#his interactions with Lei are very sweet

[funkbun]

lil gryphon insurrection doodles as i reread these books

[shadowuserannie]

Rating LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter ships

Rating LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter ships! If you ship any of these but I don't, that's perfectly okay! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions!

(but please. if you ship the illegal ones, then don't comment that you do. please.)

Warning: I have watched up to season 2 ep 6, but no further!

Autumn/Leo: nope, 100% best platonic besties, love their dynamic, -/10. I really love their in-show friendship and their moments are great, so a romance between them just feels wrong.

Paisley/Olly: 5/10, the chemistry and moments are there and it looks like the writers are building up to a romance, but I think the relationship would be unbalanced. The dynamic would also be kinda toxic, both of them need more character growth and development before they can have a healthy relationship. Like maybe when they're older and more mature?

Zac/Sky: 8/10, cute, love their dynamic and hope to see more moments in the future. What little crumbs so far are great, mainly because so far they're both easygoing and respectful people and I could see this relationship turning out well.

Olly/Leo: ehhhhh, don't think it'd work out well. Leo is similar to Paisley (in his difficulty in saying no, and standing up for himself but he's working on it and has come pretty far) and thus they'd have the same unbalanced dynamic, but they don't have anywhere close to Olly and Paisley's canon interactions nor years of friend history. Same thing as Olly/Paisley, needs more character growth first. I know a lot of people shipped them before the show came out, mainly because they were 'the obviously queer guy' and 'the feminine guy' or maybe just aesthetically, they look nice together to some people. 3/10.

Nova/Liann: 10/10, love it. Canon issues with their relationship are addressed, they have a comfortable dynamic and know each other well, they also have great moments together and I could see a romance happening cutely and naturally. Honestly my favourite ship.

Leo/Candi: DEAR GOD THIS IS SO TOXIC W H A T...NO SORRY NOT FOR ME

Leo/Aliya: 4/10. Leo and Aliya don't strike me as a relationship that would last long. Aliya has boundary issues (the Ley-La thing) and she's not good at noticing she's pushing Leo specifically (Over-Leveraged Leo) so some more character growth from both of them first. Then maybe I'll rate them higher.

Aliya/Autumn: 7/10, strikes me as besties but could also have a cool, sweet romance that could also happen naturally, if they get more 'romantic' moments together. Canon issues are addressed, and they have a good dynamic going for them.

Paisley/Zac: 5/10. They are very comfortable with each other, could see a romance happening but the platonic vibes are stronger. If they ever dated it'd likely end with both agreeing to stay best friends instead.

Nova/Aliya: Rivals to lovers, 3/10. Both have more character growth to get to before a healthy romantic relationship.

Paisley/Leo: cute, 7/10. Don't really have lots of canon interactions, but their personalities would mesh nicely and I could see a healthy, sweet romantic relationship. They're both cut from similar cloths, so they could be good for each other.

Zac/Aliya: DEAR GOD THEY ARE !COUSINS!

Leo/Niko: 6/10. Cute, same as Paisley/Zac, might date for a bit before agreeing to stay good friends. Leo would also 100% be Niko's realization that he's queer.

Liann/Paisley: cute, I love Liann and Paisley's moments in the very first episode and later on, Liann also gets more character development, so a romance between them would be nice. I feel like the eternal bestie vibes are slightly stronger, though, so 7/10.

Aliya/Paisley: okay but don't really see it happening. plus with Paisley and Leo being similar, a romance might not end well without further character moments OR maybe some solid canon moments. 4.5/10

Zac/Leo: platonic vibes are nice and strong, any romance would die off quickly and they'd stay good friends. The Over-Leveraged Leo ep is used as fuel for this ship by a lot of people, but to me the part where Zac just...approaches Leo and applauds his lovely situation then agrees to help, it feels more bestie than romantic to me. 2/10

Leo/Nova: would not work well in any world, they're just too different. -/10

So overall my personal ships: Liann/Nova, Zac/Sky. I'll wait for further canon.

AGAIN YOU CAN SHIP WHAT YOU WANT, THIS IS MY OWN OPINIONS.

[the-ghost-bracket]

Noah Czerny propaganda:

"Noah has been dead for 7 years by the time the story starts, and no one knows it. Not even the two friends he literally lives with. They just assume he doesn't eat in front of people and doesn't share classes with them. He was a failed sacrifice to a magic forest and the forest keeps him alive cause his body was left to rot in the forest, and since the forest experiences time differently so does he. He knows a whole bunch of stuff like secrets that haven't been shared and events that haven't happened yet because for him everything happens at once/in a circle. He died as a teenager, so he's kinda stuck in the teenager phase, and he still does dumb stuff like building ramps to drive cars off of. He's described as "less" now that he's dead. It's talked about by people who knew him when he was alive that Noah was cheerful and full of life and joyful and a jokester, but Noah as a ghost is quiet and shy and almost a completely different person because he lost so much of himself when he died.

This next part is confusing, but I'm going to try and explain it as best as possible.

ALSO - MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE BOOKS BELOW - I'M SERIOUS

Basically, 7 years ago, when Noah died, this other guy Gansey, who is one of the main characters also died. Gansey however, was brought back to life by what he thought was a magic king who was buried underground. Gansey spent the next 7 years searching for this king. He was obsessed and he thought it was his duty and his destiny to find the king. Long story short, it turns out the king was actually dead underground and had been dead for a while.

It wasn't the king who brought Gansey back to life - it was noah.

Noah as a ghost went back in time to the moment he died - aka the moment Gansey died - and sacrificed his spirit so that Gansey could live, whispering to Gansey that he was the dead king and therefore setting Gansey on his path to find the king. Because of this, Noah's ghost technically never existed, and Gansey and the others technically never met him, meaning they don't remember him. NOAH GAVE HIS LIFE SO GANSEY COULD LIVE AND I'M NEVER GONNA BE OVER THAT."

"- Noah isn't revealed as a ghost until the end of the book/series

- Most characters are unaware that Noah is a ghost, and when he disappears, they assume that's just a Noah thing

- Noah uses this to his advantage and just fucks off whenever it's uncomfortable or people need him, though sometimes he can't control this

- Noah stays true to Ghosting and permanently disappears at the end of the series

- Got bludgeoned to death with his skateboard I think? might've made that up but i think it adds points for Tony Hawkness

- His death is linked with another character: that character SHOULD have died, but because Noah was murdered at the same time on a ley line, their fates swapped (life/death)

- Had to die in his school uniform :(

- The cast also don't notice he died in his school uniform and assumed he just wore it all the time for some reason

- When connecting with one of the characters through their energy, Noah is clearly more energised, meaning his Ghostness really kills his personality too

- Canonically a Sk8r boy"

"sometimes he relives his death and isn't really aware of that fact. he is very sweet and keeps secrets and is still a third dimensional character even if he can't really interact with many people/things"

"“Oh! Your hand is cold."" Ashley cupped her fingers against her shirt to warm them.

""I've been dead for seven years,"" Noah said. ""That's as warm as they get.” "

"he's dead The Whole Time but his friends love him so much!!! he might be a bit smudgy and confused but he's still just a sweet boy!"

"This boy!!! He is a ghost that just kinda pops up sometimes and his friends are just kinda like “oh hey Noah.” He is so lovely and also his life is tied to a sentient forest that his best friend sacrificed him to. He is always kind to his friends and is a little jokester and is basically the best I love him :)))"

"Please I named myself after him"

"The sweetest boy who was murdered by his friend in an attempted human sacrifice. Lowkey the funnies character in the series if you appreciate dark humor. Sacrifices himself in order to save his friend. All around the best boy."

"He’s been dead for 7 years but when he tells his friends that they just think he’s being #relatable (until they find his skeleton). He was murdered by his high school best friend as part of a failed sacrifice to awaken a ley line and the ley line was basically like damn what a shitty deal here why don’t you be friends with the guys who are gonna wake me up properly. At one point his spirit starts to degrade and it’s all very sad and I’m pretending it didn’t happen."

"He's just my boy. He's sometimes in a trance replaying his own death. He has a stain on his cheek where his head was bashed in. He's sometimes corporeal and sometimes not, sometimes he just communicates through vibes alone or flickerin lights (peak ghost shit). His first line in the series is how he died, but everybody thinks it's a joke. The MC sometimes acts as a living battery for him and he's her first kiss (she was prophecised that her first love will die if she kisses him, so why not kiss a dead guy?)

He kinda gets excluded a bit from the main squad because he's nonexistant from time to time, which is bullshit. Justice for Noah!!!"

"Noah’s literal first line of dialogue is “I’ve been dead for seven years”. Despite this and many other comments about being dead, his friends (two of whom he lives with) believe him to be their normal alive schoolmate right up until Gansey finds his corpse in the woods.

Anyway on a more serious note Noah’s role in the narrative is so cool. At the start he’s very bright and present but as the series continues and he fades from the living world he fades from the narrative too. Depending on where you began the story (quote that’s repeated a lot in the series), it starts with Noah Czerny. Dying on the ley line when he should not, so Gansey lives when he should not. Literally in the end he gets goes back to kickstart the whole story by setting Gansey on the path to Henrietta I love him."

[localplaguenurse]

Yk that one tiktok trend where we meet the younger versions of ourselves and we say a few things

What would wifey say if they ever saw their younger self because of a leyline disruption or something.

Me @ the prompt and also the art

Man you got me when I'm trying to put my writing powers to something else and I'm torn between if I want to fully write this out or keep it short and sweet

I'm kinda going off of what I can find on both the genshin wiki and actual articles about ley lines for this but unless I'm reading it wrong, my understanding is they recreate/repeat memories, and I can't find anything really about how interactable these memories are so 1. fuck it, we ball, and 2. if literally anyone knowledgeable about ley lines sees this and I get something wrong, help me

It's a familiar sight at the monastery. The fan shaped leaves, still green, gently rustle as the wind flows through them. Small wildflowers pop up in the grass, adding more colour to the greenery.

Crumpled to their knees, sobbing into bandaged hands, sits a young bride. Their dress is striking silk red, tailored to fit them alone yet it has never felt right on their body. The fear, the anger, and the utter grief over losing all they have ever had radiates off of them like heat from a flame. They were a caretaker once, but after today, they are property, a sacrificial virgin offered up to a god for the protection of their loved ones. Their loved ones who so graciously tossed them at the feet of this god the first chance they saw.

The memory is painful enough as is, but to actually see your younger self in front of you is surreal, and the sight causes a deep visceral dread in your body.

When your youngest son had come to you, pale as a sheet, saying this nonsense about how he saw you crying in the orchard, you almost wanted to laugh. That's impossible, you've been in the courtyard all day catching up with some old friends. Still, that disturbed demeanor, that level of fear and worry in his eyes, is not an expression that can be made up on a whim. No one makes that sort of face unless they have genuinely seen something bad. Regardless of what he truly saw, your son saw something upsetting, and it is your job as his mother to help him.

You sent him away to go eat lunch with the rest of his siblings, promising you will fix it by the time they are done. You walked through the monastery until you had reached the orchard. You walked beneath the towering ginkgo trees, looking around for any sort of intruder. There shouldn't be any monsters about, so what did he see?

Near the very edge of the orchard, you spy the colour red. Your heart rate stutters, but you try to steady yourself as you cautiously approach. With each step, you can hear the faintest of sobbing, and the exact voice, each hiccup and sniffle and cry, it all becomes so familiar. Your mouth fills with saliva, your stomach twists, and your chest feels tighter.

And here you are.

Or is it there you are?

It has been... goodness, almost thirty years since you've been in that exact dress. You have hardly aged since your bond with Morax was put in place, with the only passing of time on your body being the growth of your hair, the fading of scars, and stretchmarks and bit of leftover weight gained from past pregnancies. Still, this young woman is so, so young. They've hardly even begun adulthood, only just having shed their teenage years. Their sobbing is childish, quite literally immature, for they are still practically a child.

The memory of you makes your heart ache for so many reasons. That day was a very upsetting day, and you don't understand what you're doing here. Why are you seeing this memory, this ghost of your past life, despite the fact you are still alive and breathing? Not to mention that this version of you is only a couple years younger than your oldest daughter, and with how your youngest three children all resemble you, it really does feel like you're watching one of your children crying on their wedding day.

What mother wouldn't console their daughter when they're this upset?

You carefully approach, and you sit on the ground next to them. They are still crying when you do. With unease on your mind, you lift a hand up and touch their back. There's warmth in their body, and you can feel silk on your fingertips.

They stop crying when you put your arms around them. You pull them close, cradling their head against your shoulder. You hold them like that, waiting to see if something will happen, like the figure disappearing from your hold, or reality suddenly breaking.

"... You're going to be okay," you whisper, "we're going to be okay."

They're shaking a little as they try to hold in their - your - sobs.

"You have every right to be as angry and as scared as you are," you tell yourself, "it wasn't fair. He's truly wonderful, and loves you so much, but it wasn't fair to you." You run your fingers through your younger self's hair. "He will make it up to you, and you do not have to forgive her for giving you away. I still haven't, and I don't think I will, but what matters most right now is that you will be okay."

"... Thank you."

You let yourself go, and you're gone. You feel tears in your eyes, and you quickly wipe them away. It's... odd. You feel like there's a weight off of your shoulders, despite the fact that this experience should rattle you to your core.

You do not know if they understand who you are. You do not know if what you did will have any affect on them, if they'll remember it or if they'll have been completely reset if you ever see them again. You think you would do it again, though. You think you would tell them all of that over and over again, say the words you wished you had heard that dreadful day.

You take a deep breath, stand up, and head back to the monastery.

[sunflowersandscreams]

finished the raven boys. exhale.

really good. holy shit what a downward spiral.

adam pressing charges and then slowly losing more and more control, which is one of the most important things to him and reflective of the nature of abuse (taking away someone's control). can't wait to read on to see what the consequences of him sacrificing himself are. also him living with his disability- I personally don't have hearing loss but i always love to read stories with disability elements, whether metaphorical or literal. also interested in if this is it with his family? because it feels like he has more to go through there. i also think there's a risk of him becoming more isolated at the church apartment(?). unsure. also him and blue are so sweet. i hope they don't crash and burn.

ronan- doesn't have the most massive part in this book. with his last line i suspect we'll go more in depth on his dream powers(?) later on. (wish the last scene and ronans line had been a bit more drawn out. it felt jarring and too much too fast). love him so far and hope there's more of his pov in the next book. what a piece of shit (affectionate).

noah- what the fuuuck. man. so I assume he just does not age? how will this relate to the others growing older and moving out and living their own lives? I assume at some point they'll kind of have to let him go? but very curious about who he was before he was a ghost/spirit.

whelk- holy moly. wish we'd gotten a little more on his background but i get that this book is kind of vague and ephemeral with details sometimes. his death felt very impactful because of how quickly his power was stripped away, i think. love the anti-gun sentiment through the book btw. truly nothing has ever been fixed with a gun.

neeve & maura- just a big question mark. especially with neeves ambitions and weird mask stuff. giving me the vibes of an evil mirror twin but I don't think that's the case. Maura i love you. she's sensible but a bit messy, much like blue. I have no idea where the dad plot point is going but eager to find out.

gansey- what's wrong with you fr. he's at his best when he's miserable <3 I love the flashes of him and blue. can't wait to see them fall in love and be star crossed lovers. hate his nickname as well as blue's. i don't see the appeal. fuck he's just so tragic. he falls in love with everyone he meets and he's very genuine but also naive in many ways bc of his privilege. him and ronan augvvh i can't wait to see more. him and Adam are soso bad for each other except when they're not. i can see why many people say polyamory for these people. (or maybe im just in an echo chamber.)

blue- my girl!! she has so much life and energy to her i really want to know why she doesn't have powers similar to her mother's and is only a magic amplifier. i wonder if she'll discover some? I like her interactions and her initial outsider sort of vibe but she's confident enough to fake it til she makes it and get in with the group. I wish they could be happy. love her attraction to everyone in the group, wanting to impress ronan, instant zing with Noah, sweetness with Adam, and banter with gansey. she's very brave but not in a way that feels hashtag badass in some 2010s YA lit. want to see her break down and lose her mind a bit though.

okay! those are my thoughts on characters. as for plot- something is very much starting. it feels like there are layers to this. with more books and gansey having searched in other countries for ley lines i hope we get some more settings outside of Henrietta, but keep a main focus on the town. cabeswater isn't done with them yet and there is something definitely sinister about it. i don't think it's a force for evil but definitely outside human morals and very very powerful.

I'm curious as to how the Latin fits in- to my knowledge this book has elements of Irish & Welsh folklore, and Latin reads more Roman to me? but maybe I'm uninformed & I might do more research into this after I've finished the whole series so i don't spoil myself.

okay. post done! again please don't spoil for future books.

[wellthebardsdead]

How all my dragonborns sound/their accents:

Poppy: yeehaw cowboy Cole Cassidy. I’m not even joking Poppy isn’t just my character but he’s a shared Oc amongst my dnd group who all enjoy both the elder scrolls and Overwatch. Our dm made him purely because he wanted a cowboy cyborg dwemer npc so he could practice his Cole Cassidy impression and he loves how we’ve all adopted him as our own in so many different ways.

Bass: Extremely deep baritone voice with a slight African accent. Though with his voice regulator on he sounds closer to South African or English with a very robotic undertone.

Henwen: A deep but very soft spoken voice with a Welsh English accent that can quickly switch to old Norse Viking when he’s tapped into his atmoran roots and screaming a battle cry that could send enemies running as they shit themselves.

Riiju-Lei: A Nordic accent but with hints of argonian roughness and occasional dunmer inflections. He’s a polyglot and often jumbles words from different languages but he’s often very gentle in his tone if not a bit direct.

Shamat: Soft spoken dunmeri accent teetering on Australian. His voice is quite deep but as a healer and someone wanting to befriend all he tends to lower his tone to a softer more approachable level.

Flynt: Irish, English/American accent. Raised in Cyrodiil he grew up knowing bosmeri thanks to his father and other bosmer in the community but due to how heavily ostracised they were at the time he adapted a more imperial accent. Though get him flustered and angry enough and he will quickly switch back to his bosmeri/Irish accent. He’s very confident in himself and in what he wants, though once he’s blinded and loses his ability to speak hes left only able to communicate through slurred and sad attempts at speech. Made even harder if he’s upset.

Dune: A very deep but surprisingly eloquent orcish voice, not as rough as most orcs but still capable of growling low enough to emphasise a point. Less of a barbarian and more of a mage/healer he speaks quite softly but can be confident among friends.

Aurorwren: his accent is a mix between Greek/Roman & old English. He’s very confident in himself and presents it clearly with how he speaks but around those he cares deeply for, particularly humans, he’s very softly spoken not wanting to be perceived as a threat to them in any way. Especially given his peoples reputation for cruelty.

Sylas: Welsh/English. He is rough and irritable at the best of times towards everyone except for Taliesin. His voice is deep and husky and he will use it in any way he can to seduce, persuade or intimidate others to get what he wants. But when alone with Taliesin and holding him tight the meanest he’ll get is a low growl in his ear during the throws of passion.

Vivienne: dunmeri/imperial accent, he spent most of his life in the city of blacklight but picked up English through the dwindling imperial influence throughout the city. Quite softly spoken and sweet when at peace. Under extreme distress voice will dip into Vivec’s voice, echoing with both his own and his past incarnation.

Marigold: English accent, formerly bosmeri/Irish. His fathers cruelty and etiquette lessons literally beat his accent into him. He’s clearly spoken and can be authoritative in his tone if needs be and he’s not afraid to be cutting with his words either. When physically weakened or vulnerable however, he can be very soft spoken displaying he needs gentle care.

Shen Lung: Mandarin/Nepali accent. Living his whole life on the isolated island of Akavir he’s unfamiliar with the imperial language adopted all across mainland tambriel however he is a polyglot and knows all the languages on his homeland from Akaviri, to the snake folk tongue, to his own Tang Mo. He’s a fast learner and picks up how to speak from interactions with team dragonborn. His voice is quite deep but softly spoken with a playful lilt. When startled he will scream like a monkey and if left with his thoughts will sometimes chirp like a marmoset or smaller primate.

Evalien: Modern Working class Australian accent. She’s from our world and has and will call Nazeem a cunt to his face.

Naria: Māori accent. He’s generally very friendly and approachable with his tone and accent, easily pulling anybody in with it and making them a friend. Under water however he clicks, trills and groans out like a dolphin or whale.

Wyrm: English accent. Growing up in the collage of winterhold with access to endless knowledge and tutoring he’s a polyglot and very eloquent in several languages including his native dunmeri. He has a soft, kind voice and it matches his introverted nature, however he can speak clearly and authoritatively if needs be. With his adopted father Urag however, he’s like any teenager and will whine and complain if he doesn’t get his way~

[sickofthistoxicshit]

Watched the episode, I am so confused.

Probably gonna have to watch it a few more times before I gif it into deep meta posts.

But it was emotional and sweet, and I really loved the Chimney and Hen journey guides.

And I'm pretty sure dream Bobby was more Peter than Bobby, loved it!!

It was clear why Eddie wasn't there and why Bobby was dead in that reality. It was heartbreaking and touching and amusing (angry guy and ghost Bobby),

The end felt a little like "dream a little dream" from spn with the two Evan Buckleys. Hell of a scene, well done Oliver!

I was a little sad and somewhat confused that Buck went to the loft with the stairs, so much for no strenuous activity. (For someone who recovered from surgery in a house with stairs, it's freaking hard.)

At the very least, if not the Diaz household (which was the obvious choice) the Han resistance would have been nice. No stairs, house full of family.

Or the Nash home, Bobby and Athena would have loved to have Buck there for the duration, and no stairs!

I don't know, didn't feel very convincing.

I think I'm happy (is that the word)? That Buck gets his bio parents taking care of him for a while. He wanted that, in his dream world, maybe reality will be kind too for a change.

I love Jennifer's and Oliver's interaction, the affection is so clear.

Eddie and Carla sneaking Christopher to see Buck was such an amazing scene, Eddie’s "I couldn't tell him no." Really got me to tear up. And apparently, Aisha wasn't the only one who teared up. 🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️

Athena's "Wake up!" Was completely reminiscent of TK's mom in LS yelling in his ear (even though there she was completely a dream) to wake up.

Athena is totally Buck's mom. Like May said to Bobby, Athena brought two kids into the marriage, and Bobby brought one. - The best father-daughter scene so far! I loved it!

Eddie will probably get his own mini meta for all that we got to see of him, but the scenes were framed in a hurting spouse waiting for his significant other to wake up, while having to be a functioning adult to their kid.

And Eddie may not have had a full crying scene, but he did cry with Christopher in the room as Christopher talked to Buck.

In 4x14 it was during covid time, Buck couldn't physically be there all the time, I think that what made the difference here.

But I'll be honest, I'm a bit disappointed we didn't get a one on one scene with Eddie talking to Buck.

It felt, like 4x05, that this episode was more Buckley family oriented- the ending, I mean, than Buck returning to his chosen family, who he himself sought out in his coma dream to help him get back.

So it felt nice to see the parents' attempt at redemption, but also a bit forced and a little out of place.

The Buck with the X on the Ley was a foreshadowing for this episode. Dream Bobby tells Buck that he saved him by being Buck.

Being Buck saved Bobby, and it saved Eddie and Christopher. And I am still mad we didn't get to hear those words out of Eddie yet, but for some reason, the writers are holding back on the emotional confessions between those two.

Now Chimney's and Buck’s and for that matter Hen's and Buck’s siblings relationship is all out there to see, hell even Albert's connection to Buck is an obvious annoying (but sweet, I was so happy to see him again!!) little brother role.

Even May, subtly suggesting in this episode, that Buck is sort of a familiar fixture in the Nash household and a sort of brother to her through Bobby's marriage to her mom.

But there is no clear way to describe Buck's and Eddie's relationship because it's not a sibling one. It's way past work partners. Best friends don't act like that (unless they get together eventually), Co-parents? Isn't that a couples thing? It's not platonic, I'll tell you that.

And the fact that we're 6 seasons (5 since Eddie and Christopher joined) in and still have an unclear path written in canon really bugs me sometimes.

But, all and all for a 43-minute episode, it was really good, fun, and tear jerking, I loved all the little markings in the dream, that reminded Buck of core memories (that started with Eddie’s voice, and the tsunami with Christopher. 👀)

I loved this episode and am really waiting for "Recovery".

Oliver said that his caretakers and all the hovering get a bit too much. Now, knowing his parents and Maddie look after him, I can see where this is going to go.

And having already watched the promo, I really hoped Bobby wouldn't get into this much trouble, but sadly, he does, it's very Buck of him, just saying lol like son like father, I guess? 👀❤️

[eiseryn]

Feeling not that great lately so I took a bit of time to fill in this ship meme made by @/gibbarts for Vail x Lei! I have their ship name as Vailei (which is just me smushing their names together) but my friend has brought up Leil which is tempting just because it's fun to say... I think we'll stick with Vailei for now XD

I used some headcanons for this because NGL Vail doesn't have enough screentime in the canon campaign so I had to just fill in some blanks XD This is why he is also my OC now cuz I've made so many headcanons to fill in the blanks that he's prob a diff OC than the KP imagined XD

I realize their faces are kinda babey in this. That is because I did this in like 1 hr so it's very messy sorry. I still had a lot of fun filling this out and thinking about them <3 my OTP 🥺🥺🥺

OC lore under the cut (as per usual of course)

More explanations about how I picked this even though you didn't ask 😎

Big spoon Vail / Little spoon Lei. They could def swap though but this is their usual formation if they're spooning. Little spooning is def by Lei's request but she'll big spoon him if she wants him to feel extra comfy!

Lends clothes (Vail)/ Borrows clothes (Lei) - This is self explanatory. I already drew Lei in Vail's hoodie. She really likes to "borrow" his clothes, as in, she'll wear them until they don't smell like him anymore and then return them to him XD. I do have this funny quote thing so I headcanon he steals her fuzzy socks. I'll draw that one day :3 But I also think it would be hard for him to borrow her clothes even if they're similar heights because he has a SIZ of 65 (muscle mass) and she has a SIZ of 50 which means she's probably built like a stick XD

Pet names - Vail seems like the type of person who calls people by their name/ what they want to be called. So he would prob call Lei "Lei" which is something she even requests at the end of the campaign! (Before he called her "Doc"). Lei is definitely into pet names though! In the cyberpunk universe she probably calls him "my love" 🥺

Introversion/Extroversion - this one was kinda hard NGL. Lei is def more introverted but she isn't suuuper "Ew people" cuz she is a doctor and forced to interact with people. Because Vail likes to talk/ramble, I put him as slightly more extroverted but he didn't have enough screentime so XD I couldn't confirm this theory. He didn't seem that open to talking with Liam in the campaign but it could have been due to lack of time who knows 😔 By comparison Vail is prob more extroverted than Lei at least.

Affection through words (LEi) / Affection through actions (Vail) - Lei is both LMAO cuz her love language is physical touch. But she also expresses affection through her words! This is especially true because if she doesn't like you she won't even bother talking to you. But if she likes you, she'll say sweet things to you/compliment you AND if she really really likes you she'll be physically affectionate! Vail is def an actions person XD I mean we're talking about the guy who bought her a cat for her birthday. I think sometimes she can feel a bit sadge if he doesn't verbally validate her/ have words of affirmation for her but they work with it 🥺

Confesses first (Lei) / Waits for confession (Vail) - THIS ONE IS CANON LMAOOO. Although the first time they hung out it was him who initiated, she has to make him ask her for dinner XD and then when she said it was date he was like ayo alright XD

Bugs - I feel like they're both capable of bug squashing so I put them around the same level... now I feel like if we want to dig into catboy vail his should be reallyyy far into it but I'm not changing it for now XD maybe in an updated one sometime down the line

Drives car (Vail) / can't drive (Lei) - this is also canon XD Vail drives around bikes so he has to be a decent driver, although I didn't see DRIVE in his invested skills according to the stats the dm gave me so like 🤔🤔 Lei has the base DRIVE of like 20? So I mean she can drive. But it's not great XD I would say she's just not very confident, esp in the slums where people speed a lot. She prob felt safer in the Middle district.

can't cook (Vail) / makes dinner (Lei) - Vail prob never had a chance to learn how to cook and he says "food in the slums generally sucks" XD But Lei is a good cook. I mean she cooks drugs so she has to be good at cooking food too (COPE). I just want her to be a good cook so therefore she is.

PDA - Lei likes PDA! She wants everyone to know who her man belongs to, but I think she'd be more like into handholding and clinging to him. The other stuff she prefers to do in private :3 Although she's def up to giving him cheek kisses here and there. Vail probably doesn't particularly mind, if it makes Lei happy :)

Overprotective / Chillgoing - THIS WAS HARD. Lei is def on the overprotective side, especially when it comes to her loved ones, she gets very desperate. But I mean I would imagine Vail would be protective if she were in danger. But overall he's supposed to be a chill dude so I imagine she's just chill. Like oh you're going to Prism HQ and killing some jerks? I'll come with <- maybe something like this LOL

Relationship experience - It is canon Vail has no relationship exp (like me frfr) but Lei's had 2 relationships in the past, so she has more exp than him.

(WARNING: NSFW IMPLIED) HORNY METER: I feel like they're quite similar in levels of horniness. I think mostly Lei has to initiate because Vail is shy uwu about those types of things. But once he's in the mood and the switch has been flipped... pray for Lei LOL. He will let her have control as much as she wants but if she wants him to dom... it's over for her XD a Runner and their stamina y'know... In my headcanons, he is secretly quite horny just never had the chance to express it. He is a young man after all 😔 But he has really good self control :) His willpower is 70. Lei was not supposed to be super thirsty but she is played by me so.... y'know... some stuff happened XD

AWKWARDNESS METER: Lei isn't super super awkward but there are definitely situations where she has no idea what to do, especially to circumstances that are new to her. For example, needing to learn how to do a runner's job XD that was hard for her. In highschool she was def much more awkward but she's grown out of her shell a little. In terms of this relationship, I imagine she gets awkward because she doesn't quite believe she's in a relationship with him XD (she'd be like "really? Are you sure you want me?" and he's like "yeah we had this convo last week") Vail is pretty chill so I think he's barely awkward. I imagine he's only awkward as he's new to this whole relationship business :)

JEALOUSY METER: Vail is not supposed to get jealous so hence why there's like nothing there for him. I would say he either 1) feels secure in his relationships + trusts Lei and 2) Would want the best for her so if she finds someone that makes her happier than him, he would easily let her go. Lei though... is much more insecure than he is. It's something that I would develop for her if she lives XD in the future, because she is slowly gaining confidence in herself! :) She is a capable woman, she simply needs to realize that. But yeah she's the type to get jealous, if she sees him with women who are prettier and younger than her. But she is lucky because he doesn't

[talesfromsiteredacted]

Little Things

Hiya kids... Uncle Alto here. I might have "borrowed" Rabbit's account after she failed to log out while getting lunch. So... while she's still off getting our beef stroganoff, let me tell you a little more about Site Command's unofficial favorite intern.

First off, Rabbit is the first to just jump in to try and help. Very good in a person, but... somehow it never really seems to occur to her to not help out.

She's scarily observant. She knows who's not doing well with hardly any interaction. Hell, sometimes she manages to predict who's about to breach before I do, and resolved the issue before it gets out of hand. Dr. Glass swears 914 gave her clairvoyance.

She may be sweet in person and on the phone, but in the COD lobby, don't mess with her. She's lethal with a RAAL in game.

She always smells great, like my favorite branch of Federal losers... ATF. Alcohol (whiskey), tobacco absolute, and firearms (hint of gunpowder). Gotta find out what perfume she wears, I dig it.

She can cook. Kinda wish I declared war on soup before now that she's bringing lunch in.

She's good at artsy stuff. It's cool to see some of the things she makes. Dr. Light loves the bracelet Rabbit made her for her birthday. She keeps threatening to make me a lei to go with my Polynesian shirts... Rabbit, if you're wondering, red is my color according to 173.

She's the first intern I've seen to make Dr. Iceberg afraid of her. Julian isn't scared of shit, really... but on the rare chance Rabbit blows her stack, he runs and hides in his office. Thankfully, Rabbit is usually chill.

She's adorable when she blushes. Which happens whenever she's complimented. Dr. Gears told her she made great coffee (she does, fyi) and she turned the cutest shade of pink.

She wears these cute little green dresses, which normally no female who had to fight would pick. Nothing too risqué, maybe the skirts are a bit shorter or with a slit on the sides. Yet, she's never had issues with fights, not even in heels. Abel's even impressed she can flip kick in 4 inch chunky heel ankle boots. And they hurt. I got one to the chest last Friday during the Soup Incident, and I'm still bruised a week later. Cute, but kicks like a ballet-trained mule.

She hasn't been back to West Virginia in years, but still has the accent. It comes out stronger if she's tired or getting sick of crap. The trigger warning for her getting really angry? "Bless your heart" or some variant, followed by brutal honesty. Rabbit angry is still polite, but maliciously so. And, so long as she's not mad at me, I'm here for it. While others raise their voices in anger, she tends to get icily quiet. I've only heard her yell once, and it was at Abel. He was so shocked he dropped his sword. Yeah... Yelling Rabbit is Peak Scary Rabbit. Rarely happens, though.

She loves dark chocolate. I think it tastes like dirt, but she enjoys it.

She's very practical for someone claiming to be a witch. Not militant witch, nor airy-fairy, but very grounded. Like, before saging the office for evil spirits, check the carbon monoxide detectors first stuff. But will holy water the hells out of a fool if needed. Fun fact, even for non-demons, a super soaker full of holy water will at least slow someone down a bit, if not just confuse them.

She's not flirting, she's just nice. Catches people off guard, but some guys just take it the wrong way.

When she's had enough of my crap, she'll tease me relentlessly. Favorite insult of hers towards me? "Bless your heart, Dr. Clef, but, you ain't evil. You're just a surf hobo with access to shotguns. Tone it down."

For a Dungeons and Dragons game, she once created the most evil minions I've seen in game. Forget what she called them, but they were basically what would happen if a casowary horde caught the G-Virus in Resident Evil, but with a hive mind. Meaning... see one, get killed by many while the rest beeline to you and your crew's asses. Rather face an entire factory of Nemesis and Mr X than see those demented nightmares ever again. I took the first chance to lay low after my poor rogue barely survived... which led to a one night subplot, "Phineas The Unseen Attempts to Evade the Overly Serious Sisters of Sigyn and Dodge the Bills". Fun times, but I got out of it.

She's actually funny. She can be mean, but it's with an intent of improvement. Some of her jokes are a bit odd, especially the dad jokes. An example; Dr Gears- "I'm serious-" Rabbit- "Hi, Serious, I'm Rabbit." I did see ol COGswell crack the tiniest hint of a grin while shaking his head.

She's seen the weirdest shit in creation, yet hasn't stopped marveling at little things. The first snowfall is still magic to her. She likes the sounds of thunderstorms, stuff like that. It's honestly one of the things that surprised me most.

She keeps a secret stash of candy for surprise incentives for junior researchers. Those that do good work will often find proposals returned with a candy bar enclosed. Really clever and well drafted ones get the better options.

I've only known her personally over a year or so, but... it's easier to tell her some of the terrible stuff happening than even Glass. She never really judges, just listens and tries to come up with solutions. Plus, sometimes she brings in goodies.

Her laugh. I swear by 343, if anyone really gets her laughing it's more infectious than a zombie virus. There was a three way Joke-Off in the site cafeteria between myself, Bright, and Agent Maine, by the end of round two none of us could tell any more jokes we were all laughing so hard. Her laugh is loud, but like a good pitch.

I may have a tiny crush on my intern. This... may be trouble. But then, I am a Clef, it's only natural I find trouble, heh.

[dawnagustd]

welcome to vegas collab (18+)

“Good girls go to Heaven, moms go to Vegas.”

↳ hosted by @sublimebangtan , @yutasthetic , & @sugakookitty​

Welcome to Las Vegas!...the city of sin. Or in this scenario, the city of MILFs. 

What happens when you take a few hot moms and allow them to roam freely on the streets of Vegas? 

Chaos. That’s exactly what happens. 

There are many things for them to get into—strip clubs, someone’s underwear, or the well-known Rhea’s Palace “Home of the Slots & Luxurious Suites.” 

We’ll decide their fate, and the lucky gentlemen who will be escorting these beautiful bosses along the way. Your job is simple—sit quietly, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride. 

⊰ Welcome to Vegas Playlist ⊱

*Disclaimer: These stories are intended for mature audiences. Any person under the age of 18 caught reading or interacting will be blocked.*

Always Trouble In Sin City by @sugakookitty (18+)

hitman!namjoon x detective milf!reader

One weekend altered your plans at becoming a lawyer. So you dropped out of college, became a cop, and worked your way up to a homicide detective all as a single mother. Being the first woman to obtain this position, you have every reason to hold your head high. 

However, something else always seems to have the final say in your rise to success. Your daughter’s surgery put you in a financial bind, and if you don’t take care of it immediately, it could be fatal for you. Desperate times always call for desperate measures—that’s exactly why you made that phone call.

Namjoon does want something in return, however—a night out in the city of Las Vegas. 

⊰ angst || smut || single parent au || enemies to lovers || crime au ⊱

The Hangover by @bluewhale52​ (18+)

teacher!seokjin x entrepreneur!oc

The thing about Vegas is, you always go one drink too many. Which is how you are sneaking out  of  a handsome stranger’s hotel room, only to find him sitting front row center in your tech talk a few hours later.

⊰ fluff || smut || divorced mom au || strangers to lovers ⊱

Full Reveal by @sublimebangtan (18+)

bartender!yoongi x burlesque milf!reader

Min Yoongi is the sweet, sexy bartender in Rhea’s Palace where you are the lead performer in the burlesque show. He’s become such a wonderful friend to you and to your daughter. 

She adores him, insists that she helps him every day before the show opens, and he is always quick to let her have anything she wants.

But one night at closing time, things change and become heated. You start to see him differently, and you want to show him exactly how he’s making you feel.

⊰ romance || smut ⊱

Stays in Vegas by @taetaesbaebaepsae (18+)

hoseok x milf!reader

You make a new friend and a series of impulse decisions after the father of your child breaks your heart in Las Vegas...and you wake up with a Ring Pop on your finger and a brand new husband with a kid of his own. Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...right?

⊰ angst || comedy || romance ⊱

Weekend Getaway by @yutasthetic​ (18+)

husband!jimin x ceo milf!reader

You are a boss during the day: closing deals on mergers and making the most important decisions in your company. But at home, you are a wife and a mom who has very little time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Jimin aims to change that, with one weekend in Vegas.

⊰ angst || ceo au || fluff || marriage au || smut ⊱

What happens in Vegas...comes home with you? by @pars-ley​ (18+)

manager!taehyung x wedding planner milf!reader

The morning after the night before can be awkward at the best of times, but what about when you find someone surprising in bed next to you, with no recollection of what happened? The only clue...the cheap gold band  tight on your ring finger, squeezing like a noose around your heart.

⊰ angst || idiots to lovers || romance || smut ⊱

Nanny Royale by @bubblebeom​ (18+)

jungkook x oc milf!reader

When Yuygyeom promised him the perfect job, Jungkook hadn’t pictured becoming a five-year-old’s bodyguard. He also didn’t think that child would be the sole heir to your multi-million dollar crime ring but he finds himself falling headfirst into your world before he knows it.

⊰ angst || comfort || romance || smut || organized crime au || single mom au⊱

Please respect the authors of this collab and follow #welcometovegasbaby22 for updates.

[utilitycaster]

have your feelings changed regarding FCG as a character and the way he interacts with the group in light of recent discoveries? speaking of, do you feel differently about the way CR3 has tie-ins to CR1 versus CR2? (eg aeor, the aeormatons, ludinus). personally i find the CR2 references less... intrusive narratively despite also not having that much to do with CR3's intended setting. im not sure if it's just recency bias or the fact that i also prefer CR2 over CR1, or that there's less of them

Yes re FCG; I think I've made that clear but the addition of their interest in the Changebringer and their focus shifting to trying to more seriously help people, and in general their somewhat grating positivity giving way to a more complex range of emotions have all been helpful. I am still going to be frustrated by the subclass build but that hilariously hasn't come up because the most recent combat really was just a waiting game for them, and the second-most recent combat was them trying to kill everyone.

While the murderbot concept itself isn't super interesting on its own, I think Sam as FCG is tentatively engaging with the concept of "what does it mean that this was your purpose, to be helpful until you snapped and killed everyone", and that has a lot more narrative promise than "Oh, I'm not a real sweet little metal boy?" What does it mean to be from a society where you were considered a citizen? How do you fit in? What do you do now, literally over a millennium after achieving said purpose, when it still exists and has hurt people you care about?

And yes to the C2 vs. C1 tie ins. I try to be clear that I'm talking about my (well-informed) opinions here, usually, but like. Objectively, the Campaign 2 tie ins are normal consequences of living in the world of Exandria: the Mighty Nein restored Devexian, and the Cerberus Assembly is fundamentally changed through their actions, which means Ludinus is likely looking for new and more subtle avenues of power that are easier to hide from Caleb and the Cobalt Soul. Or perhaps he was always working on this, and it just didn't come up!

I don't see the aeormatons as any issue for Marquet in the same way that like, Artagan's gate is technically from Tal'Dorei but Jester is from the Menagerie Coast. While they originated from Aeor, we know from Calamity that they existed in other cities. It's very possible that FCG's target had been in, say, Cael Morrow, and that he spent most of his time there. The moon/Feywild stuff is also disconnected, but the center of the conspiracy does appear to be a hero from a major war in Marquet, and the solstice's ley nexus is likely in Marquet too, so it is still tied to the continent.

The Campaign 1 stuff on the other hand is really only here because two characters are from Tal'Dorei with extensive ties to Campaign 1 figures. Again: Fearne isn't from Marquet or even this plane, and Chetney is expressly from Wildemount, but both their stories center on happenings within Marquet, even if their own ties to the continent are new. But the only reason we're talking about the Air Ashari and Whitestone and Delilah is because Orym and Laudna are extended Campaign 1 references. I'd have similar problems, as I said, if someone was a Soltryce Academy student who could call on Caleb whenever they needed help; or if someone was a member of Fjord and Jester's crew. It's not that it's C1 and not C2; it's that it is unavoidably about things already pretty extensively explored in C1 and with direct ties to the PCs of C1. The C2 references are more tangential and Bells Hells is on their own for figuring out what all of this means, and that's interesting; having Keyleth around to solve your problems for you, or "somehow Delilah Briarwood returned" is not.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Lunar New Year Wishes from Xia Lei (Pt 2)

Part 1: here

Interviewer: If you were a movie director and wanted to invite Lucien to be the male lead, which theme would you pick?

Xia Lei: Let me think... I’d invite him to be part of a mystery film. Because of the nature of Old Lu’s work, he should have an understanding of extraordinary situations. Also, his temperament is mysterious and makes one want to probe further. I hope that he can act in such films.

Interviewer: Teacher Xia Lei.

Xia Lei: Go ahead.

Interviewer: If you could use a word to summarise your relationship with Lucien, what would be an appropriate word?

Xia Lei: The most appropriate word?

Interviewer: Or maybe a phrase?

Xia Lei: I’d probably use the term “good friends”. Or “a good friend who I understand very well”. There isn’t a special or huge reason why. I guess it’s because of how much I’ve gone through with Old Lu. I’ve watched how his story unfolded till now. It makes me feel that even if we don’t interact much, we've become very familiar with each other. [cuts paper] This is really difficult to cut. I wonder if I’ll become a laughing stock once I’m done.

Interviewer: At least Old Lu won’t laugh at you.

Xia Lei: Heheh. I hope so. [panics] OH? OH?? I think I’ve cut it wrongly. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. Oh no. I cut it. [chuckles] I wasn’t supposed to cut this. What should I do? What should I do? There’s a tiger’s head, but I’ve cut the body of the tiger. What should I do? Stick it together? Okay. I’ll have to work on this part.

Xia Lei: [begins emergency rescue mission] Okay, I’ll be pasting it now. There are actually quite a number of flaws, including how I cut off the body of the tiger. But I’m currently doing some repair work and hope that it will look like a complete tiger.

XIa Lei: [opens glue stick] I’m going to stick it. [fails to open glue stick] Wrong way. This glue! I’ll paste the ears first. My goodness. [pastes] Done. [sighs] Everyone’s going to laugh when they see this. [chuckles]

Staff in the background: [chuckles]

XIa Lei: When I was sticking it on at the end, I felt that I had lowered the attractiveness of the tiger even further. It was lacking in a few areas. For example, I had to give it new ears. 

Xia Lei: [shows the paper-cut decoration] Here’s a slightly ugly tiger. [chuckles]

Words on the Screen: Thank you for this unique cuteness. Teacher, thank you for your warmest sentiments.

[ Segment 3: Food ]

Interviewer: Teacher Xia Lei, thank you for the paper-cut window decoration that you prepared for the Producers. This is a surprise for you. Chinese cabbage dumplings are also known as Fortune Dumplings. May Teacher Xia Lei have a happy Year of the Tiger and strike a fortune.

Xia Lei: Mm, delicious!

Words on the Screen: Wishing Teacher Xia Lei and his family a happy Year of the Tiger and great fortune!

Xia Lei: I like eating dumplings during the New Year. Let’s share it!

[ Segment 4: Well-Wishes from Xia Lei ]

Hello everyone, I’m voice actor Xia Lei.

In the Year of the Tiger, I hope that everyone can create more wonderful memories with Professor Lucien.

Since Professor Lucien is a scholar, I wish all the students academic success and a great increase in your memory skills in this new year. As for those who are working, may you have a happy life, career progression, and an increase in salary.

Of course, while creating a sweet life with Lucien, I hope you’ll document these moments. This way, you’ll be able to reminisce on them together with Old Lu in the future. 

Earlier, I cut a paper tiger. [chuckles]

I hope that the Student who receives this little tiger will be incredibly happy next year, whether in spirit or in life.

[ajaxwrites]

GENSHIN IMPACT FANFIC REC LIST II

(previous: part i)

Seaglass by Aevas

There was more to the contract than a gnosis and test of Liyue. It seemed like a simple deal five hundred years ago: so long as Morax never had a soulmate, the Tsaritsa would never harm Liyue and she would not get his gnosis. But the moment he gained a soulmate, all that belonged to him was forfeit. He thought the deal left Liyue safe—he'd lived thousands of years without a soulmate. The Tsaritsa would be dead and gone by the time she'd have a chance to collect.

Five hundred years later, Childe appears in Liyue, Zhongli gains a soulmate mark, and everything falls apart.

(The obligatory soulmate AU, featuring a Zhongli with PTSD, an oblivious Childe, and demon-worshipping cultists.)

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: I CANNOT BELIEVE I SLEPT ON THIS FIC FOR SO LONG. Read it and I mean it! I admitted initially steered clear of this fic because I wasn’t comforted with a soulmate tartali fic pre-Osial but this fic is actually post-Ostial *facepalm* The writing is phenomenal and Aevas does some beautiful worldbuilding that you typically don’t see in Genshin Impact fics. I love the dynamic between Childe and Zhongli here and the angst is real. The author writes the two as very human characters who makes mistakes, etc. and notably Zhongli struggles with the concept of Childe as his soulmate (who understandably is upset by the rejection when he realizes). They get better though. Also very plotty. A+ writing.

it's a hard rock life for us by reptilianraven

“Ah, no need to worry about that,” Azhdaha waves a dismissive hand. “There is no real Kun Jun. He’s dead.”

A leaf blows past and plaps onto Aether’s face.

“You killed him???” Paimon screeches.

“No,” Azhdaha scrunches his eyebrows. “He was dead when I found him.”

“And you just decided to wear his corpse?” Aether says, leaf still on his face.

He shrugs. “It was free real estate.”

“Azhdaha...” Morax says, sounding vaguely pained.

-

Or the one where Historia Antiqua Chapter II: No Mere Stone goes a little bit different and Azhdaha gets more time.

He ultimately uses that time to bully Morax into confronting his immortal neuroses, to make Aether and Paimon suffer, and to figure out how to get that ginger boy Morax has his eye on to make a move already.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe, Past Azhdaha/Zhongli

Notes: Very lighthearted, humor-filled fic. Love how Azhdaha is so flippant. Interactions with Zhongli and Childe are pure gold.

if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes by moonlight_mist

Childe has a Weapon problem- specifically, that he can't keep one.

He's too reckless, too wild, and too keen on pushing his Weapon partners past their limits. He's just about ready to give up when he meets Zhongli, a Weapon who just might be the solution- so long as Childe can manage to keep his dick in his pants.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This is a Soul Eater AU with some college/university AU vibes (?) but you don’t really need to know much about the anime. It’s a cute AU and I love the premise. Light angst but otherwise, it’s a pretty semi-plotty fic. Easter egg Kaeya and Diluc though.

To Kill A God by IlluminanceinTales

In Snezhnaya, they call them sansis—lost souls that have no guidance but themselves. It’s an apt description, given that most of the time, wannabe-Archons have to go through dozens of tests with nothing as their reference, relying solely on their wit and strength and hoping it would be enough. At least, until they survive the end of the whole game—and they might not have to undergo a painful reincarnation which feels like a hundred bones being stitched together again.

On his seventh game, Childe Tartaglia reincarnates this time in the body of a young man.

Damn, he thinks, looking down at his thin body, his slightly calloused fingers. This won’t be good when facing the other Hydro Decisions.

In a world where an Archon's position is not chosen but fought for in games, Childe Tartaglia is a Hydro Decision who's poised to become the next Hydro Archon. Of course, that's only if he survives his seventh reincarnation. All would be so much easier if it weren't for a certain Geo Archon interfering with every possible chance he gets.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Think Hunger Games meet Political Intrigue meet Genshin Impact. Love the premise and world building that’s done. Features overprotective Zhongli and lots of Childe whump. Has one or two supplementary OCs that aren’t really important outside of plot device reasons. Warning for character death tho lmao.

Three's a Family by IlluminanceinTales

Childe finds a kid that looks just like him.

Of course Zhongli wants to keep him.

Or: How a harbinger and an archon accidentally become fathers. The kid is their wingman

Ships: Childe/Zhongli (?)

Notes: Your everyday cute AF kid fic. Fluffy as hell and super cute. Zhongli and Childe get domestic pretty quickly. Xiao gets dubbed a grandfather and begrudgingly plays along. Super wholesome.

in pitch dark i go walking in your landscape by snowbrigade

He glanced down at him, at the silvery scars peeking out from beneath his robe, and at his eyes, properly now. They were the bright blue of high quality noctilucous jade, but he could see it, an underlying darkness.

Zhongli wondered what his eyes betrayed about himself. --

Rex Lapis is dead. Zhongli, formerly known as triad leader Rex Lapis, is a detective investigating his own "death." Childe, also known as Tartaglia of the Fatui mafia, is undercover as an escort looking to kill Rex Lapis- until someone beats him to it, and he wants to know who. Goals intersecting, they form a partnership of ulterior motives.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: There’s like one scene that skews NSFW but otherwise surprisingly not explicit. Really fun AU. Like how the author addresses Childe’s reaction to being stuck with the undercover escort stuff and how the dynamic between the two develops. Pretty plotty so far.

Phantom Lines by iskendaris

“It’s a measure of one’s self, Mr Zhongli.” Childe says. “Maybe you don’t understand it since you work as a consultant, but as an ambassador from the Tsaritsa, as one who fights in her name— this is how I learn to know the measure of myself.” “I understand,” Zhongli says thoughtfully. “It is a warrior’s way, to test one’s strength against the incomparable. To find where one falls short. To find where one has risen to the challenge.”

In which Childe has insomnia, vandalizes public property and runs into a mysterious funeral consultant on his first night in Liyue.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: THE FEELS. I can only describe this as the fic where Zhongli pays Best Boyfriend Ever only to FUCK UP big time (via Gnosis deception). Poor, poor Childe. Look, he gave the boy feelings and then broke him. You can really feel Childe fall in love in this love. He also does mental swooning a lot lmao. 

adventitious by Anonymous

It's said the Ley Lines remember all things that happen in this world, from the surface down to the deepest depths... But in the hidden corners where the Gods' gaze does not fall, there are those who dream of dreaming.

There's a dormant bud where Kaeya's eye once was. One day, it will bloom. (Never forget: memory is untrustworthy.)

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: I don’t even know where to start. This is very headcanony and lore-focused. Very much concentrated on Khaenri'ah. The implications of this story is grotesque to say the least (according to this fic, Visions are the literal eyes of the people of Khaenri'ah). Warnings for eye and body horror.

Without Those Dark Memories by StrangeDiamond

Diluc awakens in Stormterror’s Lair with no memories of the past five years. Kaeya is on the trail of a rogue alchemist, with a habit of testing his chemicals on unwilling human subjects. Now, in addition to capturing the criminal, Kaeya has to shake him down for an antidote . . . and deal with an amnesiac Diluc who acts exactly like he did before their brotherhood fell apart. (Standalone Fic.)

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: This is sort of a classic amnesia fic. I particularly really liked the way that Kaeya was written in this. I feel like the author did a really good job nailing his character and they have a way of capturing the subtle things.

Through the warmth, through the cold by strikedawn

“It’s you!” Paimon shouted with a twirl in mid-air.

“…Excuse me?"

They were drunk. Were they drunk? Was he drunk? Because Kaeya had the feeling his guests had been talking to him for a while now, but none of their words had made any sense whatsoever.

That was, until Venti stepped firmly in front of Kaeya’s desk and set his hands on the top, the better to lean over towards Kaeya and say: “For the end of the Windblume festival, Sir Kaeya Alberich, we’re going to auction a date with you.”

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: Shortword, Kaeya gets auctioned off. Diluc makes impulsive (but good) decisions and scores himself a Date but displays an inability to do Date Planning. Venti deserves a pat on the back. Very sweet.

Hide and Seek by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover

Childe did not expect regaining his memories would bring him such frustration.

He makes the best of the situation by messing with one amber eyed consultant in anyway he can.

A reincarnated storm god wades through life in Liyue, all while screaming about one dragon god's incompetency at being human.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Features Childe as Osial’s very exasperated reincarnation, who gets the joy of discovering that his rival/enemy Morax is not only an idiot but also broke AF. He still falls in love anyway. Contains this golden line: 

"Did... did that complete blockhead really use my money in order to get me a gift that basically says that he is proposing to me?!"

(Osial was screaming. When had the other god become like this?! Had he always been like this?!)

Getting that Bread by tzitzimeme

Concubine AU where Zhongli is Emperor, Xiao is an assassin sent to kill him while disguised as a woman in his imperial harem, and the only reason he doesn't actually do it is because he pities Zhongli for being so catastrophically stupid (also Xiao falls in love).

Ships: Zhongli/Xiao

Notes: Like Xiao says, Zhongli is an idiot. Fluff and humor filled. Xiao spends a good 95% of this exasperated by Zhongli’s bullshit. 

prayers for a boy by Recluse

The only way to reconciliation is fierce combat!

Hm... Come to think of it, there will be a lot of interesting news to be heard the next time we gather for drinks. Filling in the blanks.

Ships: N/A

Notes: I...don’t really know where to begin with this? It’s exactly what the summary implies...but more? I was tempted to describe this as the fic where Zhongli puts his foot in his mouth but...that’s not exactly write? I feel like this was more of a character study. It explores the aftermath of the Osial Incident and how Zhongli and Childe reconnect. Platonically...though I guess it can be read romantically. 

one kind of longing, two places of sorrow by lady_peony

Zhongli's hands rest behind his back, both gloved hands clasping one another. His fingers tighten around one another for the merest moment, before he relaxes his grip.

"There is a tradition in Liyue," Zhongli says, his back still to Childe standing behind him, "of inviting out a companion to a last meal before a farewell."

A pause.

"A tradition?" Childe echoes.

"Yes."

"With a companion?"

"Yes."

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: The fic where neither of the two communicate about jackshit but go on a quiet, sad not-date before Childe leaves for Snezhnaya. Childe pulls (? on accident or on purpose, I can not tell) the equivalent of leaving the jacket in the car post-date to get date to call for the second date. Also, the author has a gift for like...writing angst...without writing angst? Like the whole fic is like brimming with everything that the characters aren’t saying but the thoughts aren’t necessarily written out BUT YOU KNOW THOSE DUMBFUCKS ARE JUST LIKE. BRIMMING WITH FEELS? 

The People of Liyue by queer_occurrences

But Zhongli whispers, his low voice rooted in the back of Childe’s mind. “Changsun, the merchant, who is never too Mora-enthralled to turn away a needy child. There’s Tiantian—she will allow anyone to join the Adventurer’s Guild—she knows what it is to be desperate.”

Childe ducks away from them and hurries out over the bridge. It’s a warm, sunny day, the kind he would have complained about, whining about his delicate Snezhnayan skin. “It’ll burn, or worse, freckle. Would you still like me if I was freckled?”

Then Zhongli would say, “The people of Liyue will remember your sacrifice.” And he would wrinkle his nose.

Or: after it all goes down, Childe takes a walk.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: The author has a way with perfectly balancing angst with humor in a way that makes you cackle. There’s a lot of feels in this one. Zhongli tries communicating--Childe runs away a lot. There’s a lot of love for Liyue in this one.

cold blooded, warm blooded, hearts all the same by reptilianraven

Teyvat Petting Zoo @tyvtpettingzoo

Well would you look at that! Zhongli, our resident spinytail iguana, has gotten quite cozy with Childe, our new (and very feisty) ginger ferret! Aren’t they adorable all cuddled together like this? 😍😍😍

[Attached image shows a brown spinytail iguana curled up against a ginger ferret. The iguana’s head is nuzzled under the snout of the ferret.]

-

At the Teyvat Petting Zoo, Zhongli and Childe fall in love.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: ...I promise I’m not weird. This is just super cute. Cross-species love affair? Childe the ferret is very besotted. The internet is confused and the zoo keepers are just done.

a geo archon's guide to the modern era by Erina

“Morax,” Xiao says after Zhongli finishes his retelling of the incident. “He thinks you’re a weirdo.”

“No, don’t say that,” Barbatos snickers. “You’ll give him hope that this is salvageable.” He lowers his voice. “Morax, he thinks you’re a boomer.”

(In which Zhongli hibernates for centuries and wakes up in the modern world)

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This took me, I shit you not, FIVE SEPARATE ATTEMPTS to read. Not because it was bad but BECAUSE THE SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT WAS REAL. Like, omg, just reading about Zhongli’s introduction to modernity made me want to dig a hole and die. Super funny though. Do not read in public or you will look like a lunatic. Has a...parallel (?) fic in the same series called  buy two get one archon free where Zhongli gets reversed isekai’d into an anime convention.

time flies like an arrow by Erina

He’s tired, tired of the unbreakable loop of watching his loved ones pass on, tired of getting attached only for the connection to be violently ripped away from him. He wonders if the real victors during the Archon War were those who perished, who died long before their godhood turned into a curse that chained them to the land that they were fighting for.

But that is not a problem for Childe to worry about. That is Zhongli’s burden to bear, delivered to him in a pretty package years ago in the form of a gnosis.

His very first contract.

(Zhongli and Childe, across many lifetimes)

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: This is a quiet fic. It’s this kind of slice-of-life fic colored by this overpowering sense of love and loss as Zhongli remains immortal and Childe dies and lives and dies and lives for hundreds of lifetimes, but always finds his way back to his geo archon. It’s so lovely but also unbearably sad.

Tartaglia’s Favorite Professor by GreyLiliy

The famed hitman Tartaglia of the Fatui Syndicate spends his days as the charming college student Childe. The two lives remain as separate as possible in order to maintain a flawless cover to keep the authorities off his back and to better serve the Tsaritsa.

However, new intel about a rival syndicate intersects his two lives in a way he could never have predicted.

Ships: Zhongli/Childe

Notes: Mafia AU meet College AU. Childe is somehow both a horny AF college student and murderous hitman. Zhongli gives off major DILF vibes. GreyLily somehow makes this work while also avoiding cringe. Highly recommended!

like a handprint on my heart by fallingintodivinity

“Strictly off-the-record,” Jean says, with a small smile, “I’m really happy to see you and Captain Kaeya getting along again, Master Diluc.”

“We’re not – we’re not getting along,” Diluc tells her, indignant. “We’re working together. Unwillingly, I might add.”

“Yes – oh, yes, of course.”

Diluc stares at Jean suspiciously. “Are you laughing at me?”

Jean clears her throat primly. “I would never.”

Ships: Diluc/Kaeya

Notes: Super, super cute! Sort of reads like a first date fic except genshin impact style? Writing style is very refreshing!

[starlightrows]

Something Sweet

Chapter 1 - Spring Festival Funnel Cakes

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Series Masterlist

Pairing: Modern!Paz Vizsla x fem!reader

Word Count: 2.9k

Warnings: None!

Summary: Spring has sprung and business is booming and the community is celebrating with a weekend long festival... that you get to spend attending a vendors booth next to the handsome baker from down the street

The depths of winter in a place where it snows is not the ideal time to be moving your whole life and business. But you didn’t have much of a choice, you had already gotten the business license taken care of, the storefront purchased, and suppliers lined up. And with the lease on your apartment being up, it’s now or never. So with a small moving truck full of your belongings all packed up, you set off towards the city to finally chase your dream of opening a flower shop.

Your new apartment is nice, a bit smaller than your previous one but that comes with living alone in the city on a tight budget. But still it’s a one bedroom and it’s enough for just you. The storefront is beautiful. It’s located downtown in what you had assumed was a historic district of the city, but somehow is not classified as such. The buildings are lovely red brick exterior with large open windows for passers by to peek in, with quaint awnings over every door. Your store is located on the corner, with plenty of space to set up floral displays and hang potted plants in the windows. Come spring time this is going to be amazing, and beautiful and everything you dreamed of. You just hoped that others would think so too and come shop there.

By the time mid February rolls around there is still snow in the mountains, and the occasional rain and snow storm that blows through the area but it’s not as bad as when you first moved. Your apartment is coming along nicely, and your store is looking pretty good as well. You’re hoping to open by March 1st, but that’s still two and half weeks away. You’ve got plenty of time to finish painting, assembling shelves, figuring out how to want to arrange your displays, and set up the black board you’re planning to use to decorate the wall behind the checkout counter. You thought it might be fun to use chalk paint to decorate it for the various seasons, write specials, and do holiday countdowns.

You’re a little frustrated with yourself that you weren’t able to get everything in order to be open this weekend. Valentine’s Day is the prime time of the year for a flower and botanical shop. But spring is coming and that means birthdays, weddings, prom season, graduations, date nights, Mother’s Day and spring decorating! But for today it’s just you, a pair of worn overalls and a sweater, and a little can of paint for detailing the floor boards inside the shop. No flowers or valentines dates for you this year. You did see that there was a nice looking bakery a little ways down the street, maybe you could pick up a little treat for after dinner or some nice bread for making fancy toast.

Just the thought of it makes your mouth water, and your tummy rumble. Maybe you could make it an afternoon snack instead. You cap the lid to the paint bucket, and wash off your hands in the sink in the back. It’s not actively snowing but it is freezing outside, so you pull your jacket on over your sweater and lock the shop up behind you. You steal a quick glance at it, admiring how well it’s coming along, before you tuck your hands into your pockets and make your way down the street to the bakery.

It’s getting on in the afternoon, and the bakery isn’t very busy at the moment. But you’ve seen the lines in the morning when the bread is fresh out of the ovens, hopefully there will be something left for you.

You pull the door to the bakery open and step inside, glancing up at the sound of the tinkling bell that alerts the man behind the counter to your presence. He’s probably the tallest, broadest, burliest man you’ve ever seen; and then he smiles at you. It’s a smile that takes up his whole face, and lights up his eyes.

“Hey, welcome in” his voice is deep and sweet. You can literally feel your heart skip a beat and you almost forget why you came in here.

“Hi, I was hoping you might have some pastries or baguettes” you say, approaching the counter. He seems to blank out for a second, because he doesn’t answer you immediately.

“Uh- no sorry no pastries. But I do have a couple of French baguettes left,” he says. You’re a little disappointed about the pastries, perhaps you needed to come in earlier in the day. He pulls a baguette from the bread counter and offers it to you in a long parchment bag.

While he rings up your bread, you take the time to look around at his displays and other breads. “What’s your specialty?” You find yourself asking, thoroughly impressed with the wide variety he has to offer.

“I’m really proud of my ciabatta rolls,” he says earnestly “but I’ve been working on a new roasted tomato and herb crusted bread that excited about,”

You smile at his enthusiasm, it’s great to see people who are passionate about their craft. “I’ll have to come back and try it when you’ve got it figured out,”

You thank the kind man, and step back out into the cold to make your way back to your shop. Instantly you regret not asking for his name, but then again he just works down the street you’ll find out eventually.

———

February passed by in an overcast and sometimes snowy daze. You are able to meet your deadline and open your new store on March 1st. It’s finally a little sunnier on your opening weekend and just that simple fact has people outside and milling about. People are anxious to usher in spring, and there is no better way to brighten up the tail end of winter than by having fresh flowers, lush green house plants and aesthetically pleasing succulents around to decorate your space. Your entire store front is practically picked bare by the end of your first day! Good thing you get fresh deliveries every day, and have a fully stocked back room to replace all your wares for tomorrow.

Business slows down just a touch, but you’ve still got steady foot traffic for most of the day all through the spring. The weather is warming up, and the days are getting longer. Prom season is coming up and you’ve already pre cutting ribbon and bulk ordering corsage boxes. Graduations will be coming up soon too, you make sure to mark on your calendar when the local schools ceremonies are so you can have bouquets and lei ready in time.

One warm afternoon in April it’s a little slow and you’ve already swept the store, washed the windows inside and out, and potted 15 new plants in the back; so you take a well deserved break by standing behind the counter and reading a book. The bell on the door chimes and you look up to see a woman wearing jeans and a polo shirt with the city logo embroidered on the chest.

“Hi my name is Jennifer I’m with the city’s Parks and Recreation department,” she introduces herself and offers her hand to shake. You smile and accept her hand, giving your name as well.

“I’m stopping by all the local businesses to give you this” she hands you a flyer “the city’s annual spring festival is coming up at the end of May. Traditionally we bring in food trucks and invite arts and crafts vendors from the area to come sell their pieces and get some exposure, in the last couple years we’ve been expanding it to other local businesses too. There’s more information on the website to sign up to get you a booth if you’re interested. I think having a plants and flowers booth would be perfect for the spring festival”

She stays to chat about the festival for a couple minutes describing how fun it is to see all the local artists showing their craft, children getting their faces painted, live music, picnicking, and coming together as a community to celebrate the change in seasons.

“This city really comes alive at community events,” she tells you “Free concerts in the park in the summer, cultural learning events, fun runs, around the holidays we have a big Christmas tree lighting ceremony and winter carnival, don’t even get me started on how much this city goes all out for Halloween!”

Jennifir leaves after another couple minutes of excited chatter about the various events put on by the city, and continues on down the street to invite your business neighbors to attend the festival as vendors too. The whole interaction leaves you thrilled at the opportunity to advertise your business, make some more money for the shop, and be part of the community! Your long forgotten book is tucked away in favor of pulling out your laptop to register yourself with the city planning committee to participate in the festival.

The next few weeks you work extra hard to get through prom season, and put in more hours than usual to get everything prepared for graduations as well. The days tick by in May. Mother’s Day is an amazing weekend, you put up a temporary photo shoot wall for mom’s, daughters, grandmothers, or really anyone to come in and take a picture with a flower wall backdrop. Another amazing success full of happy smiling people!

Finally the weekend of the festival arrives, people from the city have been cleaning up the park and working their tails off to get everything perfect for the event. A massive stage is erected in the park, the usual parking lots are lined with enclosed pop up tents for the vendors selling hot foods, extra trash cans are placed everywhere, and early Saturday morning the local businesses are arriving with their SUV’s and vans full of goods to set up their tables.

You are among that crowd. Busily working to get your table set up under a pop up tent for shade, your flowers and potted plants ready for display, making sure you have enough cash for making change in transactions, and cardboard boxes to help people carry their new plant babies home with them.

All around you other local businesses are setting up their booths too. You recognize a few of them that you’ve visited already, but you’re looking forward to seeing more of them. Beside you, you absolutely recognize the tall, broad, and exceptionally handsome man that owns the bakery down the street from you. Spending the whole weekend stuck next to eye candy, and artisan bread… even if you didn’t sell a single flower this weekend at least you’d have a good view.

The morning is warming up, people will be arriving soon, your coffee long since gone. You steal a glance over at the man carefully arranging his bread displays. He glances over at you too, and grins at catching you staring.

“Morning,” he says cheekily

“Good morning,” you reply, going a bit warm in the cheeks.

“Flower booth for a spring festival? I think you’re in the running for making the most profit this weekend,” he jokes looking at your pretty flower displays and cute potted plants. You laughed a little and eyed his selection of breads hungrily

“I dunno, people don’t want to carry around a heavy plant all day. But they do want to snack on some delicious bread,”

He laughs, and extends a hand to introduce himself. “I’m Paz by the way,”

You shake his large hand and tell him your name as well. It’s a firm handshake, worn hands and strong forearms presumably from kneading bread dough. The thought makes your tummy flutter, and your heartbeat quicken.

And so it begins. The two of you pull up chairs at the edges of your pop up tents, and spend the whole day laughing, talking, interacting with customers and making sales. At the end of the first day, he sends you home with a loaf of bread with Asiago cheese baked into the top, and you gift him a pretty green succulent and promise him they are almost impossible to screw up taking care of.

The second day of the festival is much the same, except this time he brings you a breakfast sandwich he prepared ahead of time.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I need a taste tester. I’ve been thinking about expanding my menu to add breakfast sandwiches,” he tells you with a shy smile. You gladly accept the sandwich and have to control yourself not to make embarrassing noises when you taste it.

“You made this from scratch?” You ask, taking another bite

“Well I made the bun,” he says, unwrapping his own homemade breakfast sandwich

“If you start selling this, I promise you’ll put places like Starbucks out of business,” you tell him ���honestly, I’m gonna have to start coming down there every morning before I open,”

In his head, Paz thinks that would be an absolute dream to have you come see him everyday. But that’s not the kind of thing you tell someone you met 24 hours ago, so he settles for something else instead

“How far is your shop? Maybe you can have your breakfast delivered,”

“You didn’t know?” You ask “I just opened my shop on the far corner of the street your bakery is on. I actually came in to try your bread a couple months ago,”

Paz is a little embarrassed, he knew a business moved in down there but had no idea it was your flower shop. “No way! I remember you coming in to the bakery, but I had no idea you worked down the street,”

“To be fair the store wasn’t open yet, and I somehow managed to forget to introduce myself,” you tell him.

Just like the day before, the two of you spend the day laughing and chatting in between greeting customers and promoting your respective businesses.

In the early afternoon a man with shaggy dark hair, sun glasses, tattoos and a very cute little boy wearing a green bucket hat came over and started making conversation with Paz. He glanced over at you.

“Have you met Din yet?” Paz asks you “He owns the tattoo parlor across from the bakery,”

You smile and shake his hand, you see his little boy eyeing your selection of plants. “Do you want to pick one out buddy?” You ask the little boy, he nods enthusiastically and chooses a little pot with the beginnings of a strawberry plant in it.

“Shorty and I were just gonna go grab some funnel cake before we head home for nap, I just stopped by to see if you wanted some,” Din says

“Yeah, that would be great!” Paz says.

Din turns to you, and extends the same offer. You politely decline, claiming there’s no way you’d ever finish one on your own.

“You can split one with me,” Paz beams. Din nods and leads his son off into the crowd to acquire the sweet treats.

“I can’t believe you haven’t met everyone yet,” Paz says “We all get together on Tuesday nights after hours for beers,”

“Who is we exactly?” You ask, sitting back down in the folding chair the festival committee had generously provided.

“Most of the shop owners on our street, and a couple of others from around the corner. They actually convinced me to move out here and start my business a couple years ago,”

“I had no idea there was such a community amongst the business owners around here,” you admit.

“You’ve gotta come meet everyone next week,” he insists “You’ll fit right in!”

Your heart warms at the sentiment. One of your big fears moving to the city was not knowing anyone and struggling to find a new group of friends. This could be promising!

Din and his son make their way back and come sit behind the tables with you and Paz. You and Paz do split the funnel cake, and have a grand time chatting with Din and his little boy.

“You’re telling me you’ve been in business for three months and haven’t been dragged into the group? You’ve gotta start coming to Tuesday night drinks,” Din laughs

“So I’ve been told. I think you boys have convinced me, I’ll be there on Tuesday,” you laugh. Paz and Din give a little cheer.

“Everyone will be so excited to meet you! But until then I think the little stinker needs to get home for a nap,” Din says scoops up his sleepy son who’s been dozing in his dad’s lap for the last 15 minutes “I’ll see you Tuesday,”

Din gives a one handed wave and disappears back into the crowd.

The remainder of the afternoon is a bit slower, the last remaining festival

“I’ll come down and pick you up so you don’t have to show up on your own,” Paz offers “Besides I need to check out your shop!”

“Awe! Thank you, that would be great!” You reply, a subtle warmth blooming in your cheeks at the thought of him coming to visit your shop.

Your heart does somersaults in your chest. He’s so sweet and kind. And he’s inviting you to be part of his friend group. That has to be a good sign, right?

Taglist: @maybege @gallowsjoker @simping-for-clones @mxndoscyarika @hayley-the-comet

AN: This whole story, but this chapter specifically is very special to me. The city this story takes place in is based off of the two cities I have lived in, in my life. I grew up going to festival that takes place in late spring, that’s really important to the town I was born and grew up in... and the new city that I moved to as an adult is known for its public markets on Saturday’s where local vendors sell their flowers and their baked goods. I am just days away from moving back to my home city (temporarily) and due to covid I didn’t have the opportunity to attend the public market the last two years in a row. I don’t know if I’ll get to participate in the spring festival in my hometown this year.

[leyyvi]

hi ley! i know we don't talk but i just binge-read Paychecks with a Side of Intimacy and i just HAD to send you a review. i'll try leave this as spoiler-free as possible.

I AM OBSESSED.

God, this is perfect. I am not exaggerating when I say it's up in my top 10. It's perfectly relatable. I finished uni a month ago and I'm like "?????" or "now what tf do i do" and i am painfully broke... i have definitely considered the sugar baby lifestyle lmao.

I love the interactions between reader and levi. he's so smooth and sauve and SO COOL. HES PERFECT. And you captured his painfully awkward self and his quirks. I stayed up til 2AM reading this and had to get up three hours later but... WORTH ITTTTTT. i would run from the opportunity do any sexy stuff with an irl man 40 years older than me... but if he's 31, is 5'3", has a potty mouth, tons of money and has a mysterious past and is kind in his own weird way and has a tendency to make poop jokes? a bitch might just jog a little

your writing is fabulous. it flows very nicely and is very easy to read! it's descriptive but without too much embellishment. something i could afford to work on, i am very wordy when i write. unnecessarily so. reader's past too, gosh-- the poor girl. i feel so bad. i have no emotional resiliance so i'd be crying nonstop and flipping out at everyone. but she seems to be handling this just fine. kudos. i cry if someone looks at me the wrong way, nvm going through...you know, THAT.

i really hope you continue this! there's no pressure to, but i am eagerly waiting for the next installment!!! 💕💕💕💕

(the smut is extraordinary btw. i was crossing my legs on the bus this morning rereading the car scene.)

- cece ^-^

HI CECE i apologize for not getting to your msg sooner!! AHHHH you are so so sweet ;;; god i understand, the desperation for money is a little too real :') !!!! i hope you caught up on your sleep from reading btw omg????

but if he's 31, is 5'3", has a potty mouth, tons of money and has a mysterious past and is kind in his own weird way and has a tendency to make poop jokes? a bitch might just jog a little" HELP the way i giggled reading this but YES so true so true friend!!!

reader :((( yeah id be constantly crying too i am not strong enough for anything she goes through :') and honestly i feel like im prettyh wordy with my writing (god bless grammarly, my savior, the loml) but AHHH im glad yoiu're liking it so far!!!!!!!! thanks fso much for stoppin by i really did enjoy reading your input! it's much appreciated <33333

[thebtswritersclub]

Happy Birthday Aditi!!!!

The BTS Writers Club is here to wish our lovely admin, @ditttiii a very happy birthday! Here’s all the messages we’ve collected, from admins and members alike for Aditi day (January 14)!

Aditi! Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for being an amazing Admin. The network would not be the same without you and all that you do. I mean, just look at the layout! You do so much for us and it’s 1000% appreciated. We’re so lucky to have you! Thank you for being with us from the start and being there to help everything grow. You’re such a valued and loved member and a wonderful friend. I love you so much. Even though this past year was an absolute garbage fire, I hope that next year will be much better. You’re going to do amazing things and I can’t wait to see them! 

- Love, Eva @aroseforyoongi

 PS: Please share more pictures of your puppy

Happy birthday, Adi!!  Babe, you're an amazing person, a marvelous woman and an awesome friend. I wish you the best things in the world, that's what you deserve nothing less. I can't thank you enough for your love and support, always. Know that you'll always have in me a friend and a hype woman. Congratulations, Queen! 

- Danna @unoriginal-username15432

Aditi! Though we have only known one another for a chunk of a year, I can safely say that you are one of the best people I could have met in 2020 and I am so glad I did! I think you have so much to offer the world in both intelligence and charm and you will go so far! Keep your head up through 2021 and never let anyone tell you you cannot do whatever you set your mind to. Keep writing and relaxing and enjoying life. Also, please remember to rest and sleep! Happy Birthday!!! 

- Dean @eternalseokjin

Happy Birthday Aditi! You're so sweet and kind and I hope you have a great birthday!!!

- Donna @untaemedqueen 

Aditi

I hope you have an amazing birthday. You deserve one. You’re so wonderful, sweet, hardworking, intelligent, caring, encouraging, talented, pretty... I could go on forever. In short, you’re awesome & held in high regard. Thank you for being you & thank yo for being a vital part of BTS Writers Club & its admin team. You’re an html goddess & a goddess of kindness and looks. Your presence brightens my day & I look forward to all of our conversations.

So, to BTS Writers Clubs’ resident Goddess, Happy Birthday! 

- Lillia @moccahobi

Hello, luv 

I remember the first time we talked. I had come to you asking for advice because I was thinking about posting on tumblr, and somehow we ended up talking for hours that day. Ever since then, you have been such an amazing and precious friend to me, and I am so incredibly glad that I decided to come out of my shell that day. I am so thankful for everything about you and our friendship, and also for you quite literally dragging me into this net to meet so many other lovely people I have the pleasure of calling my friends as well. I wish you all the best, today and every other day, and never forget that I love you very much! 

- Keri @kerikaaria

happy birthday dearest aditi! i hope that you have the happiest, most wonderful, most magical birthday ever! you deserve everything good and more! sending you all of the love, hugs, and good vibes i can offer!

- Carese @honeyj00ns

Adiiiiii ily!! my lovely waifuuu!!! you work so hard and are so nice!! i married right  keep doing what you love and remember to treat yo'self!!!!

- Dae @birbdae

Lovely! It's your birthday and I would be remiss not to let you know that you are so loved and so appreciated! I hope you have an amazing day with those you love (especially Toto), and get something you were hoping for, be that quality time or a nice gift! Happy Birthday Aditi!

- Day @baepsaetan

Aditi, my love, my darling, my honey, ily. You’re such a good friend and a good wine bibi, i love u muchly and appreciate u. I’d like to thank u from the bottom of my heart for being there for me when i needed u, ty for helping me with my writing and helping me be happy, you truly are the best and there’s only one u. Keep shining u star. Keep being u, you literally are so cute and adorable and pretty like words can’t even describe how amazing u are, happy birthday to u ma love, i hope u have the greatest day bc u deserve it! I can’t offer u a hug rn but i can give u a virtual hug (sending u the biggest virtual hug) i hope it sent!  

- Ellie, signing off w a big big kiss for u @jungkooksbroski

Happy Birthday Aditi!  I hope all your birthday wishes come true on your special day! You have such a hardworking and vivacious personality, it's no wonder why I admire you a lot  I'm glad I can call you a friend of mine and I only want nothing but the best for you

- Gwen @prettyboongi

happy birthday aditi! although we haven't talked all that much, i'm glad to have met you through the net! you are such a caring and loving person and i hope you have the best birthday today and many more amazing birthdays! thank you for being you and happy birthday!

- Ivory @sunkissedjk

Aditi, you have the sweetest soul  and the kindest heart, I love our chats and how helpful you are. You've given me so much confidence, right from the get go. You never stop believing in people and will bend over backwards to help them, even when you're ill. You're so freaking talented, honestly, I just can't praise you enough. Happy birthday my lovely hareem queen, hope you have the best day!

- Ley @pars-ley

Aditi! The beautiful, amazing angel! I'm so glad I have gotten to know you through this net and I'm excited to get to know you better. Thank you for always being available to read my crap and for creating amazing works of fiction. You are one of a kind and the world is so lucky to have you in it! Happy birthday

- Mars @joheun-saram​

Hey Diti Darling, Apparently it's your birthday. Haps Borth! Ok, I know I give you hard time whenever we talk but that's because I am just a big nervous and confused mess all the time. We don't even talk that much. Even with that, I love you very much, as a chaotic sister. I just love seeing your name around. Every interaction I have with you is precious no matter how confused I come out of it. You are so sweet and so loving. I hope that you keep that light and keep growing. May this next year that approaches you is a fruitful one and bring you happiness in what ways that it can. Look up, smile bright.

-Your ever worried brother, Nep. :33 @dawndrms

lovely adi!! i'm so lucky to have met you this summer, because i'm pretty sure you're one of the first desi writers i met on tumblr  i love seeing all your posts on my dash, you're really such a sunshine and happy pill on dumblr and i wish more people saw that. your style of writing is so so so enchanting, something i wish everyone would read. in the net, you're a ray of light on everyone and i can tell that bring you so much energy and liveliness wherever you go. have a lovely birthday aditi appi, and to many more!!

- Noor @papillonsgf

Happy birthday Aditi!! I want to say a massive thank you for everything you do for the net to make it what it is. you are so friendly and helpful, you really make everyone feel so at home there! I'm so happy to have joined and met you. I hope you have a great day because you deserve it xx

- Ru @btsmosphere

Hey Aditi! I just wanted to say, happy birthday from the bottom of my heart! You've made being in here so special, helping me with everything I needed! I remember the first person to say Hello to me in the net was you! You were also the one who told me I was accepted! Your really special to me! So is your hate for Mee6 Thank you so much for everything! I wanted to give you something special for your birthday so I'll be posting Transvaal Daisies very soon! Once again, thank you for everything

- Tailia @namyoongles

Hi Aditi!!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday  I love how sincere and enthusiastic you are and how you’re always hyping us and all our ideas and i hppe your birthday matches how awesome you are

- Tanooki @crystaljins

Happy Birthday lovely Aditi! I hope this year brings a ton of happiness, positive growth, success and prosperity! I’m so happy we got to meet over this net. I love love LOVE gushing about Bollywood movies and Indian music with you and I absolutely love how supportive and helpful and kind you are.  You are awesome, beautiful and just so lovely! I’m so happy that we get to celebrate your birthday together (relatively) and I’m wishing you all the best today and onwards! Cheering you on! Happy Birthday! 

- Yours, Triv @purpletigertaetae

We love you, Aditi! Have an amazing birthday!!!!

All graphics and pictures used made with buckets of love by @kerikaaria