#and coat is a warm-toned super duper light tan

[hirazuki]

I'm starting to brainstorm cosplays for 2025 and I've been set on Kimblee's military uniform for years because I hate wearing all white, but now that I'm looking at his clothes with cosplay-eyes instead of just having-fun-rewatching eyes... he's not actually wearing all white. It's very, very subtle, but it's actually a couple of different off-white shades.

That... that changes things.

Hmm.

[fmdkangjin]

                         famedkrp idol hc meme 〔 fin. 〕

✈ for an airport fashion headcanon  ↴  〔 241w 〕

kangjin’s personal style is a lot different from what he’s put in for interviews or especially the stage performance costumes that often show his midriff or low v cuts to show his middies. he dresses really dignified? lol idk if that’s a good way to describe it but he’s very well put together, muted and clean. nothing to draw too much attention, lots of long trench coats, soft colors like tan, light blue, white, gray and browns. he tends to wear smart shoes or boots, usually jeans to soften his look so that it isn’t quite so serious like he thinks slacks would seem. he might seem like the type of person who would wear lots of black but when it comes to his airport fashion he is rarely seen in any colors that dip high in saturation or low when it comes to shades. lots of scarfs, long or boxy silhouettes, super duper soft and mature. he doesn’t really dress like a maknae. sometimes after concerts on the way back especially if it’s early he might get spotted in some of his more sporty or casual clothes like jeans and a baggy, adidas/puma/supreme shirt or something, a baseball cap and his usual boots so he looks a little bit mix and match. kangjin is very sporty so his wardrobe definitely is more filled with sporty clothes than anything else but he doesn’t usually wear it out unless he’s very tired.

❂ for a voice-related (singing or rapping) headcanon  ↴  〔 256w 〕

kangjin’s head voice for me, i was excited to answer this. ok so starting with vocals. kangjin’s vocals for me are very close to his positions references, specifically an almost exact halfway mixture of hyuk and leedo? something very emotional, of a mid tone, to the lower end, and really well suited for ballads or slow songs, emotional tracks since he’s very good at projecting emotion into his voice. i think when it comes to rapping, which is what he’s best known for, he’s a little bit stronger and with more impact. his vocals are very soft, soothing and especially if he’s singing slow and soft, he can really give a gentle performance. but when it comes to rap, he’s just got the vocal training by now and the endurance and rhythm to maintain it with a lot of punch. also his voice is quite deep and when he speaks it’s very monotone with a soft lisp, but while rapping it’s even lower, kind of how leedo had a deeper voice while rapping and shows more range while singing. but comfortable in the lowest voice while rapping, since it kind of closest matches his speaking voice while is also very low and deep and a little slow, he’s comfortable there. it’s what he trained for the most, too. kangjin has more passion for his vocals and he enjoys pushing his voice to the range of high to low, but definitely is most often stuck by dimensions in tracks at his lowest tone.

☎ for a bad fan experience headcanon  ↴  〔 214w 〕

probably some of his least favorite fan experiences are to do with fans asking him if something is wrong with him meeting him in person or in signings. since kangjin can sometimes come across very differently in person he’s always asked if he’s ok, if something is wrong/not feeling well, and he really hates seeing fans perceptions of him up close and personally like that. the way he doesn’t stand up to his own image created of himself, the persona of perfect golden boy he created, it haunts him honestly not to make him sound dramatic but it’s horrible lol. he’s always shaken by the amount of fans who seem to think his muted personality on off days or when he’s just carefully talking to fans to manage their expectations means that something is wrong. since he doesn’t seem to be as over the top and cheerful as he can sometimes be during games or interviews. since long schedules meeting fans sometimes he loses the endurance to put up a whole show and falls somewhere in between? where he’ll smile and make nice but nothing loud, nothing theatrical or big. fans taking note and reminding him always hurts, it’s like a reminder that he lives with a mask he’s supposed to be keeping up.

♡ for a social media headcanon  ↴  〔 216w 〕

kangjin prefers to stay very far away from social media if he can help it, because really it’s just not good for his mental health. he wants everyone’s attention and love but not at the cost of his sanity, and every negative comment about him just strips that away from him. though he does have an account he doesn’t use it, it’s managed by his favorite manager, he usually just sends images or sometimes other information, or just asks his manager to post for him. kangjin’s stans are kind of left thirsty for his content unless his manager is posting frequently. sometimes his manager takes things into his own hands and posts for kangjin with his permission, so some weeks, like concert weeks or anniversary weeks, his social media manager takes care of it more closely so that kangjin looks accessible. he doesn’t read forums for himself and doesn’t check his twitter unless he’s feeling brave. the times he checks it most is during his birthday tweets after posting selfies he occasionally scrolls, when he makes a quick “stay well and safe” post, or after concerts when he wants to make his own post about the state of his mood. usually he feels sentimental and brave after concerts so that’s when his stans are most fed.

☏ for a good fan experience headcanon  ↴  〔 222w 〕

i don’t think kangjin has any particular fan moments or one fan who stands out tbh but ig he finds it enjoyable when fans match his speed? some fans are loud, some are disappointed, but the shy ones, quiet and just happy to see him without being over the top about it he loves those ones. the ones in signings who get his autograph and give him gifts and quietly talk about how he’s someone they love and look up to. i think those fans make the whole thing a lot more bearable for him. also the fans who see him looking a little bit more casual or muted than usual and just seem content or happy with it? he loves those fans they’re the ones he connects with the most. for the record he also really loves male fans, he’s really strong with ‘boy’ fan service, male presenting fans usually get warm and kind smiles from him and plenty of physical hand touch fan service too. he finds them very brave. there’s a few he remembers, and a few who’ve given him gifts that he still can put their exact faces to the gifts, some of his gifts he donates tbh lol but he doesn’t with the fans who specifically touch his soul or the gifts he finds personal, hand made.

[coeurvrai]

So Serefin has resigned himself to being like “welp, guess I’ll just die”

We get a description of a battle arena, once used for normal sword fighting and shit. It’s large, covered in iron spikes and “carvings of war” (whatever that means, like relief sculptures of battles and shit?) The doors are decorated with symbols for magic - very descriptive - and there’s an inner arena area with packed dirt, shaped like a circle and deeper down, that can be manipulated with dirt if necessary.

The arena was still used for mage duels, to settle grievances amidst the court, and—most importantly—for trials and executions.

Considering the process that goes into casting - flipping through the pages of your spellbook, deciding on a spell, cutting yourself to draw blood, and then making sure that blood gets on the page - I do hope mage duels work like a turn-based game or like old timey duels cause otherwise how the fuck lmao

Actually that brings into question the efficiency of using blood magic in actual battle considering the process blood mages apparently need to go through.

Anyways, Ostyia is there and there are all sorts of noble girls chilling in the pit. Including a Lady Żaneta.

Żaneta noticed them sitting in the stands and waved, bowing smartly after. That got the attention of the other girls, who bowed as well. Serefin waved a hand.

I thought that girls had to curtsy at court? That’s at least what was said in that chapter with Felicíja.

He knew House Láta and Orzechowska were prominent blood mage families, but he was less sure about the other two.

I am going to be generous and assume House Bržoska and House Pacholska is at least not royalty, because I’d assume that Serefin would at least recognise the names of royal houses. 

Żaneta pushed herself off the wall and climbed the steps. Serefin felt his gaze follow her as if magnetized. Before his father’s announcement, Serefin had been quite confident Żaneta would be Tranavia’s next queen. Now, she would have to fight her way to the throne.

... does he mean this literally or figuratively? Actually, now is a good time to point out that we don’t know what the Rawalyk is, exactly. Are we about to slap in some Hunger Games/Battle Royale shit? Or is this more like the Selection or Red Queen?

Also, what makes you so sure of that? Is she a good match for a High Prince?

Her mass of dark auburn curls was tied back, throwing her tawny skin and refined features into sharp focus. There was a streak of blood smeared on the coat she wore over her dress.

Her mother was a noble from Akola, and Żaneta had her dark coloring. Her nose had a graceful hook to it that on anyone else might seem hawkish, but which looked regal on her. Her lips twisted into a smile as she neared Serefin.

Does Żaneta visit her mother’s country very often? Is she familiar with their nobility and “Travasha”? Cause if I were Rashid and Parijahan, I would be worried. Also I know the colour tawny (an orange-y brown) but I’m not sure what it’s supposed to look like as a skin colour. Is it like a deep, rich warm brown? Is it an ashy, dusky brown? Is it a light brown, closer to tan? Although, “dark colouring”? I think me and this book’s understanding of “dark” differ.

“Your Highness,” she said. Her voice had the barest hint of smoke to it, breathy and dark.

“Lady Ruminska,” he replied, swinging around on the railing so he could stand. He took her outstretched hand and pressed it to his lips.

“Ugh, house name and everything,” she said. “You leave for a few years and all my hard work goes to waste.”

“Żaneta,” he amended with a smile.

“Better.”

I like this banter better. This one snippet of conversation so far is far more tolerable than what passes as banter between Serefin, Kacper, and Ostyia; Nadya, Malachiasz, Anna, Parijahan and Rashid; AND the flirting between Nadya and Malachiasz.

She lifted an eyebrow. “So busy so soon and without a drink in your hand; war has changed you, Serefin.”

Oh, knowing ED, I’m pretty sure that’s gonna change soon. God forbid that Serefin go to Fantasy Poland rehab or that alcoholism isn’t glamourised or SOMETHING.

“Good luck to you, my dears,” she called down. “Blood and bones will they need luck,” she continued under her breath, turning back.

Isn’t it “blood and bone?”

“I’m going to catch you up on all of the best court gossip,” she said. “You’ve missed so much! Did you know that Nikodem Stachowicz was caught in the palace archives with the youngest Osadik boy?”

“Don’t those families—”“

“Hate each other? And have been locked in a feud for three generations? Yes!”

Serefin laughed, and for the first time in what felt like years, he let himself relax.

And that’s where the chapter ends! Żaneta is far more tolerable than like most of the other characters and I think more tolerable than everyone in Nadya’s POV? Which actually is fucking impressive (I mean, Kostya is a non-character so he and that priest Father guy doesn’t count).

Onto the next, which I am super duper excited for, can’t you tell by my tone?