#but personally I prefer the regular nations
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ifindus · 10 months ago
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Norway/Nyo!Sweden opinion?
Any Scandi combination gives immediate sibling vibes for me ✨ I'm not too much of a nyo fan either, just because we don't really have anything more than simple sketches and loose designs for them (regarding the Nordics at least), something that I find difficult to get invested in myself. It's fun to play around with, but not really something I think about too much.
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yaloellie · 1 month ago
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How would you torture Arti after she fails to ascend in that one ending? What would be her personal Hell?
Firstly, the serious answer.
We all know, what could be the torture for Arti — see her children die over and over again and have no chance to save them, or lose an infinite amount of fights with Scieftain, etc, you name it yourself.
But I think the version of Arti who made it to the Depths does not deserve the torture?!
Her LIFE is ALREADY a HELL. Imagine how it is to live when your kids are dead and it is probably your fault.
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And if she chooses to go to the echoes instead of fighting Chieftain, that means that she's probably changed, and no longer killing scavs with no need. They are chasing her, not she. She just wants to see her pups again.
Let her rest in peace! No hell for Arti!
(Also I prefer Chieftain ending. Seems more canon to me. I'm defendig only ascended Arti here because you asked about her :))
Less serious answer:
Furious/angry/evil traumatized woman who takes revenge is my favorite character trope ever. Maybe regular evil Arti deserves the hell, but I love her.
I have several characters like this myself. For example, this is Ermida and she is basically the Arti of my setting
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AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH! even if her revenge doomed her entire nation... (the war was a revenge for her revenge. The Cycle)
In conclusion, LET'S GO, ANGRY WOMEN, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT I WON'T JUDGE
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it-happened-one-fic · 1 year ago
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Special Delivery - Wriothesley
Author Notes: It has been a journey in learning how to spell this man's name. This fic honestly just sort of happened. I didn't have a song I listened to while I wrote it and didn't really exactly have an idea either, outside of the fact that I've always though guys should get flowers just like girls. After all, flowers are pretty. I leave it up to you to decide what sort of flower was gifted here though. As per usual, Reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!
Type: Gender-Neutral Reader/ Fluff/ Flirtation/ Teasing
Word Count: 1308
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Just as it was with other nations, there were many, many different jobs and positions that one could hold in Fontaine.
But yours was very unique.
It wasn’t that you were anything nearly so grandiose as the receptionist to the revered Iudex or the widely-beloved Archon. And you also didn’t work for the Spina de Rosula or The Steambird.
No. You didn’t hold a position quite that illustrious. Instead, you were a delivery person.
You delivered ingredients, bandages, medicine, and, yes, even teas to the infamous Fortress of Meropide. After all, while such commodities were the norm of the Overworld, finding the same goods at the bottom of the sea was hardly possible. So you delivered them. Sometimes making two to three runs between the sunny upper side of Fontaine and the dark prison hidden in the depths.
 Your delivery runs were always waited for with bated breath by the people within the massive prison complex. Especially when the denizens of the depths knew you were going to be bringing special commodities, such as books for Sigewinne sent from Monsieur Neuvillette himself.
You strolled through the metal hallways with purpose as you went to make your final delivery for the day, and no one looked twice as you marched right up to the warden’s office and went in with barely even a pause.
Most inmates had no clue as to what you might be delivering to the duke who guarded these halls. You almost always had to make a stop at his office, though, and most preferred not to think too hard about what might be in the box you were carrying.
But, despite their fears, you held nothing quite so terrifying as what they might suspect. In fact, the box you held against your hip always held the exact same thing. Namely, tea.
To be fair, he usually requested an assortment of varying teas, but the regularity of his orders was somewhat concerning, and it might be worth mentioning to Sigewinne as to whether excessive consumption of tea could be detrimental to his health.
You walked up the steps silently as you entered the well-appointed office that you were now quite used to. Though you did have to wonder where the man in question hid his doubtlessly impressive tea stash since all the shelves of his bookcases were filled with books.
“There you are,” Wriothesley’s pale eyes immediately lifted from where he’d been looking at a stack of papers so that he was looking up to where you’d appeared at the top of the staircase as he stood from behind his desk. Almost like he’d been waiting for you. Or rather, more than likely, his beloved tea.
He walked around the desk with a slight smile as he met you halfway and accepted the box from your arm before immediately sitting it down so that he might peer inside at its contents. And you waited patiently as his gaze scanned container after container of fine tea and tea blends, nodding approvingly at certain intervals before he at last looked your way once more, “Perfect as always.”
There was a subtly teasing lilt to his voice that had you smiling before you shifted and revealed what you’d been hiding behind your back with that hand that had not been occupied by tea.
“Special delivery,” You announced cheerily as Wriothesley’s gaze darted between the potted plant in your hand and you. His expression shifting amusingly from curiosity to confusion.
After a brief moment of silence, he sighed, almost as if surrendering, “Y/n, you’re gonna have to help me here. I’m not the most well-versed in the language of flowers, but is this some form of hate mail from the House of Hearth or something?”
You rolled your eyes before handing the fully bloomed flower to him, “No, Sigewinne’s been telling me about how you’ve been staying holed up in your office, and you’ve mentioned that you rarely get to see flowers since you’re usually stuck down here in the fortress. I bought this for you to try and brighten the place up,” You gestured widely to the room as you finished, still smiling at the man who continued to stare at you.
“So you bought this for me?” He clarified with raised eyebrows, causing you to nod in amusement before you saw the glimmer that entered his eyes at your wordless response. A small, childish part of you whispered that you never should’ve entertained the thought of buying him a gift, but you ignored such thoughts.
Instead, you focused on the man in front of you as you braced for whatever it was he was going to say next.
“Well, something coming as a gift from you certainly is a ‘special delivery,’ but I must say, you’ve done what most can’t. You’ve surprised me, Y/n.” He paused, eyeing you closely, before pressing a hand to his chest with a grin slipping onto his face, “I never expected you to try and woo me.”
Somehow, you weren’t even surprised by his words as you leaned relaxedly against his desk and sat the gift down, causing the flower to bob lightly. “And what makes you think that this is me wooing you?”
He leaned forward, that grin still on his face as he spoke once more, “Isn’t that what gifts of flowers usually mean?”
Unperturbed by his teasing, you tilted your head, “Weren’t you the one who just implied that this plant was flower-coded hate mail to start with? And flowers are common get-well-soon gifts anyway; they don’t necessarily have anything to do with romance or wooing.”
“But I’m not sick,” He was quick to point out his apparently good health almost immediately. Straightening with an almost smug grin that had you shaking your head slightly.
You smiled at him innocently, though, automatically reminding him of Siegwinne’s concerns regarding his habit of holing himself up in his office, “But Sigewinne is worried.” 
He mimicked your motions, propping against the desk and half-caging you in with his body but still leaving your escape open, “Is this why you've been delivering such especially high-quality teas?”
You grinned slightly, despite yourself, at the man before you gestured lightly to the now abandoned box that sat on his desk next to him, “That’s the brand you always request, Lord Duke.”
His title slipped off your tongue easily, and you stared at each other silently. Wearing matching grins and similarly bright eyes as you each waited for the other one to make the next move.
After a moment, though, he shrugged and leaned back. Seemingly giving up even though that tell-tale glimmer still hadn’t left his eyes, “If you say so. I still find it suspicious, though.”
You held out his receipt for the delivery, watching as he took and signed it obediently before handing it back over. You accepted the slip of paper, having to actually tug it out of his hand as his gaze held yours with that persistently amused smile. But this was becoming a steadily more common set of interactions with you. A careful dance of teasing that he almost always slipped some form of flirtation into. 
You were still smiling as you finally managed to free the paper from his grasp without it tearing and without having to grasp it with both hands and yank it out of his hand, “Duly noted.”
He snorted slightly at your words but didn’t respond, and with that you were on your way. Not stopping until you were outside of his office and being greeted by Sigewinne.
“Did he like the flower?” The Melusine’s eyes were wide with giddy curiosity, and you paused. 
A smile flickered across your face as thought back to Wriotheseley’s amused grin, teasing tone, and glimmering eyes before you nodded, feeling oddly satisfied with yourself, “You know, I believe he did.”
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14dayswithyou · 11 months ago
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Teo NSFW Alphabet
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🔞 18+ CONTENT! MINORS: DO NOT INTERACT! 🔞 Hello Teo Alvarado Nation, I come bearing gifts
A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)
For one night stands; Teo will casually point out where the bathroom is and let them use any of his personal products —before ignoring them in favour of his phone or organising an Uber/chauffeur to pick them up. But for regular hookups; he'll have a towel, a bottle of water, and some snacks ready on standby. They are welcome to stay the night, but they better be gone before Teo wakes up in the morning.
B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner's)
Necks :) He likes how nicely his fingers look wrapped around his partner’s throat — as well as the expensive jewellery he buys specifically for them to wear. I know everyone probably expects me to say that Teo likes his own face the most, but he honestly might prefer his own biceps instead. He's worked hard to maintain this kind of build, so it's only natural for him to want to show off the results.
C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)
The only time you'll ever get to see his cum is if you give him head; otherwise, he'll use a condom (or send you home if there are none available). But!! His seed is somewhat thick and has a bitter taste. It's not unpleasant, though!
D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)
He's probably had a sexual escapade or two with a few of the other library employees by now ^^; He won't go anywhere near your immediate coworkers, though — he's not that much of an asshole.
E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)
Sexually? There's almost nothing this man hasn't done already. He's extremely skilled, knows what he wants, and isn't afraid to ask for it if his partner(s) are willing. Romantically, however? That's an entirely new realm to him. Theo has probably never held anyone's hand before or kissed them with affectionate intentions. He knows how to fuck, but he doesn't know how to make love.
F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)
Doggystyle, in front of a mirror. He likes being able to pull his partner's hair, slap their ass, or place a hand on their neck/shoulder blade to bend them to his liking. Seeing his partner's face might be a bit too intimate for him, so any position that lets Teo fuck undisturbed is good in his books.
G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)
While he's far more serious, he'll entertain any goofy partners. If they crack jokes or do something silly, he'll roll his eyes and go along with it — for the most part. Once it starts getting old, he'll simply ignore it.
H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)
Most of his body is hairless for his own personal preference, though he does grow out his happy trail on occasion... Especially if he knows his regular partners are into it. It's a dark patch of black to match the hair on his head.
I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)
Literally non-existent. When he sleeps with someone, it's because he's either looking for a bit of fun or to let off some steam. Both parties are aware of this, though, and Teo would never have sex with someone who sees him in a romantic light or wants something more than a casual hookup. I can't believe this is happening, but if it's blog!Teo (aka Rosie and Jesse delulu AU /pos), then he would be waaay more intimate with his partner! He's more likely to make eye contact and even lean in for a kiss if you beg him enough.
J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)
Although he'd definitely jack off if necessary, Teo is typically around people who are willing to help him blow off some steam — so there isn't really much point. Teo does find the idea of mutual masturbation hot, though!
K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)
My dyslexic ass doesn't know how to spell it correctly, but he's got a crying kink!!! Seeing his partner so overwhelmed with pleasure just does something to him, and it goes hand in hand with his degradation and knife kink. However, I want to make it explicitly clear that Teo doesn't get off to seeing his partner in pain!! He also wouldn't do something they're not comfortable with. Everything gets discussed before the relationship situationship can delve into anything more long-lasting.
L = Location (favorite places to do the do)
He loves to do it inside his McLaren (or Tesla, in Blog! Teo's case). His windows are heavily tinted so you don't have to worry about any outside interference, though Teo isn't above threatening to wind down the window inch by inch in order to tease you. Other than that, Teo is down to fuck almost anywhere that's hygienic and sanitary. But keep in mind that he also gets a kick out of public indecency, and bribing the law isn't above him either (if you guys somehow got caught).
M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)
Sending him risque texts, telling him you're bored and alone, unabashedly sitting in his lap while he's with his friends, literally taking his hands and shoving them down your pants, etc. He likes people who are confident and forward with him without feeling ashamed or embarrassed by it. ...Just don't make it seem like you're trying to claim ownership over him, though. Don't cling to his side to make his friends jealous. Don't send him spicy texts because you saw him flirting with another man. And don't act brazen just to flaunt your relationship in front of that cute souvenir shop cashier.
N = No (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)
To be honest, there isn't much that Teo is not open to. He's down for almost anything so long as it's legal and not too immoral/outlandish. He's fine with somnophilia if it's discussed prior, but things like dubcon might be a bit too icky for his tastes. Keep in mind that he's also really selfish, and would probably want to stick to his own kinks since they are more familiar to him.
O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)
He was born to be a pillow princess, but wouldn't mind going down on his regular hookups either.
P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)
It's always hard and rough with him, though he likes to switch up the tempo in order to tease you/his partners. Just when you think you're about to come, he'll slow down and ultimately stop moving. And once you've sufficiently begged him enough — maybe turn on the waterworks to really get him going — then he'll give it to you fast and hard until your toes are curling and your eyes are rolling back.
Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)
He's Corland Bay's king of quickies lmao. Teo is the type to pull you (and your clothes) aside and take you where you stand before going about his day as if nothing happened.
R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)
He's always down to take risks and experiment! Teo is open to trying out almost anything — and unlike Ren, he's more in favour of having others see you both get fucked. Teo knows he's good and wants to show the both of you off.
S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)
While 3-4 rounds might not sound like much, Teo tends to draw them out for as long as possible. It's almost like he's trying to edge you with how often he'll stop before you can reach your peak... But the orgasms always feel that much better for the both of you when you're especially horny and desperate for release. I think the better answer would be that Teo can last at least six hours in the bedroom.
T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)
He doesn't use anything on himself, though Teo does have a small box of toys for his partners who prefer it. I wouldn't count his knife collection as toys, nor the literal police handcuffs stashed away in his drawer. (Which, ironically, were used to detain him after he vandalised a small business..... Why did they let him keep the cuffs.... How did he get away with it.........)
U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)
Teo isn't one to be a physical tease (he doesn't have the patience for it), though he is a massive verbal tease in the bedroom. More often than not, his words are mixed with a degrading edge to it. "My thigh ain't enough for you? Then why don't you try begging me for more, then. C'mon, I know you can do it." / "You want more? Move your hips then." / "Hands on the mirror, doll. I never gave you permission to touch yourself." / "Look at you, crying while bouncing on a cock like that. Can't handle it splitting you open like that, huh?" / "Fuck. Can't help but act like such a cock-hungry slut, can you? I'm not even all the way in yet."
V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)
He mainly uses low grunts and growls, though he does use a lot of dirty talk to fill the silence. Teo gets more vocal the closer he is to coming.
W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)
Blog!Teo only ever kisses Angel :) It's already kinda hinted at in all da NSFW fics with him involved, but I'll take advantage of this situation and make it more official hehe
X = X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)
I ERASED HIS PENIS FROM MY MEMORY, But I wanna say it's around 7 inches and extremely girthy. There's a prominent vein or two running along the underside with a slight curve to the left when erect. Even when soft, it looks like he's packing heat down there.
Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)
Teo has a high sex drive, but he can easily manage it. Surprisingly, he probably only has sex like... maybe four or five times a week? He's too busy being a public menace and setting things on fire. Now that I think about it, I do quickly want to reiterate that while, yes, Teo is a playboy; that isn't his defining personality trait. Since the very beginning, he's always been a lover of chaos and messing with people (/nsx) — not sleeping around. Flirting =/= sex, and Teo has always been so much more than just a hedonistic fuckboy. So please don't take this post as confirmation of him only being interested in sex (or sleeping with Angel)!!
Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)
Teo will most likely stay up a bit longer just to scroll through social media on his phone, though he is willing to initiate pillow talk if it's with one of his FWBs/regular hookups. If it's a one night stand, he'll only fall asleep once they're gone.
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wuxiaphoenix · 8 months ago
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Worldbuilding: Outliving Emperors
There’s a common tendency in a lot of fantastic fiction portraying long-lived races or individuals interacting with shorter-lived types. It often defaults to, “they have a mindset of slow and patient consideration in the face of Problems. After all, they have plenty of time.”
(Until, of course, they don’t, and the Evil Overlord obliterates lots or possibly all of them.)
It’s a valid way to portray a fantasy race, I guess. But I think it misses a critical consideration of sapient life. And that’s pattern recognition.
To boil it down - if you’ve lived a long time, and you pay attention to what’s going on around you, sooner or later you will recognize when things are about to go nastily sideways. The river-folk down there and the mountain-folk up there have had a new generation grow up without bloodshed; sooner or later some young buck out to make a name for himself is going to dig up the old feuds all over again. Or, we’ve had three years of bad harvests in a row, I bet the nomads think we’re weak now, let’s watch for raids. Or (and much worse), this guy is making speeches about a Glorious Past and Restoring the Nation to its Rightful Place in World Affairs... right, time to duck, world war incoming.
If you’ve had time, you’ve seen things happen. If you’ve had enough time, and survived it, and even a little breather afterward, you can sift back through the history leading up to When All The Maps Got Arrowy, and try to see what set the whole mess off. So if you see similar precursors go off again....
Slow and patient consideration might not actually be your preferred plan. Instead, you might opt for, find the bastards and shut them down, fast.
Someone slaps you? Walk out now, no matter what anyone else thinks. Squatters on your land? Find them and toss them out on their ears so hard they bounce. Sabers rattled your direction? Make it absolutely clear there will be heavy weapons firing back - as soon as fired on, not “two years later after we’ve deliberated it to death”.
Because if you’ve lived for a while, and you anticipate living a lot longer - think about it. “I’ll be a slave for a decade, then die,” is bad. “I’ll be a slave for a century, and that’s only if they let me die-”
Yeah. That’s worse.
With a long lifespan, the number of Bad Things that can happen to you automatically increases, just by virtue of your being alive to have them happen. Why would you want to give any avoidable Bad Thing a chance to happen?
 Wouldn’t it be possible that an elf, cultivator, dragon, or other creature who might live centuries, might actually be quicker to act than regular humans?
I have found this in one fantasy setting. In Lejentia, by Flying Buffalo Games, the Aelvan Nations finally beat down and imprisoned the Hyl Sudiar (Hellish Seducer) and the demon who possessed him, and breathed a sigh of relief. Some centuries later, said demon persuaded another person to become the next Hyl Sudiar... and the Aelvan Nations declared war immediately.
Human kingdoms: “Whyfor you do that?”
Human kingdoms a few centuries later, after despite all efforts the Hyl Sudiar’s armies have conquered half the world: “...Oh.”
I have to think about this, given I have a story that has at least one nearly three-hundred-years-old vampire, and a somewhat younger cultivator who has still outlived three emperors and is working on a fourth. (Zhengle, Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli, if you’re interested.) They’ve seen threats to their people. They know, over and over again, what it is to lose people to the actions of evil men. What it is to live on, while those you love die, and it never stops hurting....
Long life might not mean slow and deliberate action. Just a thought.
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celestial-sphere-press · 29 days ago
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That National Geographic leather binding for Yellowstone is fucking Gorgeous!!! (Pardon my Language)
How long have you been binding, and what would you recommend to someone who wants to try it for themselves?
hello and thank you so much!! I worked really hard on that one (and no pardon needed haha)!
I started binding in February of 2021, which means in a few months I'll have reached 4 years. It's been an awesome journey!!
If you'd like to try it for yourself, I'd recommenda few things!
1) You can 100% try out the basics with near free or cheap materials. People typeset in Word or Google Docs or Pages. You can print on printer paper & use regular sewing thread & scavenge board from old books or notebook backs or do a limp leather binding & use no boards at all. You can make paper pamphlets. Any comments I make following this are about my preferences for best results. The most expensive part that cannot be avoided is printing. On the other hand expenses can wildly escalate if you're committing to it; once you are doing leather it becomes somewhat unavoidably expensive.
2) Check out some tutorials from SeaLemon or DAS Bookbinding on YouTube for the physical construction. SeaLemon is really clear for a beginner starting out, but then I'd move to DAS for better technique (DAS also has a beginner series though). I watched DAS Bookbinding videos for three weeks straight before I was able to start, & while that doesn't maybe work out for everyone I do think it gave me a pretty strong basis of understanding for structural techniques. DAS is *really* good at explaining why he thinks you should do something. The structure of the NatGeo bind is basically DAS's video on a rounded & backed bradel binding (but with leather & sewn on recessed cords). There is some good stuff on Tiktok/IG, but watch short-form videos/reels with caution. They move a little fast and I've seen a couple give instructions that can result in structural flaws (not that this is unique to the form, cross-referencing on instructions from any source is a good practice). They are good for if you're looking for a specific technique (particularly modern decorative ones, like cricut use, edge gilding, HTV application). There are also published books you can buy or maybe request through your library, such as Hollander's Introduction to Bookbinding. Renegade Bookbinding Guild runs a whole bunch of technique-specific in-house zoom classes annually.
3) Look to other fanbinders for tutorials on how to format the text (this is because most pro bookbinders do not do both text design & book creation! it's a pretty unique feature of fanbinding). @renegadeguild has some publically provided resources on our website here and more typesetting tutorials for a whole host of softwares (Affinity Publisher is my choice - one time purchase, fuck you very much Adobe InDesign) located in the discord server. Anyone 18+ can join the Discord. The NatGeo inspired book (text & dust jacket) was created in Affinity Publisher.
4) Join a community of fanbinders! It's really lovely. The space has exploded & there are tons of people to be friends with, trade tips, & cheer each other on. I'm part of @renegadeguild and we do a whole bunch of events throughout the year, and we have an in-person retreat every other year. I've met with over 20 different renegaders so far, in three different countries, and it's been such a blast. Definitely the community helps keep up the motivation. Renegade isn't the only community out there though! There's groups more rooted in IG/tiktok circles that have their own discords, plus a number of FB groups. I do think most people who are comfortable on tumblr enjoy Renegade's vibe.
5) While I learned most of what I do online, some things really benefit from in-person learning. If you want to do leather binding I would really recommend trying to take an in-person class. I did two attempts at a leather binding on my own before I decided to hold off until I'd had at least one in-person class. Leather binding can be extremely frustrating, especially when you can easily end up with a book that looks worse than a cloth binding at your same skill level but for double the cost. Imo this is mostly because the leather specific skills like paring, warp management, and assessing a random piece of leather for bookbinding suitability are all pretty tactile experiences, all of which are difficult to assess through a screen and can result in an unpleasantly bulky/stiff/shapeless book if ignored. For example- while this book of mine is a pretty popular post, I don't enjoy holding it and reading it, especially in contrast to the NatGeo bind. Part of this was the material I chose; part was not being able to adhere to the instructions quite well enough; part was just not knowing enough about what I was doing; part is they're different constructions. This might just be a me thing though; I'm sure others have had success with online only tutorials for leather.
6) I'm not going to get into specific tools bc that could be a whole post, but some things are necessary (printer access), some things are necessary depending on style, some things are "makes life easier but only drop the money if it's stopping you from making books out of frustration", some things are just technique-specific tools. Examples - sewing frames are often brought up but are never necessary unless sewing on cords; cricuts & cutting machines are commonly used in fanbinding circles but I don't have one (& don't intend to atm).
7) Don't be shy to offer the author a copy!! Like other fan activities, fanbinding is part of our fandom community ecosystem. Your fanbinding is in communication with the author's story. Giving a bind to the author is a great way of keeping the ecosystem going. I tend to think of binds as a combo of comment, fic rec, and fan art inspired by the fic.
8) Paper grain sounds stupid but it IS IMPORTANT! My personal hierarchy of give-a-fuck for grain: Board grain, spine card grain, endpaper grain, cover paper grain, text block grain, book cloth grain. The only thing I personally sometimes ignore is book cloth grain; but many people will not worry too much about text block paper grain.
Gonna stop there for now. If you've got specific questions or want elaboration, feel free to ask. As with all things, YMMV, this is my own opinions/experience and may not apply in all cases. There's a whole lot of different techniques out there, and it's hard to ever say something is wrong, per se - but I think it's important to understand if a method has an outcome you may want to avoid. Prioritize your goals & adapt for them - what's your goal? Longevity, readability, aesthetics? You might make different choices depending on them. My choices influence the techniques I chose to focus on, the tools I buy, and thus the final aesthetic of my binds.
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cripplecharacters · 9 months ago
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What are your thoughts on people making random characters albino (especially regardless of their race, even if they aren't black? Would it count as fetishizing under certain ways?
I've heard that albinism can appear in any race group, but I'd just like to know how you view just random characters casually having albinism (even without it being sexualized for fetishized)
Hey!
Casual representation is great. Not just albinism, but disability in general. You don't always have to go into complicated details of "how's it like to be disabled". But just because it isn't meant to be a work about a certain condition doesn't mean you shouldn't do your diligent research - if by making random characters have albinism you mean giving them the "aesthetic" and nothing besides that, it would be fetishization or at least just poor representation.
Also, for this answer I'll be talking about oculocutaneous albinism because I'm fairly sure that's what you were referring to, but please be aware that there are other types, like;
ocular albinism (has 3 different subtypes)
Heřmanský–Pudlák syndrome
Chédiak–Higashi syndrome
Griscelli syndrome
oculocutaneous albinism also has multiple (7) main subtypes, with some of them splitting further. You should take that into consideration as well when deciding on what kind of albinism your character(s) has. I'm not saying that you should write "X has oculocutaneous albinism, type OCA1b" in your book, but it will help to inform you what their needs and symptoms could be.
First thing I will mention is that the word "albino" is generally not the preferred term and you probably shouldn't use it unless you have albinism yourself. Here's a page on it by the National [USA] Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation or this post we reblogged recently.
To make sure that your representation works, you need to understand how albinism works. Even if it's a side or minor character, you should be aware of the symptoms other than just the lack of melanin. Prime example, the extreme majority of characters with albinism in media don't have any vision issues at all, which is not how it is in real life. If you make a character with albinism, you're making a character who is blind or low vision. It's important to research aids and assistive technology, as well as blindness tropes that your character could fall into. For a character that only shows up occasionally, it's still important to show things like a white cane, their light sensitivity, them having to avoid the sun.
If that's your approach to "making random characters be disabled" then you should be good. A lot of disabled characters end up boxed into specific tropes (for albinism: being evil, being emotionless, having magic powers, or being mystified because of their disability) so having e.g. a background character with albinism who has a regular job and shows up in the story from time to time would mitigate that. People with albinism are normal people.
It's true that a person of any race or ethnicity can have albinism! Some types of albinism are more common in certain demographics; for example, Heřmanský–Pudlák Syndrome appears much more frequently in Puerto Rico and OCA4 is almost exclusively seen in Japan, and oculocutaneous albinism is more common in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole (which is a giant area, but there's not much statistics about it). But your character could be of any background to have albinism in general.
In short, if the representation would end at "giving a character white skin, white hair and red eyes*" then it's more fetishistic than representative; that's just using the appearance but ignoring everything else. Keep in mind that it's a medical condition, not an aesthetic. If a character stops having albinism when they dye their hair, tan, and wear colored contacts, then that's just a character who happened to have light hair skin and eyes, not a person with albinism. Good representation of disability means showing the disabling parts of it - again, you don't have to go into detail about how it is to have albinism if the character shows up for two chapters, but show them navigating with a white cane.
*In real life, people with albinism don't have red eyes. I mention it because it shows up in media all the time. It just screams fetishization because it's not a thing - most people with albinism will have blue, gray, hazel, or brown eyes.
I hope that this helps - if you have a more specific question, feel free to send another ask. I also recommend going through our #albinism representation tag, it might answer some of the questions you might have.
mod Sasza
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impactedfates · 1 year ago
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Okay I have this idea but yes yes anyway [might be long I'm so sorry]
So basically Wanderer practically joined Traveller to journey out to the last 3 regions of Teyvat. But but bUUUUT right now they're at Fontaine and doing some stuff [aka the current available quests]
Once he and the Traveller are taking a massive break over things, him checking out some places to hang out when he saw someone— another puppet, basically
When he approached them, surprise its his younger sibling [aka reader], and they still remember him despite the Irminsul incident one region ago
How would the interaction go from there? I want moar genshin-sibling-platonicness help
— 🫶🏻 Anon with another gift! A Neuvilette An otter with some things! 🦦🐚🪸🪷
A/N: THAT'S SUCH A CREATIVE IDEA ACTUALLY ANOIFENI. More genshin sibling platonic storys yes >:D AND THANK YOU FOR THE MINI NEUVI
W.C: 1237
Genre/Trope: Platonic + Familial
Format: Fic
Warnings: None (I think?)
Extra: Traveller Lumine because she needs more love, also I prefer Traveller Lumine ngl // Scaras a mean but caring older brother // Reader is a young adult // Sorry if this wasn't as long as you hoped, I haven't done any of the side quests in Fontaine :sob: willing to write a pt 2 though // I did not proof read this, I relied solely on my proofreader
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Just Like Me - Platonic Scaramouche x Sibling! Reader
“Ahhh…it feels so good to relax”
Lumine sighed tiredly as she plopped herself on a bench. Scaramouche raised an eyebrow at the blonde and rolled his eyes as he stared at the traveller practically melting onto the bench. Paimon doing the same.
“You two are tired already? It’s only 12pm”
“AND we’ve been doing commissions and helping others since MIDNIGHT”
Lumine countered, now laying atop of the bench like it was the most comfiest bed in the world, Paimon nodded in agreement, going to fly over and lay down too but was knocked back a bit by Lumine.
“Go away Paimon…all you did was float around…”
“Hey!! Paimon makes great emotional support”
And all Lumine could respond with was a tired yet sarcastic ‘sure you are’. Scara watched the scene unfold in front of him and shook his head a bit. Perhaps it was because he was a puppet and didn’t get tired as fast as regular humans, but he wanted to continue their mission in Fontaine before they went to the next 2 nations.
He sat on the ground next to the blonde and after half an hour he was bored once again. Groaning a bit as he tipped his head back.
“When are we continuing our little ‘adventure’?”
“If you’re so up for it, you can go explore…look for people to help or ideally…a place to better relax and/or a place to dump Paimon”
“Hey! What’s with you and leaving me alone”
Scara shook his head as the two travelling companions began to playfully bicker, deciding to take the proposal Lumine suggested, he stood up again and began walking around Fontaine for a place to hang out or just someone in trouble. If he’d actually help them? He didn’t know either.
“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME”
Scara covered his ears at the sudden loud screech, turning to the source of the sound, he saw someone being cornered by some guys, eyes narrowing a bit he quietly walked over.
“Just give us the mora, and we’ll be on our way”
“I’ve told you, I don’t have it. Nor do I have any debt to even be paid”
“Debt or not, we want the money”
Scara rolled his eyes, classical treasure hoarders. Using his vision he floated above them and slashed some anemo at them, pushing them to the ground. The person he saved looked up and tilted their head.
The treasure hoarders attempted to get up but the person quickly slashed them down with geo, knocking them fully unconscious.
“If you had a vision yourself, you should’ve used it”
Scara said, floating down and crossing his arms at the person who just shrugged.
“I was going too, until you came here. Are you a god or something?”
“Ha, could’ve been if my mom hadn’t betrayed me”
He mumbled under his breath, earning a confused look as the person didn’t know what he said. Quickly coughing into a fist he extended his hand.
“You can call me Wanderer, nice to meet you”
“Oh right, I’m [Name]”
They replied, a bit hesitant, taking his hand and shaking it. A bit quickly realising that the hand they shook didn’t feel the same as the others. And as creepy as it sounds, a puppet's hand is quite different to a human's hand.
Puppet?
Both Scara and [Name] looked at eachother, realising that well, both their hands felt like a puppets one.
“A puppet?”
“Seems so, wow I never met another puppet before”
“Don’t get used to it”
[Name] laughed a bit, before eyeing Scara up and down. Something about him felt familiar…perhaps too familiar. Before long they were pretty much staring and Scara was glaring at them as no words had been spoken during this time.
“Ah, sorry…but…Kuni?”
“...What?”
Scaras eyes widened at the name before narrowing again.
“How do you know that name?”
“My mom told me about Kunikuzushi or well…Kuni…he’s my older brother…well I see him as well, I’m not sure what my mom thinks”
“Older…brother…? Wait wait…you’re telling me your mother is Raiden Ei AND that you remember that?”
“Yes and yes…why is there a problem?”
Scara shook his head, this was quite the surprise for him. He had a younger sibling and they remembered him? Or the stories anyways. Thinking for a bit he decided to explain to [Name] about the incident with the ____ Tree.
Before long, he was walking them back to where he last left Lumine.
“Wow, so you erased yourself from this tree and now history has forgotten about you? Like you never existed”
“For the nth time…y e s”
“Sorry not sorry. But that’s just so cool”
[Name] explained, laughing a bit at their brother's tired look from explaining why he’s been pretty much deleted from history. Lumine was up by now and no longer bickering with Paimon, rather she was talking to someone with a smile. A smile that both Scara and [Name] recognised as a fake one.
“I’ll get right on that…yes yes bye”
Traveller waved off the Fontainian and as soon as they were out of sight their smiles dropped and buried their heads in their heads, proceeding to silently scream in them as Paimon attempted to comfort her.
“What have I told you about accepting everyone's request”
“...Not to do it”
“And you did it anyways”
Scara sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose but he had no bad feelings towards Lumine. He knew it could be hard to refuse after being known as such a helpful adventurer.
“Oh! It’s the famous traveller! Hello!”
A voice called out, Lumine turned her head to look at Scara and noticed [Name] raising a brow. Before either Lumine or Paimon could answer, Scara quickly explained.
“Wow so…Ei really made a 3rd puppet?”
“I believe they’re older then the Shogun puppet Paimon”
Lumine answered before turning back to [Name], holding her hand out for them to shake which they happily did. Scara rolled his eyes a bit at the interaction but shrugged it off. Not like it’s bad or anything.
“Hey! Since you two seem to want to hang out together, how about you join the commission Traveller just got?”
“Oh! That would be ni-”
“No”
Scara interrupted, coughing into his fist before looking at [Name] who stared back with a slight pout and a raised brow. Lumine and Paimon sighed a bit, they both internally knew that this was going to be awhile.
.
.
.
And it was! The pair had to listen to the two of them argue about [Name] joining the commission, and as harsh as Scaras words were to try to dissuade [Name] to join, Lumine could tell he just wanted to keep them safe. Unfortunately for Scara, he had been following Lumine to the commission area so…whether he liked it or not, looks like [Name] is joining.
He simply grumbled under his breath as he reluctantly grabbed his siblings arm and began dragging them around as Lumine started the commissions. If he couldn’t stop them from joining, the least he could do was protect them right?
That’s what siblings are for…and they’re also for
“THAT WAS MY SWEET MADAM [NAME]”
“NOT ANYMORE”
They’re also there to have silly arguments with after a long day of commissions, reminding both Paimon and Lumine what they must look like when they argue. Lumine simply laughed at their antics as she sipped her drink. (You wish that was you huh?)
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If you want a pt 2 where I probably (hopefully) write Scara and [Name]s sibling dynamic better, please comment! I'll make one as soon as I finish my current requests :>>
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theconstitutionisgayculture · 7 months ago
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Yeah, “Aang is pro-Palestinian” gave me cancer but I was also thinking within the realm of “if you ship Zutara you support victims of colonization marrying their oppressors!” As if preferring which two fictional characters to see kissing has any real world implication. And that’s just one example. I think fandom has gotten to the point where these kids think they’re morally superior due to however they interpret shows. It’s somehow even worse than keyboard activism.
Oh god that shit is infesting ATLA too? Way to miss one of the main messages of the show, btw. Or did they miss the entire third season that goes out of its way to show that the regular people of the fire nation are just normal people like everyone else living under an oppressive government, and not eeeeeeeevil colonizers? Do they also miss Zuko's entire redemption arc where he learns that doing bad things to please his abusive father is actually wrong and learns to be a better person?
Oh, wait, of course they do, because they also hate redemption arcs and think recognizing how a person changes and betters themselves is supporting every action they've ever taken.
I swear to god some people should be banned from trying to interact with fiction at all. The cold soup that passes for their brain can't handle it.
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ourloveiselectrifying · 6 months ago
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Hello hello! It's me DFP
I'm wondering where you learned/are you learning to Code? I find the structure of your game quite entertaining and I like to take a little inspiration from it (If I'm allowed)
And I tried to make images that are options but apparently I'm still a long way from leaving the beta of my projects So I wanted to seek advice from you
(Also, if this is not the correct account to ask this I apologize, but if you have some very good advice that can help me please feel free to go to my DMs)
Hello DFP! :3 (I'm not exactly sure what you mean by structure sorry, but probably yes haha) 
I didn't learn coding. In fact, the scariest part of my game is the code itself! I would like to take classes in art and coding someday! It's just not a great time in my country to be spending money atm ahahahaha- (cries in national housing and inflation crisis)
If you're using Renpy to make a VN, smart people would recommend giving the Renpy and Python's offcal guides a good look and watching Renpy tutorials on youtube.
For me, I'm the kinda person that only takes in information by dissecting and breaking things, then learning from the mistakes. I looked at the front page of the Python pdf, and it made my ADHD repossess my body despite being on the max dose of ritalin. I immediately closed it then skimmed through the Renpy quickstart, not really taking in any of the information, jumped right into designing the main menu, minced up the code, caught a bunch of errors, and had to check out fourms for fixes.
Have some random tips that may or may not be helpful since I don't know your skill level and I, am infact, not skilled in Renpy, I have no idea what I'm doing half the time! :3
Make new files for everything, don't just put it all in the script or it's going to get ridiculous.
Scripts get LONG use # and add notes, so you can CTRL + F and find stuff easily.
If you're like me, check out renpy's reddit/lemma soft fourms, if you're not getting good goog search results, it might be the words you're using, I had this issue a lot, try changing up words in your question (options/preferences/choices/decisions)
When you're learning copy and paste the code/answer, once you know the the code and can type it out fast, then starting manually typing it out.
Always check the dates on posts, there's a bunch of old renpy guides/fourms that don't work anymore.
There is more than one way to skin a dingo (sorry kevin), if you've found a fix that seems ridiculous but it's working, keep it!
If you have anger problems prepare to get fuckin' pissed off! Before you start coding have a coffee/bottle of water/energy drink beside you, so you have to walk away to take angry piss breaks and can clear your head.
If you absolutely cannot figure something out, make a copy, put it aside and work on something else until you're a little more skilled.
I have three copies of olie, the one that works, the one that I'm experimenting on, and the one on a USB I copy when I get drunk and forget which is my "fuck around" code and which is my "don't touch it, it works" code and I annihilate my game. Make regular backups to your USB for any emergencies, houses burn down. Limit your drinking while coding.
Compare code to the game base if you're coming up with errors. Goog the exact error that pops up when the game crashes. (renpy expected statement)
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Click the blue text and it'll take you to it. Sometimes it's not very accurate and you need to look a little above or below the line the error happened. 70% of the time your error is a missing space or "," or an extra space!
I also recommend checking out all the shortcuts on your code editing software (I'm using visual studio code!) I was manually adding indents to each line, which was wasting an insane amount of time LMAO ;w; 
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by images that are options, but I'm guessing an imagebutton? If you search "renpy imagebutton" there's a few forums and tutorials that will guide you but it's like this.
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You need a screen for your buttons, an image, if you're feeling funky add transforms to the button, else just use a different image for idle/hover!
Add the anchor before you do xpos/ypos because it messes around with the positions and you'll have to re-adjust the xpos/ypos again. You need anchor for the transitions to work properly.
If you want the button to make a sound on click add activate_sound or remove it if you don't want one, it's optional.
This is how you make the transform, you can do a TON of different transforms. This is a simple idle/hover transform. ease is the animation type/speed, alpha is transparency, 1.0 is fully visible, 0.0 is transparent, at 0.5 on idle, it has a dimmed effect. the zoom makes it bigger. Make a new file for this one!
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Buttons have a TON of actions to choose from, this is a time I actually would checkout renpy's offical guides. This one does the same as a jump at the end of a label or choice.
If you want your game to not pause when your buttons are visible, just use "show screen nameofthescreenhere zorder 20" (zorder is the layers, 20 is like usually the top, you can go higher though)
If you want your game to pause while the screen is up, use call screen instead of show!
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I probably won't do too many of these coding/renpy support things on my tumblr but, OLIE'S discord server has a few game dev channels for coding support if you'd want to join there! :3
I wish you well and goodluck on your game!!! 💖🫡🍀
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defrosted69 · 2 years ago
Text
My MVP
Ahn Yujin fan fic
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"Number 6 aims it and….. MAKES IT!! The Flover Sharks College are now 15-0 for their start of the season!"
Cheers erupted through the roof as everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. The school's gymnasium wasn't this full nor was it being broadcasted on national television. For years, your College team rarely gets televised on TV and if there is a way to get unto the cables of people, it's when your team is facing the popular and well known College University teams. But guess what? Ever since you came, things have changed for the better.
Who are you to bring in such crowd and media coverage? Oh your just one of the best young Point Guards as of right now in College. But this success comes from when you were highschool. Just like your story in College, you entered a very unknown High school where Basketball games weren't making any headlines. With your talent and skills, you easily blazed through the conference with ease earning every possible accolades from MVP, Scoring title, finals MVP, and assist title. Your constant skills brought the media all over your school.
With that kind of pressure, you would surely feel a little bit of fear and worry right?
Nope.
You couldn't careless of the people's expectation at all considering you were just focus on being better everyday on and off the court. To you, the media wasn't anything special as you consider it as a distraction in your goal.
"Ah yes hello Mike, right now I'm with today's best player Y/N Roh. Y/N you have been attracting attention since High school and now that your in College, does that somehow waver you?"
"Oh, umm thank you for that question Mr. Mike but honestly speaking, I'm not really focused on the media and stuff like that. I just go out there and do what I am asked from our coach and win. That's all what I think all the time."
"I see, well now, your team has made a historical accomplishment by being the first team to go 15-0 in a season. How does that feel knowing that you're the one leading this run?"
"Umm I'm not really the one leading anything. Basketball is a team sport and everyone in our locker room made this run possible."
"Well thank you for your time Y/N, good luck and nice win."
"Thank you Mr. Mike."
With that, you left the court and headed to the locker room. The locker room of the basketball team was usually dull and quiet but with you in, it has turned 180. Your teammates were all hyped up and excited to play college basketball once again. Your coach told everyone on the team that they should be humble and they should keep getting greedy. Of course this was your mindset from the beginning since regular games doesn't mean much to you.
After taking a shower and changing your clothes, you went out of the locker room and headed out of the building.
"Hey, it's our MVP."
You chuckled hearing that familiar voice as your eyes met with a beautiful pair of brown eyes as she smiled and waved at you.
"Did you wait long Wony?"
"Yup, me and Yujin we're waiting for you."
She smiled brightly as you tilted your head to the side and there you saw the geeky yet tall girl hiding beside Wonyoung. Yujin met with your eyes and she immediately blushed and covered her face with her clip board. Even though she was quite tall, she was very timid and a very shy person.
Wonyoung and Yujin were part of your highschool memories that carried on into College. When you first entered highschool, you weren't really much talkative as you prefer the silence and peace around you and this made everyone create a mysterious persona around you. But Wonyoung, being one of the most popular girl in the campus and also being known as an extrovert. Decided to be your friend. Of course you didn't mind it all since there could never be peace without chaos anyway. Wonyoung as that friend that always joke around and makes herself a fool sometimes and this is where Yujin comes into play. Opposite of Wonyoung's out going goffy personality is the timid and nerdy Yujin.
If Wonyoung prefers talking about Boxing, Yujin prefers to talk about Narnia books. They were literally the opposite of each other and yet somehow, they work well together. Meeting Yujin was quite a memory. You remembered when you first met her and she was shivering, literally. when Wonyoung brought you over to their table.
You know that you need to be very careful of your words consider Yujin's personality and that's what you did. You began to talk to her about the books she was reading, liking her simple hobbies such as star gazing, reading about planets, creating Lego pieces, and even discussing about myths such as the GOATman and skin walker. Slowly but surely, Yujin began to trust you and it was a wonderful feeling seeing Yujin warm up to you and show her true self.
There are time where Yujin would be bullied by other students but you weren't afraid to get dirty for Yujin. Both you and Wonyoung consider Yujin as a very fragile girl and seeing her cry would literally break both your hearts.
"Hey Yujin."
"Y/N.. Umm.. C-Congrats on winning today."
She showed you a small smile as you blushed a little and chuckled at her remark. Everything that Yujin does really make your flutter cause why you may ask? It's a simple equation really.
You like Yujin.
And no it didn't start recently, no. You actually began to like Yujin since the 2nd year of your highschool. It was when she finally began to trust you a lot and that's where your friendship with her began go build up. But you couldn't have the balls to confess to her. Why? Because you were afraid. You know that Yujin treasures the friendship you have with her considering she only has you and Wonyoung as friends. She was a loner without you two and it's just really like that.
"Thanks Yujin. Btw, It's already late at night. How come you two are still out?"
Wonyoung glided herself clinging her arms around you as she immediately gave you her puppy eyes which most males and even females would melt. This of course have an effect on you as you could feel your own cheeks turning red as you looked away from her.
"We wanna see you dummy~"
She changed her voice to a more cuter tone and you could feel your heart racing to its core. The loud beatings it was making was surely felt Wonyoung as she leaned in her chest bumping into your arm. It's softness made you lose your senses as your thoughts was slowly burning down to its core. Images of inappropriate scenes flashed before your eyes and you hated it.
Well as much you hate it, Yujin does too.
She hates it when her best friend Wonyoung would clobber you like her own toy and cling to your arms. She hated that right now, she was making you flustered when in fact she should be the one making you flustered. Jealousy is the word that could describe her feelings right now but who is she to be jealous of Wonyoung. What she lacks is all on Wonyoung. It's like God created Wonyoung to be so perfect that sometimes, Yujin would think to herself that she is a nobody at all. She hates to admit it but sometimes, she's jealous of how perfect Wonyoung is in every category. And right now, Wonyoung was showing her how much her skill in making anyone flustered so easy.
And it's infront of the person she admires.
Yup, Ahn Yujin likes you. The moment you showed interest in her books, she immediately fell in love. Some would say it's not that real when you fall in love so easily but you managed to do that with her. Yujin was a big fan of Korean dramas and her favorite genre is Rom-com. She always admires and dream of Guys that can make her laugh and show interest to what she loves to do and you checked all that list. Time and time again, she keeps telling herself how much she needed to restrain herself from showing any signs that she liked you. It was difficult but she somehow did it.
But she was also scared.
This admiration was bigger than her love for BTS, or Izone or even Twice and even Fromis_9. This was bigger and more powerful than that. It was love. She loved you so deeply that she has done small things towards you.
One of them is giving you her notes in subjects back in highschool. She would get out of her comfort zone just to help you in your struggling subjects. She also stayed in the gym helping you count your shots made and missed.
But the most significant things she could have done was when she, one of the top students back in highschool, take a blame for you. This really shook the entire school system that they had to change the school rules. The student council even had to interrogate you but Yujin defend you with all her might. She didn't want you getting into trouble knowing you have a very special game to Attend. And that memory is still on your mind because you still owe Yujin that. If she didn't take the blame of something that you were accused off, your legacy could in basketball could have been buried in the mud.
Till this day, you were still thinking of ways on what or how you will repay Yujin for that action she did.
"Well, see you around Y/N. I-I'm going first Wony.."
"Ah,Good night-"
Yujin didn't let you finish your sentence as Yujin hurriedly climbed the stairs to their dorm room as Wonyoung could only laugh at her best friend's action.
"She's so easy to read."
"Do you really have to do that?"
"Oh come on now. Y/N, you know damn well that Yujin likes you and she likes you too. When is she gonna man up, or better yet, when will YOU man up? Huh??"
You could only take a deep breath and exhaled it as you placed a hand on you forehead. Wonyoung was a confusing and unpredictable friend. Her usual antics is not something you could track that easily. And right now, you weren't sure if she's spewing facts or if it was her usual bullshit. Either way, you shook your head and denied her.
"Wony, she doesn't like me like that-"
"Accusations! False, Accusations…"
Wonyoung pointed her finger at you and did a complete copy of the meme as you chuckled at her.
"Y/n, I'm telling you this in advance because I really, And I mean I REALLY like you to marry and give Yujin kids because right now. There are Guys planning to ask for Yujin at the incoming Ball. And one of those is someone famous like you, Park Daniel."
You really didn't know how to act towards that information. One part of you was glad that Yujin was being adored considering her timid personality and you were afraid that she wouldn't feel relevant to others. But the majority of your feeling is that, you simply didn't like it. You felt like none of them was capable enough to be worthy of her.
"It's your choice Y/n. I really wanna help you two out but if you won't admit it then I'll help Yujin look preety for whoever invites her at the ball."
Wonyoung walked away leaving you frozen at your spot and the words that Wonyoung said really drilled deep into your mind. Were you this much of a coward when it comes to confessing your feelings to someone? Somehow, taking a bunch of nobodies to the finals and winning a championship seems so easy compared to this task.
You sighed and glided your hand through your hair. The stars was very beautiful tonight and it reminded you how Yujin would act so excitingly whenever she connects a star constellation. Her cheerful face, her beautiful smile, her eyes that show the beauty of the galaxy, everything about her just looks so beautiful and this made you realize something.
You're so deeply in love with Yujin.
Heat began to make their way unto your cheeks as you suddenly was flustered walking home. People might look at you weirdly seeing you all red and smiling like an idiot. But your heart was at peace thinking about her.
The girl named Ahn Yujin.
You really did like her.
No
You loved her more than anything.
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"Say Wony…."
"Hmmh?"
Yujin and Wonyoung was now in their respective beds hoping that sleep would take them in but unfortunately for Yujin, she couldn't properly get her sleep just yet. Wonyoung on the other hand is watching her favorite Drama as she plans to skip her morning classes for tomorrow.
"I'm born to be single aren't I?"
Wonyoung had to blink her eyes a couple times to wake herself up. What her ears heard and how her brained processed it didn't made sense as she immediately sat up from her bed and looked at the girl over to her side. They both have their respective beds on each side of the wall making it easy for them to wake each other up. But Yujin suddenly felt embarrassed by her confession as she pulled her blanked up to cover her half of her face.
"Where is this coming from?"
Wonyoung asked as Yujin kept quiet for a few seconds. She wasn't really sure if it was just her exhaustion kicking to her or she's completely over at the idea that nobody will eger love her.
"I-I mean compared to you, I don't think nobody would love me like how everyone would.."
Her voice quiet down but Wonyoung's sharp ears caught it nonetheless. It was preety obvious that her best friend was once again hating herself and this was one of her habits she often encounters with her. It would only be natural considering that Wonyoung was the complete opposite of Yujin but being the best friend of hers, she knows when to help her and right now, she needed to remind Yujin that she's not who she's thinking about.
"Yujin, what did I tell you about my plan in life?"
"You mean your ultimate goal?"
"Yup. Say it to me again."
"Well. Ummmm.. Your goal is to die a virgin so that you won't be able to share any of your families business to anyone making it crumble and file for bankruptcy because, you, the 12th descendant of the Jang family, want to end the bloodline of your greedy family. "
Wonyoung smiled as she got of her bed and jumped next to Yujin's bed. The tall girl was startledat first but was able to compose herself again.
"You're right except for that Virgin part."
"O-Oh, so you're not a virgin?"
"….."
"Wony?"
"Can we not talk about this?"
"O-Oh, okay.."
Wonyoung took in a deep breath before cuddling with Yujin and smiling happily.
"Yujin, What your saying is a lie. You're loved by a lot of people. I'm already one of those people. Heck, those birds you feed at the park every Sunday morning actually loves you. Notice how they would wait for you every morning?"
"Y-Yeah but-"
"And there's Y/n too. He actually looks out for you a lot more than me and I honestly don't mind it all. Y/n cares a lot about you Yujin."
Just by the thought of you immediately made her heart race faster than normal. Wonyoung being close to her, was able to hear how Yujin's heart beat was calling out to you.
"N-No he's not. H-he's like that to everyone."
"Oh really? Then you wouldn't mind him seeing someone else then?"
It shouldn't have bother her a lot but it did. All that hiding of her so called feelings towards you finally reached it limits. She saw multiple scenarios on her mind seeing you smiling so happily with a girl which wasn't her. This torn her heart apart and it really got her feeling so sad. Tears began to form on her eyes and Wonyoung immediately stood up and hugged the girl tightly.
"I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"I like him…"
Once again, Wonyoung blinked a couple of times before pulling herself away from the crying girl. She looked surprised which was all an act. Behind the facade she was doing, she wanted to scream so loud because her faith and hypothesis was finally answered. She just now needed it to hear it again.
"I'm sorry what did you say Yujin?"
"……I like him…"
Yujin's voice was now so quiet it was hard to hear what she was saying. But Wonyoung, she caught it. She can now finally die in peace knowing her best friend like the person she was shipping with to begin with. A big smile appeared on her face as Yujin widen her eyes. She was already familiar with Wonyoung and the smile that was plastered on her face indicates nothing postive to her.
"Y-Yah Wony don't tell him please!"
"I won't. I won't but, here's the thing. Do you plan to tell him? The ball is just days away and many possible things could happen there and the worst thing that could happen to you is, Y/n is with someone else than you."
Yujin's frown only got bigger as that was really the worst possible scene her eyes can land too. She was sure that no matter how many romance movies or series she would watch, it wouldn't do anything to mend her broken heart. But the question still remains.
Was she really gonna risk her friendship with someone special to her just for the sake of love?
"I-I don't know. I don't know Wony. Will he even accept me? I'm an introvert who loves building Lego and reads fantasy books. Heck I'm a nerd through my heart and he's…. He's the opposite of me.."
Wonyoung felt the sadness in her voice as Yujin once again cried softly. She really hated it when Wonyoung sees her best friend crying and it just triggers something inside her to go violent. There was that famous incident when she saw some bullies bullying Yujin in the hallway back at High school and Wonyoung didn't hesitate to throw hands. She legit broke someone's nose and even dislocated one of their arms with her trained martial arts.
"Should I break Y/n's finger? Naaah that's too much. I love him… AS A BROTHER, yall though you caught me slipping?"
Wonyoung chuckled but she began to formulate an idea and boy did a crazy idea popped into her head. She smiled brightly as she grabbed a hold of Yujin's shoulder.
"Want me to help?"
"H-How?"
She smirked and chuckled which only scared Yujin. It wasn't everyday when you see Wonyoung showing her Heel side.
"Oh no…"
"Well it's like this.."
.
.
.
.
"It's weird for you to call me out Y/N, are you perhaps inviting me to the ball-"
"I like Yujin."
Well that was fast. Wonyoung blinked a couple of times before realizing what she heard. She had to rub her eyes for a bit and used her pointy finger to clean both her ears.
"I'm sorry what did you just say?"
Wonyoung asked again this time hoping to hear what she heard was correct. You could only look down embarrassed as your cheeks was turning redder by the second. Just saying that you like Yujin to someone close to her was embarrassing as it is. But one way or another, you have to get this out of your system and say it to someone. Of course, there's the risk of being exposed considering the person your telling this is her best friend after all.
"Wony, I'm sure you heard me loud and clear."
"No, Not at all. What I heard is that you like me"
You could only chuckle at her remark as you looked up to her and sighed.
"I said I like Yujin. Your best friend and..well my friend too."
"Ahhh, okay."
Wonyoung acted like she didn't care at all but deep inside, she was screaming and dancing celebrating this win. Her plan had just been executed and you weren't aware of her amazing plan that she has yet to play out for the two of you.
"Your not suprised by this?"
You asked. You were perplexed and perhaps the shock was enough to convince Wonyoung that it was an important matter. Or maybe Wonyoung already knew that you like Yujin but you were confident that you didn't show any signs that you like Yujin at all. Or perhaps Wonyoung was hiding that she felt sad seeing that she'll be the third wheel in the trio. That sudden though sadden you as you realized what you have done.
"I'm sorry Wony I shouldn't have-"
"Why are you apologizing? Did you do something wrong?"
"Well I though that you would feel… Left out?"
Wonyoung could only laugh out in amusement by your words. Perhaps Wonyoung can finally see why Yujin fell for you.
"Aish, you're too kind Y/n. Why would I be left out? Come ooon~ you know damn well I ain't marrying nobody so why would I be left out? Besides, I plan to adopt a lot of puppies and maybe even cats as my children."
You laughed at her but perhaps she was right. Wonyoung didn't need to be worried about being left out because she already planned to live alone. It's quite saddening to know but after what Wonyoung has gone through with her family business, being alone was the best option for her.
"But Y/n."
"Yeah?"
"Someone already asked Yujin at the ball"
The world suddenly stopped for you. Everything around you was put into a silence state as your brain process what it just heard. Your heart was already sending message through your brain that Yujin was going to the ball with someone else and not you. The feeling of missing the most important shot of the season was nothing compared to seeing Yujin in the arms of another man.
Of course this was bound to happen considering that Yujin was very beautiful girl inside and out. Only and Idiot can't see that but it was still painful because the person you like will be dancing to a guy which isn't you. Wonyoung noticed the shock and dissapointment on your face as she would be lying if she said she didn't feel sad for you. Her plan involved this and it was very essential considering this would only be amazing at the end.
"I-I see…"
"Say, do you want to help Yujin shop for whatever she need for the ball? I was suppose to help her but perhaps you needed this more than me."
Wonyoung's suggesting kinda made you look like a pathetic lovesick man clinging to a hopeless love, or maybe even a one sided love. It did hurt your pride but if you had a chance to at least see the beauty of Yujin for the ball, then you'll take it. Fuck it, this could be your only chance to say your feelings for her and have her with you but will you be able to say it?
"Yeah, sure why not."
"Okay great. I'll message you what time to pick her up at her dorm. With that being said, Bye bye~"
"Yah, At least treat me to something to eat. I'm hungry…"
You pouted your lips and rubbed your belly showing that you were hungry. Of course you weren't that hungry but perhaps you need more time to ask on how your gonna confess to Yujin with the help of Wonyoung. Wonyoung on the other hand rolled her eyes playfully as she walked away with you following from behind constantly teasing her.
.
.
.
.
There you stood infront of a familiar dorm building. It was only exclusive to female students of the Flover University. You were waiting outside of the gate waiting for the girl that your heart beats for. Honestly speaking, you weren't really feeling good about this because it was basically for you to say goodbye or confess to Yujin. One mistake and everything that you both shared could be jeopardize and your relationship from close friends can be moved down to strangers. And that's something you don't want to happen.
Your senses was on edge. It was quite normal for you to feel a little worried and terrified of big moments when it comes to the court such as draining the game winning shot or doing crucial free throws. But this, this time, that worry and anxiety blew up through the roof. No moment in your basketball career could top up this moment you were going through. Every second passing by, your fingers were twitching from anxiety and you were not mentally prepared on what will happen today.
"S-Sorry I took a long time..I'm sorry I kept you waiting."
Your eyes were glued to the girl that was standing infront of you. You were damn sure that the sunlight radiates behind her and the birds sang her a very beautiful song. It felt like today, the world's Main character was Ahn Yujin and you were a bystander or an NPC. Her hair was tied up creating a small bun up her head. Her usually black metal coated glasses was replaced with beautiful brown hazel contacts that can mesmerize anyone in her sight. Her baggy and oversized Hoodie was replaced with a white knitted cardigan that is mixed with a beautiful white shirt and denim pants. Infront of you was the girl that rang multiple calls in your heart.
Yujin didn't know what to do next as her blush began to show on her cheeks. Wonyoung basically gave her a makeover and at first, she didn't wanna do it as she wasn't the biggest fan when it comes to makeup. But Wonyoung being the sly fox that she is managed to convince Yujin to give her an overhaul and a little bit of makeover just for her. The silence from you was making Yujin uncomfortable as she looked to the side embarrassed.
"Y-You look amazing Yujin."
Yujin was red as a tomato hearing those words out of your mouth as her heart was beating so fast. A small smile cracked upon her face as the two of you began to walk away. You were honestly nervous than the media interviewing you because beside you was the most beautiful girl your eyes landed into. You began to talk to her like the usual and the two of you immediately got lost on your own world. Even thought Yujin showed more of her beauty, she was still basically that girl that like Legos and fantasy books.
The mall was full packed considering today is the weekends. Wonyoung has given Yujin things that she needed for her Ball and it was only 3 things, a Make-up, A necklace and finally, a dress that she will use. Yujin was honestly confused why Yujin would ask her to buy new Makeup equipments when they have a cabinet fully stacked of makeup. But who is she to complain though, Wonyoung gave her one of her Credit card and she was allowed to buy anything as long as it is under those 3 things that was required to buy.
As Yujin was busy checking her list to buy, You on the other hand was getting annoyed how other guys were looking at Yujin. A sense of jealousy and anger was curling around your body but you kept your cool. In fact, you had no right to be jealous at all considering that Yujin was not your romantical partner so you kept it in for yourself.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Wh-What?"
Yujin hand was suddenly intertwined with yours as you walked ahead with Yujin following you from behind. Her heart was basically racing and her cheeks had immediately turned red. This was one of her imagination turned reality when her hand intertwined with yours. It felt so warm holding your arm as her eyes focused on her hand. While she was busy observing your hand, your cheeks was turning red and you were hiding that big smile appearing on your face.
You thought that you can hold it in with all that jealousy stuff but in the end, you didn't like it when Guys eyed her like a prey. Your instinct kicked in and you unconsciously grabbed her hand out of the heat of the moment and right now you weren't sure where to go next.
"What the fuck! Why did I do that! Now Yujin thinks I'm a weirdo! Fuck!!"
The silence between the two of you was loud as you were just aimlessly walking around the mall not knowing what to do next. Yujin abruptly stopped you walking any further when she tugged your clothes behind you. She was also feeling the heat on her cheeks as she avoid eye contact with you.
"T-This is one of t-the shop that we need to go to…"
Yujin stuttered her words but you heard her clear as day. You and Yujin went to the Make-up store and immediately, your nose scrunched up smelling the amount of perfume and powder all over the surrounding. Yujin couldn't help but chuckle softly seeing your disguted face. You looked back and hear her laughing really soften your heart. A small smile appeared on your face yet your brain was telling you that this could be the last time you'll ever see her laugh and smile around you.
"You still don't like perfumes?"
"It's not like I don't like em Yujin. It's just that, every perfume known to man is mixed in the air right now and it's just straight up making me dizzy."
"Oh no, that's not good. Do you wanna sit down for now?"
You could only stare at her lovingly. Hearing how she was so kind and considerate of you really made you happy and sad at the same time. Every moment you will spend today with her will be memorable so you should make the best out of it.
"No, I'm good. So what's the agenda here?"
"Ah, well Wony told me to buy makeup stuff…."
"Huh? I though you two are already have a lot of those."
"Yeah we do but somehow Wony wanted the newest product for me."
Of course the best was for Yujin because she was the best. It didn't take a genius to know that Wonyoung nothing but the best for her best friend who could possibly be entering a new stage in her life. You could only stay quiet and nod your head as you followed Yujin around looking for Make-up that she will use. Honestly speaking, your hands was still intertwined and both of you didn't want to let go, especially you.
"Hello Ma'am, Are you perhaps looking to buy some lipsticks? We have a great deals for couple right now and they are the hottest sale as of right now."
A sales lady said making Yujin widen her eyes as the familiar Color of red appear on hee face.
"Ah, N-No we're not a couple"
"Oh? I guess I must have interpret it wrong then."
As the sales lady and Yujin converse about the product she was aiming to buy, you slowly removed your hand into hers as her words came at you like a fast break and you fumbled the ball out of bounds. It was heartbreaking that Yujin said that you two were not in a relationship even though it was the truth. But that's how life works, sometimes you get what you want but majority of it, you'll be met with heartbreak.
You could only look down and sigh heavily as you had to composure yourself. There was no reason for you to look upset when the girl you like is having a fun time so far with you.
"At least, I'll see her happy. Just for today, with me.."
You thought yourself as you continued to hide your sadness under your mask. Yujin ended up buying a few makeup and left the store. You weren't holding her hand anymore as any misinterpretation could lead to more cracks on your heart and you didn't want to show your sadness to her.
The next destination was her dress for the ball. Honesty speaking, you were both excited and sadden at the same time. Excited cause you'll be seeing Yujin in a dress. It was dream come true for you as the shy and timid girl you know will be rocking the best dress the world has to offer.
It didn't take that long when the two of you arrived at the tailor shop that Wonyoung has recommended. Upon entering, your eyes had landed on multiple dres hanged on a wall. For sure Yujin will rock any dress but then, there it was. Your eyes froze seeing the perfect dress that will show her beauty to the world. It glittered as the light of the store shined on it.
"Yujin, maybe try that one?"
You didn't hesitate to point at the lavander dress that caught your eyes. Yujin's eyes widen seeing that her favorite color was imprinted to a dress that actually looked so beautiful. She didn't really know if it would blend well with her but you made sure that it was the perfect dress for Yujin.
"Yes, Hello, how can I help you?"
A sales lady approached you as you said
"Can my friend try that Lavander dress please?"
"Sure. Right this way Miss."
Yujin nodded her head as she followed the sales lady into the dressing room. You on the other hand sat down waiting patiently as you tried to calm your nerves down. A small smile appeared on your face imagining Yujin with that purple dress smiling happily towards you. But that small happiness popped as soon as it was getting into the best part. The reality of Yujin dancing with another man was inevitably and that really stings your heart.
You may have seen the dress but you're not the person she would be dancing with.
"Umm… H-How does it l-look?"
The curtains was moved to the side and you looked up to see an angel in a dress unworthy of you. The lavander silk dress just elevates the beauty of Yujin from the outside and the little pearls that is all over her torso was a cute touch. The patterns engrave on the silhouette of the dress left a snowy trail. You were frozen unto your own feet as your eyes didn't even blink admiring Yujin.
"Oh my, looks your boyfriend is at awe Miss."
The sales lady said as Yujin's heart began to race faster and her cheeks turning redder by the second.
"A-Ah he's no-"
"Yeah, yeah. Her boyfriend will surely be at awe seeing her dress."
Yujin immediately turned around to face you as she noticed the small frown forming on your face and your overall stance just didn't radiate much joy like she was used to.
"Oh, are you not her boyfriend sir?"
The sales lady asked. You wanted to laugh or even let out a chuckle but that would be rude considering you're not even close to that title with Yujin.
"Nope, I'm just merely her friend."
You smiled but Yujin knows you better. She knows it when your lying to yourself and coating yourself from the pain you were going through and right now, she can tell you were in deep pain but hide it off with a smile. That broke the heart of Yujin because hearing that you only see yourself as a friend towards her, it was painful. She loved you dearly yet you admitted that your nothing more but a friend towards her.
"Wony, Please…. I hope your plan works"
.
.
.
.
"I wonder if Yujin's enjoying the ball.."
You spoke to yourself as you laid on your bed watching the ceiling for the past 30 minutes. Your phone has been sitting idle on your side not receiving any call, messages nor notifications from anyone. Tonight's event was very memorable for everyone especially those people who is taking a huge step for their relationship with someone. Tonight was a make or break step for them which was gonna be memorable.
But for you?
You were laying in bed, watching the ceiling as every second pass by. What's the thrill of tonight when the person you like is going with someone else. Should you go there and let your heart break even more?
"Fuck this, I need a drink."
You stood up from your bed and walked the familiar steps in your place. Everywhere your eyes looked was a memory with Yujin and this only made it so crushing and heavy for your own heart. You wanted to forget about it or perhaps, just close those memories off with the help of liquor. That guy has never failed you when it comes to forgetting things and leaving you able to sleep peacefully. Standing infront of your refrigerator, you pulled the door and grabbed a can of beer and opened it. With one chug, the alcoholic beverage ran down your throat living a stinging sensation on it. Your head began to fill dizzy but immediately returned to normal as you took your feet to the living room.
You plopped down with your drink at hand. It felt so empty in your room. You were already aware that you were all alone in this room but the fact that you might be living all alone in the future scared you. A sour and painful chuckle came out of your mouth as you took a sip from your drink.
"I'll be so lonely because nobody I will meet will be Ahn Yujin…"
It was painful to think that right now, Yujin is smiling, laughing, and happily dancing at a guy that isn't you. Yujin would be the center of attention because she has always been beautiful and her attire tonight surely made that happen. A fiery feeling suddenly ignited inside you as you were familiar with this feeling.
"Why am I such a fucking coward? I can take the last shot yet I can't fucking confess to Yujin? I'm so pathetic!…"
This was gonna be a problem for you. You didn't want to sleep frustrated because the drink would not take effect. So what do you do calm down? You stand up and go outside of your small balcony letting the cold night breeze greet you.
"No matter how many drinks I'll chug down. I'll never forget Yujin…"
At this point, all the things that made you adore and love Yujin flashed before your very eyes. Her sweet smile, her beautiful laughter that always send butterflies to your stomach, her amazing vocals that she hides when in fact everyone should br aware of her singing voice, her soft hands. Tears began to form on your eyes and slowly, they became to heavy as you began to sob heavily.
"Yujin… I love you so much…"
You promised yourself that you would be letting her go tonight but your heart just couldn't let her go just like that. Even though you know that you have no absolute chance now, your heart still desires for her.
"Y/n?"
"Now I'm even going crazy. I can even hear her voice right now"
"Y/n…."
"Wait a minute.…"
You looked behind you and there she stood.
With the lavender dress that you helped her pick. She stood there looking beautiful as ever yet her eyes showed sadness and concern. You froze in place not wanting to move at all because your mind and heart was admiring her. The person Yujin was looking at was so broken that she felt her heart crack piece by piece. The man that she admired and always stood beside her always smiling and giving her postive energy was broken. She didn't want to see this at all. She clenched her fist and walked towards you not giving a damn about her dress. She engulfed you in a warm embrace that immediately soothes your broken heart.
Happiness,
confusion,
excited,
and scared.
Those four emotions bottled inside as you didn't really know what was going on but your body instinctively hugged her back. You held her close to your body and just like that, your sadness and worries was washed away in her embrace. Yujin could hear your heart calming down as she looked up towards you. Her soft pair of dark brown eyes locked with your own and there you saw your own reflection.
Broken
Yet
Was repaired
By
The
Girl
You
Loved
"What are you doing here Yujin?"
You managed to ask her despite your trembling voice. Yujin didn't let her eyes off you as she used her hand and wiped away the tears that was falling off your cheeks.
"I'm sorry Y/n. I thought Wonyoung's plan would work but in the end, I came running towards you."
You were visibly confused. There wasn't any indication that the two girls planned something in fact, what is even the plan to begin with.
"Yujin, what are you talking about?"
Yujin took in a deep breath because this was the moment. She has to say it now or else everything could be in vain after everything the duo has prepared for. But the pressure was on Yujin because she has to confess everything, and that means ger feelings as well.
"P-Please don't get mad at Wony but you see, Wony kinda planned out this whole I'm dancing with another man thing. And the ending was suppose to be me D-dancing with you at your apartment. but Wony saw not replying to her so she decided to check up on you and she immediately informed me about you drinking alone in the balcony. I-I immediately ran as fast as I can to see you… "
You lost trail because your brain could only process the words Dancing with you. You stared at her who looked embarrassed as a red tint appear on her cheeks.
"So wait, does this mean that everything that happened when we went to the mall is all Wonyoung's plan?"
"Y-Yeah… I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"So, Shall we dance?"
Yujin widen her eyes as you smiled at her. There was no hint of annoyance or anger on your face, just your usual smile that she has grown accustomed to.
"I think I have the perfect music for this night."
You pulled out your phone and played a song very familiar with Yujin as she couldn't help but chuckle.
"Seriously? That song?"
"Come on, you like this sing."
With a nod, you offered your hand towards her who happily accepted your hand. Your left hand pulled her back closer to her as the two of you began to step side to side dancing to the slow music that was playing. Both your eyes didn't leave each other as both of you smiled. This was the ending you were looking for and perhaps this really is the true ending. But what if it wasn't?
You have to stand firmly and say what your heart desire towards her. Ahn Yujin was the girl for you but were you the boy for her?
"Yujin.."
"Hmm?"
"Why… Why did you two did this?"
This was it. Yujin has to answer truthfully or else everything will crumble down even her friendship with you. She was nervous as sweats began to form behind her back. Her smile didn't dissappeared as she looked at you with an unfamiliar feeling. Your heart began to beat louder as Yujin stares at you.
"Y/n, through out our friendship, I'm forever grateful towards you for everything you did to me. The way you stood by my side whenever I feel down and sad. I'm thankful for that. Especially since you're……you're the only person that my heart desire"
Stunned.
You were stunned and speechless. Yujin's stare at you wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. It was what your heart desire to see everytime you think of her. The feeling of love.
She was in love with you.
"Y/n, I love you. You're the one I like-"
You had to stop her or else you wouldn't be able to control yourself anymore. Your lips connected with hers as Yujin widen her eyes. Her imagination every night of this scenario had become a reality that she wish not ending. The night was still young yet your love towards each other was burning with passion. Yujin placed her arm around your shoulder as she kissed you back. Her lips was in sync with yours and you had to pull away catching your breath.
You didn't want to die now do you?
"Yujin. All this time, all this years. My eyes were only fixed towards you and no one else. The moment I saw you smile happily, I fell in love instantly. And that small crush I had in Highschool only grew bigger when I spent a lot of time hanging out with you. "
"Y/n…"
"Yujin. No, Ahn Yujin."
"Yes?"
"I know I'm not the perfect man out there and there maybe a lot of skilled guys out there that are more suited to be with you. But I, will do everything I can to show you how much I love you so…"
You kneeled down with one leg as Yujin gasped covering her mouth. You smiled and grabbed the nearby flower in the small vase on the kitchen table and offered it to Yujin.
"Will you be my girlfriend, Ahn Yujin?"
Yujin couldn't hide her tears anymore as she began crying out of happiness. She removed her hand and was smiling while crying. Instead of accepting your flower, she gently tackled you for a hug as both of you came crashing down on the floor with her sobbing and clinging to you tightly.
"Yes! Yes! A thousand yes!!"
Yujin said as both of you eyed each other and laughed whole heartedly. This was the true ending in fact. Your heart was now at peace as the girl you loved and admire was at your arms clinging to you and even smiling. You would risk everything just to keep her smiling and happy and even though there would be challenges along the way, both of you trust each other to the point nothing will scare you of what's to come. Perhaps you didn't need to attend the ball to show your true feelings for the girl you loved.
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.
.
.
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.
.
"You did good wonyoung.. You did good."
Wonyoung smiled happily as she pulled away from your apartment room smiling happily as she heard everything.
"My mission here is done. Fufufu~"
With that, the tall girl left the scene with a happy and proud face plastered on her face.
225 notes · View notes
depressedhatakekakashi · 11 months ago
Text
Interrupting Nap Time
Words: 1,841
Note: for National Napping day, but also for @jventureart who needs some cute Team Gai bonding moments <3
Four PM.
               A perfect time to take a break from the grueling task of training until every single bone in his body ached and have a nap.
               That was what Kakashi told himself when he realized he’d spent most of the day training, and he had every intention of having that nap. The only problem was no matter what he looked, he couldn’t find the one person he needed to ensure he had the perfect nap.
               He wasn’t at the dango shop enjoying a nice treat, or at the BBQ place having an early dinner with his old teammates. In fact, when Kakashi saw Genma, Ebisu and Choza-Sensei sitting in their usual spot with an empty sit right beside Genma, he knew something was up.
               Gai would never miss out on a free meal.
               “Training field C!” Genma had called out to him when he noticed him standing at the doorway, a cheerful wave from Choza-sensei following his words. “He said he was meeting with his students for some extra training. Probably lost track of time.”
               Turning on his heel, Kakashi waved back at them and headed straight back out the door.
               Training field C was the field closest to Konoha’s gates and the best location for anyone who didn’t want to call attention to themselves. A spot that he had no doubt Gai choice because of Tenten and Neji.
               Where Gai and Lee had no issue attracting a crowd to watch their over the top training regimes, Tenten and Neji often preferred a bit more privacy. That was something Kakashi noticed the first time he interrupted one of the team’s training sessions. Both of the genin’s had immediately ceased with their training, turning their full attention to him and had refused to continue their training until he left.
               It was also an easy training field to get to. A twenty minute walk from the BBQ place for any regular villager and a two minute sprint over the village rooftops for Kakashi. Even with aching bones and a sense of fatigue hovering over him Kakashi found himself touching down in the centre of the field in no time at all.
               There was only one problem.
               “So much for your help.” he sighed as he looked around at an empty field. The wooden polls that Gai loved to use to hone his and his students balance were empty, and there was no one throwing kunai or any other sort of weapon at the dummies beside them.
               He was just about to give up when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A little glimmer of green tucked away amongst the tree’s, standing out among all the leaves because of its shade.
               A vibrant, eye sore of green that could only belong to one thing.
               “Ah,” turning toward the object he looked a bit closer. There, just past the treeline between two giant trees, Maito Gai sat with three very tired looking students piled on top of him. Lee was laying across the ground with his head on Gai’s left leg. Tenten sat in front of the tree on Gai’s right, her head propped up on Gai’s shoulder while Neji took the left side mirroring her position. All of them, as far as Kakashi could see, were asleep.
               Too bad I came here instead of Sukea. He could have taken a picture of this for Gai.
               Shaking that thought away, he rocked back on his heels. There were two paths he could take going forward. The first was to head straight for Gai and claim his own spot, most likely on the leg Lee wasn’t currently using as a pillow, and risk being seen by all three of Gai’s precious students if they woke up before him. The other, far more enticing, option was to simply head to his apartment and accept an empty bed and cold pillow as his afternoon napping spot.
               “Home,” he decided, turning on his heel and preparing to head off. Before he could move, though, he found himself overwhelmed with a strange feeling. The feeling of eyes burrowing into his back.
               Someone was watching him, and he didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
               “When did you wake up?” he sighed, turning back to face the offender and frowning when he was greeted with piercing white eyes. He had recognized the feeling of being watched and assumed it was Gai who’d noticed his presence and woken up.
               Instead, it was Neji who stared back at him.
               “I’ll just-“
               “Lay down,” Neji’s eyes closed once more, expressing the trust he had for not just his teammates, but Kakashi as well.
               Kakashi simply stood there staring at the kid, his mouth hanging open in surprised. Out of all three of Gai’s students, Neji was the last one he ever thought would be inviting him to join on team nap time.
               The kid was just about as closed off as Kakashi was when he was a teenager, and for good reason. The treatment he received within his own clan was enough to cause anyone to close their heart to anyone they interacted with. Yet, here Neji was opening himself up.
               Allowing himself a moment of vulnerability not just with his team, which was already an impressive feat for a kid who’d only been training with them for four months, but with Kakashi as well.
               “Huh,” closing his mouth, Kakashi watched the four resting shinobi for a moment. Lee, Tenten and Gai made no movements indicating that they were awake, but every few seconds Neji would crack his left eye open and stare at Kakashi for around three seconds before closing it once again. After the third time opening his eye, the Hyuga sighed, lifted his left hand, and pointed to Gai’s right leg.
               The only free spot for a fourth person to lay their head down.
               “Lay down,” Neji repeated, this time with a bit more force in his voice. “Before Sensei realizes you’re here and –“
               Kakashi’s eye widened in a moment of sheer panic, and without thinking he raised both of his hands and quickly waved them in a downward motion. “Shhh,” his eyes darted toward Gai, watching his expression for any signs that he might have heard Neji.
               There was a moment of panic when Gai’s eyebrows furrowed, but it quickly subsided when he settled back into a peaceful expression.
               Dropping his hands, he sighed. “Don’t say things like that. He has a sixth sense for… you know.”
               Rivalry.
               No matter how tired Gai was he would wake up at the mere mention of a competition, challenge, spar, or anything that was in any way related to their rivalry. There was even a risk in someone just saying Kakashi’s name, which Neji must have understood since he had skipped greeting him by name all together when he was usually more polite with his interactions.
               “Well?” Neji glanced toward the open knee once more, clearly hinting at what Kakashi to do to avoid the exact scenario he’d just barely preventing Neji from initiating.
               There was no escape.
               Neji had seen him, meaning if he didn’t give in and lay down with the rest of them Gai would be hearing about it and then he’d be receiving a lecture about the importance of bonding and sleep. Two things that he didn’t think needed to be mixed together, but which he had no doubt his friend would find a way to connect.
               His shoulder dropped. “Fine,” he sighed, rolling his head back and staring up at the sky for a moment.
               What did I do to deserve this?
               Dragging his eyes away from the bright blue sky overhead, he focused on Gai and his students once more. Even with Neji wide awake watching him, the view hadn’t lost any of its cuteness. Perhaps it was because there was just an indestructible adorableness to seeing Gai cuddled up with his students, or the peaceful expressions on their faces.
               Whatever it was, Kakashi couldn’t help but want a piece of it.
               A moment of bliss where he could shut his eyes to the world and know that he was safe because he was with Gai.
               Extracting his hands from his pockets he took the first step toward the sleeping pile of shinobi, and then another step, and another, until he found himself hovering over them. From his spot Neji continued to watch him, those glassy white eyes burrowing into his soul in a way only Gai and Rin had ever managed to do before.
               “You really are…”
               “Bothersome?” Neji huffed as he relaxed back into Gai’s shoulder and finally closed his eyes once again.
               Shaking his head Kakashi lowered himself into a squat right in front of Tenten. The urge to poke her in the side of the head, but he refrained. Waking her up would only cause him more troubles and he already had one sleepy student of Gai’s getting on his case.
               He didn’t need two.
               Taking one last look at the team, he couldn’t help but smile. During his short conversation with Neji, Tenten had turned her face into Gai’s shoulder so that half of her face was now covered and Lee had turned onto his back and interlocked his fingers on top of his chest in a position that looked far too similar to a dead person who was about to be buried.
               Shoving that thought away, Kakashi allowed himself to collapse into the ground in just the right way so his head landed against Gai’s leg with a gentle thud. As soon as he had done that, Gai’s right hand came up and settled straight into his hair. His index finger even rubbed against Kakashi’s scalp a little, causing Kakashi’s left leg to kick out against the ground just slightly.
               Not enough to wake anyone, but enough for Neji to open his eyes once again.
               “Did you just-“
               “Shut up.” Kakashi grumbled, adjusting himself so that he was a little more comfortable and settling into his new position. He no longer had a clear line of sight to Neji from his new position, but he didn’t need to see the teenager to know that he was smiling.
               If it were him who’d just seen an Elite Jonin of Konoha kick his leg like a happy puppy getting his skitches, he would also be smiling as he tucked away that mental image into his memory banks.
               That was a problem for later Kakashi to deal with. Right now, the only thing on his mind was the comforting weight of Gai’s hand in his hair and the sound of birds chirping in the air and leaves rustling in the wind.
               Before long Kakashi could feel that familiar wave of exhaustion washing over him, pulling him toward sleep. A feeling that he welcomed with open arms even though he knew he was never going to hear the end it from Gai’s adorable little students after Neji filled the other two in on what has just transpired.
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quackity1999 · 2 months ago
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"i mean— it's a weird mix. some of you come in the form of letters, some of you are the weird, noisy pop-up ads, some people i meet in person. it's a variation of stuff."
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LN ARCHIVES: MASTERPOST ON Q'S CHAT!!
OKAY. cracks my knuckles.
much like how other characters in the dream smp have physical manifestations of their twitch chat, i thought it'd be fun to apply that here — since this is a c!quackity ask blog.
anons function similarly to a twitch chat, which is why i decided that q's chat wasn't a duck pond for originality!
3 categories: people / actual pop ups / and letters or documents.
[ TAGGING SYSTEM ] + [ PINNED ]
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POP UPS: this applies to all asks that aren't letters or in-person situations.
these asks are visual pop-ups (boxes, like those virus advertisements you get on a computer, ykykyk) that show up in quackity's peripheral vision. the pop ups can't interact with him physically since they're just text— but they pile up and overlap if he doesn't address them. he can swipe them away with his hands, of course. quackity either responds to them verbally (only if he's alone to avoid looking bonkers.) or mentally (if he's got company.)
examples ; THIS , THIS , THIS , AND THIS .
LETTERS / DOCUMENTS: these asks are formatted + physical, often delivered to quackity's desk. pretty cut and dry.
examples ; THIS, THIS , AND THIS.
PEOPLE: these asks are physical interactions. yk. when people are within his office, or give him something, or touch him, or come to give updates about LN— etc. anon examples: 🟣👓, ♾️🪞, and a few others.
examples ; THIS , THIS , THIS, AND THIS.
NOTE: literate interactions are NOT my primary style of writing. i'm an ask blog with some teeeensy aspects of roleplay— i almost always write in dialogue! yes, even in response to some literate interactions. i don't respond to rp starters unless i'm writing an event + have planned those interactions with another writer. respect that :3 thank yew!! [ also for the love of prime herself, pleeease, READ PINNED. it'll help. i swear. it's easy peasy lemon squeezy. 5 mins! ]
lengthy asks always tend to overwhelm / slow me down, and while that isn't a bad thing, i do prefer short-mid length asks on a regular basis. this doesn't rule out occasional long letters & shit tho :)
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EXTRA INFO:
as for the anons side of things, i'd imagine it's similar to either watching a TV show you can send in notes / commentary / questions into, or literally being a citizen of LN. or, for some, working in the nation itself. (we need more workers pleasepleas.e pleas e its so fucking cool dude i love writing professional fancy shit olealplease i beg i beg i plead)
the anons cannot press too hard on changing what lore i have set up. you can add in little details if you like, or base details off of what canon i've already shown thru this blog (LOVE THAT), but anons aren't going to be aware of absolutely everything nor can they possess or control quackity's actions. keep that in mind <3
IMPORTANT: i've seen a few dsmp blogs using my pop-up idea, and while that's chill, i politely suggest taking inspo from the cc's interpretation of their chat. :3
i made quackity's anons function as popup ads rather than a duck pond or something basic, since it reflects his chaotic sort of character— from what i recall, tommy (?) had a nokia phone, jack uses his ingame headset, phil has crows and techno has voices.
bascially, i'd much rather see ppl coming up with their own versions of their anons/chat. or at least credit me for the pop-up idea!
i hope this clears things up :3 if there's questions or confusions i am more than happy to respond!
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pvffinsdaisies · 2 months ago
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CHARACTERS I TEND TO PORTRAY AS WOMEN
A short little list of character that, generally, when I’m speaking about them, I’m speaking about a female alternative and a short explanation on why. Excluding nations that are not canon in hetalia (e.g. the Faroe Islands).
NYO REPLACEMENTS:
“Nyo replacements” refer to nations where I still acknowledge the existence of the male counterpart, I might include them in ships or different AUs, but generally speaking, I prefer to treat their nyo as the “main” portrayal.
NYO ICELAND:
“Hrafnhildur Ingólfsdóttir”
Whilst I have never actually taken any issue with regular Iceland, I, at some point, just started gravitating more towards Hrafnhildur, instead. I actively developed her more than I did regular Ice, and became more comfortable with her. Iceland is also one of the best countries for women in the modern world, it was one of the first in Europe to elect a female head of state, for example. Other reasons, but my explanation is getting long as is.
NYO ESTONIA:
“Ivika Tamm”
Mainly thanks to Finland, who can be seen in OC replacement, I personally just love the idea of Finland and Estonia as a sister duo more than a brother-sister duo. Also, Estonia was actually a pretty good fighter back in the day.. and kind of unhinged… and I just love female “warrior” Eesti. And, similar to Iceland, I just developed a nyo Estonia before I did hws Estonia.
NYO ITALY:
“Angelica Viola Rossi”
Again, another one where I just developed the nyo counterpart more than the male one, women are just easier for me. If I were to list countries that just give me a more “feminine” vibe, Italy would be one of the first ones to name. And I’ve just always loved and gravitated towards nyo Italy, so I use her far more often. Feliciano is cute, but he just never stood out to me in the way Angelica does.
NYO POLAND:
“Felicja Skłodowska”
I debated whether or not to add Poland to this list, but ultimately decided I should. Whilst I do love the “Poland is the land of fem-boys” meme and I appreciate how it fits Feliks perfectly, regular Poland has never stood out to me at all, really, where as Felicja is more fun. I prefer Poland’s female design, and would’ve preferred to see them as a woman, like originally intended.
NYO PHILIPPINES:
Currently unnamed
Like many people, before Philippines was released, I was in the camp that they should’ve been a girl. Whilst I am not knowledgeable on Filipino culture, from what I’ve heard, it would make most cultural sense for the Philippines to have been a woman. I’ve seen multiple female Philippines OCs that I have loved, and whilst I do not have my own portrayal, I feel as though a female Philippines just has more potential. But I have no problem with canon Piri, he’s pretty fun.
OC REPLACEMENTS:
“OC replacements” refer to characters where I refuse to admit could even be nyos. The male counterpart does not exist to me at all, they are dead, deceased, I personally killed them.
FINLAND:
“Aino Lemmikki Järvinen”
Mainly thanks to “Suomi Neito” or the Finnish maiden, in English. A female personification of Finland within Finnish culture, originally stemming from the idea that the land looks like a woman. Even besides, I personally find making Finland a girl to be a good visual way to show the difference between them and the other Nordics. This was before I replaced Iceland with nyo Iceland, keep in mind. I’ve spoken about this before, multiple times, so I won’t say much here. The only time I use male Finland is when I’m using a friend’s portrayal.
IRELAND:
“Saoirse O’Reilly/Ní Raghallaigh”
I cannot express the disappointment I felt when Ireland was released as a man, I was one of the many people who was really rooting for a female Ireland. I tried to make my peace with male Ireland, but I just could not. Ireland will forever be a woman in my mind. There are so many strong women who come from Ireland, and Ireland just in general has strong feminine vibes imo.
NORTHERN IRELAND:
“Niamh O’Reilly/Ní Raghallaigh”
Again, similar to Ireland, I personally headcanoned N. Ireland as a woman before actual Northern Ireland became canon, and whilst my disappointment wasn’t as strong, I just could not sit with a male n. Ireland. I did consider her a nyo for a while, but eventually I just gave up with that.
SOUTH KOREA:
“Im Soojin”
Mainly thanks to @itstokkii and their wonderful portrayal of Korea 💕 South Korea just has such strong feminine vibes to me, and I just cannot picture them as anything other than a woman. South Korea, as a character, I just did not care about at all until I started viewing them as a girl, I love my hyper-modern tech whizz girly ig, what can I say?
NEW ZEALAND/AOTEAROA:
“Maia Ngaio” as I’m unfamiliar with Māori names, as notes or suggestions are very much welcome.
When it comes to New Zealand, I just think of so many strong, amazing female activists and fighters. New Zealand was actually the first country to give women the right to vote, and is also just so great for women’s rights. Which has to account for something, right? I just love female Aotearoa so much, I always have done, and a male portrayal just has absolutely no appeal to me at all anymore.
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catenary-chad · 1 month ago
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Some of my Electra headcanons (exhaustively long LOL)
My mental image of Electra takes VERY heavily from irl US train context, which I largely explain here.  I very much tend to make Stex characters into reflections/parodies of real industries and politics vs some independent train society.  It’s more train Hetalia with the kid playing them acting as the government/railroad authorities.  I’m prone to sidelining or outright chucking canon out the window in favor of realism for a lot of things (especially since the real life thing is often more nuanced and interesting).  Which leads to many… almost hilariously contrarian preferences for them (though they aren’t that incompatible with canon portrayals). 
I’m actually not that consistant on how I picture many aspects of the character.  The variety of depictions in canon is part of their appeal.  But the following are things I tend to do consistantly
-I use they or he inconsistently between posts.  Honestly I see Electra as a pretty neutral character in my mind and I don’t see them as caring much about pronouns.  
-Electra was always a trial/exhibition unit and genuinely doesn’t remember life outside public scrutiny.  Basically a train child star.  Situation akin to Amtrak testing X995/X996 in the 70s or the X2000 and ICE 1 tours in the 90s.  Basically going around the country on publicity tours and trial runs (where possible- which isn’t many places beyond the Northeast Corridor).  They eventually go into regular service on the NEC and just become another one of their class, but tend to be its public “face”.
-The race depicted in canon is basically a trial of different engines.  Racing isn’t Electra’s main career (or anyone else’s), they’re just normal trains in their countries selected for the event.  Electra just works normal regional trains, downgrading to commuter trains later in life and maybe freight work depending on how sci-fi our timeline gets.  
-They have poor boundaries and social issues from not really being around other engines or working in normal situations early on.  They don’t tend to get into deep, attached relationships.  Ironically, they’re actually very outgoing (almost too bold a lot of the time) and VERY affectionate.  They endlessly crave being cuddled and held and pet, and once they feel safe around someone it goes from “please pet my head” to “you have free access to my butt now” in no time.  It generally fades with age, but they have a lot of weirdly childish tendencies (for better and worse) ala Michael Jackson for similar reasons to him. 
-Personality-wise, I tend to make Electra a lot warmer/hotter than most others.  A lot more outgoing, surprisingly approachable, and someone in constant motion, but also a lot stronger willed, pissier, erratic, and downright mean.  Mentally I always think of loud, fast, snarky northeastern transit/rail fans who shit talk EVERYTHING (but also secretly want it to get better).  Mainline electric trains in the US are just so synonymous with a string of big cities known for being loud, fast, and/or abrasive that I tend to mentally associate Electra with varying shades of their stereotypes.  
-I’m generally very sympathetic to Electra lashing out and throwing tantrums because well, they DO have a lot hanging on them and considering the pressure that would have been on them then and now, trying to look less like a backwards embarrassment to the Nationals and justify their existence to a government who could care less about them…. it’s a wonder they aren’t pelting the preservationbait choo choos with tourist railroad flyers, telling them how ugly and unglamorous the main line actually is now, and hijacking the show for an extended rant on who REALLY got wronged in US rail history.  They have their own feelings dismissed in favor of short-minded populist pleas and romantic sentiment time and time again and that can lead to them getting bottled up and exploding on people.  
-Electra actually becomes pretty reasonable to deal with when not stressed and agitated and people are working with, not against them.  They tend to be domineering and smug, but are a lot calmer and can be reasoned with if you actually have a rational conversation.  Physical touch or talking about non-transport interests are easy ways to soothe them.  They can be pretty fun to hang around if you’re like minded and can withstand their personality, they’ve seen and know a lot and can go on and on about things they care about. That and train gossip… they know so much damn train gossip from being in areas with so many connections from elsewhere and being physically in so many places.
-I lean heavily into them being a “stereotypical liberal” and being treated like one because I think it proves a lot of points about rail electrification politics in the US.  Others act like they’re whiny, entitled, and out of touch… but it’s something that really is practical, is popular almost everywhere else in the world, and USED to be pretty common in the US too.  People will make fun of them saying “civilized society is where you can walk out and buy nice rolls and pastries at any corner store!” and “we should do VAT and just pay employees to begin with instead of having tipping”.  I’m not very consistent on what basis I give them, but basically all of them are super European because there aren’t really any US-based companies making them later in the 20th century and uh, it shows.  
-Acts more like a urban transit fan than typical foamer, constantly going on about logistics, fictional subways for places like Cleveland, going on and on about the economic merit of electrifying lines, figuring out whether a Deep Level London Underground train would fit in one of Musk’s stupid car tunnels, and crying about the trolleys vs “omg big boy!”. They just do not care about the romance of steam engines or fallen flags or how luxurious 50s sleepers were, just screaming at the state of electrification and public transit in the US over the past 70+ years.  
-When compared to subways, they get REALLY offended… on behalf of the subway.  Electra is genuinely very defensive about being electric and standing with other electric trains in the US due to their history of government and corporate obstruction.  Even “low-class” public transport is closer aligned with their needs than anyone on the uncivilized unelectrified high iron out west.  They know there’s a high chance they get demoted to commuter service in New Jersey and aren’t above anything.  They’re not even hostile towards freight service- they know they’re bound to get drafted into it eventually and would be good at it, they just get pissed at how backwards the big Class I railroads are and how they perpetually get in the way of electrification and their fellow Amtrak comrades.  
-Bonus: yeah Electra will joking call anywhere not electrified “uncivilized” only half-jokingly.  Leading to hilarious declarations like calling Ohio and Texas “savage wastelands”and vigorously defending cities like Baltimore and Philadelphia.  I mean, they’re basically immobile in that 90% of the country so can you  really blame them?  
-Pretty much all trains probably hate cars to some degree but Electra REALLY hates cars.  Electra has probably been victimized by cars the most of the main cast, government investment in highways was one of the main dooms of electrification in the US, and highways were never expected to be profitable vs Amtrak.  Oh they HATE cars on every fucking level and think they are Moloch Incarnate.  Even comparing them to Moloch vs Satan is a very old anti-car messaging thing because they burn things and early car accidents disproportionately killed children.  Buses are on thin ice.  Planes are grudgingly accepted as a necessary evil but a more humanoid Electra wouldn’t fly unless there was no other option.  
-Make various whines, whimpers, chirps, hisses, screeches, and buzzes akin to actual electric trains.  They are not quiet and actually make a lot of distinctive noises.  Electra is one of those incessant hummers, which is cute at first but gets grating after a while (a lot of things about them are this way).  Their cooling fans are also fucking LOUD, especially when set in older periods.  I think most if not all the 80s-era engines I associate them with sound like vacuum cleaners.  I’m inconsistent on how cold tolerant they are, but they tend to be more vulnerable to overheating vs being too cold.  Traction motors make plenty of heat, ESPECIALLY with old dynamic brakes that basically are resistance heaters like space heaters.  
-It’s something I’m very vocal about but I have hilariously contrarian physical preferences for Electra vs… almost everyone else.  My mental default is that they’re short and very cute, but also unambiguously an adult.  MUCH denser and beefier than most picture, electric engines are not “fast but weak”, they tend to be compact and very powerful for their size (and often end up becoming mixed traffic later in life).  I wildly oscillate between Koffi Missah and 90s-era Mykal, who look wildly different other than the above two things but I love both of them visually for different reasons.  Koffi has that MJ/Prince look to him and cute boxy appearance that matches the irl AEM-7s used then.  Mykal has the soft face and curvier silhouette that resembles the generic image of more modern electric engines… even heavy freighters tend to be very smooth and “cute” vs American-style diesel ones.  There’s also the weird parallel between him having the kind of soft, smooth, flat features a ton of black guys have irl but are weirdly pretty rare in media, which matches how electric trains are everywhere but largely ignored by train media.  I tend to draw Electra the latter way more because it’s fun and I think the combo of “idealistic yet weirdly average” is super fitting.  
-“passenger geared” Electra looks more like the above, but can be “freight geared” and suddenly turn into uh, 2013-era Mykal. Not as fast but actually very capable on heavy freight service, especially on steep inclines (VERY common crossover for electric express locos irl).  Electra generally shifts more to freight service later in life.  
-Older Electra mellows out a lot and is much sweeter and gentler.  Smooth, handles the Freight like they’re all carrying eggs and fine china, very efficient and doesn’t move more than they really need to.  Still VERY firm when pushed by others, and pretty snippy and testy, but a lot calmer with a lot less pressure on them.
-Little visual things… I’m very consistent on Electra having deep brown/black eyes (though I’m equally fond of them being bigger and heavier lidded OR strongly almond shaped).  I see them as having basically no body hair and probably not much of any on their head either, not even eyebrows/eyelashes.  They actually wear falsies out of necessity and just like getting fancy with them.  Probably due to some nebulous autoimmune condition they keep under wraps.  
-Very in tune to electronic music (mostly favoring older 70s-80s era stuff), appreciates subtle differences between various synths and tones and has a very good sense of pitch.  Quickly falls into pretentious prog rock territory, they love their weird time signatures and microtonality and questionable concept albums.  But don’t you dare insult disco around them.  They might be disco’s biggest defender.  They think listening to “stupid meat and potatoes troglodyte rock” from the time is the real insult.  They also listen to a lot of weirder world music and like it the more authentic it is.  
-They downplay their interest and abilities in visual art but are genuinely really good at bold, graphic stuff and makeup. They genuinely enjoy a lot of modern abstract art most people hate and take even the most pretentious money laundering pieces at face value.  
-Electra’s kind of a snobby coastal urbanite but I tend to make them a lot more down to earth than most others.  The kind of trains they’d work on were decently nice but not really fancy (ESPECIALLY vs older passenger trains most other characters are associated with).  They’ve been weirdly sheltered due to their upbringing but are just too closely associated with regular regional and commuter trains to be fully out of touch.  They’re a lot more utilitarian in associations than steam excursions or whatever UP corporate/anachronistically pre-Amtrak passenger train Greaseball runs.  Yeah Electra assumes people know more about art or music history or public transport politics than they probably do, but they’re also the type who’ll explain that kind of stuff if you don’t and broadly support public education in general (because more educated people tend to vote for the kinds of politicians who help trains like them lol).  Kind of goes full circle where they’re seen as pretentious… but a lot of what they support is just the norm in Europe, even in countries that aren’t that rich.  
-I have a weird amount of eating-related headcanons despite them having no reason to.  So apply these to a more humanoid setting.  I think they go from noticeably hungry to weak and exhausted VERY quickly, but also get knocked out by overeating, so Electra eats smaller meals very frequently.  They also just have a sensitive stomach in general, it’s partly why they hate flying.  They have a lot of food intolerances and a system prone to upset.  Definitely lactose intolerant, doesn’t handle high fat well, probably has issues with legumes and specific vegetables and some random artificial ingredients.  Not terribly picky based on taste/texture but comes off as fussy because a lot of things will just genuinely make them sick.  It’s stuff that can be managed with home or over the counter remedies, it’s just really annoying to deal with. 
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imomisoplays · 2 months ago
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Nasi Goreng
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Halo, tombler!
We are moving to a new household! Today we follow Stella, twin sister of Vienna and daughter of Aria and Kiyoshi Ito. Stella lives in a ranch house in Chestnut Ridge with her husband Kylo, daughter Leia and son Soleil (featured in the Ham Ramen post here). Stella's husband is indeed Kylo Ren -- I originally tried to match-make her with the game's Kylo when I played Journey to Batuu but long story short, I ended up just downloading a very handsome-looking Kylo Ren (based on the real-life actor Adam Driver) from the gallery. Let's try to not think about how Stella's babies are genetically Adam Driver's simchildren. 🥴
Anyway, more about Stella: She studied Education in college and is now a professor. Lately I just made her do the bare minimum at work while focusing on her side-gig as a nectar maker (said side-gig earned the family more than $200,000 already, so...). Stella's traits are snob, cheerful, and active -- which sure is a peculiar combination to work with. But since Kylo is also an active sim, the two of them really matched each other well.
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The recipe we are trying today came from the country of Indonesia, but is also commonly found in other countries on the Malay archipelago. Nasi goreng (literal meaning: fried rice) is a popular dish enjoyed nation-wide, from a tin plate at a street-food stall, or on a fine china plate in five-star hotels. The recipe we’re making today is made by @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel (click here to download the recipe). You would also need Custom Food Interactions for the recipe to appear in your game. I would like to send @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel an extra gratitude for reposting the original post in her blog. I didn't keep the draft for this post and would lost it if not because of her reblog. 🥺
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Regular Saturday morning in the Ren household is everyone gathering on the kitchen, whether helping in cooking or just doing their own thing. By "their own thing", this week they’re addicted to stitching. The BRAT t-shirt Leia is wearing is from the Apple Set by @serenity-cc.
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Prepping the protein and the vegetables for the dish. Most Indonesian recipes don't usually includes onion, but garlic and shallot are usually the base for many Indonesian recipes. Matter fact, there is a folktale based on garlic ("bawang putih") and shallot ("bawang merah") which you can read more here.
Since the recipe has spread and evolved during years and years of traveling in-between cultures, I don't think there's strictly any ingredient that made it a 'nasi goreng' – each and every ingredient can be substituted and alternated with other ingredient depending on the cook's taste buds. But as a Javanese person (who tends to have a preference for sweeter food), the three elements essential for a nasi goreng for me are: kecap manis, or the Indonesian sweet soy sauce; terasi or shrimp paste, and a day-old rice or refrigerated rice that has less moisture.
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I love this shot of the family just existing together.
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First part is to pan-fry each ingredients by itself -- usually it includes the eggs, the protein, and the vegetable.
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The use of pan here is sacrilegious (as Uncle Roger would say "Haiyah!") but I understand the limitation of animations. After each ingredient is pan-fried, starts by adding oil, chopped shallots, chopped garlic, and terasi in another pan -- ideally a wok -- and sauté until aromatic. Combine the ingredients you had pan-fried previously, and add kecap manis and sambal. Cook together until the rice is nicely coated and every grain is separated.
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I have to give my regards for @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel for doing an amazing work with this recipe because the condiments looks very well-researched! As displayed in the dish above, nasi goreng is commonly served with acar or Indonesian pickled cucumber, kerupuk or crackers (commonly prawn crackers), sunny side-up eggs, and what I assume look like perkedel or mashed potato fritters.
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The family enjoyed nasi goreng together. If you remember Vienna’s monochromatic kitchen and dining area, and you see Stella’s house, you understand why I had a whiplash, right?
The dining table has a window that gives unique sunlight that I definitely needs to show in this photo below. We’ll still be cooking another Southeast Asian food with Stella for the next post, so stay tuned and dag dag!
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P.S. History of nasi goreng is taken from this Wikipedia page, while detailed recipe are based on my own experience.
Imomiso’s note: This post is originally posted on the now deleted blog. I was able to retrieve this post thanks to @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel reblogging the post on her Tumblr 🤍
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