#and also sticking with it even when the first production fell through

[moviesstoriesandbooks]

Dear God am i happy to be aliveeeeee 🤣😂🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

THEY DID NOT

[therentyoupay]

How would you write Elsa falling first? I absolutely adore your loser Jack pining after put together Elsa, but how would you reverse their roles?

i promise i promise i did not mean to write a one-shot for this. and i SWEAR it is ACTUALLY a one-shot. it is the OLD-SCHOOL definition of a one-shot, because i opened this ask and thought, aw, wouldn't it be cute if i just wrote a little tiny ficlet to illustrate an example of this scenario instead? and then out came 5,297 words. in one sitting. in ONE SHOT.

i would also like the record to show that i LOVED this challenge, i love trying out new scenarios or styles that subvert all the habits i've gotten myself into over the past decade or so!! thank you for this ask!! and, also, let the record show, that even as i wrote a full 5k+ of fic leading up to a "she falls first, he falls harder" scenario, i still couldn't quite hit the mark... in this case, i think it's open to interpretation as to whether she falls first, or they fall at the same time. 🤣 ENJOY. p.s. LOSER JACK?? LMAO WHAT IS THIS

“Watch your head—“

She ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the churning of what appeared to be a factory conveyor belt gone awry. A tiny creature smaller than even a Norwegian Mountain Troll cried out in dismay as a cascade of nutcrackers fell into a sorting bin meant for what appeared to be that latest handheld gaming device—the Swap, or something.

Elsa grinned at the chaos surrounding her—little elves scolding one another, scurrying about—and wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassed to see the Pooka—Bunnymund—grinning in delight at her delight. 

(I told you, his eyes seemed to say, as he gestured for her to continue ahead of him through the vast workshop chamber toward the office tucked away in the back. You wouldn’t regret it, if you came with me.)

Without giving him the satisfaction—yet—Elsa merely took in all the productivity around them, and let her gaze sparkle with the Wonder she knew was in them; dryly, she marveled, “It’s July.”

“Christmas doesn’t take holidays, mate,” Bunny winked. “Especially not here.”

Elsa stuck her courage to the sticking place as they approached the office—the door was slightly ajar. No matter what happens, Elsa inhaled and exhaled; you can always go back to Ahtohallan, to Antarctica.

You don’t have to stay here—with them.

Strengthened by this truth, Elsa squared her shoulders and softened her face into something curious and approachable as Bunny opened the door, not bothering to knock.

“OI.” Bunny stepped through the office, holding the door wide, which allowed Elsa to wait at the threshold—suspended between two worlds, two moments, two paths… perhaps two different lives.

“WHAT—Bunny, how many times I say, KNOCK, this program, it is DELICATE—“

“I got a delivery,” Bunny interrupted, and his whole body flinched at the look she gave him, “Er. I mean. I got someone here who you might wanna meet.”

And if Elsa had known then what she knew now, she would have realized in that moment (when North laid eyes on her that July evening in the middle of his work on the newest rollout of the popular role-playing video game—the Sums, or something) that, truly, the future was always in motion, her path already treaded, and—despite all her beliefs, her past, her heartbroken memories—her heart was already preparing to have two homes.

//

Elsa had visited plenty of warm—tropical, arid, sweltering—and chaotic, sprawling places in her travels, but none quite compared to the utter bustle of the Workshop. 

Over the next three weeks of her stay, Elsa grew accustomed to the factory’s noises, to the bickering between the elves and their strange adoration for her, to the yeti’s curious questions about her years at the south pole. They asked relentless questions about the melting ice caps, the fierce predators, and the tiny human-made stations; she answered them as best she could, having wandered Antarctica for only half a decade before Bunnymund happened to find her at the tip of Cape Adare. When she tried to explain that she was much more familiar with the Arctic, they listened politely, but they were clearly much less interested in land so close to home. They also had the strangest custom of bringing her icicles when they returned from their perimeter patrols; she was growing quite a large collection of them in the guest room in the Main House. 

The others—called Guardians, she learned—flitted in and out of this headquarters at seemingly all times of day. 

Sandy was shocked and delighted to see her again; they’d run into each other just once during the late 1940s, and only when Elsa was passing through a city—Barcelona, if Memory served—to familiarize herself with the changing of the times as quickly as possible. 

Sandy made no delay in giving her a much more insightful tour of the Workshop than North’s exuberant one had been, which had focused rather on not-so-subtle hints at how wonderful a life it was to be a Guardian, and such wonderful news it was to hear that Elsa was intrigued by Bunnymund’s offer to meet them, and so wonderful that Elsa had been spending all these years doing all that she could to explore the wonders of the world. 

(North was lovely, and welcoming, and fierce—and so boisterous!

And not subtle at all.)

After a few days of visiting the Workshop, Elsa grew comfortable enough to truly relax as she roamed its halls, visited the various stages of production, and occasionally caught up with Bunny as he flitted in and out of the Shop (“Easter is on Holiday!” he’d said, with another wink). She dined with North and his team of merry workers, often with Bunny, who, she learned, was rather too fond of eggnog, and sometimes with Sandy as well. 

After only a few hours into Sandy’s first visit, Elsa allowed herself to laugh with her whole chest at the ridiculous antics, the absurdity of it all, the bickering among Sandy, and North, and Bunny—and allowed herself to be endeared by the clear respect they held for one another, by the lightness in the air, the distinct sensation of family. That night, Elsa didn’t immediately retreat to her room after dinner, as she normally would have.

The Memories were not so painful, here. 

//

And their stories! 

They regaled her each night over (and after) dessert—about this horrid creature named Pitch Black, about the Moon, about the Battle of Burgess—they all sounded like fairytales to Elsa, even if she, herself, had practically been living in one for nearly two hundred odd years. 

The others told her of two other coalition members who fought beside them—both of whom were exceptionally busy, and who would not be journeying to the North Pole again until it was time to celebrate the Equinox.

Elsa was curious about Toothiana—and anxious, about the Memories she protected—and especially curious about the Guardian named Jack… 

Frost. 

She did not shy away from asking more about him—Elsa had far too little time to worry about such silly fears like embarrassment; immortality was funny like that—and her curiosity grew with each tale she heard. The Guardians spoke of Jack with a mix of fondness and exasperation—his mischievous nature, his loyalty, how bloody annoying he is, I tell ya, that’s what I say.

Elsa could not help but laugh at Bunny’s pervasive frustration with his teammate; his respect for Jack was clear, even if his patience was not.

Still… she had been wandering the world for over 200 years, and in all that time, she had never encountered any others like her, and certainly not anyone especially like her. 

The thought of meeting someone who might understand,  who might have powers like hers,  stirred something deep within her— something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She caught Bunny staring at her in the midst of a reverie by the fire during an after-dinner coffee, so she crisply declared, “Don’t say it.”

“What’s that, Ice-pop? Sorry, couldn’t quite hear you over all of that Hope in your heart.”

Bunny, Elsa learned, was used to ducking snowballs.

//

Later that evening, as she stood by one of the desperately-tall windows in the corridor leading to her guest quarters—watching the snowflakes drift lazily from the sky—Elsa couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to actually meet him. 

The thought of Jack—a potential ally? a friend? a teammate?—occupied her mind more and more as the days passed, and with each story the Guardians told, Elsa found herself hoping that this Jack Frost—a teacher? a guide? a confidant?—would be looking forward to meeting her, too.

//

Sometimes, late at night, she would lie awake and wonder what it would be like to have someone in her life who understood her powers as deeply as she did. She imagined his face, always in motion, always just out of reach, and felt a strange sense of—Hope? Elsa rolled her eyes at the ceiling. Anticipation? Perhaps.

Fear?

In these quiet moments, she found her spirit reaching out, as if she could almost call to him—but of course, he was completely out of reach, never having met her before, and likely, perhaps, not even knowing that she existed until only recently... But her heart would quicken at the idea of meeting this person like her, of seeing his eyes—what color?—filled with the same understanding, the same longing for connection that she felt.

What would he think of her? Would he see the strength she had built over centuries? Or would he only see the loneliness that still clung to her, despite all her efforts to cast it aside?

The questions swirled in her mind, mingling with a strange sense of exhilaration that made her feel both alive and vulnerable.

She could almost hear the laughter they might share, the way their powers could dance together in the air, creating something beautiful, something new.

And in those moments, she couldn’t help but smile, imagining a world where she wasn’t alone, where someone else could stand beside her in the snow, not as an adversary— 

But as an equal.

//

“And did he wield ice magic as a human, as well?” Elsa pressed over after-dinner coffee in the drawing room, leaning forward in her chair near the fireplace. North’s giant hands were absurdly large compared to his delicate teacup. “Before he became a Guardian?”

“As a matter of fact—no. The power came later, AFTER Turning.”

Elsa considered his words carefully. Something about his expression seemed rather cagey; centuries of reading strangers’ faces had only honed her political prowess, which had been born out of survival as much as any sense of duty. 

“North, tell me: why do you want me to join the Guardians?” 

“I—ah! ELSA—

“Because ya’d be mighty good at it!” Bunny blurted, calling over from his newspaper reading on the other side of the drawing room, to North’s indignant sputtering, “if you wisened up and stopped hiding all Hope and Wonder!” And then, as an afterthought, “And it’ll keep Jack humble, I reckon!”

“ASTER!” North scolded fiercely, but he set the tiniest teacup down with the tiniest clink and placed the saucer on the coffee table with such deliberate care, even in his fit of anger, that Elsa couldn’t hold back a small, genuine smile. 

//

“Dont’cha worry, Ice-Pop,” Bunny told her later, as they stood in the wide, cold corridor leading into the main entry chamber of the Workshop, where Bunny preferred to open his portals. Elsa quirked a brow at him, and he chuckled. “We’re not here to actually convince ya. We just want you to see that there’s another option. This Choice… well. Guardians gotta make it for themselves.”

She still had too many questions. How is it that I had never crossed paths with any of you but Sandy, before? 

How is it that I have managed to avoid Pitch for all these years? 

Why me? What can I really offer—when you already have someone who can already do what I do?

“You still have time before you have to decide. And you need to meet the rest, anyway. Just think about it, is all,” he said, all his wisdom seeping into the very air around them. He cracked open a portal and, a moment later, he was gone. 

//

“Oh!” said an utterly beautiful creature, her wings fluttering with so much excitement and delight that she was practically vibrating. “You must be Elsa!”

Elsa and Toothiana took to one another with surprising ease; time had steadied Elsa’s heart, had taught her the patience and endurance and the strength of a glacier; time had energized Toothiana, who took charge of the world with her vast army and a wide smile. But it had been so long since Elsa had even felt anything remotely similar to the feel of holding onto her sister—and Toothiana understood, completely. 

Toothiana shared stories of her own—a whirlwind of adventures collecting memories and moments, each one a treasure she held dear.

(Toothiana's eyes softened as she took Elsa's hands in her own, her understanding gentle yet firm. "I know what it’s like to carry the weight of Memories, Elsa," Toothiana whispered, her voice a comforting balm. "But here, with us, you don’t have to carry them alone. We’re all in this together, and we’ll help you find your way.”)

And Elsa found herself starting to believe her. 

To Believe in them.

//

When the Guardians gathered around the fire—taking time, they said, to ensure that past mistakes were never repeated, that they carved out time for themselves the way they never used to—the conversation inevitably turned to their adventures, to answering Elsa's questions. Somehow, Jack always seemed to be at the center of their tales.

She was rather alarmed to realize the extent to which she had begun to wait for these moments, eager to hear more about Jack, piecing together an image of him in her mind that was as elusive as snowflakes on the wind. Why on earth does not a single Guardian commission a portrait, for goodness’ sake? But Elsa dared not ask for a Memory; apparently, there were still some things left worth being too embarrassed to ask for, after all.

So she contented herself with the way Sandy would add details to the story that the others had forgotten, conjuring up glowing scenes of Jack’s playful antics in vague, golden sand—flurries of snowflakes, intricate frost patterns on windows, and the gleeful laughter of children echoing through the air. 

She would find all their efforts rather suspicious… if they weren’t all being so utterly obvious about their Hopes.

Thus, one evening, as they were all gathered around the fire, Elsa couldn’t help but ask, “How did Jack become a Guardian?”

Bunny’s keen eye sharpened upon her cheek; she withstood the scrutiny, allowing him no further entry to her mind, as he added, “Jack was chosen by the Moon, like the rest of us.” 

“But Jack…” Toothiana’s voice was soft and somber and unusually serious; the atmosphere in the room shifted, its axis tilting ever so slightly. “He had a harder time accepting it. At first! That is.”

“Took him a while to figure out, is all,” Bunny held his boomerang up to the light, checking the polish. “He came around, eventually.”

“Why?” Elsa asked, genuinely curious.

Sandy floated closer, his golden sand forming an image of a young boy standing alone in the snow, his face a mixture of confusion and sorrow. The image flickered, and the boy’s expression shifted to one of determination and hope.

“Not easy for Jack, his Turning was,” North said, his voice softening. “Not easy for any of us… But Jack had no Memories of his past, no knowledge why he was Chosen. It wasn’t until centuries after his Turning that he found his center.”

“His center?” Elsa echoed, intrigued.

“FUN!” North boomed, smiling, and sending teacups clattering everywhere. Elsa clutched her saucer with both hands. “But not just ANY fun—bringing joy and wonder to children, making them BELIEVE in magic and in themselves. THAT is Jack’s true power!”

Elsa considered this as Bunny complained about dropping his boomerang polish and spilling it all over the carpet. Toothiana was laughing at him and offering to help in equal turns, as Elsa’s mind turned over the implications of centers—and Jack’s in particular. She had spent so long searching for her own purpose, her own… center? Do I have one? As well? Is that why Bunny had found her, out alone at the edge of the iceberg, at the exact moment when she had let it all go, had accepted that she may never find her purpose, that perhaps she did not have one—was that the moment that they had been waiting for?

And now, here in this team, Elsa might soon meet someone who had also once struggled with the same questions, who had found his answers in the most unexpected ways… It makes me, dare I say it… Wonder... 

She glanced at the Guardians, each of them so sure of their place, their role in the world, with all their quirks and their trust and their happiness. They had found their centers, their reasons for being. And Jack—this mysterious figure who was off wreaking havoc in some apparently historic winter season in New England—had somehow found the same. She wanted to know more about this spirit who had lived in solitude for so long, who had found a family among these remarkable beings, and who wielded the same icy power she did, yet in a way so different from her own—or, at least, so they thought. Nobody could quite seem to explain to her the exact mechanics of it all.

The more she heard about him, the more she felt a growing need to meet him. She caught herself imagining what their first meeting might be like—whether he would be as mischievous as they said, or if they would take a liking to one another right away, bonded by their similar powers, their similar stories… Perhaps he might help her make sense of… all this? Maybe there was something in him that could help her understand herself better. Maybe he could be… another friend? An ally. A partner. Elsa did not care about the name; what mattered was only that they could learn from each other. 

But still. She could not quite deny that her excitement at the chance of meeting him was, perhaps, a bit more complicated than all that. 

“I still don't understand. You already have someone whose powers are like mine,” Elsa pointed out reasonably, just when the others had started to turn the conversation to simpler matters. “How could I possibly contribute?”

Bunny barked with laughter from the other side of the circle, over the recipe book he was now reading, preparing for their grand dinner to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox. Sandy giggled in golden, sparkling shimmers. North’s laughter was as reassuring as it was alarming.

“ELSIE, my dear,” North boomed as he strode closer to the wing-backed chairs that Toothiana and Elsa were hoarding by the fire, just under the wide window of the central tower, which overlooked the northern tundra. “It is not about powers alone! It is CENTERS.”

“And besides!” Bunny called out over his recipe book, adjusting his reading glasses over the bridge of his twitching nose. She could feel his cheekiness from the other side of the room, but Elsa was particularly amused by the way Toothiana’s whole body tensed up in preparation for Bunny’s antics.  “You’re the better deal on both fronts, anyway!” 

Toothiana scolded him for the next five minutes but hardly put any real fire into it, and North’s voice echoed throughout the study (“Now, now, Bunny—Jack has only been with us for two years now—and he has done SPLENDID job—“), and Sandy had already fallen asleep in his preferred winged-back chair by the fire, lulled into a nap by the comforting sound of his fellow Guardians arguing over something utterly ridiculous.

//

Late that night, as Toothiana hastily prepared for departure and her return to her endless work, she caught Elsa by surprise. 

“We’ll understand if you would rather return,” Toothiana was gracious, so considerate in her efforts to not step on painful Memories, to not push Elsa too hard or too fast, too soon. “We recognize that this choice, this Oath, is not for everyone. But we hope you’ll consider it.”

Elsa nodded, appreciating the understanding in Tooth's eyes, though she couldn’t quite find the words to express it. The kindness and patience offered—by all of them—made her feel both comforted and conflicted; this was a choice she had to make for herself, but knowing she wouldn’t be judged either way brought a small measure of peace. 

Toothiana let out a knowing smile that Elsa didn’t quite understand. 

//

Two days before the Autumnal Equinox, the North Pole was strangely quiet; all others were out and about and attending to their centers, preparing their final tasks before they would all meet for the celebration, here in North’s home. 

She thus found herself wandering the hallways alone, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor, thinking of the word home, and how it had changed for her over the years—first, her kingdom; then, her sister; then, the secrets that lay in the depths of Ahtohallan, and then nowhere at all.

What was home?

She paused in front of a large, intricately carved door she hadn’t noticed before. There was something inviting about it, something that called to her curiosity. Without thinking, she reached out and pushed it open, stepping into a room bathed in a soft, ethereal glow.

The room was a gallery of sorts, filled with shelves upon shelves of intricate snow globes, each one containing a different scene—some of them cheerful, others serene, and a few that looked like they were mid-snowstorm. Elsa moved closer, her breath catching as she realized what she was seeing. Each snow globe was a memory—not one of Toothiana’s collections of course, but rather, a moving picture—a small clip of some film, captured in glass and suspended in time.

She reached out to touch one that was particularly beautiful—a snow globe depicting a small village blanketed in fresh snow, children playing and laughing as they built snowmen and threw snowballs. The scene was so vivid, so real, that she could almost hear their laughter.

“Beautiful, no?” a voice said softly from behind her.

Elsa turned to see North standing in the doorway, a fond smile on his face as he watched her.

“They’re not Memories,” Elsa whispered, more to herself than to him. “They’re… Reminders.”

“Yes. They help with the Wonder, of course.”

Elsa couldn’t move her gaze away from the glass again. “Whose are they?”

North stepped into the room, his presence filling the space with genuine warmth, with joy. “They belong to all of us. The children, the Guardians… and a few others.”

He gestured to a shelf on the far wall, where a single snow globe sat, slightly larger than the others. It depicted a lone figure standing in the middle of a frozen lake, surrounded by a dense forest. Snowflakes danced around him, but there was a sadness to the scene, a loneliness that tugged at Elsa’s heart. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch the glass.

“That one,” North said softly, “also belongs to Jack.”

Elsa’s breath caught. She had heard so much about him, yet she still knew so little. The thought of him, alone in this beautiful but desolate scene, stirred something deep within her.

Are you someone out there  who's a little bit like me?

Who knows deep down  I'm not where I'm meant to be?

“Yes, he’s been through much,” North continued, his voice gentle, washing over Elsa’s rapidly-blinking thoughts, through the strange swell of sadness that swam through her chest. “But he IS strong, and has found his place among us. Still, there are parts of him that are… sometimes, difficult to reach. Things that… perhaps… someone may help… heal?”

Elsa side-eyed him, beneath her lashes. “You are growing less subtle each day, I fear.”

His boisterous laugh told her he wasn’t deterred in the slightest.

“Elsa, when few more centuries you have, you too shall learn when to drop SUBTLETY. No?”

Haven’t I already? But she humored him with a smile instead. 

“Whatever you decide—we will support you, your Majesty.”

Elsa’s smile slipped, without her meaning to. Throat thick, she whispered, “No one has called me by that title for a very long time.”

Her eyes pricked with tears as North stepped closer to her, looking down at her—the way her father used to. The way her father might have, had he lived long enough to see her step into her own power, at last.

“I do not call you Majesty because you were Queen, or Snow Queen; I say because I remind you that what you have, and what you are, at your center, is FULL of that which makes living so majestic. It is my sincere wish that—“ and Elsa inhaled at the strange expression that passed his face, the soft mix of hope and resignation all at once— “You will choose the Oath with your full heart.”

Elsa wanted to thank him, but she didn’t want to lie; before she could settle on the perfect breath of diplomacy, North patted her shoulder in reassurance, and left the gallery, leaving Elsa with all the Reminders that were not hers, but insisted she be strong, anyway. 

She gazed into the large snow globe, at the figure standing alone on the frozen lake in the deep forest, and Wondered, truly, for the first time, This was also my past… 

Will I also find my future here, too?

//

The Equinox arrived, at last. Elsa had fashioned herself a dress for the occasion, and the excitement buzzing through the Workshop was palpable—everywhere she turned, there were smiles and knowing glances exchanged between the elves and the yetis, as if they all shared a secret that she was just on the cusp of understanding, but not quite privy to.

Elsa did not startle at Bunny’s sudden entrance behind her, but it was a near thing. 

“Stop twitching,” Bunny muttered as he sidled up beside her, at the window, where she was watching the horizon and waiting for the other Guardians to arrive. When she glanced up at him, she found his nose twitching in nervous anticipation. “Don’t overthink it, Ice-pop. Jack’s a handful, but he’s got a good heart.”

“Oh? No further jabs at your friendly foe?”

“Nah,” Bunny grinned. “Today, I’m on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.”

“You mean ‘Toothy’s honor’.”

“Aye, that too.”

She considered pointing out that his nose was equally twitchy, but she let it slide. 

Elsa understood.

And that understanding grew as some of the Guardians started to all trickle in at once; Toothiana sent wide glances about and around the room upon her arrival, and later, as she fussed with the elves’ itineraries, kept catching Bunny’s eye when they thought Elsa was not looking; Sandy checked his watch repeatedly after greeting them all with warm, sandy hugs; perhaps he was conscientious of the time… and yet… North’s laughter was too loud to be completely genuine. Elsa was beginning to understand the true purpose of tonight, swiftly and deeply; this night was no mere dinner, and no simple introduction. Tonight was an audition. An interview.

A trial. 

At this point, Elsa didn’t even mind the inquisition; she just wanted it to start.

//

The storm outside had been raging for over an hour, and yet there was still no sign of Jack. The wind howled, whipping snow into frenzied swirls that danced and spun against the windows of North’s Workshop. The Guardians stood by the large bay window, watching the tempest with a mixture of awe and concern. Elsa had seen far fiercer storms before… but seeing this storm here, now…? 

Elsa didn’t know what to think.

“Where do you suppose he is?” Toothiana murmured, her wings fluttering nervously as she peered out at the swirling snow. “When I got off the globe with him a few hours ago, he’d been in a good mood! Do you think he got distracted along the way?”

Sandy nodded, his golden sand forming an image of a snowflake, delicate and intricate, before it dispersed into the air. North stroked his beard thoughtfully, his gaze never leaving the storm.

“Such a nuisance,” Bunny agreed, his ears twitching as he squinted into the whiteout. “But he’ll wear himself out soon enough. Let’s get started, shall we?”

“Perhaps we might,” North rumbled, his voice filled with a deep, resonant certainty. “Jack may wish to make GRAND entrance—”

Elsa stood slightly apart from the others while they discussed, her eyes fixed on the tempest outside. The storm’s power called to something deep within her, something she recognized and understood. She had created countless storms like this, back in her darker days, when her emotions had been a force she couldn’t control. Here, she’d wanted to be a good guest, so it had been a month since she’d truly put her powers to proper use, out in the relative safety of the deep Antarctic deserts. But this… 

There was a wildness to it, a reckless abandon. This storm wasn’t about emotion. It was—it’s— 

He’s playing!

Just as the words passed through her mind, a voice suddenly piped up behind them, casual and completely out of place in the loud, bustling, tense atmosphere. 

“What are y’all looking at?”

The Guardians turned as one, startled by the unexpected intrusion. There, leaning against a large shepherd’s crook, was someone who could be none other than Jack Frost—his expression one of casual amusement as he took in the scene before him. He had somehow appeared without a sound.

The room, which had been brimming with anticipation, fell into a moment of stunned silence, then burst back into noise and life in the very next breath.

Elsa blinked, her heart still racing from the intensity of the storm and the weight of her expectations. But now, seeing Jack standing there, looking so nonchalant and distant, she didn’t know whether to laugh or feel disappointed. He was lean, with his staff slung over his shoulder, and there was an air of mischief about him, tempered by something darker, something cautious.

North was the first to fully recover, letting out a booming laugh that overpowered the other surprised voices in the room. “Jack, you never fail to surprise us! We were just admiring your WORK outside, no?”

Jack grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “Oh, that? Yeah, just setting the mood.”

Bunny rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re a menace, Frostbite. You know that?”

Jack shrugged, his grin widening. “Just doing my job.”

Elsa felt a strange mix of emotions as she watched the easy banter between Jack and the other Guardians. She realized, perhaps too late, that she had built up this moment in her mind, imagining a dramatic, powerful entrance that would define their first meeting. Instead, she was faced with the reality of Jack Frost: a mischievous, irreverent spirit who seemed to take very little seriously, including the storm he had unleashed.

It was at that moment—in her quiet evaluation, her unexplained disappointment, her curious, lingering hope—that Jack caught her gaze. 

Blue.

The playful expression slipped away, just for a flash; his blue eyes met hers, and she saw something there amidst the lingering laughter—something raw and guarded, something that told her that, like her, he was grappling with his own mixed expectations. 

For a fleeting moment, Elsa’s breath caught in her throat, not just from the intensity of his gaze, but from the unexpected warmth that spread through her, as if she’d been touched by a sudden gust of spring wind.

“Jack, Jack, my boy, come—meet Elsa! Our dear Elsa—this is Jack, our newest Guardian.”

Elsa’s heart leapt into her throat. The room seemed to hold its breath as Jack hesitated—and then he stepped forward, approaching them at the window; Elsa stood patiently at Bunny’s side, watching Jack’s tousled white hair catch the light of the whiteout outside, watching as his blue eyes deliberately scanned the decorations around the room. 

Jack Frost… ?

Elsa waited, patient as a glacier as Jack’s smirking gaze flickered over the gathered Guardians as he reached them, and he saluted North with a deliberately careless air. His smirking gaze lingered on each of them before finally landing on hers. 

“Yeah, I’ve heard a lot about you,” he replied. His tone was not unkind, but deliberately casual. “New Guardian, right? They’ve been talking about you non-stop.”

There was a hint of something sharp in his voice, and Elsa felt a pang of anxiety, which she pushed down; Bunny was covering his muttering face with his hand, and Toothiana was rolling her eyes to the ceiling in dismay—or perhaps prayer. Elsa quickly assessed the crisp stare and the hard line of his jaw; she’d been hoping for warmth, for understanding, but what she found in Jack’s gaze was something closer to suspicion.

Keeping her gaze on his, trying to ease the tension she could feel coiling between them, she softly corrected, “I’m not a Guardian.”

At least, not yet… 

Or so I… 

Elsa felt her chin raise; old habits falling back into place; perfect and pretty and polite, all smooth ice underneath; an effective mask for a Queen.

“I’m here on an invitation,” she said softly, and knew that he would not see the ice daggers in her eyes; not yet, although she was certain he was looking for them. “I’m very grateful to North and all of you for hosting me in honor of this autumnal celebration.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

That is suspicion there, isn’t it? And guardedness… He was trying hard to hide something behind a facade of coolness—some debonair indifference. Elsa recognized the act immediately but played along because there was something else there, too, something that made her heart ache with a familiar loneliness. I’m an ally, she tried to impress upon him through nothing more than the thought. Enough of this!

I could be a friend! 

But then, Toothiana swooped in, her wings fluttering with a cheerful energy that instantly distracted them—if not immediately lifting the mood.

“Well! Isn’t this just the perfect way to spend the Equinox?” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together, drawing their attention away from one another; Elsa was grateful for Toothiana’s quick thinking, her impressive tact. “Jack, I’m sure you’re energized and starving for a glass of eggnog after all that storm-making. Let’s not waste any more time!”

“Uh, did Bunny make it?” 

“What’s it to ya, you little twerp?” Bunny shot back, narrowing his eyes with mock suspicion.

Jack grinned, the tension easing slightly as he fell into what must have been familiar banter. “Just making sure it’s safe, is all. Wouldn’t want our guest of honor to get sick on her first night here.”

“Actually, she’s been here for over a month now—“

Elsa watched the exchange (Jack was rolling his eyes) with a mixture of amusement and relief and… unease. (Toothiana’s interruption had indeed worked wonders, shifting the focus away from the awkwardness of their initial encounter and giving everyone, including herself, a chance to breathe.)

(And yet… the warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the chill still clinging to her thoughts.)

As they all moved toward the dining room, Elsa fell in step beside Toothiana, grateful for the other Guardians’ subtle (for once!) alliance and support. She marveled at how, even two centuries since her last political summit, Elsa still remembered every step of walking into a political negotiation; Elsa knew how to navigate delicate situations, how to read the subtlest shifts in tone, how to win.

Elsa had always been a fine Reader of the Room; centuries of invisibility had only strengthened her skills. 

And so the Trial begins…

This first impression was a test—one she intended to pass.

//

And although Jack started to relax once they were all seated and well into the evening—his guarded expression giving way to something more genuine as he bantered with Bunny and teased North about his over-the-top decorations—the knots in Elsa’s stomach remained. 

How could she make him see that she wasn’t here to replace him—but to find her own place among them?

The Guardians fell into their usual rhythm as they ate and laughed together, the conversation flowing (mostly) easily between them. Elsa, too, had found her own rhythm with the Guardians during her month-long stay, understanding certain inside jokes and the fascinating nuances of their personalities. But even as she joined in their laughter, the tension between her and Jack was palpable, thicker than the winter storm raging outside.

She observed how Jack's eyes flicked between her and the other Guardians, his smile not quite reaching his eyes as he noted instances of the easy familiarity she had developed with them over the previous weeks. He joked along with everyone else, but there was a sharpness to his tone, occasionally—and it seemed that all the other Guardians could clearly tell, even if they were choosing to ignore it with varying degrees of patience… and understanding. 

Elsa could feel him measuring every word she said, every laugh she shared with the others. It wasn’t just that she was new or unfamiliar—it was that she had quickly become a part of something that Jack had spent years, perhaps centuries, building with them.

All of the Guardians’ assurances and encouragement over the past month had not hinted at the true nature of their concern; Elsa realized quite quickly that this rift wasn’t something that could be resolved with pleasantries or polite conversation.   

Winning his trust wouldn’t come easily—it would demand more than just time; it would require something deeper.

//

Later that night, after everyone had retired to their quarters or gone out for their evenings of work, Elsa found herself wandering the halls of North’s Workshop, her mind a whirl of thoughts and emotions, as was her wont.

The evening had not exactly gone to plan, but she supposed it could have been worse. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Jack still viewed her as a threat. It bothered her more than she cared to admit. She’d need to discuss it with Toothiana tomorrow. Perhaps they might lend me a snow globe?

As she rounded a corner, headed toward the snow globe Reminder gallery, she nearly collided with Jack himself—who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He was leaning casually against the wall, his staff resting on his shoulder, but there was a tension in his posture that belied his relaxed demeanor. 

He’d been waiting for her.

“Jack,” she said, startled but keeping her voice steady; once more, familiar, old-fashioned patterns of politeness resurfaced in her moment of uncertainty. “I beg your pardon. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

He didn’t respond immediately, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. “Could say the same about you. Can’t sleep?”

Elsa hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. “Just... thinking. It’s been a lot to take in.”

Jack nodded, though he didn’t seem entirely convinced. He pushed himself off the wall and took a step closer, his expression unreadable. “You know, everyone seems pretty excited about you joining us. North, Bunny, even Tooth—they all think you’d be a great addition.”

She could hear the ‘but’ hanging in the air, unspoken but heavy between them; the way addition sounded like replacement. 

Elsa squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. There was an intensity in his eyes, a challenge that sent a shiver down her spine, though she quickly attributed it to the cold. “Jack, I’m not here to replace you.”

The words hung in the air, sharp and clear. For a moment, Jack’s expression flickered, something vulnerable and upset flashing in his eyes before he quickly masked it with a smirk. “Who said anything about that?”

“No one—listen to me, I know you’re worried,” Elsa continued, refusing to let him deflect. “But you have no need to be. I’m not here to take your place. I’m here because…” Why am I here? “I was invited. I am simply getting to know you all better. I’ve been alone for some time.”

“Spare me the politicking,” Jack huffed, which, indeed, Elsa did take offense to. Especially since she genuinely had not been trying to be diplomatic; just careful.

Perhaps he didn’t believe her story… about being alone?

The idea was more painful than she expected.

Elsa’s eyes narrowed slightly, holding Jack’s gaze.  “I’m not here to play games, Jack. I’m just looking for where I might belong—that is all.”

“Will you take the Oath, then? What’s your center?”

Elsa couldn’t explain it, but this struck her as an absurdly personal question. Still. She could recognize a caged animal when she saw one. So, Elsa took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his question press down on her. The idea of the Oath, of finding her center, had been something she had pondered endlessly since she’d learned of its existence—perhaps since her arrival, if she was being honest. But to be confronted with it so directly by Jack, someone who still seemed to see her as a rival, made it all the more daunting.

“I’m not sure,” she finally admitted, her voice quiet but steady. “I’ve been... trying to understand what it would mean for me to take the Oath, to become a Guardian.” She willed him to understand, at last. “It’s not something I want to rush into without being certain.”

Jack’s gaze remained fixed on her, his blue eyes sharp, but there was a flicker of something softer there—a recognition, perhaps, of the honesty in her words. “And your center?” he pressed. “Do you even know what it is yet?”

Elsa hesitated again, her thoughts swirling. A long time ago, she had known who she was, what she was meant to do. She’d thought so. 

But after everything she had been through, all the loss, the isolation, and the rediscovery, she wasn’t sure if her center was what it once had been.

“Perhaps I might have, once,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “But now... Regardless of whether or not I join you, I’d like to think that there is something at the core of why I am still here.”

“In the Workshop?”

“No, I mean… I mean here.”

Jack tilted his head, studying her with a mix of curiosity and caution. Something told her that she finally got through to him, just a little. Elsa felt herself feeling sympathy for him; even after becoming a Guardian, he was still filled with such… 

Fear. 

Doubt. 

He didn’t respond immediately, his expression unreadable. For a brief, startling moment, she wondered what it would be like to stand by his side, to take the Oath together—as allies, as... something more? 

She brushed the thought aside, but the idea lingered, persistent. 

Then, finally, he let out a small, almost reluctant sigh. “It’s not easy, you know. Being a Guardian. Finding your center. It’s... it’s not something you just, like, stumble upon.”

“I understand,” Elsa said, her tone sincere. “But if there’s a chance that this is where I’m meant to be—then I’m willing to take that risk. I’m not interested in taking that away from you. You—you haven’t even seen what I can do yet! We don’t even know how much overlap we’d find in our powers, anyway!”

“You impressed Bunny in Antartica,” he practically accused. “That’s enough to say something, isn’t it?”

Elsa was trying her very best to remain steady and calm. “And what about you? What did it take for you to find your center?”

His eyes snapped back to hers, and for a moment, she saw something raw and unguarded in his gaze. “So they didn’t tell you everything, huh?”

She gaped at him. Honestly! 

Elsa took a deep breath, steadying herself as she met Jack's gaze. "Jack, you’re being ridiculous. I’m not here to steal anything from you—certainly not your place among the Guardians. I haven’t even decided if—I don’t know if—“

“I already know you’re gonna join us,” he said, almost in a whisper, as if admitting something he hadn’t wanted to face.

“Oh?” Elsa raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. “And what makes you so sure?”

Jack hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching hers, and then, with a passion she hadn’t expected, he replied, “Because there’s nothing better. There’s nothing like it. It’s everything.”

Elsa was stunned by the raw intensity of his words, the conviction in his voice. She could see it in his eyes—this was more than just a responsibility, more than just a role for him. It was his purpose, his identity—his life, or whatever this agelessness was. For a moment, the air between them seemed to crackle with something unspoken, a deep understanding that went beyond words.

She felt her heart skip a beat, a strange mixture of emotions swirling within her—curiosity, admiration, and something else, something unfamiliar. Her pulse quickened. 

Jack seemed to realize the weight of his words, and he quickly looked away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Wait. I... I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting,” he said, his voice softer now, more hesitant. “I guess I’ve been... on edge, and I took it out on you. That wasn’t fair.”

Still shocked by how deeply his declaration affected her, how his passion stirred something within her that she hadn’t felt in a long time, Elsa softened at his apology, nodding slightly. “I… understand. And I accept your apology. I appreciate… you saying that. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to come home and see someone new in the middle of it all.”

Elsa thought she heard him laugh under his breath, mouthing the word Home—

Jack nodded, his shoulders relaxing just a bit. “Yeah... it is. Anyway.  I’m tired. I think I’m gonna call it a night.”

Elsa watched him start to turn away, a sudden sense of urgency bubbling up inside her. “Jack, wait—”

He paused, glancing back at her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. They were so wide, when they weren’t glaring! 

“Shouldn’t we start over?” she asked, her voice gentler, almost tentative in her rush. She extended her hand toward him. “My name is Elsa. I happen to wield ice magic. E. Aster Bunnymund found me on an iceberg a few weeks ago as I was in the middle of creating a particularly notable blizzard, and he invited me to meet his friends, whom he loves and respects very much.”

Jack looked at her hand, then back at her face, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Slowly, a smirk crawled over his face. 

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Jack floated closer, and Elsa held steady—stories or no stories, she had not been prepared to see him fly! “I’m Jack. I also happen to ‘wield’ ice and frost magic. Bunny did not find me on an iceberg, but I’m pretty sure he’d love to stick me in one. Nice to meet you, Elsa, who promises not to steal my spot on the A-team. Welcome to the madness,” and he reached out and took her hand in his, giving it a firm shake. 

The moment their hands touched, a strange, electric current seemed to pass between them, and Elsa felt her breath hitch in her throat.

Oh—

He’s—he’s rather handsome, she realized with a start.

They held each other’s gaze for a moment longer than necessary, the air between them thick with something she could not, would not name. 

Jack was the first to break the silence, his voice a little rougher than before. “Yeah... maybe we should—”

They let go of each other’s hands, but the sensation of his touch lingered, warm and unsettling. Elsa felt a flush creep up her cheeks, unsure of what to make of the emotions swirling inside her.

“Uh—goodnight, Elsa."

“Goodnight, Jack,” she replied, her voice steadier than she felt.

And with that, he turned and disappeared back into the shadows of the corridor, leaving Elsa standing alone in the soft glow of the snow globe gallery. She watched him go, a mix of hope and uncertainty swirling in her chest. The conversation had been difficult, but it had also been a step forward—a tentative, fragile step toward something more. Right?

As she turned back to her quarters, Elsa found herself tracing the line of his smirk in her mind, the curve of his jaw, the sharpness of his eyes—after weeks of wondering about what he might look like, might be like, she finally had the vision, the Memory of his face.

She rushed with the ornate door handle of her guest room, eager to be inside her room, alone, in the peace and quiet, and finally process the events of the evening, to reflect on all that she'd learned, she'd accomplished, she'd proved.

Exhausted by the sheer weight of so many careful decisions in so short a time, Elsa closed the door behind her with a deep sigh. Exhausted, yes, but also satisfied. She shut her eyes as she leaned against the back of the door and allowed herself a small, tentatively victorious grin, content in the knowledge that when she drifted off to sleep that night, the echoes of their meeting, their tentative truce would fill her mind; this moment gave her, indeed, a sense of Hope that she hadn’t felt in years...

But, in her mind, the Memory that lingered most vividly, as she tossed and turned—was his face. 

//

ao3 ✨

[iwaoiness]

"So, Toto," the Argentine presenter of the TV show continues smiling comfortably at Oikawa "this is a new section we have in which our bilingual guest teach us a fell words of his mother language. Would you like to give us a first quick Japanese class?"

Oikawa, sitting snuggly on the leather sofa with one ankle on his knee, nods happily over the sound of a enthusiastic public.

"Por supuesto, Javier! What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with family vocabulary, like papá, mamá, and all that staffs"

"Easy then! Where's my camera?" Tooru turns his face forward when Javier points to the camera and smiles widely into the lens, subtly narrowing his eyes in that sweet, angelic expression. "Mom in Japanese is Okaa-san and mommy is more like mama. Dad is otou-san and for daddy...," his lips stretch out a little more, now his eyes shine playfully "is Iwaizumi Hajime (27) athletic trainer."

Javier blinks as perplexed as the audience (there are some gasps when some young people recognize Iwaizumi's name) and the production team is also speechless (there is even a cameraman who peeks out from behind his camera totally confused because he's very sure that daddy in Japanese is not all that long).

And, somewhere in Miyagi, in Matsukawa and Hanamaki's picturesque apartment where they have managed to get the entire horde of big and monstrous (or just monstrous if we're talking about Hinata, Hoshiumi and Yaku) players from the Japanese men's volleyball team, Iwaizumi blinks like an owl when Oikawa's voice echoes through the room and all his mates and best friends immediately turn their eyes towards him. The nacho he was eating falls from his open mouth and, next to him, Bokuto takes advantage of his shock to slowly steal another nacho from him.

"I'll kill him, I'll fucking kill him with my own fucking hands" He mutters, his ears and neck red as beets just as Mattsun and Makki can't take it anymore and explode with laughter along with the rest of the players.

Amidst the hubbub, a confused Kageyama is heard asking how actually is daddy in Japanese to Ushijima, who shrugs his shoulders as he calmly chews on the carrot sticks he shares with Sakusa.

...

u can find me on my ao3 🍉

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: 🌏 GAEA: PRIMORDIAL OF EARTH 👩‍🌾

Author’s note: *put head into hands* Alright, so I may or may not have went off from the usual formula (Do I even have a formula for writing these at this point?) and I think I may have made the primordial demigods here more cryptid cause they’re the literal by-product of primordial beings that are also half-mortal? I won’t be including the usual blurbs at the ending cause all of them are probably pushing the word limit Tumblr has but worry not, I made up for it by putting more storylines into the whole thing. PRIMORDIAL DEMIGODS MASTERLIST: [LINK]

You’re formed right as the war with the giants and Gaia has begun and afterwards. You’re not sure when you started to form but you could feel the clay that humanity was formed from, and the combination of all the blood and bones spilled by mankind and nature, and had been buried down within the earth. While you don’t appear monstrous or with any obvious monstrous parts like the King of Athens Erechtheus, you could feel the monstrous potential flowing through your blood. However, your skin and flesh feel too foreign to you for your own liking.

You came out of the ground, peering right up at Ouranus’ domain and felt anger and annoyance as that was the first thing you saw and not your mother’s domain.

As you can imagine being formed from blood spilled onto the earth, the bones of individuals buried both by violent and non-violent means, you have a preposition of anger and violence while also being very giving and nurturing. Just like Mother Nature. Fitting as you’re Gaia’s child.

You struggled to get used to having a physical form and the bones within your body. You almost fell over the edge once but you felt something grab you as you were helped upright, before taught how to walk. That was when you met the child of Tartarus, born and raised in Tartarus itself, and further nurtured by Gaea when she opened the Doors of Death.

With your broiling anger, you expressed a desire to take revenge for your mother against the gods and their heroes. The child of Tartarus did not explicitly cheer at your words, but agreed to follow you as they didn’t see a reason to deny you either. Together, you searched for the other primordial demigods as the child of Tartarus revealed you two weren’t the only ones.

As you can imagine, being a child of Gaea means you have the ability of Mother Nature; from the plants, water, rock, even calling forces of acts of Nature. However, due to how broad your power is, you have a hard time controlling it because as much as you can bring them forth, you can’t really control nature itself.

All aspects of the Earth seem to gravitate to you, listening to your whims and demands. Even the sea will part for you if desired as Pontus, the personification of the Sea, loves Gaea and follows her will. Animals will fall under this and no matter how dangerous the animal, the animal will follow you to your command. 

Careful how you use your power though. Your abilities are too much for your mortal body to handle, even if you’re a child of Gaea. Don’t try to take control too much of other’s domains when you face the god’s heroes. While you also can do the same as them, those realms are their’s and their godly parents. There’s only so much you can do but there’s much you can do as well.

As time goes on, your form can change like the clay it was once was. Gaea also being known being the mother of monsters and with evidence of her children/offspring having inhuman and monstrous, you also have the ability to have such traits; from growing scales on your skin to act as armour, or sprouting wings from your back to fly, you can switch as you will. Be wary though, if you stick with those forms too long, the monstrous aspects will take over and you may never become mortal in both body and mind.

Your key feature is your form. You look like a clay or stone sculpted and chiseled into a form of a human statue, perfect, flawless, but seemingly unreal. You can feel your mother’s blood coursing in your body, both nurturing and destruction. You can feel your delicate form barely holding the destruction underneath you and if you let it, you’ll find yourself turning into a monster, mindless, destructive, and unforgiving. Both features of Mother Earth.

[kisskiss-slashslash]

Bubba’s S/O starting a vegetable garden

Unless you somehow also came from a family of cannibalistic butchers, you were probably used to a more varied diet than the one the Sawyers adhered to. While you obviously loved that crazy bunch, and your darling Bubba especially, you soon missed the taste of veggies, and salad, basically anything that isn't meat. But the truth is that after the Sawyers' job at the slaughterhouse was made obsolete, they simply couldn't afford anything like that. Hell, they couldn't even afford normal meat and had to resort to cannibalism! But for the sake of the whole family's health, you decided to do something about it. Furthermore, there wasn't a lot to do out here in the sticks, so in the time between you being done with your daily chores and Bubba being done with his, you often found yourself bored out of your mind. So during supper one night, you carefully brought up the idea of creating a small vegetable patch in the back yard of the house, and maybe planting some fruit trees, too. "What for?", Drayton asked. "My cookin' not good enough for ya?" You knew that you had to choose your next words with extreme care. "Not at all. I just... want to give you some more stuff to work and experiment with." And make sure this family doesn't die of scurvy, though you didn't say that out loud. "Besides, it gives me something productive to spend my free time on once the chores are done." The eldest brother chewed on his fork for a few moments, obviously in deep thought. Then he shrugged. "Aw hell. Why not. But!" He waved his index finger in front of your face. "No slacking off on chores just so you can play in the dirt! And you gotta buy the seeds yourself. You can come to the city with me tomorrow to get them." "Understood. Thanks, Drayton."

So the next day, you returned from your little trip to town with small packets of seeds for carrots, lettuce and tomatoes. Those seemed to be good choices for a start. A trial run of sorts; plus they were currently in-season. So once you finished your chores, you rummaged through the nearby shed, finding garden tools that probably hadn't seen any use in a generation or three, and got to work.

You completely forgot the time while you worked. You were busy prepping the soil, planting the seeds, and watering them, when a huge shadow fell over you. You turned and saw Bubba stand behind you. He was watching what you were doing with great interest. You stepped back and looked at your work. "What do you think? It doesn't look like much yet, but soon it will be all nice, big veggies for the whole family to enjoy!" You got downright giddy at the thought. Bubba put his arm around your shoulders and nuzzled your cheek affectionately. He didn’t quite get why you made such a fuss about plants (....yet) but if they made you happy then he loved them.

A few months later, it was finally time for your first harvest! The tomatoes would still need a bit, but you had your first meatloaf with self-grown carrots and a simple salad as a side dish. You had expected some complaints about "rabbit food", and Chop Top and Nubbins indeed made some teasing remarks about it, but all four of the brothers gobbled up the fruits of your labor like they were starving nonetheless. Even Drayton, who hardly ever had anything nice to say to anyone, muttered a begrudging "Ya did good." in your general direction, which you put down as a victory.

[louiesselfshipramblings]

Once in a Lifetime: ENA selfship!!

My relationship with ENA as a series is a bit interesting. I knew of her through tumblr for a while, I'd say, but never looked into it. My friend showed me the trilogy of shorts that had her (it was "Auction Day", "Extinction Party", and "Temptation Stairway" at the time), and I thought the style was cool! I didn't think much of ENA as is, but to be fair, I was still a blossoming bud when it came to figure out what I liked. After all I was only, like...eighteen. Lol.

Ena is def one of my more recent selfships, and I was kinda unsure of her when she re-entered my mind. I was unsure if it was really smth special, or just kind of a spur of the moment situation. I was still kinda feeling that as I got this quite frankly amazing commission, but seeing the WIPs and ESPECIALLY the final product made me go "Oh yeh...that's my gf!!!"

The Lore!!

My sona here is known as Lüc, which is a somewhat corruption of my own name? I wanted something that matched the sorta off-kilter, fake-video-game vibes of ENA as is. Tho, given the sparse nature of world building as of now, I'm kinda just making the setting...Earth-like with special features, lol. Maybe DreamBBQ will change things, idk yet.

But!! Lüc!! He's a starry eyed (quite literally) mid-twenty-something who owns a local theater, but it's a lil crummy. Has an old, 80s style appearance due to lack of budget, which also effects the showings. Since I can't afford big releases, I mainly show older public domain films and cartoons, with "new" content being indie films. It attracts...people, at least. I also sell cashews instead of popcorn cause I don't like how kernels get stuck in my teeth (and in lore an unpopped kernel cracked a tooth of his as a kid)

Ena sorta just stumbled in, as she does, and hung out in the lobby. Didn't even see a film, but she did buy some cashews. We did chat for a while. It was a brief encounter, but...I kinda fell for her at first sight XD

The feeling of liking was mutual, course, but she didn't really think it romantic at first. Which is why she visited so often! To see her friend! Yippie...but eventually I had the guts to tell her how I feel (we were close enough friends by then), and she was a little surprised at first! I was worried I upset her at first, but turns out she was just thinking it over. The look of realization on her face and the way she blurted out "THAT'S WHAT THE CARNATIONS MEANT!!!" still stick in my head, heh!

We didn't start right there, exactly. Ena said she needed time to think it over, so of course I let her. I was bracing myself for waiting a whole week of not seeing her, but she ended up popping back in three days later, roughly. She seemed a lil lost for words, which shocked me seeing as she usually had such colorful vocabulary. I tried to give her some support in realizing her feelings and such, before she blurted out, again, "I LIKE YOU A LOT TOO?? CAN WE DATE MAYBE???"

And we just kinda started dating! I took her out to a very nice restaurant, and that's also where we had our first kiss!!! And we've just been kinda going regular since! She still lives at her place, but she visits a lot to mine (second floor of the theater, saves space and money!!).

We're still very much enjoying being each other's bf and gf, so marriage is hardly on the table. No kids either, probably. Neither of us think we'd be able to handle it, lol. Moony visits sometimes too! We...get along best we can. I realize she's Ena's best friend, she realizes I mean a lot to Ena. We tolerate one another for her sake.

But yeah! That's my self ship with Ena! The series timeline is kinda...nebulous? Especially with DreamBBQ and the whole "second" Ena. I mainly just ship with the OG blue-yellow pre-TempStair version of her; gonna have to wait and see with this new gal!

The amazing art of me and Ena coming together was done by the always spectacular @cupiidzbow! I said before but you did just AMAZING here!! Like my sona is great but also your Ena is so cute???? I def gotta get more with her from ya! And you, the reader, should support Freddie and his monkey business!

[cyberneticatoms]

no way is that TOPHER DEVEREUX..they’re a 28 year-old SYNTH notoriously known for being SELF-DEPRECATING & OPPORTUNISTIC but there are some people who have seen them being CHARISMATIC & FLIRTY. if you ask me, they remind me a lot of the soreness in your muscles after pushing yourself too far, melodies for someone who will never hear them, and lights shining off the metal blades of ice skates, but that could just be because they’re considered the FORMER WORKAHOLIC around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

↳ 𝚀𝚄𝙸𝙲𝙺 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚂

NAME: Christopher Luka Devereux NICKNAMES: Topher DATE OF BIRTH: May 22nd (28) HEIGHT: 5'11 AFFILIATION: Neutral OCCUPATION: Professional Figure Skater Coach/Choreographer FACECLAIM: Franco Masini

↳ 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺𝙶𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳

❖ Oldest in his family to a mom who wanted kids and choose to use other's DNA to have them. Growing up and being surrounded by so much creativity and talent, he didn't want to just follow one thing. ❖ Instead he took acting, dance, and music lessons. He also struggled with imposter syndrome, wanting to make his family proud, while also being able to, in his eyes earn a spot with all these prestigious people.  ❖ One of his mom's fundraisers for the arts turned out to be a figure skating show. Immediately this had Topher hooked, it was everything he enjoyed in performing while having the added challenge of being on the ice.  ❖ Signing up for lessons, this was also when he met one of his best friends, Andros Lupin. Slightly confused why his friend didn't just follow his passion and was hiding it.  ❖ Still he focused solely on pushing his body to the limits, even taking it a step farther by writing his own music for his performances.  ❖ Because of how much focus he put into skating, he fell behind on earning a degree in college. While he technically didn't need it, it never hurt to have more knowledge in performing and a backup plan in case things didn't work out.  ❖ It was during college he met Carrie Bachman, and now he knew what passion actually felt like.  ❖ While he'd always been close to his family, her feeling like the odd one out in hers was something he could at least somewhat relate to. Admitting to her, he never felt quite talented enough to be around his mom and her social circle.  ❖ Watching her come out of her shell while they were dating, was and still is one of the things he's most proud of being a part of. ❖ Close to when he was graduating, a production company had been holding auditions for their show. He'd tried out and snagged the leading male role. At the time he'd tried to convince Andros to try out, but his friend had opted to stay closer to home and stick to competitions.  ❖ Breaking up with Carrie hadn't originally been part of the plan. He'd been in the middle of discussions with his manager/agent on how he could get time off to visit her.  ❖ They were set to tour across the country, as well as possibly globally. During this meeting his manager brought up that Carrie didn't need a part time boyfriend, that she'd likely meet someone better than him. She'd come out of her shell enough, she didn't need him anymore. ❖ They were young after all, why was he trying so hard for something that was likely to fizzle out. It was better to end things on good terms, besides he was about to be too busy for a relationship with anyone.  ❖ Reluctantly he agreed, and though he phrased it better, he used those same points when breaking up with her. While it sucked, she seemed to take it well overall, so his manager had likely been right.  ❖ At first touring was fun, the shows were challenging but creatively fulfilling. A year into this and that slowly started changing. The show became less of an actual performance and more a walking ad show. 

❖ Every number involved trying to sell something, Topher beginning to feel more like a walking salesman than a performer. Even his music became ad jingles he hated to write.  ❖ Whenever he argued with his manager, the argument always got turned back around on him. That he should be grateful for the opportunity he had, that if he hated the songs so much it was his own fault for not writing something better.  ❖ While on a brief break and being back home, he saw how much his siblings were creatively fulfilled along with his friends, even Carrie had found something she was passionate about.  ❖ It made him feel even more lonely and burnt out. At his next performance he went off script, writing and performed a whole new musical number. Giving the production company and his manager the middle finger while quitting then and there.  ❖ He might have burned any bridges for future performances but he felt like he could finally breathe again.  ❖ After talking to Andros, he officially became his choreographer/coach  and started writing music again for his friend’s performances.  ❖ He misses performing but he's content to just be in the background for now. Taking the chance to reconnect his family and his friends, though there's one person he's nervous to reach out to.

↳ 𝙼𝙸𝚂𝙲

• Topher has a box full of postcards from the various places he toured in. They have messages written on them from simple i miss yous to wish you were heres. • Some have verses or full songs, while others are covered in long winded messages. All addressed to Carrie, never having the guts to send any of them he instead kept them in a small box.

[thecurrator]

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @fourtyfourcatss

Your match is...Chigiri Hyoma!

Congratulations, you've now got a best friend for life! You both share enough similarities to be like two peas in a pod, and enough differences to help each other improve and grow as people.

He's an ISFP and you're an INTJ, so you both share all four functions but in different placements. This makes it easy for him to understand the way you process information and your line of thinking while being able to help you to empathize better with people. He's also rather honest and level-headed, so getting along with him shouldn't be hard for you. To other people, you both may seem like aloof cats who like to stick close to each other.

He's not very clingy and good at reading people's emotional states, so he can tell when you're not in the mood to be pestered. At times like this, he'll sit in the same room as you, doing his thing while you do yours so he can give you space while being there for you. If you'd like a hug or cuddle, he'll happily provide.

You won't have to worry about unhygienic habits with him! Have you seen his haircare routine? If you don't mind, he'd like to pamper you with his expensive products to help you relax. That, and maybe he likes having an excuse to play with your hair.

You both go on runs together! Perhaps you won't be very happy to wake up at 6 am to go on a run in the chilly morning, so if he has the time, he'll accompany you during your runs later during the day just to spend more time with you.

Runner-up: Isagi Yoichi (Honestly, who wouldn't match with Isagi? He canonically has a harem /j)

Your match is...Vil Schoenheit!

A caring and albeit harsh cheerleader, he wants to see you become the best version of yourself that you can be! Isn't that what relationships are for, helping each other to grow?

Vil appreciates just about everything about you. Realistic with an optimistic attitude, opinionated, honest and individualistic? He took some time to observe you at first, and after getting to know you better, fell head over heels. It was rather embarrassing for him, having to keep himself in check around you. It wouldn't do to have the rest of his dorm members notice his glances towards you and fleeting touches to your hair to "fix it properly".

Vil is big on self-improvement himself, so he appreciates that quality of yours most of all. You both can lift each other up! On that note, he would advice you to think your words through before speaking to avoid tripping over your words. Short pauses to think are better than having to backtrack in his opinion. He cares for you and wants you to be able to express yourself well.

He'd be curious about your writing and drawings, wanting to see what you're working on but only if you let him. He's not very good at telling when someone is uncomfortable, but he'd never want to upset you on purpose. If you do let him see your work, he'll give you his honest critique, but make sure to find at least a few things to compliment. That gives him an idea actually. Would you be interested in joining his film club by any chance?

He'd love to pamper you with spa sessions and skincare. He'd normally do these things by himself, but its better to do them with you. He'd like to experiment with makeup on you too. You're quite like his muse in a way. He would let you do his makeup too. Even if it doesn't look professional, he'd wear it with pride.

Runner-up: Azul Ashengrotto (Another ambitious guy I think you would like. Though he tends to treat relationships like business partnerships, so perhaps he might not be your cup of tea.)

[ae-azile]

Progression: Chapter 26 Preview

“Try not to talk unless you absolutely have to,” Tankhun tells Arm as he straightens Arm's shirt collar, “If you do, just stick to the basics of the truth: You bonded with me after we were both traumatized by the attack he spurred on, and we fell in love.”

“So imply that this never would have happened if it weren't for him,” Arm says.

“Exactly!” Tankhun says agreeably, then rolls his eyes and decides to be more serious, “No, but it's sort of the truth. I might resort to using it if needed. Just keep it honest but vague. I have only improved and become more productive while in this relationship, and you took on Chan’s responsibilities, all while continuing your previous duties. He should be grateful, if anything.”

Arm breathes out and nods, then puts his arms around Tankhun’s shoulders, “Malai got to Hansa’s house okay. She says she is willing to talk about how present you have been with the girls and that you are one of the few people she would trust to leave them with.”

“That's sweet of her to say,” Tankhun murmurs.

“It's sweet, and also true. She means it,” Arm tells him, “She also mentioned something else to me.”

“And what was that?”

“Something about you studying for the last two trainings and certifications you would need to get your law license?”

Tankhun shrugs at that, “Hm. She's a paralegal. She has been thinking about taking that step too. I figured if we got certified as lawyers together, it may convince her to move to back to Bangkok. Maybe we’ll open a practice together.”

Arm smiles a little at that and pulls him closer, “And that's something you want? You aren't pushing yourself into a career to…I don't know, prove a point.”

Tankhun shrugs, “Maybe a little. But…I actually did enjoy it when I was enrolled in college. I graduated at the top of my class despite only going to campus when it was absolutely necessary. Even before that, Pa had me take care of Ma’s estate. While things were tense between our families by the time Auntie Milan died, I reached out to Uncle Gun to see if he wanted me to help with anything in that regard too! I was even willing to leave the compound in order to help!”

“Did he let you?”

Tankhun lets out a huff, “No. He yelled at me and said Pa was putting me up to some sneaky agenda. That wasn't true at all, but I understood why he may think that way and just let the matter go. But I have been known to walk some of the guards through their wills and estate paperwork we give them. I helped Pol, Porsche, Ken, Big, Pete, First, Sand, and even Chan when he came into some money and wanted to make some adjustments!”

“Why didn't I know about this? You never offered to walk me through that paperwork,” Arm says, narrowing his eyes a little.

“Because you're the smartest one here, Arm! You don't need my help with such things!”

“It was complicated!” Arm says, “I kept putting it off and your father annoyed me about it.”

“Well, you should have said something!” Tankhun says to him, “I figured if you could understand complex technology, you could figure out paper.”

“I could have, but it was repetitive, monotonous, and annoying.”

“How dare you!” Tankhun says with a gasp, “That was a huge improvement compared to the system we had before! I set it up myself!”

“Malai was impressed with it too. She said she has seen more complicated paperwork after I gave it to her to handle.”

“She's smart!” Tankhun agrees, “That's why we are going to open a practice together! I'm thinking we will focus on real estate law, financial law, and estate law. Contracts, wills, investments, contracts, and securing business loans are simple. Neither of us want to go to stupid court rooms if we can avoid it.”

“I figured you would love the drama that a courtroom could bring,” Arm says.

Tankhun rolls his eyes, “The drama, sure. But the stupidity and self-importance? Please. Do you know how grating it is to argue with people who are completely wrong or flat out lying and act like they're not? So annoying! I can spend my time doing better things. Like you.”

Arm lets out a snort, only for Tankhun to cut it off with a kiss. While Tankhun has some conflicting feelings about finishing up the trainings he will need to officially become a lawyer, it mainly stems from anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. But Tankhun knows that some of those feelings stem from Pa. Then again, Pa pushed him to get a college education. It was important to maintain appearances, but it also gave Tankhun something to do and something to stimulate his mind. Even though the major was strongly suggested to him by Pa and his advisors, he had known the reason behind it. He excelled in finding loopholes and suspicious wording in contract agreements. He also excels at keeping track of finances, growing wealth, and making good investment decisions. So it was either law, or it was business and finance. Law felt like it was more widespread. Tankhun had felt like he could maybe help people more as a lawyer, both rich and poor, rather than just advising Pa’s rich friends on what to do with their money.

Besides, as annoying as the thought of being in a courtroom is, it would be more annoying to solely help Pa and his associates get richer while Tankhun’s money gets stored away in an account he only has limited access to.

Of course, Tankhun has other ways to make money. He has built upon his finances through investing in stocks, bonds, and promising start-ups for quite some time, before Arm even started working here. But Tankhun plans on keeping that private for now. He had pondered revealing his long-term side hustles to Kim if his little brother's restrictions went on much longer, but maybe Tankhun can be an inspiration this way. He can become independent. He can pursue a career that may end up being a passion if he is on that track with someone he trusts. But most of all, he can be strong and stand up to his father for the man he loves.

He just needs to present himself differently than he has for the past twelve years. Tankhun knows he has changed a lot. Untreated trauma, long-term defiance, and being controlled, belittled, and gaslighted by a parent does that to a person.

Despite all of that, Tankhun still loves Pa. He hates that he still loves him, especially when he remembers everything Namphueng was put through. She only partially came back to her former self recently, or some version of it. Tankhun needs to do the same. He needs to revive his former self.

His former self feels like such a stranger. He had been calmer and more collected back then, trained to push aside his tendency to become distracted or his feelings of restlessness in favor of becoming someone simultaneously approachable and intimidating. He was taught to be intelligent, but easy to understand. He was trained to be powerful, all while exuding a sense of calm. But most importantly, he had to prove himself by being equally sharp with his wit, tongue, and aim.

He had been so fucking sharp.

“You alright?” Arm asks gently, taking Tankhun's face into his hands.

Does he want to be that person again? Part of him wants anything but that. He feels a sense of pride at being Pa’s source of shame, although the occasional yet genuine concern and pity are negative side effects.

But he also yearns for it. Not necessarily for his birthright as the head, but for the opportunity to be who he had been before.

“...I’m okay,” Tankhun says hesitantly, then takes his boyfriend's hands, “But…If I change a bit going forward, will you still love me?”

Arm tilts his head at that, “What do you mean?”

Tankhun breathes in, “I was…very different prior to my kidnapping. The person who you have gotten to know is…mostly genuine. But I…There are probably aspects of myself I have hidden or amplified I may adjust now that I am to be more transparent with Pa. I think this is the best way to go about this. It will take him off guard, but it may…please him or confuse him enough to back off. I don't know what I'm saying-”

“As long as any changes or adjustments make you happy, I am fine with it,” Arm cuts in gently, “But only if you are doing it for you. Not for your father, not for your brothers, and not even for me. You. As long as I can still recognize you, I will still be in love with you.”

Tankhun feels his eyes get wet, only to sniffle when Arm quickly wipes the moisture away, “...I was so different, Arm.”

“I’ve heard stories.”

“I was supposed to be great.”

“You are,” Arm says, cupping his face, “You always have been. I never thought otherwise, even on your worst days. Your trauma may have changed you, but it didn't take away your greatness, Khun.”

Tankhun would like to believe that. He isn't sure that he does, but Arm’s optimism is encouraging.

“...I will become a hybrid version of me, then,” Tankhun decides, “I will keep your favorite parts of me-”

“That's pretty much every part.”

“But let the favorite parts of who I used to be come back out,” Tankhun continues, “Parts I hope you will like too.”

“As long as you aren't trying to pretend to be someone you're not, then I'm fine with it,” Arm tells him. He sounds sincere, so Tankhun feels at peace with his decision. In fact, he already feels a shift occurring, as if Arm's blessing was all he needed.

Now, he just needs his father's blessing. This is his best shot at getting it. The only other option Tankhun could think of as he was mulling this over in his head was a move so defiant and bold that it would leave Pa completely clueless about what to do, at least in the moment.

However, Tankhun would prefer to not propose to Arm in front of Pa, despite it being slightly tempting. His boyfriend deserves something more private, romantic, and authentic. The ring Tankhun carefully picked out eight months ago will continue to stay hidden in his desk drawer.

At least for now.

[translations-by-aiimee]

Mistakenly Saving the Villain - Chapter 13

Original Title: 论救错反派的下场

Genres: Drama, Romance, Xianxia, Yaoi

This translation is the product of my limited knowledge of Chinese characters as I attempt to learn the language. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 13 - Falling into Evil

"It's the marks left by acupuncture." Seeing that he misunderstood that he was injured, Song Qingshi hurriedly explained, "It's not from insect bites. I have delicate skin. When needles are inserted, they cause slight subcutaneous bleeding and often leave marks. Don't worry, it's painless. They'll go away in a few days."

Yue Wuhuan took a close look at those marks, then slowly loosened his head, bowed his head and said, "Master tested the needles for me and injured himself, but I was rude. . ."

"How can you study medicine without sticking needles into your own body?" Song Qingshi said indifferently. "In the future, you will have to prick yourself when you practice acupuncture. If necessary, you can use me as a practice dummy, before. . ." When he said this, he suddenly remembered some funny things. The first step in learning acupuncture is to prick yourself, and then prick each other. After you get used to it, using acupuncture for acne, weight loss, stomach discomfort, a cold, and before a final exam would all become the norm. He also learned a lot from his senior sister. For example, when he fell asleep while studying, he would stick a needle into the top of his scalp and it would instantly refresh the mind.

When the original body learned acupuncture, he first pricked himself with the needles, mainly to determine the feeling of the needles.

It was the first time he tried this acupuncture method, and he had to practice it on himself before he dared to do it to others.

Yue Wuhuan turned around sullenly as if he was not very happy about his injuries.

The shou protagonist is really a kind little angel.

Song Qingshi sighed internally after a while. He was afraid that he would mess things up again. He spent a lot of time talking about medical theory while giving needles and finally turned the beauty into a beautiful hedgehog. After determining each acupuncture point, he injected spiritual power to bring the local anesthesia to the minimum, and then took out the medicinal jar for the medicinal bath. He put the ingredients in the Six Meridian Rejuvenation Medicated Bath and adjusted the temperature skillfully so that Yue Wuhuan could enter.

This time, Yue Wuhuan groaned not long after entering the medicated bath.

The domineering medicine penetrated into all his meridians, rushing wildly. It felt like his body was being turned inside out.

Yue Wuhuan finally understood what Song Qingshi meant when he said it was painful. Even though acupuncture had reduced the pain a lot, he still held on to the rim of the bath in pain, his face turned red and his forehead covered in a cold sweat.

"The pain can't be completely eliminated," Song Qingshi injected his spiritual thoughts into his body to continuously monitor the situation, explaining, "There are many meridians in the human body, and after the medicine is injected, it's like a river rushing into a bank. You need to feel the pain of each blocked meridian being flushed open before I can determine if it has been completely opened. . . If it hurts, you can scream, as long as you persist for half an hour."

"Master doesn't need to worry," Yue Wuhuan panted, "You've already done so much for me, I can bear it."

After the clogged meridians were forcibly flushed open, the medicine could pass through unimpeded, and the pain was instantly relieved.

Song Qing Shi then took out the corresponding golden needles.

As more and more meridians were cleared, the pain became lighter and lighter.

Before taking the last needle out of his scalp, Song Qingshi took out a pill and ordered Yue Wuhuan: "Open your mouth."

Yue Wuhuan was in so much pain that his mind went blank. He opened his mouth obediently, only to find that Song Qingshi had stuffed a hot pill in. His cold fingertips accidentally touched his lips, and he subconsciously chased after them, licking the comforting coolness with his tongue, wanting to take it in his mouth and never let it go again.

The hot pill melted in his mouth and slipped into his stomach. Suddenly, an explosion-like pain came from his spiritual core, stirring up his internal organs.

He couldn't bear it anymore and let out a miserable scream. He grabbed at the person near him with all his strength and then fell down helplessly.

Song Qingshi took him into his arms, patted his back, and coaxed him softly: "This is the Nine Revolution Blood Lotus Pil. It'll work quickly, just hold on."

The Six Meridian Rejuvenation medicated bath opens up the meridians, and the Nine Revolution Blood Lotus Pill regenerates the spiritual core. Song Qingshi determined from research materials and experiments that the Nine Revolution Blood Lotus Pill could not alleviate the pain when taken, but the pain was short-lived. So he didn't explain it at the beginning, so as not to increase the psychological burden of the patient. Just like an injection, a quick fix was enough.

Yue Wuhuan's lips were already bleeding from being bitten. He couldn't hold on anymore, and finally let out a low growl like a wounded beast, hugging the person in his arms tightly, as if he wanted to be merged into his flesh and blood, and become one.

If it weren't for the high cultivation level of a Nascent Soul cultivator, his bones would have been shattered.

     Song Qingshi couldn't move. He was afraid that he would bite his lips in pain, so he suggested: "If you are in pain, you can bite something else. I'll give you a towel. . ."

Before he finished speaking, Yue Wuhuan ruthlessly bit down on the eyesore that was the dark red mark on his neck with such force that he almost wanted to bite off this piece of meat and swallow it into his stomach.

Song Qingshi knew that he had lost his mind, and was afraid of him hurting his teeth, so he immediately withdrew all his protective spiritual power, and didn't dare resist his poisonous power. The bite was so deep, there were bloodstains, and he was in so much pain that he almost burst into tears. He didn't dare cry out so others wouldn't worry, so he could only pretend that it didn't hurt, and gasped desperately.

He let him bite him, kneeling and pushing through it.

Song Qingshi persevered with tears in his eyes. . .

After about fifteen minutes, the pain in his spiritual core slowly disappeared, and tiny spiritual power slowly emerged, just like a tree that had withered for many years sprouting new shoots under the nourishment of the spring rain. Everything sprouted vibrantly and is body became comfortable and cozy. Yue Wuhuan's energy finally ran out. He loosened his jaw, lightly licked the blood from his bite, and slowly collapsed into a deep coma.

. . .

When Yue Wuhuan woke up, it was already dark.

He moved his body, and the spiritual power that had withered for many years began to circulate smoothly. His aptitude was much stronger than when he first entered the immortal world.

Suddenly, he realized there was someone next to him. He slowly turned his head to look and found that his hands were tightly holding onto Song Qingshi's sleeves. His fingers were stiff and numb from grasping for too long, and it took a lot of effort to untie them.

Song Qingshi was sleeping soundly next to him.

He originally wanted to wait for Yue Wuhuan to wake up and explain the treatment process, but he was so tired during this time that he fell asleep while waiting.

Yue Wuhuan stared blankly at this unsuspecting sleeping face, and there were many ripples in his heart that he didn't know what was going on. The seeds of desire were taking root and sprouting, and crazy emotions were boiling in his mind.

He quietly stretched out his hand and picked up a strand of soft and fine long hair. He put it on the tip of his nose, sniffing greedily the lingering medicinal fragrance then kissing it lightly.

The bite marks on his neck also gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction, as if he had branded this person with his own mark.

Obviously, his body had been freed from the control of drugs, but he still had an unstoppable desire for the person in front of him.

Such a good person, but he wants his body, wants to get his soul, wants to see him fall into the sea of lust and be controlled.

What a despicable thought. . .

"Wuhuan, you are a demon born for desire."

Perhaps, this statement is right.

He has already degenerated into a demon, unworthy of being with purity.

Song Qingshi has done too much for him and his kindness was as heavy as a mountain. There was no way to repay him.

He knew he shouldn't, but he just can't bear to let go.

At least, he should stay away from him, hide his tail, don't show his true face, don't let evil thoughts dirty him. . .

Yue Wuhuan made up his mind, took a final breath, and reluctantly let go of the long hair in his hand.

[stories-of-the-multiverse]

Umm currently having a Vox and Velvette obsession do you have any headcanons for them hehe

((Mostly for Vox, buuuuuut some for Velvette too.

Chronologically and physically the youngest of the Vees. Though physically not by much, she's still within the 30's-40's age range like they are

Velvette

Was unsurprisingly a fashion influencer in life. However she unfortunately started out as one of those child influencers her parents vicariously live through/make money off of.

Eventually killed her parents to finally escape them. To this day no one in the living realm caught on that she murdered them.

Died about 2015 when an obsessive fan sent her a trap package in retaliation for getting a boyfriend. Yes, really.

Gained a big following rather quickly on Hell's social media, catching Vox's attention.

After Vox pulled her into the Vees, she's the one that brought eyes to the boys' bigger projects, and often does photography and costuming for them.

Aside from the obvious knives, Velvette also wields a selfie stick. And man can she do damage with it.

Velvette cooks as a hobby, primarily baking. Sometimes posts food aesthetic pictures. The only people she cooks for are those she's fond of. Sort of a love language for her. She stopped cooking for Valentino, however, after an incident where online he insulted the cookies she made for him. Now he can only get a taste of her food by either persuading Vox to share, or otherwise stealing the food off him. Girl holds grudges.

Vox

Chronologically the oldest of the Vees, though physically a little older than Velvette and a little younger than Valentino.

Born and raised Catholic, though admittedly didn't have the attention span for Sunday School. He was essentially agnostic until he died.

Grew up reading comics, watching TV, and in general fucking around with any electronics in the house he could find rather than playing outside. He was neglected by his parents growing up and didn't really have any friends so yeah.

Always wanted to be in the film industry. He wanted to act in and make films. Unfortunately he only got as far as commercials and infomercials before he died. He was a pretty good salesman, though, so it suited him just fine. He got progressively more and more unethical in trying to sell the products and services he was advertising. Shaped up to be a real corporate shill.

Also. Drugs. So much drugs. He's just better at hiding this habit than most people.

Died in a studio accident where a light fixture fell on his head. Yes. Really.

Goes without saying Vox isn't his real name. But it wasn't his first Hell alias either.

Not only did he start out with the old boxy tv for a head, but he couldn't communicate vocally at first. You know silent films where after the talent "says" their lines, it cuts to a frame where we have to read the dialogue? Yeah he started out having to do that.

Now more machine than man, he works differently from other sinners. Rather than respawning when he dies, he needs to be repaired to come back. Even when he's been torn to pieces, all you can do is gather him up and put him back together. The only thing setting him apart from broken machines is that he does bleed when he's been hurt.

Aside from the ability to bleed, there are other occasions where his machine body functions like it's organic. Like if he's injecting something, he can treat his wires like veins.

Theoretically, he doesn't need to eat, but he does get hunger pangs if he doesn't, and eating does provide more power for his batteries.

I could go on and on about his anatomy and his relationship with it tbh but for now the most important one; he has a tail. Very Hellborn like but a cord with a plug at the end. It's how he charges, or stays powered on when he doesn't have battery. He just hides it under his clothes and wound around his waist [like a Saiyan] because he's gotten tired of some assholes tearing it off or fucking up the prongs. Why did I give him a tail? Because I saw someone edit him with one and now I want it to be canon fite me.

Made his start in Hell as an inventor and repairman. That's when he first met Alastor. Just dumped some broken equipment on him asking him to fix it. One time became semi regularly. After a little bit of that, Vox was taken under his wing.

Yes, thanks to Alastor, he has eaten "human" flesh. [Only in quotes cuz technically no one in Hell is human anymore.] He doesn't exactly hate it, like he wouldn't refuse it if it was cooked for him, but he doesn't seek it out either.

Alastor's cooking is also the reason why his white ass can handle spicy food-

Vox looked up to Alastor back then. The relationship was far from healthy, however.

By the time they split, Vox was an Overlord in his own right

Met Valentino a few years after the split. This relationship is also unhealthy but good luck getting Vox to realize that.

Essentially provides the platforms for the other Vees, and often time helps with video editing and sometimes get involved directly with the filming. Val learned all his film tricks from Vox.

Custom made the Vees' phones and set up Valentino's online accounts. With some bombass security.

And that's about it for now. Hope you like-))

[alejandramdcblog]

3D- FINAL CURATED PORTAFOLIO

1. sketched ideas from first weeks and movie notes day one.

-What motivates these artists? How do they go about collecting and assembling their work?

when we first start we have Schwitters with color and collage that gets motivated by the total freedom of his choice and materials. George Herms used burned up or out of junkyards object for his assemblage. With Betye Saar her motivation on the assemblage where she maintained issues of civil rights and issues of African-American equality. For Cornell his composition was white and black and also blue with layerings. Rausheberg he would use furniture or soda moving through space. Nevelson was like a collage she expressed herself like that. All of this artist collect for their assembling what they want to expressed and what they what art to be. Either to be free or to tell a story. But art always tells a story. It’s interesting seeing the different assembling that this artist make because all have different meanings and art elements.

2. Process photos from assemblage.

3. Assemblage- side by side photo of final product and artist statement and title.

“ A KIDS MIND”

- This was my first assignment that it was a little bit hard for me. I wanted to approarch this assignment by making it my own and having a little of me into it. The title that i selected was “A KIDS MIND” because when i was little i used to imagine so many things that it didnt make sense at the end. I also think that how a mind of a kid work with little animals or dinosaurs and also with many things that they see in the works that we just keep on our mind always. At the end i feel like i accomplish what message i wanted to give to the audience with a kids mind. The color also i wanted to be white because it how innocent a kid can be.

4. Process work for Soap Sculpture

5. Photo shoot of soap and final product with artist statement and title.

“ MOONS OF ICE”

i had so much fun with this assessment because how i came to approach this project is just to go with the soap and with nothing in mind. I didnt have something that i wanted to intend to do just i wanted to see what could came out of my carving. When it came to the three openings i struggled because i didnt know what to do or how to make the openings but successfully i came up with the opening just to make like a broken sculpture. With this i fell like i successfully came with what i wanted to do in my sculpture. For that i name it “Moons of Ice” becuase i feel like you could see different types of moon that we have in spaces, that they aren’t perfect but are beautiful at the same time.

6. Ephemeral Art - process photos 

7. Ephemeral art - completed project and photo shoot with artist statement and title.

“PORTALS”

For this project is was hard but easy at the same time give me a little bit of a struggle but i came tu approach this with just going with how the sticks where made and little by little i got to what i wanted. I didnt have in mind what i wanted to intend to i just saw and just guide myself with the sticks. With this i feel like i did my best and its successful to me. What i when with the tittle was “PORTALS” because it has openings that want you to come in and never come out.

8. Ready Made process photos.

9.Ready Made completed assignment , various photos , show different angles and include a brief artist statement with the title.

For this final I wanted the message to be about my experience having Covid-19, becuase I didnt have symptoms but my mom did have and even tough I was vaccinated and i was using my mask I still got covid. For this readymade I made a covid molecule attached to me and I am holding a mask as a parachute like its covering me and around me theirs crosses for also the people around me that sadly pass away. This piece is called “ THE RUNNER” because is like im running from Covid but its still attached to me anyway. With this project i wanted to have a sad story because Covid affected many people even thought it didnt affected me, many other families lost their family members. I still have mix feelings on how it came out, I still proud of what i made and hope I got my message express.

“THE RUNNER”

10.Final Artist statement explaining the different processes from the semester

This was my first time doing 3D classes and learning how additive, subtractive, and constructive work. Theres was first the addictive that i feel like it was the assemblage assignment because we need to use so many things to make a story out of it. The subtractive would be the carving assignment because we were taking out soap to make a shape. The constructive would be the ephemeral assignment because we had to make something out of sticks. For me my favorite process for this would be Constructive because is something that you making slowly and everything is just there to do. For this I would recommend taking 3D because is an experience that you put yourself to make things that you draw in 2D in reality and learn from it.

11. Show how you used the sketchbook during the semester . Post 3-4 pages titles Sketchbook.

ARTIST STATEMENT

This class make me want to do more stuff in 3D. It was my first time talking 3D classes and honestly it was a good experience and i want to make more 3D art because there are so many things you can come up in 3D art. My favorite materials for this class would have been the sticks that we use for the Ephemeral Art assignment it was a good experiences and also i love this assignment i just concentrated everything into it. I love hope it turn out and hope to do more stuff like this in the future. I would only had one obstacle and it was the final assignment because I didnt know what to do and had a hard time thinking on how to express the Covid message. But at the end i am happy with what i could come up with and it make me learn that its okay to make mistakes in art. Another one would be the soap but it just the material was a little bit hard but is one of my favorite that we i did this semester. With that I want to say thank you to my Prof for helping through this semester and making me learn new ways of seeing art and hope in the future i can inspired someone as my Prof did.

[pipebombsabitsuki]

im.. dead? i think? im dead, i must have died somewhere when I was around 19 or maybe 21,, maybe it was one of the countless internal infections I've had, maybe some strange incident like that one time I fell and my neck cracked and hurt but i didn't feel anything aside from that, just... moved on with my day. or maybe it was this last summer, i was coming back after having been fired from my first job after 10 days and accidentally fell to the side of the road. a car saw me and hit the brakes but still hit me pretty hard on the back.. i was so angry and frustrated and embarrassed that i just got up and kept going, but somehow.. no sequels? I mean I did have a pretty sore back and hematoma for a couple of weeks,, but, just that? maybe it was, then, that it happened.

Death, and then.. nothing? like a mistake, like a glitch or an anomaly. a virus in the code. Death just simply didn't take effect. Perhaps it is simply taking a while to catch up. maybe I have, say, 6 years after the event until it actually happens..

like a ghost, trapped in this realm but incapable of advancing. stagnated in waters I don't belong to, waters I cannot swim through anymore.

and somehow this.. frustrating lack of productivity, this seemingly inability I seem to have acquired in the past months... it makes sense, in a way. Right? Because I'm dead, or something like that. I'm a being of entropy. I cannot produce, only consume. only waste. energy and resources and whatever else.. only the living make, create, evolve. I don't. I only consume.

But if I analyze it carefully, the comparisons go deeper..

Machines seem to malfunction a lot around me. Of all sorts, batteries, computers, my phone, my laptop,,,, even lightbulbs. it's ridiculously common.. it used to scare me, I thought maybe I was being stalked by some entity. but now i believe I'm that entity..

I've also been told I'm unnaturally cold to the touch. I've always had low body temperature but I used to feel it(? and not anymore. ever. i don't feel cold now. not hit either, i just... I'm fine, i guess? but apparently I'm always VERY cold. or so I'm told..

and there's also my surreal lack of progress in life. I've genuinely tried my best. I've put effort, and money, and time.. hell of time. and YET. nothing. no job. no titles. no degree. no personal achievements. no nothing. I'm nobody. even the friends I make just fade away surprisingly fast, like they never stick. like nothing ever sticks to me..

i remember, during driving practice,,,, i did things right. i learnt. i know how to drive, i do!! technically.. but I never pass the test. I've failed 6 times already. and every time it happens:

the machine works perfectly, it always does. the day is going well, the instructions are clear. the people are being predictable and following the regulations... hell, even my hands, my body is moving smoothly!! everything is working so, so well, body and machine and the environment... then, something. every time. something. someone appears out of nowhere, or a red light suddenly turns on. or the engine stops cold.

and it is always. so. POINTLESS.

if i were schizophrenic, i guess I'd blame someone else. the instructor, the car, the world around me. society itself. but no... it's me. just me. always me.

and I'm still at square one.

whatever parts of my body is generating my consciousness seems to make me fail.

and this all feels like a curse.

the world moves on, goes on. and somehow I can only watch, spectate from behind the shadows.

like something that simply does not belong to this world anymore.

like a ghost.

[rewardwaleplatform]

Rewardwale’s Social Media Style Approach to Sharing Experiences

In our modern world, online reviews play a crucial role in building consumer trust and guiding decisions. When you're looking to book a hotel, buy a new gadget, or pick a restaurant, the first step is usually to check out reviews and see what others think. The old way of doing text-based reviews has been helpful, but honestly, those long paragraphs just aren’t doing the trick anymore. As our attention spans get shorter, it's evident that the future of reviews needs to be more engaging, interactive, and definitely a lot more fun! Introducing Rewardwale, an exciting platform that brings a social media spirit to sharing your experiences! Imagine a fun blend of Instagram and Wikipedia but with exciting rewards!

Let’s explore how Rewardwale is changing the way we share and benefit from reviews with its creative, eye-catching, and rewarding platform.

Why Video Content Shines in the Review Landscape

Text-based reviews have been helpful for a long time, but video content brings a lively and engaging twist that takes the review experience to exciting new heights. Video reviews bring visuals and genuine feelings to life, showcasing real-time emotions, body language, and tone that just can't be conveyed through writing. They provide a lively and clear display of products or services, showing them in action. Video reviews are a fantastic way to show how a gadget works or to share a personal experience at a restaurant. They offer a level of clarity that's truly special.

When consumers embrace video reviews, they gain a more transparent and trustworthy perspective on products and services. At the same time, businesses benefit from valuable insights presented in a way that’s easy to understand and engaging.

Rewardwale’s Social Media Approach

You are introducing Rewardwale, a fantastic new player in the review world! Now, instead of sifting through long paragraphs, users can easily make short and fun video reviews that are natural, spontaneous, and authentic. Just like sharing a story or video on Instagram, you can easily capture your experiences with a product or service and let everyone know about it!

Telling Stories Through Short-Form Videos

As platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels gain popularity, it's evident that short-form video content is the way forward. Rewardwale takes advantage of this trend by letting users share quick, fun video reviews instead of just sticking to written feedback. These videos showcase real feelings, whether it’s the joy of discovering a new product or the disappointment with a service that fell short.

Rewardwale brings you a more engaging and enjoyable review experience through the power of visual storytelling. Videos give users the chance to demonstrate rather than explain. Picture this: you can actually watch a cool gadget in action or see how beautifully a restaurant presents its dishes instead of just reading about them. This helps create a genuine and reliable review, connecting what is said with what is real.

Exciting Rewards

What sets Rewardwale apart is that users not only share their experiences but also earn rewards for doing so! Every video review shared on the platform gives you a chance to earn cashback, access exclusive deals, or collect points that can be exchanged for even more perks—the more exciting and valuable the review, the bigger the benefits.

This fun, social media-inspired method captures the joy users experience when they get likes or comments on their posts. With Rewardwale, you can enjoy that instant gratification naturally by earning actual cash rewards! When you share your thoughts on the newest gadget or your go-to restaurant, you can be confident that your genuine feedback will bring rewards—both for you and others.

3. Fun Features

Rewardwale’s fun features make sharing reviews a lively experience. Comment sections under video reviews give viewers a chance to ask questions, share their thoughts, and start conversations. This transforms a simple review into a lively discussion, similar to how you engage with posts on social media.

Both consumers and businesses have the opportunity to connect directly with reviewers, creating a welcoming community atmosphere. This interaction in real-time fosters trust between brands and customers, creating a welcoming space for both to learn from one another.

4. Social Proof Meets Data Insights

One of the best features of Rewardwale’s platform is how it combines social proof with valuable insights for businesses. Businesses can learn a lot about what their customers think, what they like, and any issues they might have by looking at video reviews.

Video content's authenticity helps companies quickly identify genuine issues or strengths in their products. Additionally, these insights assist businesses in enhancing their products and services by using actual customer feedback. This results in improved products and services while also building greater trust among consumers in the brand.

5. Creating a Supportive Community

Rewardwale’s social media strategy is all about more than just single reviews. This platform is all about creating a friendly space where consumers and brands can connect openly and honestly. We're all about being genuine—real people sharing their actual experiences. While rewards are a nice bonus, the main goal is to help others make wise choices.

Rewardwale creates a welcoming environment where users can share their thoughts and connect, building a sense of trust that’s often missing in traditional review platforms.

Wrapping Up: Be Part of the Review Revolution

If you’ve ever thought your voice got lost among all the online reviews, Rewardwale is here to make a difference. This platform is all about sharing your experiences and celebrating them together! If you love shopping, run a business, or enjoy finding new products, Rewardwale brings you an exciting and enjoyable way to explore the digital marketplace while earning rewards.

Grab your camera, hit record, and begin sharing your experiences with everyone around you! At Rewardwale, we genuinely value your voice, and it brings along some fantastic benefits!

[warningsine]

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s monthly inflation rate eased sharply to a single-digit rate in April for the first time in half a year, data released Tuesday showed, a closely watched indicator that bolsters President Javier Milei’s severe austerity program aimed at fixing the country’s troubled economy.

Prices rose at a rate of 8.8% last month, the Argentine government statistics agency reported, down from a monthly rate of 11% in March and well below a peak of 25% last December, when Milei became president with a mission to combat Argentina’s dizzying inflation, among the highest in the world.

“Inflation is being pulverized,” Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesperson, posted on social media platform X after the announcement. “Its death certificate is being signed.”

Although praised by the International Monetary Fund and cheered by market watchers, Milei’s cost-cutting and deregulation campaign has, at least in the short term, squeezed families whose money has plummeted in value while the cost of nearly everything has skyrocketed. Annual inflation, the statistics agency reported Tuesday, climbed slightly to 289.4%.

“People are in pain,” said 23-year-old Augustin Perez, a supermarket worker in the suburbs of Buenos Aires who said his rent had soared by 90% since Milei deregulated the real estate market and his electricity bill had nearly tripled since the government slashed subsidies. “They say things are getting better, but how? I don’t understand.”

Milei’s social media feed in recent weeks has become a stream of good economic news: Argentine bonds posting some of the best gains among emerging markets, officials celebrating its first quarterly surplus since 2008 and the IMF announcing Monday it would release another $800 million loan — a symbolic vote of confidence in Milei’s overhaul.

“The important thing is to score goals now,” Milei said at an event Tuesday honoring former President Carlos Menem, a divisive figure whose success driving hyperinflation down to single digits through free-market policies Milei repeatedly references. “We are beating inflation.”

Even so, some experts warn that falling inflation isn’t necessarily an economic victory — rather the symptom of a painful recession. The IMF expects Argentina’s gross domestic product to shrink by 2.8% this year.

“You’ve had a massive collapse in private spending, which explains why consumption has dropped dramatically and why inflation is also falling,” said Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics who studies emerging markets. “People are worse off than they were before. That leads them to spend less.”

Signs of an economic slowdown are everywhere in Buenos Aires — the lines snaking outside discounted groceries, the empty seats in the city’s typically booming restaurants, the growing strikes and protests.

At an open-air market in the capital’s Liniers neighborhood, Lidia Pacheco makes a beeline for the garbage dump. Several times a week, the 45-year-old mother of four rummages through the pungent pile to salvage the tomatoes with the least mold.

“This place saves me,” Pacheco said. Sky-high prices have forced her to stick to worn-out clothes and shoes and change her diet to the point of giving up yerba mate, Argentina’s ubiquitous national drink brewed from bitter leaves. “Whatever I earn from selling clothes goes to eating,” she said.

Argentina’s retail sales in the first quarter of 2024 fell nearly 20% compared to the year before, a clip comparable to that of the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. The consumption of beef — an Argentine classic — dropped to its lowest level in three decades this quarter, the government reported, prompting panicked editorials about a crisis in Argentina’s national psyche.

“Now I buy pork and chicken instead,” said Leonardo Buono, 51-year-old hospital worker. “It’s an intense shock, this economic adjustment.”

Milei, a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” and former TV personality, warned his policies would hurt at first.

He campaigned brandishing a chainsaw to symbolize all the cutting he would do to Argentina’s bloated state, a dramatic change from successive left-leaning Peronist governments that ran vast budget deficits financed by printing money.

Promising the pain would pay off, he slashed spending on everything from construction and cultural centers to education and energy subsidies, from soup kitchens and social programs to pensions and public companies. He has also devalued the Argentine peso by 54%, helping close the chasm between the peso’s official and black-market exchange rates but also fueling inflation.

Inflation in the first four months of 2024 surged by 65%, the government statistics agency reported Tuesday. Prices in shops and restaurants have reached levels similar to those in the U.S. and Europe.

But Argentine wages have remained stagnant or declined, with the monthly minimum wage for regulated workers just $264 as of this month, with workers in the informal economy often paid less.

Today that sum can buy scarcely more than a few nice meals at Don Julio, a famous Buenos Aires steakhouse. Nearly 60% of the country’s 46 million people now live in poverty, a 20-year high, according to a study in January by Argentina’s Catholic University.

Even as discontent appears to rise, the president’s approval ratings have remained high, around 50%, according to a survey this month by Argentine consulting firm Circuitos — possibly a result of Milei’s success blaming his predecessors for the crisis.

[calismediadiary]

Youtube! Media Blog Post #5

Before starting this off, I have the perfect YouTube video idea and I desperately need someone to make it because I know it would be a hit. Currently, there is popularity in YouTube videos that are designed as guessing games, blind folded matchmaking, or even for political conversations. While majority of these come from the YouTube account, Cut, other YouTubers have mirrored this format. That being said, I think someone needs to match the Providence College student to the YikYak’s post. Thank you. 

In lieu of the topic of YouTube. It’s impossible to discuss how it has changed media without talking about all it has done for society itself. 

When specific social media sites develop their own culture, sometimes that culture dies out and just becomes a nostalgic aspect of the past. For example, Youtube has gone through many phases where their popular creators happen to fall under the same type of videos i.e. beauty gurus, prank videos, content houses, and right now I believe trending is a good amount of commentary videos. While this phenomenon has happened for many people and subcultures under YouTube. An aspect that deserves the spotlight is how YouTube was able to have true social impact and awareness in the early 2010’s. 

While the content I am going to reference is not one hundred percent a positive outcome, it definitely changed society and brought this initial awareness of where the online aspect fell within the real world. 

As a child who had essentially full internet access and not a lot of supervision, I definitely saw a lot but, from what I hear today, I’m a bit lucky I wasn’t more curious as a child. That being said, the first video I really have consciousness of watching was the Amanda Todd bullying video. The video depicts a teenage girl showing hand written cards about her story of self-harm, depression, and bullying. The video now has 15 million views and is referenceable at least amongst Gen-z. This video was influential for many reasons, it taught a young generation the impacts of bullying in a way that would definitely stick. It also brought attention and support to anti-bullying organizations and campaigns. However, in terms of taking real issues online and adding in a viral aspect. The way social media communities work is that there was an instant capitalization of this kind of video and bullying stories became ‘trendy.’

Another example of YouTube revolutionizing is the phenomenon behind the coming out videos of the 2010’s. These videos began to come in magnitude and is a key aspect of what queer culture is to my generation. I genuinely consider this to be so influential and changed queer culture and queer acceptance. After so many of these YouTubers have gained a fan base and despite that gay marriage was still not legalized in all 50 states, it spoke to an entire generation and gave a voice to the individual. 

In this sense I can see how TikTok has been able to become what it is. With YouTube now focused on bigger productions, the voices of the individual are best shown through TikTok. Instagram’s feed is considered the least authentic, Twitter is now X, and therefore, TikTok is the voice of the individual. 

In the end, our social media landscape is constantly changing but a factor to look at is how influential something can be even when we consider it a ‘dying’ platform.