#first of all they just looked cool in contrast and it meant i could give sora the blue ones

[forgotten-lumis]

Yo guess what! I actully finished this! It's been actual months!

I've improved quite a bit since I started so the Sora verison is a bit more... eh- in my brain. But I think it overall looks good and it's fun to have them together. But yeah, link to corresponding part is below the cut if you want it.

[redcoralpot]

Eleganti - Poly!Stuilly x FTM!Reader

If you saw this before it was reposted, no you didn't.

Warnings: Implied internalized homophobia.

Summary: The heat has managed to affect all of you, and the only solution? A date at Stu's house with a dash of nail polish. You're sure they were both thrilled.

-

The summer heat truly had gotten to the three of you, with not even a cool breeze to give you relief. Rich boy Stu Macher’s parents were away for the weekend, again, which left his house the ideal place to take shelter in. If you had to be honest, you did not mind the temperature– kind of. The bottles of nail polish in your bag clinked together as you walked up the stairs; you knew Billy would be able to sit still long enough for it to dry. Stu, on the other hand, you weren’t so sure of. Not without heat and plenty of air flow.

Speaking of the devil, Billy glanced up from his book as you creaked the door open, leisurely spread on Stu’s bed. He raised an eyebrow at your appearance, before going back to reading, shifting a little to the side so you had more room to sit down. A smug grin slowly spread over your lips as you set your backpack down on the bed and unzipped it, making a show of the little, colorful bottles you displayed inside. You scooched beside it, and after setting down a towel in front of you, cracked open the first container.

Seeming to catch the smell, Billy spoke up, “Nail polish?”

“Yeah, want some?” He watched as you meticulously picked the colors you wanted, his mouth pursing.

“Not right now.”

You shrugged, applying a lavender base to your fingernails, “Suit yourself!”

Your hand flinched as the door was shoved open, smearing the liquid down your skin, only to be greeted by the eccentric figure of Stu. Upon seeing the predicament he caused, he bounced his shoulders and held up his hands beside his head, with an exaggerated frown. 

“Uh… whoops!”

He sauntered over, pressing his face into your shoulder. In response, you slapped the towel onto his face after wiping the spilled polish on the material. Stu grumbled something; it was ineligible. 

It eventually slid off on its own, with a little help from the teen shaking his head, “Suffocate me, why don’t you?”

Chuckling, you said, “You were the one who made me mess up, tough guy.”

“I totally meant for that to happen.” He slipped his arm over you, hanging like a sloth.

“If you meant it, then you have to be my test subject!”

Stu made a noise, contemplating. You wouldn’t force him to wear it, of course, but it was funny threatening something so harmless anyway. After just a few seconds, you felt the weight on your back release; Stu had moved in favor of shoving your bag into Billy to make space for himself. Then, the noodle of a guy flopped across from you, sitting criss-crossed with the most shit eating grin you have ever seen. Billy scowled at the rough treatment, but the expression was covered by the other’s knee.

He leaned forward, “Gimme orange.”

“Good choice!”

To prevent smearing, you blew on your covered nails as best you could, before bright orange coated the tiny brush in your hand. Stu seemed giddy as you took his hand, peering down, applying the cool liquid with precision. It was such a contrast to what his hand felt like; rough and as warm as a furnace. In the corner of your eye, you could see Billy’s eyes watching over Stu’s jeans, his book long forgotten. Finally, you finished, and allowed the fidgety boy to hold up his palms. His eyes were wide as he admired your handiwork, flexing his fingers with pride.

Stu tapped the top of Billy’s head with his elbow, “Hey, dude, want some of this?”

“Hm.”

“C’mon—”

“Black.”

You snickered, “I knew you’d crack.”

Billy rolled his eyes and leaned on Stu, holding out a hand. He shivered when you made a slight mistake, and gave you an unimpressed look as you fixed it with the edge of your towel. You could only complete one hand before he stopped you.

“Look who’s gonna be Cruella this Halloween!” Stu sneered, poking the other’s nose.

“Hey, hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” You shut the bottle, carefully sealing them all back in your bag, “Fuddy duddy William could be making a new trend.”

“Never call me that again. Is this enough for you two?”

Stu cocked his head, “Lemme think… nope.”

You stretched your body out, setting your belongings on the ground. Opening Stu’s own closet, you ran your fingers over the variety of shirts and robes the guy had. In the very back, there was a band shirt, obviously too small for Stu; he grew out of it by the time he was sixteen. You held it out, studying it, before shrugging and taking it off the hanger. Your shirt flew over your head and smacked Stu in the face, but the air soothed the sweat that was gathering under your double sport bras, at least for a moment. Then, the newer shirt covered everything back up, and the dark material banned anyone from clocking the extra layers underneath.

“Why don’t we go out for ice cream?” you suggested.

Stu pumped his fist, even though your shirt was still clinging to his body. Billy shook his head, a little smile playing on his lips when Stu ran out the door, presumably to get his car keys. You, on the other hand, hesitated when you saw a shadow underneath the shirt, where your chest lay. The only other boy left in the room must have caught on, because you felt a passing hand on your shoulder and a whisper in your ear.

“You look fine, it’s normal.”

He met your gaze. However, someone was getting impatient, as a muffled shout rang through the closed window, “Coming? I’m totally getting pistachio this time, and you gotta be here to see me try it!”

-

[sanctus-ingenium]

another one of these posts lol... sketches vs final. not much changed for these ones, i kind of went into them with a very solid mental image already in my head. all of these were done start to finish in procreate

thoughts below the cut

horse fight .... this is based off a really really beautiful sky i saw while driving home one evening. i'm really proud of getting the colours i saw exactly right, this kind of greenish yellow fading to dark blue and with grey clouds low over it that looked very dark against the yellow by the horizon, but very pale against the dark blue.

i thought it would be a cool backdrop to draw a scene i've been thinking about for a while. The little cartoony horses are there to provide some tonal whiplash but also because these are two immortal shapeshifters who can fight violently without it being a huge deal. the little horses represent the actual gravity of the fight (that is, kind of a slap fight between two drama queens) which contrasts with the visuals of two animals brutally tearing at eachother. also i got the two horses at the bottom mixed up, Pascal is the one with the skinny plumed tail and Macha has a more traditional horse tail and i put them on the wrong sides.

i had a LOT of trouble shading this. i didn't want the horses to be too shiny but that meant a much lower contrast in shading and even with my screen brightness turned up i could barely see what i was doing. but i wanted it to read as realistic. mixed results i think. if i did it again i might try a different shading style because this one didn't really do it for me

--

spooky van!!! the post i deleted by accident (rip. i will repost it soon). this is a picture of the barrow (the field) taking a different shape - in this case a cool van. the van contains every single thing the field does (including the human victims that get lost in there...) but compressed down into a manageable shape. the void is Pascal because the field is inside him. he did this for his human bf to provide novel way to travel through the Otherworld. don't ask how this works like, spatially, because the answer is: i don't do hard magic systems in this setting

i loooove shading things with pencil hatching and i really like contrasting it with smooth colours/shading so that's mainly what i did here. it was simple enough. the van is of course heavily referenced and i wish i had been able to stylise it a little more.. maybe next time. i want to draw a kind of cutaway illustration of the van showing exterior and interior (like an old blueprint schematic), which i might use as a cover for the book/comic/whatever but that will require a very intimidating level of precision so i think i'll work up to that.

--

RUA magazine. this is my third time doing a rua magazine cover (first time posting tho). this is an in-universe magazine distributed throughout the Otherworld to an audience of fairies. in the sketch, the illustation was originally the King of Pentacles tarot card (the pentacle being the disco ball). but i decided to make a different King of Pentacles card for him instead, since I try hard to move away from symmetrical composition for the tarot cards (it's boring). so i repurposed this one into another magazine cover. like i said Pascal is a self-absorbed attention whore and has a habit of giving bullshit interviews just so that he can be on the cover as much as possible. he dresses like this all the time (the year is 2017)

the disco ball took 15 years off my life and it's not even the first disco ball i've drawn! i finished my actual king of pentacles card before i finished the rua cover sketch, so i can show u this

which is much better even if i did reference so heavily that it isn't exactly stylised. but this card needs some serious revision before i even think about posting it. i'm just not happy with his face.

original intent was for it be mysterious with emphasis on the neon lights but it ended up far more suggestive than i expected. that's life!

[burr-ell]

On the subject of Vex's flaws, I think it's interesting to compare and contrast the conversations she has first with Vax and then with Percy in 1x63. Right before the episode break, Vax goes to Vex to talk to her about the title Percy gave her and tells her that while he appreciates that it made her happy, to him it's like "gilding a lily" and that she's "already perfect" to him. She insists her strength is an act and he immediately replies "bullshit".

Immediately after the break, Vex seeks out Percy, and thanks him for the title and tells him how much it meant to her that he took up for her that way. Percy says a title is "mostly there to remind you you don't really need it" and "it doesn't change anything", and they have a brief discussion about the logistics of what her title means. He teases her that "I imagine you're eventually going to become very insufferable" but then adds that "you have to be".

Now on its face it seems like Percy's saying the same thing Vax is! But there are a couple of crucial differences. For one thing, the comments Percy makes about her becoming "insufferable" (and then that actually she should be) are clearly playful, but it's also an acknowledgment that she can be exasperating. Lighthearted it may be, but it tells Vex that Percy's not afraid of her flaws or put off by the ways she could potentially be annoying. For another, he openly admits that she doesn't actually have any land—the land isn't his to give; it's Cassandra's, as the actual ruler of the city. Percy's promising her what he CAN give her, with an honest explanation of what that is. Like with the come-from-money conversation, he's being both kind and objective. It's at this point where he says a title "doesn't change anything", and I think that allows Vex to see his gesture for the totality of what it is and make her own choice about what she does with it. It's like the arrows; he's giving her the tools to forge her own path, trusting her judgment.

Now I'm not at all hating on Vax here, but I do think Vex's conversation with him revealed some flaws in their relationship. Vax only emphasizes how Vex is cool and strong, and when Vex directly states that it's an act, Vax dismisses this and says he needs her to keep being strong. And he clearly means well! But it's a fascinating choice from Laura to go from that conversation and then talk to Percy the first chance she gets, and one of the things that says is that Vex does not trust Vax's judgment of her in that moment. He's her brother, and he just explicitly said she's perfect! Vex has, by this point, started to see her own flaws clearly enough that just telling her how amazing she is doesn't address the issue, and she's less inclined to trust the opinion of someone who does it. She wants to know that someone can see her flaws, assess her honestly, and still love her.

And the conversation with Percy shows Vex someone who looks at her and sees through her, who has seen and done terrible things and is clever and pragmatic and ruthless, someone who does his best to evaluate a situation as objectively as possible and someone who's striving every day to become better. And that person trusts her, wants to see her succeed, and gives her everything he can to make that happen.

[monsterdogboy]

A Personal Adonis (Cross Stitch Patch)

Based on a painting by @emptyshellofanillusionwizard

Pixel art pattern development and stitching done by me!

Check below the cut for the back side, pixel art, progress photos, and more info on my process!

first off we have the back side of the patch for you freaks out there who like that or whatever (it’s me i’m freaks)

I always really admire the wrong side of cross stitch pieces i think it’s just like really cool to contrast the messsy blob of random threads and stitches and then seeing how beautiful the front looks in comparison. can’t have one side without the other!

here’s the pixel art piece i made ! This definitely took the longest, i went back and forth tweaking the curves and colors for soooo long. i made it in procreate mostly because it was convenient, i don’t know if it’s the best program for pixel art but i made it work well enough! you’ll notice the colors are pretty different than the final piece. color matching thread is a pain, it’s hard to get things exactly right. i’m pretty happy with the threads i picked over all but i wish i was able to find more teal shades that matched my gradient so it would look a bit more readable as marble. also some of the darker colors are a bit too similar. i might make this design again on a smaller scale (this piece is about 8 inches long! it’s about 50x100 pixels done on 14 Aida cross stitch fabric. if there is a next time i want to do it in a smaller weave fabric) and that will give me a chance to work on the colors.

And here’s a couple progress photos! I was regularly sending my girlfriend pictures while i worked on it so i have way more but here’s the main checkpoints. the final picture is the finished patch but without the red lines if you want a clear look at the full stitching.

and that’s about all i got! if you have any questions about my process or anything else to share with me feel free to shoot me an ask or a message, i’d be more than happy to answer!

once again ty for reading and enjoying my work, plz like/reblog/share if you could, i’ve never had anything blow up but if anything was going to i really want it to be this. this project meant a lot to me. and also please go check out the original artist, hado, and give them some love and support as well! i wouldn’t have been able to make this piece if ey hadn’t inspired me and given me permission to make it!

be excellent to each other <3

[inchidentally]

https://x.com/charlclerc/status/1749478427239891090?s=20

I think someone here missed the sight of a soaked Oscar <3

ok so big shock!! I'm gonna use this sweet little morsel of Lando pausing in his remaining winter break to look back on that glorious day

to create an absolute smorgasbord of what Suzuka meant to him and to Oscar

I've edited together the most chewable parts of the post race press conference tho tbh it's mostly just removing the parts where Max tries his best to put a slight new twist on answering the exact same questions as last weekend lgflajsg.

so at the start I love the little private smile Lando and Oscar share when Max's fanfare is going on - it gives me a little rueful but also slightly creepy twinning vestal virgins au like are we going to destroy him Lando? yes we are going to destroy him Oscar

(I AM NOT BEING SERIOUS IT'S JUST JOKES).

which is even funnier with what Max leads into about seeing these two goddamn McLarens sandwiching him and for a split second thinking ah so they want to destroy me? oh dear. like Max is very at home on that couch but the presence of these two creatures sharing covert smiles with each other has him (and probably a lot of that room) uneasily wondering if that's all y'know, normal and above board? they're not like... witches, right? haha. crazy!

and I think the cool meticulous way Lando treats his own performance is a really good example of how (in my opinion!) his self-flagellation does need to be reeled in because he's never the sort to be soaring high enough to compensate for those lowest lows. for a while I was undecided but honestly I agree with Martin Brundle, Jenson Button and Oscar who've said (in different ways and indirectly from Oscar) that Lando is far too level-headed and race smart to be hanging his own tender hide out like he does. I so appreciate how measured he was in self-approval over his back to back podiums and no one's asking him to get cocky, but I'd really love to see him match this approach to when he struggles as a driver (and not just a car issue which was the case pre Silverstone).

contrast that with Oscar discussing his own self-criticisms of the weekend but equally saying he'll still relish the maiden podium. and crucially that he can fairly put at least part of his struggles - which he was also meticulous about - down to this being his first time racing at Suzuka. an anon sent an ask about Andrea praising Oscar specifically for his performance there and you can really feel the influence Andrea has had throughout the season on Oscar. because before Silverstone, Oscar had a tendency to monotone lowness and disappointment in himself that bordered dangerously on bitterness and maybe even a fear/doubt of how his rookie season would indeed turn out? but Andrea's approach of optimism, faith in teamwork and specifically in making sure Oscar was looked after while Lando naturally performed so much better, absolutely sank in.

and it makes sense that Oscar as a rookie has so much more mental plasticity when it comes to outside influence - and says a lot about Andrea's leadership too. it's where I wish Lando could have had Andrea as principal from day one too. bc understandably, Lando has graduated to that level of knowing himself so well as a driver relative the drivers around him that there's an existing almost prejudice about himself that the people in charge of guiding him have to overcome.

literally everyone who knows and who matters has said how similar Lando and Oscar are in terms of their approach to the car and their dedication to the team. and I know Andrea has shielded Lando in his own way by saying that it's a champion's mentality to have as much passion and emotion as Lando does. but - and this is honestly such a great piece about Andrea go read it and thank you again to @mecachrome for repping him so much - he also emphasized the positivity that was so crucial to pushing the team through those awful early races. I don't at all blame Lando for getting a bit grim toward himself at times thinking not only about that first race win but also the championship. but I also really hope that between Andrea and Oscar (source: Lando himself!) he can use the lifts of his highs to not sink so low anymore.

skipping back to around the minute mark when Lando says how much more this second place means to him than Singapore because of the double podium and also because of his own performance being better. not to get too ~contentious~ but this is why I really have needed the Singapore high to wear off as fast as it did for Lando when people are discussing Lando's 2023 as a driver and not as part of a ship. absolutely still revel in it in an rpf sense! but like, real life Lando is intensely loyal to his team and y'know what else? he's intensely loyal to loyalty. which is precisely what Oscar has been proving to McLaren since signing that pre-contract the summer before. it took an entire court case for Oscar to get to McLaren and he was met with a wall of hate coming from three sides. comment sections were filled with people celebrating McLaren's 2023 initial struggles and vilifying Oscar for how much he was costing them (in every sense) for paying out Daniel. and it was the Suzuka weekend when Oscar agreed immediately to extend his contract further.

Lando had a front row seat for all of that once the season started. and considering how few races Oscar's dad and Lily were able to make due to being on the other side of the world and final year of school respectively, Oscar spent a fair amount of that time getting to grips with being in F1, and the particular pressure and stress from media and fans, largely alone in terms of a private life. so it says so much about how well he was repaid by the team and also by Lando for keeping his cool and putting in the extra hours and keeping the faith.

and around 2 mins "we have two drivers up fighting for those positions" "we can help one another and use one another". that tandem the two of them have achieved before the season is even over was largely formed when the car was fighting against them. as was the case with Carlos and then Daniel and truly every other F1 driver, Lando did NOT have to intervene or take on a specific responsibility toward Oscar. F1 drivers aren't pack animals, they move through their careers alone and are happy if they can be buddies with their partner. so to see Lando as the number one show faith in Oscar and stand up for him and receive that trust and faith in return is so unique. Lando controlled that as much as Andrea did - maybe even more considering how he says he feels Oscar is so similar to him in a lot of ways. it's not uncommon for charismatic guys like Lando, Carlos and Daniel to make friends with their team mate.

but I think the whole "Lando effect" thing has actually been a huge disservice to what Lando has put into the partnership with Oscar. in this interview early on in the season, he says how Oscar is really quiet and that it's just how most people are in their first year and "we'll change him". but as we've seen, Oscar didn't end up changing and funnily enough the hanging out he and Lando do off the track has been as private and only alluded to as the rest of Oscar's private life. Lando got a lot of Oscar on his camera (again, a lot we haven't gotten to see yet) but really there was no big transformation in terms of Oscar becoming one of the charismatic personalities of the grid. and yet he and Lando only got closer and more supportive of each other in all the ways that matter to a partnership. so I think it's a much bigger credit to Lando that he learned to understand Oscar's personality better and still found ways to establish that sense of trust and loyalty without a bromance or a bunch of common interests to act as glue.

when they do that slightly eerie, intense active listening when the other is speaking, it's them having a synchronicity that has nothing to do with how guys usually bond. (that's why my vestal virgins au yes I know it's weird)

Lando wasn't in any position of power for any of that to be relevant with Carlos or Daniel - Carlos was so far advanced already in his career and Daniel had his thing going on w McLaren that Lando had no control over (and rightly didn't respond to people demanding he show some kind of shame?? or partake in the blame). so loyalty never really played a part in his partnerships with those two, whereas (and maybe as a result of that) Lando's loyalty to McLaren as a team only grew each season. so seeing someone close to his own age but far behind in experience, work so hard and prove so early on that he wants to stay, absolutely brought out a pride from Lando for Oscar that I really hope he will also extend to himself more. major Zak Brown levels of back pats to Lando.

and side note but it needs to no longer be a question or point of contention when Lando says that Silverstone and then the double podiums are superior races for him. Lando loves his F1 buddies, absolutely. but Lando didn't burn through junior championships by favoring his buddies. he loves racing and his team more. and he sure didn't get that second place podium in Singapore because of a buddy, it was because of the position he'd put himself in. just like how Carlos would have given DRS to anyone behind him who was on older tires like he was to ensure that win. like, let's remember the manic obsession that has brought these men to where they are. buddies are a part-time thing. rpf is my meat and drink but I'll never confuse it up with that reality lol.

4:45 the Senna-Prost comparison - and I could probably get all deep about the youngest generation referring to those old bitter alpha male rivalries as something long gone (but I won't). but it's a really good call-back to Monza and the coming together because there's Oscar's ability to see his performance clearly and where it went wrong for him leading to that third place and not higher. and god, I am in no way saying that it's possible to compare Lando being in his fifth season without a race win to a rookie celebrating his first podium. I just really hope that Lando reminds himself that he's come of age in F1 in the Max Verstappen era and that in the cool down room at Qatar, Oscar giddily thanked Mercedes for clearing a path for him. that it doesn't always have to be pure perfection and pace to keep him afloat. sometimes points are points and serendipity plays her part.

"I've been drowned by Lando in champagne" god I will never be over Lando's smug toothy smile

and I will also never be over the way Lando went from clearly dreading being the "older/experienced" teammate and not knowing what to make of Oscar's quiet, reserved personality, to the intense proprietary authority of practically holding Oscar up by his collar like a prize cat in Suzuka and saying "this is mine! I helped make this what it is! look how good this is!"

all while baptizing him in champagne <3

[darlenicy]

Darcy and Riven – their story and why I ship them

In January 2023 I found my way back into the Winx fandom - more precisely, I created this Tumblr on January 28th, 2023 and since then I have been constantly passionate about this show from my childhood. Most of all, of course, for our three favorite witches. Accordingly, this year I have given a lot of thought and HCs to the Trix and their relationships. Today is the day that I'm going to write down all of these HCs and thoughts I have and tag them properly so that they're easier to find in my jumble of posts, reblogs and crazy fangirling. Well, have fun!

I got my first anon ask about Driven headcanons (hcs most of the time now) in march and therefore tried to order my thoughts on this topic as well. It actually became something of a definition of their relationship and how I see them in the show: This is how my bullet journal looks:

Riven is pretty badass. That's why Rivusa doesn't make much sense because ego-wise he would have gone after best-girl-Bloom. Or Princess Stella, but more Bloom, simply because Brandon (Sky) obviously found Bloom interesting.

Then there is Darcy. Not only is she the complete opposite of the loud, glittering fairy gang, but she also forms a stark contrast to Riven. She is powerful, yes, but above all she is calm, goal-oriented and come on in 1x8 we see how cute she is. Of course, Riven likes her power-talk in 1x9 but he surely is keen on her because she is a totally different type of girl than Musa or Stella.

Oh, and an important thing that just came to my mind while supervising what I wrote and putting it into a post: DARCY DID NOT MIND-CONTROL HIM IN CANON!

Her glowing eyes meant that she formed the connection with Riven, so that he could contact her mentally later on in the show!

It's fkn 4kids who came up with the mind control because they tend to downplay everything for all American kids' sake. - Ok back to the post:

In terms of type, if comparted to the fairies, Darcy is mostly like Flora, but in contrast to the nature fairy, she has a much more self-confident demeanor. She is also the first to respond to Riven as a person and his needs (power, being recognized). Then of course there is the matter of rescue. Firstly: Thanks for saving my life and secondly: The woman can ride this flying motorcycle like a guy. Where can you find something like that? And unlike the Winx, who are constantly in trouble, Darcy (and her sisters) is beyond competent (in Season 1 after all, we know how the writing goes down, *sigh*). So, we have Darcy: a beautiful, competent badass BB who just saved his life and looks like an angel that fell from heaven - all in the specialist uniform too - sexyyy. So, it's an extremely attractive girl who also knows guy things and cares about him and really sees and perceives him as a person. She's not a self-centered good-time girl who makes him clean, so she doesn't have to endure her punishment alone (looking at you, Winx....)

But who exactly is Darcy? (she's my girl, my bb, my queen) Out of the Trix, she is probably the one who is least behind the world domination plans. Of course, she is still a member of the Trix - and of course not less power-hungry than her sisters. But she would be the one most likely to give up everything to live a quiet but fulfilling life with the person she loves. Isn't she? She is definitely the first to panic and to make mistakes as a result. We remember episode 1x5, where she immediately panicked when everything didn't work out as planned. She thought she would find Stella's ring in no time, that wasn't the case. Instead of keeping a cool head like Icy would have, she freaks out and starts attacking Bloom. Is it fear because she is running out of time and doesn't know what to do if her disguise is exposed? In any case, Darcy would have been expected to wear a more confident disguise. But in the end, she's the one most likely to panic and this episode shows that perfectly. Maybe that's also the reason why she has clever ideas, but often doesn't think them through. In episode 2x10 she tries to get Icy to put the feather in the scales, fearing that she might have made a mistake and get wiped just like Stormy, who had previously hit the scales with brute force. Icy states very correctly: You’re a backstabbing coward, Darcy. And I love you for that. And with that she the nail right on the head. Darcy is certainly the first of the Trix to get nervous. She certainly has a tendency to overthink, whereas Riven strikes first and thinks later (at best).

Mind control is her specialty. She knows how to get into the minds of her victims to confuse and weaken them. At the same time, she also knows how uncertain and dangerous feelings can be. When it comes to having deep feelings for someone else, she is more likely to be the one who is insecure and cautious. Precisely because feelings are so uncertain, she probably tries to make decisions with her head rather than with her guts.

Their love story is iconic and cute. Basically, we have good girl and bad boy, but the good girl is one of the bad guys and the bad boy is ultimately one of the good guys. They haven't really fought against each other yet. Riven only knows that Darcy is one of the most powerful witches in Cloud Tower and that she and her sisters hate the Winx. Since Riven is skeptical of the Winx himself and has no deeper connection to them, he has little to do with this antipathy from both sides and perhaps only hears about it in passing from Brandon or Sky. So in 1x7 he doesn't pay much attention to the Trix. The fact that he turns on the light and exposes the Trix is once again Riven being Riven. He wants to be the cool dude and doesn't really care about the situation. He simply has no interest in the Winx's affairs and is only pissed when he becomes personally involved with Musa being thrown into his arms by the minotaur. Maybe that’s where his inner hero speaks? But first and foremost, he wants to praise himself. The first time he really notices Darcy is in 1x8, where she represents to him the complete opposite of the fairies, one of which had just shown him up (Bloom).

Darcy, on the other hand, is already interested in Riven in 1x7 and hides the whole thing behind the talk about the Prince of Darkness (seriously, WHO is the Prince of Darkness? Why is that never clarified?). One episode later, she's extremely worried that something might happen to Riven with Icy's, admittedly delicate, plan. bb obviously already has a crush on him. And no one can claim that Icy doesn't know this and is actively using it for her plan. I think that Darcy's feelings didn't matter to her at all, thinking she'd get over it sooner or later. But the fact is, even Icy sees the spark fly between them.

So you could say it was love at first sight for both of them. It is also important for Riven that after all the disappointments and constant criticism he was exposed to at Red Fountain, someone finally recognizes him and his talents. While the Winx, especially Stella, just complained about him, Darcy supported what he was. Partly because she can take advantage of his ambitions, of course, and partly because she simply likes him. I think there are some things Darcy does simply for herself and not because it's part of the plan to rule the Magic Dimension.

From Riven's point of view, what probably also speaks for Darcy is her maturity. She's not a little fairy to save. The opposite is the case. She is probably more experienced in other things too - but that always depends on the respective HC. Darcy can be a bad bitch and cute bb - both are accurate. For me though, she gives more bb vibes than bitch vibes. However, she appears much more mature and confident than the fairies. Speaking of bb (she's one, look at her!) -

she's the type most likely to develop romantic feelings. Icy is too calculating and Stormy is just there for the passion (if you get what I mean). In 2x2 we have this scene "*sigh* To be young and in love...".

She's also the one of the Trix most likely to feel something resembling remorse, if only for her time with Riven. On the other hand, in season 2 we have Riven, who immediately sees through Darcy's attacks - because he knows them. Very well. There is probably still a connection between the two. There could have been more hints about their relationship besides “cute” and “not cute”. There could have been one or two longing looks. I FELL ROBBED.

That’s basically how I interpret their story and why I ship them. I’ll come up with some headcanons these days as well. Stay tuned :3

[homestuckreplay]

Sburb Cat Necromancy DLC Unlocked

(page 441-442)

8/5/2009 wheel spin: Parent Bad :( verdict: INCORRECT

This was only a two page sequence but a LOT happened, so I gotta get into it.

Rose's house covered in snow is a BEAUTIFUL panel, lots of detail for such a low contrast color scheme. I am convinced that half the reason for Hussie making Rose live in a house Like That was so they could draw cool art of the house, and I'm not complaining. It's August and I'm sweating and looking at this gif still makes me feel like frosty nights and holidays are on the way.

WE GOT A ROSE AND GG CONVERSATION. FINALLY THE SET IS COMPLETE. I guess I don't need to write a sequel to this now, and I was laughably wrong about a couple of things - I had Rose giving GG information on Sburb when in fact it's the other way around, and I had Rose being a lot more skeptical of GG's mysterious knowledge than she actually is. [But I was totally right about them talking about pets and about GG mentioning that they're not as good at games as John and Dave, so I'll take a C on this.]

Some key facts we learn from the real Rose-GG Pesterlog: Rose's birthday is in winter, she lives in a place where it snows (possibly New England), John is the person who got her into knitting (just a few months ago), and she was knitting something for him as a gift, but didn't finish in time (the contents of the purple box on p.218). This is so cute. It felt when we met her like knitting was the most 'normal' of Rose's hobbies, and this explains why. It also shows that John knows her really well, given that he knew she'd enjoy it, despite it being nothing like her other interests. Rose has clearly thrown herself into it, completing the princess doll reconstruction, the laptop cozy, and assorted clothing items in just a few months, but she still hasn't finished John's present, probably because she struggles more when there's 'strong sentimental value' to her creation.

I think Rose is the best at banter of all four characters. Dave is not good at banter, he's responding to his own brain more than to his conversation partner sometimes, but Rose has shown the ability to bounce off all three of the others in a witty back and forth (see p.187 and 333), which is cool of her. And Rose and GG are both associated with being, honestly, smartass know-it-alls who at least believe they have more knowledge than others, although they do this in very different ways, so it makes sense they would try to outwit each other.

But it's really hard to get a read on how much they like each other. GG seems so nice and earnest even when they say things like 'you see not everybody always means the opposite of what they say the way you and dave always do' which from most people would be a jab but here feels like a patient explanation. Yet they didn't get Rose a birthday present despite working on one for John for 'years', and their 'tip' for Rose, while interesting, is explicitly something she should 'talk to john and dave about' instead of an offer for Rose and GG to do something together.

On the other hand, Rose has some expectation of a gift, and clearly puts value in GG's esoteric knowledge, given that she's far more open to believing a scientifically improbable prediction when it comes from GG. It might be that they both see the relationship differently - GG doesn't consider Rose a close friend but is still very nice to her because of their general demeanor and people skills, while Rose who is only nice to a few people interprets GG's kindness as the two of them being closer than they really are.

So, despite asking 'whats sburb??' on p.169, GG was the person who tipped Rose off to its release. This clears up some stuff on Rose's end, but only adds more suspicion and question marks to GG's whole deal. With Rose, it clears up why she was so fixated on sprite prototyping, what she meant on p.440 about this whole mess being Jaspers' fault - as he was Rose's first motivation to play Sburb - and her focus on necromancy, as this concept was specifically how the game was introduced to her. To be fair, 'childhood cat necromancy' fits her whole deal a lot more than 'immersive building simulator' does, and I like the idea that Rose - and by extension, John and Dave - got into Sburb through a secondary mechanic and not through the game's main purpose. It really makes it feel like they all stumbled backwards into this story.

It also explains why Rose is playing this game inside the mausoleum, right where Jaspers' corpse is. If she's planning to prototype him with a sprite, as the text is strongly suggesting, it makes sense to keep him by her side. 'I would describe my feelings toward the animal as lukewarm.' you absolute liar, you are braving a forest fire for the chance to see this cat again you big softie.

[ladycatofwinterfell]

Paint a portrait

Summary: Jeyne Westerling comes to her unexpectedly and asks her of Lord Stark. Who was he? What was he like? And even as the grief is still a fresh wound Catelyn tries to paint the portrait of her beloved Ned

Catelyn being sad and lonely without her Ned and Jeyne trying to figure out what her late father-in-law was like <3

Jeyne sat and folded her hands in her lap, seemed hesitant to begin though found her voice in the end.

”I have heard much and more of Lord Eddard Stark, though Robb will not speak of him to me. He speaks of him as the lord he has succeeded, though not as the father.”

It had still not been long. The grief was still fresh. Catelyn could see why Robb would not wish to speak of him. She was not certain she herself wished to speak of him. Her Ned. Her beloved Ned. The husband she had sent south and then nothing but his bones had returned to her.

”Or the husband” the girl quickly added when Catelyn remained silent.

The lord that Eddard Stark had been was not the same man as the father and the husband. There had been a difference in him whenever he donned the lord’s face. She had loved both those men, though one had meant more to her than the other.

”What is it you want to know?” Catelyn asked, immediately hearing the strain in her own voice.

”What was he like? Lord Stark?”

Catelyn felt the smile on her lips, though she felt nothing that could be described as joy. Again the pain in her chest had returned, again there was a weight that threatened to crush her.

What had he been before he died? Before his life had been stolen from him? Before they had taken his head and fed his eyes to the crows? He had been everything. Without him the world had began crumbling around her.

”Stern, though not unkind and never unjust if he could help it” she began, still smiling. ”He cared a great deal for doing what was right and just. It was always his wish to do right by his people.”

All the times she had sat next to him as he tried to make sense of the struggles of his people. As he tried to help them as best he could. As he gave them all of himself that he could give. Their wellbeing had been of such importance he could at times forget himself.

”When he was the lord he was a man of few smiles. Even I thought him cold before I came to know him. He had a face that truly belonged to his frozen country. He was never unkind, never cruel in the least, simply not so warm. Silent when not made to speak.”

How many nights had she not spent wondering if she would ever break through that ice? How many nights had she not been unable to sleep as she had pondered whether her husband would forever look at her with a cool politeness, at best? Many. But then there had been more nights. Nights where she had fallen asleep with her head on his chest. Nights where he had spoken so softly to her. Nights where he had ran his hands through her hair so very gently. Those nights had been more numerous than those she had spent alone.

Though his chest had rotted away, the heartbeat that had lulled her to sleep had been forever silenced. The tongue that had spoken sweet words to her, it had also rotted away. Or the crows had taken that, as well. His hands were nothing but bones, the rough and calloused palms so sharply contrasted by the gentleness he touched her with had been taken by rot. Death and rot and crows. It had stolen him away, ensured she would live out the rest of her life alone.

Not only had they killed Lord Stark. They had killed Ned. Her husband, the father of her children, the presence she had leaned against for so long. Winterfell had lost its lord. The North had lost its warden. And she had lost her love.

”Lady Catelyn?”

Jeyne spoke softly, though something in her voice indicated it was perhaps not the first time she had said something.

”Forgive me” Catelyn said.

It happened more and more often that she found herself lost in thought. There was not much else to do. Robb had lost all faith in her council, her father was dead, the war was happening around her and she could do little about it. And so she thought. So she contemplated. Past and present and future. Life and death.

”There is nothing to forgive, my lady, nothing at all” Jeyne ensured her. ”I understand it is hard to speak of him. Perhaps I should not have asked.”

She was a timid girl, though sweet.

”No, you were not wrong to ask.”

Catelyn found herself looking down at her hands, was reminded of the rings on her fingers. Ned had given her one of those rings. One of silver, with a blue stone in it. He had wanted her to have it because it brought out her eyes.

”I laid eyes on him for the first time the day we were wed, in this very sept. I was meant to wed his older brother, though Brandon had died and so Ned took his place. We had no more than two weeks together, then he left for war and I could not know if I would ever see him again. If I would ever see the stranger who called me his wife. Though in his absence I birthed him a son. The gods blessed us with a beautiful little boy. Though that boy you know well enough already.”

That brought a smile from Jeyne. 
Catelyn had not thought Jeyne Westerling would be the girl her boy would wed, though she loved him. And did Robb not deserve that love? Was it not the least he was owed for what the world had done to him?

”The love in Ned’s eyes when I placed Robb in his arms the first time, the warmth in his expression. I cannot describe it now. Though he looked at all of them that way, that I can say.”

Perhaps she should have looked at Robb, though she had been unable to look at anything but Ned. The utter adoration with which he had looked at their child had struck something in her. It had told her of the softness underneath his stern exterior.

When he had held Rickon for the first time the wonder had been the same as when he had held Robb, even as Rickon was the fifth of our children. How she had desired more of it. How she had wanted to give him more children. Though Ned was dead. And Rickon was dead. Killed by Ned’s ward. He would never be more than a little boy. Forever a child. Taken from the world with his father and his older brother. How cruel it all was.

”He was always very sweet with Robb. And then Sansa came, and he was just as sweet with her. He doted on her a lot, too much at times. It was the same with Arya. The girls made him awfully soft.”

Again the smile had come to her, she felt it. When had she last smiled before that day? She did not know. It felt peculiar, unfamiliar. Though how could she not smile when she thought of Ned with one or both of the girls in his arms? When he would turn himself inside out to manage to tell a story both of them would like.

”I believe he would have wanted another girl had he lived. We spoke of sons, I wanted sons, though in truth I think he desired a third daughter.”

She was not yet too old. She could have given him that daughter. Or the son she had prayed for. It would not have mattered. Another one that took after him in colouring and features, that was what she had wanted above all. How much it had mattered to him she didn’t know. He loved them all so.

”So you would have as many daughters as you had sons?” Jeyne asked.

And then in a twist so truly wicked Catelyn would have rather not thought on it she sat there with more daughters than sons.

”Or simply because he enjoyed doting on them. It was never quite the same with the boys.”

He had not shielded the boys in the same way.

“Do you believe Robb wants a daughter?” Jeyne piped up before she had time to continue.

“I believe Robb needs a son” she responded. “An heir.”

The way Ned had needed a son that first time she was with child. Wishes had not mattered then, only that the future of his house was secured.

The girl before her nodded resolutely.

“I shall give him one. As you gave Lord Eddard one.”

“I do not doubt your intentions.”

It was no secret that Robb was in dire need of a child. That the future of his rule depended on it.

How beautiful would it not have been if he had been able to approach it as little more than a willing father? If a child had been nothing more than the joy of its young mother and father? Though the world was a dark place.

“I wish to see Robb light up the way you say his father did” Jeyne continued.

He deserved it. More than anyone else he deserved it.

“I could not help but love Ned when I saw him with the children. They can be so good to you, those men, treat you with outmost respect and dignity, and yet you’ll love them more with the children.”

Though she had not loved Ned before then. There had been no youthful infatuation. Only war. Yet she had seen him with the children and so she had loved him. Then she had loved him when they were alone also. Then she had loved him always. Even when she was so infuriated with him that it burned in her, even when he would not listen or see reason. The children had brought them together and then they had remained together.

“Is that so?”

“That is so.”

Never again would she love like that. Never again would she see her husband sit in front of the hearth with their children. A part of her was gone, turned to ashes and dust. And it was no small part that had vanished.

“He adored them, loved them above all else. As did I. It would have been hard not to love him also.”

Perhaps she was saying more than she should have. Shared more than she should have. Though there was no one to speak with anymore. And even as Ned was dead she was so full of him it was as if she would burst. It was the same with Bran and Rickon.

“So you truly did love him?”

A surprisingly intrusive question given the girl’s nature. Though Catelyn did not mind. The child could ask and she would give answers. Why deny her that?

“We were not wed for love, though what did it matter in the end? He fathered my children, he was the lord of my castle, he shared my bed each night. There was a gentle heart in him.”

And with that gentle heart he had loved her. Ned had loved her. She had not doubted it for many years, he might have loved someone else in the beginning but then he loved her. His lady wife.

“He sounds like a good man.”

“He was good.”

There was more to say, still the words would not come. They would not pass her throat, she could not force them out.

He had held her upright, been her strength when she had none of her own. Whenever her burden had been too heavy he had been there to carry it with her. He had wrapped her in his arms and kissed away her tears, comforted her as well as he could.

More than ever she needed him and he was gone. She needed him because he was gone. Who was there to comfort her over that loss?

“I am so very sorry for your loss” Jeyne said gently.

So many people had lost something the day Ned had been murdered. So many had mourned him. Though no one that had lost what she had lost. They had lost a lord, a friend, a father. No one but her had lost a husband. Against her will came the thought of the bastard’s mother. Was there another woman that had lost a love?

“How many times have I heard that now?”

Catelyn had not meant to ask it out loud, though she had, and that meant she got to see the doubt pass over Jeyne’s face.

“I– I did not mean–“

“I know, child. It is due to no fault of yours.”

What else was there to say to her? What was Jeyne to tell the grieving widow before her? What was anyone to tell the wife left behind when Lord Stark was dead?

Catelyn left her chair, walked over to one of the room’s high windows. She would have liked to open it, though merciless rain was pouring down.

“He could not bear heat” she said without turning to face Jeyne. “Would always open the windows of my bedchamber at night even as I protested.”

Silence from the girl.

“And he was very particular about how he dressed, almost more so than I was.”

Again Jeyne remained quiet.

“He did not like to dance though rarely declined if one asked him to.”

That was just the beginning.

“I could speak all through the day and all through the night and yet not half of him would be known to you.”

So much she could not even speak of. So much of him had been known to her in the solitude of a bedchamber. So much had been soft words spoken in a room illuminated only by the fire in the heart, had been the way he held her even as it made him uncomfortably warm, had been him eagerly pleasing her with his tongue and his hands and his manhood.

“I would not ask more than you are willing to tell” Jeyne said in a low voice.

With how dark it was outside due to the weather Catelyn could see her reflection in the window she stood in front of. She saw a ghost. A pale woman haunted by grief.

“There is much I am willing to tell, though what value does it have to anyone but me?” Catelyn mumbled, more to herself than to Jeyne. “I know they all loved him, they all mourn. Though only I was his wife, I alone knew him that way.”

Perhaps there had been lovers. Women he took to bed during the wars. She knew there had been at least one, had undeniable proof of it. Yet those women had not seen him each and every day. Those women had not often quarrelled with him over matters both great and small. Those women had not seen him tell stories to their children. They might have loved him, though he had not been their husband.

“Do you wish for me to leave, my lady?”

“Perhaps it is time.”

She saw in the reflection how Jeyne stood, nodded towards her and then quickly made for the door. She was so very careful when she shut it behind her that it barely made a sound.

Sometimes Ned had been cruel, even as she had told Jeyne otherwise. Sometimes their disagreements had become particularly infected and then he would sometimes say cruel things. She had done the same. Though nothing that had ever passed between them was nearly as cruel as Ned having left her behind. His death was the worst thing he had ever done to her.

[sorrinslays]

OKOK SO IDK IF YOU'VE DONE ANY POST LIKE THIS BUT

What do you think a 5 star Sampo would be like? Both in lore/personality, and in design or even kit! Hell, maybe how he is introduced as his 5 star version would be cool to think of too. I want more opinions on this, and the idea of his 5 star version makes me more and more excited

Hello anon!!! So, I have talked about it a bit while reblogging @feroluce's post about 5* Sampo ideas but I don't mind elaborating on my thoughts a bit more.

In that post, the idea of Sampo having a 'stage hand' inspired abilities/design was presented and I fell in love with it, so a lot of my thoughts are inspired by it.

First and foremost, I think he would have the fire element as a five star. I've seen a lot of people wanting him to be Quantum, but honestly it doesn't speak to me. Maybe it's because I'm not a fan of the Quantum element in general, I don't know.

I think fire suits him for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, it creates contrast. I'd like to start by mentioning that fire is eye catching, going against his theme of the stage hand, a background entity. Can you imagine? Aha creating Sampo to be eye catching, giving him powers that are meant to be viewed, admired. Sampo being created to be the center of attention, yet he goes against all that. Preferring to stay in the shadows and watch everything unfold from a distance.

I like to think that his design is dark, full of cool colours and drenched in black, showing that he himself wants to blend in with the background and his element being the exact opposite. Him going against his 'nature' you could say. Against his purpose.

If we want to look a bit deeper we can go two ways. Firstly, fire represents enlightenment, self-awareness, rebirth, and rebellion which (if we follow my headcannon of Sampo being a Creation of Elation turned Emanator) would suit him a lot. Enlightenment when he understood the real meaning behind Elation. Self-awareness showing that he understands what he is, what he wants to achieve and how. Rebirth as in leaving the Masked Fools and their flawed view of Elation. Rebellion because he goes against his Aeon, his creator.

Furthermore, it's be nice to see how a character like Sampo would respond to having Aha as a "parent"/creator. The struggle of sharing an ideology yet trying to distance himself from his creator. His appearance being the complete opposite of his powers would be a cool way to show how he resists Aha's view of Elation.

As for his playable path... I want to keep him Nihility. The path of IX is very similar to the Elation at it's core. Both believe that the universe has no meaning, THEY just respond to it differently. Where IX does nothing because there's no point in doing anything, Aha acts in a way that would entertain only THEMSELVES.

Alternatively, it'd be nice if Hoyo made the Elation a playable path only for Sampo's 5* design. It'd be mad funny but also on theme with how meme-y hsr really is.

Now, for his clothing. Like mentioned previously cool tones and dark clothing is the way to go. But, to elaborate more on that I think there's specific parts of his original 4* design that I would like to keep, like his jacket that looks like a ring leader's jacket, just in a different colour and with other accessories/details.

The snake symbolism should stay as well, I think. It's be nice that instead of snake bones it would be leather and shit, to show that it's "alive", that he's back to being an active Emanator.

I also really like the idea of him having two sets on hands that at his fingertips end in different colours that was proposed by the original post I linked earlier. The first set fading to white and the second to black showing how one set is pulling the strings in the background while the other is the one everyone sees.

I think his mask should rest on top of his head like Sparkle's, a plain red thing contrasting with his blue hair and dark clothing, another contrast to Aha.

Personality-wise I think he would be pretty much the same, expect less greedy and money-driven. I don't know, I feel like that's a part of Sampo Koski's personality, not his, if that makes sense.

If you want a bit more on how 5* could work in my mind in the story I recommend you read my post on Gepard's role in the story, although it's mostly about Gepard I managed to sneak in a few thoughts on Emanator Sampo because of course I did

[wwe-on-mymind]

I am willing to do this with you. (Part 2/2) - [Us.]

Relationship: Sami/Jey (SamiJey)

Rating: Explicit —feelings, making up, kissing, smut, anal fingering, anal sex, happy ending

Summary: Sami and Jey talk about their feelings and try and come to some sort of understanding. The understanding they reach is all that they could've hoped for.

Word count: 4,259 - (was not planning on this being so long😵‍💫)

Part 1 here.

Ao3 link - part 2

A/N: This is Part 2 of 2. (I tried guys 😭). This is my first attempt at writing a Fic ever, so the SMUT was even harder. Therefore, I'm sorry if it's..... BUT, I hope it's alright and that you enjoy it. 🩷🩷 (Can't thank the people who liked and reblogged part 1 enough! It meant a lot, more than you know, thank you 🩷)

[— Comments/Feedback would really really be appreciated (comments sec; or asks- anon or not), not even for the recognition (although I wouldn't complain about that 😂), but to really just actually, and quite genuinely gauge how good or BAD this is. So I know for myself 😊. Thanks again!]

Jey doesn't wait a second longer, stripping off his pants and boxers while Sami is slipping off his own shirt and trousers, tossing it somewhere to the side.

Jey is rid of all his clothing before Sami is, and he's reaching for Sami's hips dragging him in closer.

He eagerly mouths at the pale fuzzy haired stomach in front of him, wanting to taste it as fast as possible. He's always wondered what it'd be like. A complete contrast to his own he'd imagined, and from what he can see - from it's appearance to it's texture; his own tanned hairless torso, they are completely opposing sights, and may be that's why he loves it so much, it's different and fascinating to him. He wants to get his hands and mouth on it.

He can't help leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses and he vaguely wonders if you could even call it that, it's sloppy and messy, uncoordinated in his eagerness. He's using his tongue, needing to taste Sami's skin - it's a little bit salty and whole lot delectable - just like he's wanted to do for a while and he can't get enough, moving his hands around to Sami's firm ass and slowly massaging it.

Sami lets out a low and lengthy groan, hips buckling a little, he doesn't know whether to move forwards toward Jey's mouth, or backwards, towards his skilled hands, he's thrumming. His hands end up shakily finding their way into Jey’s hair, fingers scratching through his smooth black locks and pulling gently, making Jey hiss at the slight pressure as he teethes at Sami's hipbone. 

Jey can concentrate on nothing but biting and licking the exposed skin, his mouth watering as though devouring a delicious meal, leaving a trail of saliva along Sami's stomach and hips, mouth moving messily in every direction unable to make up his mind on where he wants to taste next.

Sami can feel every sensation of Jey's mouth on him, what it's doing to him, leaving behind a cool wetness along his skin causing his hair to stand up in response from the pleasure and coolness, and he watches and finds himself getting inexplicably aroused by it all. Jey uses his hands to pull down Sami's boxers until he is able to completely rid him of them and Sami easily let's him. 

Sami looks magnificent like this in Jey's eyes.

Sami is standing between his legs with his eyes fully focusing on him, mouth slightly parted, his hands running through and gripping the younger man's hair with just the right amount of pressure, turning on Jey to no end. He's always liked having his hair played with when he was a young boy, it soothed him, but this was a whole other feeling. It was exciting and different, something more sexual and it was sending shivers down his spine.

Sami's dick is standing tall, a delicious shade of dark pink pulsing with excitement, it's tempting and appetizing just looking at, standing up clearly aroused, significantly close to Jey's face. He wants to give it a lick just like he'd been licking Sami all over earlier, tasting him. But before he can act on it, he's distracted by the way Sami is looking at him with such reverence, it makes Jey freeze feeling like every nerve in his body is alight. 

Jey snaps out of it and shyly smiles leaning up, Sami bending down meets him halfway, this time letting his lips linger and Jey let's out a happy hum. As eager as Sami is to get his hands on Jey's body, he is happy enough to steal kisses and make out like teenagers.

If that is all he is getting tonight, he is content with it.

He hears Jey, cutting through his thoughts. “I want you Sami, I want you to fuck me....but, but only if you want that."

Sami feels like he's been slapped by the words directed at him, but in the best way possible. His eyes widen dramatically, his heart is racing and dick twitches as a result. Literally. And he can't help that his brain almost short-circuits because of it.

“Yes, fuck, yes Jey. I want to,” Sami manages to get out, answering in all honesty.

It's what he's secretly hoped for, imagined and wanted. But never thought he'd actually live out. He wasn't even sure Jey would be open to it.

It takes him a moment to comprehend that this is actually happening and he isn't dreaming, this isn't one of his shameful, self-indulgent late night fantasies that he gets off on, and then ridden with self-loathing and guilt after. But now that he knows what Jey wants from him, he is ever so eager and willing.

Sami suddenly has a thought. "Hold on, we don't have any of the stuff we need," he voices out loud.

And Jey gives him a sheepish look, quickly looking away while scrubbing his hand nervously over the back of his head and shrugging. "Uh, I may have bought some stuff, you know just in case", he says roughly, avoiding eye contact.  

Sami can't help the sudden heat rushing through him. Stomach flipping to Jey admitting he'd gone out and got 'supplies' for them, to know that this prickly Samoan sitting naked in front of him, had actively gone out of his way, specifically putting aside time to get things for them was something Sami had never even imagined was a possibility, and yet here they are. It makes his heart melt and soar in excitement all at once. 

The heat in him only grows stronger as he silently watches Jey, who's apparently been hit by a sudden bolt of shyness—it doesn't help one bit that he's sitting there naked and beautiful with no idea just how adorable Sami thinks he is, this man who has his whole heart.

The younger man's nervousness and embarrassment is palpable; he's still hunched over, looking anywhere but Sami, his bottom lip being worried by his teeth and forehead creased by a small frown. He is noticeably agitated and waiting for Sami to respond. 

"Jey, please look at me," Sami says gently, trying not to spook him. Jey still refuses to, lowering his head even further in embarrassment hiding his face, finding his fingers far more interesting than Sami at the moment. 

'That won't do', thinks Sami, he isn't going to let Jey retreat again, not after all the progress they've just made. He needs Jey to know that this is okay, that he's actually thankful for what he's done, just a little surprised, but pleasantly so. "Jey, come on, I said look at me, please." 

Jey still doesn't listen...

"Now, Jey." Sami unintentionally grinds out with more force, louder and firmer, with a combination of authority and desperation that makes Jey's head automatically snap up at the sound of it. 

Sami marvels at how beautiful Jey looks. Eyes wide and unblinking now completely focused on the ginger; blushing the most gorgeous shade of pink. Sami could just eat him up right then and there, their eyes slowly meet and a helpless shuddering breath is let out by both in unplanned synchronicity.

Sami quickly strides forward and smashes his lips to Jey's, forgetting what he's wanting to say to him in the first place. It's all teeth and tongue, licking, biting, and hands pulling at each other. They're desperate and it's messy, and somehow they need it this way, tempering down some of the insatiable hunger between them. Sami has been wanting and waiting for this for so long, he isn't about to stop now and his actions are making this crystal clear. Jey too.

And Jey is a moment away from being too overwhelmed pulling away, sucking in deep gasps of air, cheeks still flushed with the most enticing shade of pink.

"Fuck," Jey curses, tongue poking out to wet his plump, kiss-bruised lips.

"By all means," Sami responds lowly, crowding Jey's space once again, firmly grabbing his face on either side and tilting his head up so he can slot their mouths together once again.

Sami pulls back for a second to admire Jey, only to dip his head back down in urgency, and capturing Jey's mouth in hunger.

This time Jey doesn't care if he is too overwhelmed, he just lets it happen and he doesn't want to stop, if anything, he's going to let go and hold nothing back. So he responds with equal want and hunger, matching Sami. 

Sami makes a wordless sound of approval in the back of his throat, pushing Jey flat onto his back falling with him onto the bed, lips still attached.

He breaks the kiss pulling back slightly, just enough to look down to admire Jey, panting, flushed and naked under him; desire burning in his own hooded eyes as he looks up at Sami, and Sami can still make out those gorgeous brown irises sparkling up at him through those heavy eyes. "Fuck," Sami groans, keeping eye contact. Closing his eyes resting his forehead against Jey's and he slowly starts rubbing their bodies together. 

The unexpected slide of Sami's dick against his makes him jump and sets off a shockwave of electricity searing beneath his skin. His breathing against the older man's mouth is shaky, fractured by huffs and soft gasps in between the little sounds he lets out. He grips the older man's waist holding on firmly, dizzy by the press and weight of Sami on top of his own body. He allows himself to be led, getting lost in the ginger, in his attention and in his touch, he can't stop reacting, there are all these unfamiliar noises leaving his body, noises that he never thought could come out of him, noises he has never heard himself make before, as he arches up to steal kisses. 

Saamiii," he moans, dragging his name out. And it does things to Sami, really good things. 

"Jey, shit, yeah, you feel so good," praises Sami and Jey can do nothing but whine in response as Sami continues, carding his fingers through Jey's hair, tugging him close and kissing him firmly, swallowing up any sounds of pleasure the younger man is letting out as their dicks continue rubbing against each other, getting wetter from pre-cum seeping out with every second, teasing their final release to come.

Sami is placing open-mouthed kisses at his neck, and Jey turns his head to the side, moaning and needing to feel more of Sami's mouth against his skin. "Jeyyy..." The sound of his name coming out of Sami coupled by the attention his mouth is giving him is too much, and if Sami continues saying his name like that and doing the things he's doing.....Jey is going to come embarrassingly fast. And he doesn't want it to end. Not yet, at least not like this.

He knows he won't last much longer if they keep this up, he is too turned on, his emotions are heightened, and the sensations too intense, and after holding himself back for so long, longer than he realised, his release is fast approaching, luring him unexpectedly quicker than expected. Jey likes to pride himself, in his ability to have more control over himself when it comes to this, but apparently that rule doesn't apply when it comes to Sami. And he honestly doesn't care right now.

As much as he doesn't want to, he has to put a stop to this, and get to the 'main event', and he almost let's out a chuckle at that...'main event', otherwise things were going to end well before they even start. 

Knowing he isn't going to last, Jey palms at Sami's chest gently nudging him away, though strong enough for Sami to pause and back up putting space between them. 

And Sami freezes immediately, moving to stand up and in the process lets Jey go, "I'm sorry, was I—"

Jey doesn't let him finish though, he is already on his feet in a flash, hands reaching out for the other man, cupping his jaw and drawing him in for a panicked kiss.

"No! No, you din' do nothin' wrong, Sami. Is just that if you keep goin' like that Imma not last long. Like at all." He takes a deep breath. "And I want you to be inside me when I come," Jey whispers against Sami's lips, like he is sharing a secret only meant between two lovers and sealing their mouths again.

Sami responds with a groan, involuntarily punching out from his gut, his eyes close and fingers finding their way to Jey's waist digging in with desperation.

"You're so damn sexy," he groans again against Jey's lips, relaxing his hands tenderly cupping the sides of the Samoan's hips. He really is obsessed with feeling this part of Jey, more than anywhere else he thinks. Who can blame him after what he was subjected to: the months of torture, constantly seeing Jey in those damn crop tops but not being able to do a thing about it, not being able to touch that oh so inviting skin that was being exposed. For months it had been calling out to him, begging to be touched, but his hands had been tied. Not anymore though, he knows he is going to take full advantage tonight, his hands are going to be glued to it, one of his favorite spots on Jey and there is nothing stopping him this time. 

Jey smirks a little at the feeling of those slender hands on his waist. He puts his own hands over Sami's and squeezes it. "You like that, huh?" he rumbles in Sami's ear, giving it a wet kitten like lick. 

Shivering Sami groans saying, "You know I do....mmmh...so sexy Jey. These hips of yours are just begging to be kissed; and licked; and bitten; and sucked; and marked. But that'll have to wait for another time. Next time, I'm going to take my time with you, I'm going to explore EVERY inch of you, taste every bit of you, I'm going to worship this beautiful, sexy body of yours. But, right now I just really need to fuck you, until you can't think, speak or even breathe anymore," he continues whispering seductively full of feeling against Jey's neck, punctuating every word to emphasize his unwavering intent, stealing quick kisses along the length of his neck, while massaging his hips. 

And Jey almost loses it, leaving this earth and going to heaven right then and there. His breathing hitching and becoming labored, the image created by Sami's words playing over and over in his head, he definitely wore those crop tops for a reason and he's a little satisfied that it paid off, his dick starting to grow considerably harder and he didn't think that was even possible. It springs up meeting his own stomach and knocking against it, smearing himself with his own pre-cum. 'Shit', he thinks, he might just come from Sami's words alone. His dick is going to fall off and it's all Sami's fault. He really is going to die tonight. 

He really can't take it much longer, he has to feel Sami, now.

He warps his arms around Sami's neck pulling him in and smashing their mouths together. It's simply a clash of lips, teeth and tongues, there's nothing gentle about it, it's carnal. Mouths open and desperate, tongues licking and exploring every inch and every surface, every moan and gasp being swallowed.

Breathing heavily they finally pull apart, a string of spit still connecting their lips as they draw back. It should be gross, but it only turns them on even more, both releasing satisfied sounds at the sight of it. 

Sami walks Jey backwards and pushes him back onto the bed. 

"Stay there while I get what we need yea. Where is it?" 

Sami leans and reaches over to pull open the draw of the dresser at the side of the king sized bed, where Jey has just pointed. He takes out a bottle of lube and a condom. He turns back to Jey and looks down into his eyes.

"You're still okay right?" Sami asks breathlessly, really hoping he is.

"Shit. Will you please just fuck me already, Sami?" Jey demands, staring back with a firm and determined gaze filled with a sure fire, lust, and want. 

Sami reacts by immediately flipping open the bottle, squeezing a generous amount of lube onto his fingers.

He lifts Jey's knees and pushes them outwards as he leans forward to then pull apart Jey's cheeks, circling his entrance a little with his thumb, just to get him used to the sensation. The younger man beneath him let's out a whimper, raised his hips and spread his legs further apart to accommodate Sami's hand, wanting more.

Sami pushes one finger in and Jey begins squirming, at two he begins breathing hard as Sami presses against his prostate with deadly precision, and the little noises that keep leaving him becoming louder and louder. 

"Please please, Sami. Pleaseee, more." Jey is unconcerned about being reduced to a begging mess. Jey hears Sami groan and a third finger now swiping inside of him. He involuntarily arches his back and his breathing hitching, he's never felt anything like this before, sure he's imagined what it might be like to be with the man in front of him, doing this to him, but never in a million years would he have thought it would feel this good; and this euphoric. His own fingers are nothing compared to this, Sami has ruined it all for him. He's not sure he'll ever be satisfied anymore, unless it's Sami's fingers, and as terrifying as that is....to be honest he doesn't mind at all. His head is swimming and his lungs feeling like he is drowning, just from Sami's fingers alone. 

"Ughhn.. ahnh...ah.... yes! yes Sami, right...right there," Jey gets out, unable to keep himself from voicing his pleasure, squirming uncontrollably again. A couple more swipes and Sami's fingers leave him to pick up the condom and rolling it on. Jey immediately feeling empty and impatient, and that almost surprises him, but only almost, because he's feeling beyond desperate for Sami right now. Sami drizzles out more lube onto his throbbing erection. "Wrap your legs around my waist." He instructs.

Jey quickly complies, Sami grabs onto his favorite spot with one hand—Jey's hips, and leaning on his other arm holding some of his weight off Jey, positions himself in line with Jey's ready and open hole. Sami slowly pushes forward, leaning over Jey's body latching his lips onto Jey's as he sinks inside trying to ease Jey into the new feeling he's experiencing.

"OH FUCK! Sami!", Jey yells throwing his head back, eyes rolling to the back of his head and mouth opening at the first sensation of feeling so full with Sami. Sami is inside him. 'Fuck', he thinks. Sami is inside him and he form a thought beyond that.

Squeezing his eyes shut at the intense sensation. "Shit, shit, shit Jey," keens Sami, at the overwhelming sensation. "You feel so good, so hot and so tight." And then he isn't holding back, Sami lets go of Jey's hip leaning on his forearms and snapping his hips forward, pulling almost fully out out of Jey's eager body before plunging back in. Jey's strong thighs trembling squeezes Sami around his waist even tighter, his whole body being slammed into again and again and it's taking him to new heights he's never experienced before. The crude feeling of Sami's balls hitting his ass turning him on even more, its echoing sounds around the room mixed with his desperate wailing cries, it's loud and it's all adding to both their pleasure.

The bed is rocking back and forth with each powerful thrust, and Jey's head falls back moving from side to side almost like he can't take it, and he doesn't think he can, the pleasure and intensity is too much, it's choking him, his head tilts back eyes open wide staring at the ceiling and his hands scramble and finding a hold on Sami's biceps, something to ground himself by.

"I'm close, I'm so close," Jey gasps then, eyes squeezing shut tight and hands clamping down harder on Sami's sinewy biceps. 

'Oh that's going to leave marks', thinks Sami, and it only spurs him on. 

Sami braces himself on one arm while continuing to piston his hips even faster into Jey's wanting hole, he's chasing the feeling, not able to get enough of the heat of Jey's body wrapped around him, the slide of his soft smooth walls rubbing hotly around his own throbbing dick; letting his other hand slip between them both, grasping Jey's aching cock in a firm grip and beginning to pump it up and down in a quick rhythm, twisting his wrist and swiping his thumb over his slit.

"It's okay, come for me, Jey, let go." Sami hums into the man's ear mouthing at it whilst still thrusting his hips and jerking him off. And Jey does, hips thrashing and buckling wildly, screaming out loud long and high-pitched as he erupts all over Sami's fist coating their stomachs with his cum and riding out his orgasm.

Jey's snug body continues spasming around Sami's dick, the aftermath of the younger man's own orgasm, and it is enough to set Sami off as well, and he falls forward letting out a guttural cry right into Jey's sweaty neck and shoulder giving it an uncoordinated lick, thrusting forward once, then twice before fully letting himself go inside the condom from the feeling of Jey around him and taste of his skin, the only thing that's separating himself from Jey at that moment.

Jey finally allows his legs to fall haphazardly from the older man's waist onto the bed as the lights behind his eyes finally stop dancing around. He's still floating but blinks slowly trying to find Sami, trying to re-orientate himself. 

Sami falls to the side, gasping for air on his back. After a moment, feeling boneless he sluggishly rolls himself over onto his side and presses his face into Jey's long tan neck. 'Hmm', he thinks, this maybe another one of his favorite spots, 'Another time'. 

"That was..." Jey barely gets out, arm curling around the back of Sami's shoulders holding Sami close.

"Yea it was," mumbles Sami sleepily, voice muffled by his face now squished against Jey's tattooed chest. Another area he is itching to explore, but not right now. Next time. Sami is slowly coming to the conclusion that, every part of Jey is fast becoming his 'favorite' spot. Spots he wants to take his time with, tease and taste. 

“You okay?” he asks, his voice thick from exhaustion, though the concern still clear.

“I'm fine. Perfectt really.” Jey purrs grinning, voice matching the ginger, lazy with sleep, and content and soft.

“Good,” Sami says sincerely, brushing their lips together again. And Jey resprocates with a sigh of pleasure as they kiss. 

And Sami simply settles sleepily into his arms, they are both aware that they are a sticky mess, they've both got evidence of Jey's pleasure all over them, and Sami's condom has fallen somewhere between them so Sami's release is mixed in too, but too tired and content in their current positions to move and do anything about it.

Jey lazily reaches over and slings the bedsheet over the both of them, for some sort of warmth and dignity, but after what they did...he isn't sure dignity is high on either of their priority list. Besides there was something about the way they were covered in each other. The sticky, but slowly turning crusty mess, feeling both of them on each other, physical evidence of what they had done, like they are continuing marking each other even after. To be surrounded by the distinct smell, of them.

Jey has given himself over completely to Sami and Sami to Jey, marking Jey as his own and Jey accepting Sami as his in return. 

They've just shared something deep and special, and this feeling is nothing like Jey has ever even come close to experiencing before, nor can he find the right words to describe it. All he knows is that they've made love now, being so close - to become one. He's tied to Sami now, forever, he feels like his soul is connected to his, and he finally for the first time in his life feels complete. 

Sami too is exhausted, he's on the verge of falling asleep, so he's unable to analyze the fact that he has just made love to Jey. Jey whom he knows; is the love of his life. With that thought in his head, Sami's breathing slows to falling asleep before he can get the words 'I love you' out. 

Jey watches Sami's sleeping face admiring how beautiful he is and he can't believe he's finally got this man in his arms. 'I love you Sami', he thinks, promising himself that he will say the words out loud to Sami tomorrow. They both deserve that, it doesn't even matter if Sami doesn't say it back to him. All he knows is that he needs Sami to hear those words from him, and that's all he needs for now. In a matter of minutes Jey's breathing starts to match the same rhythm as Sami's chest, and he too is fast asleep.

——

Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it! 🩷

[suga-kookiemonster]

satisfy 05 (teaser)

summary⇢ “listen,” taehyung says, eyes wide and eager as he smiles at you. “i figure we can just help each other out. i scratch your back, you scratch mine.” but when you find yourself suddenly in need of a massive favor, exactly how much scratching are you willing to do? pairing⇢ kimline/reader teaser word count⇢ 1k estimated chapter word count⇢ 13k+ rating⇢ 18+ genre⇢ smut | escort!au | ceo!au (kinda)

a/n⇢ HELLO!!! i've been slowly working on this for what feels like forever and i can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel 😭 fingers crossed i can post in the next few weeks, but for now i wanted to share a little snippet. as always, subject to change until i do my final edit--HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS IS GONNA BE A DOOZY 😈

You were even planning on putting on a little makeup, on properly doing your hair for the first time in weeks and giving the bun you had been sporting a rest. However, all it took was a knock on your door to put an end to all those extras.

You frowned at the sound and padded over to your front door, happy you had already thrown on a hoodie to keep yourself warm until the festivities properly started. The sight of a familiar man through the peephole, hands resting comfortably in his slacks, threw you off.

Automatically, your hands were disengaging all the locks, were swinging the door open. “You’re early—”

Whatever words you had next immediately dissipated on your tongue. Taehyung was there, but he apparently came with company. Your mind whirred, trying to come up with a perfectly logical reason for why all three Kim brothers were at your doorstep right now.  

“Your hair,” you blurted, your scrambled brain latching onto the easiest subject first.

“Hmm?” Taehyung ruffled his newly dyed locks, the onyx hue a stark difference from the silver you were used to. “Oh yeah, I guess I haven’t seen you all week. My dad wanted me to dye it to a more ‘appropriate’ color before the conference. But whatever. It was time for a change, anyway. And this will be easier to upkeep.”

You could only continue to stare at him as he spoke, your eyes naturally drifting over his shoulder at your additional visitors. 

All three of them were dressed pretty casually, which was normal for Taehyung and Namjoon, but less so for Seokjin when not in the comfort of his own home. The soft pink of his sweatsuit was a stark contrast to the sharp intelligence of his eyes. He met your gaze for only a few seconds before he was turning to meet Namjoon’s instead, a pinch in his brow. 

Taehyung spoke again before either of them could say anything. “You gonna keep us out here?” he teased, casually leaning against the doorframe.

That finally jumpstarted you out of your haze, scrambling to move out of the way and gesture them inside. “Yes, of course. Come in!” Before your nosy neighbor caught them and assumed you were slutting it up.

(She would technically be right, but still. It was the principle. Your life was none of that judgy shrew’s business.) 

Tae strolled in like he always did—like he owned the place—but you noticed his brothers’ strides seemed a bit more hesitant than the confidence you usually got to witness. Namjoon’s mouth was slightly pursed in the way you’d long learned meant he was thinking. Why did they seem as confused as you did?

“Hi,” you hedged anyway, a small, puzzled smile on your lips. “It’s been a while. Sorry if I’m acting weird—I just wasn’t expecting you, so I’m a little thrown off.”

Understanding immediately crossed Seokjin’s features, but you only got a second to see it before he was whipping towards his youngest brother, appalled. 

Namjoon was looking at him too, clearly irritated. “Are you serious, Taehyung?”

“What?” you asked, gaze flitting between the three of them in hope of finding some clarity. 

“You never asked her?” Seokjin snapped.

Namjoon shook his head. “You know that’s not cool, man.”

“Never asked me what?” you cut in, bemused. 

Taehyung, for his part, looked properly contrite. “I’m sorry,” he told the room, before solidly placing his attention back on you. His eyes were soft and sincere. “It truly slipped my mind, and I’m sorry, _____. I didn’t think.”

“When do you ever?” Seokjin snarked, but you ignored him, focused solely on Taehyung.

“What, Tae?” you encouraged gently. “What are you sorry for?”

It was clear from the hunch of his shoulders that he felt bad. “Um…”

“He invited us to come with him to meet you today,” Namjoon supplied. He gave his little brother a disappointed shake of his head. “But that’s not a decision for him to make. Is it, Tae.”

“I just knew that none of us have seen her in a while,” Tae whined. “And _____, when you reached out yesterday, I figured it would be the perfect opportunity since we’re leaving the country for a few weeks.”

“I should have known better,” Seokjin muttered with a shake of his head. “I’m sorry about this, _____. You never marked group activities as a no and I thought Taehyung actually asked you like an adult, so I just assumed you were on board. I can leave.”

You blinked, still trying to grasp what was going on. “You were…trying to share your time?” you asked Taehyung slowly.

He nodded meekly. “I don’t mind sharing,” came his honest answer.

“But does she,” Seokjin scoffed, eyes narrowing in irritation. “That’s the only thing that matters. And to think otherwise is just selfish, Taehyung.”

“No, no, it’s okay.” The words left your lips before your brain could even register them, likely spurred on by how chastened Taehyung looked. The three of them looked at you in surprise.

“It’s okay?” Namjoon parroted, an eyebrow raised in question.

You swallowed, then gave a nod of confirmation. Because you knew Taehyung had never been trying to trap you. One of the qualities that simply made him him was his spontaneity, and while that made him fun and interesting to be around, it also was a double-edged sword that could end up with situations like this.

Tae knew none of them had seen you in a while, he knew they were soon going to jet out of the country, and had simply been trying to be nice in inviting his brothers along. He didn’t mean any harm.

“It’s okay,” you repeated, giving him a reassuring smile that visibly loosened some of the tension in his body. “You can all stay.”

The words settled between the four of you, heavy in the resulting quiet. Teeming with implication. You still weren’t completely sure what you were agreeing to, but what you did know was that you were going to need something to help stave off the nerves slowly bubbling beneath your skin. You cleared your throat, turning to make your way to the kitchen. “I think I need a drink.”

[greentrickster]

Before Binghe starts actively courting Shizun he realizes that he’s going to have to deal with his most dangerous opponent in this goal: Liu Qingge. He is a powerful adversary who has an (annoying) amount going for him and also those four years Binghe wasn’t there to bond with him. This will take strategy, and a deft hand.

Binghe: (pointing at the third slide of thirty-six slide presentation on why it would be better for Shizun to marry him first) Furthermore, Big Bro Liu is a skilled warrior, but has demonstrated no ability or training in keeping house or entertaining company, both of which are key duties of the first spouse. I, in contrast, have been training for such things my whole life, and would in fact prefer to be the one to handle such things-

(Slide seven gets into how LQG, being a war god, would be better suited for protecting Shizun from enemies and finding him cool monsters via night hunts)

(Slide nine allows for the possibility of LQG taking Shizun along on night hunts, but Binghe gets to come too because he doesn’t trust LQG’s cooking skills)

(Slide fifteen is just “Can you even balance a budget?”, that’s it, that’s the whole slide, it is accompanied by a pointed look and nothing more)

(Slide seventeen gets into how two balance two peak lords being married to each other and living arrangements)

(Slide twenty-two I’m the caretaker, you’re the provider, and Shizun is spoiled rotten, this is how things should be)

(Slide twenty-five admits that Binghe and LQG will probably have to start getting along if they want this to work since Shizun likes both of them)

(Slide twenty-six adds that, as a husband instead of househusband, LQG has 0% right to wearing a character apron. He can have a regular one to help around the house if asked, if he has complaints learn how to do laundry, the character apron is a privilege, not a right)

(Slide twenty-seven puts forth a potential breakdown of timetables for when they should each start courting and how they should support each other in these endeavors)

(Slide thirty-five relents that this is, of course, all hinged on Shizun being willing to marry either of them - Shizun’s word is law)

(Slide thirty-six: Questions?)

Liu Qingge has many questions and much confusion, especially over the fact that Binghe seems to be making some legitimately good points and have some decent ideas in here, especially regarding both their strengths and weaknesses.

And, while I do enjoy a nice throuple with these three, a good ol’ equilateral triangle relationship, in this AU I like the idea of Shen Qingqiu being in romantic relationships with both Binghe and Liu Qingge, and Binghe and Liu Qingge in a queer platonic relationship with each other. The idea of them somehow sliding into this quiet, mutually supportive relationship laced with non-sexual intimacy and shoring up each others’ weaknesses. And Luo Binghe stays home while Liu Qingge comes and goes as he needs and pleases, and they all give and receive different things from each other.

Thinking about it, it might be interesting if Liu QIngge was actually more comfortable with Binghe visiting his dream realm than Shen Qingqiu, just because in his dream realm there’s the whole environment to communicate what he wants to say instead of just words, which he has a hard time with. Possibly Binghe could teach him a little about controlling his personal dream realm, maybe learn how to send messages in dreams so he has a way to call for help if something happens on a mission or night hunt and there’s no one nearby to help him. In return, Liu Qingge helps Binghe re-hone his sword skills (regardless of iteration, this world they live in is dangerous and fighting skills are basically a requirement, even for a househusband), since he and Binghe are both physical cultivators in contrast to Shen Qingqiu’s spiritual cultivation...

...also this was meant to be a semi-humorous post about Binghe trying to get Liu Qingge to go along with his plans via a slideshow, when did it turn into serious relationship development and exploration between the two of them and how this relationship fits into this AU...?

Anyway, point is, these two can be super hot together, but I’ve enamored myself with them quietly leaning on each other in this AU as they care for the man they both love in their own ways.

[carrythatwayt]

Before The Beginning ✨️Color Theory✨️

Okay, this will be pretty long, tldr: everything is a mirror of everything. All opinions are my own after I was caught between the twin forces of memories from my art and film theory classes. All screenshots thanks to the great folks at cap-that.com

I'm going to start after "Let there be light" for obvious reasons, up until that point the lighting is bright but cold and white. The nebula gives us a diegetic (in scene) reason for the shifting and intense colors but I think it's really interesting to see how it was used to reinforce this universe-changing conversation.

"Look at you, you're gorgeous!"

The nebula is only beginning to throw off color, and what's the first thing that happens? Makes it appear like Aziraphale's wings are blushing when he realizes the compliment was not meant for him (and seriously, how adorable is he).

As the conversation winds on and Crowley excitedly decribes the nebula, colorful light is increasingly projected onto the angels, but not the background. This visually ties them together and the intensity of colors seems purposeful as well, since they immediately begins to cool and dim as Aziraphale explains the less-than-stellar purpose behind the star factory.

"What's the point in creating an infinite universe.... if you're only going to let it run a few thousand years?"

Two really interesting things happen here. A star-burst reminiscent of a halo explodes and dissipates behind Angel Crowley's head, and when his wings droop in disappointment, a small cloud of red can be seen appearing behind his left wing.

As Aziraphale attempts to explain the ineffable but all-important Earth and humans, he begins to gather an aura of gold, baby pink, and baby blue. Crowley's red cloud of confusion also continues to intensify as he listens.

"But that's idiocy!"

The reddish clouds of confusion and doubt really begin to pick up speed now as Angel Crowley vents his frustration and beats his wings hard in agitation (also, shout out to how ruffled his feathers become because it's a whole mood in itself).

Here's where things get dangerous.

"Someone has to say "Look Boss, this is a really terrible idea..."

The red cloud has become a roiling crimson storm filling half the frame beyond Crowley and casting dark red light on his face. Meanwhile Aziraphale's background stubbornly hangs onto its cool colors, now opal and turquoise.

"I don't suppose anyone could object to me putting a note in the suggestion box..."

The nebula's red gas has now completely filled Crowley's frames, surrounding him on all sides. The next interesting thing occurs behind Aziraphale.

"I don't think it's our place to start suggesting...!"

In contrast to Crowley's red cloud of doubt, I've been calling this Aziraphale's red ball of anxiety (hello my old friend). He is deeply perturbed by this line of conversation and as he is explaining that the Almighty doesn't have, and likely wouldnt appreciate a suggestion box, this red light floats from behind his wing to behind his head (again, mood).

"If I was the one running it all..."

The saturation of Crowley's red background has lessened a bit, but Aziraphale's Red Ball of Anxiety reaches its peak intensity at this statement as Aziraphale nervously casts his gaze around to see if any other angels heard this borderline blasphemy.

"How much trouble could I get into just for asking a few questions?"

While Angel Crowley is still firmly framed by the red cloud, its disrupted by pale light cast by baby stars or proto-planets, as if it was being leavened by his irrepressible optimism.

For his part, we leave Aziraphale in a riot of both warm and cool colors: golds, greens, pinks, purples... This makes absolute sense to me, seing as it highlights the riot of emotions Aziraphale goes through, beginning with raw concern for Crowley's safety but resolving to a frankly breathtaking amount of affection and admiration. Seriously, zoom in and become unwell with me.

Well, that's all folks! Cheers to you if you stuck it out this far, hope literally any of my rambling and possible derangement was interesting to literally any one else 😅

[djsherriff-responses]

Personal opinions and general character design critique regarding the Nymphs from Rayman (spoiler: they all suffer from having same face/body syndrome and the designers being too horny to consider other design elements)

Betilla: I feel her origins redesign was a downgrade from her whimsical style in the first game, but I also do understand why they wanted to change her, as origins was meant as a reboot of the franchise and they wanted Rayman to be the only limbless in the Glade of Dreams. But since origins ended up not being a series reboot (with its plot only existing in code) and Rayman having skins/costumes who are meant to be different limbless characters anyways , changing Betilla drastically was already meaningless in the long run , much less the choice to make her be a basic hot nymph

Outside of it being impossible to Google her name in front of family , I personally don’t mind how she looks in Origins as the red hair contrasts really nicely with the greens, if you really wanna push some symbolism imagery here you can make arguments the red + green is meant to be reminiscent of flowers or berries. Ultimately though it is just a green bikini outfit with thigh highs and the only real connection to her role as the nymph of the forest/jungle area of the game is the colours, and maybe the odd stitch work pattern

Which is a bit of shame as you can easily replace the blue stars of her old design with an actual star-ish looking flower called Bletilla (literally one letter off from her actual name) or other flora

I don’t think the issue was they wanted to give Betilla a redesign that had sex appeal , I just think they went in the wrong direction with it. Considering that she played a large role in the old educational games and she was a sort of mentor figure to Rayman (if not just straight up his mother depending on one’s headcanons), they could’ve given Betilla a personality and sex appeal by making her a hot teacher type character (who may or may not count as a milf), hell give her signs of age like small wrinkles to really get the point across she’s older than most of the player characters, and she’s aged like spicy fine wine

Her design in the first game is adorable while giving her the vibes of a mature fairy god mother type mentor, but I don’t think it would work in the more modern Rayman games without some updated tweaks. It is pretty though and does has more personality than her origins design, and the other nymphs for that matter

Holly: I like that there’s some actual details on her and some colour variation compared to her sisters, even if she’s 3 out of 6 nymphs whose main colour is some shade of blue

Besides giving her an outfit that isn’t a skirt and bra, I think her design could better reflect that her domain is the desert of dijiridoos by having some musical elements to her design. It’s kinda odd her tattoos/body paint (which do look good on her and her skin tone) don’t reference musical notes at least, wasted opportunity there

I have this issue with Edith and Annetta as well, but I’m a bit confused about why dead animals seems like a popular fashion choice for these ladies , especially since (in the origins game) none of the nymphs are shown as fighters (not saying they’re incapable, the game just doesn’t show them as such) and we’re not giving lore hints about it? I’ll talk more on this issue when I get to the other two , but it’s odd that Holly’s domain is populated by birds and she’s wearing a bird skull

Was it a nightmare and she kill it? Is it a beloved pet and she couldn’t part with them even after death? 🤷‍♀️

I can’t really think of any alternatives for her or the other two animal hat sisters atm, but at least it’s looks badass even if it doesn’t do much personality wise, so points for looking cool at least

Edith: Edith I think is the worst design of the sisters , hands down, no competition. I mean , what is there to really say about her? “Oh we have a level based around a combination of spicy food and ice drinks with dragon butlers , how should we design this chick?”

“Just put her in red with a lizard hat”

Almost nothing about her design reflects her domain besides that she’s blonde and wears red , and that’s only half of the domain she’s meant to be part off. Her outfit pattern could’ve at least have some reference to the ice levels, or give her literally anything to connect her to those ice levels

I also don’t like how her hair is styled, the colour is fine but the shape looks ugly

Incredibly morbid Edith walks around with a dead butler on her head, especially considering the final boss/king of her level is also a dragon. Unlike Holly and Annetta, I can’t even give Edith credit for looking cool because it’s just more red on a very red and bland design

…… do you think Edith uses her corpse hat as a hand puppet?

Annetta: While I think it’s a weird choice to have nymphs of nature walk around with corpse head gear (much less ones of their domain’s general population) I think Annetta is the most justified of the nymph sisters to be wearing a hat made of a dead animal

Considering that her domain has a notable fishing population and she’s already dressed in fish scales, Annetta wearing a fish skull does actually contribute to showing the lore of her as a character and her connection to her domain. Unlike Holly and Edith , I don’t need to come up with some theory about their fashion choices when Annetta’s reflects already existing lore in origins (what little of it at least)

I personally do think the outfit looks ugly and plain uncomfortable, but I will give this design some credit for having one of the more visually detailed designs by virtue of her scales alone, and it actually makes sense for the nymph whose domain is the literal ocean to be in a skimpy outfit, even if her shell bra has to be glued on to her boobs

Unlike Edith’s outfit colour which is just red, Annetta’s has various shades of blues and teals that are reminiscent of the sea. It’s pretty I like it

Helena: Much like Edith there’s not that much to say here but what I can say is mostly positive

Helena’s a pretty standard design of “blonde chick in cool blues with white fluff details” and yeah that’s generic usually, but here I really like her. I think it’s how the fur and cloth looks textured along how her hair front is styled that makes her incredibly cute to me

Yeah, Helena is a simple but cute character design

Weird that a mountain nymph who has to live through cold weather wears a skimpy outfit with her bare thighs out , but I’m gonna assume that’s because she , much like her sisters, was designed to be sexy first and given aesthetics after they made the body model

Fée de la Mort/VooDoo Mama/Big Mama: As cool as she looks, when compared to both her monster form and the other nymphs , you can tell she wasn’t planned to be one of them, especially when you look up Mamma Hite

I bring that up because while Fee has a good design, she is also a visual metaphor that reflects Origins’ identity: a failed series reboot whose plot was scrapped in favour of goofy extremism (or sex appeal in the nymphs case)

So about Fee’s actual design: I personally don’t like the pink used on her and would’ve liked her Nymph form to reflect the monster form besides the hair

probs to the fact she’s the only nymph with her own pose which already gives her a lot of personality , but the combination of her tattoos, bone jewellery and her baggy looking eyes really sells the fact she’s from the land of the livid dead and thus sticks out amongst the other fairies, even if you ignored the bat wings she has

visually she does work as a undead fairy of the underworld who likes to rock and roll, so job well done with that

I kinda do wish they stuck with the frog though

[konfizry]

Barring a few exceptions, all of Rinwell's books show the same two pages when she opens them. One such exception is Oblivion Ring, which if you look closely, you might notice has the two pages, but upside down. Below is a closeup on it with heightened contrast for your convenience. Feel free to compare it to the other books at you leisure. (notice the winged seal at the bottom of the right-hand page? you'll find it at the top of the left-hand pages of the other books, with the larger wings pointing up instead of down)

Interestingly enough, the details of Oblivion Ring featured in the art book show its pages depicted the same as the other books, suggesting that this might be an actual error where the texture for this one book got flipped in mysterious circumstances. (either that or Rinwell is holding it upside down, not that I would blame her given how all over the place Oblivion Ring is)

Oblivion Ring in the bottom right corner, along with the textures from a couple other books for comparison, as shown in the artbook. Now for the books that actually display something different. There's 3 sets of 2, corresponding to the six books that can be obtained via beating challenges that were included in the free Special Training Grounds DLC.

First are the Avian Tomes A and B, meant to accompany Rinwell's Demonic Stole costumes (not pictured), with the vertical text and stylized owls and trees.

Then you have Waterproof Notebooks A and B which go great with her Rapscallion Swimsuits (not pictured) and give off a cutesy bullet journal vibe once opened.

Finally, Birds of Dahna Handbook A and Creatures of Dahna B that harmonize perfectly with Rinwell's Owl Uniforms (pictured: Owl Unifor B with Pigtail Beret C (does not include a beret)). Blocks of text along with an illustration of either a bird or a rappig can be seen, as well as a map that takes up most of the left-hand page and (assumedly) informs the reader about the distribution of Dahnan animals. The map itself corresponds to Dahna's western continent, as seen in the beginning intro of the game. Compare:

One last thing of interest (to me) is that it seems most of the books are meant to be read from left to right, but there are a couple exceptions:

(graphic design is my passion) Indeed, when viewed open and from the back, the vast majority of her books have what seems to be the front cover on the right, meaning the spine would be on the left if one were to look at them closed, with the front cover on top. The only two books I could find that had the front cover on the left when viewed from the back were Birds of Dahna Handbook and Creatures of Dahna. This configuration seems to imply that the "modern AU" (so to speak) books read from right to left. Finally, there seems to be three books with perfectly symmetrical covers: Secret of the Stars, Artes of the Cosmos (not picutred; is a palette swap of Secret of the Stars) and Book of Owl Wisdom. Interestingly enough, Secret of the Stars and Book of Owl wisdom are respectively implied and stated to be heirlooms of Rinwell's mage clan, in their description. The symmetrical look may thus be intentional, leaving the question of whether Rinwell's clan read from left to right or right to left unanswered on purpose, for extra mystery. NB: 1. You could argue that Oblivion Ring's cover is ambiguous as well, but if you look real hard, I think you'll find that that the right part has more going on than the left part, so I think it belongs in left-to-right like the others. 2. Not all of Rinwell's books are included on the pictures of this post but I think I got a sample that was representative enough. (i know, i know, Records of the Fallen should have been in there, it has black pages with white ink, it looks so cool yadi yadi yada well if you really wanna see it just open your own Tales of Arise go look at it im not stopping you) 3. There is no Birds of Dahna Handbook B, just like there is not Creatures of Dahna A. A and B make sense with the other sets since they're books with identical titles, but since these two have different titles, they should hace ditched the A and B to avoid any confusion, idk what happened here.