#as a very unique opportunity to be able to try new things out for your own identity

[little-klng]

Contradicting identities absolutely bangs btw. Sexual, romantic, and gender identities all bang in every combination even when they're contradicting. I think it's supremely cool when someone has a sexual and romantic identity that are opposites and a gender that doesn't match and then different pronouns on top of that. Shout out to conflicting queers and queers using their own slurs as identities

[yandere-paramour]

First Time with Vivien - Part 1

When you first tell Vivien that you think you're ready to be intimate with him, he's already unbuckling his pants. He thinks you mean RIGHT NOW and he's a little disappointed when you tell him that you meant like, this weekend.

A little embarrassed, he pulls his pants back up and he's like "Oh."

But late that night, after you've left for your own apartment and he's emptied himself twice thinking about you, he gets to thinking. It's actually a good thing that you both didn't rush into anything today.

It's Tuesday night, and you're coming over Friday. He has three full days to prepare. He only has three days to prepare.

In between work, sleep, and stalking you, Vivien searches through every Reddit post, every internet forum, every advice column he can to try and get a wide range of information. Most of it is useless and he disregards it, but some of it is very useful.

The first thing he does is head straight to the store to buy new, soft sheets. His usual sheets are covered in... stains, and it would be embarrassing for you, his angel, to see that.

He didn't know this, but Patchouli can be used as an aphrodisiac. He makes a special blend of essential oils just for this occasion. If he sets up the diffuser right, he'll be able to help you relax and ease into everything.

Thursday night and Friday morning, he's too excited to sleep, so he gets to work making a platter of snacks for the both of you to share. He wants you both to be full, but not so full that it makes you both sleepy and knocks you out of the mood, so he guesses an aphrodisiac girl-dinner would work best.

He pairs slices of fresh baguette with some honey cinnamon butter, bakes heart-shaped brownies sprinkled with powdered sugar, and chills strawberry and banana slices with a white chocolate drizzle. He takes a little bit of money from his savings and splurges on a nice bottle of red wine for the both of you. For the finishing touch, he bakes brie with herbs and honey, setting it right in the middle of the charcuterie board.

With another thought, he adds some pineapple on there as well.

He looks around. The room is softly lit and quiet, smelling pleasantly of patchouli and lavender. The food is ready and waiting. The only thing left to prepare is himself.

He scrubs himself in the shower, wanting to make sure he is extra clean for you. He also takes the initiative to brush his hair and try and make sure the unruly strands stay flat.

When he answers the door, he is struck by how lovely you look. You both eat while you watch a romantic movie, and Vivien is fear-sweating. He looks at you whenever there is a sex scene, but looks away when you look at him. But throughout this, he pulls you closer and closer to him, his hand inching up your skirt.

When he kisses you, he can taste the sweets he made, and another perfect flavor that is uniquely you. Despite his extroverted personality, he feels meek and nervous today. He asks if you are ready, and when you say yes, he leads you gently to the bedroom.

Once you both are in and the door is locked, Vivien's anxiety disappears and he becomes someone different. He finally has you, willing and wet and ready in his bedroom. He will not waste this opportunity. He is on you in seconds, kissing, sucking, biting, desperate to leave marks on you, to prove to the universe that he is alive and you are his.

Your clothes litter the floor, all the care he put into this evening thrown to the wind as he lays you gently on the soft blue sheets. He caresses his way down your body, whispering about how you're so beautiful and so good to him and that he's waited for this moment for so long and he finally has you right where you belong, spread wide for him to ravish you.

He takes you into his mouth, licking and sucking like a man starved. For a man so well-versed in herbs and flowers, understanding the intricate ways smells and flavors fit together, there is nothing he can compare to the taste that is you. His tongue is moderately long, but it is strong and skilled, teasing moans out of you until you are gripping the sheets in two tight fists. He hums as he devours you, the vibrations giving another level of stimulation to the coitus.

This part is about your pleasure, but that does not mean he neglects himself. He is kneeling on the floor, tongue and left hand focused on you, but his right hand is busy, wrapped around his cock. He desperately ruts into his hand, pumping himself. Watching you like this; it is better than any fantasy, any daydream, any wet dream his imagination can come up with, and he is close to spilling over right now, just from the divine pleasure of tasting you. But he is desperately trying to hold himself back for the main event.

His tasting and sucking are no match for you, and you explode into fireworks, the triumphant feeling rolling your eyes back into their sockets and curling your toes at the same time. Vivien doesn't overstimulate you, not this first time. He pulls back, your juices smeared around his face as he gives the biggest smile you've ever seen on him. He thanks you over and over again for the opportunity to take care of you, telling you how gorgeous, how ethereal, how reverent he feels about you.

Moving up beside you, he pulls you onto his chest. His cock twitches, desperately seeking the rampant stimulation it lost, but he tucks it between his legs. He needs to care for you before anything. He holds a bottle of water to your lips, asking if you are okay and did you enjoy it and do you need anything from him.

You assure him you are happy. Very, very happy in fact, and you want to move onto the real thing: the penetration. Vivien blushes immediately, wanting to mount you right then and there, but he asks again if you're sure. No matter how good it will feel or how pleasured he will be, he will not do this unless you are sure.

[mixiury]

Always remembering you - Genshin x GN reader

Characters: Wanderer, Itto, Kaveh, Neuvillette

Summary: You have to leave for a long period of time. What do they do after it? (Basically them missing you)

A/N: I am alive!! Sorry for not posting in a while. Honestly I haven't been very motivated to write but I randomly got this idea so I hope yall like it! (I edited some parts and typos I noticed so hopefully now it is better :)

Wanderer has no need for things as transitory and insignificant as the attention of others— specially if it comes from an human being— so what makes you believe that you would be an exception?

It's been decades since he last sought companionship after all. The only reason why he asked you to accompany him is to complete the tasks Nahida assigned him. It is just easier for you to do all the hard work instead of him. Don't try to read between the lines.

Yes. Of course it was necessary to stop in the middle of Sumeru's forest to contemplate the surroundings for the past hour. It is part of his job to ensure that there are no potential dangers near the city.

Actually, the fact that the path you were taking was blocked by a tree that mysteriously collapsed in front of you due to a strong blown of wind has nothing to do with him. Why would you think he did that in the first place? You're imagining things.

The only reason he's holding your hand right now is so you don't get lost or delay him by this absurdly long new path he's chosen. Yes, it's clearly the only option you two have, so don't complain and keep walking.

But if you need a moment to rest he won't refuse. And if at any point you decide to lean your head on his shoulder, he won't push you away either. Just don't get used to this, he only allows it because he knows how fragile human bodies are and he prefers to avoid Nahida's scolding for leaving you in the middle of nowhere.

And if you still have doubts, that's right, the fact that all these things happen after not being able to talk to you all week is totally a coincidence.

Itto, on the other hand, doesn't seem to know the word discretion.

What do you mean you have another important commission to do? But didn't you just finished one yesterday? How about you join him in a beetle tournament instead? Or maybe you can spend time with the gang? Come on, he knows you can't refuse this unique opportunity!

Hmm? That you always spend time with them..? But this time is different! This time they will do something so different and so incredible that you just can't loose! Trust him. Arataki Itto always keep his word!

And it is just that it seems like the entire universe is sending you signals to spend time with him. From Itto posters that mysteriously appear on paper airplanes to his name in the alphabet soup you eat.

But if all that is not enough to convince you that it is the destiny the one putting you together, somehow you both end up meeting multiple times a day. No matter where you look, he will be there.

Do you have to collect different flowers from Inazuma for your commission? It turns out that floristry is one of his hidden talents! Do you have to give them to someone? How curious! He was just talking to that same person! Are you saying he is brothering them? Of course not! He would never do that... On purpose.

There's no point in questioning him, somehow he always has an excuse- (although it doesn't mean they make sense). It's only until you look up at the sky and see fireworks with Itto's face, his signature, and the words "I miss you" that he finally tells you the truth behind all the coincidences that has happened during the day.

However, the moment does not last long, because shortly afterwards different guards come running to capture Itto for alleged harassment and "illegal use" of fireworks without authorization. Complete defamation if you ask him.

At the end, you and Kuki have to visit him in jail and take care of all the paperwork for the damage him and the gang caused. But hey, at least that means his plan worked?

Kaveh directly doesn't seems able to function properly.

Don't get him wrong, he knows better than anyone how hard it must be for you to be so busy. After all, he has found himself in the same situation as you multiple times in the past.

It's just that he had never noticed the influence you have on his life until that moment, where instead of having breakfast together at the same place as always he finds himself eating preheated noodles from the microwave.

For the first time in a long time he's having trouble concentrating on his work, unable to finish the commission he's been putting off for the last week— not so surprisingly— the same amount of time since you traveled to Fontaine.

Because every time he looks at the paper on the desk he can't stop his hand from drawing sketches of you, his mind clouded with questions about your safety and how you are doing.

Kaveh doesn't really know how to control that feeling so he does the only thing he knows in situations like this; Overwork himself. Going from basically doing nothing all week to creating almost a month's worth of work in a few days.

Of course, it doesn't take much for his friends to notice, trying to reason with him more than once. However, if there is something to recognize from Kaveh it is his stubbornness, reassuring them that everything is completely under control.

It's only until he ends up falling asleep during a conversation with Tighnari that he decides to take action into his own hands, sending you a letter telling you about the situation because your boyfriend can barely stay awake during the day and has been living of coffee.

And despite his reproaches towards Tighnari, he can't help but feel glad the moment you return to Sumeru a few days earlier than anticipated, updating you on every little detail that happened while you were gone and sleeping for almost a full day no long after. He may thank Tighnari later.

Unlike the others, Neuvillette feels totally fine after you left.

Of course he notice your absence and perhaps your name has appeared in his mind more than three times in the day but that's all. There is no need to worry about it, Take all the time you need.

He continues with his routine as always. He is also a very busy person so he doesn't think a lot of it. He's just walking around in the same place where you met because he's taking a short break. Nothing more than that.

In fact, you might even be able to see him ordering at the same coffee shop where you had your first date, sitting at the same table he sat at back then. But that isn't related to this situation, so please continue what you are doing.

But if you notice how Fontaine has fallen into heavy rain this last month, he will just reassure you that it's completely normal. Probably is just the weather that hasn't been stable lately. Nothing to worry about. Everything is under control as it always has been.

Yet, even if he manages to fool himself, all the melusines notice the way his gaze wanders from the documents on his desk to the empty seat next to him. His eyes shining every moment he hears the door of his office open just to met with the disappointment in them when he realizes it's not you on the other side.

Because despite his attempts to distract himself, it's simply impossible when every place he goes has some memory of you. He knows you won't be away for long so why does he feel like something is missing when you're not around?

Melusines try to talk with him, even requesting help to Furina, but it doesn't seems to be an end of the countless rains that has been occurring since you left.

He will just continue denying his feelings over and over, completely oblivious of them and the attempts of others to cheer him up.

It's hard for Neuvillette to understand the reason for his the emptiness he feels, but when he sees you once again he can't help but notice the great sense of relief that comes with you, immediately asking you how you are doing and making sure you feel welcome.

Maybe with the pass of the time he will be able to come in terms with his feelings but for now all he wants to do is to spend more time with you.

[soapoet]

PJO pick-a-card reading

Annabeth Chase; Your ideal career

01.

You would do best with a career that allows you to add your own touch. You could feel drawn to the prospect of entrepreneurship for a reason, and that is your inate ability to understand, follow, and set trends. You may rarely inspire neutrality, as you are either adored or disliked. This can cause you some hesitation in approaching anything self-made. Nobody wants to be put on blast or have their name dragged through the dirt the second they make a mistake, especially under circumstances where you are left alone to take the blame without a team to lean on, but you do have the benefit of forethought and diplomacy to avoid the worst of it. So long as you stay true to yourself and stay genuine, you have little to fear.

You inspire others, and thus you would do well in showcasing yourself and your lifestyle, your interests and your ideas for others. You would do well in business and in sales, as well as communications. You do well with people and are able to meet others with authenticity and really hear people. You could use your skills to promote important causes or rally people towards necessary changes. A career which allows you to travel and explore the world and write home about it would be very fitting. You can easily embrace different cultures and aren't afraid of trying new things, and your desire and willingness to learn new things is quite endearing and soften up your edges, inviting more warmth to how people perceive you. A chance to provide new solutions to problems or rework how things are done by inventing or designing something new could be really successful for you.

02.

Your best bet career wise would be to turn your passion projects into more than a thing you do on the side. You're creative and may really struggle when you feel unable to extend past limitations set by others. You enjoy variety and are drawn to more unusual concepts or ways of doing things. This creativity could lend itself to many things, but to name a few you would find yourself at ease within art and music, various online endeavours, writing and design. Though you may very well be introverted or simply a little, perhaps consider yourself a little socially awkward, you would do very well when involved with people. In any job, your clientele is met with a friendly and genuine demeanour as you try to meet people as unique individuals with their own stories and needs. You could be drawn to working with animals too, as your compassionate nature lends itself well to helping not just other humans, but animals, and the planet at large.

You could dread the thought of being in the spotlight, but the kind of following you would attract would feel quite familiar to you and rather easy for you to intract with when necessary. If you were to publish a book as an example, your readers would be drawn to your work out of the inherent mutual interest in its themes and thus make interactions fluid rather than awkward. You could even consider some anonymity to protect yourself. Fun will matter a lot in whether a career fits you or not. Work will always be work, but ideally it isn't all work and no play. Having a team of kindred spirits working towards a goal helps in this regard. Even if you wish to fly solo, you're collaborative and would benefit from teamwork and helping others, as well as allowing others to help you in return.

03.

Career wise you may want a little bit of a challenge, and plenty of opportunities for advancement and change. You're ambitious and cunning, and would do well in structured environments. To name a few, you could find it fitting to pursue academia, medicine, science, law, journalism, or anything else which allows you to use your wits and ability to learn and internalize new information. You are organised and steadfast, and a phenomenal problem solver. You could invest yourself in things that leave an impact on society, such as pursuing changes in the juridical sector, pedagogy and education, health care, or politics. Dissertations, articles, or other written works of you could prove very successful and provide objectivity in a world which is ever-increasingly divisive.

You're prone to stress, however, so creating a proper work-life balance is of upmost importance. Knowing when to step away and take a break is a skill that once mastered, you'll be able to wield it in favour of your productivity and take greater leaps in your career. Remember that you work best when you're not ill, aching, and burnt out. Due to your ability to multitask and see many things through, you could work on passion projects on the side. Ex. criminologist moonlighting as a poet or a songwriter. This duality would benefit you as a side hustle which aligns with what you may consider a mere hobby could end up providing you with extra income, which you can use to take good care of yourself and make sure you get to play too.

[forever-rogue]

Hello beautiful! Huge fan of your work! I have an interesting request. Don't know if you know or remember that tik tok trend where the women got those leggings, the ones that enhanced the ~booty~ and I immediately thought of frankie morales. 👀 could you do an x reader fic about that? Can be smutty too iykyk 🫠🥰 xo

AN | Oh, trust me. I do know 😏

Pairing | Frankie Morales x Fem!Reader

Warnings | Language

Word Count | 2.2k

Masterlist | Frankie, Main

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────

You weren’t sure if you were more amused or embarrassed by your latest little impulse purchase. Perhaps it wasn’t so much an impulse considering you’d gone back and forth on whether or not to buy damn the thing.

Those silly leggings that everyone was talking about. The very ones that proclaimed to enhance your butt and make it look incredibly enticing. 

And, as you laid in bed one evening unable to sleep, you came to the decision to buy them. What was the worst that could happen? You’d have a new pair of leggings. Which wouldn’t be too bad. At best you’d have an extremely luscious booty. You considered that a win-win.

And now they’d arrived, your little package just sitting on the front porch until you were able to get home from work. 

Frankie had beaten you home and had grabbed the package and set it on the table in the kitchen, sending you a quick text to let you know you’d received a package. If only he knew what was in store. Maybe. The jury was still out on that one. 

Once you’d gotten home, you were ready to grab the package and all but ran upstairs. 

“Hey baby,” Frankie’s voice cut through your internal monologue and stopped you with a sweet smile. Your face flushed with warmth as you smiled back at him. Your husband, ever so observant, noticed that something was on your mind, “what’s up?”

“Hey my love,” you stepped over to him and let him wrap his arms around you, pulling you into a warm hug. His arms might have been your favorite place in the entire world, strong and soft at the same time, holding you just perfectly. You buried your face in his chest, taking his familiar scent, all uniquely him, “missed you today.”

“I missed you too,” you could feel his chuckle reverberating throughout his chest, the sound familiar and always welcome. You looked up at him, finding those big, brown eyes watching you reverently. You couldn’t stop yourself from leaning up and pressing a kiss to his lips…and then you stole a few more, “alright, what’s up with you?”

“Can’t I just kiss my husband without any ulterior motives?” you teased, wishing that for once he couldn’t read you so easily, “nothing’s up, Francisco. You’re just really handsome and I am really lucky.”

“Mhmm,” he hummed in content as you carded a hand through his dark locks, lightly scratching at his scalp, “whatever you say, Abejita.”

“Exactly,” you grinned, “whatever I say goes. What do you wanna do for dinner?”

“How about we order in Thai?” he suggested and you perked up, stomach already growling. He heard it and laughed, a sound that went straight to your heart, “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll order if you want to go and change.”

“Perfect,” oh yes. This would give you the opportunity to try the leggings without him being too nosy, “just the usual please! I’ll be back in a few minutes!”

“You’re up to something!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” you shouted as you bounded up the stairs taking them two at a time. 

Once you made it to your bedroom, you ducked into the en suite bathroom and ripped open the package. You were almost giddy as you ran your hands over the soft, buttery fabric. You undid your pants and almost kicked them off in excitement before pulling on the leggings.

They did feel nice on your skin, and you turned to study yourself in the mirror. You posed a few times, trying to take in all angles to see if the leggings did what they proclaimed to do. After a few moments of intense scrutiny you realized that you couldn’t quite tell. You like the way your butt looked, but honestly you liked it in most things, so you weren’t sure if the leggings actually did anything. That would be up to Frankie to decide when you wore them. 

You pulled them back off and stuck them in the laundry basket to be washed soon. You doubted that Frankie would notice anything new, especially an unassuming pair of black leggings. You pulled off the rest of your clothes and slipped some comfy loungewear before heading back downstairs. 

Frankie’s face lit up at the sight of you; he was practically the physical manifestation of heart eyes. 

“Stop looking at me like that,” you whispered shyly, “you’re gonna make me fall even more in love with you.”

“You’re so beautiful,” he grinned happily as you waved him off, “I mean it.”

“Even in my lazy, comfy clothes?”

“Even in your lazy comfy clothes,” he agreed, “always and in anything you could ever put on or without anything on.”

“You’re a fool, Morales.”

“A fool for you, Morales,” and you almost knocked him over with the sheer intensity of your hug. You really, really, loved this man.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────

It was a few days before you managed to do laundry, and even longer until you finally grabbed the leggings. You’d almost forgotten about them at this point, but you had a day off and planned to do some stuff around the house, so you threw them on along with a t-shirt. Definitely not anything sexy or over the top, but comfortable. That’s what you were going for if you were going to be moving around. 

It wasn’t until that evening when you were making dinner that things got a little…interesting. Frankie had gotten home and had gone upstairs to clean up first, dirty and greasy (and very sexy in your humble opinion) and ever the gentleman with not wanting to get you dirty either. You were standing at the counter, chopping some vegetables for a salad when you heard him make his way back downstairs. 

“Hey honey,” you didn’t turn around just yet, instead focusing on the task at hand. When you heard nothing but silence, you assumed something was wrong. After wiping your hands on the tea towel you turned around to find him standing there with an expression of awe on his face, “Francisco? Is everything alright?”

“Y-yeah,” he managed to choke out, nodding slightly, “you look…umm. Wow.”

“Just so you know wow can mean a multitude of things, and not always good,” you crossed your arms over your chest and watched his face flush a pretty shade of rose, “care to elaborate?”

“You’re so fucking hot,” was all he managed to choke, which caused you to break into a fit of giggles. Normally so eloquent but suddenly rendered speechless, “I-I mean, you’re beautiful. You’re always beautiful but today you also just look so…hot.”

“Ahh, well thank you,” you bounced over to him and pressed a kiss to his stubbled cheek, “you look very hot yourself.”

“Are those new leggings?” he finally asked, eyes skimming down your body as he swallowed thickly, “they look nice.”

“Oh,” you looked down at yourself when it suddenly hit you that you were indeed wearing those leggings, “oh. Yeah, I am. You like them, Frankie?”

“I do,” he confessed, almost nervously as he tried to make sure he wasn’t saying the wrong thing. When he saw the coquettish grin on your face he knew that he’d said the right thing, “I really do.”

“Do they make my butt look good?” you turned around and lifted your t-shirt just enough to make sure he could get a full, long look at everything. 

“They sure do,” he rasped and before you could say or do anything else, you felt his hands on your hips and he pulled you into his body, “so good, you minx. You planned this didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you replied innocently, a small gasp escaping your lips as he slid his hands down to grab at your butt, “maybe you just really like my ass.”

“Hmm,” he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into his warm, soft frame. You felt him drag his lips against your shoulder and up the side of your neck which caused you to sigh happily, “you’re so gorgeous.”

“Francisco,” you reached up and gently touched his cheek as he rested his chin on your shoulder. You loved him, you loved this, but you decided that you were going to mess with him just a little bit longer, “but I’m in the middle of making dinner so can you please control yourself for a bit?”

“Fuck,” he groaned as you slipped out of his grasp, moving to lean against the other side of the counter. You put the most innocent look you could muster up before turning back to the cutting board, “you’re killin’ me here, baby.”

“Aww, my love,” you pretended to give him a pout and he playfully held up his middle before putting on a puppy dog face of his own, “can’t control your own horniness for a few minutes?”

“One - it’s going to be longer than a few minutes and two - can you blame me? Have you seen yourself?” he tried to reach over to touch you and shimmied out of his grasp as you held up the knife, “you’re brutal.” 

“I love you too,” you grabbed a piece of cucumber and gently shoved it in his mouth with a giggle before he could argue any further, “you know, if you help me finish dinner, we can eat sooner and that means we can-”

“Whatever you need,” he nodded eagerly, “I’ll help.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────

You made it a point to drop things or bend over as much as possible while the two of you made dinner. You could practically hear the small groans and sharp inhales that escaped his lips. Perhaps it was a little cruel, to taunt your poor husband like this, but you’d made it up to him later.

You also weren’t immune to the way he made it a point to siddle around you as much as possible, his hands just grazing over your body. You’d let him get away with it for now, just a little taste for what was to come.

“You’re eating so slowly,” Frankie pointed out as you chewed your bite a little bit longer before swallowing. Maybe you were, “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”

“It’s important to thoroughly chew your food before swallowing,” you shrugged innocently, “it can really help your digestion.”

“You. Are. A. Menace,” he insisted, scowling at his broccoli like it had wronged him in a manner most foul, “can’t believe you tricked me into marrying you.”

“That’s because you know I’m worth it.”

“Not right now,” he mumbled as you started laughing. You knew he was just playing but it was a little fun to get him all riled up. That was just one of the many wonderful parts of your relationship. You raised an eyebrow and he sighed dramatically, “fine! Even right now.”

“That’s what I thought,” you took one more bite before pushing away your plate and leaning back in your arm. Frankie’s eyes were quick to shoot over to you as he drank you up, “you know, I think I’m done eating.”

“Oh?”

“Mhmm,” you grabbed your glass of wine and finished off before looking at him in what you hoped was a seductive look. Either way, it was your husband, he was a goner for you either way, “but…I’m still hungry.”

“Oh,” his pretty brown eyes widened. 

“Wanna help me out?” you stood up and held your hand out towards him. He watched you in silent awe before nodding eagerly and taking your outstretched hand. Before you could lead to him towards the stairs, he pulled you towards him, crashing his lips on yours hungrily. He kissed you like his life depended on it, refusing to part from you until you were both dizzy and out of breath “I see you do wanna help me out.”

“As if that was ever a question,” he  stole a few more kisses, making sure to get a good feel of your ass before dragging you towards the living room.

“Frankie! Upstairs - bedroom,” you snickered but he shook his head, messy curls bouncing roguishly. 

“No time,” he insisted, his hands already dancing under the hem of your shirt, “need you now, baby.”

“You’re too much!” but you were putty in his hands anyway.

“But you love me.”

“But I love you,” you shrieked happily as he gently pushed you onto the couch, pinning you underneath him. His eyes were as hungry as you felt, “Frankie.”

“As much as I love you in these leggings,” he tugged on the waistband, his voice low and raspy, “they need to come off.”

“Yes, please.”

[devsgames]

Dragon's Dogma Primer + Tips

I've been spending tons of time with Dragon's Dogma 2. I loved the first game and was shocked they chose to make a sequel. Legitimately Dragon's Dogma is like, the only franchise that actually has the power to make me genuinely enjoy video games again like when I was a kid.

I also noticed that a lot of people new to the franchise have picked it up this time around and are bumping their heads against it, which is great! Now I'll actually have people to talk to about Dragon's Dogma :')

I wanted to write a little primer and 'beginners tips' to help people learn how to approach the series. Here's some pointers:

Dragon's Dogma gets a lot of comparisons to Dark Souls. I wouldn't say it's because it's a hard game, but it does expect you to approach it on its own terms and won't make many concessions to you if you try to fight it.

DD is a management game masquerading as an open-world RPG. What it expects of you is to move slowly and take your time. It wants you to plan your journey, anticipate challenges, pace yourself, and prepare accordingly. You'll find much less friction if you keep this in mind.

'Fast Travel' as a concept is hard to come by in DD, and you will find yourself walking most places. The ability to instantly teleport yourself anywhere is limited to Ferrystones and Portcrystals, which are both in very limited supply. DD2 has Oxcarts from major settlements, but these are also imperfect by-design as they are time-dependent and prone to attacks, which may leave you stranded. Remember: DD is by and large about preparation and long journeys. Try shortening your routes by exploring for shortcuts, or treating every trip like an opportunity to explore a new area on the way.

DD LOVES rare and consumable items. Some of the best and most useful items in the game are often unique and can only be used once or in a limited capacity. This helps make the items feel more exclusive, while also encouraging you to be doubly sure of your intention before using them. If an item seems like it could be rare, it probably is.

Explore everywhere. In my opinion, DD's level design is unmatched in terms of open-world games. There are things hidden absolutely everywhere in every nook and cranny. If you comb every location you will constantly find new things, and it goes out of its way to ensure exploration is rewarded. I don't think any video game does open world exploration quite as good as DD does.

The quest design is cryptic (and often questionable) and likes to challenge you. The game will say 'find [x] item' and not tell you where it is. Sometimes pawn knowledge may help, but expect to find it through exploring the world and digging around hidden corners. While some quests let you know where to go, don't always expect it.

Some side quests are gated by story progression and will become locked off when advancing the story. Make sure you finish all your side quests before advancing the story!

Don't jump in and accept every quest you see, as some quests are timed and some quests require a lot of preparation. For example, in DD1 escort quests involved escorting someone across the whole world. Read a quest carefully and know the terms before accepting it.

Timed quests are a thing, and usually act as a way to keep you on your toes and force you to prove your ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Expect to receive timed quests at any given moment, and adapt accordingly. They can be stressful.

New Game + is a major part of the game in the DD franchise. Things will happen in the game that will block you out of content. You will fail quests, make choices that block future content, consume items you didn't mean to, etc. NG+ is where you get to experience these all again, so don't worry too much if you weren't able to do it the first time around.

Per above, I personally avoid Googling stuff about the game or quests before doing them. Usually there are things you are going to miss, and reading about them sometimes feels worse than just discovering them later does!

There are two types of saves: "Hard" saves which occur when sleeping at an inn, and "Soft" saves done manually or via auto-save. Sometimes it's prudent to rest at an Inn before attempting major quest beats in case something goes awry.

DD loves consequences for your actions, and while every NPC in the game can be killed it is rarely ever worth it. In DD1, killing an NPC means they're gone forever, which can lock you out of new quests or progression and rewards related to that character. In DD2 there are resources costs to resurrect someone, which mitigates it slightly but still makes it not worth it.

'Forgeries' are a very cool mechanic that allow you to pay an NPC to make a copy of an item. The copy usually just looks identical, but this often allows you to keep quest items for yourself and turn in the forgery to a quest NPC. As with anything else, sometimes this may have future consequences!

Without spoiling anything: DD loves to radically change the open world. Watch out!

The Vocation system is worth exploring. For a cheap fee you can try out every class and find what works best for you, so if you start as a Fighter and hate being a Fighter you're never locked into it.

Levelling a vocation allows you to unlock passive abilities called 'augments' that can carry over between classes, and can help build your favourite vocation further.

Some Vocations have mobility skills (Levitate and Double-Vault). If you like exploring everywhere these are absolutely essential because they let you reach places some classes cannot.

Combining materials makes new items. Experiment to find new recipes.

In DD1 combining items often makes them heavier. In DD2 combining items often makes them lighter.

Every character in the game has an 'affinity' towards you, that changes with how you treat them. This has implications.

Anyway I'm just glad people are finally playing and talking about the franchise. Hope you have fun! :)

[pb-n-j]

✨️ Jupiter in the Houses (1-6) ✨️ (Planet of Luck and expansion)

Jupiter. . .

In First House: Luck is natural and you're blessed with beauty or natural charm. People are attracted to you as you are very gravitational, but this aspect allows for gluttony and the possibility of gaining weight easier as Jupiter is of expansion. Life seems to open up opportunities for you and you need to learn how to work for them when they do.

In Second House: You may have a liking for expensive things, money is easy for you and isn't much of a stress and you're known to bounce back from financial downfall either ease. Promotions and larger monetary positions come easier to you than with others, but avoid cockiness in your bank account and impulsive spending.

In Third House: You could be a motivational speaker, you have luck in short travel and technology, you could be a good hacker or technician and you are blessed with a creative and 5-stsr intellect that let's you find your way out of any situation. You have a great memory and find it easy to open yourself up to different perspectives and ideas. Don't be afraid to try new things.

In Fourth House: You could have a large family either born into or you'll have one. Family is very important to you and you'll find that when you find yourself feeling at home is when you will be the luckiest. Stay-at-home jobs and taking care or those you love will be very fortunate for you. Working as a family worker as well or dealing with family issues will bring healing and fortune too. Don't sacrifice yourself so much for your family.

In Fifth House: You're very Creative and you find yourself the most fortunate when you express yourself unashamedly and through art. Taking any creative field or hobby will allow you to excell quickly and naturally at it, you could even gain some fame from your performance arts or other artistic pursuits. You also find yourself able to easily understand and fit in with unique people so you'll have a very interesting friend group. Don't be too critical of your work and embrace your passion and creative desires.

In Sixth House: You will find medical fields and other fields related to helping others to be very fortunate for you. You're good at helping other people, and if you aren't, working for others or doing acts of service for the community will bring good karma. People seem to notice you the most when you put yourself out there to help others, and you'll find that helping other people will make them return the favor and other fortunate opportunities will open up for you. Be kind and beware of isolation and apathy.

- Red <3

[bajistadiamond]

Could you please make a Yuu and the Magical Power of Songs - Halloween Special?

With Yuu singing Michael Jackson's Thriller

Yuu and the Magical Power of Songs

Yuu Singer, 🎶💎Ramshackle💎🎶 (Thriller) Halloween - Part 2

Yuu can say that the event was a success despite the MagiCam monsters…

After the closing parade, the white-haired boy was able to relax and have fun.

And of course, by Epel's idea, eat sweets like there was no tomorrow with Grim, Ace, Deuce, Jack and Sebek; Ortho also accompanied them thanks to a new function that allowed him to eat.

"Vil will kill you if he finds out." Yuu said to Epel. "Well, damn it." The one with lavender hair answered with a mouth full of Candy corn.

The timing was better for Yuu since some of his cousins ​​had managed to come to the event.

Although, Yuu won't deny that he wanted to sleep after a very busy week.

But, when Malleus talked to him about organizing a typical teenage party… the idea was too good to pass up.

And Grim wouldn't miss the opportunity to go to a place where food opened either.

Ok, Yuu will be the first to say that Malleus still needs to know more social rules.

Having the party in the Spectral Realm was a great idea, but…

Eternal Halloween, ghost kidnappings, possession and fights?

"Maybe we went too far with the mystery." Yuu said as everyone arrived at the Sparkling Hall. "Maybe?!". Everyone exclaimed except Malleus, Lilia, Yuu and Grim, in confusion, anger and exasperation.

Maybe, Yuu was also forgetting what it was like to go overboard on some things since he came to Twisted Wonderland.

But well, after the initial shock, everyone was able to enjoy the party.

There was no adult supervision, except for Lilia, but that didn't count when said fae pulled out bottles of alcohol and mixed them with the punch.

It didn't take long for the effervescence to go to everyone's heads…some faster than others.

"Trey-senpai, you are very handsome." Riddle exclaimed as he hugged Trey, who looked very pleased.

"Riddle is going to kill Cater if that gets to MagiCam." Deuce commented, pointing to Cater who was recording every moment with his unique magic and several cell phones.

Hours of joy passed and when fatigue began to set in, Lilia called Yuu to the stage for one last song.

"My throat will feel like sandpaper later, but what the hell… Hand me the microphone!" Yuu exclaimed to cheers and applause.

"Ready to dance to death?" The prefect of Ramshackle asked. "Hit it!" They all shouted excitedly.

Music that seemed like a mix of pop and rock with touches of funk and disco was present. The ghosts were excited because they believed that dark pop song had been lost in TW history.

It's close to midnight~

Yuu started simple, moving his arms to look like clock hands, up and down, to set the rhythm.

And something evil's lurking in the dark~

Under the moonlight~

Everyone started moving their chins back and forth while stomping their feet. Yuu crouched slightly and took a step back as if hiding.

You see a sight that almost stops your heart~

Yuu's hair began to shine like stars while his face turned like that of a zombie. With a wave of his hands, Yuu made Ruggie and Jamil float to the stage. They smiled at their lover before joining him in directing the choreography; they put their hands on his chest and moved his shoulders.

You try to scream~

Screams were heard in the distance as the colored lights dimmed, and everything began to turn gray like the rest of the Spectral Realm. Everyone put their hands to their mouths as if they were about to scream.

But terror takes the sound before you make it~

You start to freeze~

And then lean forward as if they were puppets hanging from strings. Yuu from the stage was in control like a puppeteer. Jamil's hair became wilder, his eyes glowing red and his false claws longer. As Ruggie's hair grew greasier and longer, his pirate clothes looked more worn and torn, and his makeup looked like circles under his eyes.

As horror looks you right between the eyes~

Ruggie and Jamil made a big jump to the center of the room, where everyone gave them space, and they started fighting. "Werewolf vs Pirate."

You're paralyzed~

Everyone except Ruggie and Jamil froze in a stiff posture and took a small step back. Under Yuu's orders, everyone snapped their fingers as they walked around the fight with an intense look.

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night~

Bucchi and Viper smiled sinisterly as they grabbed each other's shoulders and struggled for control. The others while they did the "zombie walk", with their arms extended forward, slightly bent and raising their knees as they walked in the rhythm.

And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike~

You know it's thriller, thriller night~

Ruggie made the gesture of stabbing Jamil with his saber while Jamil pretended to bite him by the neck. They pushed each other and after a backflip they looked at Yuu flirtatiously. "They're both going to drive me crazy." The white-haired one thought without missing a beat.

You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight, yeah~

The dorm leaders walked to the front of the rows and put their hands to their heads as if in despair. Then, the sub-leaders appeared spontaneously to scare their companions, who pretended to protect their faces.

Ooh, ooh~

Ruggie and Jamil kept their eyes on Yuu as they began to skip back to the stage with tense postures and arms hanging down.

You hear the door slam~

Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Ortho and Sebek acted as a wall and stopped Ruggie and Jamil; They shook their heads and made the gesture of closing a door, slamming doors down the halls of the palace. The Scarabia and Savanaclaw prefects pouted as the first years pushed them into the dance.

And realize there's nowhere left to run~

Everyone looked around quickly and then grabbed their hair as if they wanted to tear it out.

You feel the cold hand~

Ruggie and Jamil pretended to hang themselves while they trembled with terror on their faces.

And wonder if you'll ever see the sun~

You close your eyes~

Yuu raised his hands and the stained glass window shone as if dawn was breaking over the horizon. A second later, everyone lowered their hands while closing their eyes or hiding it behind their hair.

And hope that this is just imagination~

Everyone began to spin around and around as color flickered between the walls and the Gothic stained glass windows.

Girl, but all the while~

Many made a gesture of disdain. Not all of them were heterosexual.

You hear a creature creepin' up behind~

You're out of time~

Yuu headed to the stairs and came to where Malleus was playing the piano. Prince Draconia will deny until the last day of his life that Yuu managed to scare him to the point of playing the "wrong" note.

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night~

There ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes, girl~

Thriller, thriller night~

You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight~

They all leaned forward to move their necks and arms as if they were crazy. They took a step back and walked like zombies again and then put their hands to their heads as if they were desperate.

Night creatures call~

Ruggie and Jamil parkoured the walls so the first years wouldn't stop them from getting to Yuu. Everyone screamed and howled with excitement.

And the dead start to walk in their masquerade~

Those who had masks or veils took them off to give them to those who did not have them and they put them on.

There's no escaping the jaws of the alien this time~ (they're open wide)

Yuu stopped Ruggie and Jamil, who rolled their eyes. The others retreated in fear to the walls, and then returned to the dance floor walking like ghosts with their hands in front.

This is the end of your life, ooh~

They all pretended to cut their own necks and then pretended their heads were hanging lifelessly.

They're out to get you~

Yuu grabbed Jamil and Ruggie by the collar and lifted them up as his eyes glowed.

There's demons closin' in on every side~

They will possess you~

The hyena beast boy and the brunette bit their lips lustfully. Leona and Kalim looked at the trio and then looked at each other. "They are so obvious." They thought before smiling when they let themselves be possessed by ghosts.

Unless you change that number on your dial~

Everyone relaxed their arms and humped, raised their heads and made an expressionless face.

Now is the time~

For you and I to cuddle close together, yeah~

Each NRC couple grabbed their partner's hands, and smiled at each other as they kept moving their shoulders.

All through the night~

I'll save you from the terror on the screen~

I'll make you see~

That this is thriller, thriller night~

Ruggie put his hand on his chest and looked at his lover intensely; he grabbed him chin and made her look at him.

'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try~

Thriller, thriller night~

So let me hold you tight and share a killer, thriller~

Jamil, with a flash of jealousy, grabbed Yuu by the hand and made him spin around to look at each other. The hyena beast boy stepped in and hugged them by the shoulders. Yuu let go of control and unleashed everyone's madness.

Chiller, thriller here tonight~

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night~

Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try~

Thriller, thriller night~

So let me hold you tight and share a killer, thriller, ow~

The ghosts also enjoyed themselves like never before; Prince Malleus wasn't lying when he said the party would be spectacular.

I'm gonna thrill you tonight~

Darkness falls across the land~

The color began to periodically return to the place as the hands of the clocks began to go crazy.

The midnight hour is close at hand~

Creatures crawl in search of blood~

Fountains of red punch erupted like fountains of blood. Yuu, Ruggie and Jamil started to dance. "I feel complete." They thought in unison.

To terrorize y'all's neighborhood~ (I'm gonna thrill you tonight)

And whosoever shall be found~

Everyone splashed themselves with the puddles of punch. Floyd, Jade did a very scary "footloose" while Azul laughed at how ridiculous they looked.

Without the soul for getting down~

Must stand and face the hounds of hell~

Vil for once didn't say that his makeup was ruined because he was having so much fun. Rook shook his hair like a wild lion.

And rot inside a corpse's shell~

Meanwhile in the hall of mirrors… the teachers could only see the mirror shining in colors in confusion. Crowley was just doing drama and the teachers just wanted to get back to their little party...

I'm gonna thrill you tonight~

Thriller, ooh baby~ (thriller)

I'm gonna thrill you tonight~ (thriller night)

Thriller, all night, oh baby~

I'm gonna thrill you tonight~

Thriller, thriller night~ (oh baby)

I'm gonna thrill you tonight~

Thriller, all night~ (oh baby)

Thriller night, babe~ (thriller night, babe), ooh~

All the NRC students thought they had no energy when the parade ended, but the party gave them euphoria and for a second they forgot how crazy the disappearances in the night and "Eternal Halloween" were in the real world.

The foulest stench is in the air~

The funk of forty thousand years~

Everyone slowly raised their hands upwards while bowing their heads and lowering their gaze.

And grizzly ghouls from every tomb~

Are closing in to seal your doom~

Then they made slow "T-rex" movements, with their arms and hands as if they were looking for someone.

And though you fight to stay alive~

Your body starts to shiver~

For no mere mortal can resist~

The evil of the thriller~

And when the song ended everyone shook, turned around and then posed while looking at nothing.

"Hey, has anyone seen Grim?" Yuu asked out loud. Grim emerged from a pumpkin with a mouth full of tuna sandwiches. "I came to eat, not to dance." The tanuki said before returning to the pumpkin…

After returning to the real world and cheering as time resumed, everyone began to go to their bedrooms. Yuu who was with the first year boys looked at Jamil and Ruggie. "Guys I…" "Talk to them, we won't do much at the sleepover." Ace said while holding Orto, who suffered a low battery. Yuu caught up with Ruggie and then Jamil. "We need to talk." The white haired one said, the two looked at each other and then at him before nodding.

Happy Halloween~

[from-izzy]

that's him, that's just who he is | tbz kevin moon

» ​PAIRING: tbz kevin moon x gn! reader (proofread but lmk if i missed anything!)​ » TROPE/AU​: childhood friends 2 strangers, highschool and slight uni au!, non-idol au!, idol au! (just kevin towards the end) » GENRE​: once again...angst, fluff and comfort from the flashbacks, kevin being an extremely supportive friend, you're also an extremely supportive friend!, platonic 'i love you's being said, you both met at church, choir and ensemble singing!, you both are shy introverts that are only chaotic with each other » WORD COUNT: 4179 (2k word limit who?) » ESTIMATED READING TIME: ~15 mins » WARNINGS (lmk if i missed anything!): mentions of Christianity (not sure if it's a 'warning' but i felt like it should be mentioned!), swearing (b-word), mentions stress relating to: academic (high school), music and performing » PLAYLIST: you never know - HSMTMTS, you better know - red velvet, reflection - christina aguilera, steal the show - lauv, try everything - shakira navi/masterlist!! 🤍 series introduction 🤍 series masterlist

my second story for my project! this may be my favourite story ever ❤️‍🩹

ahhhh this got so personal so quickly ���� performing has always been for leisure for me, and for the same reasons in this story, i got so burnt out last year. writing this really made me realise how much i miss the stage. going from about 7 performances a year to only about 1 is to put it simply, heartbreaking.

but i learnt that there are opportunities. i learnt that i'm satisfied with just getting my voice out to the world whether it be through choir, the internet or on the streets. i think things will work out; time does help sometimes 🫶

for those who may not know, kevin's representative number is 16 🌙 and the meaning of this number is explained in this video! i did some research and found that it's from 1 Peter 5:6.

to my readers who are followers of God: I pray that you will always be filled with hope and joy as you advance in your daily endeavours. Believe that God has the best plans for you and that He will never leave you behind, especially when you are at your lowest. Confide in Him and love Him as much as He loves you.

“Can I sing this part with Kevin?”

The question is new to everyone who heard it. Did you just ask to do a supposed solo with someone else? No, you were not a greedy performer though you understood why most people would think that. The choir conductor looks to the other side of the ensemble where the group of altos stood. Including the older woman, all the children including the said boy stood there surprised at the request you asked for.

You’ve been singing in the church youth choir since you were ten and you were incredibly gifted. For example, you landed most of the solos and smaller ensemble parts whenever there was a chance. At first, you didn’t want to be in this church because you were shy (incredibly shy) and you never made a lot of friends in school and most definitely, outside of school. Needless to say, your parents were pretty worried but at the very least, they found that when you were asked to go to church events, you were able to talk with people, smile, and laugh but then you would go back into your shell.

Your parents met at this church through singing and performing together as part of the choir and the band. The children were around your age but you found that your interests mainly conflicted with them and it was hard to keep up with their conversations.

So, when a certain Moon family moved into your area and started attending their local church, Kevin, who happens to be a boy who is incredibly gifted in music, joined the choir with that unique, radiant, excited smile on his face. With a simple and friendly “Hello everyone. My name is Kevin, I’m fifteen and am very excited to be here!” Contrasting to his introduction, you found that Kevin was just as introverted as you were and with your courage to finally approach someone, you made your first friend. School life became better as well when you found out that Kevin attended the same school as you.

Going back to the first dialogue though, the duet did happen and the church community knew that you both were the perfect musical partners for each other. Your softer soprano voice complimented Kevin’s deeper alto voice easily. You both found yourself auditioning, performing, and showcasing your team work together in a bunch of school, church, and even the larger community-based musical events. 

Now, after eight years of joining the choir, three after meeting Kevin, you were both in a state of uncertainty, distress, and frustration with the piles of sheet music that scattered everywhere to the point where it was almost covering the surface of your room’s floor. Your hair strands were everywhere and you were sick with the school uniform that you’ve had on since seven in the morning. You both have been secluding yourselves in your room, going back and forth with the arrangement of your final high school piece that you are going to perform with Kevin within less than a week.

The current situation in one word: messy. 

It’s all a mess. About a week ago out of nowhere, your voice decided to have its own mind and leave for about a week. Kevin had a sudden test that his teacher thought would be fun to assign at the last minute. You also had this assignment that you were going to do but you found a mistake in the written arrangement, a note that was about a tone and a half out of your range, and since Kevin was better at rhythm, arrangement, and using the composing software, you could only sit next to his left in the corner of your room as he groaned at how the app was not doing what you both wanted to do.

So yes…it’s a mess, and it’s been around three hours.

“This is impossible.” A few more of your tears manage to trickle down your already red, puffy cheeks, “Okay you know what, I’ll just sing it. It’s fine. It’s not even two tones above what I usually sing in AND I’ve done it befo—”

“Lost your voice and felt lightheaded after.” Kevin cuts off your panicked rambles. No doubt, he’s feeling all the things that you are feeling right now but the only reason why he’s still able to muster up a smile and just ‘inhale, exhale’ through it all is because at the very least, one of you should be able to stay grounded, “We’re not going to put out a performance that we’re not proud of, okay? Especially when this is our last high school performance together.”

“We also said that we wouldn’t do any performances that were out of our capabilities.” At these words, you were both reminded of the promise you made to each other in front of your melted ice creams. It was an ‘oath’ that was made when you both realised you would be standing on the same stage, at the same time more often:

We will finish every performance to the best of our capabilities. We will focus more on quality rather than quantity.

At the new educational path that you were about to embark on, automatically closing this one that you’ve been on for just about six years, you were both starting to get greedy, wanting more than anything now to be on stage. With you both turning eighteen, you both couldn’t sing with the youth choir anymore. Taking music as a subject in high school meant there was a certain prerequisite in terms of how many stages you would have to perform; you and Kevin always exceeded this regardless with solos, duets, or larger ensembles. With graduation, however, the granted opportunity to perform would be taken away from you both and you were getting restless.

You were both greedy, forgetting almost all the other priorities that you had set out, and raked the internet for any chances to perform on stage. For the last two months, both of you have been juggling between your heavy study load, auditioning, composing, arranging, practising, and bowing at the end of it all. To the untrained ear, they could have probably missed the way you were momentarily out of tune or the way that Kevin missed his entry due to his fatigue. The greed consumed you both and most of the stages that you performed were nowhere near satisfactory for any standards that you both set for yourself. After the first performance that you were bashing yourself over, you rationalised that you would need to do another one to make up for the ‘loss’ from the previous one. That you NEED to go to another stage to make up for the ‘loss’ from the previous one.

That cycle is deadly and it keeps going for a while.

“Kev…I’m tired.” It feels like after a whole three years of back-to-back, almost seemingly non-stop performances in addition to the sudden addition from the past two months, you have finally hit a wall that you never wanted to admit. Kevin didn’t need verbal words to know the reason behind the lack of enthusiasm and the way the lyrics sing are no longer as projected and emotionful as before; because it was the same way to him.

“I know…” Kevin sighs. He finally relieves the downward strain on his neck, pulling it back up to rest against the wall. Offering you both comfort, he wraps his arm around the back of your shoulder, his palm pulling your left forearm to get you closer to him, “I’m sorry, I can’t get this right.”

“No, don’t say that.” You finally give in, plopping your head on his left shoulder in defeat, “I’m sorry. You’re doing your best.”

You let most of the silence fill you both, the hints of the trackpad clicking and the way the note that Kevin clicked would play out of his laptop’s speaker to audibly confirm the note that he just readjusted on the musical lines. Kevin’s left hand is maneuvering on the trackpad while his hand pats on your head that rested on his left shoulder, humming comfortingly while you calm your racing thoughts.

“But hey.” Kevin finally speaks up, “I just wanted to say that I like how busy this is making me.” Nodding to his own words, “It makes me forget the other subjects for a while.”

You exhale, knowing how much Kevin has been having a hard time with the other core subjects but still wakes up every day and chooses to smile courageously, “But this isn’t the right way. To forget other things, I mean.”

“I know, I know.” The boy lets out a little ‘aha’ when he finally finds the rhythm that you both wanted, playing the bar again and again, tapping his index finger on his thigh as he follows the 4/4 count, “But hey, thanks for accepting this performance even with all the final year-end exams. Or else I would REALLY be overthinking that recent chemistry test.”

“Love you, bro.” Reminding him thoughtfully to calm the noise in his head, “I’m always here for you.”

“Love you too, sis.” Playfully, he makes a fist and gently taps your forehead with his knuckles, emitting a laugh from you, “Just take a rest, okay? I’ll just,” Kevin adjusts his slouching posture, straightening his back fully against the wall so that his shoulders are higher and more comfortable for you to lay on, “be on another war with this app. You would expect I know all the tricks after using it for a year but guess not.”

So yes, it was a bit of a mess but on the bright side, you are both extremely proud of that final stage together as high school students. It earned a huge round of applause from the audience and many thankful regards were given by all the teachers in the department of music. It was a bittersweet feeling to see the head of music cry at the realisation that he would never see his two best students attend his class anymore but he made you both promise to visit once in a while.

But the performance being an open event, neither of you realised the opportunities or the types of people that would attend the concert. And so here you both are in an educational setting but with casual clothing unlike the blazer, tie, and the one hundred percent cotton blouses that you were forced to wear.

“Gosh Kev, you’re so funny!” Kevin smiles nervously, biting on his bottom lip as he refuses to look at you at all. You continued to laugh a little bit more, the tears in your eyes and the stitch on your abdomen growing with each breath you took. It’s when Kevin doesn’t laugh along or show any indications of joining in that you raise your eyebrows, some sort of nervousness in your eyes, “Wait, you’re being serious?!”

“It’s crazy, I know!” You just stare at him in shock, your mouth hanging wide open at your best friend next to you, “I think I’ll take the chance and university can wait. People can apply to university anytime but this?” He is finally telling you his worries and thoughts that have been running endlessly after two months of keeping it in, “It’s kind of time crucial.”

"Yes,” You understood his worries, knowing that the life of being a celebrity or an idol is quite limited. It has never been said explicitly but at least for Korean companies, there is a reason why there is always a certain age limitation when auditioning, “I get that but Kevin, are you sure? I get that you've always been into music and you've always been good at it! Trust me, I know! But you've always wanted to be here as well! You never really wanted to be a musical artist."

"That's why life is crazy right?"

You just finished your last class of the day and surprisingly Kevin shows up, waiting for you, looking conflicted and stressed about a subject that you obviously did not know about. His tired smile told you everything, you being able to read him easily like an open book. Kevin realises this, his shoulder slumping in defeat with how you look at him in concern and he feels your hesitation to keep the conversation going.

“Your ‘passive-aggressive tiger parents’ are good with it?”

“Well,” Reminded of the day that Stella convinced their parents to let him go with his path and to support his desires, “I guess so? They let me do everything and introduced me to music so it ain't my fault!" He finally turns to you for the first time after the laughing fit, "You’ll support me right?"

"Of course I will!" You confirm incredulously, both your eyebrows raising and the volume of the sentence rising with each word, “Damn we only met a bit over three years ago but it really does feel like we’ve been friends since birth.”

Kevin shrugs, happy with your genuine response to his uncertainties, “I’m just cool in that way.”

A roll of your eyes is your only response to him, “So, when’s the last time that I’ll see your ‘slay’ful face?”

He grimaces at the way you worded the adjective, “Ew, what is that word?” But then the truth had to be dropped someday; that being right now, “Y-Yeah about that.”

“Kevin Moon.” You frown at the way he just whistles to avoid the subject, an obvious action to buy time, “Kevin.”

"Not too soon! Like…like five days…"

Comedically, the crows on the campus made their signature noise and you took in the information slowly.

"WHAT THE BLEEP DUDE?!"

"OKAY IN MY DEFENCE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! YOU KNOW HOW INDECISIVE I AM!"

"OKAY BUT YOU NEVER BOTHERED TO TELL ME?!"

"I'M SORRY!"

Smiling at the obvious decrease in the stack of papers that needed to be marked, you decide to stretch your limbs and take a breath of fresh air before your energetic third graders arrive at school. You really left it to the last minute and you can’t wait to finish the last day of the week so that you can chill until another week starts. The weather was strangely gloomy, possibly due to the rainfall and the colder wind. You kind of regretted coming out, especially since the steam from your coffee no longer had that hypnotising white swirl in the air.

But you didn’t leave.

Instead, you even lean over the balcony’s metal railing. Even with the long sleeve covering your elbows, you enjoyed the contrast between your still-healthy body temperature and the icy surface. You weren’t sure why either but you just wanted to bask in the cold air and you can only pray that you weren’t going to get sick. The weather causes your shoulders to tense, bringing them towards the centre of your body to try and conserve some heat. It didn’t work that well but you were still feeling some sort of comfort with the morning weather. 

You didn’t realise the time that passed by faster when you were practically doing nothing. The driveway, parking lots, and walkways eventually fill themselves with the diverse colours of school bags, shoes, and hair accessories. Mentally preparing yourself for the day ahead, you prepared your ‘teacher smile’, trying your best to hide your fatigue from the seemingly long week. 

"Teacher, teacher!" 

You finally lean away from the railing, giving a slight nod to the parent of your most energetic student, and the gesture is returned straight away. Crouching down to match his eye level, you put your palm out to him and he slaps his palm on yours, "Wow. Looks like someone had too much sugar."

"Teacher! Do you know K-Pop?" Your body froze just like the raindrops that didn’t make it to the floor, hanging solid on the rooftop’s overhang, "It's a huge thing right now!"

Oh, if only he knew…

"I can hear your rumbling thoughts like an open book." After his flustered state and a string of apologies that led you to put him in a joking headlock, Kevin grew quiet once again, letting his thoughts fill in the atmosphere between you both, "What's up? And don't lie because you know you suck at it."

The boy attempts to change the subject again, "If it's a book then wouldn't it be read instead of heard?"

"...ok smartass." You stare at him unimpressed with his attempt, "But no seriously, what's up? You know that it's okay not to be okay."

"It's just that…" He ponders, a sad smile on his face as he thinks about his current life situation, "My life is fine as it is right now. It's all great: I'm going to a good university, studying the course I want and I'm looking forward to being a teacher." An eyebrow slowly raised on your side, prompting him to continue, "Why is this happening now? Why is this happening when everything is going fine?" Kevin's facade finally breaks, his eyes pooling with tears with the many unanswered questions, "Why didn't this opportunity come earlier? Maybe when I wasn't in university? I can't even get a refund now…"

"Hey…" Kevin rarely cries in public. For one, you've only seen him cry twice and both times were because he dived in too deep with his plans, making him depressed and lost. You realised once again, with the tears that fell on his jeans that Kevin is not the happy-go-lucky guy who he displays himself to be most of the time. He's human above everything else and even though he always tries to see the best in every situation, it's moments like these that you see your best friend in a different light than the rest of the world, "Money is not all to life, you know? What's the point of stacking up money when you can't even do what you want?"

"But then why would people be so money-crazed then? People work for money…"

"To use it on what they love and need. Some people don't even feel like work is for money." Even though Kevin just stares down at the floor, swinging his legs in the air, you know that he's taking in everything you're saying, "But that's beside the point right now, okay? If making the stage your usual routine will lead you to happiness, then I want you to take it." 

"But…why?" The clause can never be fully answered and Kevin knew that despite his multiple endeavours to rake for answers, "Why me? When everything is going well?"

"Because God has different plans for you." Inhaling the colder air, you told yourself to remember this moment between you and him, "I'm not saying you're pretending to be someone you're not. But the moment that you stop pretending, the moment you accept that something out there is better for you, I think will be the moment when you finally accept yourself."

"Are you positive that it'll come?" His voice decreased, along with the final bits of his self-confidence, "The journey of self-acceptance, I mean."

You both have been talking in hushed whispers, as gentle as the whistling wind. But you decide to finally add confidence into the conversation.

"Hey Kevin." The said boy looks up to you, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand…"

"...that he may lift you in due time." He finishes the biblical passage that he has been fascinated with for the longest time. 

Satisfied, you nod, proud of him, "I can't answer your 'whys', Kevin. To be honest, I don’t think anyone can." You finally voice your opinion, knowing now that your time with him is limited, "But just know that even though you would have strived here in university, one of God's greatest gifts for you is your musicality."

Your words relieve Kevin of his headache, heartache, and the shirt that he has been clamping since the start of the day. You chuckle when Kevin asks for a hug, opening your arms wide to offer him the best comfort that he will forever cherish and be thankful for. Soothingly, you sway your body side to side, humming the melody to the latest (and last) song that you performed together. Kevin joins in with his harmony which has always left people in awe and starstruck.

"Maybe you're just meant to be up there and twerk in front of the camera and not just to our friends." You comment when the song comes to an end.

"Wow, alright." His sniffles didn't cease even when he dragged the final 'w' and 't'.

"You'll be okay, Kevin." The light but secure taps on his back prove your reassuring words, "I know you will." 

"Surely…right?" It's the final question that he would ever ask you about this subject, "As we know, not everything we see on the screen is real. I just feel like I'll lose myself because the idol world wants us to be a certain way."

"No, I don't think you will." You pull Kevin away, pouting at his flushed cheeks and tired face, "I know it's stressful to keep up with society but I hope you know that there will be people that will love and support you. And if you make a mistake? If you lose yourself in shape, way, or form? Then you fight. You fight for your rights and fight for them righteously. You’ll fight because like you always say: learn from relationships. You learn the do's and not do's and still keep the relationship genuine."

“You have that much faith in me?”

“I do.” You tilt your chin high in the air, confidence finally reaching him in the form of a bright smile, "And for those who don’t,” You shake your head, flipping your hair back sassily, “those bitches can walk out the door."

You remember the memory somewhat fondly. To be honest, you found it a bit funny because you lost your best friend over music. You would learn after his departure that you would never find a friend like him ever again. Ironically, it was music that brought you two together—yet it was the same thing that drifted you both apart. 

It took a while for you to bounce back. You grew bitter about doing music especially when Kevin no longer answered any of your messages anymore out of nowhere. When you bumped into Stella while grocery shopping, you found out that it was because of his phone ban as a trainee. You remember going home that day, feeling guilty that you blamed him, not considering his external situation; especially when you knew that Kevin would never cut someone off without an explanation. Yes, it’s been lonely; you did lose your best friend after all. At first, you regretted letting him go, you resented him for not texting you back and you avoided the stage because it reminded you of him.

But God had a different plan for you too. Because when you accidentally clicked on one of the recommended videos on your page, the satisfied smile, the happy tears and the relieved exhale showed your real feelings that you were merely in a phase of confusion. All the hate, all the resentment, all faded as soon as you heard the slightly changed vocal timbre that you unfortunately are no longer used to. You found peace with the person who dances happily underneath the flashing, colourful lights with ten other boys.

“Teacher?” The boy’s innocent head tilt pulls you back to the present time and he seems pleased with the way you nod to his question, “I like K-Pop too! I found this group! They’re called THE BOYZ!”

You were amazed at the stars that the topic put to your student’s eyes and you nodded intently to his excited story. It’s not long after when the mother pushes her child in, sitting him down so that you can get on with your priorities. You straighten your knees, standing back up, pushing your hips out side to side to stretch from the unexpectedly long conversation.

“Damn, Kev…” Your shoulders and chest rise at the deep breath and your hands find their place on your hips,  “And after all these years…you’re still able to make me smile?”

The starting bell rang just in time for your last student to arrive just before you closed the glass door to block out the outside background noise. With the final student ready and set up, you stand in front of the electronic board that displays the first class of the day. Your mind begins to wonder again, particularly about the boy that you once shared a dream with. Routinely, you rhythmically clap to grab everyone’s attention, and surely enough, the conversations between the students die down, and you give back the fond look that your students gave you. 

“Shall we start music class?”

The enthusiastic response answers your wondering thoughts and the question you asked yourself outside the classroom.

“Guess that’s just you, Kevin. That’s just who you are, Kev.”

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 series introduction 🤍 series masterlist tags (send a dm/ask if you would like to be here!): @deoboyznet 📢❤️ @k-labels 💙🤍 @k-films 🤎🎞️ @kflixnet 📺🍿

[sharpth1ng]

how did you learn to write that well? is there any way i can get better at it?

I mean I think I have a lot of room for improvement still, but any skill I have I attribute to practice. Ive been preoccupied with story-making since I was a fairly young kid, and I can assure you that the first peice of fanfiction I ever wrote was not particularly good. I look back on stuff I wrote even a few years ago and I see so many flaws, so really I think so much of this hinges on putting the hours in.

That's my first peice of advice: write as much as you can. I write almost whenever i have a chance or an idea, any idle moment is an opportunity to take out my phone and add a line. Also, think about writing as much as you can. When I'm walking to work or doing the dishes I'm thinking about plot, next lines, working out ideas. When you have an idea you like, write it down. You don't have to write it well, just get the idea down so you'll remember it later.

My second peice of advice is to read a lot. Not just fanfiction- theres some great fanfic out there but theres also a lot of really common tropes, and I think its easy to get stuck in those if it's all you're reading. If anything whats most important is to read a lot of different kinds of stuff.

I think one of the bigger influences on my writing is Chuck Palahniuk, who focuses on some of the world's most unreliable narrators. His characters have these fascinating and often very troubling understandings of the world and of morality. But also he's really good at writing things indirectly, which is something I really try to bring to my own work. The character may not be able to explain their emotions or motivations explicitly, but I try to write the broader narrative so that you can figure out whats actually going on if you dig in.

To me, thats the most satisfying kind of narrative- don't give the audience everything laid out clearly. Make them work for it a little. It's more satisfying and it feels more like real life.

Beyond narrative fiction, read poetry, and write poetry. I mean this so earnestly. I think that reading and writing poetry can really help you break out of descriptive tropes, so you find new and unique ways of describing things. I think poetry can also get you comfortable using symbolism, which I think can also be really helpful in terms of beefing up your writing. Some of my favourites right now are Richard Siken and Billy Ray Belcourt.

Theres probably more I could come up with to say but really thats the big stuff. Feed your brain and practice! And don't judge yourself too much. If you don't like what you wrote don't delete it. Come back to it later with your editing hat on or recycle it for parts.

I have a couple other posts with writing advice as well so check those out if you'd like more tips:

[blackstarchanx3new]

I LOVE YOUR RED DESIGN SO MUCH

He is SO OOOUUUUUUUUUHHHHGGGGG

all your designs for the fsr cast are so so so tasty i love them all ooouwwwaahhhwhwhhwhwhwaahaewawawaaa

Thanks! XD

There's no competition, I love the new one SO MUCH.

Trying to make them all look different while still having that Link flare is a challenge but fun.

His pink hair is such an improvement over the bright red that blended WAAAY to much into his hat.

Trying to draw his eyes more similar to how Akira does as well.

I made him slightly paler and Blue slightly less pale to give them some skin variation.

Red's hair and skin were blending too much imo before I made him paler. Working with various shades of red and pinks is so hard agh.

Gave him a more cherry red tunic too + a red for his belt and hat rim.

I'm taking this as an opportunity to talk about things I love about drawing/designing them.

Blue's super long side burns are a favorite design choice tho. XDDDD

Blue also has a more unique nose shape being inspired by the noses in Soul Eater.

Him having no tights I think shows his wreck-less nature. XD

Thicc eyebrows are visually tasty and don't let anyone say otherwise-

Vio's face + hair is a favorite of mine. He has such a draw-able face.

Him wearing twilight princess Link's outfit is very fitting for him I think.

Him always having his sword visible is annoying to draw but also shows he perpetually has it there is kinda off-putting.

It's also SUCH a stark contrast when in the head space he has no armor and is in way less clothes. I wouldn't call them "revealing" because they're not, but they are compared to his 100% head to toe covered look in the real world. No armor, no long sleeve shirt no long tights. Just a baggy t shirt and shorts lol.

His tunic having a chainmail layer underneath is fun, Vio is the most armored up Link out of the four atm with his arm guards PLUS chainmail.

Vaati is literally color-picked from minish cap and his design is taken right from that too, but playing around with him reverting back to Wind demon mode is super fun art wise.

His colored Akira art is so desaturated agh. XD

I'd love to give Vaati a new outfit at some point tho.

Dark's blank slate design is a favorite of mine. He's so dang cute but I'm very excited to draw him in new things when he gets a new outfit. I think atm tho it draws attention to his creepy chest eyeball, changing hair and his expressions more since his outfit IS so bland.

I just love Link. He is so precious to me. Trying to work in all the colors from the four of them was a challenge but also really satisfying in the final design I think.

I just love how Green is tiered and his hair is similar to Link's but with a cap on. Also he makes me like the color green I typically don't like working with green. XDDDD

His hair is a MESS and inspired by Oracle of ages manga Link's hair. Specifically how it tilts down instead of sticking upward like in FS.

Him wearing Ocarina of Time Link's outfit is fun but I think it works better on Shadow. XDDDD

I'm really happy people liked Gannondorf because I struggled hah. My art style is more simple than Akira's but I'm glad I could capture the essence of Gannondorf. UwU

Like, he was mostly inspired by Twilight Princess Gannon with Wind Waker and Ocarina Gannon flare.

Ngl I love how OOT Link's outfit looks on Shadow Link. He looks so edgy.

The hot topic boots and different toned brown for his chest belt and actual belt are just the cherry on top. XD

I try to keep his hair in line with how it's drawn in FS because it gives him a unique silhouette when he's a shadow.

Though I'd love to design him more Gannondorf inspired attire like his desert cloak.

His TP manga Midna inspired look was mostly due to me wanting to find a way to show his expressions while ALSO showing he is an entirely black shadow.

Anyways yeah, FSR is very fun to work on visually XD

[rayssyscourse]

I sent this ask to someone else but I'd like to ask more systems - may I ask what your opinion is on subjective reality within systems? Systems that don't have consistency in the headspace, or a consistent timeline, consistent memories...that sort of thing. I'm struggling a bit with that now and it's really freaking me out :( so I'd love to hear your take, if you'd be willing!

i love this topic!! before I start yapping I'll add the disclaimer that I'm gonna try not to get all science-y on you, but I am That Guy who reads about quantum physics for fun (dear god I need hobbies) so somebody feel free to poke me if this gets rambley, lol.

so, the first things I want to make clear are as follows: a) subjective reality is not necessarily less real than objective reality, and b) it's not specific to systems/plurals, although it can be more influential to us than to singlets.

subjective reality is super important to everyone, plural or not. without it, we would have no opinions, we wouldn't be able to observe the world as a narrative, and we would basically just be vessels for regurgitating information about what we see. since our subjective perceptions and assumptions about reality are what make up the way we see the world and interact with it, they are as real to us as objective reality is, the only difference being that they are specific/unique to us.

with systems, for the most part each headmate is capable of observing their own subjective reality. in the same way you and I might see the same flower and form different opinions about it, it's basically the same thing within systems, with the exception of the fact that systems are sharing a brain. I think what you might be talking about is the cognitive dissonance that can happen when your brain is perceiving multiple different versions of subjective reality at once. if you and another headmate are perceiving two conflicting things simultaneously, it can create a cognitive dissonance thing where your brain doesn't know how to handle two conflicting perceptions, and can make stuff like brain fog, derealization, and just general confusion way worse.

it's not the exact same thing, but I think it's similar to people who suffer from delusions or hallucinations, where their brain is perceiving/trying to perceive something new or different that does not line up with the person's non-delusional interpretation of reality. again, not the exact same thing, but my amateur theory is that it might be a similar conflict.

also, since things like memories and headspace are primarily mental constructs, they're more susceptible to cognitive errors. it's possible for our brains to actually alter our memories unconsciously if the altered version makes more sense for our narrative of reality, so it only makes sense for that to potentially be especially prominent within systems, where there is more opportunities for conflicting perceptions to come up.

if we want to get technical, it's entirely possible (and common) for things to exist in multiple conflicting states simultaneously, but our brains REALLY don't like that and that's where we enter the field of quantum physics, so I'm gonna cut myself off here, lol. (if you're interested I can point you to some fascinating articles, but that's physics not psychology lmao).

aaaanyways, hope this helps or was at least interesting to read!! the most important thing to remember is that just because you and a headmate have conflicting perceptions doesn't necessarily mean one is right and one is wrong; also remember that the brain can be wrong about things and it's okay to be confused and need some time/space to work things out. even singlets can get confused about this stuff too, it's just part of being fallible sentient humans in a very strange world!

thanks for the ask, and have a lovely day!!! <3

[polybiusplayer]

i am once again thinking about ninejuice (for the first time in a whole month wow)

thats all! have a nice rest of your day

ME TOO OML!!

Oh boy I’m gonna take this opportunity to rant about them.

Nine Juice rant below, read at your own risk.

I’m thinking about them so often…. ITS LIKE!!! I can totally understand people seeing them as only platonic!! And I’ve always actually felt kinda nervous to ship them for some reason… the 17776 enjoyers haven’t been much to do shipping, especially since romance is not really the point of the story, at all. but I just really believe they have a bond that just, is a lot.

There is a level of understanding and compassion that Juice shows to Nine in his own ways, he knows exactly how to help Nine cope after the intermission, he knows what they’re thinking when their communications fuck up. (Nine was indeed cussing him out, they said “fuck you.”) He is teasing as always, but not hesitant to reassure them afterwards.

Nine is very observant. They make note of Juices usage of grammar, how he capitalizes thing that are important to him. I can’t remember exactly which chapter that’s in, but I’m like 100% sure Nine pointed this out. Obviously, Nines name is almost always capitalized . This is a notable exception

Has he EVER used this many exclamation points?!

I also love the way the infodump to each other. Ten by this point has heard Juices rants a billion times before, she loves him, but is sick of them! Of course he sees no problem in that. But then suddenly there’s a new listener who is intensely eager and interested in what he has to say! It feels special, because Nine never seems to get bored of it. They love to hear him talk, about anything really, but especially what he’s passionate about. -

Which is mostly football. Football is how he processes the world. With sports and all the things that come with it he was able to come to terms with reality. He looks at it through such a unique lense in order to make sense of it all. Even his own football game is not just insane rules strung together all willy nilly, it’s truly a work of art with a deeper meaning. It’s like he’s painting with the fields, you know?

Nine understands this, and if they don’t, they WANT to. In my mind, Juices voice and rambles about lunchables or whatever start off confusing to them, but once they understand where it comes from and why and what Juice is trying to attempt with all this, they understand a lot.

Nine copes with history, they look into the past for comfort and familiarity. they feel so intensely behind, at first it started as a way to catch up and feel up to date with their friends, but then they discovered that the history of this world was just sort of a safe space for them. Juice loves to hear Nine talk about stuff even he never knew about. Nine is quite the researcher, and is always able to pull up SOMETHING. He is too, but not to this level. They share facts and information back and forth, intently listening to each other and trying to understand. Always.

Juice knows what Nines going through, it’s quite obvious with what he says here.

They ground each other in this reality, they give each other a person to talk about football with. Someone to try and not think about things too hard with. And then when things DO get hard? And the thoughts are too much? They’ll always be there for each other to help.

An underrated aspect about Juices character is how intelligent he is. SURE, he spends a lot of time joking around, that’s just his thing!!! But he is by no means stupid, he’s a little silly, but so so much more than that. He also cares, a lot! He is lonely, he loves his friends so dearly although he doesn’t express it nearly as much as Nine.

Nine is also a lot more than their troubles. A lot of their arc has to do with coming to terms with the state of existence, but they’re also incredibly compassionate and loving. SO SO loving. They’re blindly trusting, showing no hesitation with their love for everyone. They’re observant, and also a bit of a jokerster! They got that from Juice.

I don’t know where I’m going with this, I just really like the two of them, I love their dynamic. I feel like if they could, they would hug for a real long time. Unfortunately they’re way too far apart and made of nuts and bolts. But they still love each other, nothing changes that, not in a billion years

[didasgomas]

Medea - A shadow came see me

"I do not usually provide services at night, but I suppose you could be an unique exception." (...) "So, what exactly brings you here?" (...) "... Of course, everyone wants to know if they're headed the path they want in life. But will you do with your present? Have you learned anything from the past?" "..." "I suppose I'm about to find out."

*She sits in front of her table, shuffling around the cards, allowing him time to take the rest of the tent in

*Finally, she sets them on the table in a near flawless line

"Pick nine cards. Take your time for this, but try not to overthink it."

*As he pulls out one card after the other, she places them in order away from the others

*He accidentally picks two instead of just one, but she reassures him

"Do not worry. Let the cards do as they please."

*At last, 10 cards are now facing down in order. She starts to slowly turn them so they face up

"Three cards for your past."

"Four cards for your present."

"And three cards for your future."

*She makes a small pause to analyze

"Hmm.... Two reversed cards-"

"-and two cards of Swords."

"Very big events one after the other, with little space for smaller attributes. You are clearly very ambitious. But let's see if ambition is a virtue or a sin in your case"

*She goes on to point at every card as he explanation starts

"I see you can be unpredictable when you want to be, and that taking chances is normal in your life. Perhaps you've always felt you had a destined future, a fate you wouldn't have had in your old life, whatever it might have been."

"So you left, parting away from everyone you used to know. Perhaps you learned along the way, or you learned of something great that you chose to try to sate your desires."

"And by following your aspiration, your old self died. You were reborn as the person you are today, but whether or not that is a good thing is up to you."

"I can imagine you enjoy your new self, but that others don't as much. You exploit the fears and insecurities of others. Your mind works differently from everyone else, so whether you already did or are currently facing a hard situation, you hide your real feelings so you won't be discovered that easily."

"You are holding hope onto someone, that you are sure will come to see things the way you do. Perhaps they are what will guarantee your future, but there's always a chance that they won't."

"You have made or are thinking of making some kind of attempted contact with this person, but the ways you do things could result wrong. You may be feeling betrayed, or that your previous attempt was a failure, but maybe it's time to stop, before you make a truly unwise move that will ruin everything for you."

"Maybe you feel guilty about the failures of your previous attempts, but you are stubborn, so you will keep on trying. This could turn into obsession, if it isn't one already, so maybe it's time to unwind and free yourself from these desires, before it's too late."

"Maybe you will finally accept that it's a fruitless effort, and move on to new things in your life, but it won't be a smooth path. With new opportunities come new challenges, and it'll be up to you if you truly want to change or not."

"But swallowing your pride will not be easy for you. Your mood will be the most affected in a negative sense, you may lose the trust of those close to you and friends might end up leaving. You might be able to overcome this, but there's also chances that you won't."

"You will need to careful if you want to avoid this one. If you do not change from your current behaviors, only destruction awaits you-"

*She doesn't get to finish as he lunges at her

Monsters in Mayweather belongs to @moonlightsmasquerade

[blueboyluca]

hi, i'm coming to you with a question, if that's alright. do you have any tips on reading a dogs body language? i'm trying new enrichment ideas, but i feel like it's hard to know whether my dog likes them or not. (i just dont force her to do things so if she really disliked something i guess she could.. walk away? idk) i'm a complete begginer at taking care of dogs more than "feed, cuddle, let out into the yard so they can poop and run around" so this is super new for me and even the most obvious things will probably help. i want to make sure she's having a lot of fun and her having a fun time is my priority:) (she's a half foxterrier half mutt if that helps!) thank you so much and hope you and all your companions have a wonderful day!!<3

Hello! I find it very flattering that you've come to me for advice, but I want to preface that I am not a professional or an expert in any way!

However, I think I can guide you to some great resources.

The first part of your question about dog body language – I highly recommend three books. The first is probably the most accessible, Doggie Language by Lili Chin. It's very beginner friendly! It has lots of cute illustrations and is a very easy read. The second is On Talking Terms with Dogs by Turid Rugaas, which is also an easy read but takes a little more effort to think about while you are reading. The last is Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff, which is great for if you want to really deep dive with lots and lots of photos to analyse.

Learning dog body language is always beneficial! But what you are also asking about is, how to tell if enrichment is working. I think one of the biggest misunderstandings people have about enrichment is that it's just about providing activities for pets. That's not actually the case. Enrichment is about meeting an animal's needs by providing opportunities for them to carry out species-typical behaviour. What you are looking for is the areas where you can provide for your animal's needs, and then you observe if there were positive effects on the animal's overall behaviour. "Positive effects" is very broad, but some common examples would be that your animal has a wide and varied repertoire of behaviour, that it is able to rest regularly, and that it engages with its environment with minimal fear or anxiety.

If you feel a bit lost and overwhelmed, I love Pet Harmony as a resource. They are an animal behaviour consultant business, but they provide tons of free and paid resources for people. Two of their blog entries that might help are 'Enrichment Isn't About the Activity' and 'Creating Your Enrichment Plan'. They also have a great podcast called Enrichment for the Real World, and the business owners Allie Bender and Emily Strong have a book called Canine Enrichment for the Real World, which has all their information in book form.

I applaud you for moving beyond the basic approach to pet care. It's awesome that you are thinking about providing more enrichment for your dog. This shows you are thinking about your dog as an individual with unique needs and desires, which is a hugely important step on the path to improving dog welfare across the board.

[swanhurrem]

Imprint: Chapter 6.

Embry Call x FemReader (no use of y/n).

Sumary: You were best friends with Embry, Jacob and Quil. And you saw how each one of them walked away from you. What will happen when out of nowhere they try to fix their relationship?

Disclaimer: The photo is not mine, I took it from pinterest. Credits to the author.

Twilight Masterlist.

Imprint Masterlist (this serie).

<Chapter 5 | Chapter 7>

Seattle was incredible. Considering that you had spent your entire life in La Push, Seattle was magnificent in your eyes. Chris was right and Pike Place Market had been the most interesting place for you; you bought a lot of beautiful crafts at very affordable prices along with several books that you couldn't find in Forks. And the Big Wheel was now your favorite attraction, Christopher waited until Friday night to take you there, claiming it would be a "wonderful" sight and even though you had complained about it countless times, you proved him right by being there.

When you finally put aside your distrust of the attraction, you were able to delight in the thousands of stars shining above you, the beautiful glow of the city and how the lights of the Big Wheel reflected perfectly in the water next to the dock. Chris laughed at you every time you looked at him in amazement, looking at you in a unique way with his green eyes.

But not everything was so happy, the days were also very strange. You did not stop feeling different gazes on you, some of them made you feel a strong headache, as if the person who was looking at you was full of hostility. While other looks produced great comfort in you, although it was still intimidating. Every time Chris asked you if something was wrong, you just told him it was nerves from being in a new place, he smiled back and you both went on your way.

But sooner than you would have liked, it was already Sunday afternoon. Your boyfriend had agreed to take you for the last time to the Big Wheel, because at night you would start the trip back to Forks.

The journey to the attraction was short, considering that you had stayed not far from there. Getting off the Jepp you could already see all the children around you laughing with a lot of sweets in their hands, their parents behind them apologizing to people every time their children bumped into them.

Your arm was wrapped around Chris's and you couldn't help but see as he was absorbed in the calm that surrounded him. You didn't know it, but these days had been a kind of rebirth for him; Being with you in a place so far from his home and his problems had given him the opportunity, after a few long months, to immerse himself in a relaxation that he had been needing for a long time.

"What do you want, a cotton candy or popcorn?" he asked turning his head towards you "What do you see?" he caught you right in the act, blushing like those caramel apples he kept eating.

"I only see you" you smiled at him "these days with you were incredible, I really enjoyed them" you said softly.

He looked down at his shoes before taking your hand, leaving a small kiss there and placing it on his chest, over his heart. You had no idea what you had done to have him in your life but surely you are always grateful.

"I'll go buy the things" he said as he went to line up, there were several people in front of him, so you sat on a bench. You saw him for a few seconds while he talked to the people around him, that's how he was; he had a bubbly personality and couldn't go a few minutes without sharing his energy with other people.

You soon turned around looking for something interesting to look at when you saw a woman looking at you from afar. Some people passed in front of her and she suddenly disappeared. You turned to see your boyfriend and you were glad to see that he was still waiting, taking advantage of that moment to look for that mysterious woman you had seen.

Was it a bad idea? Yes, completely and absolutely, but you could swear that the gaze of that mysterious woman was the one you had been feeling since you arrived in Seattle and against your better judgment, you headed towards the most desolate part of the entire fair.

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