#hence the bluer coloring
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The girls are fighting ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Based on a scene from my latest chapter (linked below) + closer action shot
#svsss#mirror mirror au#liu qingge#original shang qinghua#shang qinghua#scum villian self saving system#mxtx#i like to think sqh's knife here is something he picked up while in the north#hence the bluer coloring
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Fired on Mars is alright, I especially appreciate any that it's (so far) non-space opera sci fi on a major network, an extreme rarity, especially since the Expanse turned into another ghost alien fuckaround because American audiences are too stupid to deal with realistic science fiction and think "Star Wars" qualifies. but it's really struggling as an "adult animation" production. I'm not sure if this was pitched as a live action or not but it doesn't have any reason to be animated except budget. not sure what else Max network has going on these days but you can't help but see a real show with proper production sort of superimposed on top of the simplistic and frankly boring animated backdrop. that's a real shame. they tried to split the difference by styling the drawings very buttoned-down, but it has none of the design sense of even Rick and Morty and it isn't funny enough for the writing to stand on its own, so theres just not a lot to hold onto.
the serious plot that kicks in at episode 5 reminds me a hell of a lot of the recent walking simulator, The Invincible, an adaptation of Stanislav Lem's story by the same name, with a really good surface of Mars sequence and excellent soundtrack, so I hope that's the direction the show is taking now.
it makes me think about the actual logistics and expense of filming something like this with practicals and some CGI. one of the benefits of doing something like realistic space station or mars colony stories is that you can build an incredibly cramped set and film everything on it, Cube-style, because these colonies would be modular and extremely cramped, just like NASA infrastructure is now. you could really go crazy styling a very beautiful set or soundstage that was only a few connected rooms and corridors and then just recycle them intelligently. outdoor shots in the local desert, composite out any plant life, roads, or gas stations, grey out the sky. Fired on Mars has blue sky and big cumulus clouds and initially I wasnt sure if that's referencing some sort of atmospheric control by the colony or if they screwed up or if it was focus group/producer meddling, but I looked it up and the actual Martian sky is more complicated than I assumed:
Since Mars is roughly 1.5 astronomical units from the Sun, the amount of light on the surface is about half that on our planet. Under low illumination conditions, our eyes shift sensitivity towards blue because we change from using color-sensitive “cone” cells to color-blind “rod” cells. This is known as the Purkinje effect. Hence, the first astronaut to land on Mars would probably describe its sky as even bluer than one might expect.
so anyway I think the show is ok. I stopped after watching episode 5 to write this, since this episode has taken the show in a much more interesting direction than I saw in the previous four. maybe it'll pleasantly surprise me
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HELLO!! I absolutely love the colors in your art! That's why i am here- i wanna know if you don't mind telling us how you do this little effect (the one behind)-
Again love your art style and the colors!
Have a wonderful day/night! And take care!
hii!! first of all tysm!! 🥺
on this piece i used a gradient map to get the colors to look this specific way! here's how it looked without:
you can see that the colors in both the actual drawing and faded bg version are technically the same, but because the bg version paler, the gradient map mapped its colors onto it differently (hence why it's bluer/yellower/etc than the foreground img)
if you've never worked with gradient maps before i highly recommend playing around with them! if you use clip studio there are lots of free gradient packs in the csp store, and gradient maps are also supported on procreate and photoshop as far as i know ^^
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How To Fix Coloring you accidentally did with Night Light Settings On
If you're a chronic Night Light Settings user like me, you might be at risk of screwing up your intended color scheme when making digital art. At the end of the day, it's not really a big deal if everything is slightly bluer than you wanted, but if you're as particular about it as I am, here's the solution I figured out for my own work in Clip Studio Paint!
[More under the cut]
Quick Aside: What is Night Light?
For anyone who doesn't know, Night Light is a display setting on Windows computers that casts an orange-y overlay across your screen to reduce the amount of blue light it usually gives off. Regardless of whether blue light is actually "harmful," I use it pretty often cuz it makes my eyes and head hurt a lot less after working on my computer all day. The only thing I always try to turn it off for is when I'm coloring/rendering my art, because it skews your perception of color.
(For example: I forgot to turn off Night Light while I was coloring a character yesterday. It looked fine on my computer screen, but if I had sent it to my phone or posted it somewhere, I would have realized that without the orange-y overlay, the skin looked jaundiced and all the blues looked kinda green. Which I did realize this morning. Hence the post lol.)
Solution:
First, I created a masking layer (i forgot to make it an actual masking layer but the function is practically the same shshshhhh) to recreate the orange-y tone Night Light had given me last night. I ended up choosing the blending mode Linear Burn and took the opacity down to 15%, but it'll probably depend on how high you keep your Night Light settings and what your end goal is.
Then, I created a Tone Curve correction layer above it to get the blue values back where I wanted them. I ended up going with a down-up S curve as depicted in the image below. It definitely wasn't perfect, but it got my colors back in the ballpark of where I wanted them!
Lastly, I went in and touched up any areas that needed special attention with individual correction layers (or just recolored entirely where needed — which thankfully wasn't much after steps one and two!)
Anyway, I don't usually post this kind of thing but I had trouble finding any other solutions online, so hopefully this can fill that info gap. If anyone else has found other solutions tho please share!
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It's actually awesome and really cool that you manage to make Trellis look nothing like the book but just like the book at the same time. You see it like 'Oh yeah, that's Trellis' but then put them side by side and they're two different people. Anyway, you're awesome and amazing and a really good artist!!!
YEA Idk if it's some Berenstain bears phenomenon or maybe I just ended up getting used to it 😭😭 I know why Kazu's style is what it is and that's to meet a deadline as a comic artist vs me an illustrator that lets me have more freedom to polish a character design, so I took advantage of that and just. Went overboard.
There's a lot about Trellis has changed, but the "core" design of the character remained intact:
- long straight hair (Kazu's just looked more choppy)
- white/blue color scheme (but mostly blue)
- the overall "seriousness" of the character, which is indicated by his frowning expression and scar
It just so happens I brought all these details and refined them into an nth degree?? If that made sense?? Trellis is one of the few long haired elves so let's exaggerate it w longer straight hair so he'd stand out, let's give him a cleaner haircut to represent his "journey" of recovering from his troubled backstory, Trellis has a severe and clever side so let's give him sharp and half lidded eyes to make him look more serious, he always had a blue motif so let's use it more in his color palette (his skin and hair I picked in the bluer larts of the color wheel, if you compare it w Riva's she looks more purple bc I assigned purple as her color due to her dress in book 8), with the whites based on Kazu's discarded manuscript of book 5 and a foil to the Elf King's color (both being Kings), and lastly, Trellis is known for having an abusive past, so drive it home further, it's not just one stitched scar, it's four, travellingacross his cheek eyebrow and forehead, and worse, ir blinded his eye
Am I embarrassed I put so much thought in this???.... Yes. But that's actually a result of accumulation of years drawing Trellis and absorbing other stuff from other media that it's become an amalgamation of both that and Amulet. In summary, I enhanced and refined his core traits hence why I think he both looks like and do not look Kazu's Trellis
#WHEW... Yeah uh... What was I doing#But yes. I've put careful consideration on Trellis's design#It's part (oooh i wanna have him look like this)#Part (this would make sense for this character if so so)#Part (THIS IS A PAIN IN THE ASS TO DRAW SO I'M MAKING IT AN EASIER ONE)#YES THIS IS ABT TRELLIS'S BATHROBE. YOU MAY NOT KNOW BUT I ALWAYS STRUGGLEDNTO DRAW IT#IN A WAY THAT BOTH MAKES SENSE AND LOOMS GOOD!#But I never could and not mention I still have NO clue how I should colore his pants in a way that looks good#So I put Trellis in a dress. Part bc I like Trellis as gnc part it looks great part most bc it's way easier to draw#Forgive me
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Tips to make your car headlight buying experience easy
Buying a car headlight is not rocket science. You don't need to be an expert to select the perfect headlight for your car. It is a relatively simple process that does not require a lot of technical knowledge. All you need to do is collect some basic information before selecting one.
When you're buying a new car or getting your old one serviced, it's easy to get overwhelmed by several headlight options. You want to make sure that you're getting the right choice for your vehicle, and that it'll fit properly. Hence, here are some pointers you need to take care of before finalizing the deal.
1. A thorough research on the three basic kinds of headlights available in the market
Halogen, HID, and LED are the three basic kinds of headlights available in the market. Each of them has different brightness levels, beam, and power consumption. Additionally, the prices of all the headlights are different. For example, halogen is the most budget-friendly but does not provide the best light quality.
On the other hand, LED is the undisputed champion when it comes to light quality however they are quite pricey. Hence, it is imperative to understand the basic differences between the three for an informed decision.
One of the top choices for automakers is OSRAM car headlights - they are brighter than traditional bulbs. This means that you will be able to see more clearly at night when driving on poorly lit roads or highways which could potentially save lives if there was an accident involved.
2. Consider the color temperature and brightness of the car headlight
Providing visibility and safety while driving is the main aim of using a car headlight. This means, before selecting the headlamps, it is your responsibility to check if the color temperature and brightness level of the selected lights will serve the motive.
The light brightness level affects how far the light will reach while the color temperature of the headlights affects the amount of light that is emitted. Not to forget, the relation between the color temperature and brightness level of the headlight is directly proportional. The higher the color temperature, the bluer the light will be and the better the brightness level.
3. Car headlights with a long lifespan with a guarantee card are equally important
The lifespan of the headlights depends on two factors: The kind of headlight and the brand of the headlampyou are choosing.
Going by the headlight kind, LED is the new generation headlight and is said to have the longest lifespan when compared to others. Additionally, these LED headlights demand a few replacement episodes. Similarly selecting the right brand for your car headlight is a matter of utmost importance. Well-known brands like OSRAM not only ensure quality but also guarantee light excellence and durability for their products.
4. Check the compatibility of your car headlight with the car wiring system
It is always advisable to ask the technician if the chosen headlight is compatible with your car wiring system or not. If the expert finds the car bulb incompatible, ask them for the best headlight type for your car.
Note: The incompatible headlight can cause potential damage to your car's electrical system.
5. Check for features like LED daytime running and adaptive lighting
LED daytime running lights are designed to make your vehicle visible to other drivers on the road. Daytime Running Lights become active only when the vehicle engine is on. However, they switch off automatically when the headlights are turned on.
Adaptive lighting, as the name suggests, adapts according to the outside lighting condition. If the weather is foggy or dark outside, the car lights automatically become brighter to help drive safely on the road.
6. Does the headlight beam pattern meet your requirements?
The correct beam pattern helps provide accurate road illumination, allowing you to see potential hazards and obstacles easily. It is also important to judge the speed of other vehicles so that you can make better decisions while driving in low-light conditions. OSRAM car bulbs rank among the top in the market as these headlights are designed to provide a better lighting experience for drivers.
7. Are the size and shape of the headlight according to the car?
Selecting the right size car headlight is mandatory for ensuring that the bulb is properly aligned with the car's body and that it provides the right amount of light for safe driving. The wrong size headlight can cause glare, reduce visibility and even cause an accident.
8. Compare the prices
Visit various headlight vendors and compare the prices as well as the features their headlights are offering. Find which headlight brand fits your preference as well as the pocket. Check out the reviews online and offline if possible. And do not forget to read the guarantee card before buying the perfect headlamp for your car.
Final thoughts
The importance of selecting the right car headlight cannot be overstated. Headlights are a critical safety feature for any vehicle, providing visibility in low-light conditions and helping drivers to see and be seen.
Poorly chosen headlights can cause visibility issues, resulting in decreased safety. The right headlights can also improve the look of a car, making it look more stylish and attractive. Most importantly, the best-suited headlight can also improve car performance and a more comfortable driving experience.
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In such a way as that in color
piece of bun De Coloribus
Apparently to morning light in general make less defined and bluer
literally “two bake” time as an accidental motion
hence you must make the first nearest building in ethics
like light not only congealed bases paler selfhood
The organic little dog always curls up as embodying authentic
by thumbing an organ of tea
Finger chips do not disagree with the size of your objects
fancy dinners denser and if you turn to the west, buried first
grapes no text claims
aprés object, indifference recede bonds to each other
loft objects which I am seduced by
On a thicker section of the above
reason me more than the rest
it is higher up, it is a rarer atmosphere and and becomes more and more transparent
the bus, the more you must show of the other here has the sense of musk monopsony
other level ground is denser than the summits
in fantastic night effects which rises from the driest wood
rather top of the wall, two may be alike between each
topic of trinity of Madrid
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Oh!!! I've never been tagged in something like this before so thanks :D
last song: dahan-dahan by Lola Amour
favorite color: lilac or a bluer mint or yellow
last book: currently reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman (sigh I picked it up before the allegations came out)
last movie: not too sure actually but probably The Wild Robot
last tv show: Derry Girls!
sweet/savory/spicy: def savory! I like sweet stuff too though and I've got an awful spice tolerance
relationship status: perfectly single and completely happy about it
last thing i searched: "canon camera zoemini" found one for cheap cause of black friday and am wondering if its worth buying
current obsession: nothing right now actually, been a bit preoccupied with preparing to move, but my most recent and probably the closest i've got to an obsession rn is Dungeon Meshi!!!
looking forward to: seeing my friends, an Eraserheads (and my first ever) concert, and my Japan trip
favorite drink: an iced spanish latte always always hits the spot for me. love it to death. other than that I love some lemonade with mint
song playing in head on loop: uh nothing right now but most recently dahan-dahan by Lola Amour (hence it also being my most recent song) and also Let Things Go from Ordinary Days because I'm going through all of my stuff rn before moving and it's very fitting
current favorite character: Laios Touden from Dungeon Meshi! That's my darling blorbo my twin my brother. My best friend made me a crochet doll version of him and I absolutely love it.
fun activity i'd like to get into: PARKOUR!!! I wanna do parkour sooo badly but I'm still rather unfit. I'm working on in it though 🫡
last video game: Saint Spell's Love Guide to the Magical Student's Spellbook
Okay 10 moots! here goes (no pressure to do this btw!)
@finallygaveintothesirencall @laurshihi @cheetorolo @zola-exp @merlincersei @definately-not-a-cat @uponthebarricade @honeyheadbanger @just-a-latina-fangirl @dynamitegalaxy
10 people i'd like to get to know better! @whatisamildopinion omg thanks for the tag, I'm so touched.
last song- it's an a capella cover of A Thousand Miles, by Hyannis Sound, yes im a huge dork
favorite color- blue blue blue always bluuuuuueeee
last book- uh real physical book? A graphic novel called Coven
last movie- I watched the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors on Sat with my friends at our weekly game night
last TV show- Uh, I don't watch a lot of TV, but does Dimension 20 count? I just watched the new ep of MisMag2
sweet/savory/spicy- I love all of these, but maybe savory by just a little bit more? I love food
relationship status- i've been with my boyfriend/partner Ry for over 4 years now, which is kind of insaaaaane but i adore him. he's playing metaphor:refantazio right now
last thing I searched- The Cat Returns! I was talking about movies with friends but describing them as Youtube bait
current obsession- Ryley says its a capella, which isn't a bad answer, but i've also been really into watching YT shorts of ballet students
looking forward to- I'm going to see my family next week
favorite drink- I love a good mocha, usually iced but hot is pretty good too
song playing in head on loop- Down To You by Marianas Trench
current favorite character- I can't really pick one, but one constant for a few years is Susato Mikotoba from TGAAC
fun activity I'd like to get into- I would love to get back into singingggggg more than just around the house. I just wanna meet more people tbh so maybe a painting class
last video game- Stardew Valley on my Switch, Minecraft on my laptop, and a Suika clone on my phone. And Balatro if you wanna include my boyfriend's phone and Switch.
tagging: @greyhound-with-a-mega-wizard-hat @whatdoyoumeanyoucanonlyhave1otp @aang-the-last-motherfucker @wonkaschocolate @personally-im-feeling-pantastic @killthelantern-raisetheghost @kaity--did @bird-likes-to-fandom @cosmosking69 @enchantingmagazinedragon
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hello! I saw the emoji post and I always wonder why mr. jade’s emoji is a dolphin. Is it he is nicer than his twin? thank you!
Hello! Jade's emoji is a dolphin because there aren't any default eel emojis, so JP fandom had to use the shark and dolphin emojis to distinguish them. It's possible that they gave the dolphin to Jade because they thought that Jade is "the nicer twin" (spoiler alert: he isn't) while Floyd is the more feral one, but I think it's more on their names. Floyd is the name of a shade of grey while Jade is a color around the green-blue spectrum, hence Floyd has the grey shark while Jade has the bluer dolphin.
I hope this helps!
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Can you tell us about screenprinting?
BUZZES. I SURE CAN!!
So I don't know how much you already know about screenprinting, but I'm gonna assume that it's not much so i get to talk about it more in details
Screenpriting is a printing technique that originated in China - can't remember the exact time frame because i'm terrible at dates but just know it's old as balls. At first the screen was made from a silk fabric stretched over a wooden frame (hence the full name "silkscreen printing") but nowadays they're made from more resistant plastic-based fabric (or sometimes from metal. I'll get to that later.)
Basically you're going to make a stencil out of your screen by spreading a photosensitive emulsion over it. Once it's dried, you can tape your transparency (aka a transparent sheet with the thing you want to print as an opaque shape) to it and you expose it to (ideally) a very bright UV light. I say "ideally" because technically you can also just throw it in the sun but it's gonna take aaaages. The bluer a light is the shorter your exposure period will be, because the emulsion doesn't react to red light (this is the reason why we use red or yellow light in the spaces where unexposed emulsion is going to be out).
ANYWAY once that's done you can develop your screen by spraying it with water - the emulsion that was under the opaque part of the transparency will have stayed soft while the rest will have hardened under the light -> the soft parts will go away with the water, leaving only the stencil behind.
Now what? Now you have what you call a printing form (or at least that's how we call it in french) that you're going to be able to use to print on - whatever you want, really. That's screenprinting's biggest strength: depending on the ink you have available, you can print on pretty much anything. The most common are fabric, stickers and paper, but you can also print on glass, tile, metal... with the metal fabrics I talked about earlier you can print stuff like circuitry or edible ink made out of sugar (you know the little patterns you find on fancy chocolates sometimes? that's screenprinting babey)
ANYWAY (again - sorry, I get very scatterbrained talking about my job lmao) you've got your screen-slash-stencil. You're also going to need: a flat surface on which to print (except if you're printing on like a bottle or a glass ig) your ink (depends on what you're printing) and a squeegee, which is basically a length of polyurethane with a wooden or aluminum handle - oh, and something to dry your ink with (some are air-dried, others need heat, some necessitate UV light, tho that's. Not something you can do at home i'm pretty sure). Then you place your screen, adjust the position if needed, try not to forget to add space between your screen and your table (usually when it's something you do at home you can just tape a coin between the bottom of the frame and the table.) Spread some ink on your frame, and you're ready to print!
(Note: each screen/transparency is for One color only, so you have to prepare as many screen as you have colors, which is why the palettes of screenprints are usually limited. Fun fact: you can totally print CMYK with screenprinting, it's a bit of a pain but it absolutely fucks.)
What else to say...... Oh yeah, for example, why hasn't that old as shit printing method died yet? First of all there's the reason I gave earlier - that versatility - and the fact that yeah, you can print on fabric or tile with other methods but it won't be as resistant as a good screenprint because screenprinting can deposit a bigger amount of ink and will be more resistant to traffic, light, the elements, washes and such. Plus, it can be an excellent industrial printing method while being pretty easy to do at home, which is sick imo.
Ok that's pretty much it for now, but let me know if you have any qs!! and thank you for askinggg
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Erwin Smith: The Love He Always Wanted.
“If the time comes, I wish to go first.”
That’s what Erwin Smith said.
She takes the time to undress him so kindly, her fingertips soothed him to touch, as her lips brushed against his. It was all he longed for. He’s never been rough, despite his calloused hands roam to her body — he closed his eyes, as he felt her breath moist his lips.
Erwin Smith lets her do it.
Her body hugged him tightly, feeling his heartbeat against hers in sync. She kisses his battle scars, to places he finds himself horrendous, sacred places where he only knows himself.
He is so beautiful.
The night is young, and there are so many things that both of them want to say. Not that they don’t have time to do so — the both of them couldn’t express through words.
Their lips move and touch, creating heat and friction. Hence, there is no lust hinted.
Love. Passion.
She hugged everything he had. His insecurities, his failures, his victories. Even if the world was against him, she’d always be by his side. He parted from the kiss, looking at her deep set of orbs.
His eyes were bluer than the ocean and brighter than the sky. This is where he shines the brightest. Her hands found their way to his broad shoulders, then his chest. The scars were beautiful, even his chest hair.
Through the years, she sees him as stoic — rather emotionless. He rarely smiles, and even if he was — it was forced. Developing such feelings inside the military was something seldom.
Now, she’s all he has. Loving her was the greatest choice his heart made. It filled his monochrome life with colors, she’s the living proof that his heart wasn’t stone — it’s still beating.
“Darling, I love you.” his voice was in a low baritone, making her legs quiver as she sits on top of his lap, “You’re the love I’ve always wanted.”
#yohan_xreader#erwin smith#attack on titan#shingeki no kyojin#erwin#aot#aot erwin#snk erwin#fanfiction#aot fanfic#aot fanfiction#erwin smith x reader
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Caerul Design Notes,
because I’ve actually put a lot of thought into creating Caerul’s aesthetic and I’m lowkey really proud of it. I won’t get into her actual character concept/personality/backstory/etc. since this got super long, but this is how/why I made the choices I did with regards to her name and visual design!
▶ Caerul’s color scheme started off way bluer (hence the name “Caerul,” from caeruleus/a/um - “blue”/“cerulean”/“azure”/“of the sky/sea” in Latin) and less saturated, but when I gave her a (dead) twin with a red theme, I wanted them to look more alike and made both of their hair purple (although I haven’t actually done more than sketch Roseus before... he’s got purple hair and red eyes). Purple’s my favorite color, and unnatural hair colors don’t seem to be uncommon in Orth, so why not, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The red elements in Caerul’s design are meant to represent her honoring Roseus!
All of the base colors I use when drawing Caerul! They all end up looking a bit darker once they’re shaded though.
▶ As well as shamelessly using one of my favorite Latin words (I’m a Classics major, okay ;;>~>), I also tried to pick a name that sounded similar to the ones that already exist in-universe. This was actually fairly tricky, since as far as I can tell the names in Made in Abyss have a WIDE variety of influences. Some of them seem passably Japanese-sounding (Riko, Jiruo, Kiyui, Nanachi) disclaimer I bring dishonor to my ancestors and know 0 Japanese so this is just about vibez, others seem Western-ish (Reg, Nat, Lyza, Prushka). Some are fairly whimsical (Shiggy, Maruruk, Mitty) while others are more mysterious and fantastic (Any of the White Whistles besides maybe Lyza). The only common thread I could really settle on was a general fantasy feeling to all of the names. I tried to capture that nebulous vibe with Caerul’s name, although with something so vague and subjective it’s pretty much impossible to say if I was entirely successful. I named her siblings afterward with other Latin color words and ended up with a RGB theme lol.
▸ By the way, “Caerul” is pronounced “KAI-rool.” It rhymes with “Hyrule.” The ae diphthong makes an “eye” sound in Latin #TheMoreYouKnow
▸ “Caducalae” is a portmanteau of “caducae alae,” literally “falling/doomed/futile wings” in Latin (again), playing off how pointless it is to be able to fly when the Curse of the Abyss is a thing. Originally, they weren’t supposed to work at all outside of the Abyss, but I decided that was boring for crossovers/other verses so I scrapped it. I’m not too happy with the name since it doesn’t fit the naming scheme of the canon relics (there is no precedent at all for gratuitous Latin in Made in Abyss, which is a good thing because it’s overused in fantasy, but Latin was the only thing I was good at in high school sooooo... ^^;), but I didn’t like any of my other ideas that much, either. “Wings of Futility” feels more canon, but it’s also kinda depressing :/
▶ I’ve mentioned before that Caerul’s build is based off of mine for art reference purposes (it’s convenient to just look in the mirror while making the pose I want =w=)b), but another reason she’s so short is that I didn’t have to make the caducalae quite as big since she’s smaller, so she can actually go indoors if she’s careful.
▶ Long hair isn’t super practical with mechanical wings with lots of bits for it to get caught in, but Caerul idolizes Lyza, so I left her hair as long as I could reasonably get away with.
▶ I heavily referenced the canon Made in Abyss character designs for Caerul’s clothing so she would fit into the world, but made some alterations to make everything more personal to her and accommodate for her wings. In general, I lightened everything up, since she takes a bunch of short, quick trips rather than lengthy expeditions. Her gloves, for instance, are loosely inspired by the ones we see many delvers wearing in the manga/anime, but are less heavy-duty and are convertible mittens/fingerless gloves for better dexterity with handling letters and such.
The best close up of the gloves I could find was actually a screenshot of the aftermath Reg & Riko’s orb piercer encounter, but I didn’t want to have to tag this for gore, so you get Lyza ^^; There’s a filter over Caerul here so you can see the glove better which is why she looks kinda washed out :/
▶ Her coat is heavily influenced by Jiruo’s, since he��s the only Moon Whistle we’ve seen in canon.
yeah, uhhhh, sorry to yoink your style my dude ^^;
▸ Caerul’s has a different color palette, a simpler lapel border, an extra set of outer pockets, and three separate panels in the back that button around her wings so she can put it on! I haven’t drawn it, but her shirt works similarly.
This is my favorite detail about her design tbh... it’s just really satisfying what a logical solution it is for some reason??? the original doodle is off rotting somewhere in my Modern European History notes, but I tried to recreate it just as sloppily here =w=)b
▶ Caerul’s corset isn’t just a painful fashion choice - it’s actually meant to be a(n admittedly heavily stylized) brace for her back against the weight of her wings.
▶ Since Caerul can’t wear a backpack with the wings, I had to get creative with storage options for her. In addition to an undetermined number of pockets on the inside of her coat, I gave her these two pouches on her thighs to carry more stuff.
I wonder how buff your quads could get carrying a significant amount of weight there...
▸ Messenger bags don’t seem super practical for delving, so I didn’t design a specific one for her to carry all the time, but Caerul does use them on occasion. Even with that, though, she still has far less carrying capacity than the average delver, which is a problem she has to deal with when carrying out her duties!
▶ The wings/caducalae were by far the most difficult part of designing Caerul, and it took several redesigns over 2+ years before I was finally happy with them. Their first design was deliberately far simpler in the interest of having to draw them a zillion times, but they ended up clunky and unwieldy looking:
chonky o~O
▸ The final design is MUCH more of a pain to draw (in fact, a lot of the time I cheat and just copy and paste them from drawings I’ve already done), but I think it looks much sleeker and more “functional”.
I also got better at making my diagrams look slightly more authentic ;0
▸ I knew I wanted jetpack-style thrusters to be a component of the wings to somewhat justify the shit I wanted Caerul to be able to pull with them (especially to eliminate the need for accounting for the damage landing suddenly could do to her ankles), but incorporating them proved to be one of the biggest problems of the design. At one point, they were going to have a whole separate attachment point on her back, but I finally just made them an offshoot of the first “joint,” as you can see in the final design.
A really messy intermediate caducalae sketch. The weird double pentagon shape was meant to be the part of the relic actually fused to Caerul’s back, but I scrapped that too when I scrapped the separate limbs for the thrusters.
▸ Speaking of the joints, they’re all balls so they can rotate all over and I don’t have to fuss too much about how they move. Likewise, the frame is metal, but I treat it like it’s kind of flexible, so Caerul can “flex” the wings open and closed. These wings are hard enough to draw period okay I’m giving myself every excuse to be inconsistent af on purpose.
▸ The caducalae have some “bonus” features that I’ve sketched out, but that Caerul hasn’t unlocked yet, and won’t for a while.
owo what’s this?
▸ For the wings, I think my biggest inspirations were some of the mechier Cardfight!! Vanguard dragon units (although I don’t remember which cards specifically) and the energy wings on the ninth-generation knightmares in Code Geass R2.
I’ve made a lot of OCs, and since I don’t like to use faceclaims, I’ve done a fair amount of character designing. I don’t think I’ve ever spent as much time or had as much fun with any of them as I have with Caerul, though! OCs aren’t always super well accepted in fandom roleplay, but the Made in Abyss community has been super welcoming and I’ve had a blast. Thanks for listening to me gush about Caerul if you got this far, and thank you to everyone who’s interacted with her!
The original sketch of Caerul from back in 2017. How far we’ve come :’D
#miscellaneous info#mun art#appearance#ooc#((no one cares lol))#((but I had fun putting all my thoughts down in writing ^^;))#((also! the full version of the new caerul art from the promo!))
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Belated Happily Ever After
((A/N: Hello again, all! I’m finally getting back around to uploading the rest of the stories...kind of. This one I can say for certain was a request.))
Pairing: DKxReader
Genre: Angst/Fluff/Friendship
Word Count: 7,962
Summary: You fell in love with the sun...but it turned out the sun did not love you back and couldn’t fathom loving you back, so you fell off the face of the Earth. Luckily, the sweetest sometimes-tiger, sometimes-hamster you’ve ever known was there to catch your fall until you were ready to face the sun again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Your professor had a way of making time fly despite the class itself being over two hours long You had never been much of a history buff, the multiple dates you had to recall always being the enemy, but this history course was so interesting and engaging, it was easy to lose track of time. Hence, why you and most of your classmates didn’t even notice that the lesson was supposed to be over about 20 minutes ago, the next class crowding the door and waiting to take their seats.
“Time really does fly when you’re having fun,” you mumbled to yourself, finishing up your notes and storing your materials into your backpack before rising to make your exit.
“Remember to read Chapter 13 for homework, everyone! We’re going to have a very involved discussion next class meeting,” the professor announced, waving at the retreating students before welcoming the next class.
You pulled your planner from your bag with the intention of recording the homework and rifled further for a pen. Exiting the class and quite distracted, you never had a chance to prepare for-
“Finally!”
“ACK! Soonyoung!”
-the energizer bunny that wrapped his arms around you from behind and spun you around, his ecstatic laughter ringing loud in the hall.
“I’ve been waiting forever for you , Y/N,” Soonyoung laughed, setting you down on your feet and ruffling your hair, “What took the class so long?”
“Cut it out!” you demanded, batting his hand away from your hair and readjusting any stray strands, “What is it with you guys and messing with a girl’s hair? Anyway, I guess we all just got really into the lesson and lost track of time.”
“I wish my classes were that interesting…or maybe it’s because you’re just really smart and like the subject, so it comes easy to you!”
“I hate history.”
“Well, whatever! The fact is that we were waiting a long time for you and I’m starving!”
“We?”
“Seokmin was waiting with me, but went ahead to buy our lunch,” Soonyoung elaborated, turning you around by your shoulders and guiding you out of the building, “He should already be with the others, so let’s go! Hurry! Hurry! My stomach’s caving in!”
“O-Okay, okay! I’m going!” you replied, grateful that you were able to conceal the red of your cheeks, but very much aware of the heat burning beneath them.
Seokmin did that to you. Even just the mere mention of him; the sound of his name, the sound of his voice, a simple thought centered around the Child Development major known as Lee Seokmin had your heart galloping through fields of daisies and poppies. It had been one full year since you came to terms with your infatuation for him, but that didn’t keep the butterflies from swarming or your palms from dampening. It just made you an expert on hiding it from him.
With Soonyoung practically dragging you along behind him at a full run, the both of you eventually made it to the university quad, finding your friends lounging in the green not too far away.
“I brought Y/N!” the dancer announced, coming to a stop and smoothly pulling you next to him before slinging an arm around your shoulders like he always did, “Her history class ran longer than usual because they were having too much fun.”
“I thought you hated history,” Joshua mused with a smile, watching you struggle to catch your breath.
“I hate history…but I love…the professor…” you panted with your hands on your knees, eventually keeling over into the grass between Joshua and your roommate/friend, Miaka, “Soonyoung tried to kill me.”
“You were walking too slowly and I’m really hungry,” he whined, dropping down on the other side of Miaka and groaning dramatically.
“You were Sonic-running and I don’t appreciate the forced exercise,” you mumbled, laying stomach down on the grass and willing your breath to even out while remaining oblivious to Soonyoung’s pouting at being scolded.
Just as you were starting to feel better, your heart settling and your breathing steady, another attack came upon you in the form of fingers dancing up and down your incredibly ticklish side.
“AAHH! Nonono! Who?! Why?!” you shrieked, flipping over onto your back and curling up to prevent the onslaught, “Stop it!”
The laugh that hit your ears made your whole body tingle, the sun blocked by your attacker’s head as his smile took its place lighting up your world. In the exact moment your eyes locked with happy brown ones, you swore the birds sang sweeter, the wind was cooler, the sky was bluer and the grass felt like feathers. Everything felt so wonderful that if you died right then and there, you wouldn’t even mind it.
“You’re funny when you’re tickled, Y/N,” Seokmin stated, running a hand through his black hair, messing up his side-part a little bit.
“There is nothing funny about torturing me,” you answered, hoping against hope that the blush on your cheeks and the slight stutter you released wasn’t too noticeable.
He laughed again and held up a white, plastic carton along with a cold can of soda, “I got your lunch. I’m pretty sure I got what you usually like. Soonyoung’s better at remembering your order than I am.”
‘Oh, he’s just the sweetest!’ you gushed mentally, wanting to squeal, but instead sitting up and taking the items that he offered.
“I’m sure it’s fine. I eat just about anything, anyway.”
“She’s like a trashcan.”
“I’m sorry, did the bottomless pit over there say something?”
The whole group sat in amusement at the playful bickering between you and Soonyoung, Seokmin lowering himself down right behind you with his own food and laughing at Soonyoung’s expense. He was sitting rather close, almost forcing himself between you and Miaka with his legs on practically either side of your hips. Again, your heart did somersaults and the color in your cheeks deepened.
“Anyway, how much do I owe you for buying my lunch?” you asked him, beginning to rifle through your bag for your wallet.
Seokmin stopped you with a gentle touch to your arm, shaking his head once he had your attention, his smile beaming at your face, “You don’t owe me anything! It’s on me.”
You just gazed at him for a beat, wondering what good deed you did at any point in this life or others to deserve a person like him in your life. Even if he was just a friend…even if you wanted to be more.
It was hard to tell when this maddening crush of yours on Lee Seokmin actually started, but it felt like it’s been present ever since you entered University. You met both him and Soonyoung at around the same time, both becoming your best friends, but it was the sun-shiny man with a voice as beautiful as a song bird’s that captured your heart. He was playful yet considerate, positively hilarious, and so positive that you felt you could never have a bad day with him around or continue to mope after having a bad day. He made your dark days bright and your bright days even better. He was everything to you…and you wished you could be everything to him, too.
“Hey, Seokmin. Seungkwan. Why don’t you two sing us that song you were practicing? Let us hear how it’s going,” Jun, one of the oldest in the group, spoke up suddenly, disrupting conversations and forcing all eyes on the two mentioned males.
You blinked curiously, looking back at Seokmin, “You two are practicing a song? How come?”
Seokmin chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, “We were bored and heard a song that we wanted to try harmonizing on. I think Joshua was playing it on the guitar.”
“And look at this! Said person just so happens to have said guitar with him!” Seungcheol proclaimed from his spot beside Joshua, nudging the other’s arm with his elbow, “You should play it and you two-” he pointed to Seungkwan and Seokmin, “should sing it!”
“Yeah, sing it for us!”
“Come on you, guys!”
“Sing it! Sing it! Sing it!”
Soon, the whole group was chanting for the two vocalists, Seungkwan eventually calming them down with an exasperated sigh of ‘fiiinnne’. The two of them prepared themselves while Joshua tuned his guitar, you focusing on your food while they did so. Soon, the first riffs of the song drifted through the air, followed by the second and third…and then, they were singing.
Voices mixing and blending so beautifully, Seungkwan and Seokmin captivated the group, as always. Their powerful voices snatching every ear; it was both a blessing and a curse to be sitting so close to your crush at this point, struggling to not stare at him too hard and yet wanting to memorize the expression on his face while you still had the chance. He absently played with the back of your hair while he sang, a rush of tingles dancing down your spine. He smiled at you and you smiled at him, nodding your head along to the song and wishing you could melt into his arms…without it being weird.
At the end of the performance, the last note fading out, the trio received a round of applause from their friends, though you smiled the biggest and the brightest at Seokmin.
He leaned in closer to you, whispering playfully, “How did I do?”
“Amazing, as always. I don’t even know why you bother asking me,” you play-whispered back, reaching up to fix his side-part and melting when he smiled at you with a little touch to your arm as thanks.
Suddenly, the campus clock tower started to chime and you froze when you realized how late it was actually getting. “Crap! What time is it?!” you hissed, pulling your phone from your bag and cursing when you saw that it was just turning 3 PM, “My last class starts in 15 minutes and it’s across campus. I have to go.”
“Don’t worry about your trash. I’ll take care of it,” Seokmin offered.
You smiled nearly bashfully, but shook your head, “You don’t have to, Seokmin. I can do it. It’s fine.”
“Ah, you’re so stubborn.” His eyes narrowed into a playful glare, his tongue clicking in ‘disappointment’, “It’s fine to accept help, Y/N. It’ll be one less thing for you to worry about! I don’t want you to be late for class, so I’ll take care of your trash!”
To show that he meant business, the man took the pile of trash from you and reached over to put your backpack in your hands. He then ushered you up and pushed on the small of your back until you took two steps away.
“Go, go! You’re losing time! Make sure to pay attention!”
You stared at him for a beat longer, a silly smile touching your lips as you nodded, “Alright…thank you!”
After bidding good-bye to your group of friends, and promising Miaka that you’ll clear the night to help her study, you took only two more steps before Soonyoung was calling out to you.
“Wait, Y/N! I’ll go with you!” he said, stuffing the rest of his food into his mouth and then moving to stand up.
“Your class is in the opposite direction of mine, Soonyoung ,and it’s going to be starting soon, too!” you objected, frowning when he gave his trash to Seokmin and asked him to take care of that, too, which he happily agreed to.
“So?” the dancer retorted, hopping next to you with a big, cheeky grin on his face, “I want to walk you; make sure you get there safe.” You rolled your eyes as he bid his farewells, shoving his shoulder when he started pushing you in the direction of your class, earning a giggle from him.
“Good luck in class, Y/N!”
You looked back to see Seokmin smiling and waving after you, the dazzling brightness of his grin leaving you breathless, yet re-energized. You returned the gesture and called out a thank you, beginning a light-footed trek to your class with Soonyoung hot on your heels. Not even his teasing could make the smile fall from your face after spending time in Seokmin’s presence, your mind too occupied with his warm smile to even think of good, witty comebacks. You just…floated to class, drunk on infatuation and high on his beautiful voice.
~*~*~*~
It was right around 8:30 PM when you returned to your apartment that evening, mentally drained but feeling rather accomplished. After your last class, you joined a few of your History classmates for a study group and then went to get dinner with them, making sure to leave in a timely manner so you could have enough time to help Miaka study that night, as promised.
You sighed in relief when you got inside, classical music drifting pleasantly in the air; Miaka liked to study to the sound of an orchestra. She said it helped her to focus more.
“I’m home!” you called, toeing off your shoes and moving into the living room.
“And just in time, too!” Miaka greeted, never looking up from the index cards she was working on at the coffee table, “I’m just about done making my flashcard for my biology terms and then you’ll be able to quiz me on them for the test.”
“Sounds good,” you replied, throwing your coat and bag down on sofa behind her before throwing yourself down at the coffee table in front of her, “How many do you have?”
“118.”
“Do you plan on sleeping at all tonight?”
“Nope and I hope you don’t either.”
You rolled your eyes loudly, giggling when Miaka stuck her tongue out at you in retaliation. To entertain yourself while she finished with the rest of her cards, you picked up the already completed ones and started to look over them. A moment of silence passed between you two.
“So, how was your last class?” she suddenly asked, still focused on the cards.
“It was decent,” you answered.
Miaka glanced at you, smiling mischievously, “What, it wasn’t spectacular after being blessed by Lee Seokmin’s wish of good luck? You weren’t floating on air? Hearing angels sing? Citing romantic haikus?”
You stared at her flatly, clearly unamused, “I hate you.”
“You love me,” she shot back.
“I hope you fail this test.”
“And I hope you embarrass yourself in front of your dream man.”
You groaned at her last jab, setting the cards down before flopping back onto the carpet, “Why are you being so mean?!”
Miaka laughed, completing the last card and then reaching over to add it to the pile, organizing them in the process. “Honestly, why don’t you just tell the guy that you like him? What’ the worst that could happen?”
You popped back up, “I could make a fool of myself. I could ruin a perfectly good friendship and possibly lose Soonyoung in the process. I could make him feel so uncomfortable around me that he never wants to see my face again. The list goes on!” Another groan and another flop back onto the carpet. “God…why does he have to be so perfect? Why do I have to have a crush on a guy that’s never going to like me back?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘never’.”
You returned to your sitting position, staring your friend straight into her soul, “What are you talking about?”
“Look,” she started, pausing to choose her words carefully, “It might just be me, but I think he likes you, too.”
“HA!” You laughed incredulously, Miaka narrowing your eyes at you. “Oh, you’re funny, Miaka.”
“But I’m probably not wrong.”
“But you probably are.”
“But I’m probably not,” she insisted, “I mean, look at the way he treats you! He buys food for you without making you pay him back. He’s always encouraging you. He’s always trying to sit really close to you. He asks for your opinions before anyone else’s. He offers to do things for you that’ll make your life easier! The man is practically establishing himself as your boyfriend. All you two need now are couple’s outfits.”
As much as you wanted to argue with her- because you vaguely remember Soonyoung doing a lot of the same things from time to time- that niggling of hope deep in your soul started to work against you. Big time. You started to think…maybe she was right? Did Seokmin like you? Were you more special to him than you allowed yourself to believe?
You chewed your bottom lip thoughtfully, brow furrowing in worry, “But…I don’t know, Miaka. If it’s true…and he likes me like I like him…then why hasn’t he said anything? Why hasn’t he confessed?”
The other woman shrugged her shoulders, smirking triumphantly, “Maybe you’re the one girl that makes him too shy to do it.”
You froze, giving her the chance to continue, “Maybe you should be the one to confess.”
“But…Me? How?! I can’t…H-How would I even-”
“The next time you two are alone.” She interrupted you, holding a finger up, “Conditions are never going to really be perfect, but take advantage of the next time you guys aren’t being bothered and tell him how you feel. He’ll probably be super relieved that you did!”
“I…I don’t know. It’s not exactly the romantic confession I imagined,” you mused, pouting slightly, “I always wanted to be the one that someone confessed to.”
Miaka clicked her tongue before pursing her lips in disapproval, “Do you want this man or not?”
You hesitated…and then nodded.
“Then you know what you need to do,” she finalized, handing you the finished and organized stacks of index cards, “Now quiz me. We can talk about your repressed love life later.”
You glared at her, but took the stacks and set them up on the coffee table, starting to go through the different categories with her. While you worked hard to remain in study mode for Miaka’s sake, you couldn’t help the little voice whispering in the back of your mind: how long would you have to wait before you could confess?
The answer…
*~*~*~*
Not that long at all, actually! About two weeks if we’re going to try to be exact and it was Seokmin himself who gave you the opportunity.
You remembered the Monday afternoon that brought you to this moment, the shriek that filled the apartment after you told Miaka how Seokmin had texted you and asked you to go to a movie with him. She had then started raving about how ‘This is it!’ and ‘This is your chance!’ and ‘He’s totally asking you on a date!’. This was followed up with her planning your outfit for your Friday night outing with him, from your shoes and accessories to what you were going to do with your hair. You had tried to tell her that it was just a movie, nothing big, so a nice pair of jeans couples with a pretty shirt and some cute sandals would work fine.
She wasn’t having any of that, though, and immediately took you out shopping for the perfect outfit, declaring that you couldn’t make a proper confession without looking drop-dead gorgeous first.
“I mean, more gorgeous than you already are,” she had added, giggling girlishly while pulling a multitude of dresses and skirts from the rack at your favorite store.
All of her primping, polishing, encouraging and hyping were what helped you to get through the week without losing your mind in excitement, to Friday night…to this moment here. She truly made you believe that this really was it, that this was the moment you confessed and it would end in happily ever after. Even the ‘date’ itself seemed to solidify it: he bought the popcorn and drinks at the movies for the both of you, draped his arm around your shoulders, he took you to dinner after, got you your favorite dessert. He complimented your whole look more than twice that evening and you even caught him staring from time to time, that giant grin of his ever present.
The night had been a success and this was now your moment, the both of you walking down the pathway through the park, trekking towards the bus stop that would take you home. This was it. Now or never.
“Hey, Seokmin…”
He looked at you expectantly, warmly, while you slowed to a stop with him facing you. “I, uh…I have…something…that I need to tell you,” you stammered, heart pounding relentlessly, cheeks flushing and palms nearly drenched.
His brows furrowed now, his hands hovering over your shoulders, as if preparing to catch you if you fainted, “What’s wrong, Y/N? Are you feeling okay?”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. I mean…I-I will be if I can just…j-just get this out.” You took a deep, shaky breath, fiddling with your fingers and staring at the concrete while Seokmin eyed you carefully, “I’ve been…wanting…I’ve been wanting to tell you this…for a while...and now seems as good a time as it’s going to get.”
Another deep, shaky breath and you forced yourself to lock eyes with him, “I like you, Seokmin. A lot. A lot a lot. I have for a while, now…and I was hoping, after tonight, we could try to make it a little more official. Maybe go on another date?”
He stared at you, dumbstruck. You stared back, sweating bullets, worrying your bottom lip. Your heart was beating out of control and you felt like you were going to vomit from the anticipation. Then Seokmin smiled. It was small at first, then bigger, then bigger still until it was fully, shining smile that you loved so much. It warmed you, comforted you, and you were so sure that he was going to confess back.
But then…he was laughing and you were confused.
“That was a good one, Y/N! You really had me going there!” he said between chuckles, his hand over his heart.
Your brow pinched together in confusion, “W-What?”
“You were so believable!” he said, “I almost fell for it, too! You having a crush on me? Oh, man. Did Soonyoung put you up to this? You two are always playing tricks on me!”
What was happening? What is this? He thought this was a joke? Your own heart was stuttering now, your mind panicking to try and make sense of this situation. How do you salvage it? What do you do?!
“Seokmin, no, I…I wasn’t joking…” He stopped laughing, stopped smiling, and stared at you. “I really do…like you.”
You both were quiet again, but the world was unbearably loud. You could clearly hear the cars passing on the street, the electric buzz of the lamps that lit the pathway, the sounds of the evening bugs. Your ears felt hot, but your fingers felt cold and your heart was pounding so hard you could swear it was just as audible as the cars on the street.
There was still a chance. There was still hope…until there wasn’t.
“Oh…Y/N,” Seokmin sighed, frowning and rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably.
Oh no…
“I’m…I’m sorry, but…”
What have you done?
“I don’t feel the same way. I like someone else.”
Your heart came to a screeching halt and then dive-bombed right into your stomach. Your hands felt clammy in your own grip as you tried to keep yourself from falling apart.
“O-Oh,” you muttered, dropping your gaze to your feet, “I-I just thought that…maybe…I-I mean, you were always so…sweet to me. Always buying my lunch and encouraging me and going out of your way for me…and asking me to go see a movie with you…”
“We hadn’t gotten a chance to just hang out in a long time and no one else wanted to watch this movie with me,” he explained, looking away from you as well, “And of course I would do all of those other things for you. You’re one of my best friends! But I would never like you in that way. I mean, it’s you. Why would I like someone like you?”
The coldest of winds passed over you and you felt like crumbling into nothing. That’s how you felt now, anyway…like nothing. Seokmin seemed to realize how harsh his words sounded and started to panic.
“Oh, no, Y/N! I didn’t mean it like that!” He took a step towards you, but you took two back. “Y/N, please. That was an asshole-thing for me to say and I’m sorry! I just meant that-”
You held a hand up and when you lifted your gaze, Seokmin could’ve sworn he had been hit in the gut by a train. The unshed tears in your eyes were things he never wanted to see, let alone be the reason for. The smile painted on your lips looked painful and he wished he could turn back time to keep this all from happening.
Regardless, you still continued to smile and took a deep breath through your nose, “It’s okay…Seokmin. I understand. I’m not the one you like and I looked at everything all wrong. It’s my fault for seeing things that weren’t there.”
He had no words, watching you dab at the tears that escaped and streaked down your cheeks, attempting not to smudge your makeup. You composed yourself as best you could, shaking your head.
“I think…I’m going to go home by myself,” you whispered, looking past him to avoid seeing the pitiful look he cast at you, “I can’t be around you right now.”
“Y/N, please don’t be like this. I don’t want to lose my friend.” He reached for you desperately when you walked past him, “I can’t let you walk home by yourself!”
You avoided his touch and stopped just three steps ahead of him, “…You can and you will. Good night, Seokmin.”
And then you left, not once looking back for fear of breaking down. You weren’t exactly sure how you got back to your apartment without breaking out into tears first, but when you arrived, you heard what sounded like Miaka and Soonyoung having some kind of battle from all the shouting you heard on the other side of the door.
You closed your eyes. Soonyoung…you didn’t have the strength to fake happiness in front of him right now, even though you knew how much he hated to see you sad.
With a deep sigh, and zombie-like movements, you walked inside and closed the door. The sounds of Mario Kart met your ears followed by Soonyoung shouting about how Miaka could ‘eat his tail’; his character must be Yoshi…he didn’t like Bowser very much. You slipped off your shoes and took off your coat, wondering how fast you could walk to your room without alerting the other two that something was wrong.
“Hey, Y/N! You’re back!”
Oops…too late. You were already spotted.
Miaka put the game on pause and hopped up from her spot on sofa just as you shuffled into the living room, “So how was it?! Was it romantic? Everything you dreamed of? Did you-”
She stopped once she got a good look at you, her own heart dropping at the broken state you were in.
“Y/N…Y/N what happened?” she asked you, her face contorting into worry just as Soonyoung rushed over to you as well.
You said nothing and it didn’t take long for Miaka to do the math, “You told him…and he didn’t…”
With slow movements and your body shaking with your repressed tears, you shook your head.
“Oh no…Y/N, I’m sorry,” Miaka sighed, but before she could comfort you, Soonyoung beat her to it.
He slid his hands onto your shoulders and made you face him, even as you refused to meet his eyes. The wall of tears built higher and higher, you struggling to keep them at bay; it killed him inside to see you trying so hard not to cry like this.
“Y/N…” he whispered, cupping your cheek, feeling you shaking, “I’m here…I’m right here.”
And that was all you needed, the tears pouring freely and Soonyoung gathering you into his chest. He hated to see you cry, but tonight, he wasn’t going to try and force you to stop. For that, you were grateful…for Soonyoung, you were grateful. He wasn’t the man you wanted, but he was the man you needed right now.
You held him tighter and he never let go.
*~*~*~*
It was four whole months before you had the nerve to even answer any of Seokmin’s texts again. You went from being heartbroken to being embarrassed and avoided the man like the bubonic plague. Unfortunately, that also meant avoiding your other friends as well since there was a chance that you could run into him at any outing they invited you to. Your only saving grace, aside from Miaka, was Soonyoung. He had always been by your side, but ever since the fiasco with Seokmin, he became more…constant, not that you were complaining.
In those four months, he named himself your official caregiver, making sure that you were eating well, resting well, and taking necessary breaks from studying. He would clear his weekend evenings to be with you or take you to hang out with other friends once it was confirmed that Seokmin was not going to be anywhere near the vicinity. The both of you spent long hours cuddling, still teasing one another, and going on little impromptu ‘dates’ where Soonyoung wouldn’t let you pay for a single thing. He complimented you more, texted you and called you, made it his life’s goal to always make sure that you were smiling and laughing. In those four months, he became more than just what you needed. He became what you wanted.
At the start of the fourth month, you were both official after a sweet, quiet, and red-cheeked confession from Soonyoung in the glow of the TV during one of your movie nights. Thinking about it now, a whole month into your new relationship, made you giddy and giggly, especially when you thought back on the kiss you shared that very same night: sweet and tender and a little bit playful, just like Soonyoung.
“Hey, princess.” A pair of warm arms encircled your shoulders from behind, warmer lips pressing a kiss to your cheek.
You giggled and wrapped your fingers around Soonyoung’s arm, turning your head to kiss him in return, “Hey, Soonyoung. How was class?”
He started whining as he plopped down in the seat beside you at the kitchen table, “Long. And boring! I just wanted to be with my jagiya! You should switch classes so we can always be together!”
“It’s too late in the semester, Soonyoung.”
“You’re right, you’ve put too much work into your classes to change them now, so I’ll change mine!”
“We’re not even in the same major.”
“I can learn!”
You giggled at his antics, Soonyoung puffing up proudly at the pretty sound. He lived to see you this happy and giggly and loved the fact that it was because of him your eyes shined so bright. He reached over and took your hand, giving your fingers cute little kisses of affection. You just about melted and begged him to stop making you blush.
“But you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed!” He pinched you cheeks and you made a face at him. “Anyway, what are you doing?”
“Studying,” you sighed, gazing down at the books and papers strewn across the dining table.
Soonyoung hummed, “Did you have lunch already?”
You shook your head, absently reading through your notes. “When was the last time you ate?” he asked.
You paused and stared at him blankly. After a few moments too long, you said, “I…I don’t remember.”
“Princess!” he exclaimed, looking horrified.
“I had to study!” you defended yourself.
“All of that studying won’t mean anything if you die from starvation!” he scolded you, standing up, “I’m ordering us food and you’re taking a break!”
“Alright, alright, fine,” you caved, watching him go into the living room where you and Miaka left the take-out menus.
You smiled to yourself at how caring your boyfriend, your thoughts interrupted by a ding on your cellphone. Checking the screen, your heart lurched momentarily when you saw that you received a message from Seokmin.
‘It’s been almost five months, Y/N. It’s time to get over it,’ you thought to yourself, opening the text.
‘Hi, Y/N. How are you? It’s been a long time since we’ve spoken to each other…I miss you.’
You took a deep breath, steadying your shaking hands as you replied, ‘Hey, Seokmin. It has been a while, huh? Sorry for avoiding you.’
‘No worries. I understand. I was harsh to you that night and I’m sorry,” he responded.
A flashback to that night crossed your mind, his question of why he would like someone like you ringing in your head…but not as clearly as it did a month ago. The sting of it had dulled itself, that you thanked Soonyoung for.
‘You weren’t that harsh, Seokmin. It’s okay. Thank you for apologizing, though.’
He didn’t respond right away, but when another message came through, it was a bit of a surprise.
‘Can we meet up? I need to talk to you about something. I feel like you’ll be the only one to understand.’
What did that mean? You stared at the message for longer than necessary, reading it over and over again. You knew this day would eventually come, where you would have to see Seokmin face to face. You imagined it a little differently, though, where you would meet him by chance out on the University grounds, probably in passing and you two would have an awkward moment of forced laughter and ‘how are you?’ questions before finally coming to terms that you were okay and ready to be friends again. What you never imagined was Seokmin asking to see you to talk about something very important, it looked like. That’s what swayed you in making your decision, but first…
“Soonyoung,” you called out, hearing your boyfriend shuffle from the living room and back towards the dining table, one hand clutching a take-out menu and the other holding his phone to his ear.
He stared at you expectantly and you gestured for him to hang up the phone. “What’s up, Princess?” he asked, taking his previous seat.
“Seokmin just texted me,” you answered, earning a stare back in return as he waited, “…and I answered him this time.”
“Oh…how did that go? Are you guys okay?” he ventured, worry lines appearing on his forehead, which you instinctively reached out to smooth away with your thumb.
“I think so. I mean, I’m pretty sure we are, but…he asked if we could meet up. I think he wants to talk to me about something important.”
Soonyoung blinked in surprise, but brushed it aside to study your expression. You didn’t look anxious or nervous. From that alone, he didn’t see a reason to try and persuade you not to go. He placed a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it gently as your eyes trained themselves on your phone.
“It has been four months, Y/N, and I know that he still wants to be your friend. He always cared about you and still does. I think he also just wants to know that you’re okay and actually hear it from you this time. He usually asks me.”
Soonyoung’s comforting gesture eased the butterflies in your stomach and only solidified the decision you already made. “So…you’re okay if I go to meet him?” you asked.
“Of course! We’re all still friends and you’re mine now, so I’m not worried about anything,” he answered cheerfully, pinching your cheek.
You giggled and playfully swatted his hand away. He only grabbed yours and laced your fingers together, watching you carefully.
“Do you want me to come with you? For support?”
You didn’t even need to think about it, shaking your head confidently, “No, I’ll be fine on my own. I think this is something we need to do by ourselves, anyway.”
With that, you picked your phone back up and texted him back, telling him that you would be happy to meet up with him. About 30 minutes later –this must be really important whatever he needs to talk to you about- you were waiting for him outside the campus food court at one of the outdoor tables. You sipped on a smoothie you had ordered, an extra one you bought for Seokmin sitting in front of you.
You weren’t going to lie and say that you weren’t nervous. The apprehension was making fidgety, your leg bouncing up and down as you gnawed on the end of your straw. A small part of you thought it was ridiculous now to be this afraid. Like Soonyoung said, it had been four months! The night was over, the embarrassment was over, and you were over the whole thing.
“Y/N!”
You whipped around just in time to see Seokmin jogging towards you, barely giving you time to stand up before he was throwing his arms around you. Frozen, you allowed him to hug you, the man swaying you both back and forth as an involuntary chuckle filled your ears.
“Sorry, sorry. That was impulsive and I probably shouldn’t have hugged you so suddenly, but I’m really happy to see you,” he explained once he let you go.
“Oh, um…sure…no problem.” You gave a small smile and took your seat again, Seokmin doing the same on the other side. Remembering the smoothie you bought for him, you picked up the cup and reached over to give it to him, “Here, I got this for you. It’s your favorite.”
His smile reached from ear to ear as he accepted it, “Thank you! What do I owe you?”
“Nu uh,” you shook your head, playful smile touching your lips, “This one’s on me. Think of it as a little payback for all the times you spotted me for food.”
He chuckled, but nodded his head, “Alright, then.”
Silence reined one more, the both of you trying to figure out what dynamic this was now. Some tension remained, but not nearly as much as you thought there was going to be. You took the time to study him, just as he was studying you. Your eyes roamed the planes of his face, searching for any dark circles or ghost-white pallor. You saw nothing, but the healthy Seokmin you always knew and found yourself hoping that he found happiness with the girl he liked the way that you found happiness with Soonyoung.
“It really is good to see you, Y/N,” Seokmin stated, breaking the ice as the warmth from his smile matched the light in his eyes.
“I missed you, too, Seokmin. I avoided you for a long time and I’m sorry about that…but I just didn’t know how to face you after that night,” you answered, gaze dropping to your smoothie cup.
“I understand,” he voiced lowly, fiddling with his straw, “I was worried, though…I thought I had lost you as a friend. That was the last thing I wanted to happen and it killed me to think that it actually did. I…was scared that you wouldn’t want to meet me today…or at all.”
You were astounded, your eyes transfixed on him. How were you supposed to respond to that? How did you want to respond to that? The answer came naturally.
“You were never in danger of losing me as a friend, Seokmin,” you said, voice filled with conviction.
It was his turn to stare at you incredulously, letting you continue, “I did, however, entertain the idea of not seeing you today. I wasn’t sure if I was ready, yet, but it sounded like you needed to talk to me about something important. Is everything alright?”
Here, he avoided your gaze, a nervous laugh bubbling up in his throat. This had you curious, your head tilting to the side.
“Everything…kind of hurts.” And for the first time since you had known him, Seokmin let his smile drop in front of you, hitting you with a sadness that made your heart clench.
You sat up straighter, leaning forward with your eyes fixed on his face, “Seokmin, what happened?”
“What happened is…what I did to you that night, someone else did to me.” You were confused, Seokmin leaning back in his chair. “The girl that I liked, she didn’t return my feelings. I thought we were hitting it off really well. We spent a lot of time together, had a lot of fun…but when I confessed, she told me that she would never date someone like me and that she never wanted to talk to me again.”
How familiar? You would never wish that kind of embarrassment on anyone, not even the person who made you feel like that in the first place.
“Seokmin…I’m so sorry,” you said, reaching for his hand and holding it, “I’m really, really sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Y/N.”
“I’m not saying it because it’s my fault. I’m saying it because you’re hurt.”
He smiled sadly at you and squeezed your hand, “After she told me that, I couldn’t help but to start thinking if that’s how I made you feel. Like I never wanted to see you again.”
Oh…that made sense and, if you were being honest with yourself, that had been a prominent thought the first few weeks following what happened. You were so sure that he wouldn’t want to be around someone who had made things so uncomfortable between you two and that’s what fueled your need to avoid him at all costs.
“Truthfully, Seokmin, I did think that way for a little while,” you said, releasing his hand to sit up again, “But, I guess I didn’t have much to worry about.”
“You didn’t have anything to worry about. You’re one of my best friends. I was going to fight for you.”
You laughed, as did he, and this time, when things got quiet, it wasn’t tense. It felt…serene. At last, after all these months, the full weight of this situation finally fell from your shoulders. You and Seokmin made up, had closer. You breathed the deepest sigh of relief you’ve ever released and felt relaxed.
“I’m glad to see you doing so well after all this time,” Seokmin added, pulling a silly little grin from you.
“I have Soonyoung to thank for that.”
“I’m glad about that, too! You make him really happy, Y/N. He’s been in love with you since the day he met you!”
“Okay, now you’re exaggerating,” you rolled your eyes.
Seokmin shook his head insistently, “No, it’s true! He told me himself two days after he met you. He said that he met the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with, but as time went on and we all became friends, he got too scared to tell you because he didn’t want to ruin the friendship he had with you.”
You stared dumbfounded at Seokmin, cheeks flushing and heart pitter-pattering against your chest. Suddenly, you released a loud, disappointed groan, throwing yourself back against your chair. Seokmin blinked at you.
“What? What? What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Poor Soonyoung! I must’ve drove him crazy talking about my crush on you all the time,” you groaned again, digging the heels of your palms into your eyes, “It was non-stop!”
“Wow, you really did like me,” he mused, making you glare flatly at him.
“I did. You have that kind of effect on people,” you replied, sitting up and sighing, “I’ll have to make it up to him.”
“I doubt he cares much at this point. He has you now! I’m sure he feels all the torture was worth it.”
You giggled and nodded your head, looking at Seokmin and then at your smoothie cup before lifting it up towards him, “Friends?”
He paused momentarily, grinning soon after and lifting up his own cup, “Best friends?”
Your smile grew all the wider, “Best friends.”
You both laughed and took a sip of your smoothies, sealing the deal. Now that the storm of your life had fully passed, you gave Seokmin an apologetic look.
“It was good seeing you again, Seokmin, but I should be going. I promised Soonyoung I would get back to the apartment with enough time for lunch and a movie before studying. Knowing him, he probably hid all of my books to make me keep my promise.”
“I don’t think he’s at the apartment,” he told you, catching you off guard.
“Huh? What do you mean? How do you know?”
“Because he’s trying to hide behind that tree over there.”
You processed his words a second too slow, but when you whipped around to said tree he was pointing at, you found a very familiar figure trying to duck behind the thin base. Your mouth dropped open and you stood up.
“Soonyoung!” you called.
He peeked out from behind the tree, donning a pair of sunglasses and a hoodie in an attempt to look ‘inconspicuous’. Realizing his cover had been blown, he pasted on the biggest, cheesiest grin and meandered over to you.
“Hey, Princess! Seokmin!” he greeted, popping a kiss on your cheek.
You narrowed your eyes at him, making him fidget, “Feel proud of yourself for spying on us?”
“Nooooo! Princess, don’t say it like that!” he whined, taking your hand in his, “I wasn’t spying on you. Okay, maybe I was a little bit, but I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”
“I told you I was going to be fine,” you reminded him.
“I know, but then I started thinking what if it didn’t end fine,” he explained, his gaze never leaving you, “I didn’t want you to have to walk back to your apartment alone and sad if the worst happened.”
Oh, how this man made your heart stutter. You couldn’t stay cross with him, your expression falling into a smile as you cupped his cheek and gave him a soft kiss. He laughed childishly afterwards, embracing you right after. Once he let you go, with his arm slung over your shoulders, he looked between you and Seokmin, eyes flashing with worry.
“So are you two okay now? Like, completely?” he asked, almost fearing the answer.
You and Seokmin looked at each other, similar smiles spreading across your faces; “Yup, we’re all good!” you answered.
“Best friends again,” Seokmin followed, the both of you startling when Soonyoung released an excited shout.
“Oh, I’m so happy! I hated seeing you both so unhappy because of each other!” he gushed, cuddling you into his chest, “Let’s celebrate with lunch! I’m starving! And you, missy, are supposed to be taking a study break anyway.”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on, Seokmin, before he starts rushing us.”
Seokmin stood up beside you and before you could start your way into the food court, he grabbed you in a hug and squeezed you gently. This time, you were a little more prepared and hugged him back.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“No problem,” you whispered back.
When you pulled away from each other, and you looked at him, you no longer saw the man that you had the biggest crush on and experienced the most painful rejection from. You just saw Seokmin, your best friend. His smile still made you warm, but didn’t cause butterflies. His laughter still made you grin, but didn’t mesmerize you. His touch was still gentle, but you didn’t crave it. Soonyoung was that man for you, now. Soonyoung was your happily ever after.
It took some time coming, but it got there and that’s what really mattered.
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SUPERTASTER
#Fictober19 @fictober-event
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for fanfiction:
Prompt number: 9 “There is a certain taste to it.”
Fandom (AU if applicable): #arrow fanfiction #olicity
Rating:G
Warnings/Tags: None… I like sugar hence the Jelly Beans!
Summary: Oliver is hosting a food tasting event at his home. People from the local community center where he’s a member of a current food gathering are about to talk about taste buds.
~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~
This came about because of purchasing Jelly Belly -Jelly Beans, the original pack has 40 different flavors and I’m telling you a lot of them just doesn’t make my taste buds happy. I prefer the kids pack… they may be sweeter but at least I like the majority of them. The Harry Potter addition is a solid no from me. I mean look at the flavors. How could anyone subject their taste buds to earwax? Rotten Egg? Vomit? Just No!
~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~
SUPERTASTER on A03
People who have a lot of papillae—the bumps on our tongue, most of which house our taste buds—often find flavors overwhelming. They're "supertasters," and as such they add cream to their coffee and order food mild instead of spicy. Subtasters, on the other hand, have low papillae density and prefer their chicken wings "atomic."
Individual taste, however, isn't simply about papillae; it also has to do with our buds' ability to detect different molecules. Although our brains can recognize the same five tastes—bitter, sweet, salty, sour and umami (savory)—the suite of chemicals that can trigger those signals varies from one person to the next. Alexander Bachmanov, a geneticist at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, says that humans carry a range of 20 to 40 genes dedicated to bitter taste receptors.
Different sensitivities to bitter tastes probably arose from evolutionary pressures in different parts of the world. Most toxic plants taste bitter, and nomadic groups that came into contact with a variety of plants would have, over time, developed a variety of receptors. People from malaria-infested parts of the world tend to carry a gene that makes them less sensitive to some bitter compounds, specifically those that contain cyanide. Researchers speculate that cyanide, ingested at low levels, fights malarial parasites while leaving the host unscathed. Juyun Lim, a sensory scientist in Oregon State University's Department of Food Science, says that we have a natural aversion to bitterness and certain odors: "Most people don't like beer the first time they try it."
ARE YOU A SUPERTASTER?
To find out, put blue food coloring on your tongue. Blue dye doesn't stick to taste papillae, so if your tongue doesn't get very blue, you're probably a supertaster. The bluer it gets, the greater the chance you are a subtaster. More hot sauce!
~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~
Now onto the story...
“Felicity, come try this?” He has a fork out holding a sample of whatever is in the pot.
“There is a certain taste to it.”
“What’s your taste buds first reaction?”
“It’s pungent like your chilly but also savory that it doesn’t burn and wow I may want more of this later.” Oliver nods as he places the spoon down and fills a bowl with it before he heads to the dining room.
Felicity just follows him. She’s heading out to spend some quality time with her sister-in-law. She has no real concept of what Oliver is doing in the meantime. She thought he’d train like he usually does when not at work. Being she’s been occupied getting ready to go out she didn’t notice what her husband was doing.
“Oliver? What’s up with the spread of food on the table?”
“Just an experiment.”
She grabs what seems like a blue bottle of dye. “Is this food dye?”
“It’s part of the experiment.”
Felicity looks around the dining room and back at Oliver who is still placing plates of sliced food on the table.
“Am I missing something?”
“Honey, do you remember anything I said last night?”
Felicity takes a moment to ponder. Last night she came home from work and well she remembers there were plenty of words but mostly words she wouldn’t say in front of children. She sways her head no. She thinks he might have mentioned something about the community class he’s partaken in but once she was nibbling on his neck his words weren’t as coherent.
“I volunteered to host the tasting test here in our home.”
“Oh, okay.” She looks at the red dish ad makes a funny face, “Are those the pickled beets I so abhor.”
“Yes, there is a large spread of different foods. Those come from Marie who raided her pantry to offer the group.”
“Yea! Aren’t you all so lucky?”
“Does that mean you won’t join us in this test?”
“Nope, I’m actually supposed to go shopping with Thea.”
“Say hi to my sister for me.”
“I will. Should I pick William up later just in case?”
Oliver takes a moment to consider the question. The group would most likely disperse by then but he also doesn’t want to be a bad host and kick people out when they’re all having a good time. “Sure, that would be great.”
“Okay than, you have fun tasting all these foods but what is the dye for?”
“To see who is a supertaster. To find out, we are going to place blue food coloring on our tongues. Blue dye doesn't stick to taste buds. So, if any of our tongues don’t get as blue, some of us are probably supertasters. The bluer it gets, the greater the chance the person is a subtaster.”
“Fascinating.”
“You say that with such an ecstatic tone.”
She shrugs, “That’s because it is really super boring.”
Oliver rolls his eyes. He knows she is not into the whole discovery of all different cuisines like he is. He is trying to open his horizons to the different available culinary arts. For so long he’s been surviving and somehow opening up to living by experiencing flavor has made a difference in how he copes. He knows his wife understands and she has shared in his experience into the food mastery he’s taken up but she also allows him to do his own thing. Facing things with others outside his safety net.
“Oliver, if your need me, I’m a phone call away.”
“Thank you. I should be able to handle a few kitchen zealots.”
“Okay than. Have fun. Love you.”
“Love you too.” He brings her closer for a kiss but he sniffs something different. “Hmm. Is that honey with a hint of nutmeg?” Her nod confirms his analysis. When the doorbell rings they pull apart. “I guess the party is about to begin.
“It’s a good thing I know Oliver Queen tastes buds are a lot tamer.”
“That’s probably because I’m a subtaster, never enough is enough hot sauce.”
“Ah, that wasn’t what I was referring…”
“Huh hm.” He’s walking Felicity to the door. Opening it up to his first guest, the woman seems to be in her late eighties.
Felicity smiles and welcomes the woman into her home winking to Oliver in the processes. “Have fun.”
Oliver knowing very well what Felicity meant. He isn’t the party boy of his youth and he doesn’t care. These moments he is going to share with his guests knowing he’ll remember them and it will truly be a more enjoyable experience. He hopes to even learn a new dish or tricks to kicking up the heat for a dish his served many times over. This is his life, the life he is choosing and for once he can think the only thing on his mind is the words. “bon appetit.”
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ok i havent seen scar’s s9 but from seeing the elven kiss cookies n elven surprise cookies via ren’s pov n some clips of scar, id like 2 think some irl equivalents would b
elven kiss- snickerdoodle hersheys kiss cookie using white chocolate dyed w some blueberry mixed in n molded in2 a hersheys kiss (blueberry is the “chorus fruit” here. ube might do better color accuracy wise, but sometimes blueberry can make things a bit more violet tinted as opposed 2 bluer purple so... yea.)
elves surprise- soft fudge cookies w green n violet rock candy geodes inside. the crunch is the surprise! :) tho i guess not much of a surprise when u can see the geodes, but theyre v pretty! hence why theyre so expensive. the rock candy geodes.
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12: Blue
"Okay then.. Shinjo? "
"The fuck with that name.. ?"
Aretha scoffed.
"I didn't asked you, brother. "
She said before her gaze returned to the man in question.
"Hnmm. How about...Areth? See? You remove the 'a' from my name and—"
"..never. " Boruto mouthed out in a low voice.
"For the first and last time.. I agree with him. "
Aeneus's reply earned him a sharp gaze before the girl retorted back to her conversation with the boy.
"Come on... Then just tell us already?"
"...Shut up.. "
Aretha's tongue clicked at the cold response , yet an amused smirk plastered on her features made the boy flinch.
Meanwhile Aeneus gritted his teeth to control the urge of drawing out his sword.
"You don't have to call me anything... I don't care.. "
A grab on his collar drew him closer to the white haired prince before Aeneu's fury erupted.
"You bastard... think you can get away wanting to involve your ass with us and won't even tell your name?!"
He scoffed and Boruto ignored the few more rantings that followed.
"My name doesn't matters. I don't have one. "
He replied before a sudden silence gripped the atmosphere making him confused.
Aretha broke the silence before leaning close to him again.
Though this time the boy had both of his hand free enough to hit her dead.
"I see... " She whispered like some kind of realisation dawned on her.
Boruto did nothing.
They remained still for a while before she spoke again.
"... Blue. "
His eyes widened, ears ringing at the word.
"What? "
Boruto asked, completely perplexed from the sudden monosyllable.
Aretha smiled in response before adding her own reasoning.
"I-We'll call you Blue.. It suits you.. the colour of your eyes I mean. "
"At this point I just want to die. " Aeneus commented earning a scoff in return.
Though the only one without any response was Boruto.
'The color of your eyes I mean—'
*thump*
[Your eyes... They are bluer than the seventh's. ]
His ears burned at the thought. The faint memory flashing through him like a movie.
Fuck.
"Well..never mind if you don't want to—"
"I.. I agree. "
Now this was the sibling's turn to be surprised.
"What? What do you mean —"
"Blue...Call me that. I won't mind. "
"Oh.. "
A short silence followed , a uncomfortable uneasiness crawling up in his whole body.
"Your highness... They have arrived.. . "
Shebah entered motioning for Boruto to follow her.
Aretha nodded in understanding.
No further words were exchanged hence the boy abruptly stood up and left.
"He's... so weird. "
Aretha nodded at Aeneus's remark.
More like... Mysterious.
"That being said.. Are you really enrolling him?"
"Mhm.. I'll let him know after I do that though. "
A chuckle left the boy.
She really isn't gonna let him go easy.
"I've already sent a messenger back to the capital. Brother Aizen can decide on the rest. "
"..I see. "
Aretha felt the moisture leaving her throat at the mention.
"Though we still need to keep our guard up. The royal priest can be.. Anywhere. "
She added silently.
"He shows up whenever he takes interest in something doesn't he? Guess we have to wait for our trumph card. "
He replied more like in a whisper.
"I don't really know.. Just that.. "
Taking out a small gold pocket watch , Aretha's spoke.
Fingers tracing its rough worn out texture ,her eyes suddenly flashing nothing but sadness.
"The royal family hasn't contacted him since then. Hope we make it this time.. "
"What makes you so confident.. Up until yesterday you laughed at the mere idea. "
Aeneus meant it to be more of a 'comment' than a suggestion. Aretha knew that too well.
Her gaze landed on the door still opened.
"I wonder what.. "
She smiled before several figures entered the room through the same door.
"We've been expecting you.. Nara-san— "
Aeneus's voice grew formal and the latter smiled back in return.
"Its a pleasure.. Finally being able to have a personal meet with the royals."
The other person said.
"Mhm. The pleasure is ours— "
Aretha replied bowing like how a princess is supposed to be.
"—Lord sixth. "
The sounds of footsteps tapping on the floor impatiently were the only thing audible in the silent coridoor.
Apparently their troop were immediately transferred to one of the most expensive hotels of the leaf village instead of directing them to the Fire office.
Which was expected, but what came as a shocker was the Hokage's absence at their arrival.
"The princess said she'll be here s-"
"Shut up. "
A sudden wave of deathly fear washed through her body as Shebah twingeled her fingers in hesitation.
Twisting her face towards her only companion there was only one thing she could think of.
Fuck.
"Alright. Lets talk about something else... -"
".-h-how old are you ?"
She began, finding it hard to swallow.
Shebah never denies any request from the princess.
Or anyone from the higher ups for that matter.
However, apparently this new task given to the poor girl was something compelling her to pack her stuff up and leave.
'Befriend him if you can.. I need more intel about him.. Don't mess up. I trust you. '
Yeah...as if it wasn't hard enough to run away than getting fed with such trustful words tying her down to this dreadful fate more than she even thought possible.
Aretha had blurted out the sentence , as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
No.
It was nearly impossible.
The princess's doubtful smirk right after already gave it away. Shebah knew what she was getting into.
She shouldn't agree.
Deny. Run away. Take a leave.
Do anything. But not this.
You have a fucking broken arm damn it.
'Whatever your highness commands. '
Now she wanted nothing but to kill herself.
Her gaze shifted to the side again as a sweat drop dripped down her forehead.
The boy didn't responded.
If she pissed this mess the only thing awaiting her would be dire trouble.
Not that it was any better now.
Though a lack of reply was both relaxing and disappointing for the young maid.
They waited outsude as the meet continued. An hour has already passed and she doubted if she could handle this much pressure for long.
Tch.
"I wonder what's going on... "
An inaudible scoff left her dry throat , eyebrows twitching, this is probably the 4th time she had tried to initiate a conversation with him.
"I-"
Why should she even try anymore.
"Alright we are done here. "
The 1st phase of his plan being successful, Boruto felt a little off guarded.
Though what came next was the unexpected turn of events from the side of the village itself.
Though somewhere he was low key thankful.
The later he faces them, the better.
Or rather they should all vanish before he even steps a foot in.
Though thinking that way was certainly naive.
And disadvantageous.
The mild pounding in his head and the unwanted presence beside him nudging the boy from time to time was making him mad.
A little more and either he'll slam open the damed door.
Or this servant would vanish from existence.
Though the boy preferred the latter for some reason.
Maybe it was because of the people they were holding the meeting with.
The Hokage's advisor, Nara Shikamaru and-
Boruto felt like destroying the whole building just at the thought of the other name.
-The 6th Hokage, Hatake Kakashi.
"Alright we are done here. "
Aretha's voice dragged the boy back to reality as he looked up as a reflex.
Gaze meeting another pair of dark eyes.
Boruto felt his nerves getting blocked.
He clenched his fists as an unconscious response, before easing out.
A deep breath leaving him. He blinked several times.
Luckily no one noticed.
Though that certainly wasn't the case.
"Yare.. Yare. What tough times..."
Kakashi chuckled.
"A geezer like me couldn't spend his remaining time relaxing."
He shifted uncomfortably closer to the boy while both the Oryn siblings were busy ending their conversation with shikamaru.
Boruto couldn't help but notice the amused gaze the copy ninja darted towards him.
He didn't knew what to say. How to react.
Why the sudden interest?
He couldn't understand. He made sure to keep his appearance the least approachable possible.
Not to mention, Hatake Kakashi almost never takes interest in anything.
The Hokage's eyes continued to linger on him for a while before the silence was ruptured.
"I take it you're the new guy then?"
He asked and Boruto just had to nod.
"..my my.. young bloods nowadays are certainly more mature."
He gave an eye closed chuckle while the boy's stare remain cold as ice.
Run away.
Forget everything. Think of something it.
End him.
"Yes. My name is Blue."
The words left him in a rythm. Blood rushing through his veins in fast speed.
A slight 'hmm' left the older man's mouth. Wether it was in agreement or confirmation of some stupid suspicion.
Boruto didn't knew.
"Interesting... Just the fitting name for a young guy like you. "
Kakashi's gaze locked with his ,appreciating the hue his eyes owned.
At that moment. Boruto wanted nothing but to gauge them out if possible.
But no.
They were the only thing that reminded him of Himawari.
Even if they held twice the amount of uncomfort being a gift of inheritance from that man.
"We have arranged the rooms for everyone- " Shikamaru's voice interrupted as they all neared the two.
"-and one extra room for the additional guy. What a dra— never mind. " he added pointing his gaze towards Boruto.
An inaudible scoff left Aeneus, though the blonde caught it with ease.
Additional guy. So that's what they fed the leaf.
"The Anbu has been stationed for safety. If their highness feel the need of anything else please do not hesitate to ask. "
His unusual formal tone and the continued efforts to avoid his signature phrase made it hard for Kakashi to resist chuckling.
Shikamaru groaned. The oryns certainly couldn't understand the reason considering it some kind if inside joke.
Boruto remained silent.
"Nevermind that... We'll be taking our leave now. You see.. Last minute preparations. "
Shikamaru bowed while Kakashi remained still, much to Boruto's displeasure.
"I understand. Handeling such a big event , must be tiring. " Aretha smiled bowing back in respect followed by her brother.
Now this was something the boy knew very little about.
Apparently this event was what the other villages were gathering to attend.
The Oryn's being the guest of honor.
Boruto had laughed at the thought. Guest of honor ,in planning to demolish their very existence.
How amusing.
A smirk surfaced on his lips before he recalled Kakashi's eyes were still watching him.
"Yare yare... We apologize for the inconvenience caused.""
At what time his ears left the conversation, Boruto didn't realized.
Why... didn't he came..?
His gaze lingered to the window, familiar landscape filling his gaze.
The worst possibilities entered his mind.
That man... Wasn't among the ones to miss out on something as important as this.
Unless what stopped him was far more serious, that made his heart beat fastened.
Heck he didn't even sent a clone. Boruto couldn't think of anything positive enough.
What could've happened..
He couldn't help but wonder.
Dragging their tired bodies out of the hotel Kakashi felt his eyes closing.
"I appreciate your help, Kakashi-sensei...Thank you. "
The man smiled at Shikamaru's comment.
It was the least he could do to help his students afterall.
Especially at times like these.
A frown traced under his mask, before a flap of wings brought him back.
A hawk flew past the man's grey hair as the letter was dropped.
Kakashi fairly recognised both the bird and the handwriting decorating the plain paper.
Even in hurry, the Uchihas couldn't resist their sense of cleanliness. That always amuses him.
"Sasuke...? Why is he sending letters when he's in the village..? "
Kakashi could only shrug at Shikamaru's questioning.
He didn't had a clue himself.
He unfolded the thin sheet quick enough ,much to Shikamaru's little surprise.
The more he read.. The more his facial expressions stilled.
Shikamaru darted a doubtful gaze towards him though didn't said anything.
He couldn't make out anything given the man was obviously trying to keep himself neutral.
Though Shikamaru wasn't naive.
The only thing the Hokage couldn't hide were his pupil dilating.
Though Shikamari caught it fairly quickly, he was an advisor for a reason after all.
Was it interest? Doubt? Suspicion?
He couldn't tell.
Recalling the short encounter between the Uchiha and Naruto, on the day of Sasuke's arrival, the Nara frowned.
Naruto was upset. An expression he had rarely seen the blonde wearing was plastered on his face.
He couldn't help but worry. He didn't wanted to think this way.
Though the only conclusion he could come with made his eyebrows twitch in doubt.
"What the hell are you planning..
...Uchiha Sasuke. "
Night came fairly quickly as the boy finally felt at ease being alone in his own room.
Away from all the mess.
Though this peace won't last for long and just had to accept it.
Gazing out the window through his bed, his eyes felt heavier and heavier by the minute.
"Finally... "
He breathed out.
"..it starts tomorrow... "
*tuck* *keaaarr..*
The sudden sound made all his sleep vanish away as his eyes were drawn to a mall dark figure out his window.
He knew it too well.
Before they widened in an unexpected realisation.
"This... can't be.. "
He couldn't believe it at first. There was no doubt.
This was none else but Sasuke's summoning hawk.
Boruto felt fear gripping his insides. A ringing sound echoed in his brain.
So loud that he wanted to die.
How..?! Why..? !
Did they get caught? !
Though the only thing he could do at the moment was to let the bird in.
Though what came next—
—was something he never expected.
...
One Last Time by Senyaloveschoco
Anime » Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Rated: T, English, Angst & Mystery, Boruto U., Naruto U., Sarada U., Sasuke U., Words: 31k+, Favs: 7, Follows: 2, Published: Jul 30, 2021
1Chapter 13: A father's plea
...The present world...
"I need him back. "
The man spoke with a straight face.
If his eyes weren't proof enough, the sore voice meddled with his genuine pleading gave it away.
A few gasps followed and the chatterings engulfing the room went silent.
Naruto turned his eyes towards the young generation.
"I take full responsibility.. "
"Of what exactly? " Kawaki's hoarse voice echoed in the room as he regarded his idol with a stern tone.
Naruto's eyes lingered at him for a while before he spoke.
".. everything."
Though his voice betrayed him. His gaze fell in shame. Maybe it wasn't working. But what else could he do?
Other than pleading.
Even though he was still the Hokage, he somehow couldn't face his own people.
His own children.
His gaze rose back up. Several pair of eyes staring at him.
Disbelief prominent in them. As if he just stated something ridiculous.
Their eyes held resentment , doubt.
Fear.
How badly had he failed.
"If I may interrupt—. "
Sarada stepped forward. Her body language screaming nothing but strength and order.
Face straight, expressionless. Naruto couldn't understand why.
Or maybe he did understood. Just didn't wanted to believe it.
She was broken. One of the people who had suffered the most.
Just like him.
She had no one but one family member left.
Though in his case, even that possibility was slowly fading away.
"On your orders.. Hokage-sama—" .
She empathised on the word.
"We didn't leave a single corner of the 5 nations unsearched. This meaningless mission of ours has been continuing for quite a while now."
She continued, Naruto gazed straight into her eyes.
The young admiration, the youthfulness, the bright joy they once had ,vanished away like a mere memory.
"I killed him...with my own hands. The dark flames of my Amaterasu burned him alive. "
Face straight. Shikadai clenched his fists in a guilt hidden deep within his cores.
"He's dead. It's time you accept it, Nanadaime. "
Naruto's mouth opened though no words were formed.
This was probably the first time that he felt so small.
So small under the presence of this young girl who was the living image of his lost friend.
He said nothing.
Sensing the tense environment, Gaara decided to step in.
"You barely survived from death Naruto.. Don't be so hard on yourself. We should discuss this later. "
Naruto slapped the helping hand progressing towards his direction.
"DISCUSS WHAT?! "
He snapped abruptly standing up.
"You're kidding me.. I'm not naive..He's alive.. I can feel it! "
He stammered towards the center of the long meeting table.
"So don't fucking feed me those lies! "
Sarada's eyes widened, Kawaki held her back.
Her idol accusing her broke her heart even more.
"If you guys can't do it .Fine.. I'll go search for my son myself. "
At this point the Hokage's weak body had almost lost balance.
Kawaki grabbed him immediately. His eyes glaring worriedly.
"Tsk. Keep it down ,don't act like a child—"
His voice came out in soft sobs. Though inaudible, but Naruto caught it with ease.
"No doubt, you're as stubborn as he was—"
"No.. Shut up ..he's alive..DAMN IT! "
Naruto yelled with the most energy he could drain out of himself.
"He was a lost case Naruto.. I get you're taking it harder than anyone else,he was the only family you had left. "
The Tsuchikage had enough of it already. She sympathised with the Hokage but this whole situation was now turning stupid.
What's the point of searching for a dead person?
It'll only waste their time and resources while shattering the false hopes of his people again and again.
She gazed at Sarada, the Uchiha hid it with elegancy, though the woman could feel the pressure on her lips.
She bit them the slightest, if it weren't for her speech just now, the tsuchikage would've mistakenly assumed her to be grieving instead.
Sarada rarely speaks. But when she does, its always against the odds of what Kurotsuchi expected from her.
Her actions,her thoughts ,her words.
Everything were against the blonde rather in his defense. The woman could hardly believe they were childhood friends in the same team since years long.
Though there are few things the humankind can't control.
Emotions.
"Please.. Just let me.. Let me do it for once. I can't give up, I can't leave him be.. Not again. "
She heard Naruto whispering on the brink of his defeat.
Someone had to make the final call, either end this mess or start another.
And she couldn't think of a better person for the job.
"What do you say.. Uchiha ?" She saw the realisation dawning on the teenage girl.
Ever since the Hokage's health worsened, she's been taking charge.
Though it wasn't intentional, but her abilities proved her far more worthy of what was expected of her.
Now that the Hokage is back to health, she should've been freed from the duties, that were never meant to be bestowed on her.
Though accessing from the situation, it doesn't seems like things would be going back to normal anytime soon.
A short silence followed and Kurotsuchi could see the struggle brewing inside the girl.
If she ended this right here, which was a more logically appealing option, this meaningless argument would be washed away in no time.
The Hokage himself would calm down with time. Because that's how powerful it is. That's what time does.
It can heal every wound. No matter how deep. No matter how painful it is.
But the real question was. Does she wants it to end?
"Fine.. " The words came out as a deep sigh.
Kurotsuchi shared a look with Gaara while the Raikage doesn't seems to care either way.
The decision was made.
"I ask the kages to stop their search, we're handling the job personally from here on out. "
Sarada said, much like ordered. Even though she was in no position to, the kages didn't felt like denying the Uchiha.
"I hope you've thought this through, Uchiha.. I leave the Hokage in your hands.. "
A light nod and soon the room was emptied.
Naruto couldn't comprehend what happened before a light chuckle brought him back to reality.
It was kawaki.
The chuckles soon turned into a laugh. Though was it genuine or sarcastic, Naruto couldn't tell.
"You seriously don't know when to shut up do you? "
Naruto gasped.
"Stop laughing Kawaki this isn't a joke. You would've destroyed the whole plan. " Shikadai commented
"Welp I thought he would've done something even worse but anyways —" Chocho followed behind Sarada. Giving her shoulder a light pat.
"Sarada would've handled it either ways. "
Kawaki snorted. Sarada remained silent.
"You guys..." Naruto whispered gathering the remaining strength he had for the day.
"you.. you seriously weren't thinking of.. " Words couldn't form, everything muffled in his teary voice. Though he wasn't naive enough to cry in front of kids.
"You seriously thought we'll abandon him? "
A familiar voice echoed before Naruto turned his head.
Shikamaru entered, Sakura following behind.
Too many questions to ask, but naruto decided on the most important one for the time being.
"How did you guys —"
"For once.. We would've never thought you'll be the one to start it, not to say that I didn't expected this but anyways " Shikamaru chuckled hesitantly.
"The point is.. We already knew he was alive. We all sensed the slightest trail of his chakra when he teleported at the last moment when—"
Shikamaru's eyes landed on Sarada, he didn't complete the sentence.
"And the other, well we can't just ignore you Naruto, get that head of yours to work. You only confirmed our suspicion since you can sense his chakra far better then anyone of us because —. "
Shikamaru bended ,extended his hand towards the blonde. Naruto took it without another thought.
"—he's your son.. Your flesh and blood..Naruto"
Naruto felt his heart clenching at that.
His flesh and blood.
His family.
His son.
And yet he had the audacity to leave him all alone. To ignore his pain.
All this time. All these years.
Hot liquid streamed down his face, it was the time he finally broke.
"Whatever had happened it wasn't his fault..Neither was it yours ,Naruto.. " Shikamaru hugged him.
A few sobs left him.
He hates me. I deserve this.
"It was for the best if words don't get out of the hidden leaf. Your son has made more enemies in this world than the allies we have."
Naruto straightened at that, several worried gazes fixed on him.
"Even if he doesn't wants it.. I'll still find him. Even if that kills me."
He announced. Kawaki groaned at that.
"why is it always about killing and being killed with you two. "
And this was something coming from Kawaki.
A slight smile surfaced on Naruto's lips. Kawaki was right. Enough of this killing and dying spree already.
Since when did he of all people started worrying about that stuff.
A pat on his shoulder brought him back. Grey eyes darted straight.
"He won't kill you once he knows the truth." Kawaki spoke softly.
"Although that's not how that bastard is.. He won't kill you even if he doesn't knows shit. "
Naruto pondered. He knew next to nothing about his son.
"Hence we need to find him. We need to figure out..what is going on with him. "
But Kawaki did. They were brothers. How could he forget? Now he felt like hitting himself.
How can he ever think—
"We'll never abandon him Dad.. We never did. "
Kawaki finished with a genuine smile Naruto has never seen on his features before.
Sarada remained silent.
It was time to get to work.
...The other world ...
"Hmm.. "
"Perfect. " She mused. The blonde scoffed though didn't bother with a reply.
"He's Toshi"
Another boy entered the area, hair dark and messy.
Boruto observed him keenly as the latter bowed.
"He'll be your partner –"
The blonde's head waved in denial
"I'm not agreeing to this shit—'
"Don't make it harder for us than it already is ,you bastard." Aeneus interrupted.
"Remember, there's not a single reason we should trust you. "He barked , eyes harp like a blade.
Boruto's cheeks puffed in annoyance, Aretha giggled at the response though restrained herself from throwing a comment.
Boruto's figure darkened. Toshi said nothing.
"What do you even want me to do? Slay dragons for your sister? Or find a treasure map? "
He commented sarcastically.
"I can suggest something " He heard the princess say.
".. Start with explaining where you were the whole night. "
Aretha mused, yet her voice held deep seriousness. Even a fool would recognize she meant business
Aeneus gasped.
"What?! "
It was Boruto's turn to speak.
"How did you—"
"If you can't answer, Toshi is going with you. "
She added. Boruto clenched his fists.
"...fine.. "
Aretha clapped her hands together.
"Alright! Get to work you two, we're leaving for our grand introduction in an hour so don't be late! "
She waved and left, dragging Aeneus with her, who didn't seem to digest the fact that she wasn't the least interested in the blonde's explanation .
"Its a pleasure to meet you. Blue. "
Boruto gazed darkly, at the hand extended towards him.
Before he shoved him off.
Definitely a spy.
Was it because she caught him leaving last night? How did she even found out.
There were no traces of chakra near him.
"If you want to live.. Then don't get in my way. "
He left the room without sparing another glance at the red haired boy.
His mind racing towards the girl again and again.
She wasn't as naive as he assumed her to be.
A fault on his part. Never underestimate your enemy.
"What are you...? Bastard. "
He jumped out the window before dashing deep into the forests.
The sound of the waterfall getting louder and louder.
For the sake of hus dignity Boruto checked again.
No one was following him. Specially that Toshi guy.
Soon he arrived at the familiar landscape. A familiar chakra lingering around.
He was here.
"I've arrived . " He said. More like declared in a stern tone.
The leaves rustled, causing his head to bob back.
And before he could even sense it, a dark figure stood hovering over him.
And for the first time in years, he had felt smaller. Not just in height.
"About time..."
The man deadpanned. Looking at him straight in the eye.
"Took you long enough. "
The boy gulped.
If it weren't for the unbelievable mess he was suddenly shoved into, Boruto would've never imagined meeting him again.
Or experiencing it again.
Sasuke Uchiha's deathly stare.
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