#blanked out for a bit then this appeared on my canvas

[colinprovolone]

*rawr*

[puffcap-factory]

As night will find its day (Diluc x Reader)

Diluc x fem!reader; angst, established relationship, reader lost her memory ohno!, a little bit of comfort at the end but mostly angst (esp. on Diluc’s end) What if after an argument with Diluc, you fell into the abyss during your expedition not long after, and you went back to the surface after 6 months, but without your memory of him.

This story is based on the drabble I made (here). I used it as an introduction for this story as I prefer to post a completed version in one post, so some of you who had read the previous post can skip the first part if you like!

Words: 4.2k

Notes: Okay I clearly went overboard, I never thought I would write this long but I got carried away. At one point I really felt bad for Diluc and I even asked myself why. I've also set the reader into female because I felt like it somewhat refers a bit (if you squint hard enought tho... ) to the other Diluc fic I made. But of course, each story is separate and you can always enjoy each one separately.

So, is it really connected? is it not? who knows! haHaHA

As always, please enjoy the angst!

•~•~•~•

Where is this place…?

Your steps were heavy, each step sinking into the ground as you trudged along the ground. The rustling grass and the rich scent of soil tugged at something familiar inside you, whispering of a place you once knew. Perhaps, you had found your way back to your own world, after all?

With each step, you moved forward little by little, limping slightly, as you took your time to absorb the surroundings after being thrown out of a rift near the shores of Liyue. Your clothes were ragged after what had seemed like endless battles you had fought to survive in the abyss, and your body felt numb with exhaustion. Yet, in this moment of weariness, there was a bittersweet comfort in the familiar earth beneath your feet.

“I’m back…”

You mumbled, your voice barely audible. Your mind was like a blank canvas as your feet carried you aimlessly, trying to dig deep into the recesses of your memory. But, everything before the darkness in the abyss remained elusive. Everything was hazy, as if someone had locked your memory before your fall into the abyss in a box, with its key just out of reach. 

Hours slipped by as you wandered, until you finally found yourself at the foot of a small hill. The wind brought a gentle breeze, tousling your hair, and you reached up to brush it from your face. Before you lay a field of grapevines, their leaves rustling softly in the wind. At the top of the hill, nestled among the vineyards, stood a mansion, and you were strangely pulled towards into it.

You slowly stepped forward onto the pathway leading to the mansion, when a man suddenly appeared in front of you, his face etched with shock as if he had just seen a ghost. His mouth fell open, and his arms hung limply at his sides as he tried to process the sight before him. There was a pause before he decided to speak.

“…y/n...?”

You looked up into his face, noticing his red hair pulled back into a ponytail. What a pretty sight, you thought, before realizing that he had called your name.

Y/n… Right, that’s my name. At least I remember that.

The man rushed to you, pulling you into a gentle hug, supporting you as you struggled to stand. You could feel his uneven breaths, hear the panic in his attempts to calm himself. His hand trembled against your back, offering support as he whispered fragmented apologies into your ear. Despite your confusion, there was a strange comfort in his embrace, a feeling of safety that allowed the fatigue to finally seize you. 

He then pulled back slightly, his brows furrowed with worry as he noticed your dazed state. Despite the profound care you felt from his gaze, his face was a void in your memory. You tried to rake through your mind, but strangely found nothing. He lifted a trembling hand to your face, gently caressing your cheek, wishing at least you would somehow respond to his silent wail – call his name, anything. 

You opened your mouth, and with the last of your strength, you finally asked.

“Who are you…?”

•~•~•~•

It had been almost half a year since you disappeared. Diluc had been restless, pacing back and forth at the guild, exhausting every resource and contact in his search for you. He had poured all his energy into finding you, but every lead ended in nothing.

Then, on that day you finally reappeared, relief washed over him at seeing you alive, but the first words you said to him had shattered him.

You had not recognized him, nor the place you should be familiar with.

How? Why?  How could this happen? Is this even possible? Where does your memory stretch back to? This should be temporary, right…?

I haven’t lost you… have I?

Thousands of questions rushed through Diluc's mind, each one more painful than the last. He speculated endlessly, his thoughts spinning with countless what-ifs. However, the worst-case scenario, the thought he wouldn’t even dare to admit, scared him to the core. Recalling the moment he had held you in his arms and saw you looking at him as if he were a stranger, his heart sank deeper than it ever had before.

However, Diluc was quick with his action as to gather the servants to explain the situation after you were rested. While he acknowledged the possibility of memory loss, he instructed them to prioritize your care until you healed and not to push you. “Treat her like any guest with respect,” he had said, though uttering the word "guest" pained him deeply.

Diluc entered his bedroom to check on you, as he did every day. He sat next to the bed and gently lifted the cloth from your forehead to change it. His gaze lingered on your face, which seemed to be peacefully sleeping. Everything was still—the evening sun filtered through the window, casting a soft light around you, making you appear almost angelic, in contrast to the fear and anxiety gnawing at Diluc's mind.

He gently caressed your cheek, feeling the warmth of your skin against his, as if trying to salvage any dear moment with you. But then, his mind wandered back to when he had let his anger overtake him, leading to this outcome.

The time, when you two were shouting at each other, and the look on your face, hurt by his words...

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the flashbacks from flooding his mind. A storm of regret built inside him, reminding him of his past actions.

He exhaled deeply and stood up, finding it difficult to tear his gaze from you. As he looked at you one last time, he silently prayed for you to wake up soon, longing for a chance to make things right... if that was even possible in the first place.

•~•~•~•

A few days later, one afternoon, Diluc returned from his own expedition from the guild. As soon as he entered, Adelinde rushed to him.

"Master Diluc, she's awake. She has been since early morning," she said, her voice filled with both relief and worry.

Diluc's heart quickly raced with anticipation hearing what Adelinde had said. But dread crept in when she added, "But… she doesn’t seem to recognize me—or this place."

So, his suspicion was true.

"Where is she now?" he asked.

"At the garden table, in the backyard," Adelinde responded.

Without wasting a moment, he rushed into the backyard. He found you seated at the table, your back facing him as you were seemingly admiring the landscape beyond. Diluc carefully approached you from the side, his footsteps echoing softly on the stone tile. Hearing the sound, you turned your head to see him coming towards you.

"Good afternoon," Diluc greeted, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Oh... good afternoon," you replied as he took a seat opposite you, facing the landscape. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked, searching your face for any hint of recognition.

"I’m feeling… pretty well," you said hesitantly, clearly still confused. "The maid told me you rescued me when I fell unconscious. So... thank you."

“Don’t mention it, I did what I have to do,” he answered. You smiled weakly at him in response as he paused, contemplating his words whether to ask you about your past recollections. But you spoke first. 

"To be honest, I barely remember anything about where I came from, in case you’re wondering. Everything is foggy… All I remember is a constant struggle for survival in the abyss, before I came to this place, I... I—" You paused, trying to gather your thoughts. "I feel afraid... of all this…uncertainty."

His worst fear was confirmed, and his heart shattered upon hearing what you just said. Seeing the confusion and fear in your eyes, imagining what you must have endured in the abyss, suffocated him. Yet, he tried his best to maintain his calm exterior.

"...But," you continued, momentarily bringing him back from his thoughts.

He looked up, meeting your eyes.

"There is something calming about this place... I feel somewhat... safe."

Upon hearing your words, there was a mixture of relief and sorrow washing over Diluc. One part was relieved that you felt safe, but he couldn’t deny the ache he felt in his heart, reminding him the painful reality that all the memories he once shared with you might now only reside within him. It took every ounce of strength not to crumble in front of you.

Yet, he reached out, his hand gently resting on yours. "You are safe here," he whispered, his voice weighted with thousands of emotions swirling inside him. 

You looked at him rather curiously at first, taking in his genuine words, then gave a warm smile. “Thank you, I really do owe you.”

“No, you don’t owe me anything. Don’t worry about it,” he responded, shaking his head. “If you want to know about the city, I’d be glad to show you around. There are lots of good people there.”

Your face began to lit up at his offer, a smile widening across your face. “Really…? That would be great!”

Ah, how he had dearly missed that sight…

•~•~•~•

It had been almost three weeks since you began your stay at the Dawn Winery. Diluc had been treating you very well, helping you adjust to daily life, sometimes accompanying you to Mondstadt whenever he had spare time. Of course, the people who had apparently known you from before, already heard the story, as Diluc had already warned them not to scare you by overwhelming you with questions. You eventually learned that you were someone who had originally come from this very city. The people were warm and welcoming despite your inexistence of your past memories, much to your appreciation. 

Today, you found yourself seated in the winery gardens, reading a book that Lisa, the librarian, had lent you. The title read ‘History of Mondstadt’ — Lisa had recommended a lighter book for you to read, but you had insisted on this one, determined to fill in the gaps in your memory. After all, you didn’t want to burden Diluc for too long; he had done more than enough for you, and you planned to live independently as soon as you were ready.

As you flipped through the middle pages, Adelinde called out to you.

“My lady, it’s lunchtime,” she gently called from the main door.

“Ah, coming!” You closed the book and went inside. The manor was quieter than usual, as Diluc had been out for work since the day before, so you found yourself eating alone at the table.

“Please, enjoy, and if you need anything, just call me, alright?” Adelinde said with a slight bow before returning to her duties.

You nodded in thanks, taking a moment to observe your food and your surroundings. There was always a strange tug on your memory about this place that you couldn’t quite explain, but the manor felt serene, as if your body was oddly accustomed to it. After enjoying your meal, you decided to roam around the house, indulging to your curiosities.

As you wandered, you noticed that Diluc’s office door was slightly open. You had never seen what was inside, but you knew you shouldn't pry—you wanted to respect his privacy, especially given how well he had treated you. But the glimpse of the room inside seemed to call to you, and your feet unconsciously brought you closer.

Slowly, you stepped inside, taking your time to observe the room. The room was unlit, but the sunlight casting through the window made it seem almost… ethereal. You saw wooden carved cabinets containing files and books, all sorted neatly, and another cabinet holding some antiques. His desk was not the tidiest, with documents sprawled across the surface. You noticed a paper on the floor near his seat, so you carefully picked it up. As you placed it on the desk, you noticed a slightly open drawer, and one item inside particularly drew your attention. The sunlight reflected on a metallic object, making it hard to miss.

You hesitated, knowing you were already prying more than you should. But your curiosity got the better of you, and you decided to take a peek. You opened the drawer a bit more and saw that the glowing item was a golden pocket watch. Intrigued, you picked it up, examining its intricate carvings closely. Carefully, you opened it, and a bittersweet melody began to play, revealing a tiny music box inside. The melody seemed to stir something deep within you, an emotion you couldn’t quite place, as if you’ve heard it somewhere before… from a place buried deep inside your forgotten memories. Your eyes, however, were drawn to the upper part of the watch, where a small photo was wedged.

The photo was small but clear, showing two people laughing lovingly. One of them was unmistakably Diluc, and the other... you let out a silent gasp. The other person standing next to him looked just like you. Your brows furrowed as you tried to process this revelation. The sight of the familiar face in the photo, sent a rush of conflicting emotions through you. 

…Is this really… me? Why do I look so happy and close here? Who was I…?

You took a deep breath to quickly reassess yourself, realizing that up until now, there had been small things you found rather peculiar: the way the maids sometimes stumbled over their words, as if hiding something; the stock of female outfits in the manor that strangely suited your taste; the food, everything seemed to be in place to your liking. You had brushed these off before as mere coincidences, but now, seeing the photo, it all strangely began to make sense.

You stood silent at the room, observing the photo with the melody still playing on your hand. Questions rushed through your mind, and fear—of possibly having forgotten something important—slowly crept in. 

To your surprise, the partially open door swung wider, revealing Adelinde’s rather shocked face, which quickly relaxed upon seeing you. You panickedly closed the pocket watch, abruptly cutting the music.  “Ah, um—I…” you scrambled to explain, but she slowly approached you, gently taking your hand that held the pocket watch, and placed her other hand reassuringly on top.

“You see, I’ve known Master from his young age. He tends to keep his most cherished belongings hidden,” she smiled gently. “To think that you could find it…”

“I- I’m sorry, I know I’m not supposed to. Please don’t tell him,” you pleaded.

“No, don’t worry about that,” she paused, glancing at the pocket watch. “I’m the one who accidentally left the door open after cleaning the floor. I should be in the wrong.”

You were about to protest, but she continued calmly. “Master Diluc had warned us, the servants, not to tell you about your past status, given your situation, as he did not want to pressure you.”

You went silent, thinking back to how he had always been considerate and careful around you. If you were really someone that important to him—to think of what had been going through his mind all this time… words felt stuck in your throat.

“He isn’t the most expressive person, but he has been prioritizing your well-being above all else. He just wanted you to feel safe,” Adelinde added.

You took your time to process the information. It left you with one burning question. “���Then… who was I to him?”

Adelinde looked into your eyes. Though she kept her warm smile, her eyes masked a depth of emotion. “I believe that is a question Master himself should answer.” She paused before continuing. “I have desserts ready for you. Shall we?”

You nodded, placing the pocket watch back in the drawer, and instinctively followed her to the pantry. But your thoughts were tangled, processing all the information about your possible connection with Diluc. Everything in your mind was jumbled. You couldn’t find any memories to piece it all together, and you had even told him that you considered moving out at one point... but now, you felt like you couldn’t just leave now, not when you felt something tugging at your depths of your heart.

•~•~•~•

Diluc sighed as he headed back from his expedition, walking along the dirt path leading back to the winery.  As much as he had wished to spend more time with you, some urgent tasks couldn’t be left unattended.

During the time of his absence, he desperately hoped that you might magically regain your memory, but he had seen the joy you found in the city, the spark of curiosity and happiness that had returned to your eyes. He couldn't bear the thought of selfishly forcing you to stay with him, tethered by a past you couldn’t remember. It felt unfair to you. To you now, he was just someone else—a kind stranger, perhaps.

The painful truth was, as much as he dreaded it, that sooner or later, he would have to part ways with you, letting you live your own free life. Although the thought of losing you all over again tore him deeply, he would always prioritize your well-being. What it matters now is that you are safe and sound, he thought repeatedly, as if to convince himself more than anything.

As he passed the sign for the winery, Diluc spotted you seated under a big tree, reading a book. You were quite far from him, too engrossed in your book to even notice him, but he recognized that the spot you had chosen instantly. It was your favorite place to spend time outside, a place where you had often had picnics with him in the past. A small, wistful smile curved the edge of his lips as he reminisced. Back then, he would simply walk up to you, and you would welcome him with a warm embrace. But now, the fear of facing the painful reality kept him rooted in place, unable bring himself to you. With a heavy heart, he turned towards the manor, leaving you to your peaceful solitude under the tree.

Even though you had lost your memory, Diluc noticed that some things about you hadn't changed. Somehow, without realizing it, you still found yourself to your favorite places and sometimes performed small, mundane actions that felt like déjà vu to him. These familiar gestures gave him a bittersweet sense of comfort, a reassurance that, despite everything, you were still… you.

That night, Diluc found himself seated in his office, the golden pocket watch in his hand as he stared at the picture inside. The gentle melody played, filling the room with its bittersweet tune. He was lost in thought, the memories of better times flooding his mind. The joy in your eyes, the warmth of your embrace—all now felt like distant memories of a past life.

A knock on the door, already slightly open, pulled him back to reality. “Yes?” he called out, hastily composing himself and halting the melody as he closed the watch.

You hesitantly peeked into the room, the soft tune having drawn you in as you passed by. “I’m sorry, I heard the music, and...”

He looked at you, a mix of surprise and apprehension in his eyes. “It’s alright. Please, come in.”

You stepped inside, glancing around the room before your gaze settled on him. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just... the melody sounded familiar.”

Diluc’s heart tightened at your words. He had hoped for a spark of recognition, a flicker of memory, but he knew better than to expect miracles. “It’s a keepsake,” he explained, his voice soft. “Something very dear to me.”

You nodded, sensing the weight of his words. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” you began, your voice trembling slightly. “There’s so much I don’t remember, and it’s been hard. But... I’ve felt strangely at home here. As if I belong.”

His eyes softened, and he motioned for you to sit. “I’m glad you feel that way,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “This place... it holds many memories.”

You took a seat, your curiosity and confusion evident in your eyes. "Adelinde mentioned that you didn’t want to overwhelm me with my past, and I really appreciate that. But I need to know...," you paused, your knuckles curling on top of your knees. "…Who was I to you?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with emotion. Diluc looked at you, his heart torn between the desire to protect you and the need to share the truth. “You were... you are someone very important to me,” he said finally, his voice thick with emotion as he glanced to the side, trying to maintain his composure.

You fell silent, feeling a tightness in your chest and a lump in your throat. “…I—I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say,” you managed, your voice trembling. You couldn’t place where exactly it came from, but sadness washed over you, as the weight of forgotten memories pressing down on you, giving you the feeling as if you really had lost something very, very dear.

Diluc immediately turned back to you, realizing he had made you feel worse. He cleared his throat and blinked rapidly, feeling his own tears forming in his eyes. “Don’t apologize. It was never your fault to begin with.” He rose, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “Oh, and I’ve talked to a landlord in Mondstadt. He said tomorrow—”

He tried to shift the topic to lighten the mood, but his words faltered as he noticed you still seated, head hung low, with tears silently dripping onto your clenched fists. His heart ached at the sight of you crying, his emotions threatening to spill over as his breathing grew ragged. He slowly went to your side and knelt beside you, his hand gently placed on your shoulder, as his gaze filled with deep concern.

Diluc’s grip on your shoulder tightened slightly as words seemed to fail him, too fragile to contain the depth of his emotions. Instead, he moved closer, enveloping you in a gentle embrace.

You let your emotions spill over, leaning into his arms and crying on his shoulder. The warmth of his embrace was strangely familiar and comforting. Diluc, on the other hand, sensing the futility of words, sought to soothe you as his hand traced slow, calming circles on your back. He looked up, his gaze unfocused and distant, as he felt a single tear stroke down his cheek.

 •~•~•~•

The sun streamed through the curtains, filling the living room with a warm, golden light as you descended the stairs. Diluc stood near the main exit door, waiting for you. Today was the day he had arranged for you to meet the landlord in Mondstadt. You had spent the night wide awake, drowning in your thoughts about the previous night.

As you reached the bottom, your eyes met his in a silent exchange. Diluc, composed as ever — befitting the master of the winery, but you noticed a fleeting softness in his gaze. Your steps slowed as you approached him, uncertainty weighing heavily on your heart.

You stopped at the edge of the stairs, gripping the rail and fidgeting with your hands. “Diluc, I…”

He turned his head towards you, his expression gentle. “What is it?” he asked softly, stepping closer, his voice filled with concern.

“…would you… have wished for me to stay rather than moving out?” you asked reluctantly, your voice barely above a whisper. 

Diluc’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by your question. He took a deep breath, his composure wavering for a moment. “If I were to be honest,” he began, his voice low and earnest, “I would wish for you to stay. But more than anything, I want you to find happiness and a sense of belonging, whether that’s here or in Mondstadt.”

You felt a lump form in your throat, again — as his words stirred a mix of emotions within you. The thought of leaving this place, leaving him, somewhat felt like abandoning a part of yourself, and you couldn't shake the desire to understand your past and your connection to him anymore.

Diluc reached out, gently taking your hands in his. “Your presence here has brought a light to this place, to my life,” he admitted, his eyes searching yours. “But I won't hold you back. The choice is yours, and I will support whatever you decide.”

Tears welled in your eyes, the weight of his words and the depth of his feelings finally enveloping you. For a moment, the world outside seemed distant, as if the only thing that mattered was the fragile bond that tethered you together, slowly finding its way back.

“Then…,” you began, your voice trembling, “I would like to stay a little longer. To understand more, to remember…”

Diluc’s expression softened, relief and gratitude shining in his eyes. “As long as you need,” he said, pulling you into a warm embrace.

In that moment, you felt a sense of peace, anxiety exiting your heart. You knew well that the journey ahead was uncertain, but for now, you were exactly where you needed to be.

“You’re always welcome here.”

•~•~•~•

Taglist: @coffeeisbehindyou @sandramalikstyles-blog @rebeccawinters @mis-disaster @definitelyatari @vintag3u @synqiri @distinguished-jeseter-things @eroxotckv

[partywithoutsmiling]

Another AU that has been knocking around my mind for a while XD I call it Moonlit AU

It can be summed as such: Pop Trolls are pretty wild bunch when it comes to looks, varying in colours, flocking/fur patterns, glitter, freckles, hair, you name it

It got me thinking, what sort of thing would they find attractive in prospective partner? While singing/harmonizing could be a part of it (and ngl, that did made me think of the Happy Feet movies, as silly as those were), my mind turned towards more physical attributes

Thus, this AU was born- where one of the reasons why Pop trolls like to be most active at night (to party) is that a Moon's Light also allows them to appreciate fur/flocking patterns otherwise hidden, where the complexity and style varies from troll to troll, as is thought to show one's inner self

Contrary to what one would expect from the Princess (and future Queen) of Pop, Poppy's patterns are rather simple- but striking nonetheless, firm and bold stripes, like taking a wide brush to a canvas- straightforward but chaotic in their hardly orderly fashion Poppy struts her patterns; they are unique and dominant among the general showing of swirls, polka dots and flower like spottings She is aware her stripes are not considered the most attractive of features- too similar to that of a predatory critter, too sharp for who is supposed to be cheerful queen of equally cheerful people- but she is a romantic at heart and believes that when it will be time to choose a consort, those physical features are surface-level importance at best, and this is the mentality she has going forward, looking at the glowing marks of her friends and considering them equally beautiful no matter what.

Until she manages to spot Branch one night outside under the full moon light that is.

Branch's pattern, in high contrast to Poppy, is far more complex. Symetrical but delicate in its filigree, and far more detailed than anything the Princess has ever seen before. Usually, Branch ventures out only on moonless nights, as he feels the glow of his marks are too visible, too dangerous to just show out and about, for every dangerous predator to see- and it is purely bad luck when bad weather caughts him outside longer than he would have liked, and Poppy manages to catch the sight of him while he is completely unaware he had been seen.

All her conviction flies right out of the window, as she looks at his delicate patterning and her mind just goes blank and - Oh

Usually she would have called out to him, ask him to come to a party- but she feels mesmerized, hypnotized by the elegance of the filigree, and her mind longs for a way to memorate it forever- with a photo, or a painting- and she stares at the entrance of his bunker long after he vanished inside, completely stupefied and wrong footed.

Before, Poppy hardly ever gave Branch a thought, when it came to this part of Pop Troll culture; as part of her, guiltily, sort of assumed that with his lack of colour, his patterning would be rather bland as well- and besides, it's not like he ever shown a desire to participate in courting dances.

But now she is left with sudden new, and unexpected feeling- her heart and breath going now a bit faster everytime she catches a glimpse of him from now on, her cheeks flushing and her tail wagging in excitement

(Her desk's drawer is filled with failed cut out scrapbook pieces of leaves and tiny detailed filigree, as she attempts to journal her sudden and new discover and cant get it quite right)

Tldr; Pop Trolls have fur/flocking patterns that appear only under the moon's light, and Poppy finds Branch's so irresistibly attractive she hardly knows what to do with herself

This pushes her to try and spend more time with him- just spend time with him, no trying to push him to go to parties with her or trying to get him to sing or hug

For his part, Branch is both secretly pleased his own crush is now paying more attention to him than to Creek (who is not happy with this development) but also holy shit Poppy is paying more attention to him, so it is kind of unnerving for him, freaking him out

[officialdaydreamer00]

Aimless outing

in which you took your significant other out for a ride.

pairing: idia shroud x yuu/reader

contents: kinda short oneshot, lower case intended, this is just a spoonful of sugar tbh, everyone thank deuce for lending us his blastcycle, kinda ooc idia? idk, actually based on a screenshot in the game i'm playing and i love that lmao, reader is referred to as yuu, gender neutral reader and narrated with you/yours

★ the daydreamer speaks — my second entry for my tumblr older sibling @cloudcountry's sweet shroud summer 2024!! the worms are worming and i'm on a roll hehe ^-^

do i tag? yes, i do. my main idia liker: @edith-is-a-cat, others: @identity-theft-101 @keii-starz @xen-blank @loser-jpg @lemonchuu @dove-da-birb @twistwonderlanddevotee @escha-evenstar

remember to comment or reblog if you enjoy my work!!

"Yuu-shi, where are we going!?"

"Somewhere, anywhere! Does it really matter?"

a slow sunday and the lack of immediate tasks in your schedule was all you needed. and what better way to spend the day with your beloved than taking him out for a ride?

deuce was kind enough to lend you his blastcycle for this little trip of yours, wishing you good luck and all, and you've already gotten permission to go out from the headmage the day before, as much as you hated his gut. meanwhile, ortho was doing his best to get idia waiting outside of campus, and making sure he didn't second guess his desicions before you arrive.

and that led us to where you were now, going kilometres per hour as if gliding through the highway, feeling the cool wind of a chilly afternoon excitedly picking up your hair as the sun retreated behind the mountains. you loved the thrill it gave you, if the bright wide grin on your face was of any indications.

idia, on the other hand, was a bit overwhelmed. with his arms coiled tightly around your waist, hands trembling ever so slightly, he hid his face in your hair, not daring even a peek at the blurring surroundings.

"It's not a ride if you can't see what made it so fun in the first place, Idia! Just give it a try, then we can go back if you want."

idia stayed quiet, weighing his options. he could ask you to go back and return to the monotony of his life, safe yet nothing special. or, he could continue on this ride, just you and him on the road to an ambiguous destination.

he opened his eyes, widening as they laid on the most beautiful painting of dusk mother nature had drawn. white, pink, and orange blended together so harmoniously on a darkening blue canvas. rows of clouds lined the sky, bouncing around the little lights left of the sun onto the crashing waves the sea created.

his breath was taken away.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?"

idia could only muttered a soft 'yeah' as his eyes glued at picturesque scenery, taking in all he could for he wasn't sure he was going to see such a sight again. his tight grip on you slowly loosened, now only wrapping around your waist like a warm hug you would give him on chilly days.

the moon soon made its appearance as the canvas of nature was painted black, stars glimmering from beyond like diamonds in the sky. the two of you was making your way back to campus, with the blastcycle's headlights and idia's hair illuminating the road.

idia found the night sky beautiful, a lot different from dusk, but he loved it all the same.

it was a fleeting sensation of a thrill so different than what his heart was used to, but it was welcoming, a comfort even. especially when you were there with him, laughing without a care and genuinely living in the moment.

it was a memory he wished to never forget.

[keystonepublishing]

The Saga of Hermitcraft on r/Place (1 April 2022 - 4 April 2022)

On the 1st of April 2022, Reddit unveiled a white blank canvas where every user had the ability to place one colored pixel in every 5 minutes. At its height, about 4 million people participated in one of the biggest internet collaborations ever made. The ripple effects reverberated into news reports as far away as Turkey, and the final canvas represents a snapshot of the multiple communities, events, memes, and what was popular around the world at that time.

This is a documentation of the Hermitcraft mural on r/place 2022.

aka.

Remember what I said about my latest ficbind being a distraction? This is what I wanted to be distracted from.

After Reddit's API fiasco of this year and the subsequent controversial event that was r/place 2023, I decided to save as much documentation about the 2022 event as I could. Luckily, I remember how there are already a series of posts by @riacte who documented the progress of the Hermitcraft mural throughout the whole event, from beginning to end. Her blogposts form the bulk of this book (like, 95%!) and I cannot thank her enough for preserving the happenings of the block men mural.

With that said, I quickly realized that someone who's not a Hermitcraft fan - or me if I'm older - might not get the gist of who's who on the mural. The solution? Make several pages dedicated to just listing who's who on the murals! Because of the sheer number of heads, the mural was divided into several pieces for easier labeling. As a bonus, I also threw in another mural nearby which was connected enough to the Hermitcraft community.

For consistency's sake and preserving focus, I decided to not label the peeps from Dream SMP or the MCC secondary mural. Wrangling Microsoft Word to create an infographic was hard enough, let alone 3! If I inadvertently left out a few bits of extra context from this decision, mea culpa.

When it came to typesetting the entire text block, I decided to make some consistent rules. Titles denoting each day or stage of the mural are on their own pages. New sections are titled using the Bahnschrift font and colored blue, while the first paragraph has their beginning lines look Minecraft-coded and topped with a drop cap (aka. those super-large alphabets).

The names of Hermitcraft and Minecraft players in general are bolded when they first appear in the text. Afterwards, they are bolded if they are contextually important to what's being said.

Extra context would be placed in the footnotes section at the bottom of the page. This is also where I dump some background information that would be invaluable for any readers who aren't Minecraft fans, which is why the SpaceX page looked like... uh, that.

My image policy is to go with the flow; I used as many images from riacte's posts as possible, but I also added-in some of my own if more context is needed. Placing them to look smooth with the text was harder - some are small enough to not cause any problems, others are large enough to fill entire pages without any problems, but a few like the Dream SMP mural (hey there! I managed to put you in!) are too wonky to fit perfectly without leaving no empty spaces.

So in that mural's case, I placed them to the side and let the contextual text flow around it. This principle was also used for the Dota2 / Love Live images and in a few other places throughout the book. The biggest case of this are the few images that are just too wide.

Like this one.

Making double-page spreads is not the easiest thing to do in Microsoft Word, and there are a few r/place images that are too wide to fit perfectly in a single page. Confining them to one page would also mean losing all their details, so making them a double-page spread was necessary.

Didn't make it easy though, especially when there are paragraphs of text and other images that needed to be shuffled around. Mess up the double-page images, and they won't meet in the middle. Mess up the text and other pics? There goes the layout and overall flow!

In the end, making this book took a lot longer than I expected, but I am still grateful to have made this as I have now read through many posts from Tumblr, Reddit, and even Youtube - people expressing joy that they have collectively made something together. I can only hope I have made some justice to them by compiling their work and (even if a small sliver) preserving their testaments.

May this r/place be remembered.

[pholla-jm]

Beautiful Just The Way You Are

IMAGINE: BEAUTIFUL JUST THE WAY YOU ARE ~ SANJI X READER FLUFF: FLUFF WARNING: TALKS ABOUT INSECURITIES, LIKE STRETCH MARKS Nova's Notes: Just a reminder, we're all beautiful just the way we are! ****************

Standing in front of the mirror in only your undergarments, you continue to pick out insecurities here and there. A frown settles on your face as you find another stretch mark on your thighs. 

You run your hands over the markings with a distressed sigh. “What am I doing wrong?” You ask yourself while walking away from the mirror. You started to feel frustrated with yourself. No matter what you did, another mark would appear. 

Tears started to prick your eyes. From what? You didn’t exactly know. From anger at yourself, frustration, and maybe sadness. You started to feel bad about yourself. You knew that you could never be as beautiful as Nami and Robin.

You heard a knock at the door when you put your shirt on. Thinking it was Nami or Robin, you told them that they could come in. You look towards the door, surprised to see Sanji. 

You weren’t expecting your boyfriend.

His eyes immediately drifted down to your legs, noticing that you were only in a shirt and underwear. He slaps a hand over his nose, stopping the nosebleed that would come if he didn’t leave the room. 

However, he notices the fresh tears that stained your cheeks. Eyes a little red and glossy. He immediately forgot about the fact that you were only in a shirt and underwear. He closes the door and walks towards you. 

“Mon chéri, what’s the matter?” He asks, one hand going down to your waist, and the other to cup the side of your cheek. That question released the floodgates of tears. More tears run down your face. “I just,” you wipe tears from your eyes, “I just feel so ugly right now.” 

Sanji’s eyes widen and he immediately pulls you into a tight hold. “No, no. Mi amour. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. Tell me, why are you feeling this way?” His heart breaks a little with every shake of your body. 

He feels terrible. He thinks that he should be more doting so that you never feel this way ever again. 

“My stretch marks…. I found a new one… and ugh, I just hate it. No matter what I do, there’s always something.” 

Sanji pulls back a little, both of his going to your face to wipe away your tears. He leans forward, planting a small kiss on your nose. 

“Stretch marks, cellulite, scars do not define your beauty. I think that stretch marks, tattoos, bruises, birthmarks, freckles, scars are the best thing ever. You started off like a blank canvas and look at you now. This is evidence that you have lived. And I think you have lived the most beautiful life.” 

You started tearing up more from his words. This time, it wasn’t from sadness. Tears of love. A frown is placed on Sanji’s face. “Did I say something wrong?” 

You shake your head, “no. no. Not at all. What did I do to deserve such a loving boyfriend?” 

A chuckle leaves his lips and he leans down to place a small kiss on your lips. He could slightly taste the saltiness from your tears, but he didn’t care. “I should be the one asking that.” 

You just shake your head and lean your head on his chest. Reveling in the smooth sound of his heart beat. 

“I love you, Sanji.” You could hear his heart skip a bit hearing your words. You smile at his reaction. Another kiss is placed on top of your head, “and I love you more.”

[yanderes-galore]

Hello, May I request a Cod Cold War ask? Specifically for Weaver x reader who’s part of the zombies strike team? I can imagine that they’re quick to figure out things (as you need to be for the Easter eggs) yet tough as they need to be? If not, I guess can I request Bell x reader (Bell may be hard to write for since they’re a player created character but I figured you do something cool with it!)

-MsPlacedHero

Ps, Chase loved the cookie I gave to him saying it was from you!

I'll try Bell as I'm a bit more familiar with them! Happy he liked the cookie even if it was a long time ago. Hope you enjoy :) Bell is referred to as They/Them as you did not specify what kind of Bell you wanted.

This is mostly rambling and may be short but it was me giving my view on the character and their potential. I wanted to explore it a bit so there's no real plot.

Yandere! Bell Concept/Overview

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Mentioned self-aware behavior but not focused, General Bell thoughts, Stalking, Brainwashing, General yandere behavior, Character death, Dubious companionship.

Bell can be both interesting yet difficult to write so I will try to keep this rather general.

Bell could be difficult since their character is primarily meant for the player to insert themselves into.

They're meant to be so the player can interact with the story and feel like a part of it.

This would be difficult to try and convey, however, it opens many different possibilities.

Bell would be like a customizable yandere.

In a story you can pick and choose how you'd want Bell to be.

Bell would work even better in a "Self-Aware" story since they'd act as a host for the player and are extremely player dependent.

Your little puppet.

A reflection of you.

Overall Bell could really have any sort of yandere personality traits due to being a blank canvas.

You could see Bell as soft or someone who follows their darling like a puppy.

Maybe you could see them as a worship yandere.

Maybe you could see them as cruel, perhaps even prior to the brainwashing?

As a result, the darling is just as customizable.

You could be a part of the CIA or know Bell prior to the brainwashing.

There's a lot of potential.

The things is, how to write Bell is you'd need to be specific.

That's why I'm mostly just looking over the character.

Honestly my favorite ideas may be the Self-Aware one and Bell with a fellow CIA agent.

The Self-Aware one is self explanatory, I mentioned it before.

But the CIA agent one could also be fun to explore.

You know you shouldn't get attached or involve yourself with Bell.

They've been brainwashed with MK-ULTRA to find out info on Perseus.

That's all, afterwards they may just be tossed away.

For now they just need to be alive until the mission is finished and over.

However, Bell appears to have some sort of adoration for you one way or another.

Maybe somewhere in their memories they seem to recall you being important to them.

It's most likely a fabricated memory to coax more information out of them, but it works.

How Bell deals with such information could vary.

They may follow you around, they may be overly protective/clingy, they could be possessive, they could be any number of things.

They don't understand why you never like being around them.

Truthfully you either don't care or don't want to be attached.

Either way, Bell would want to treat you more than a "comrade".

They either see you as a close friend they "fought alongside" or maybe even a lover.

They have no idea you and Adler just need them for information.

Bell may most likely be "gotten rid of" before they become too much of a problem for you due to their obsession.

If they are a softer and more docile yandere, it feels horrible to know Adler did them in.

If they are rougher and more intense, it may feel like a relief when they're gone.

Player created characters like Bell have potential to be interesting once you have traits decided.

Unfortunately as a result I can't really assign Bell any definitive yandere behavior for them.

They seem like a puppet, a husk, meant to follow orders due to all of the brainwashing.

Regardless... a blank slate character can still have endless potential if you have a plot to work with.

No two Bell stories would be the same, essentially.

Bell is a wild card when it comes to their darling.

Which can mean they're a dangerous yandere if you think about it.

[mostlyfragilethoughts]

Gentle Male Demon x Timid Female Reader (Part Three)

Rating: SFW (for now . .)

Word Count: 697

Author's Notes: this fic was born out of a want to see more realistic reactions to inhuman creatures in a world like ours. i do love a brave and instantly smitten protagonist, but we also need to remember the shy, easily startled souls who take a bit to warm up to a monster. this will be slow burn but definitely worth the wait.

-

The creature’s name was Spirit, given to him by your grandfather.

He told you this himself one day after he had announced his presence with a hum as he had begun doing so he wouldn’t scare you.

“That’s quite on the nose, isn’t it?” you replied, a tiny smile on your face, “Though that seems like him.”

Spirit had stared at your face long after that, his claws twitching as if itching to touch, and you realized that was the first time you had relaxed enough to smile around him.

The change in comfortability was minute and gradual; time passed slowly while spending your days at the house and Spirit’s visits became more and more frequent and lengthy. He seemed to want to be around you all the time but was reluctant as he seemed extremely conscious of your flighty nature — something you couldn’t blame him for being hyperaware of.

It was one day while preparing to paint after having stagnated in your creative efforts for so long, that you realized you missed him.

You paused, paintbrush mid-dip into the paint. If you called his name, would he appear? You’d never tried it in the year you’d known him, and felt a little shy about asking for him now. Would you be a bother? He never seemed to think so.

You blinked a few times before, feeling extremely silly, you opened your mouth and whispered, “S-Spirit..?”

The result was instantaneous. Spirit materialized from the ceiling, hollow eyes widened as if in surprise as the top half of his body hung upside down, directly in front of your face.

You were barely aware of the high-pitched noise that left your mouth as you jumped. Hurriedly, Spirit extricated himself from the ceiling in a crawl, coming to your side slowly while murmuring, “Sorry.. y-you surprise..d me, Birdie..”

“No, no, you’re fine,” you said quickly, a hand to your chest as your spiking heart rate calmed a bit, “Did I.. summon you? I’m sorry if it was sudden or if you were in the middle of something. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”

Spirit shook his head frantically, his skeletal grin crookedly stretching his maw in the endearing way you were accustomed to.

“No.. no..t.. a bother…” he gingerly placed his head on your shoulder and quietly purred in your ear, “Tha..nk you … for summoning.. me.”

For a reason unbeknownst to you, sharp, pleasant tingles went up your spine and goosebumps erupted onto your skin. Face hot, you nodded quickly, staring unseeingly at the floor, a shy smile on your face.

Spirit chuffed affectionately before extricating himself from you, head tilting curiously at your blank canvas. Smile spreading, you glanced at him, hoisting your palette towards him, paintbrush still in hand.

“I’m going to paint. It’s been a while. I wasn’t sure what my subject should be, but.. how about you?”

He blinked at you in surprise.

“R..eally? But I.. I look..”

He trailed off and seemed to curl into himself, the jerky, stilted movements that came naturally to him reemerging as he appeared to flounder. Poor Spirit had tried to control them around you, and you were sure it was because he thought they scared you. Though that might’ve been true in the beginning, it wasn’t now. You hesitated for only a brief second before placing your fingers over his clenched ones, an action that caused him to jerk and look at you, startled.

“You know I’m not afraid of you anymore, right? Not your appearance, not your voice echoing in my mind… besides,” you felt your face flush again, before stuttering out, “I-I think you’re beautiful in your own unique way now. I was too scared in the beginning, but there’s something about you that.. well, that I think should be painted.”

Instantly, you turned away, feeling too red and too nervous to want to see Spirit’s reaction. The silence was loud and long as you picked up another bottle of paint; a deep purple for the shadows that clung to him as tight as a snake constricting its prey.

Finally, you heard him whisper, a bashful tone in his voice, “Where.. shoul..d I.. sit..?”

-

- Part 4 -

[nartml]

Your misogyny is showing. Get your shit together

(First and last time I'll ever bother with such a rude ask, but I'll use this oh so sugary sweet statement to get some things out the way )

CW: Rant ahead, not Sakura or Hinata friendly, if you disagree and won't be nice about sharing your opinions fucking DNI, this isn't for you.

My misogyny 💀

Because I don't like Sakura and Hinata, I assume? Why is it always misogyny's fault with y'all?

Respectfully, I don't really care about Sakura and Hinata. I'm mostly indifferent to them, but they're fun to criticize, considering there's so many flaws to talk about.

Maybe I was harsh with my words when respectively bashing them, but what I said still objectively stands. Sometimes, not liking a female character has less to do with misogyny and more to do with the fact that they're really, really not that good.

But alas, I sincerely apologize for my just so disgustingly misogynistic words (in case you don't get it, I'm being 100% sarcastic)

In a bit less harsh, more analytical manner, allow me to rephrase:

Sakura is someone who doesn't fit in the Shinobi world. She's too delusional about her romantic fantasies regarding Sasuke to be able to properly advance in such a harsh environment. And Hinata, with or without her infatuation with Naruto, is an incapable kunoichi. She's far too timid and hesitant to be a warrior.

Now, those are not necessarily bad things. Not having what it takes to be a Shinobi can easily be considered positive; be it because you're a hopeless romantic and that hinders your ability to maximize your potential or because you just don't have the spine or endurance necessary to be a badass ninja. Those aren't reasons to violently hate on someone. Specifically about Sakura and Hinata, those aren't even the reasons why so many people dislike them.

Or at least I hope not. I'd understand the point of your ask better if I had said anything derogatory about their appearance, for example. Those types of haters are annoying, and I manage to turn into both Sakura and Hinata's biggest defenders the moment someone says shit that degrades Sakura for her chest or some other bs, and/or fetishizes Hinata in any way. Rest assured, I'm anything but misogynistic.

But oh shit, it's time we realized that Sakura's "feelings" for Sasuke were simply a shallow school girl crush. And that would've been okay, understandable, maybe even a little cute, if it weren't for the way she constantly pushed herself onto him, consistently referred to him as hers in her head, saw him as a trophy, a blank canvas to project her fantasies onto. She was disrespectful, and her confessions were sickening.

Because how dare you compare your loneliness to that of a genocide survivor? How could you make your supposed love's pain all about you? How could you be so ready to abandon your friends, family, life, and future just to follow him to someone who you know would cause him harm, when you so clearly don't even know or understand him? How could you try to minimize everything he went through, try to diminish all he's suffered in the name of "laughing and having fun like the good old times"? "What about me, Sasuke? I'll be in so much pain if you leave. Please, if there's even a small part of you that cares about me, stay". "I can't get close to you, I can't exchange blows with you, I can only whine and beg, it's pretty pathetic. There's nothing I can do for you".

These are all things she's said and/or done paraphrased. There's so much more I don't care to recall. And they're all very annoying.

Her sole motivation was Sasuke; he's the reason she talks about how she'll get stronger to catch up to him and Naruto, about how she wants to "save" him, or "protect" him, about how she wants to be able to "fight for herself next time".

But she never managed to really do any of it, because it was all so surface level. Her aspirations for life began and ended with Sasuke, a guy she ultimately doesn't know a single thing about. That's objectively pathetic.

I don't like her because of the way she treats Sasuke, because of the way she views him, because of the way she's so pretentious about her "undying love" for him.

I don't like anti-sasusakus who come at it from a "Sakura deserves better" perspective, because she got exactly what she asked for; now she even gets to parade around wearing that Uchiha crest like the trophy it is to her, while having done nothing to earn it!!!

But.

But.

Honestly? They're not exactly wrong. Maybe she doesn't deserve better. But her character would, at least if Kishimoto even wanted to write that story.

What do I mean by that? I mean that Sakura, as a main character, does not benefit from her feelings for Sasuke. It's not that Sasuke isn't good for her, it's that her "feelings" for him aren't.

I'll use Naruto as a comparison. His feelings for Sasuke [No, I don't care how you interpret their relationship. If you want, they can be platonic feelings or familial feelings (you'd be wrong but who am I to judge), or romantic feelings] actually serve as his basis for self improvement.

Usually, in media, love is something that drives characters to be better.

Naruto's love for Sasuke is his greatest strength.

Naruto kept getting stronger, with Sasuke as his motivator. Naruto kept trying to understand him, to see things from his perspective, never held any sort of idealistic "Sasuke would never do that" train of thought.

Naruto got to better understand the injustice of the system through Sasuke and his love for him. Naruto initially fought to bring him back to Konoha, not because he wanted to play house with him, or because he wanted Sasuke to cater to Konoha's every whim, but because in Naruto's mind, Konoha is home and it's safe, away from Orochimaru's dirty hands.

But then once he finally understood Sasuke better, once they fought and he carried Sasuke's burdensome hatred with him, he let him go. He let him travel, leave Konoha, without ever asking for him to stay, because he gets it (Unlike Sakura, who still didn't get it, and did the exact opposite)

In Sakura's case, however, her "feelings" for Sasuke hold her back. Though that's a bit of conundrum, seeing as any sort of achievements she's made are directly linked back to her crush. Like I said before, he's her motive. No, it's specifically the shallowness of her love, the half-heartedness in her convictions to improve that holds her back. Her "feelings" aren't as genuine as she –or any of you– likes to think they are, and that keeps her from growing, from seeing clearly (i.e: in the long run, they hold her back)

They're proof of her superficiality. She's too caught up in romanticizing the absolute shit out of Sasuke, too caught up in using him to live out her fairytale dreams, too caught up in asking others to bring him back to her, or whatever. She's too caught up in whether Sasuke looks at her or worries about her to fight properly. And I mean "fight" both literally and metaphorically here.

So yeah, her "feelings" for him aren't good for her. It would've been a much better character arc, in my opinion, something that could be actually empowering that would give her depth, if she had ended up with Lee instead.

Because Lee is the exact opposite of Sasuke, in the sense that he's ugly in Sakura's eyes (I'll state here that I don't think Lee is ugly, bushy brows and all, he's very pretty to me), and so to end up with him, well. That would require Sakura to see past physical appearance.

Sakura tends to be very judgemental of other people's looks, and the way she treats them is often correlated to how beautiful she finds them.

But falling for Lee would've been a great way for her to move past the cover and read the book. Something which could then translate to her being less insensitive and judgy from then on.

[Sakura fans love to point out that she might say rude stuff, but then she regrets it, so it's okay! To that I say, it hardly matters that you regret something you say and promise that you'll be better, if you're just going to repeat the process the next day]

That said, she didn't even have to end up with anyone. She could've remained single, after realizing how wrong she was about Sasuke. She could've stopped pining after him, and gotten herself a goal that is bigger than just ending up with him.

But that's not who she is. That's actually, an entirely different character. That's not how Kishimoto wrote her, and criticizing him because of that is stupid. He knew what and why he was doing it, and the narrative some of you adopt, the one that goes "no, I'm better than so-and-so, this character should've been that way instead", is exhausting.

Sakura fans never represent her how she canonically is. Truly, 100%, the way she's depicted in the show. They nitpick which parts of her they like, and ignore the rest. You guys love the version of her that isn't shallow, that understands Sasuke, that is assertive, that is 3-dimensional; a person whose hard work actually comes to mean something, who is much more genuine about her love for Sasuke, who is by all means an independent badass. The Sakura who is selfless and understanding and a go-getter badass. And that's okay, I guess. But at least admit it.

It's always an outsider commenting on how "she's better than Tsunade" because they saw her punch one time, or "her feelings for you have matured" (something cancelled out entirely by Sakura later). It's always "I've caught up to them" after something that amounts to nothing significant. We're told she's great. We've yet to see it for ourselves, outside of those five? Six maybe? Eight is my being generous. Truly iconic scenes that she has in the entirety of the manga.

I stand by my closing line on her post.

She's foolish, and too caught up in her own romantic, fantasy world to substantially thrive in a reality as cold-blooded as the one she was born in.

And that's all she'll ever be.

As for my girl Hinata. I absolutely stand by everything I said on that post. Not taking a single word back. Maybe Sakura has a few redeeming qualities; like I said, you could explore her character outside of her crush on Sasuke and make a true badass out of her. (While still acknowledging the fact that that's not who Kishimoto wrote her to be)

But Hinata? There's no character to explore. Period. She's nice. Sweet. Kind, maybe? Sweet. Did I mention nice? I should probably not forget to say that she's sweet. Let's not omit that she's privileged and doesn't care one bit that her family is a-okay with slavery!! OH, and she can cook well. She also has those big boobs. And all her symbolism with Naruto was ripped off sns, coincidentally.

She's very passively likable, and the definition of forgettable. Like it or not.

____________________________________________

As for me, I should make it clear here and now that I am no misogynist. I like to think of myself as a very passionate intersectional feminist, who gives credit where it's due.

These two ladies? They don't deserve the aforementioned credit.

Have a great day 💞

[taeyongsfemdom]

| Paint My Body |

•couldn't think of a description for this but it's filthy and cute!

•contains: femdom/sub, titty-fucking (aw yeah shawty) subby taeyong tingz, fluff at the end.

•Hi Besties!! Welcome to the only fluffy fic I'll write on this page (kinda sorta.) This was bumping around in my brain for a good little minute and I think I kinda ate with this one. This fic was heavily inspired by SHALALA album pics where Taeyong is painting and doodling (love those pics btw)

•just a cute lil fluffy fic that I wanted to do for ya'll 💕 hope ya'll enjoy!

It was a beautiful fall morning as Taeyong was in his art room just painting away on a canvas since that was one of his favorite things to do outside of rehearsals and studio time. He always needed something to get away from the hectic world of being an idol, he couldn't be happier when you surprised him with his very own room to unleash his creativity. The door was wide open as you stood in the doorway watching the handsome man staring at the blank canvas, his hand kept pushing his hair back while rocking the most casual outfit to exist, which just a white shirt and blue jeans with his barefeet on the tarp.

"Knock, knock!"

"Goddess!"

"What are you up to in here?"

"Just trying to figure what to paint. I usually go with the flow of the brush but nothing is clicking"

You titled your head and looked at the canvas with him, your lips puckering up while trying to come up with an idea. It kinda shocked you on how Taeyong was having a block because it didn't happen often, a few drawings scattered across the walls made you smile. He was such an amazing artist and was blown away from his talent, an imaginary light bulb appeared over your head as you rested your hands on his broad shoulders.

"Y'know, what if you painted something that wasn't a boring white canvas?"

"Goddess, I don't wanna paint on the walls, I'm running out of room before going up to the celing"

You rolled your eyes at his response as you slid your hand to the tie of your black robe.

"No silly, not the walls! I'm talking about my body"

The robe slid off your body in one fluid motion, Taeyong's face started to turn a bright shade of red as he stared at you. Your body was absolutely perfect in his eyes, your big tits all the way down to your round pear shaped ass that he loved worshipping, your body was something that he dreamed about everyday. You winked at him as you threw your hair up in a thick bun and lying your naked body back on the tarp covered floor.

"Let me be your canvas, little rose"

The boy gulped and grabbed several paint buckets of different colors, opening each can carefully. The various colors that caught your eye was orange, yellow, blue etc. His hand was shaking before lightly drizzling the dark orange paint along your body. The paint had a slight chill to it and it caused you to arch your back off the floor and moan, this caused Taeyong to choke on his spit as he poured more colors on you, circling around you as paint got all over feet. His favorite color, which was pink, trickled over your full breasts as he watched you giggle from how the drops felt.

"How do I look so far?"

"Absolutely beautiful"

Taeyong stared at you with awe as you massaged your entire body, causing the paint to mix together a little bit. Your legs opening a little bit to reveal your pussy to tease him before closing them back together, you lifted your foot that had a fresh red pedicure done and rubbed it against the growing bulge in his pants, the blush getting deeper as he kept his eyes on your foot, a wicked laugh left your lips as he moaned lightly against your foot.

"Take those pants off"

He quickly unbuttoned his pants and let them fall into the paint covered the floor, his hands going behind his back as he kept his eyes glued to your foot. To his credit, Taeyong was blessed down there and you couldn't complain about it, You lifted yourself up and rubbed your hands over your paint covered tits as you pulled the boy over to you, you dragged your hands down his slim thighs which made him stiffen up.

"Since you've been such a good boy for me, I think you deserve a reward. I'll let you fuck my beautiful tits that you just can't stop staring at until you cum, okay honey?"

"Y..yes goddess!!!!"

You wrapped your tits around his sensitive cock, giving him the signal to start thrusting slowly in-between your tits. Your eyes looked deeply into his sweet chocolate ones, it was almost like you put a spell on him. The power that you had over this boy was mind boggling, it made you feel so good that you had your own personal toy to indulge in whenever you wanted, but it also awoke something else inside you.

"Tell me how amazing my tits are"

"O...ooh god! Goddess your tits are a..amazing, soft and so so pretty! Just like you"

"Why thank you! I can tell you're getting close, little rose."

Your hand tugged on his balls a little bit and that caused a little yelp to escape from that cute mouth.

"I..I'm gonna cum! P..please p..please let me paint your beautiful tits with cum please! I..I won't make a mess I swear!"

"Mmmmmm cum for me, sweetheart."

Very loud moans filled the room as Taeyong came all over tits, the load being quite large since you didn't let him cum for a few weeks. His little body lightly going limp from how hard the orgasm was, both of your hands wrapped around him again and pumped together slowly.

"G..goddess! N..no please!!! P..please! I'll cum again! I'm s..still sensitive! P..please please!"

"Mmmmm keep begging like that, it makes you sound so pathetic"

You ignored his please as more ropes of cum landed on your tits while you looked up to find tears sliding down his face from pleasure, you giggled and cooed at him as you let his paint covered cock go. His little body pressed against yours as you caught him in your arms, the both of you sat there cuddling in silence for a few minutes to let him rest.

"Thank you for my reward goddess. I really don't deserve your kindness. A..and um, thanks for letting me coat you in paint. You're a living work or art"

"Did that help clear the block in your brain?"

"I..it did!"

The both of you smiled at each other before he got up and tried to clean up some of the paint off of him before heading to the bathroom.

"I'm gonna start a bath for you, goddess! I'll add your favorite bubble bath and rose petals! Just the way you like it"

"Thank you honey, i"ll be there in a minute"

You watched Taeyong walk out of the room as your heart started feeling a bit funny, it started to feel warm and fuzzy and that was something you were not used it. You knew that you refused to fall in love since your breakup a few years ago, but your frozen heart started saying otherwise when you looked at the cancer boy who was living with you.

"What the hell is going on with me?"

End.

[heartedbysunoo]

INTERVIEW

SUNGHOON: “ENGENE helps me to know who I am”

ENHYPEN ROMANCE: UNTOLD -daydream- comeback interview

2024.11.20

SUNGHOON is like a blank canvas, embracing every color that splashes across the empty white space. And he mentions several times how much he likes the colors he’s been painted in, and the picture he’s been painting, since his debut.

Your face shows up everywhere in drugstores these days. (laughs) You’re currently a model and ambassador for a number of beauty brands.

SUNGHOON: I was fascinated to hear ENGENE and my acquaintances saying my picture’s all over drugstores. There’s even a gigantic picture of me in Seongsu-dong. Now I know for certain that I’m a celebrity. (laughs) It’s actually not easy becoming a brand ambassador or model, so I’m extremely thankful to ENGENE for being the reason I can do all these things. This was an opportunity I was fortunate to have, and I plan to keep working even harder.

It’s also the result of all your hard work, of course. You always work hard to keep yourself in shape and keep your hair, clothes, and makeup perfect.

SUNGHOON: I think basic upkeep is important, so I always try to present a neat and tidy image. I take care of my skin and exercise regularly, but these days, I’m trying to be less perfect and have a more natural, casual style, too. I don’t want people to think I’m overly flawless when they see me. I want to have a laid-back image, too—not that I’ll ever look flawed. (laughs)

You seem to have shifted to more vintage and trendy looks.

SUNGHOON: Right. It feels like I’m moving more in the trendy direction lately though. I bought a lot of clothes with patterns on them, which I wouldn’t normally wear, and a lot of trendy outfits, too. I’ve been wearing military cargo pants a lot lately. Everybody seems to be wearing them these days, so I figured I’d give it a shot too. (laughs) I like them because they make you look rugged.

It seems like you’re into glasses and sunglasses, too.

SUNGHOON: ENGENE loves it whenever I wear glasses. I go out vintage shopping when I have time and now I have around 20 pairs. I’m always looking for new ones since they really add to a look. Horn-rimmed glasses make you look smart and give off a bit of a nerdy vibe, while silver frames and rimless glasses have more of a sexy vibe? And sunglasses are just plain cool! (laughs)

You aim for perfection in both your appearance and your performances. Perfectionists consistently strive for excellence, but we understand that achieving absolute perfection is a rare feat. Have you ever felt that you've truly attained perfection?

SUNGHOON: To be perfectly honest, I’ve never felt like I did something perfectly. What you just said is absolutely true—I always try my best to approach perfection in any given situation. I feel like I’m still a long way off from what I’d consider to be perfect.

You strive for perfection but don’t seem obsessed by the idea of it. There was a minor incident with the lift at Weverse Con Festival, and you just said, “It was too bad that happened, but there’s nothing we can do about it. It is already behind us.”

SUNGHOON: Actually… I’m not the kind of person who can just stop thinking about things that already happened. (laughs) So I try and tell myself “it’s in the past, there’s nothing you can do” a lot. And there’s something fun about something unexpected happening, like the incident during “She Was Pretty” at Weverse con festival, and overcoming it.

What was one thing you worked particularly hard to perfect or feel confident about on the new album, ROMANCE: UNTOLD -daydream-?

SUNGHOON: For me, it’s dancing. I think the highlight of the single “No Doubt” is when we dance with our hands in our back pockets during the hook, which restricted our movement. And since our backs are turned for most of that, our faces aren’t really visible. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could do to captivate ENGENE and general audiences in the brief moments I’m facing forward. Finding a killer angle that looks as hot as possible? (laughs)

It feels like the entire song “Daydream” is whispered. You must’ve had to work hard to sing with an airy voice like that.

SUNGHOON: It was my first time singing a song like that. It was hard and a little bit frustrating since you need to sing a bit forcefully for a hip hop song but I had to basically be whispering at the same time so I couldn’t be too loud. I didn’t have to hit any specific notes for this song, so I just tried to really get into the hip hop rhythm. I never used to feel confident with hip hop, but I liked the final product when I heard it.

I heard you experiment a lot to find your own vocal style.

SUNGHOON: I think my vocals sound very “clear,” and it’s something unique I can bring to the table. You can especially hear it when I sing in falsetto, and that’s exactly what I did on the single “No Doubt.” I actually never used to like how I sound when I sing high notes like that, but this time the part I sang was a good match for my voice, which was nice.

Both the single “No Doubt” and the track “Daydream” are about how absence makes the heart grow fonder. It’s similar to the relationship between fans and artists, where they love each other but also spend time apart, and at other times don’t know what the other’s up to.

SUNGHOON: I think so too. You can easily substitute the relationship between ENGENE and ENHYPEN into those songs. It seems like it’s about two people in love, but who I was really thinking about while practicing it was ENGENE. I hope ENGENE feels the same way when they’re listening. (laughs)

When do you need ENGENE the most?

SUNGHOON: I always need ENGENE, but especially when I’m performing. When I do a performance that’s exclusively for ENGENE, I’m not showing them a refined version of me but my everything. I can show them my less-than-perfect aspects, and it’s way more chill talking to them—like talking to a friend. ENGENE fills me with as much strength when I see them as I do when they see me. If either of us ever disappeared, the whole thing would fall apart. We’re so important to one another, and a lot of what’s possible for us is only possible because we’re together.

The song “Highway 1009” off your second studio album is dedicated to your fans. What were you trying to say with the lyrics you wrote?

SUNGHOON: When I wrote those lyrics, I imagined going on a journey down an endless road with ENGENE. The words flowed right out of me—maybe because I was being so open with my feelings. I wrote the line, “Promise you’ll hold on tighter,” and some before and after that line, too. My version went, “I’ll meet you again under our destiny / Promise you’ll hold on tighter / So nothing will ever keep us apart again.” I thought it was well written and I said I wanted to show it to ENGENE, but looking at it now, I’m not so sure. (laughs)

It’s clear when watching Weverse LIVE that you’ve developed an even closer bond with ENGENE. In an interview with Esquire, you said, “I don’t have much to do besides work, so I do LIVEs just to hang out.” So interacting with your fans doesn’t feel like “work,” then?

SUNGHOON: It seriously never feels like work. Nobody tells me to do it—I do it because I want to. When I go on Weverse LIVE, I get to see what ENGENE says and share my thoughts. It’s as simple as that, and I love it. Having said that, since there’s so many people watching from all around the world, I am careful to avoid saying anything that could hurt even one person.

Speaking of your LIVEs, ENGENE says you’re unintentionally funny. You also post a lot of somewhat quirky videos on TikTok. (laughs)

SUNGHOON: What I’m going for on TikTok is basically to be silly. (laughs) I’m not into doing any of the stuff you’d expect. I have to do things I find a little funny and amusing so ENGENE can genuinely enjoy them. It’s the same with the 02z: If I see something decent on TikTok, I would suggest it to the others, then every single one of them gets on board. I was the one who suggested the “Attack on Bangtan” video. The composition and the timing for moving out of the frame just popped into my head. (laughs) I don’t know that I’m really trying to be funny, though… I think that side only comes out when I’m with the rest of the group.

The calligraphy photos you’ve posted of phrases like, “Let’s hope everything comes up roses,” and, “You’re special,” make fans laugh.

SUNGHOON: I started doing those hoping it would make the fans laugh at least a little bit, and they really did, so I do more now and then. Seeing words like that gives people positive emotions, and while for some it might just be funny, for others, it could be truly uplifting. I think calligraphy has become a part of my identity now. It’s even come up in other videos, like how I was part of the calligraphy club in EN-DRAMA.

During your closing remarks at the FATE PLUS concert in Seoul, you said, “ENGENE, you’re the only one that’s ever made me cry.” That shows how close you’ve become with ENGENE, considering you once said you’re not good at expressing your emotions.

SUNGHOON: I think when it comes to ENGENE, I’ve really opened up. I think we’re close enough now that we can open up to each other like that. Since I’m not someone who cries easily, even the other members didn’t know at first whether I was actually crying or just joking. (laughs) But I could really tell how concerned they were for me onstage. We’ve been together long enough that we know how each other’s feeling without having to say much.

What moved you to tears like that?

SUNGHOON: I’m the type to let it out all at once, and it’d been a long time since I last cried. There’s little hard moments all throughout the work we do, and those small things slowly piled up until they hit me all at once. I was doing my closing remarks and felt like, “Well, I’ve made it this far,” and then suddenly felt emotional. I felt a lot better after that cry. It’s a bit embarrassing since so many people saw the video of me crying, though. (laughs)

I remember you said, “I feel like I still don’t know myself all that well,” during your closing remarks.

SUNGHOON: It’s hard for anyone to look at themselves objectively from an outsider’s perspective, but I feel like I’m getting to know who I really am through my career. My personality and emotions will keep on changing, and ENGENE always watches out for me and lets me know about that. ENGENE helps me to know who I am.

What do you think of Park Sunghoon these days?

SUNGHOON: In the past, I saw myself as this really quiet person who lacks confidence. I wanted to break free of that. I’m a lot more confident these days and I’m working hard to keep it that way. These days I see myself as someone who chases perfection and doesn’t like when things get complicated, but I feel like I do complicated things, somehow. (laughs)

When you say you do complicated things, it sounds to me like that you don’t take shortcuts.

SUNGHOON: Right. I don’t want to be taking shortcuts. I feel like I always do things the proper way and with integrity. And I like that about myself.

You’re now entering your fifth year since your debut. In the whole time from your I-LAND days and up until and including now, you seem to have consistently put on good performances and kept yourself healthy.

SUNGHOON: I think it was unconsciously in my bones from being a former athlete. You can’t be an athlete for very long if you’re inconsistent. I need to express it more when things get tough, though. But I feel like I’m not very good at doing that, so I’m making an effort to express myself more these days.

So crying during the concert was part of that?

SUNGHOON: Exactly. I probably could’ve held it in, but… No, I doubt I would’ve been able to stop those tears. (laughs)

I see you as something of a blank canvas. As time’s gone on, you’ve been painted with more and more colors. You’ve become closer to and more affectionate with your fans, you express your emotions more, and you’re gone from a smooth dancer to one who can now nail high-intensity K-pop moves.

SUNGHOON: I love it. Being like a blank canvas means I can keep growing and showing different sides to me. I’ll keep painting myself with different colors, and even though I might make mistakes here and there as the painting forms over time, I won’t erase them—I’ll just incorporate them in different ways into my picture. I used to be really hard on myself and find faults only in myself. I’d tell myself it’s because I’m no good. Now, I’m trying to be more forgiving with myself and look at the bigger picture.

You are a perfectionist, but you’re also self-affirming.

SUNGHOON: There are places I can stand to improve and evolve, but I don’t want to lose the original me, either. I want to keep showing that off. I want to be flexible and make a move according to my circumstances. I don’t want to become someone else—I want to keep at it like I am now, adding my own unique colors and giving people what I consider to be the ideal version of me. If nothing else, I want to be cooler. (laughs) I feel like, as an artist, I need to bump up my skill level where singing and dancing is concerned. And I need to be more emotionally strong, too. No big drastic changes—just taking who I am now and reaching a level or two higher should do it.

[rosanna-writer]

we said hello and your eyes look like coming home (16/?)

Summary: A canon-divergent AU where the bond snaps for Rhys on Calanmai, Feyre unwittingly accepts it, and Fire Night magic proves to be more transformative than anyone bargained for. Feyre drags a mate she hardly knows out from Under the Mountain, then puts him back together as war with Hybern approaches. Warnings: dubious consent, canon-typical sexual violence, canon-typical violence Rating: Explicit Chapter Word Count: ~4.3k

They bang. Finally.

Read on AO3 or you can find the sixteenth chapter below the readmore.

ch. 1 - 10 | ch. 11 - she underestimated just who she was stealing from | ch. 12 - no amount of freedom gets you clean | ch. 13 - stay stay stay | ch. 14 - call it what you want to | ch. 15 - even when you're sleeping, keep your eyes open | ch. 16 - you drew stars around my scars

Rhys's wings were redder than I'd originally thought. I hadn't noticed it until one morning a few days later, when sunlight streaming in from the window illuminated the membranes from the back, making them appear almost translucent. As I sipped my morning tea, my eyes kept drifting to the intricate network of veins, the outline of the delicate bones, and the gleaming, razor-sharp talons.

Cauldron, they were beautiful.

I hadn't had much time to admire them until then. The past few days had been full of training in the mornings and then reading lessons while Rhys caught up on the state of the Night Court and Prythian. For now, it was all we could handle. There was still so much we were both putting off, but neither one of us had slept through the night since our return.

But that morning, Cassian had insisted on a rest day, so I let myself stare over my mug of tea because we had the time for once. I wasn't quite ready to face a blank canvas just yet—and when I did, there were other things I needed to get out of my system first—but I'd paint this view one day.

Despite all the shameless flirting, I was still fairly certain Rhys didn't want to be ogled over breakfast, so I said, "How do you get a shirt over your wings?" I hadn't noticed telltale buttons on the back of the tunic he was wearing.

His eyes sparked as he cocked his head at me, his curiosity at my sudden question obvious. My cheeks heated. "I generally use magic to seal it shut," he said slowly.

"And how do you get them clean in the bath?"

"Sponges. Surely you're familiar with the concept?" Rhys said drily. I shot him an irritated look that just made him smirk. When he spoke again, I could have sworn his voice dropped a bit lower as he added, "So many questions this morning. Why?"

"I didn't have a chance to ask before." It wasn't really a lie—I hadn't shied away from asking the Inner Circle questions before I'd gone Under the Mountain, but once I'd realized exactly why Illyrian wings were so sensitive, I'd hesitated to ask much about them. Cassian and Azriel would have humored me, but there were some things that I didn't want to discuss with my mate's brothers.

"Come touch them if you're curious."

I stood up so quickly that I nearly knocked over my chair, then froze. "Are you sure?"

He certainly didn't look unsure, not with the way he was sitting with his legs spread, wings flared out wide behind him and one arm on the back of his chair. If anything, he looked arrogant. But it wasn't quite enough—I still wanted to hear him say it.

As I stepped around the table, I caught the slight movement of his throat bobbing. "Please touch my wings," he said.

I stopped just in front of him. To get my hands on his wings with him sitting down, I'd either need to put one hand on the back of the chair for balance as I leaned in…or I'd have to straddle his lap.

"You never had them out Under the Mountain."

His eyes didn't leave my face, even as I felt his fingers interlace with mine. "If something is precious to you, it's safest kept hidden."

Velaris. Our mating bond. And his wings, too. Away from prying eyes, there was security that came from being shrouded in darkness, and I'd felt that at the very core of the Night Court's magic. Stealth was key to hunting, and perhaps years of moving undetected through the woods had shaped me in the same way.

"No one else has ever…" I whispered, trailing off.

"I'd never let myself be vulnerable in that way. Not unless it's with you."

I didn't ask if it was because he loved me or because of the mating bond—I didn't care. Rhys trusted me, and that was the important part.

There was no point in hesitating or doing this by halves. I made myself comfortable on his lap, resting my thighs on either side of his hips. His hands settled on my waist.

I ran a finger down the membrane of his wing, careful to use the pad and not scrape it with my nail. It was smooth and surprisingly cool, almost like silk, but stretchier than I would have guessed. I kept dragging my finger down, moving it closer to where the wing met his back.

Rhys hissed and bucked his hips, jerking at the contact with a sensitive spot. I let out a squawk of surprise, and if he hadn't tightened his grip around my middle, he would have knocked me off his lap.

I started to ask if he was alright, but he just laughed and said, "I should have known you'd go straight for the most sensitive places."

Interesting. I skimmed my finger along his wing again, closer to the talon, where I guessed it wasn't quite as sensitive. If he'd let me, I'd map out every inch of his wings with my hands, learn everything until I knew them as intimately as I knew my own body.

Now that I was closer, I saw the scars. Or more accurately, I felt them—they were old and faint, but slightly stiff under the pressure from my finger. None of them were particularly large, but his wings were covered in them.

Rhys had the same healing magic as any other High Fae. Scars like this…they were the result of torture, intentional cruelty by someone with magic who knew what they were doing. And they'd already been there before he'd been trapped Under the Mountain.

"These are from the War, aren't they?" I said.

"Yes. They don't hurt as much as they used to."

I traced one with a finger, watching his face carefully for any sign of pain. He just shifted his hips under me. It gave me the confidence to splay my entire palm against his wing and slide it slowly down to that sensitive place from before. His answering groan heated my blood, and as I leaned down to kiss him, I ground against the rapidly-hardening length of him.

Rhys was still gripping my waist, as if now of all times he'd decided to be something of a gentleman, which was ridiculous when I was already straddling his lap. But maybe…I'd rushed him. It was still so soon after everything we'd just gone through.

I tipped my head back to look at him. "Do you want this?"

"Like I've never wanted anything else," he said, voice so rough it was nearly unrecognizable.

"Then move your hands down."

He slid both hands to my ass and squeezed, pressing me against him. I let my satisfaction at finding him harder than before cross the bond. As I leaned in again, I felt his growl reverberate in my chest just as strongly as I heard it.

I swept my hands across his wings in several directions, and no matter where I touched, Rhys couldn't keep still. Each caress made him shudder against me, the friction against my clit sweet and intoxicating, even through layers of fabric. His fingers dipped under my shirt, and I pulled my hands off his wings to shuck it off.

His face was between by breasts before my shirt hit the floor.

Rhys's tongue traced a line towards a nipple. I arched into him, and for a moment, I couldn't remember why his mouth had ever been anywhere but that very spot or how the endless well of need on both sides of the bond hadn't swallowed us both whole.

A plea floated into my head, through the bond so he didn't have to move his lips from my skin. If you never take your hands off me again, it will be too soon.

I skimmed my fingers down his wing, and territorial instinct had me wishing for paint or something to leave behind a mark on every bit of skin that I touched, to warn everyone else away from what was rightfully mine.

I hadn't meant for that thought to cross the bond, but it tore a keening, desperate noise from Rhys as his hips ground against mine again. I'm yours. Leave all the marks on me you wish.

"You're wearing too many clothes for that," I whispered.

Before I could scramble for buttons, I was on my back and on the floor, clothes gone and Rhys naked above me, cradling the back of my head in one broad hand. I thought we might have winnowed, but the world hadn't disappeared into smoke and shadow—no, he'd just pounced with that inhuman speed of his.

I could see the question in his face, the hesitation that this might have been too much and too fast for me, even with his eyes the darkest shade of violet I'd ever seen them. Despite how badly I could feel that he wanted to keep going, Rhys was giving me an opportunity to stop.

Not that I wanted to. Naked and under him was exactly where I wanted to be.

I pushed up onto an elbow and kissed him softly, cupping his face with my other hand. He leaned into the touch, then turned his head to kiss my palm. A shiver went through me at the memory of pomegranate seeds the last time his mouth had been there.

Rhys started to move down my body, and when I realized where exactly he was going, I locked my legs around his waist, keeping him in place. "Not now," I murmured. "Another time, but I want you inside me. Please."

His face darkened, and for a moment I thought I might have said something wrong—perhaps I'd pushed too hard or he merely did just want to bury his face between my thighs for now. He just said, "You don't beg. Not for anything, from anyone."

The words sounded like a vow. But before I could respond, his face broke into that cocky smile I'd come to love. With a teasing nudge at my entrance, he added, "But especially not for this—I'd never deny you."

True to his word, Rhys slid into me as I said, "I'm yours, too."

I let him set the pace as I kissed and nipped as his neck. Every mark I left drew another soft noise from him or a deeper thrust, and I wanted him covered in them.

He braced one hand against the tile floor to hold himself up, and the other seemed to be everywhere, squeezing my breasts, skimming down my stomach, circling my clit. The world narrowed to just the places our bodies touched and the golden thread connecting us. Before long, I was shattering around him as he spilled into me.

I'd hardly caught my breath when he winnowed us to his bed. And perhaps we should have ended up there sooner, instead of on the kitchen floor, but I was feeling too contented and comfortable to care. I lay back against the pillows as Rhys shifted, sprawling half on top of me with our legs tangling together. One wing draped over us both like a blanket, and he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

We were quiet for a long moment. His arm banded around my chest tightly, holding me to him as if he were afraid I'd disappear. With a stab of guilt, I wondered if he thought I might run off again. The bond was also quiet, but I suspected there might have been a reason he wasn't looking at me.

It was strange, I realized as I traced the swirl of a tattoo on his upper arm, to want to linger like this after sex. Everything before this had been in a barn or a cave—not somewhere I could just be held afterward. The lack of urgency driving me back to the woods to hunt or Rhys back Under the Mountain…I still couldn't bring myself to trust that it was real.

I double-checked that my shields were up; I didn't want that thought to interrupt any peace that Rhys had found.

"After the first decade Under the Mountain, I thought I'd never want another person to touch me again," he said eventually, so softly that I almost didn't hear it. The words were muffled against my skin, his breath warm. "I'd thought she'd stolen the ability to want like that, along with everything else. Calanmai was different, something that could only happen once. But then, after you told me you were trapping a Suriel, you said next time like it was inevitable, and I…started to believe it could happen. I wanted it to happen. I didn't know you well enough to love you yet. That's when I knew the mating bond had changed everything."

If I hadn't felt the way the bond in my chest had rearranged my the world for me, I wouldn't have understood. Love might not have been enough to fix what Amarantha had destroyed, but there was nothing more powerful than a mating bond. The cord didn't just tie us together—it held our shattered pieces in place to heal, like a cast around a broken bone. Nothing else could have done that.

"I love you," I said, because it still mattered. His hair was soft against my cheek as he turned his head to press a kiss to my collarbone. "And there's always going to be a next time, even if I have to tear the world apart to make it happen."

At that, Rhys finally looked at me; he smiled, eyes bright and without any sign of tears. "If it were anyone else, I would have thought those were just empty words," he said.

I shrugged. "I've been told I'm stubborn."

"'Perseverant' is a better word," he said, then leaned over to kiss me. "Or 'tenacious.'" He kissed me again. "Or 'undeterred.'" Another kiss. "And I love you for it."

"This sounds far too much like penmanship practice," I grumbled into his shoulder, though I suspected that ducking my head hadn't hid my smile.

"If you want more sentences about how handsome, delightful, and cunning I am, then I'm more than happy to oblige," he purred.

Cauldron boil and fry me—he knew the effect it had on me when he dropped his voice low like that. Heat pooled in my lower abdomen, and I didn't need the bond to sense the purely male smugness that oozed off of him.

With both of us naked atop his bed, perhaps it wasn't much of a surprise that we made sure next time happened a few minutes after that.

We would have stayed in bed all day if we'd been given the opportunity, but even a rest day wasn't completely free of obligations. Rhys had scheduled an appointment with a healer to discuss a regimen of exercises to regain strength in his wings and the utility of a sleeping draught, and that was too important to miss. I'd offered to go with, but there was no need.

For the first time in a while, I was alone. I didn't particularly want to be, and with the bond still on my mind from earlier, I realized I'd never asked Amren if her research on mating bonds had turned up anything promising. And if I was being honest with myself, I was also burning with curiosity about the lingering tension between Rhys and his Inner Circle. I dressed and headed for Amren's apartment.

The walk was short, but it was still enough to second-guess myself by the time I arrived. Amren and the others had their hands full, and she might not be home, let alone willing to entertain my questions. I took a breath and raised my hand to knock anyway.

Only for Amren to pull the door open before I made a sound.

"What brings you here, Feyre?" she said, slightly accusatory. By now, though, I knew that was as welcoming as she ever got.

"I came to speak to you," I said.

I didn't miss the way her nostrils flared and the grimace as she stepped aside to let me in. She must have scented what Rhys and I had been up to; I'd nearly forgotten that the fae could. I'd have to remember to bathe next time.

"Well?" she said, once I was inside.

"I wanted to thank you. For not trying to talk me out of going Under the Mountain."

It still took an effort not to squirm as she leveled her swirling silver eyes at me, even though I'd expected it. Coming here alone to say that, with the scent of Rhys and sex still lingering on me…she'd draw conclusions from it and probably share them with the Inner Circle. I'd thought about that and accepted it.

Jeweled bracelets on her wrists clinked together as Amren flicked a hand in a gesture that indicated it had been nothing. "Sending you was the only sound strategy we had," she said.

"What makes you say that?"

"There were no mated pairs with a fully accepted bond and one or both parties Under the Mountain. If there were, Amarantha would have been defeated well before you were even born."

I considered that. Mating bonds were rare, so perhaps it shouldn't have come as a surprise that Rhys and I were the only ones. And everyone trapped Under the Mountain had something or someone they loved—and after fifty years, that clearly hadn't been enough to save them.

It meant something. It didn't feel like a coincidence that Rhys and I were the only such pair, that I was human, that the Night Court's magic wanted something with me, that a hunter made of stars pointed to Velaris and I'd brought the High Lord of the Night Court back home.

I didn't understand everything, but I was supposed to be here in the Night Court.

Amren must have been able to tell I had more questions. She jerked her head towards the sitting area, then took a seat across from me. "Did you find anything on mating bonds between humans and faeries while I was gone?" I said. With Amren, it seemed best to get straight to the point.

"There might not be much to find. The most plausible theory is that the lifespans of a human and a faerie are too different for a mating bond to exist between them. Your being Made immortal supports that assertion," Amren said.

With everything that had happened lately, I'd nearly forgotten I was immortal. The lingering echo of magic still hadn't dimmed, but at some point, I'd grown used to it, like a background hum I could tune out. I'd have to face it eventually. One day, I wouldn't be able to ignore the fact that I'd stopped aging.

Before I could respond the sound of Mor's voice cut across the room. I nearly jumped out of my chair—I hadn't heard her winnow in. "If you were going to skip our meeting, the least you could have done was send a note," she was saying.

Her eyes landed on me as she stepped around a bookcase, and her scowl turned to a smile. "Or you could have said that Feyre was here," she added brightly.

Mor dropped into the seat between us and hugged me hello. It was still foreign to me, to be greeted this way, for someone to be pleased to see me and not just the game I was carrying out of the woods. I suspected I'd been hugged more often in my few weeks in the Night Court than all the rest of my life combined.

And it was definitely still strange to feel Mor's sharp inhale as she got closer to me and know what it meant.

"I was going to come speak to you later, but now works, too," Mor said. Her hair was pinned up into a bun, and her gown was a more subdued shade of red than what she typically favored—she must have been spending the morning attending to her duties as Rhys's Third. She'd been back to the Hewn City often lately.

"What about?" I said.

"How do you feel about a trip to the Day Court, emissary?"

"Now?"

Mor laughed and shook her head. "Gods, no. None of the courts are going to be up to hosting official visitors for a while yet, but if we're going to be first on the docket when the time comes, we need to start the conversation now."

Even with the glamour back in place, I hid my left hand instinctively at the memory of Helion approaching me Under the Mountain. "They're still our allies?" I said, though they must be if sending me there was under discussion at all.

"We have a shared border and need access to their libraries," Amren said.

"For what?" I asked. The library under the House of Wind was massive—it was difficult to imagine any information couldn't be found there.

"There are spells that don't require magic from the wielder," Amren said, watching me again as if she could see right through me. Not sizing me up, just interested in picking me apart and examining my component parts one by one. I tried not to shiver. "But that knowledge was destroyed during the War, by High Fae who were afraid it could fall into the hands of humans interested in using it against them. Day has the most extensive libraries in Prythian. If any scraps remain, they will be there."

I didn't need to ask why��I'd be safer with any magic at all at my disposal. And it would be best if we could manage it before my immortality became impossible to hide.

"It's a long shot," Mor said, "and it would have been, even before Amarantha burned most of Day's libraries. It's still worth a try."

When I'd learned a bit about the courts of Prythian before going Under the Mountain, there had been an offhand mention of a thousand libraries in Day. I sat in silence for a moment, just struggling to comprehend the scale of devastation.

It made the so-called blight on the Spring Court seem like nothing.

"Helion would share that information with us?" I said.

"The Day Court stands for widespread access to information, and their librarians keep information about who borrowed what confidential," Amren said. That seemed flimsy to me, and I started to ask about the possibility of spies when she grinned, showing her teeth. It didn't look friendly. "And I know how to make sure they stay quiet if it comes to that."

"With the shared border, there are plenty of reasons to send a Night delegation to Day that won't arouse any suspicion about what you are, Feyre. And sending just you, Amren, and me will help us get in front of any rumors that we're mistreating the Cursebreaker," Mor said.

It made perfect sense, but I still caught a slight hesitation. Perhaps because she thought I might not be ready or she anticipated an instinctive angry reaction to a plan that would separate me from my mate for a while. In truth, it was the potential of embarrassing myself as a poor reader that made me more nervous than anything. The Day Court could gawk at me if it kept the rest of Prythian off our backs.

If Feyre Cursebreaker was another role I'd have to play, then I'd do it.

"I'll go," I said. Mor and Amren shared a look as if they were communicating mind-to-mind—not daemati, just two people who knew each other well and had worked together for centuries. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortably aware they'd likely been discussing how to handle me again. After a moment, I added, "Have the rumors gotten worse?"

"Yes, but nothing we can't handle," Mor said, and I was struck again by the plain honesty, even though she knew it wasn't the answer I'd hoped for. "If you get out into Velaris more, that will help. You're well known, so word will spread if people see you, even if they can't say exactly where in the Night Court. I've been meaning to take you to dinner anyway. We could even find some blood for Amren and call it a girls' night."

Amren scowled. Mor tossed her head back and laughed.

I did want to see more of the city, though. So many other things had taken priority, but Velaris was the closest thing I had to a home anymore. Most of what I knew was the information Rhys had deposited in my head, and I wanted to find out more for myself.

"Just tell me when, and I'll be there," I said, and Mor beamed.

There wasn't much else to discuss, and Amren's irritation at two guests in her apartment was becoming palpable. Mor offered to winnow me back to the townhouse, but I was feeling restless from having spent so little time on my feet that day.

"And Feyre?" Mor said as we both stood to go. "I know my cousin knows how to treat a lady. If he doesn't get it together and take you on a proper date already, I'll kick his ass."

Amren made a disgusted noise behind me as Mor winked and then winnowed away. I took that as my cue to leave, saying a quick goodbye before hurrying down the stairs.

I felt lighter on the walk back to the townhouse. At first, I wasn't sure why, perhaps it was nothing more than just sunlight on my face and sea-scented air. But it ran deeper than that.

At some point, it clicked—I had plans to look forward to, for the first time in ages. Even in Spring, when I'd thought I'd found a bit of peace and a chance to rest and paint as much as I wished, I hadn't had that.

Happiness, the real, lasting kind, had never felt more tangible.

[sugutoad]

matchup trade for @averagetoyakinnie !

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON LIFE MATCHUP

Name

In the worlds of both House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, the names aren’t entirely like our own and sometimes do not have meanings of their own. By taking your name (Jaxrel) and analysing the way names are sorted in HOTD, I came to the conclusion that your name would be... Jaecrrel Martell. The first part of the name ‘Jae’ was frequently used in their time. The letter ‘x’ would most likely be replaced by a softer ‘c’, and the letter ‘r’ would have another ‘r’ added onto it, akin to the name ‘Oberryn Martell’.

Significant Other

I ship you with Daemon Targeryan - the Rogue Prince and the second son of the greatest family line.  I am a firm believer in Daemon needing someone who matches a similar chaotic energy yet is a bit more mellow, and you, my dear, perfectly fit that. Being able to keep Daemon between the lines is a feat that even Viserys couldn’t fulfil. He would and will kill anyone who ever blinks the wrong way at you. 

Runner Ups: Aemond Targeyan 

GENERAL HEAD CANONS:

Daemon calls you Issa prūmia, which means ‘my heart’ in High Valyrian. And speaking of High Valyrian, he was grinning ear to ear when he found you drowning yourself in books late at night, trying to learn High Valyrian… for him. Not many people would perform small gestures similar to that, and it melted his heart. For once, just for a moment, he believed that he could be someone who has a heart others can come to love.

Daemon is fully aware that he isn’t a good person, and the truth is that he never cared. He was a Targeryan, so why would he care for the opinions of others? Then you came along in his life —a believer in everything beautiful and with a heart so pure, but human. Daemon would always straighten his posture when you walked into the room. Daemon would fix his hair in the morning when he had the slightest hope building in his heart that he would cross paths with you.  He tries, really tries, to be a better person for you. 

Daemon is known as Lord Flea Bottom because of his constant presence in multiple brothels throughout the city, and he never really settles for one person. When you allowed him to own your heart, he wanted to erase his past and everything so he could be a blank canvas again, just so he could mould himself into a different person — one who doesn’t crave bloodlust and is a constant doer of sins. You are the bane of his existence, as he is yours. 

Upon setting his eyes on, what he believed to be the most divine person to grace the soils on Earth, he had immediately ruled you out as a perfectionist rule follower. Standing beside Viserys and quietly discussing some alliances with your kingdom, your eyes locked for a mere second and you looked away quickly (perhaps to hide the soft red glow slowly visible on your face). Next time he saw you was when he had been endlessly roaming the halls he had crossed so many times and he had peeked into one of the open rooms. And there you were with some papers in your hand, murmuring about some sort of thing he didn’t care about. So when the two of you had crossed paths accidentally in the streets of Flea Bottom during a festival late at night, a smile danced across his lips as you swayed yourself in the arms of strangers, singing to the lyrics of the songs. 

He had his personal tailor sew a black similar to his own after a few more accidental meets in the streets of Flea Bottom. Made from the best silk that one can find and a moonstone clutched onto the rim to keep the cloak in a single piece, he ensured that you would receive the best of the best. Why he was so content on making you happy is still unknown to him and it would take a few more years to come to the conclusion. He had baffled you when he appeared at your door in the middle of the time, a grin on his face and a cloak in hand. Once putting on the cloak, he grabbed your hand and pulled you through the lights in the city, finding himself always glancing back at you to see your reaction. It became a little thing between the two of you leaving the comforts of the place and blend in the  flocks through the city late at night.  

Normally whenever Daemon is in an argument with anyone (except his older brother who yells at him because he is the king and Daemon quite loves his tongue), they always stay quiet and refuse to meet his gaze. He was quite taken back when you looked up at him, a smirk stretched on your lip (Gods, why was he paying attention to your lips so much) and taunting him back with your arms crossed. 

People love making rumours especially when it concerns royal families. When he had announced his marriage with you, everyone had thought he only married you to be closer to inheriting the throne. You hailed from Dorne, the only kingdom who wasn’t ruled by Targeyans, but instead the your family - the Martells. Whenever he would hear anyone say anything that doubted the genuine love between you two, he would be so tempted to slice their head off or cut their tongues off (his only reason for not doing so is because he was worried that you would be upset with him)

He absolutely doesn’t mind at all with how clingy you are. In fact, he adores how you always latch on to him. He would wake up in bed when he would find you on top of him, your chin resting on his chest with a sleepy smile. Or when you would be walking in the halls of the palace and you would tightly interlace your fingers with his. Or when you jump behind out of the blue (he has a mini heart attack which he refuses to acknowledge). His favourite is the way you hold tightly on his arm and fall into his chest whenever he takes you on a flight on his dragon. (Apologies for basically adding the headcanons from our last matchup into this, I felt that it made this look more rounded up)

SFW HEADCANONS

As infatuated he is with you, he can’t express it well (asides from being physical). But do not think that he doesn’t care about you for even a second. In reality, he is always noting small little things you say or do. One time he walked into your room for a quick moment to inform you that Viserys wishes for your presence, he quickly noted the author of the book you were so dispersed in and made a mental note at the back of his head to buy copies from that author

Daemon is a man who is well guarded of his emotions at most times (unless he is incredibly angry, then there is no stopping the Rogue Prince from killing someone. Well, unless his dear beloved is nearby.) This habit of his can truly ruin someone because all humans need to release their sadness in some form , even though Targeryans place themselves above humans. Sometimes when he is tired and broken (and usually drunk), he would curl up in a little ball, his head on your lap and let everything out — whether it’s speaking of his matters or simply just sobbing quietly as you run your fingers through silver strands in silence. 

At gatherings or any sort of formal event, Daemon clings behind you (quite similar to a bodyguard or a puppy. Do not let Daemon hear the latter or else he would refuse to leave his chambers once he figures that his dear sees him in such a pathetic way .) Whereas you are the source of everyone’s joy and the life of the party, Daemon sits on his chair, simply admiring you from a distance, unknowingly fiddling with his wedding ring. He would later grab you by the arm to sit beside him and shit-talk everyone in High Valyrian (which may or may have not received an eye roll from both the King and daughter)

Envy is a feeling that Daemon is no stranger to. When he sees any man lurking near you and staring at you as if you were the Maiden itself, he has a sudden urge to take out his dagger and slice the hand of any man whose fingers even brush the hem of your dress. But when Daemon was surrounded by a group of ladies and despite their blinding beauty, his eyes skimmed over the crowd in an attempt to find you. And there you were, walking through the crowd with a tight smile and clutching tightly onto his arm, dragging him back to your seat after nodding ‘politely’ to the flock of women all seeking Daemon’s attention. A smirk stretched across his face, his eyebrow raised towards you in amusement (you tried everything to avoid his gaze, but can one truly avoid seeing the face of this man?)

With Aemond being one of your Runner Ups, I imagine he had the biggest crush on you when he was a little kid. Despite his mother’s constant complaints about Daemon and whatever mess he started again ( another war by the way), Aemond always respected his uncle. Whenever Daemon would come around with you, Aemond would spend the whole day with you. While you found it cute that your nephew had a puppy crush on you, Daemon was ready to take the title of ‘kinslayer’ if it required him too. (You simply laughed at him and told him that it was so pathetic that he was jealous of a little kid who was his damn nephew. Not that one should ever doubt the strange marriage customs in his family)

(This section is a bit shorter then the other headcanons because I think the general headcanons are also really fluffy)

NFSW HEADCANONS

Daemon is skilled in many factors in life wheter it is dragon riding, fighting or fucking. He has been called a manwhore, but in all honesty, it is the truth. From a young age he was claimed ‘Lord Flea Bottom’ and has been in almost every brothel or tavern known in King's Landing. This man is experienced, all he needs is 5 minutes alone to satisfy you

Remember how I had mentioned earlier that Daemon would straighten his posture whenever you walked in? Well, that only happens when there is ever a table in front of him or something on his lap. If there wasn’t, well damn him. He would lean slightly over, his hands intertwined over his laps, in an attempt to cover his crotch - a habit that goes unnoticed by almost anyone in the room and gains a few stares which are quickly diminished when he looks back up at them. 

The mere sight of you drives him crazy. Oh how he wishes to tear off almost any fabric vealing your body, to trace constellations of red peonies on your skin with kisses. Just by stealing a glance at the King of the Narrow Sea when you are under his gaze, it is almost no doubt that he is imagining the most sinful things that the Seven Gods would certainly punish him for (he wouldn’t even care as long as he could turn his fantasies into reality)

Every time he goes to a brothel, the people he chooses to fuck almost look similar - almost as if he wishes to pretend they were someone else dear to him. But no matter how much they look like you, they are never you. You are the epitome of perfection to him. He refuses to let whores talk because they can never sound like you. They don’t have your southern Dorne accent or the way your voice is a perfect blend of masculinity and femininity. They aren’t Jaeccrel. He always thinks to himself. They can never be Jaeccrel. 

He never really said it out loud before, but the exotic idea of having sex on his dragon’s back excites him in an unusual manner. The height, the speed, the adrenaline — the Prince can’t even look at you bedside his dragon without that idea plaguing his brain. 

We absolutely know that this man is packing a dragon in his pants. I would give it a good 9 inches probably. And this man’s stamina as well! He will be deep inside you for what seems forever and not even break a sweat. Must be the Valyrian blood in him. Sex with him is only two options: a 3 hour passionate night or a 10 minute quickie in the most random of places. (Can you blame him when you wore THAT dress!?)

I think we have come to a conclusion that this man is absolutely obsessed with you. But when you laid beneath him the first time, he realised that your voice was already addictive, but your moans were something else that intoxicated him as if he was the God of Wine. 

He is not exactly the best at aftercare, especially at the beginning of your relationship. Usually after sex, he would just leave the whore he chose that night the second he wakes up without saying anything. At first, that’s how he was after sex until he slowly opened more to you. His actions are small, but they are still there. Sometimes he would get you a glass of water or give you a massage to soothe your muscles. He can’t have you limping down the halls of the Great Hall and everyone staring at you with confusion or disbelief. 

3 Ship Tropes

shut up (you) x make me (daemon)

you make me want to be better (daemon) x you are already perfect (you)

can I kill him? (daemon) x not yet (you)

Theme Songs

‘No light, No light’ by Florence + The Machine (romantic)

‘Empire’ by Of Monsters and Men

Favourite Thing About You

Daemon loves everything about you; therefore he can’t really choose one. But if he was forced to pick a singular thing, he would, without a doubt, say that he loves your passion the most: the way you get excited over small things and hold so many hobbies near to you because you always have a burning passion to learn more.

How you Meet

Otto Hightower was mumbling some nonsense to the King again during the Small Council; the rest of the room in an eerie silence until the door opened and entered the unfamous Rogue Prince. If the atmosphere of the room wasn’t already so tense, Daemon Targeryan’s arrival was suffocating for Jaecrrel. But at least it was better than hearing Otto’s venomous words crawl at the back of Visery’s head (Jaecrrel thought that Otto was quite an amazing person, but his way of handling some situations wasn’t always the best). Quickly standing and bowing his head like the other Lords around him, Jaecrrel settled into his seat beside Viserys as Daemon surveyed the room until his gaze on him Jaecrrel. Don’t get Jaecrrel wrong, the boy is quite an extrovert and a joy to be around, but when he first meets someone, he can’t help, but feel queasy. Shyly meeting the cocky yet curios gaze of Daemon for a split second (his eyes were a pretty lilac shade compared to the cornflower shade of his brother, the King) and Jaecrrel quickly looked back at the documents in his front of him, tapping a familiar remedy on his knee. Viserys stood up to greet his younger brother and the Small Council was dismissed for the brothers to be alone with one another. Before leaving, Jaecrrel looked back one (just to glance at Prince! It is not like he was admiring him, no not all!) and surprisingly, Daemon glanced back from his conversation with Viserys, a smile on his face. 

Confession

After somehow devolving a friendship with Daemon after he saw you in King’s Landing (mentioned in Headcanons!) and the two of you began to go out more, Daemon wanted more. He was always the second son and his brother gave him everything, but always cut short because each time Daemon would want more; never really satisfied with what he had. He had a wife and a daughter (who he loved, but it would have been better if she was born a boy), but he didn’t want them. He wanted Jaecrrel Martell only. Walking only a few steps ahead of Daemon underneath the moon, Jaecrrel turned around to tell Daemon to hurry up. It was the only time the young friends lovers had some sense of peace amidst the bustling streets of Kings Landing in the quiet, dark streets where there seemed to be no inhabitants. It was almost perfect — the moon shining bright through the cracks of the clouds and they were perfectly alone; how romantic indeed. “Marry me” Daemon had declared randomly, a hand tightened on Jaecrrel’s wrist, pulling him back towards him. Jaecrrel looked up and down at Daemon, feeling like an idiot. He told Daemon that he simply could not because Daemon was already a married man. Though it felt like a punch, Daemon had expected that. He asked, he pleaded Jaecrrel that if his wife ever died, would Jaecrrel marry him? Though hesitant at first, Jaecrrel was almost swept off his feet as Daemon took a step towards him, their lips barely brushing against one another. “I want you… Fuck my wife. Fuck my daughter. Fuck everybody who isn’t us. You know in your heart that you want me, as I want you. Just say you don’t want me and I’ll stop. Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll leave you. But you can’t. Because your heart burns for me as mine does for you. We were meant to burn together. To burn each other.” Instead of responding with actions, Jaecrrel wrapped his arms around Daemon’s neck, holding on to him as if nothing ever mattered. The world seemed to stop as the bodies kissed and the souls danced.  

Dates

This romance between Daemon and Jaecrrel continued in secret, away from the prying eyes of the court. Though a feeling of guilt plagued Jaecrrel’s heart, a part of him wanted to be selfish for once and wanted Daemon for himself only. While their dates mostly consist of visiting King’s landing at night, eating all the delights, buying everything Jaecrrel wishes for (Daemon would gladly buy the whole city if his beloved asked him to)  and dancing in one another’s arms, sometimes they have different kinds of dates. Sometimes you would ride on the same dragon or go on races in the realm of clouds. Or sometimes it would be more of a serene date which would be a small picnic far away from King’s Landing, perhaps on a small hill with all the sweets anyone could imagine. Daemon doesn’t really care where they are headed to next as long as Jaecrrel is content with it. 

Wedding

After the unfortunate death of Rhea Royce who supposedly ‘fell off her horse and died’, Daemon waited no time in marrying Jaecrrel. Though Jaecrrel wanted to get married in the tradition of his house (you can check the traditions section), Daemon insisted on getting married in the old Valyrian way because no man and no Gods can ever break the traditional marriage ceremony. The bride and groom cut each other’s lips with a blade of dragonglass and with their own blood, they trace a symbol on their lover’s forehead — a symbol of fire and blood. A drop of their blood is mingled in a goblet of what I presume water or wine and they are meant to each take a sip. This is meant to signify the union between the blood and soul. Though Daemon was dressed in a cream coloured outfit with red highlights, Jaecrrel wore orange and red to honour his ancestry. The marriage was taken place shortly after Rhaenyra’s marriage with Laenor in the same hall with almost everyone in each corner of Westeros as their witnesses (I can literally imagine Otto’s homophobic ass looking away in disgust)

Children 

Reaction: Despite having many kids, Daemon always freaks out everytime you tell you that a child would be arriving. He hates being compared to Viserys, but when he hears that, he throws so many parties like his brother. He is literally the happiest man because he finally has a family of children  (umm sir? You still have a daughter who you abandoned when she was 5?) Viserys would actually be so happy and would want his kids to play and marry their kids so the family union is pure and strong like it once was. Alicent is pretty much against that idea. 

Headcanons:

Andromeda Targaryen is the first daughter and child of Daemon and Jaecrrel - only a few minutes after her twin brother, Amir Targeryan. (She always flexes thoses 3 minutes!) Despite being a quiet and eerily calm child, she bottles up her anger inside her and is absolutely terrifying. But besides that, she is the most responsible child of Daeccrel (ship name!) She is an extremely gifted child, being able to speak multiple ancient languages, practises witchcraft and has visited all the Kingdoms in both Westeros and Essos. This somehow got the attention of Cannibal, the wild dragon she met during one of her many trips. She is a raging lesbian, but the Small Council are trying to get her to be betrothed to Gwayne Hightower, Alicent Hightower’s brother, or Aegon ii Targaryan (Daemon and Alicent would rather die). She secretly has a relationship with one of her second cousins (Targaryan genes!)

While Andromeda is more like her mother, Amir Targaryan is his fathers son - a mess of madness and greatness into one. From a young age, he has geared towards his fathers interests like fighting and dragons. Despite being the only child that never claimed a dragon, Amir is a skilled fighter and one of the best sword wielders of his generation. His father (Daemon) started teaching him at a very young age. He is extremely flirty and like his father when he was younger, Amir finds himself sneaking out to visit brothels late at night. But despite all that, he has a good heart and is always helping other people. He is currently married to a Lannister woman named Lucaena. It is from his line where , Elia and Oberryn Martell come from. 

Gallerian Targaryan has a cold heart towards others, but is only soft towards his family. Despite coming from a wealthy background, he still remains greedy and is never satisfied, always wanting more and more. He is called ‘The Master of The Court’ because of his deep knowledge of law and crimes. While normally maintaining a cold or cocky personality around most, he gets absolutely flustered around Aegon Targaryen. His half-sister isn’t really pleased with that because that is her husband that he is in love with. Only Aenneth, Andromeda and Margarita know of his crush (so does Aegon, but don’t tell Gallerian because he will kill himself on the spot) The latter two absolutely love to tease him and act weird whenever Aegon is around for funsies!

Twins seem to be common for Daemon and Jaecrrel! Because they have another set of twine. Let’s start with Gabriel Targaryen. He is absolutely beautiful and literally catches the eye of any man or woman when he walks by. He is the only sibling who didn’t dye their hair (asides his baby sister) and kept his hair white. While he is impulsive and passionate around people he is closer with, he is extremely awkward around new people. While most royals have cooks preparing their meals, Gabriel prefers to make his own dishes. I feel like he is a historian and poet like Jaecrrel is.

Gabriella Targaryan, also known as the ‘Flower of the Realm’, is the perfect example of a lady. Not only is she the perfect mix of both confidence and humbleness, she is intelligent, loyal and well versed in social etiquettes; always seeming to be either attending or hosting balls and tea parties, sharing gossip throughout. She is the daughter all Ladies want their daughters to be like. Unfortunately, she doesn’t live with her family, but rather up north with her husband: Cregan Stark. 

Margarita Targaryen is the baby of the family. At only 6 years old, she is far too young to be married off, but even still people are searching suitors for her. While almost identical to Daemon, her personality leans closer to Jaecrrel. She is absolutely sassy and speaks her mind without thought of anyone else. She has servants always surrounding her to prevent her from getting in trouble. But when she does get in trouble, she gets away with her puppy eyes. She has a doll that is almost identical to her and she carries it everywhere and even does its nails. She is the sweetest soul (but naive). Her parents really don’t wish for her to grow up because all her older siblings are leaving the house one by one. 

Family Life

Family dinners are absolutely chaotic! Amir and Andromeda are bullying one another, Margarita is complaining about her food again, Gabriel is also refusing to eat the food and claims that his food is better, Gabriella is thankfully eating properly and Gallerian isn’t even at the table! (Jaecrrel has to literally drag him out). Everyone talks over one another about their day. Daemon tries to attend family dinners, but he is usually too busy.

Not only are they chaotic, but they are also competitive. They are always playing games of all kinds (usually boring games). Andromeda loves winning while Amir doesn’t mind losing except if it’s to her he is losing to. Margarita always forgets the rules of the game and cheats accidentally. Gabriel, on the other hand, cheats on purpose and he and Gabriella get in an argument to who is lying. Gallerian is usually the winner because of well he analyses everything

Everytime there is a new sibling to come, the whole family places a bet on the gender of the baby

Jaecrrel overlooks the education of the kids while Daemon oversees their training. They both believe that both genders should be taught the same things 

They always hold the biggest parties whenever Andromeda comes back from one of her trips. While the younger siblings had dragon hatch in their cribs, the eldest twins did not. The family was absolutely shocked when they saw her on Cannibal

They are always really supportive of one another. They don’t care if the other person does something wrong, they will fully support even their crimes. 

Familial and Platonic Relationships:

Rhaenyra Targeryan has clung on you ever since she was a kid. She looks up to you as a figure she can respect and idolise. She always wanted to be you. She didn’t want to be stuck in a castle and do boring duties like her parents! With her mother dead and her father marrying Alicent, she found a sense of peace and a parental figure within you. After her half-brother claimed the throne as his own, she asked you if you were willing to serve under her rule. Since then, you joined Team Black! (Niece)

King Viserys Targeyan is another figure who has come to respect you, though he isn’t quite sure about choosing Daemon as your King Consort and husband. In the 7 kingdoms, all are under the rule of the Targeyan family except Dorne, which is under the rule of your family. Because of this, two old friends were reunited in an attempt to keep a peaceful alliance with each other’s kingdoms. While you meet Daemon later in life, you knew Viserys when the two were younger (more specifically when Jaehaerys announced that Viserys will succeed him after his own death). (Brother-in-law)

Alicent Hightower makes an appearance of liking you, but I doubt she does. For starters, anything involving Daemon Targaryen is enough to get her mad. While she is stuck in the patriarchal system, you seem to be like a bird flying freely from all the responsibilities in the world — no matter how loud you or nosy you or how you dress, everyone still seems to like you. But the second she does something wrong, all eyes look at her in disappointment. She knows they are thinking that Alicent Hightower will never be Aemma Targeryan. (Sister-in-law)

Aemond Targeryan is a person I have already mentioned before. He has the biggest crush on you and he doesn’t even try to hide it! His odd behaviour around you certainly confuses everyone. When he lost his eye and everyone was seemingly against him except his mother, you defended the boy of ten names day old despite not even knowing him. Since you yourself are also in possession of a large dragon, you would give him a few lessons on Vhagar and would always assist him in the library with his studies and philosophy. This relationship strained when you married Daemon and even further when you joined Rhaenyra. He could barely look at you when days required for you to act as family. (Nephew)

Aegon Targaryen finds you amusing in a similar manner to how we find animals fun to watch, but like his mother, he couldn’t give a fuck about you. For all he knows is that you are a Prince of a neighbouring kingdom and married to his Uncle Daemon (who he doesn’t like much because of what he heard of his mother’s complaints and how he left his daughter - Aegon’s beloved) His resentment towards you grows even more when you supported Rhaenyra’s claim and joined her side (he wanted to kill you out of rage when your husband ordered the death of his six year old son. Hint!) (Nephew/ Son-in-law)

Otto Hightower thinks of you as another pawn in his Game of Thrones. He wholly believes that because you are from another kingdom, you may be dependent on others to help you around and with the King being so busy, the responsibilities will lay on him - the Hand of the King. Not only do you come from an esteemed family, but by marrying the Targaryen Prince, he could acquire more power by forming a friendship with you. At first you fell for his act and considered him as a friend, but it would take you some time (and a good chat with Daemon) to see the true nature of Otto. (Uncle-in-law?)

Criston Cole thinks of you in a similar manner to the way he thinks of Rhaenyra. With both originating from Dorne, he thinks you are rather spoiled and always living a lavish life. While he had nothing and had to work nonstop to get to where he is right now, you walk through life like it is a fun game. You got wealthy supportive parents who you could visit at any time, servants who do everything for you, a giant dragon despite sharing only a drop of Targaryen blood and marrying the man you desired the most while he had to watch the people he loves with others. (Rhaenyra and Alicent. I wholly believe they are so in love with one another) Also, Alicent doesn’t seem to like you either so that makes his point stand even further. (Sister-in-laws boyfriend/bodyguard)

Heleana Targeryan is one of your only friends in Team Green, well before Blood and Cheese. After confronting Otto about this, well congratulations my Prince, because it seems you have gained the hatred of those who possess Hightower blood coursing through their veins! Almost nobody seemed to understand Heleana until you came into her life. For once, she felt normal and not out of place. You would even scold her oldest brother for making fun of her so that is definitely a bonus. But there are times when she doesn’t even recognize you while going through her prophetic nightmares. Even then, you truly wish to stay with her. And like most members of Team Green who you were close with, your choice of opposing them and your husband’s choice to kill the King’s eldest son ruined everything. (Niece)

Aenneth Targeryan certainly shares a rocky relationship with you. (For anyone else reading this, Jaxrel and I decided to connect our life matches together and we decided that my HOTD name would be Aenneth so this is rather self indulgent and skippable) Her father was never loyal to her mother and the one time he laid with her was their wedding night and the night was conceived. The last time she saw her father was at the age of 7 during Rhea’s funeral (he has the audacity to laugh) and when she saw him again during Laena’s funeral with you, she couldn’t help but hate you. Her poor mother was never loved the way she was, so what made you so special? She softened up to you when you tried to reconnect Daemon and her and even formed a chaotic relationship, but that was completely ruined when her son was killed by the hands of her father — your ‘beloved and dear’ husband. (I live for this bittersweet angst between us) (Step-daughter)

Team Green or Black?

I have already mentioned that I believe you will be on Team Black, but let me expand further. You knew Viserys since before he ever sat on the Iron Throne; you wholly believe that he wanted Rhaenyra on the throne. You were also closer to Rhaenyra and thought she would be a kind ruler to her people and better than Aegon who you knew didn’t like you. You have built an alliance with Viserys, who wanted you to keep this alliance when he was gone and Rhaenyra was the Queen and you still continue to hold on to that vow you made him. You didn’t believe in Aegon alone, even if his father really did change his mind. And even if you did, he would allow you on his side, but that doesn’t mean that you will be treated like an outsider. 

House

You come from House Martell! I tried to give scattered hints throughout the matchup. The Martells are the ruling family of Dorne, the only kingdom that is not under the rule of Targeryans. Years after the Dance, a Martell would marry a Targeryan and Dorne would join the 7 kingdoms at last. But a marriage between the two houses has happened before actually! A few generations before the birth of Jaecrrel Martell, a youngest daughter of the royal Targeryan family married a bloodthirsty Martell who promised her the world and was also last in line to inherit the throne. She ran away from her family and the lovers married in secrets with the Seven Gods as their witness. After the birth of their son, the Martell man named Melchior wanted the throne more than anything. His once love for his beloved Aellera Targeryan slowly grew into hate because she was nothing, but a burden. She wasn’t even the oldest daughter! He would later kill his family and become the King of Dorne for a while until the Gods punished and killed him brutally. His son would grow up to become the heir and the line would cross into many houses of different ethnicities until the line came to Jaecrrel Martell. I feel like I chose this house because they are more laid back and chilled out people while remaining intelligent and I think that fits you quite well. You also reminded me a bit of Oberryn Martell, who would come from your line through your second son, Amir Targeryan who takes on your name after leaving his family.

Kingdom

Dorne is part of Seven Kingdoms and is under the rule of House Martells. While Aegon the Conqueror and his two sister-wives managed to conquer all the Kingdoms as their own, they failed to conquer and even resulted in the death of Rhaenys Targeryan and her dragon, Meraxes. The kingdom is loosely based on Spain and is located in a desert-like area which is very rocky and the hottest region too. The people are all really laid back as I’ve mentioned before and the most accepting of same gender marriages, affairs and bastards. They are mainly known for their red dornish wine; the best you can ever find — alongside sex and violence. 

Traditions

They are the only kingdom that allow both female and male rulers since they see them equal in the eyes of God

Dornish lords publicly take mistresses and paramours because as I mentioned before, Dorne doesn’t care about these type of things

During the wedding ceremony, the couple kneels together on a specially prepared patch of sand. Each pours a handful of coloured sands onto the ground, symbolising the merging of two souls — the different coloured sand representing a new union between two families. Dornish weddings often take place at sunrise, symbolising the beginning of a new day and the start of the couple's marriage together. As the sun rises over the horizon, the couple exchange vows, promising to support and cherish one another as they face the challenges and joys of life as one. Dorne is not only known for its wine, but also for its spices. The wedding feast is a lavish feast with an abundance of spicy foods and exotic flavours. As night falls, the celebration transitions into a lively dance under the stars. Dancers twirl and sway around bonfires, putting on a beautiful performance with their ribbons that almost seem to be on fire. Before the end of the wedding ceremony, the couple receives a blessing from a Septa of the Rhoynar, invoking the blessings of the Mother Rhoyne, the ancient river goddess. 

They are the most festive of people! Even the smallest of things like a child’s first words or bigger factors such as a wedding or a child coming of age deserves a grand party, especially if they come from a royal or noble household 

While other warriors prefer to use swords, the spear is the traditional weapon of choice for many Dornish warriors, and mastering its use is considered a rite of passage for young men and women. The Way of the Spear is a martial tradition that teaches agility, precision, and adaptability. Students train under instructors

Dorne is known for its bustling markets because almost everyone wants a sip of their wine or a taste of their spices, but what sets them apart is the tradition of holding special moonlit markets. Once a month, under the light of the full moon, traders and artisans from across the region gather to sell their wares. These markets are filled with exotic goods, vibrant fabrics, and aromatic spices. Perhaps this is why Jaecrrel is so drawn to visiting the city of Flea Bottom late at night.  

Dornish folklore tells of the Whispering Winds, breezes that are said to carry messages across the desert. It's a tradition for lovers to write messages to each other on strips of cloth or parchment, tie them to kites, and release them into the sky. As the kites soar on the wind, it's believed that the Whispering Winds will carry the messages to their beloved. 

(Keep in mind that most of these traditions are made up because there isn’t much information about Dorne!)

Dragon

Though you only shared a drop of Targaryen blood, it seemed that it was enough for you to claim your dragon! Your dragon named Krov, whose name means blood, comes from one of Vhagar’s many eggs. At first glance, its radiant golden scales catch the sunlight, almost like Sunfyre, the Golden. Each scale seems to possess a life of its own, shimmering and glinting with an ethereal glow as if imbued with the very essence of sunlight itself. With wings outstretched, they unfurl like vast tapestries of emerald, casting shadows that seem to swallow the land below. These wings span a great distance, stretching as far as two football fields. Atop its head, two horns rise, curling gracefully at the end like a crown. These horns are yellow in colour. And though it may not claim the title of the largest dragon to ever grace the skies—reserved for Balerion, Vhagar, Vermithor, and Cannibal—Krov takes 5th place behind them. 

Claiming:

In the depths of the Dragonpit, hidden beneath layers of rubble and forgotten history, is where most Targeryan keep their dragons or chain any wild unclaimed dragons they have found. It was here, amidst the darkness and the silence, that Jaecrrel Martell met Krov. It was almost like a soft song and whispers of ancient dragon lore long gone, Jaecrrel ventured deeper into the labyrinth, his senses attuned to the faintest flicker of life amidst the shadows. With each step, he could hear whispers of the dead in his ear, a reminder of the countless souls who had walked this path before him. He didn’t exactly know why he was headed to the Dragon pit; he wasn’t even a Targeryan, but a guest. But he needed answers! His head has been pounding non-stop for the last few days, a voice in his head telling him to follow the whispers. So here he was, delving into the darkness, And then, amidst the darkness surrounding him, he saw it—a glimmer of golden light, dancing like a beacon in the darkness. With a surge of excitement, Jerrel skipped towards the light. And there, at the heart of the cave, bathed in the golden glow of sunlight filtering through a fissure in the ceiling, lay Krov. The dragon was recently discovered and kept in the rubbles of Dragonstone for safety.  He spoke not with words, but with the silent language of the soul, reaching out to touch the dragon's shimmering scales with a trembling hand. Jaecrrel Martell stood alone, his gaze fixed upon the golden dragon. With a hand that was now far more steady, Jaecrrel stepped forward, his eyes locked with Krov's fiery gaze. As he drew nearer to the dragon, Jaecrrel felt a surge of power coursing through his veins, an energy that seemed to resonate with the very essence of Krov's being. In that moment, time seemed to stand still, the world around them fading into insignificance as man and dragon stood — their destiny slowly unfolding. With a single outstretched hand, Jaecrrel reached out to touch Krov's gleaming scales, his fingers tingling with the raw energy that pulsed beneath the surface. And in that instant, Jaecrrel knew that he had claimed Krov as his own.

 Backstory

Our past moulds us into what we are now. For some, they grew up poor and wished to support their families, but Jaecrrel was far from poor. Growing up in the halls of a palace so grand and having servants doing almost everything for him, he almost never had to lift a finger. Eldest son and child to a family of five, people all around Jaecrrel did everything to make him the perfect heir. He often found himself rummaging through historical books and sitting through boring meetings alongside the King, his father. But when we all have a chance in life, most of us take it to have a different future and a few moments of happiness. While daydreaming and dozing off in one of the many meetings, the alliance between the Targaryen caught his attention. They were in need of an ambassador to go to King’s Landing and possibly remain for quite some time. Jaecrrel immediately volunteered without a second thought and while his parents refused to let him go at first, he ended up winning the argument and packed his bag to sail on the seas. Alliances are things that can take years to happen or sometimes just a few hours. The Martell Prince managed to befriend Viserys, the nephew of the King, and after a few months, the King declared Viserys as his heir. Jaecrrel immediately made it his goal to help Viserys on the throne which will further ensure the alliance between Dorne and Westeros. After a while, he managed to catch the eye of Daemon Targaryen, who was the King’s younger brother and a married man (though he didn’t let the latter affect him. He repeatedly told Jaecrrel that he hates his wife) Mere days after the death of Daemon’s wife, he married Jaecrrel and two of them went to live in Dragonstone. When introduced in the series, Jaecrrel is seen walking into the main hall as Daemon is placing a necklace of their niece, Rhaenyra. 

Death 

Death is something that surrounds us all, the mere touch of the Stranger lingering around and our next breath could possibly be our last if the Seven Gods wish so. Though being a man of great fortune and with a man like Daemon always protecting you, even you could not avoid your death during the Dance of the Dragons. After Daemon caused the death of someone Aegon loved dearly (Blood and Cheese), the Green King was devastated and drowned himself in his sorrows and rage. He decided to strike back. Why would Daemon kill Aegon’s child when it was Aemond who harmed Luce, a kid with no connections with Daemon? After some thinking and a meeting with his Small Council, he went against all their protests and came after you. Targaryens aren’t easy to burn, but you weren’t a true Targeryans. During one of your many flights on Kavos, you felt free of all burdens. The sky was one place where no one fought over a crown and killed both sinful souls and innocent ones. It happened so quickly. Sunfyre, Aegon’s golden dragon, was smaller, but quicker and all it took was one command for him to breathe fire in your way. 

Impact: All major deaths somehow impact the plot of House of the Dragon and yours does too. While you and Daemon swore an allegiance with Rhaenyra, Daemon left Team Black after you died. Rhaenyra did not provide him the necessary protection for you that she promised to him. I feel like this is the moment in the s2 trailer when Rhaenyra asks if Daemon truly sees her as his Queen. The plot would remain similar to how it did in the books. Daemon would go to the Vale and fall in love with Nettle who was so similar to you from the way she smiled and the soft warm eyes or even the fact she claimed to be a dragon while not being a Targeryan, just like you! He would later realise that he should have killed Aemond instead of Aegon’s son which would have prevented your death. He would later fight with Aemond in the Battle of Above the God’s eye and die after stabbing Aemond in his remaining eye. But he died with a smile because at last your two souls would meet one another in the Heavens. 

MOONBOARD:

[not-quite-there-myself]

helloooo, if thats ok, id like to request something with square mutton fish/male reader! could be anything :)!!!! i rarely see any content of him ^^ love your writing btw!!!!

PORTRAIT PAINTING

After telling him that you wanted to see original art instead of his forgeries for once, Square Mutton Fish ends up painting a portrait of you. He does, and... he ends up liking it a little too much. The painting, of course. Definitely not because the subject was you. Totally not.

A/N: Aww anon I'm happy to hear that (seriously, that made my day)! Square Mutton Fish is definitely underrated, and he actually happens to be a favourite of mine. Made this silly drabble with him because of that, though it ended up being different than I originally intended (please help me I didn't mean for this to be 1k words).

Reblogs are greatly appreciated!

"What?!" Square Mutton Fish yelled, stepping back in a rather dramatic manner. "You're telling me you, my amazing master attendant of all people, have never had your portrait painted?!"

It was another day when you and your Food Soul, Square Mutton Fish, had been talking about his... unique, shall we say, line of work. As you came to learn, he was a skilled artist—that was the only thing the two of you could agree upon with 100% certainty. Square Mutton Fish would have honestly been happy if the two of you left the conversation at just that: his artistic talent. Unfortunately for him, you also happened to pick up on the fact that he didn't always use that talent of his for good.

Forgery was something you weren't exactly fond of, so it was no surprise that you chastised him when he reluctantly admitted to his scamming side hustles. No matter how much he tried to convince you it was honest work, you shut him down immediately. It didn't help that he often got into trouble with scammed victims he couldn't run from. Whenever he came back from one, you were like a parent punishing their kid from stealing from a candy store, hands on your hips and making him work double time on chores around the restaurant. But he wasn't just going to give up doing it just because you told him to.

You sighed. "Honestly, with all the trouble you get yourself into, you really oughta use that art talent for original work, not forgeries." Square Mutton Fish suddenly perked up when you added, "I'd like to see some of your own art for once..."

A grin appeared on the Food Soul's face. "Well, why don't I make one just for you?"

And that's where the two of you stand now.

He'd suggested painting a portrait of you, because what better model to have other than his dear attendant? Surely you'd like a painting of yourself, right? Especially with how you mentioned his creative talents and all... But you shook your head, declining his offer. You told him that you probably wouldn't be the best muse—you've never had yourself painted before, actually. You weren't sure if you'd be able to sit still for so long, nevermind keep the same position.

Incredulous by your nonchalant reply, he decided that that just wouldn't do. "Come now, Master Attendant. Why don't I do the honours of painting you?" He seemed all the more eager now, and claimed to be up for a challenge. With a bit more pushing and prodding, you gave in and agreed to his request.

Who knew it would end up backfiring on him?

Gathering all his supplies, you and Square Mutton Fish agreed on a time in the afternoon where you both would be available, and away from all the hustle and bustle of the busy restaurant and the even busier streets. You went out to a grassy clearing nearby, and, making sure there weren't any Fallen Angels near by, met with Square Mutton Fish.

He had already made himself a little area to put his paints and brushes, plus a wooden chair in front of an easel for you to sit on. He waved to you as you came over, carrying a blank canvas under his arm. From the way he peered at you, he could tell that you were probably regretting your decision to agree to his silly request. He seemed adamant on keeping you seated though, a cheeky grin on his face as he put a hand on your shoulder.

"Having second thoughts, Master Attendant? You better not! You agreed to this and I've already set up everything."

Well, it's not like you were gonna back down now.

As the sun gradually went down, you watched as Square Mutton Fish's eyes alternated from the canvas to you. He worked swiftly, mixing paints and switching brushes, but you couldn't help but think that after all this time, he'd been staring at you for a little longer than necessary. It got to a point where you worried he was spacing out or tired and questioned him about it.

"Huh? N-nope! Nothing's wrong, Master Attendant! Don't worry, you look great!" He'd shake it off and tell you it was just an artist at work, to not worry your little head about it and trust the process! It takes time to create perfection, you know. And it's definitely not taking longer than normal because it's difficult for a skilled artist like him to paint someone he finds attractive. Wait, what?

At some point, he let it slip, a frown on his face as he struggled with finding the right colour for your clothes.

"Tsk-tsk, if only he wasn't so handsome, this wouldn't be as complicated..."

"What was that?"

"Wh-what was what? Just keep still, Master Attendant. I'm almost done~"

The relief that washed over you when he told you you could move after so long was astounding. Stretching felt amazing, and you swore that if anyone ever asked to have you pose for a portrait painting again, you'd never agree. You went over to look at the finished product and was pleasantly surprised with what you saw.

"Oh, this looks wonderful!" You complimented, taking the painting off the easel with great care. You made sure not to touch the paint as it was still in the middle of drying. The colours and the proportions were perfect, and the way the paints blended in together seemed almost effortless. It looked so real that if you didn't know any better, you'd think you were looking in a mirror. He really was talented.

Square Mutton Fish had a hand under his chin the whole time, an indiscernible expression on his face. It honestly surprised you that he could get so quiet. You grimaced at the thought that he might not be happy with it. You held up the painting for a side by side comparison. "You're not going to make me sit back down, are you?" You asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, no! Not after you've sat for so long. I wouldn't make my master attendant suffer like that." He seemed to trail off despite that, drifting back into his mind's space once more. Your brows furrowed in confusion until a realization dawned on you. There was a prominent dust of pink on his cheeks that only seemed to grow the longer you stared at him, and his expression seemed almost soft.

"Are you having second thoughts, Square Mutton Fish?" You smiled slightly. His mouth struggled to come up with a reply. "You seem to like staring at me. You already have a painting right here, surely that will last longer than the real thing." You teased, "Unless you want to keep looking?"

The Food Soul let out a forced laugh, trying to buy some time to think of an excuse. "Master Attendant, you're really..." He cleared his throat, dismissing what he originally wanted to say. Instead he explained, "It's, uh... it just turned out way better than I expected it to! Yes, that's it!"

With a swift hand, Square Mutton Fish yoinked the canvas from your hands and fled the scene, leaving you, the easel, the paints, and the paint brushes alone. You also caught him say he forgot to put a seal somewhere or something. As you watched him leave, you couldn't help the small chuckle that left your lips.

It's not everyday you get to see Square Mutton Fish so flustered. Thank your lucky stars that today you managed to catch the look on his face today: incomparable to any work of art, original or forged. It was absolutely priceless.

[mdhwrites]

Your Grom Factory post is so right!! I felt like the last parts of it felt off but I didn't know why until I read your analysis. I wanted to like the ending and Ayzee's character so bad because Milan and Ayzee looked so cute together (even if they weren't all that interesting) but Ayzee's final depressing thoughts just ruined it for me :(

I also agree with A Little Hint of Blue being boring. I'm a Vinira shipper so I may be biased but they feel so bland in the comic. I know it's supposed to expand Skara's character but she also just comes off as annoying to me, and it's weird because she kinda reminds me of Anne (her dynamic with Boscha reminds me of Sashanne) but I like Anne and I don't care for Skara. Also the musical scene was cringe, I'm sorry, might be because it's in a comic but still. I did like how the comic kinda expanded on healing and bard magic, the fight was cool even though I think it was ooc for Viney to fall for Skara's trick by the end of it.

So like I said before, I don't want to harp too much on Mark's work without a point. Honestly, if you want to talk about Mark's work with me, my DMs are open, I've talked about him a fair bit on my Discord (in fact, it was voicing that I wasn't certain about posting the blog on Discord that got one of my followers to reassure me I wasn't just being an ass and shouldn't worry so much that led to it being posted) or you can even just ask me non-anonymously and I'll answer in private. I'm not trying to start anything.

With that said, you actually bring up a really good and interesting point in regards to Skara's character that has been digging at me for a WHILE and is useful as a more condensed version of the issues with both Hunter and Amity's arcs who share a lot of issues and I will bring up throughout this as well. A Hint of Blue is indeed meant to expand her character by saying she's a generally and genuinely good person but she has to put on a performance for others. That she is stuck between the person who she is deep down and who society wants her to be. This is effectively the same trick the show does for both Hunter and Amity so A: it is literally nothing new and B: it suffers from similar issues while its specific methodology is a NIGHTMARE to portray well. Worse yet, both of these issues render Skara's character somehow less than the blank canvas it already was.

See, and this is the big part of why I decided to respond, Skara's trick is to show someone with a pure survival response in this regard. She hasn't internalized ANYTHING that people push upon her by what her actions have shown. This means it is all an act rather than these outside forces having had a deeper personal impact. Hunter and Amity, again, suffer similar issues but they at least pay some lip service to the idea that they're not just twin personalities. There is some overlap. For Amity, it's when she is still somewhat cold after breaking the everlasting oath in Covention as even when shown kindness, she still keeps some of that distance. Or heck, just her entire first appearance honestly. For Hunter, it's the constant reinforcement of needing to please Belos. Moments that show that even when the external pressure isn't actively there, it is weighing on their mind, much like how Zuko clearly always had something stressing him out, even when all was quiet. It's part of why how easily Amity throws off her shackles, and how Hunter doesn't actually refute the morality he's clearly been taught, make their arcs and characters weaker because it implies that these pressures never actually got in.

And unfortunately for Mark, he can't seem to decide which version he has and canon supports neither option. In the very first page of the comic, Mark emphasizes A: how long Skara has been being a bully. Not just a bully but enjoying it as even her first act of monstrosity, kicking a sand castle down, is greeted with a smile while she is still very small. This implies some part of her is just cruel. But that's being actively contrasted by B: having her immediately willing to break the bitch code Boscha has in place by apologizing to Viney without any real hesitancy until Boscha speaks up, implying her instincts are to be nice. Mind you, in that first comic she does need to be pushed to destroy the sandcastle... But not to claim be wronged. She first, before the prompting, claims the playground as hers. She's not pushed to be pushy but to stand up for herself and claim what is hers. Not actually inherently unhealthy so long as you aren't a bitch about it honestly which, yes she was being.

And this sort of incongrueny gets better and worse as the story goes on, let alone with the framing of it. After all, the story is trying to frame it as her being a naturally good person who only acts up due to Boscha. This is why Viney, for no reason, is so anti-Boscha. She is meant to be the second world that Skara is being pulled between. When written REALLY POORLY, this is how you get Skara stating Boscha isn't that bad and actually cares in her own way one comic and then literally two comics later, Boscha destroys Skara's chance at romance while mimicking Dio (I know it's Jojos in general but like... Why Jojos there at all?). It's superficial to put it extremely mildly.

As a note, this would actually be the heart of the sort of stuff I would talk about, characters making choices because they fit the tropes of the story, if I decided to talk about the Hallmarks (pun intended) of boring romances. Forced character writing with zero motivation or real flavor is the normal core to that problem.

And well... When your motivations as a character are "I inherently have a heart of gold!" versus "I am the puppet of the most evil fourteen year old on my continent"... You get a really boring lamp that keeps getting passed around. It's meant to expand on Skara's personality but instead it reduces it to NOTHING. Or, it's that her personality is ENTIRELY dependent on whoever she is around and the nice version is the version that Viney gets because she believes Viney will kick her ass otherwise as that is actually the reason the first apology comes out. Or appears to with how worried Skara immediately becomes while Viney rolls up her sleeves.

And since you brought it up and they're PERFECT FOR THIS, let's contrast this with Sasha and Anne. They actually are this sort of dynamic after all. Sasha forces Anne to do things outside of her comfort zone through using their friendship and this is bad for Anne but Anne does it because what Sasha gives her is fun, it's exciting and it's from someone who at least claims to genuinely care about her. Even at her meanest, Sasha is wanting to spend time and make Anne's life better. It's part of why her character is so great. Skara gets lip service in the first comic about liking being on the top of the food chain but all her actions are independent and even the final panel goes out of its way to show Boscha leaving Skara behind, showing the actual gulf in their relationship. It's lip service that Skara will spend literally the ENTIRE rest of the comic saying she hates. She doesn't actually ever act like she ever gets anything out of this.

Then we have the second world pulling Anne: The Plantars. Suddenly, she is shown that you can be loved and cared for by other people without having to do morally dubious things... And she chaffs at it because it does mean more complicated relationships. Hop Pop and her don't understand each other. Polly isn't the gal pal she wants even though she is a gal and a pal. Even Sprig still chafes at her her habits and the like while Sasha may have more cleverly gotten to stop anything she didn't like. This is part of why Anne isn't all that great to the Plantars early on. She doesn't want the work that goes into a real relationship. She'd rather be subservient and have it be simple. It's only through seeing just how much better these people are, and how it feels to have her own autonomy, that she breaks her chains and discards Sasha, at least for a while until they're both in healthier places. As a note, THIS is why S1 of Amphibia is the way it is because this shit takes TIME, let alone while also using an entire town to reinforce these lessons.

Skara meanwhile just... likes the other world. That's really it. She just gravitates towards being nice and real connections, just like Hunter and just like Amity. As always is stated: We're TOLD that she likes being on top but why? It's never even elaborated on with words, let alone shown to us but also yes, this would have extended the arcs overall to show this. Like I said, Amphibia spends a lot of time on groundwork for a reason. Arguably more than it needed to but it still needed a large amount of time to make the payoff and journey as satisfying as it is.. Even TOH understood this with Amity as they pretend for a little longer than a single line that she has reasons to want to be on top until she just drops it all once no one is looking. -_- This attempt to make it less blatant though is part of why Amity dominates a THIRD of the entire series.

And honestly, between this and the enemies to lovers trope from the base show (and actually this too I guess if Viney didn't seem to have some deep seated hate for Boscha that we just haven't been told about yet) I really am getting tired of people seeming to think romance really is a simplistic genre. In fanworks, you get a lot of quick romances, yes, but that's fine. They're normally not trying to claim to be doing an arc or the like with it. They're just bringing two characters they like together. However, romance is an entire GENRE for a reason. You can tell whole stories just around a romance with no other elements because just two people interacting and figuring out deepening feelings is one of the most complex elements for a writer to figure out, regardless of which complex emotion you're choosing. If you don't actually figure that out though, romance tends to be the genre where characters show their narrative purpose fastest. Where you feel the hand of the author forcing the characters together the most. It's why the romantic subplot is such a despised narrative trope. It's why Amity descending into being a love interest is so sharp because capital L LU- LOVE is all she's about now.

And that is the case here too. Skara is all about Viney... Because this is a romance. That is a not deep character, that is a sexy lamp that happens to sing.

======+++++======

I didn't even hint to giving the two moments to bond and have real chemistry instead of just lecturing at each other. *screams* GEE, the romance writer has opinions on romance!? Never would have guessed. I won't even say I'm perfect at it, I'm definitely still improving myself, but it is technically my genre, even back when I was writing harem erotica.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[pestercide]

How do you make gifs?

Hi! The process I use is done completely online using several websites (which will be attached here). In fact my process probably makes things a bit more complicated than it really should but tbf I don't know how else to do it pff

First of all, you'll need to download whatever you want to make gifs from in a mp4 format. If you're grabbing a video off of YouTube there are plenty of YouTube to mp4 websites available online. However, if you were to download from a different website (such as Newgrounds, for example) then you'll likely have to install a browser extension to download videos. For example, since I use Firefox I use the Video DownloadHelper extension.

Once I have the video I need I drop it into Canva, though any video editing website/software works. All you need is a program that allows you to crop videos and export them in a gif format. If not then you can export the cropped video in an mp4 format and use a website/program that allows you to convert mp4 files to gif. I recommend the following sites: Ezgif CloudConvert FreeConvert

However, I'm going to use Canva for this tutorial since it's how I work.

First of all, you gotta upload your video to Canva (it will appear beside the blank 'canvas').

Once you've uploaded the video(s) you want to make gifs with, all you need to do is drag and drop them onto the blank canvas. It should automatically fit it to fill the whole canvas if you drag the video to the edge of the canvas instead of the middle.

All you have to do from here is figure out which part you want to crop out! The great thing about Canva (and some other programs, though not all) is you can search through the timeline frame by frame with the arrow keys to make sure you get the exact part you want (just make sure you click on the timeline before you start touching the arrow keys, because if the video is still selected you'll just end up moving the video across the canvas pixel by pixel).

Once you've cropped out the part you want, all you have to do is export it as a gif. You do this by going to 'share', 'download', and choosing gif under the 'file type' dropdown.

(Once you select the gif option, don't worry about adjusting the size of the video.)

Once you have your gif you can stop there! Unless you want to crop the gif to focus on a specific character or section of the scene, for example. If you plan on making a gifset just remember to keep the same aspect ratio for each gif.

I use Ezgif to crop my gifs. It makes the process extremely simple and has several presets for the aspect ratio too!!

And yeah! That's about it! I hope this tutorial makes sense,, it's my first time making one qwq but if you have any questions just lmk!!