads considering we only have 2 episodes left. There’s still to much going on and the investigation part of it just seems too disconnected for me to care. I really hope they're not counting on a special or a second season to wrap this up.

BL - Finished

Last Twilight – No need to repeat myself. here and here

Love for Love's Sake - What a wonderful surprise this was. Yeo Woon is one of the most adorable characters of all time and I seriously cannot handle it. From the beginning there was always a cloud over the whole story and I think in the end it all came together really well, to give us a happy ending that feels earned. Also really appreciated the way the story dealt with the triangle. Most of the time I hate them with a passion so I was really happy that Sang Won didn't just disappear and stayed in the group and kept teasing Yeo Woon. And now I'm just suppose to move on?

Night Dream – I liked the beginning a lot, but, as it’s becoming increasingly frequent, it dipped as it approached the end and although I liked how it finished I wasn’t a fan of the path to get there. Time skip once again not used well.

Sahara Sensei to Toki-kun - I have not seen the finale yet but I didn't want to wait so I might update this post when I watch it. However, Toki is my favourite boy, and I just want him to be happy.

VIP Only – Cute but ultimately forgettable.

Rose Watches OJBL

So this month I started my journey into older jbl stuff in order to have a bigger understanding of the landscape and what came before. With the help of the amazing @twig-tea I've started this journey with 2 films: Ai no Kotodama (2008) - Such a wonderful way to start this adventure. Really enjoyed this film. Without spoiling it, I understand that the beginning of the film might turn some people off of it but I think it's actually really smart and purposeful. I would definitely recommend it.

No Touching At All (2014) - Also really enjoyed this one. The direction is really interesting I thought. I feel it's all very intentional and it reflects very well the characters state of mind.

And because Cherry Magic opened the anime gates I also watched:

Given (2019) - This is SO GOOD. This show rewired my brain. Just now I was listening to THE SONG and I got emotional again. Every once in a while I enter this mindset where I feel like nothing that I watch can surprise me anymore. Then I watched this show. My thoughts after watching can be found here.

Not BL - Watched this month

The Killing Vote Taxi Driver 2 Vigilante Fermat no Ryori

Well, that's it I guess. Now I have to go and make some Love for Love's Sake gifs because I just can't move on and need to live there a little longer. Speaking of gifs, I'm always happy to take gif requests so let me know.

💜💜💜

[bengiyo]

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat 2 Eps 9-12 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Nomoto and her new online friend had a watch party and discussed the nature of asexuality and homosexuality coexisting, and Nomoto shared about being in love with Kasuga; I'm a big fan of Yako. The ladies managed to connect more with Nagumo, and we learned she has an eating disorder where she can't eat in front of strangers. However, she did make donuts with them and took some home. Kasuga also managed to sever ties with her father after thinking about it and talking with other women. She asked if Nomoto would support her, and of course she did. I will never stop thinking about the Chosen Family scene.

Episode 9

Yes, Yako, coach her. We cannot let them exit this season without talking through their feelings for each other.

I have never identified with a character more than Yako. I would also enjoy my food and wine while watching my friend sweat over the crush.

Yako backstory! It really is hard in your teens when you are deeply out of alignment with other queers about sex.

The power went out and Kasuga immediately went to check on Nomoto. You love to see it.

NOMOTO IS WEARING ONE OF KASUGA'S SWEATERS, AND KASUGA JUST PULLED LINT FROM HER HAIR. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Thank you, Nagumo! It would be awkward as hell to sit in this zone of lesbian love and not know what stage we were on!

We have verbal confirmation that Kasuga likes Nomoto! Nagumo, you are our champion! You have to get these two to the next level!!

Currently dwelling on Kasuga not lying when asked directly about her feelings. There's a difference between being out and letting people in, and I like that Kasuga told her truth to Nagumo.

Episode 10

Their project manager is at least being upfront with them that they're being asked to rebuild the entire app.

Sorry, Kasuga, but it's not often we escape compulsory heterosexuality and still have a positive interaction in a sales environment like this.

Nagumo, I love you. You have finally given us a reason to have Kasuga voice her thoughts aloud.

This show really said plainly that the presumption of heteronormativity hurts and upsets people who don't fit that mold.

I really love this show detailing how harrowing pining is when you don't know if the other person is queer and the relationship you've built means so much to you.

Episode 11

Episode 21, you aired on Valentine's Day. Please don't let me down.

This former Valentine's Day and White Day gifting tradition sounds tedious as hell.

I didn't expect Kasuga's family troubles to end with that one phone call, and here goes the aunt downplaying Kasuga's feelings and bulldozing over her expressed boundaries.

Okay, Mikami! Way to come through for my girls!!

I wanna have hotpot so bad right now.

I'm so nervous about these chocolates!!

Damn, this cake looks good. I like putting the whipped cream on the side.

Kasuga picked out different chocolates! I'm so proud of her!

Now, Kasuga, why would you go and crush me like that on Valentine's Day? I know why you need to move, but goddamn.

Episode 12

Invoices for raising her? Vile.

Queers apologizing for being selfish when they confess will never not make me cry.

I'm sorry I got a bit testy at the dramatic cliffhanger, Kasuga. You came through for me exactly the way I hoped. Y'all should definitely find a bigger place together and stay in touch with Nagumo.

"I am very delighted and also taken aback." She's like me and I love her.

Aww that was so beautiful, and she's still crying.

I'm so glad she told Sayama immediately. We stay winning.

Man, I just watched I Only Want to See You, and I'm feeling the same difficulty in the transition from friendship to romance in the relationship.

Yes, ladies, thank you for talking through telling others and reaffirming that this is definitely a romance. Let's make sure no one, especially the audience, misunderstands.

I love how Nomoto bursts into tears when she swoons.

Oh snap the whole squad is going to meet Yako next week!!!

We did it, y'all! We got to see them confess their feelings and start dating. I'm so looking forward to seeing their relationship grow and mature, and I'm actually looking forward to the move and the attendant drama that brings. I hope Nagumo doesn't end up thinking that asking about their relationship somehow cost her the relationship she's been building with them. This was an excellent week of episodes.

Big thanks to @furritsubs for making this possible.

[feedthefandomfest]

Thank you SO much for organising the Comment Bingo, I've been desperate to do one for so long aimed at commenters, and this is hitting the spot beautifully! 👌🏻 I also love that it's open-ended and that we can complete the card in the time that works for us 👍🏻 (Thanks for my First Badge, BTW ❤️)

If it's alright to offer future Bingo suggestions, I'd love to see a Bingo Card built around Tropes or common Tags? So the Bingo could be about finding fics or chapters that meet the listed Trope/Tag... for example, the very fun.... there was only one bed, enemies to lovers, "character" needs a hug, Time Travel, Fix-It, etc, etc...  (with the option to switch-out squares that aren't your cup of tea 😉)

Or perhaps there could be Bingo Cards with THEMES based on Whump, Fluff, Different Types of AU's, spicy 😏🥴, or Seasonal? I'm thinking of the Bingos that Writers often do (I've frequently WISHED I could join in as a commenter). I would TOTALLY have multiple Bingos on the go to celebrate all the wonderful fics and authors I read. LOL 🤭

Anyway! Just want to say you're doing an EXCELLENT job. Keep it up! Your positive attitude is much appreciated! I love reading your supportive and encouraging posts, and seeing you share the progress of other Bingo participants is exciting \○/. You’ve given some creative commenting suggestions that will help both 'seasoned' and 'new/shy' commenters alike.

This is for you, because you're awesome!! :D

✨️🏆✨️

🥹🥹🥹😭💛 I don't even know what to say!! Thank you so much for the kind words. It's been an unexpected delight seeing this little community start to form—people liking each other's bingo posts and sort of rooting each other on. And that there are people from so many different fandoms participating and visiting the blog? You kind of forget that there are endless wonderful people out there beyond your little corner of fandom.

I absolutely LOVE these ideas—and I've been wanting to design a card that would encourage seeking out a range of different fics and hopefully uncover more of those "hidden gems" you wouldn't otherwise have come across. All of those variants would serve that goal so well.

I'm hoping to release a couple more cards this month (maybe make one of them that Fluff Card, what with Valentine's Day coming up?), so I really appreciate all the suggestions 🙏 Also thinking of switching up the badges soon!! A friend of mine has designed a few that I want to debut 👀

Thank you again—I'm so glad you're enjoying the card and the blog 🥰