#honestly i didn't even expect her to answer me lmao

[cinnastray]

Hi hi Tumblr <3 Super happy to announce that Merri Cyr, the photographer who took the picture for Jeff Buckley's album art for Grace, gave me the okay to sell my illustration of the cover--it's an honour! (⌒▽⌒)☆

You can find it in my INPRNT shop!

Also, while you're on it: Make sure to check out Merri Cyr's Website.

[shidoukanae]

also now realizing there's a heavy possibility that the unknown event Daniel references where he asks Lyla "how are you going to find your happiness?" is the same event Helene references when she tells Lyla that Lyla "betrayed" her.

Coincidentally, that's probably the same event that allowed Helene to be manipulated by the Empress into turning against Lyla and might have been the cause of Daniel leaving Lyla (probably to find out how to awaken as a dragon so he could gain the power to take her away from her family faster? maybe even going so far as to try and compete w/ Paris for the throne if it means protecting Lyla?)

There's also a suspicious gap of time from when Helene was poisoned to when she told Lyla to get away from her that has been omitted. And considering baby Lyla cries about Helene not wanting to be with her anymore...and that same baby Lyla is seen hugging Daniel in the unexplored scene...Lyla what the fuck did you do to Helene to embitter her like this?

[undressrehearsal]

a bite of luxury

summary: you decide to look for a sugar mommy and stumble across this strange girl that seems to have more to hide

tags: sugarmommy!ellie, rich!ellie, vampire!ellie (yep, we got it all) alcohol, reader is poor lmao, reader uses she/her and is referred to as a girl once or twice, no smut in this one sorry gotta establish the world first

word count: ~8k

a/n: it's been so long since i posted a fic lol working full time and trying to finish my book is killing my schedule BUT i hope y'all like this this was my fiancee's idea and i'm running with it i got a LOT of plans for this one - plans i think y'all are gonna love

also the drawing in the cover is made by @nramv seriously go check out their work they're so talented!!

if you wanna be added to my tag list just lmk!

You hadn’t been searching for a sugar mommy. 

Truthfully, when your best friend had sent you the link, you had dismissed it immediately. She had been joking about it for months, talking about how much easier it would be if you just found a nice older woman to take care of you. You hadn’t even opened the link - you only rolled your eyes, replied with a middle finger emoji, and left it at that. 

And yet things kept piling up. The stack of bills on your kitchen counter was growing to a concerning height, a mountain of unanswered responsibilities that was getting harder to ignore. Your landlord kept calling you - you no longer answered, just watched the phone ring until it finally stopped and ignored the increasingly angrier voicemails. Your apartment was an absolute disaster; you could never be bothered to clean it, because by the time you got home from working both of your jobs, you only had enough energy to eat a bowl of leftovers and promptly pass out in bed. 

The link kept popping up in your mind, each bill in your mailbox a gentle reminder. You found yourself scrolling all the way up the text chain to find it again during sleepless nights. So many times you would only stare at it, your thumb hovering over the blue letters, before you closed the chat and threw your phone down. 

It was stupid, of course. But as time went on, the idea of letting yourself get buried alive under a mountain of debt - of getting evicted from your apartment and having to crash on your friend’s couch - seemed all the more stupid. 

So, late on a Thursday night, after you had had another anxiety attack staring down at your bank account, you went back up the text chain, and you clicked the link. 

www.seeking.com

It didn't take long for the messages to start coming in. You should have been flattered, honestly - you had at least a handful of people in your messages practically begging you for the honor of paying your fucking rent - but you really just felt like you were playing a part that you hadn't even read the script for. You had curated your profile with all the things that made you appear more cultured than you actually were: going to museums and pondering over Baroque art and reading poetry over a pretentious cup of coffee. Sure, these were all things you had done - you had photo proof, after all - but somehow you didn't recognize yourself. It felt like you were looking at pictures of a stranger living a life you wanted but couldn't reach. 

Most people were fine - charming, even. You got maybe one or two that felt like they would lure you into their sex dungeon to murder you, but that was expected with any dating site. You even went on a few dates, scrounging up the nicest dress you owned and getting pampered at a five-star restaurant or going for a ride on an older woman’s personal yacht. One person even took you for a helicopter ride, which was fun but she was a little too handsy on the first date to warrant a second. 

One name kept popping up though, a name that was becoming far too familiar in your notifications. 

ellie: meet me at 8 <3 

When she first messaged you, you had thought she was like you: somebody searching for a partner to pay their bills. Her pictures didn't exactly scream sugar mommy material. Her first picture was just a normal selfie taken outside; she wore a worn out leather jacket, her short hair tangled from the wind and green eyes squinting in the sunlight. She had stupid pictures of mushrooms and candid shots of her browsing a science museum, looking far too excited in front of a t-rex skeleton. Hell, in most of her pictures she looked like she was wearing clothes she had found at a thrift store.

You had thought she was like you, until she sent you a picture inside her fucking Rolls-Royce. 

“Fuck,” you audibly cursed into the quiet of your room. You had been talking for a few days, and she had begun to do that - sending you small selfies throughout the day. In the last one, she had taken a picture in front of the mirror at the gym, flicking off the camera, her lean muscles glistening with sweat. Before that, it had been a blurry picture of her dog, Riley - a huge German Shephard - splayed on her back at a park, leaves stuck in her fur. 

So, yeah, when you found out Ellie was not only rich, but rich enough to casually have a Royce, you were more than a little surprised. 

The selfie was cute, you couldn’t deny that. Her hair was wind-swept, catching in those long ass eyelashes. Ellie’s nose was scrunched up, freckles popping against her cheeks, holding up a peace sign. 

She was fucking adorable and you already knew it. But seeing her worn out leather jacket and messy hair against black and white leather seats that looked like they, alone, cost more than your entire apartment complex combined - it was a little jarring. 

And when she asked you out on a date soon after - after finding out she wasn’t Iike you but rather searching for someone like you - how could you say no? 

Ellie offered to pick you up - like a gentleman, she had said - but frankly, you weren’t quite convinced yet that she wasn’t some blood-thirsty pervert trying to lure you into her dungeon, so you politely declined. Instead, in your nicest dress and heels you hardly wore because they pinched your toes, you called an Uber. 

You had never been to this side of town. You had plugged in the address Ellie gave you - had double and triple checked it while your awkwardly chatty Uber driver tried asking you about what you do for a living - but the streets here were so unfamiliar you may as well have been in another city. You looked at the foreign buildings rising up around you, large windows giving you a glimpse of the life inside them. People were sitting outside in the chilly air, laughing over wine and dinner. Looking at them - with perfectly sculpted hair and clothes you would have to spend several entire paychecks on - you felt like a cheap impersonator dressed up in a costume. 

The Uber pulled up in front of a hotel, and your heart stopped. Surely, this wasn’t where Ellie had sent you - leading you to some fucking hotel room when you hadn’t even met yet? 

You turned to the driver, your home address at the edge of your tongue, when the car door opened. 

You had practically been leaning against the door to peer out the window, and nearly lost your balance when it was suddenly gone without warning. You looked up, ready to yell at whatever pretentious prick in Prada was trying to fuck with you - but your voice died in your throat. 

Ellie was shorter than you thought she'd be, honestly. In all her pictures, she had this commanding energy, like she would tower over you in person. 

Which, to be fair, she was. She had her arm propped on the doorframe above your head, leaning over so she could meet your eyes. Her hair was pushed back from her face, a few stray strands falling over her forehead, and she was looking at you with an intensity that hadn't quite translated through her pictures.

Ellie smiled - that adorably crooked smile you had seen in all her selfies - and said, “Hi.” 

And the only word you were able to get your mouth to form was, “Fuck.” 

Ellie blinked at you for a moment - long enough that you could feel the flush creeping up your neck and were ready to walk home if you had to - before she finally laughed. That wasn’t like what you had expected either; she had this deep, rough laugh, almost like she was trying to hold it in. 

She looked up at you through her lashes - you tried to ignore the way your heart inexplicably skipped - and said, “I’ll take that as a compliment?” Her voice tilted up at the end like it was a question. Ellie ducked her head down further, looking past you to meet the driver’s eyes, and pulled cash from her back pocket. With her most charming smile, she handed it to the driver and said, “Thanks for getting her here safe.” 

You didn’t see how much money she gave him, but after she took your hand and guided you out of the car, you turned back just in time to see his grin before he sped off. 

“Thanks for coming out.” You looked back at Ellie and found yourself speechless once again. (You, thankfully, were able to hold in the expletive this time.) The worn out jacket that had featured in just about all of her pictures was missing, replaced instead by a pristine, white satin shirt, the top few buttons undone to expose a sliver of collarbone and a gold chain beneath. Despite the chill in the air, she had a classy black jacket hanging from her arm as though it were an accessory. Ellie smiled and looked down, licking her lips before saying, “You’re quite the sight for sore eyes.”

You tried to smile at her but found that your eyes kept flitting behind her, looking at the looming monstrosity of the hotel. It was a nice hotel - the kind that had a huge fountain right in front of it and a chandelier in the lobby that sparkled through the window - but it was a hotel nonetheless. Despite the set in your jaw, traitorous tears stung the corners of your eyes; you wanted to kick yourself for actually thinking that Ellie might be different. 

Ellie followed your gaze over her shoulder, her smile dropping, before she quickly turned back to you with panic in her eyes. She stumbled over her words as though her tongue weren’t cooperating: “Shit, I’m sorry, this looks really bad doesn't it?” She grimaced and squeezed your hand she was still holding, scratching awkwardly at the back of her head with the other. “Fuck, this isn’t the first impression I wanted. I could promise it's not what it looks like, but maybe it'd be better if I just showed you?”

You honestly did think about telling her to fuck off. She was a complete fucking stranger that you only really knew from a dating app, and she was trying to lure you into a hotel in a part of town you were unfamiliar with - really, only an idiot would follow her. 

But she was looking at you with wide green eyes, the lights around you shining back like stars. While searching for the constellations, you found yourself saying, “Okay.” You blinked, pulled from a trance, and added, “But you should know, I do have a taser in my bag.” 

That pulled a shocked laugh from Ellie’s lips. She gently tugged on your hand, pulling you towards the door, and said, “Smart girl.” 

You knew that the hotel was outside of your price range because a perfectly groomed doorman opened the door for you, waving you inside with a gloved hand. You didn’t take much time to process the interior - the chandelier was just as grand as it had seemed from outside and elaborate columns rose to the ceiling - because Elllie was pulling you towards the elevators. It was like she wanted to ignore the fact that she had brought you to a hotel at all. You couldn’t decide if that was reassuring. 

In the empty elevator, you gently drew your hand back and leaned against the wall opposite her. You tried to ignore looking at the way her pinstripe slacks hugged the curves of her thighs, the fabric straining when she propped one booted foot on the wall behind her. 

“So,” you started in a desperate attempt to fill the awkward silence, “if you’re not leading me into a seedy hotel room on the first date, then what are we doing?” 

“Okay, one,” Ellie said, chuckling, “this is anything but a seedy hotel. And two, what kind of a date would it be if I ruined the surprise?” 

“And what if I don’t like surprises?” you countered. 

Ellie grinned. “I think you’ll like this one.” 

When the elevator doors opened, Ellie held her hand out to you as though it were a question. You hesitated for only a moment before placing your hand back in hers and letting her lead you out into open air. 

You nearly choked on a gasp. 

The bar itself was beautiful - fairy lights stretched above your head, twinkling like stars and casting the rooftop in a warm glow. Wooden tables and plush couches were spread artfully around the space, far enough apart to provide the patrons scattered about with some privacy. 

The bar was beautiful - but the view was fucking breathtaking. 

The city stretched out beyond the railings, open in a way you had never seen before. The skyline rose around you, each building shining like its own little galaxy amidst a sea of stars. The city lights blocked out the actual stars - a fact that never failed to piss you off - but you could see the crescent of the moon rising over the city, casting a quiet glow like a veil. 

You looked back at Ellie, and whatever your face held made her grin. She leaned in just enough so that her murmur was for your ears only: “So, was I right?” 

You blinked, momentarily distracted by her proximity - she smelled intoxicating, spicy and warm with a hint of tobacco beneath - before you finally said, “What?” 

Ellie snorted, breaking whatever spell she had put you under. “The surprise,” she said, leaning away enough for your head to clear. “Was I right?” 

You bit the inside of your cheek, pursing your lips as though you had to think about it. You couldn’t take your eyes away from the skyline stretched before you. 

You finally said, “That depends on how good the drinks are.” 

When Ellie laughed, her eyes crinkled in the corners, her nose scrunching. It was a full, rich sound, hanging in the air above your head like helium. It made something in your chest tighten, and you wanted nothing more than to hear it again. 

She squeezed your hand, a twinkle in her eye, and said, “The old-fashioned's to die for.” 

You pursed your lips again to hide your smile.

Ellie didn’t bother checking in with the host, simply shot her a smile and a wave as you walked by - you tried to bite back a giggle when you saw the host’s face turn red, her eyes tracking Ellie as she led you to a table right along the edge of the railing. She pulled the chair out for you - “Such a gentleman,” you laughed - before taking the seat opposite you.

As she waved over a waiter, you took a moment to lean your head over the railing. It was made entirely of glass, giving you a clear view of the city below. You could hear the distant sound of traffic, cars racing below you like shiny beetles, but it was like it was coming from a different world altogether. Everything seemed impossibly, wonderfully small from up here. 

You looked up at the sound of your name to find a groomed waiter wearing a fucking waistcoat standing before you. Ellie was looking at you with laughter in her eyes, her lips twitching. 

“Shit, sorry,” you said, immediately flinching at your own curse. You suddenly couldn’t remember the proper etiquette in a fancy bar, feeling out of place and underdressed even in your nicest outfit. You looked between Ellie and the waiter, wracking your brain for any kind of drink that wasn’t a trashy cocktail you’d find at a dive bar. 

Seeing you floundering, Ellie gave you a reassuring smile and said, “Do you like wine?” 

Relief washed over you as you nodded. Turning back to the waiter, Ellie ordered something that you couldn’t even hope to pronounce, charm lifting the corner of her mouth. She spoke to the waiter with the steady ease of familiarity, laughing at some inside joke; you briefly wondered just how often Ellie came to this bar. Surely, a nice place like this - at the very precipice of the world, looking down at the stars - wouldn’t be a regular stop on anyone’s schedule, but Ellie and the staff spoke like old friends. 

When the waiter left, tussling Ellie’s hair playfully, she turned back to you and the awkwardness of a first date finally set in. Sure, you had been texting Ellie every day for a week now, but you still hardly knew the girl. You knew she liked mushrooms and hiking. You knew that most of her clothes were from the thrift store even though she could afford any designer brand she wanted. You knew her favorite video game was Dishonored. But nothing you knew was enough for a relationship. 

But you weren't exactly looking for love, were you? 

After a moment of silence, Ellie cleared her throat, looking out over the city. “It's nice out here.” 

You snorted before you could stop yourself, covering your mouth; it didn't cover the laughter in your eyes. You said, “You're really talking to me about the weather?”

Ellie opened her mouth, an indignant sparkle to her eye, before shutting it again. It was like she was malfunctioning, opening and closing her mouth yet no sound came out. She furrowed her brows, looking at you as though you were something new and interesting, before finally chuckling, looking away. “Yeah, I-I guess I am.” When she looked back up at you, her eyes were surprisingly sheepish. “Not making a great first impression, am I?”

You couldn't stop the smile that crept up to your eyes. You leaned closer, propping your chin in your hand, and said, “I think you're doing okay so far.” 

Ellie laughed that wondrous laugh again, her nose scrunching up, and the cord in your shoulders loosened. 

“Okay,” she sighed, her eyes still alight with residual laughter. “Okay, damn. Tell me about yourself.” 

“Well now this just sounds like a job interview.” 

Ellie threw her hands up in mock frustration, trying to stifle her own grin. “Okay, fuck, knock me down again! You're obviously an expert, so show me how it's done.” 

She leaned back and crossed her arms, looking at you expectantly, and it was the perfect moment for your drinks to arrive. Ellie did, in fact, order an old-fashioned. The waiter set two wine glasses on the table, producing a bottle seemingly from thin air. He held it out, explaining to you in rehearsed prose the year, acidity, and complexity in words that passed straight through you. You nodded along even as you didn't process a single word he said. 

When he left, you turned back to Ellie and said, “How did you find this place?” 

Ellie took a sip of her drink. The lights of the city danced in the amber glass. “Just an old haunt of mine, I guess.” 

You took a sip of the wine, taking the distraction. It was warm on your tongue, tasting of wood and fruit and something spicy just underneath. The wine you usually drank was the stuff you could find in your nearest grocery store, often tasting concerningly like bug spray and bought with whatever tips you had managed to scrape together from work. It was usually shared with a friend on your kitchen floor, the walls and thoughts spinning over your head. 

You much preferred wine like this: The taste of warmth and fire on your tongue, the cool air brushing your shoulders at the edge of the sky, and a beautiful person sitting across from you.

When Ellie lowered her glass, you could see amber droplets of whiskey clinging to her lips before her tongue darted out to catch them. You tore your eyes away, but her smile said that she had caught you staring. A chill ran up your spine that you were sure was just from the cold. 

Seeing you shiver, Ellie wordless reached behind her where she had tossed her jacket over the back of her chair. Standing, she rounded the table only for a moment, only long enough to place the coat over your shoulders. Her hands lingered there for a second too long before she retreated, sliding back into her seat as though she had never moved. 

“So, why are you here?” she finally said. 

You pulled the jacket around your shoulders, distracted by the smell of it. The same smell that must be her perfume clung to it, spiced and warm like an open fire, but something else clung to the fabric too. It was strangely metallic, sharp and intoxicating, and you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. It was shockingly warm against your skin. 

“I’m here,” you said, raising a brow and ignoring her real question, “because you sent me this address and told me to meet you here at eight wearing my nicest dress.” 

The corner of Ellie’s lips quirked, a grin she was trying to hide. She clasped her hands, leaning across the table so you could smell the whiskey on her breath. “And you agreed to meet a stranger at a seedy hotel,” she murmured, mocking your remark from earlier. Her grin revealed itself when your cheeks flushed. “But why are you here - what are you seeking?” 

You huffed out a laugh, shaking your head. “That’s kind of a dumb question, don’t you think? It’s pretty obvious why I’m on the app.” You cocked your head, leaning across the table, feeling a strange thrill when her eyes flashed. Your heart fluttered at the proximity, and you couldn’t remember when you had become so easily starstruck. “The real question, Ellie, is why are you?“ 

Ellie’s eyes darkened, and you weren’t sure if you just imagined her eyes flicking down to your lips. She looked back up at you through her lashes, her voice rough when she said, “That’s a third date kind of question.” 

Your eyebrows shot up. “What makes you so sure you’ll get a third date?” 

Ellie tilted her head, a slow smile pulling at her lips, and said, “Call it a hunch.” 

The waiter came to check on you, appearing at your shoulder like a ghost. You hastily retreated, leaning back in your chair as though the electricity in the air had shocked you, and took a sip of wine that was more than a little overzealous. You tried to choke it down as Ellie waved the waiter away with that heartstopping crooked smile. What happened to you? Since when were you so easily charmed by freckles, green eyes, and smart-ass comments? You couldn't remember the last time you had been so infatuated during a normal date, let alone one with these kinds of strings attached. 

“So you don't want to be in an interview,” Ellie said once the waiter was out of earshot. “I guess all my typical getting to know you conversations are out of the question.” 

“I didn't say that,” you countered, your throat still burning from your accidental wine waterboarding. “But come on - what girl are you going to impress by asking her questions like ‘Tell me about yourself,’ or ‘Why are you here?’ or ‘Why are you more qualified for this position?’”

“Okay, okay, goddamn,” she said, laughing. Grabbing the wine bottle, she looked at you for permission before pouring you another glass.

You brought the glass up to your lips, taking a sip to hide your smile. The flush in your cheeks was surely from the wine and nothing else. “What about you?” 

“What about me?” 

“I hardly know you.” On one hand, that felt entirely untrue - but especially after this recent discovery, you really knew nothing about this girl. “Tell me about you.” 

Ellie laughed that same rough laugh and your heart jumped. “Oh, so you're allowed to be the interviewer.” 

You nodded, twirling the glass between your fingers and looking at her expectantly. 

After a moment, Ellie rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, but you could see the humor in her eyes. She downed the last of her old-fashioned and, like a good sport, said, “What do you want to know?”

Turns out, there was a lot to know - more than a simple dating app would tell you. Ellie had an older sister, Sarah, who lived in Dallas. Her dog was named after her childhood best friend. Her jacket wasn't thrifted after all, but had been her dad's. Speaking of which, she used to go hunting with him every season (“I haven't been in years, though,” she said, her eyes distant). On the weekends, she'd go to antique stores to look for art and trinkets to fill her house - her favorite antiques were from the 17th century. She hated horror movies and was a sucker for a good romance. 

In return, you caved and answered her pressing questions. You told her about your best friend - Ellie laughed when you told her that your friend had sent you the link to the app in the first place. You told her about your favorite show that you binge-watched whenever you felt like you were spiraling. You did not tell her about your apartment that was probably the size of her closet or the fact that you'd have to watch your budget after taking the Uber tonight, not to mention the extra $30 Uber to get home later. You did tell her about your family, and a strange, unexplained sadness crept into the creases around her mouth. You did tell her about your job, but didn't mention the second one you worked to afford groceries. You told her you were hoping for a real, human connection, yet didn't mention that you couldn’t imagine finding it in a fucking sugar mommy. 

All too soon, the wine bottle was empty and your chest was comfortingly warm. The lights strung across the bar danced above your head like fuzzy stars, and Ellie's smile was the brightest amongst them. Her glass was still empty, her wine glass dry, and yet her eyes told you she was intoxicated by something far stronger. 

“Sorry,” you said, giggling despite yourself. “I didn't mean to drink it all.” 

“Don't worry about it, darling,” she said, her voice silky smooth, reminding you of melted chocolate sliding down your throat. She tilted her glass, letting the remnants of melting ice clink against the side. “I wanted to make sure I could drive home okay.” 

The waiter arrived then, pulling the bill from his pocket and handing it to Ellie. You couldn't read the number upside down, not through the haze of the wine, but the number of digits made your stomach clench. Ellie dropped a black card into the folder and handed it back to the waiter. 

“How much do you want me to Venmo you?” you asked when she turned back to you. You clenched your hands in the hem of your dress, already calculating the extra shift you'd have to pick up to afford it. 

Ellie tilted her head, her brows furrowed. “Nothing,” she said, as though it were obvious. 

“That wasn't exactly a cheap bottle, Ellie,” you laughed. “Let me give you something.” 

Ellie hummed, propping her chin in her hand and looking at you with those same intense eyes; it sent a dangerous shiver down your spine. “I like when you say my name.”

You blinked at her. “Excuse me.” 

“I want to hear it again. That's how you can repay me.”

You rolled your eyes. “Ellie, I-” 

“Okay, now we're even,” she interrupted, smiling that crooked grin that you had started to crave. The waiter returned with her card and Ellie produced cash from her pocket, handing it to the waiter directly. He thanked her profusely before making his exit, grinning. When Ellie looked at you again, you were still watching her expectantly, dumbfounded. She finally rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what kind of date would I be if I made you pay?”

“You're not making me, I'm offering.” 

“And I'm saying no.” Ellie stood, straightening her shirt; when she tugged at it, the collar fell a bit, exposing sharp collarbones beneath. 

Rounding the table, she offered a hand to you, pulling you gently to your feet. You pulled her jacket tighter around yourself, knowing you needed to give it back yet unwilling to part with it just yet. 

Taking your arm, Ellie leaned in close enough that your breath caught in your throat and said, “I know why I found you on Seeking, okay? So, if it's alright with you, let me spoil you. Even if that just means one bottle of wine.” 

You laughed, but it sounded breathy even to your own ringing ears. “One very expensive bottle of wine.”

Ellie shrugged, a sparkle in her eye. “It's a small price to pay for your company.”

You were silent in the elevator, but you held on to her arm as though afraid to let go. You couldn't figure out why, but something in you urgently wanted nothing more than to be close to her. You couldn't remember the last time you had felt such a pull from somebody. 

Back on the street, the lights of the city seemed so much brighter than they had before. Ellie released your arm, turning to face you, and there was a strange pinch between her brows that you couldn't translate. 

“Do you want me to call you an Uber, or do you want me to take you home?” she asked, and your brain short-circuited. When you could do nothing but stammer, tripping over your own tongue, Ellie laughed. There was no mockery behind it, only quiet, bright amusement. “I meant I can drive you to your apartment so you don't have to drunkenly sit in an awkward Uber that smells sickeningly sweet and the driver tries to make mind-numbing small talk.” 

Your sigh of relief came out more like a laugh. 

Ellie tilted her head and stepped closer to you, her hand reaching out to graze your fingers, and that sigh was sucked right back into your lungs. Being so close to her made your head spin. Her breath fanned against your cheeks, smelling of warm whiskey, when she said, “Unless you want to come to my place?”

It had the uncertain tilt of a question, and Ellie wouldn't quite meet your eyes. 

“We don't have to do anything,” she continued in a rush. She scratched anxiously at the back of her head, a nervous laugh slipping between her lips. “We can just sit and talk more. Or watch a movie - my dad had this huge collection. I'm not gonna - You know, I'm not going to do anything you don't want.” She finally interrupted herself with a groan, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “Fuck, sorry, I wanted it to sound more suave than this.” 

And you would be a fucking idiot to go home with this impossible stranger. You had been taught better - never get into a stranger's car, and for the love of God, never let them take you to a second location. You could let her take you back to your apartment at least - you were admittedly incredibly tipsy and didn't particularly want to endure another ride with an annoyingly talkative Uber driver. You could go home, back to your claustrophobic, quiet apartment, and maybe - maybe - text  Ellie about setting up a second date. 

You were not stupid enough to go home with somebody on the first date. 

Except clearly you were, because you took the hand that was still grazing your fingers and looked up at Ellie - the contours of her face were shockingly etched with insecurity. And your dumb mouth said, of its own volition, “Okay.”

You had expected something flashy, like what a wealthy person would own in a movie - like a penthouse overlooking the city with too-white walls and electric guitars hanging, unused, on the walls. Maybe she had walls completely made of windows so it felt like you were on a pedestal overlooking the world. 

You hadn't expected a house that was older than your great-grandparents. 

When Ellie pulled into the driveway, you were sure she was just pulling in someplace to turn around, that she had missed her turn somewhere. But she put her stupidly-expensive car into park and killed the engine, shooting you an awkward glance. 

“Sorry,” she said, chuckling. “I know it’s not much.” 

You could only look at her incredulously, speechless, before looking back up at the house before you. You couldn’t even call it a house really - estate would be more fitting. Maybe mansion. Fuck, her house was the size of your apartment complex. It towered over you, three stories of intricate woodwork, warm brown beams wrapping around the structure like an elaborate skeleton. With beautiful eaves winding around the roof and an entire turret reaching for the moon, it looked like something that had stepped right out of some 1800s southern gothic novel. 

Ellie cleared her throat, startling you from a trance. You looked back at her and, for some reason, couldn’t stop yourself from laughing.

”Shit, sorry,” you said, covering your mouth with your hand. “I just - I’ve just never seen anything like it.” When Ellie’s eyes clouded over with uncertainty, you added softly, “It’s beautiful. Besides, Ellie,” you added, laughing again, “‘not much’ doesn’t really suit you.” 

Ellie opened and closed her mouth and yet no words came out. She was looking at you again as though you were something interesting - something new and exciting. Nobody had ever looked at you that way before, and the way your heart clenched at the sight was more than a little dangerous. 

Ellie finally smiled, huffing out a laugh - your heart was pretty satisfied with how often you were able to make her laugh - and said, “Do you still want to come inside?” 

And, surprisingly, you said, “Yeah, I do.” 

As Ellie got out, rounding the car to open your door for you, you discreetly checked that the taser was still in your bag. Sure, you had agreed to go home with a practical stranger, but you couldn't be too careful. 

The porch steps creaked as she led you to the door - double doors (of course), with stained glass and twisting vines carved into the wood. When Ellie opened them, it felt like you were transported to a different time on an entirely different world. 

The grand staircase caught your eye first - how could it not? Warm wooden steps covered in a blood red runner, a white banister winding up, those same vines that seemed to be the house’s signature carved into it. You could see a large, stained-glass window at the landing before it curved to disappear to the second floor. Moonlight splintered through the window in broken relief. 

As though in a trance, you wandered further into the house, walking to the fireplace situated right beneath the stairs. The wood stacked neatly inside was cold, untouched by a flame. There was a large mirror set atop the mantle, its gold frame a work of art alone. In the reflection, you could see the flush to your cheeks, and tried to convince yourself it was only from the cold. You still wore Ellie’s jacket, and you pulled it tight around your shoulders, as though it were a shield. 

You watched Ellie’s reflection as she walked slowly towards you, a small smile gracing her lips. She came close enough to touch - close enough that you could feel her cool breath against the back of your neck - and yet she didn’t put a hand on you. 

“There’s a lot more to see than the foyer,” she murmured, the words brushing your skin. “If you still want.” 

And you couldn’t stop your own smile as you turned back to her, your heart skipping at her proximity. “Show me.” 

She took your hand, her fingers shockingly cold, and led you into what must have been her living room - sitting room? Despite the fact that the house felt more like a museum - like you would get scolded for touching anything - the room was surprisingly cozy. A large, plush sectional was situated in front of another fireplace- this one also unblemished. Blankets and quilts were thrown over the couch and the accompanying chairs, leaving this time capsule looking strangely welcoming. 

“Okay, I have to ask,” you said, turning back to Ellie. She was watching you carefully, gauging your reaction with soft eyes, and you lost your train of thought. You opened your mouth but no sound came out; you weren’t sure if that was more or less embarrassing than the several curses you had said earlier in the night. 

Ellie hummed, raising her hand as though she wanted to touch you. She stopped only inches away from your cheek and dropped her hand, saying, “I’m an open book.” 

You had to turn away to collect your thoughts, wandering across the room if just to catch your breath. The opposite wall was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. You ran your fingers along the spines of vintage classics, an array of science books, and comics, enjoying the irony of seeing Savage Starlight in the middle of all this history. You picked up a copy to keep your hands busy. 

“How, um,” you started, stumbling over your words, “how did you end up here?” 

Ellie hummed again, and you heard her footsteps following you. “Here as in this town, this country, this world? You gotta be a little more specific.” 

You sighed, giving in and turning to look at her. She kept a careful distance, standing a few feet away from you with her hands in her pockets. “You know what I mean, smartass.”

Ellie chuckled, but her eyes had grown distant, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. She took a few more steps closer to you, looking at the comic book in your hands. On the app, she hadn’t struck you as the type to get easily bashful, and yet she had proven you wrong a few times already. 

“My family lived here,” she finally said, quiet as a secret. You watched her carefully, jumping at the opportunity to stare at her without those intense eyes looking back at you. Her brow furrowed and she pressed her lips together as though she was in pain, her green eyes shining. “It was just… passed down, I guess? It’s kind of always been here ever since I can remember. I’m not entirely sure when it became mine.” 

You tucked the comic book back into its spot between The Iliad and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. You said absently, “How old is this place anyway?”

”It was built in 1816,” she said automatically, as though it were memorized. 

“It’s an awfully big house for just one person.” You looked up at her through your lashes as she stepped closer - close enough that you could smell that same metallic warmth that seemed to cling to her. 

“It is,” Ellie murmured, smiling. She reached out again, and this time she allowed herself to touch you. Her cold fingers brushed against your cheek before she gently cupped your jaw, tilting your head so you’d look at her properly. Her green eyes were downright intimidating. “But I keep good company.” 

You rolled your eyes, yet you couldn’t convince yourself to look away. “Is that what you say to all the girls?” 

Ellie hummed, bracing her other hand on the bookshelf behind your head, and murmured, “No, I don’t.” She pressed in closer, her gaze dropping to your mouth, and you felt like your heart was going to leap from your throat. Ellie huffed out a laugh as though she could hear it pounding against your chest. When her thumb brushed your bottom lip, your lips parted on instinct. She didn’t look away, transfixed on the point where her skin touched your mouth, and you almost didn’t hear her when she said, “Can I?” 

And you had never been the kind of person to kiss on the first date, but she was looking at you with eyes hooded with want, her breath fanning against your cheeks. When she licked her lips, you couldn’t stop your eyes from following the motion. Her lips glistened, parted and plump, looking so impossibly soft. Somehow, past your haze, you heard yourself say, “Yes.” 

Ellie took her time in kissing you. She pressed you back gently, your shoulders pressing into the bookshelf behind you, and touched her nose to yours. She took a deep breath, breathing you in. Her hand was soft against your cheek, tilting your jaw up, and you hardly had to move to finally kiss her. 

Ellie tasted just like she smelled - spicy and metallic, the old-fashioned still hanging on her tongue. Despite the cold of her hand on your cheek, her mouth was impossibly warm, her breath slipping between your lips; it was intoxicating in a way that the wine couldn’t compare to. Her mouth moved against yours, soft and slow as a dance. 

Your hands reached out as though of their own accord, circling her waist and gripping at the slippery silk of her shirt. She pressed in close, crowding you against the bookshelf; you could feel her chest pressing against you, her hips on yours, the line of her body against yours making your head spin. And when Ellie’s tongue pressed against your lips, a gentle request for access, you felt like you’d faint altogether. 

Her tongue slipped between your teeth and you couldn’t stop the breathy sound it pulled from your throat. You could feel that infuriating smile against your lips and suddenly wanted nothing more than to wipe it away. You balled her ridiculously expensive shirt in your hands and pulled her impossibly closer, nipping at her bottom lip, and you wanted to swallow her gasp. 

Ellie pulled away, chuckling, but she didn’t go far. She pressed a kiss to your cheek, her lips trailing down to your jaw, and she could probably feel your pulse jump beneath her tongue. You could hear the smile in her voice when she said, “Do you do this often?” 

Her teeth grazed the sensitive spot below your ear, and it took you a few moments before you could respond. “Do what?” Despite yourself - despite the way your fingers gripped her shirt, your head swimming and an unexplainable want burning in your veins - you couldn’t help but laugh. “Go on a date with somebody I met on an app for sugar babies and go back to their ridiculously old mansion on the first date and-“ 

You cut yourself off. You weren’t sure exactly what was happening, and you were afraid that voicing it would break whatever spell you were under - whatever spell made this impossible woman’s touch feel like lightning. 

But Ellie only laughed, biting at the spot where your neck met your shoulder. “Yeah, that.” 

You shivered against her touch. “No, I’ve never really done this.” 

“Guess I’m just lucky.” 

Ellie kissed you again, only briefly, before she finally pulled away. She was grinning, her eyes sparkling with those same constellations; her face wasn’t even flushed, making you feel embarrassed about your burning cheeks. You were panting, intoxicated from the night and wine and Ellie. Her absence felt like an ache, your body craving the feeling of her lips, her teeth, her hands. You were close to tugging her back in, your hands still gripping her shirt, but she gently untangled herself from you with a laugh. 

“I want to keep going.” She paused, and then emphasized, “I really want to keep going. But you drank an entire bottle of wine, and I’d be kind of a shitty host if I didn’t offer you something to drink at least. Or are you hungry?” 

You were hungry, but it was the kind of hunger that food wouldn’t satiate. Still, you let your hands drop back to your sides, feeling your senses return to you now that they weren’t so tuned into Ellie - how she smelled, tasted, felt. When you laughed, it sounded breathy even to your own ears. “Some water would be nice.” 

“I can do that,” she said with a smile. “Stay here.” She kissed you again, lingering for a few moments longer than needed, before she turned and disappeared down the hall, leaving you alone in this ridiculously old mansion. 

With nothing else to keep yourself entertained, you did a slow lap around the room, eyeing the ironic blend of elegant antiques and silly trinkets that were so obviously Ellie. A cracked ivory trinket box sat on a shelf, intricate flowers engraved into the lid, set right next to a small figurine of an astronaut. Beautiful paintings lined the walls, signatures dating back to 1830 in elaborate script at the bottom, but there were also a few posters littered here and there - bands and video games. 

You walked over to the mantle, your fingers grazing over the marble top. The logs inside were untouched, and you briefly wondered if she’d light a fire soon to chase out the chill of autumn. A small jar filled with guitar picks sat at the corner, and you wondered if she really did have an electric guitar collection hidden around here somewhere. Your foot kicked an empty dog bowl, and yet Riley was nowhere to be found. Maybe Ellie took her to daycare when she knew she’d bring a girl home. You nearly laughed at the idea. 

Atop the mantle, hidden behind pictures of what must have been friends or family - hiking or traveling or laughing in somebody’s backyard - there was another picture frame. It must have fallen, face down so that the picture inside was covered. You reached out, careful to not disturb any of the other frames, and picked it up. You were just going to fix it, set it up next to the others, but something in the image caught your eye. You plucked it from its home, bringing it closer, holding it up to the light to get a better look. For a long time, you couldn’t figure out what you were looking at. Your heart hammered against your chest, your ears ringing, as though your body had figured it out before your brain did. 

It was an old photograph, grainy and sepia, faded and frayed around the edges with age. It was the house, looking just like it did today - the huge windows shining in the sunlight, the intricate eaves and wrap-around porch perfectly polished and new. A family stood on the lawn in front of the house, looking awkward and stiff. Back then, cameras took several minutes to actually capture a photo, so people tended to look a little awkward from trying to hold the same expression for so long. But that’s not what had caught your eye. 

It was a small family - a weary looking dad and his two daughters, looking just a few years younger than you. 

She looked a little different. Her hair was longer, falling in waves around her shoulders. She was definitely a few years younger, and she wore a sweet, full-length gown instead of a worn leather jacket. 

You checked the date in the bottom corner at least five times, but there was no mistaking it. The person in the photo was undeniably Ellie, standing in front of this house in 1816. 

tag list: @macaroni676 @ellstronaut @elliewilliamsmiller0 @elliescoolerwife @letsreadsomesins-shallwe @peejayurple @liliflowers-blog @filtered-sunlight @hobbybound

[tyudearyous]

blurred lines - s.mg

pairings : song mingi x reader (f)

genre : fluff, angst, suggestive

themes : friends with benefits au where reader carries her heart on her sleeves while mingi's just mingi.

wc : 5.4k

author's note : had several discussions on mingi with my mutuals in twitter and it made me want to write this so badly LMAO. light suggestive themes like kissing. please enjoy 🤍🤍

🎵 do me right - gemini, drunken texts - jey, honey (medasin remix) - kucka, close to me - laica, mimi - youra, dirty - jey, omega - saay

masterlist

...

fervent knockings could be heard blasting through the thin wood of your front door. who the hell is knocking at your door at motherf- it's 2 in the morning. gosh, you thought. you tried waking up yourself to greet the unwanted guest in front of your door. you had suspicions, it wasn't an unusual thing anyway that you had this late night guests.

"come onnn, open the door!" more knockings could be heard with slurred whines from a male. you immediately knew who it was from the voice. "what is it, mingi?" you opened the door to the (very) drunk 6ft male in front of you. he smelled like alcohol and you're sure he's drank more than 10 shots, considering how he looks.

the man immediately slumped to you to hug and lean on to you. you brought him in and gosh, he was very heavy. well, mingi was twice your size and yet you had to carry him in because he's a drunken mess right now.

"you d-didn't answer hic my hic callss" mingi whined while pouting. "it's 2 AM mingi, two in the morning, what did you expect?" you sat him up on your couch and you scurried to get him a glass of water so he'll sober up just a bit.

"are you mad at me? hic" mingi asked. "what made you think i was angry?" you halted on your tracks, staring at him confusedly. "i didn't get close hic to any girls hic. i was at hic the party because it was hic san's birthday hic. sorry" he tried explaining himself. well, truthfully you hated it when he goes to those types of parties but who are you to dictate over his life. you were only his friend, only a friend.

you didn't answer him. you stayed quiet and gave him the glass of water he needed. he was eyeing you the whole time, waiting for your response. then you just sat next to him, still quiet. mingi didn't spoke any further, he only drank the water you gave him and simply stared at you, with the eyes of a puppy whose owner just scolded.

"i'm not mad, why should i?" you answered him when you noticed that he really wanted an answer from you. "i'm sorry" was all he muttered before leaning in for a kiss. you didn't kiss back and tried to pull back but mingi was strong. he was stronger than you. so, it was useless.

you sighed to yourself before giving in. it was always like this. always like that. mingi'd get busted drunk and then he'll go to your place and boom you'd do it and then he'd leave before you even woke up. it was always like that. almost like a cycle even. you genuinely don't know when did it start. when did your friendship turn into one with such benefits. when did your innocent friendship turn into this?

...

"i genuinely don't get how you both are friends" san states as he downs an entire cake on one singular bite. "ew! you eat like a kid sannie" wooyoung scolds san. "but honestly yeah, how did you two became friends" sujung asked you both. you and mingi simply stared at each other before raising each others' shoulders together. san, wooyoung and sujung only sighed at your responses. you could only awkwardly laugh before saying you didn't know.

it was random honestly. you saved mingi from getting scolded from the first day of school when you found him sneaking in through the back gates of your school. he was late and tried to sneak in, avoiding the guarding teacher. you were on your way to go back to the assembly hall when you saw him stare at you, eyes begging you to help him. well, the situation was his pants got stuck on the wire of the back gate. it was laughable but you helped him before sneaking him in the assembly hall. from there on, he was stuck to your hips.

"yo" mingi nudged your arms while slightly leaning to you. you moved away slightly. "what?" you asked him back. "no plans today?" he asked you while taking your right hands to play with it. this particular tendency of his just never fails to bring butterflies to your heart but well, he was your friend. just a friend who's particularly clingy, nothing more, nothing less so you shrugged off the feeling before shaking your head to answer his questions. "good, go home with me m'kay?" he leaned to your shoulders while asking the question. you shoved him away before clicking your tongue. he laughed it off and focused back to the lesson.

you glanced to look at him. he was smiling whilst trying to focus on the class. you genuinely don't know how you make me feel don't you?, you thought, well thought you thought but you vocalized your thoughts, making mingi turn his head to you and look at you confusedly. you realized what you just muttered. "nothing! go focus again" you pushed mingi's head to not look at you.

"y/n and mingi!" mr. kim shouted after seeing the two of you constantly interacting. "focus on the lesson!" he said, making the entire class laugh under their breath. the two of you muttered apologies before actually focusing on the lesson.

...

"mingi..." you stared at him dissapprovingly. "what?" he gave you the spare helmet he prepared specially for you. "do you... even have a license?" you asked him. "missy, don't worry you're in safe hands. we're not going on the main street anyways. hop on, come on" mingi ushered you to hop on the back seat of his brand new (?) harley.

"when did you even get this?" you asked him, still not wanting to hop on. "my dad bought it for me last year, but he only just allowed me now. oh come on, y/n. trust me, i'm good at this" he begged you with puppy eyes. after several attempts of begging in typical song mingi style, you agreed and hopped on the back seat of his bike.

"this is a high one huh?" you muttered when you were already on the bike. "get used to it, i'm gonna bring you around with this a lot" he muttered before putting on his helmet and starting the bike. "hold on to me, okay?" he pulled your hands to the sides of his waist. you held on to him while your heart was going on a whole marathon.

the whole ride you could feel your body heating up. not because it was hot or anything, it was because of the man you're currently hugging and leaning on to. a part of you wanted to lean on his back fully but a part of you don't really want to. however, as if this man was a devil's incarnate, he pulled your hands forward, making you fully lean on his back. "don't fall" was all he muttered before continuing to drive. was this the heavens testing you and your sanity? well, all you know is that you're going insane and also red. you're just thankful that he can't see you right now.

"we're here" mingi parked the bike beside a park. he took off his helmet and blazer. "why aren't you hopping off?" mingi chuckled, knowing damn well that you are struggling. it was your first time riding such high bike and you genuinely don't want to embarrass yourself by falling down a harley. "help me bitchass" you scoffed at him. he laughed for a good minute before actually helping you get off the bike. when you're on the ground, you immediately grabbed his shoulders to headlock him.

"ah! ah! sorry! hahaha sorry come on" mingi pleads guilty but you were way too annoyed, so you took a handful of his hair before pulling on it slightly to joke around with him. "aAaAAahhHhhh! please i don't want to be bald y/n!" he laughs while screaming. you let him go after that before laughing at his pouty face.

"okay sorry, stop pouting okay?" you stood on your tip toes to pinch his cheeks. his pouty face became a smiley one now and you both stared at each other for a while before going on a fit of laughter because of each other's face.

"okay, be real. why did you brought me here?" you asked mingi. he just shrugged his shoulders before walking to the park, which you followed suit. "i just wanted to destress you know?" he mutters before taking a seat on the stairs. from there, you can see the serene waters of a river nearby.

"why didn't you ask yunho? i'm sure he'd make time for you, after that whole moral loyalty thing" you chuckled, taking a seat next to him on the stairs. "nah, wanted you to be my first passenger" mingi replied. you tilted your head. first passenger? oh. so he planned this all for you.

"is that also your moral loyalty to me?" you nudged his arms, teasing him. he nodded with a smug grin that was asking to be praised. you scoffed and laughed so hard seeing this. "song mingi, you hopeless one" you slapped his arms jokingly.

"i'm serious though, i'd always give my firsts to you, besides yunho" you immediately stared at him. "dude" you replied, mingi only raised his eyebrows to you. "do you realize what you're implying dumbo" you scoffed at him before punching his arms lightly. "yea, i fully realize it." he scooted closer to you.

"did you plan this too?" he was getting closer to you. when he got really close to your face, your breath hitched and he smiled. HE SMILED, he had the audacity to. "no but i welcome surprises you know?" his eyes diverted from your eyes to your lips and back to your eyes while your eyes were fully on his. your body tensed and you couldn't even think clearly.

"i won't do it if you don't want to" mingi spoke but definitely getting closer to you. you pulled back slightly to look at mingi. "will this be your first kiss?" you ask him, he nodded. you diverted your gaze from his eyes to his lips. well, let's be honest. this is song mingi we're speaking of. he's very VERY attractive and yes, you do want to kiss him. without thinking too much, you allowed him to and there, in the park near the river around 5 blocks from your school, you shared your first kiss with song mingi.

...

however, it wasn't only your first kiss that was taken by song mingi. your first time was also his and vice versa. it was perhaps a month after you shared your first kiss? yeah, around those time. during that period, your relationship slightly got more and more physical. you'd sneak out at break session to make out with him at the old unused building of your school or he'll drive you to somewhere quiet and serene to just envelope you in a kiss (kisses).

so when mingi decided it'd be good to invite you to his place when his parents and brother went to vacation, it was all bound to happen. you gave him your first and you were also his first. it was awkward, truthfully. two youths not knowing what to do, just knowing small details here and there from explicit videos or books. you two even spent about half an hour just giggling because of how dumb the two of you looked, trying to figure out what to do. however, when he truly figured out what to do with you, it was bliss. pure bliss. he was gentle and he ultimately prioritized you. it was all wonderful for your first and you're more than glad that he was your first.

"hey" mingi uttered, laying down next to you after coming down from his own high. you just shuffled to your side to look at him. "that was good" he chuckled.

"thanks" you muttered, still looking at him. "my pleasure" then he brought you in for a hug and kissed your forehead before lulling you to rest. it was great, everything felt great, being in his embrace felt great. however, will all of this be an ephemeral moment? you thought to yourself. you quickly shrugged it off though after hearing his soft snores. he's tired now and you too, so you closed your eyes and went off to dream land in mingi's arms.

that was the start where all the lines in your relationship with mingi became blurred.

...

back to the present day, you actually succeeded in making his stop his moves on you. "you're drunk min" you pushed him away, resulting in him stopping. "hic come on" he tried getting closer again and you slapped his arms.

"go wash up, i'm not dealing with you tonight" you left the living room to go to your room and sleep. that was the first time you succeeded in getting away from mingi's drunken advances. not long after you went to your room, the crickling sounds of water can be heard through the bathroom. he's washing up probably, you thought. since he was sober enough to shower, you rested yourself up, not worried since he's sober enough. but if he was sober enough, why did he still insisted on doing it? countless what ifs and scenarios went through your head but you shrugged it all. after all you were just his friend, just a friend. actually scratch that, you've crossed the lines of just friends with him since a long time ago but none of you were brave enough to remove that line between you.

either way, you went to sleep. you don't want to get over into your head tonight, not when mingi is still present in your place.

not long after you tried to fall asleep, mingi entered your room and sat on the edge of your bed. "i know you're not asleep" he mutters before playing with your hair. you weren't facing him, your back was. you feigned ignorance to his pleas of your attention. it wasn't long until he decided to just lay down next to you.

"listen, sorry." he stated into the quiet room. "for what?" you replied to him. "face me" he said before pulling your body, making you face him now. he was looking at you. his eyes just felt somber? it wasn't one you're used to for sure.

"sorry for being a dick" he says while tracing your features with his left hand. you only stared at him, not giving him any answers. "i went to san's party today and got kinda drunk. sobered up though and thought of you immediately. that's why i went here. sorry for pushing myself onto you, should've not done that" he explains himself. you just nodded.

"can i be honest?" you asked him, in which he nodded to. "i'm tired of this all. you always come over when you're drunk. we'll do it until dawn then you'll leave immediately then the next day when we meet, we have to act as if nothing happened. then the cycle repeats, over and over again. genuinely, what are we mingi?" you asked him.

he stayed silent for a while. "i don't expect anything from you, so don't worry but just, you know? i feel tired. i tried, i tried mingi. i tried to do this all without strings attached but, i guess it's just your personality. you'd say things that made me hopeful. you'd do things that made me hope. hope that someday, the blurred line in our relationship would be clear. we're not just friends, min. you know that. friends don't do this. friends don't kiss. friends don't do each other. friends don't act like this" you explained your feelings to him. you were ready to accept rejection, you were ready to let everything go honestly. you didn't care, you were tired of being the one having to keep everything to herself. you were ready to let him go.

"i don't have much to explain honestly. it just feels comfortable with you. everything feels right with you, that's why i'm being like this with you. i'm sorry for hurting you. i'm sorry, y/n. if this all just hurts you, i'm willing to let you go. we can act like normal friends again. i'm sorry for having commitment issues. i'm sorry baby" he grazed your cheeks with his hands before muttering countless apologies to you.

"can i at least know why?" you ask him. "i'm not good enough for you. i'm genuinely not. you deserve someone better, y/n. if i had a heart i would've given it all to you but i wouldn't want you to have my ugly heart." mingi explained himself, slightly tearing up. "who said that" you laughed while pinching his cheeks.

"myself. i've never told you this honestly" you tilted your head, hands still on his cheeks. poking it repeatedly to lighten up the mood. "when that joohyuk guy tried to get close to you, i was the one who made him walk away" he revealed the truth. ever since you became friends with him, he developed a slight sense of protection. he wanted you to himself and he loathed it when anyone tried to get close to you.

"you have severe commitment issues, man" you laughed at him. "aight, i'm guilty of that" he raised his hands to the air jokingly. "this would be the last we'll be like this, hmm?" you asked, gazing at the ceiling. "yeah" was all mingi could mutter before he pulls you in for a cuddle. you didn't reject it. you were letting go of him, it was for your best. it hurts but you couldn't continue putting yourself in that situation. it would only hurt more if you stayed.

"i love you, please know that" mingi mutters before kissing your forehead. why? why did he have to be like this? but perhaps this was the universe's way of telling you that not everything can go in the way you want. it hurts so much, gosh, you felt like crying in his embrace but you held it in. you held everything in.

"i love you, it's bad for me song mingi" was all you could say to him. that day, the blurred lines between your relationship was removed and made clear once again. that you were just his friend, nothing more, nothing less.

...

it's a friday night after work when you decided to tag along with your coworkers to a nearby fancy bar that had just opened. work has been brutal lately. clients have been coming continuously and amidst all the chaos, you're grateful things are going well at your work. you're also thankful that the team you're taking charge of are also very cooperative and professional. making the brutal workload sort of easier for you to handle. it has also been 5 years since you graduated university. you haven't had the chance to meet any of your friends post graduation, mainly because a lot of them got work opportunities abroad. that's why you genuinely didn't expect to see song mingi in front of the bar you and your coworkers went to. he's changed a lot from the last time you saw him. his hair no longer black like the last time you saw him but was now brown. his figure also got bigger but one thing stayed the same. he was still the song mingi, your first love.

"hey, i'm gonna catch up for a bit, chat me where you guys are sitting later okay?" you separated yourself from your coworkers, walking up to strike a conversation with mingi. the man you've let go but still definitely missed.

"mingi?" his eyes that was focused on his phone shot up to you. he seemed surprised to see you, to the point he dropped the single cigar his left hand was holding. "y/n?" he asked, surprised.

"i thought you'd go to the states with yunho?" you walked closer, now standing in front of him. "n-no, wait, do i look okay?" he scurried to open the camera app to look at himself. he looked like a loser getting worried over nothing.

"you've grown a lot huh?" you tilted your head to tease him. "now what does that supposed to mean, little missy?" he teased you back. you two laughed together and catch up on what you've missed. turns out he did went to the states with yunho post graduation. however, he went back as his father decided it'd be good for him to take charge of the family business, thus why he's here again.

"did you change your number?" mingi asked you. "oh, yeah. my old phone broke so i had to change it" you explained yourself. he then offered his phone and you immediately typed in your new number for him.

"you with your friends?" he asked. you nodded before clarifying that they were your coworkers. "i see" he mumbled before opening his arms. you immediately went into his embrace. the two of you shared a hug in front of a bar. it was silly to explain but it was great.

"missed you so much" mingi pulled you closer to his embrace. you patted his back and returned the same sentiment. "okay, enough. your coworkers are probably looking for you" he pulled back and patted your head. you nodded before bidding goodbyes. you had many questions for him but you had no time.

"mingi" you called out to him. "yeah?" he replied. "a meal next time?" you asked him and he agreed. so you bid goodbyes and you entered the bar.

...

two weeks passed and today was the day you and mingi were going out to catch up with each other. he insisted on picking you up after work, so you allowed him to. when the clock hits 6 PM straight, you left for work to see the same white harley davidson you first rode on a random friday after school at 18.

"you still have this?" you laughed at mingi before taking the helmet he gave you. "why would i get rid of it?" he scoffed before starting the machine. "come on, hop on" you hopped on the bike. you didn't struggle this time though because the years of being friends with mingi definitely trained you to hop on and off tall bikes. you then put your hands to envelope mingi's waist, so you don't fall off the bike. butterflies were flying off your stomach at this point, but again. you didn't expect anything. there wasn't much to expect from since the beginning anyway.

the two of you then arrived in a cozy little restaurant that you used to go to with him a lot. "i haven't been here in a while" you commented as you got off the bike. "mhm, it's far from your place" he held your hands to make sure you weren't falling off the bike. these little gestures were why you fell for him in the first place.

you both went into the restaurant and sat at the corner seat where you used to seat a lot. when you ordered, the owner actually remembered you and mingi so it was a pleasant experience to have some sort of nostalgia. it has been 5 years and many have changed but at the same time, it just feels like nothing has changed.

you both ordered your own foods just like you'd always do. the dinner went on a comfortable silence. just like the old days, but you're no longer youths now. you've both grown into full fledged adults now.

"so, you're like a CEO now?" you asked mingi while still munching on the fried rice you ordered. "sort of? i mean my father is still the head, i'm just like managing things here and there" he explained his job. mingi actually came from golden spoon but he isn't the type to show it off at all. he preferred to be quiet about it since he valued honesty in friendships, not wanting to have friends just because of his money.

"how about you?" he asked, eyes fully on you now. "i'm just a team leader at a food company" you then explained your job and also ranted about your job perhaps but you digress. "that's good. i'm glad you're doing well" he stated, smiling. "i'm also glad you're doing well too" you replied to him.

"but, i don't remember you like smoking? didn't you hate it?" you asked him. "i only smoke sometimes, not all the time. just when i feel like it you know?" he explains. you remember when hongjoong made him try cigarettes for the first time and how mingi absolutely loathed it, coughing endlessly before pledging he'd never touch it again, but here we are ironically. "you don't cough now because of it?" you scoffed to tease him about it. "oh come on, i've grown" he laughed.

the entire meal went by like a flash. it was a great nostalgia. the food tasted the same as you remembered and when you finished, he paid for your meals. you tried asking him to split the bill but he refused to. well, he's always been that type so you just let him.

"you wanna go elsewhere?" he asked you. "where?" you asked him back. "my place, i just moved into a new place and well, i have a dog now. i wanted to introduce you to her" you tilted your head and laughed at his invitation. "mingi-ya, you're not slick you know?" you laughed so hard, you threw your entire body back. he only laughed slightly at your reaction. "come on, do you want to or not?" you held back your laughters before nodding. thus, the two of you were off to mingi's place.

...

when you arrived, turns out he now lived in a sky penthouse in the elite area. well, you weren't shocked. he was a golden spoon after all, but yeah it was still shocking to experience it. he lived in the 18th floor and when he opened the door, you were immediately greeted by a small pekingese dog.

"awww!!! what's its' namee?" you kneeled down to play with the dog in the foyer. "bbyongie" mingi utters while taking your coat and his to place it in the coat hanger. "aww, is it a he or she?" you asked again. "he" mingi walks off to sit at the couch. "come on, bbyong-ah come over" and with that the dog immediately went to mingi and played with him. you took the chance to take off your shoes and put your bags on the hanger.

"a penthouse huh?" you finally got the time to look at his new place. "you like it?" mingi asked you while playing with bbyongie. "mhm, if i had the money i'd get a place like this" you laughed while walking to look at the kitchen area. "this huge kitchen, do you even cook?" you teased him. "y/n. my mom owns a restaurant. of course i can cook you dimwit" he stood up to follow you on your little tour of his place.

"what's this room?" you pointed at the room next to the kitchen, not realizing he was standing behind you. when you realized that he was though, you moved away in shock. "that's not a room, that's the pantry" mingi explained while opening the pantry for you to see. "ohh okay" you moved on to look at the other rooms. he actually gave you a whole house tour. it was funny but like, this house was big and it was interesting to see how your friend has been living up.

"upstairs?" you asked. "just my room" he answered. you nodded and didn't go up the stairs, wanting to value his privacy. "don't wanna see?" he asked you. you tilted your head, confusedly. what was he trying to imply? is he oblivious or is he being sly?. "why would i see your bedroom dummy" you shrugged it off and went to play with bbyongie once again.

"i haven't dated anyone after we broke it off" he states simply. your hands that was playing with bbyongie stopped and you leaned back on the couch. "so? what is that supposed to mean for me, mingi?" you asked him. you weren't oblivious and you were certainly more than able to put two and two together but you kind of refused to. were you ready to have that type of relationship again with mingi? even if he commits to you now, were you ready? you genuinely don't know thus why you were acting nonchalant.

"don't pretend like you don't know what i mean" he was standing next to you now. "was this your plan?" you asked him. he nodded. "it was now or never you know?" he laughed slightly.

"you know, i don't know. even if you are willing to commit now mingi, i don't know." you bite your lips before looking down. he walked to your front and leaned on to you. "give me a second chance, would you? i'll prove it to you" his face was only a few centimetres away from you. if you moved your head forward slightly, your lips would've touched but you did the opposite. you pulled back slightly.

"convince me?" you pouted slightly before looking up at him. giving him a signal, that he can do what he wants. understanding this he carried you upstairs immediately, leaving bbyongie confused downstairs.

when you reached his bedroom, he immediately pushed you down his bed and locked lips with yours. "min- ah, wait" you tugged on his shirt. he was getting aggressive and it wasn't a pace you're used to, so you were out of breath. he pulled back, noticing you were struggling to breathe.

"did the 5 years of not getting laid made you rusty, huh?" he teased you. you slapped his arms immediately. he wasn't wrong but that was uncalled for. "sorry" he chuckled before enveloping you in another kiss. this time softer and gentler. your hands moved from his arms to grab on his hair. this earned a groan from him and ultimately deepened the whole interaction. you could feel your lips getting puffy by the time you were both out of breath.

"missed this so much" he moved to nuzzle on your shoulders now. pressing soft kisses to it before nipping on it, leaving red marks that you definitely need to cover with concealers tomorrow. "you don't have work tomorrow right?" you shook your head. "good" then he continued to do what he was doing, this time rougher.

"hey, just because i don't have work doesn't mean you can go ham on marking you dimwit" you pulled his hair to pull his face from your shoulders. "sorry, just this once please" he was begging with puppy eyes. you pinched his nose before sighing. you were weak to his puppy eyes, so you just let him be.

"minmin" you called out. he stopped to look at you. "before i let you do more, what are we?" you cupped his cheeks. unlike last time where he hesitated on his answers, he was smiling now. "lovers? if you want to" he answered your question with a big grin on his face. "learned your lesson now huh?" you joked while pinching his cheeks. "yes, i'm sorry so let me love you, okay?" he begged. you nodded before encircling your arms on his back to bring him to another kiss.

hesitancy out of the window, just pure love present in the room. if you thought everything was ephemeral, you were proven wrong. perhaps everything happened because you both weren't ready. but now that you are, the universe has decided to bring you together.

toujours et pour toujours.

(always and forever)

the end.

[buggybambi]

Ooo hiii! Can I please request a Carmy x fem!reader where he proposes to her on Valentine’s Day? Ooo and maybe this is the au where she’s his assistant, and has been for years, and the staff is heavily involved in the proposal hehe

Also Richie making some joke about how this is some promotion she’s getting lmao

hope this is okay my love! i honestly had no idea i had an au where she's an assistant lmao! i also changed it a little bit, hope that's okay ♡ - wc: 1.02k | nav post - request guidelines | cw: fem!reader, mention of reader wearing a dress

"You're not seriously proposing, are you?" Richie asks Carmen as the two prepare the Beef for it's opening. Carmen lets out a sigh as he ties his apron behind his back. "And who the hell told you?" Carmen questions in return.

"Sugar did. You proposin' or what?" Richie repeats, as Carmen rolls his eyes. "Cousin, you are not to say a word about this to anyone, okay?" He lets out a long exhale. "I am. Tonight." Carmen confirms as Richie stares at him. "Oh my gosh, you're gonna marry your assistant. If only we had an HR that could have a field day with you."

"I'm basically HR, cousin." Carmy reminds as he walks over to Marcus. "Chef, how's it going?" He asks as he rubs his hands together. "I have got our Valentine's day treats prepped, and I even have a cake prepared for when you propose to your girl." Marcus grins as Carmen rolls his eyes. "Maybe Sugar is the one I should tell to shut up." He mumbles before he walks over to his station.

"So, any big plans for tonight?" He overhears Syd ask you as you and her handle cleaning one of the other stations. "None at all. Why is everyone asking me that today?" You laugh, a sound that he can't help but smile at, as you walk over to Marcus with the clipboard he assigned to you three years ago when you began working as his assistant.

It was Sugar really who gave him the idea of getting an assistant. She told him, "you're busy. You can't handle your own schedule or meetings, so hire someone to do it for you." She was the one to pick you out from a list of candidates, and from the moment he met you, he was in love with you.

But, in usual Carmen fashion, he took forever to get with you. Convincing himself you wouldn't feel the same way, that you wouldn't even want to be with him. Until you told him first that you loved him and had been in love with him. From there you two were kind of like the Jim and Pam of the Beef, at least that's what Sydney referred to you too as.

"Hi Marcus. Oh, cute treats." You greet with a smile as you lean against the wall by his station, clipboard resting face-up against your front. "What's with that cake?" You ask, looking at the clipboard for any orders that may have been placed.

"Uh, I asked him to make it. Pete and I's anniversary is coming up and we didn't save any of our wedding cake so I asked Marcus to recreate it." Nat swoops in, smiling at you. You nod slowly. "Right.. well, congrats on your anniversary, Sug." You say before you turn and walk over to Carmen.

"Hey you. Clear your calendar because I am setting up a date night for us." Carmen says as he leans on the counter, standing in front of you. "Mm. Can I ask what we're doing on this date night or is it a total surprise?" You ask.

"Total surprise. I'll pick you up at your place." He kisses you on the cheek before walking off. You laugh before going back to your clipboard filled with Carmen's list of activites and meetings for the day. ────

You sat on your sofa, the dress you first met Carmen in on you. You figured with it being Valentine's Day, the nostalgia of the first time you met him would be nice for the date night Carmy had planned.

A small knock from the front door, and you stood from your spot and walked over to answer it. Fixing your hair as you stood in front of the door for a second, you opened it, expecting to meet Carmen's eyes. Instead, you found him on one knee in front of you, one hand behind his back.

"I was going to do this at a restaraunt. Or on the sidewalk, or literally any-fucking-where else." He admits with a breathy laugh following. "But, I couldn't wait. I couldn't imagine myself doing this anywhere else and of course it's like me to do this at your front door on your welcome mat."

"I love you. I've loved you since I met you, and each day that passes I find myself falling more and more in love with you. You're my everything, you're my moon and stars- no, you're my fucking universe." He shakes his head, tears in his eyes. "And I can't imagine a world or my life without you there. I want you and I to build a life together. To have a family with you if that's what we find ourselves wanting." He smiles. "Will you make me the happiest man, even though you already have, make me an even happier man and marry me?"

As soon as he pulls the ring out you're already saying yes, practically dragging him up off the ground so you can kiss him. He slides the ring onto your finger before kissing you again. You pull away, laughing as you place a hand on his cheek. "Carm, I love you so much- was everyone else in on this!?" You ask through a laugh.

"They were. Sugar kept telling everyone, I'm shocked no one spilled." He laughs as well, wrapping his arms around you to hug you, burying his face in your neck. "Okay, seriously no Valentine's day will ever top this." You say.

────

It doesn't shock anyone when you show up to work the next day with the ring on your finger, and the story of him proposing on your doorstep doesn't shock anyone either. "Is this her getting a promotion?" Richie asks with a grin as you roll your eyes. "If we had an HR department I swear I'd file a report against you."

"You're technically marrying the HR department." Carmen says softly as you grin. "Hell yes I am." You place a kiss on his cheek. "Hey, now as your assistant I get to schedule your wedding." You note as he smiles, pressing his forehead against yours.

"Can't wait for it."

˙ ✩°˖🌸 ⋆｡˚꩜

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[yullalightk]

WOTFI IS HERE!!!!!!! WHOOO!!!!!!

I'M SO SORRY I'M LATE! But! I watched it after the livestream countdown, and, BOI! Do I have a lot to say!! and I'll make a part 2 of the WOTFI review cause, I don't think I'll be able to fit everything in one post. And with a lot of school projects on the line. So, I'll work on pt 2! and post it tomorrow!

!Also, spoiler warning!

So... we good? Okay! strap in!!

First off the thumbnail looks AMAZING!!!!! It really got me excited as soon as I woke up at 1 in the morning lmao😂

As soon as I watched it I was actually surprised they decided not to go with the horror route like in the trailer.. But personally, I'm not gonna complain I mean that should've been expected imo.

Also, the poster is soo fricking cool!!!! Like, I can't get enough of this art style and THE WAY IT WAS ANIMATED WAS LIKE A MOVIE INTRO!!!! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!✨

The intro/Puzzles' backstory

So, I'm glad that Mr Puzzles gave us a more clearer explanation to his backstory. Even though it was something a lot of us knew already. None the less it was nice! I'm curious about the mother though, like, what was she like to Puzzles? Was she someone who didn't believe in her son's dreams as well? Or maybe someone who encouraged him to keep trying? Idk honestly, but maybe we'll get that answer in next year's WOTFI!

I also don't think he just sat in his room all day to adulthood, maybe he left his home to chase his dream but failed on multiple occasions. (Kinda like in the series where he tries to kill the crew but fails all the time) or, he watched TV all day as a coping mechanism. Trying to escape the cruelty of the world he lived in.

Also, wdhm when he said "The rest is history" like, we need more. Like how you got godlike powers? maybe that'll be explored more in WOTFI 2025!

Side note: Leggy's face when she dropped little Puzzles was funny for some reason help! IT HAD NO REASON TO BE THIS FUNNY!!😂😂

HE SWORE!!!!! YESS!!!!!!!! I swear he needs to let his anger out more, You gotta give kudos to him for enduring Mario's chaos😂

The casts!

I really LOVED the character designs! I can see how they are freaks now!

My all time favorites are SMG3, Bob, and Karen! They're designs stick out the most in the cast and I do like how they are all under Puzzles' control, like the PV movie!

Wish Saiko had more screen time though, I'm just a little disappointed at that. They could've done something interesting for her. Heck, they even gave the rest of the main cast more screen time than her.

But, maybe we'll see that in the next WOTFI? Hold up- wait a sec, I'm seeing a pattern of sorts... are, the stuff that felt lackluster in the 2024 WOTFI coming back as something better in WOTFI 2025?? That could be a possibility. I might make a theory on that, but hopefully when I'm not busy.

Side note: I swear this episode made me ship Mario and Puzzles so much!!😂😂 I mean- It's just hilarious to me!

Like when he said "Dear Mario" I know he hates him but like the way he says it made it feel like he likes him, or just toying with him!! Marware fans are eatin' good today! And he also complimated Mario on his performances on the fire perfomance!!! I know... he was doing what a judge does, try say something nice to the performers. But! That won't stop me from shipping them! And don't forget! Mario also still wanted to stay despite the hell Mr Puzzles put them through, in the rap Mario still wanted to have some fun in the amusment park! But, also glad he attacks him when Puzzles harms Mario's friend. And can be scared of him sometimes.

Now listen, I know he was trying to get Mario back so he won't ruin his show again but to me it also looks like he wants Mario to pay attention to him! kinda like a yandere😂😂 I'm just letting Marware infect my brain at this point haha.. it's becoming a curse.

Anyway that's part 1 for now. Part 2 will hopefully come out tomorrow as well, and I also have some projects to do so I know I said I will post every Saturday but that may be a little difficult, I'll get part 2 out tomorrow and I really hope that'll be the end of my review of this year's WOTFI!

Thanks for reading! hope ya'll enjoyed my WOTFI 2024 review pt 1.

[cielelyse]

Hii! do you have any one piece ships you like other than zosan? if so, would you want to write about them at some point?

HI ANON WHAT A WONDERFUL QUESTION, I LOVE IT, THANK YOU! I would not be myself if I don’t answer tumblr asks with needless ramblings so I’m sorry to have subjected you to this, though you have brought this upon yourself 

YES! I definitely have other OP ships I like! These are my favourites in order:

1. Luffy x Sanji

I actually love LuSan just as much as I love ZoSan! I have a LuSan draft in my gdocs, which I'm not sure I'll ever finish but it's there! I love them a whole lot. This is also embarrassing to admit, but the only reason why I’m not making progress on writing for them is because Luffy is SO HARD to characterize. Every time he shows up in The Spilhaus Project I’d worry about whether or not he’s in character, whether or not he’s saying the “right” things, whether or not his actions are sound, etc. I DON’T KNOW WHY THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY BRAIN, I APOLOGIZE ON ITS BEHALF

Funny thing is that every time Luffy shows up in my ZoSan fic, I'm half trying to characterize him well, and half trying not to turn it into a LuSan fic lmao. At some point I'll get that LuSan fic written!

ERGO, I LOVE LUSAN WITH MY WHOLE HEART 

2. Nami x Vivi

They just have such good chemistry! I'm also a sucker for the pirate x princess dynamic. FUCK I LOVE THEM. My queens. I'll for sure have them as a minor ship in The Spilhaus project!

Funnily enough, I was so enamoured by Nami and Vivi's relationship that when Robin showed up, I expected her and Nami to have the same level of chemistry too since they're nakama. But they didn't! And I'm still sad about that! I thought I would love them even more than NamiVivi! Although this scene from Long Ring Long Land lives in my head rent-free:

MOTHERS???? MY SOUL MOANED. I WOULD BE SUCH A DIE-HARD SHIPPER IF THEY INTERACTED LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME

3. Capone Bege x Chiffon

Okay they are just too cute. 100% my favourite canon ship in OP.

4. Robin x Franky

Man I really like them. The contrasting personalities, the "it's not a crime to exist", the humour of Robin berating Franky in Chopper's body... I'm already writing hints of them in The Spilhaus Project but definitely will explore them more

5. Cavendish x Cavendish

Isn't this an iconic one. I will gladly participate in ship wars to defend this pairing.

Some honourable mentions:

Sanji x Usopp

Ngl when I read Skypeia I thought they would become one of the most popular ships in OP. Their dynamic was SO cute and so funny. I wish there'd be more similar interactions between them post-Skypeia (tho Wano and Enies Lobby were nice!) but ALAS

Reiju x Any Girl Honestly, I'm Desperate

Tashigi, Nami, Stussy... I have a huge crush on this woman and I'll take anything

Sanji x Pudding

I'm sorry but they're so FUN. (I didn't realize until after I finished the manga that Pudding is 16.) But while reading WCI I really loved their dynamic, I loved the arranged marriage plot, the secret villain plot, the way Sanji is so kind with her, the way she adores him in turn. Also them both spewing blood everywhere was hilarious

Noland x Kalgara

My doomed yaoi... I very much cried. I love them platonic, romantic, anything in between

There are lots of other ships that I'm intrigued by but haven't explored! I will at some point! Thank you for asking anon, this was such a fun thing to write on a Saturday evening and it made me happy :')

[has-the-gogoat-burned-yet]

hey there. call me pepper, she/her, I like fire-types. galarian currently, sinnoh-born. you might've heard my name somewhere before, but don't worry about that. what's really important here is whether or not the gavle gogoat has burned yet or not. that's what you're all here for, that's what I'm here for.

gonna just... answer some questions you might have here so I don't have to do that later.

what do you have against the gavle gogoat? honestly? nothing, I just like arson and I find it really funny that people want it to not burn so badly. lol. lmao even.

what's your favorite pokemon? how dare you make me pick. idk. zacian? sword doggo. friend-shaped. probably great for hugging. not that I'd know or anything.

what's up with the sylveon in your pfp? that's zuko. he's my buddy. not a battler anymore. technically a service pokemon but like, we don't need to get into that.

are you trans? no but my ninetales is.

who ARE you, pepper? wouldn't you like to know, weatherboy.

hey wait you sound familiar— no I don't. hope this helps!

aaaanyway. if you've got other questions, my inbox is open for general questions and/or information about The Gogoat. or tips on arson. I like arson. and fire-types. actually if you have pictures of cute fire-types I'd love to see them too.

(OOC info below cut!)

hi, it's @ofstormsandfire here with a bit of a gimmick pokeblog featuring my sword protagonist. she is in fact still the galarian champion, it's been a few years for her, she will be incredibly casual about this if it's actually pointed out because honestly she didn't expect to keep the title this long.

I adore the blogs keeping tumblr updated on if the gavle goat burned yet so. have a pokemon version!

(I may have made this blog most of a year in advance of gavlebocken season and I regret absolutely nothing.)

assume pelipper mail/anything else rotomblr-specific is off, at least for now.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

i watched the first ep of kaos with my mom and I'm so confused as to why this show was made. Genuinely. My mother likes it but I'm just a bit flabbergasted. I'm not Greek, so I could be wrong, but it's just like...idk I think hadestown spoiled me lol. Why did Eurydice just die and not choose to leave Orpheus of her own will? I swear the only thing I liked about the first ep was Orpheus's song, but it's just like...eh? I don't know. I'm confused as to why this was even set in modern day. I checked if 'kaos' was a real thing in Greek mythology and it pnly comes up with the void before the universe was created. Idk I just find this show confusing. They couldn't have just used original characters?? Why did they use Greek gods? I am so confused lmao

This ask came before I released my review of KAOS , so I gave some priority to writing the review instead of answering asks, but honestly, I had the same question as you, anon. I watched the whole thing because I wanted to write the review and in the end I thought "Wait... that was it?" I want to see good Greek myth content and good shows out there. I was pleading with the show episode by episode to give me something. But it continued making no sense.

"They couldn't have just used original characters??" This was my question as well. Like... you have a family drama plot basically and the actors don't resemble or act like the Greek gods. At this point just make a Succession type of comedy and be done with it 🤷

IGN praised it more than it should (who trusts IGN fully at this point tho) but at least they wrote some very true things.

Shot in Malaga, Spain, and with an abundance of U.K., Irish, and American accents in the sound mix, the Cretan scenes feel more like spring break on the expat-infested Spanish Riviera. Maybe that was the intention. [...] It wouldn't be new for a UK production to Anglicanize stories inspired by classical antiquity or religious doctrine either – here's looking at you Atlantis, Rome and Good Omens. But the oversaturated cinematography and cheap, tacky-looking production design of both Kaos' earthly realm and tracksuit-loving Zeus's heavenly villa (complete with inflatable pink flamingos, gold jewelry, and a staff dressed like ball boys at a 1980s tennis tournament) dampens the epic stakes.

[...]

The result is eight hours of narrative excess ricocheting between intrigue and tedium, as it plods towards an un-thrilling finish line.

Preach IGN, preach. (A phrase I didn't expect myself to write for various reasons, but hey...)

Btw, Riddy didn't want to die, her death was an accident. She knew that she was going to die at some point but she had no control over her death.

[kalilassecretplace]

Hi hi!! Im here to submit a tighnari x reader idea! I think taking care of a drunk flirty tighnari would be cute if you’re up for that?

Drunk loverman

Drunk!Tighnari x female!reader

Fluff, sfw

cw: Cursing, Tighnari being Tighnari the way I see him, alcohol obviously

n/a: This is so cute stooop the way I dropped my homework to write this instead LMAO, I honestly never got drunk or was with drunk people lol, don't ask me how, so it was a lot of research, I hope I made it good lol, I apologise in advance if there's any mistakes, I'm dyslexic and English is not my first language :>

*How did I got there?* the question keep repeating itself in the hybrid's head, and he would try to ask himself harder everytime anyone would violently bump into him. But then seeing her from far away, laughing and talking to the other forest rangers, he remembered the answer. He agreed to come only to see her. The party was a commun idea from all the rangers, and she agreed without hesitation. He would have said no, because he knew very well that water wasn't going to be the main drink of the night, and he knew much more how loud drunk people were, and his ears weren't willing to handle this. But how could he ever says no after he saw how thrilled she looked at the idea?

And that's how he ended up here, in a room full of noisy rangers, who pulled out their best bottles of wine and all sorts of alcohol for the occasion. He wasn't planning on drinking a single drop. First because being drunk was the last of his desire, and second because he didn't trust any of those peoples without someone watching over them. He was sitting on a sofa, in a corner of the room, his expression twisted in inconfort. But then he finally was able to put his eyes on her again, happily chatting with Collei, the both of them being one of the few who weren't drinking as well. As he got up to try and join them, as much as he knew he would regret it for the noise after, he got held back by two of his colleagues, grinning like two kids planning something.

"Hey Tighnari! You HAVE to check this thing out, i' is sO good!" the first one said, with a little hiccup.

"No, thank you Amir. I don't plan on-" he got cut off by the loudest scream ever, his eyes and ears aggressively twitching, before he grabbed the cup from the others hand and downed it in one shot. The other two rangers hyped him up, shocked at the fact he did actually drank it. Then, grumbling "fuck that, I am not doing this sober anymore", he went over to the drinks and impulsively downed a few others.

On y/n side, she was enjoying her evening in a peaceful way. But she spent a good amount of her time looking for Tighnari, even if it has only been a little while since it started, she wondered if he actually came at all. Collei went over and chatted with her for a bit, however, as much as she loved the apprentice, she couldn't really focus on anything else than finding her fox friend in the crowd. He said he was coming, didn't he? She was kind of disappointed for a split second, but her train of thoughts was cut short, as she heard the voice she was looking forward to hear, but not with the tone of voice she was expecting.

"Well hello there, beautiful." he said, looking straight into her eyes, coming from behind her.

"Tighnari?! You're here!" she happily underlined, "You're drunk?!" she panicked, the realisation of his state hitting her. Out of everyone, he was the last one she expected to see drunk tonight.

"What's with the big eyes?" he whispered inches from her face, as he gently put as strand of her hair behind her ear.

She was slowly decomposing inside, in complete denial that anything that was happening was real right now. He was holding onto her shoulder for balance, and his cheeks were pinkish. It was too much to handle for the poor Collei on the side, who cleared her throat loudly enough for the pair to turn to her. She declared she would be "leaving the two of you to it", and no matter what she said, Collei wasn't turning back, nor was she slowing down, literally running away from them. As she was confused what to do, he quickly took the opportunity to even do something away from her.

"Why are you always so mesmerising to look at?" the fennec boy said, and you snapped your head back in front of you.

"A-Alright", she put her hand on his shoulder and put distance between the two of them, let's bring you back, you're not you right now-

"Noooo", he whined letting himself slightly fall on her, wrapping his arms around her body messily, "I wanna stay with you.. All this other idiots are horribly noisy and annoying tonight! So reckless and unescessary loud, I would have never showed up if it wasn't for you, you can't leave me like this!" he protested with his head resting on her shoulder.

It caused her face to burn even more than it already was. She lightly patted his back, as out of character as this whole thing was, he still managed to be him.

"I'm staying with you, but not here." she almost pleaded, feeling some people's eyes on her, gosh she won't be able to face anyone after that.

She noticed his tail wagging after her proposition, and he pulled himself back up, stumbling. You put your arm under his shoulders, and he gladly took the opportunity to lean on you, while the two of you slowly walked out of the room. The first minutes of the way were filled by Tighnari's giggles, as he complimented everything he could about you. From you shining eyes, to the way you would brighten up any places you would enter in. He would also sometimes proceed to sarcastically criticise whoever he was thinking of, and he reeked of alcohol. She didn't want to take anything he said about her at heart, because she knew he was under the influence of the drinks, and now was not the time anyway. Though she couldn't help but wish everything he said were his actual thoughts about her.

After finally reaching his house, you helped him on his bed, it felt like he would fell straight to the ground without help to balance.

"Stay with me a bit longer, y/n, please." he looked at you with a pout on his face.

You tried and keep your face as neutral as possible, putting the blanket over him. You started thinking of what you were supposed to do in case you have to take care of a drunk person. First, you knew he needed to drink water.

"I'm not leaving until I did everything I can to assure you're in the best conditions for tonight, don't worry." you smiled gently at him, thankful for the dark of the room that was making you blush practically invisible. You went in the kitchen to fill him a glass of water, and then sat down on the bed next to him. As you helped him sitting back up, holding his back, you couldn't contain a little laugh, the tables had turned. He would usually be the one taking care of people this way, if you remembered right, it was your first time taking care of him. He didn't let go of your fingers after, keeping them like they were the most precious thing on earth. Then, she told herself talking to him was probably a good idea, maybe that'll help him falk asleep.

"So, why did you even got drunk for?" she scoffed, finally letting out the question she had a the tip of her tongue.

"Ugh", he complained, "I hated it there. I don' know, I acted recklessly, that was so stupid of me, damn it."

"Oh come on, it's okay-

- But I'm not the stupidest here, you are! So oblivious to my flirting, I'm pretty sure the whole entirety of Gandharva Ville knows but no, you don't notice!"

She stayed completely frozen, her mouth half open. Well, he sure was even more honest than usual, as hard as it is to believe. She pretended she didn't hear anything, clearing out her throat, but he was still playing with her fingers, looking into her eyes. Before he could say anything more, she puts her other hand on his mouth.

"We'll talk about it all tomorrow, okay? I promise." she nervously said.

"Not like any of us can escape the conversation now!" he spat out, slightly laughing. "But... I really mean it. Everything about you!!" He abruptly stand back up.

She softly push him back down on the bed, shushing him. Then, she told him it would be best if he tried to sleep now.

"You-" he started.

"Yes," she breathed, "I'm staying, I promise."

He smiled before he started complaining about the beginning of a headache, expected, she said. As he went on talking about literally everything that came into his mind with zero filter, they spent their evening together, him holding her hand, while she was sat on the ground beside the bed, her hand and arm residing on it. And as they both fell asleep, while one was already forgetting half of the events, the other had them still very clearly in mind.

[tubbytarchia]

I love to imagine how shocked and surprised the ranchers and Pearl would be when they both realize that the ranchers don’t fear Pearl and that Pearl isn’t ridiculing the ranchers for even a second

Like they’d be flabbergasted

“Wait your not scared of me??”

“Wait your not gonna make fun of us???”

Just imagine them standing together like that one Spider-Man point meme

Sorry this answer is about to go on a bit of a general ranchers/pearl thought spree but YEAH this, lmao. They have more in common than they'd think!! Alas fate was cruel and it feels like two ships that were so close to meeting but just barely missed each other in the night, sailing right past

Jimmy at least has Tango to not be alone in his ridicule but even with their heads put together they wouldn't have enough brain capacity to care about what others are saying about Pearl. And well, there WAS session 3 when Jimmy shooed Pearl away because of. powdered snow?????? And because she was holding a sculk sensor?? Honestly I don't think Jimmy even at that point cared much about her being labelled as crazy, or didn't perceive it as anything significant, because it never came up unless I'm mistaken? Not once did the ranchers mention that? Jimmy did still break my heart in that moment but I don't think he realized the gravity of what he was doing. I think he was leaning into that more jokingly than anything but also... maybe Scott's presence at that very moment influenced him (cough because flower husbands past cough)

Tango most certainly wouldn't care about what Scott was spreading about Pearl. Scott could come and tell it to his face and he'd be like "uhuh yup!" and then forget immediately because he's Tango (not because he's stupid, he just doesn't think about things he doesn't consider important in relation to him). And Jimmy I think might care more if he weren't in like a happy ranch marriage with Tango and stuff. They'd be aware but not know how deep others' perception of Pearl went, nor would they care unless Pearl wronged them in any significant way

Jimmy wasn't surprised by Pearl's kindness to them in getting the goat horns, probably mostly because he was racking his brain too hard over Minecraft mechanics and being too overjoyed when they did get said horns, but probably also because he expected it to be a one-off thing? But I'd like to think that when Pearl returned to apologize after making a fool of him by stealing Oreo (the horse) with Martyn, and Jimmy kept asking "Are you serious?" when Pearl offered to give the horse back for nothing in exchange this time, that that was when he was really taken aback. Pearl once again showed some form of kindness, even as she was being shunned by everyone (moreso now than in session 2) and as she started to lean into the label of "crazy" that she was given because what else was she to do, all alone? Even then she ran back to Jimmy to apologize and give the horse back. And Jimmy, sweet child, offers friendship at last. But then he got ahead of himself when Pearl asked for confirmation and he went "You know you'd be an even better friend if you gave my horn back too!" and Pearl had to admit she'd already given it to Martyn, after which they kind of just separated without saying much. Clearly Jimmy was disappointed but mm he didn't even proclaim that Pearl wasn't welcome anymore or anything... It was certainly implied through his silence but knowing Jimmy, he would have gotten defensive and made his stance clear, but he didn't, which was either because he didn't want to, because maybe he still wanted to entertain the idea of Pearl making it up to him, OR he was just that fucking sad. He just said "right" and left as Pearl laughed (also I refuse to believe there was malice there in her laugh. What else was she gonna do in response) Either way oh my god I hate it I'm so sad

Anyway so. Their interactions past session 2 were mostly unfortunate but to me it's just... SUCH CRUEL FATE because YOU'RE RIGHT ANON. I really think they could have made it work but because Pearl was in the position that she was in, she didn't consider the idea of ever allying with anyone seriously enough and when she would have, with the ranchers, she'd already felt like she missed her chance. I'd like to imagine her laugh then, when Jimmy left her at the gate of the ranch was that of realization that maybe this friendship really could have happened, but she messed it up. And I'd like to think the ranchers would have still ultimately welcomed her into an alliance, had Pearl not given up trying, because she probably thought that if the ranchers hadn't thought badly of her yet, they must have now. Because no one wanted her, why would the ranchers be an exception? I'm gonna stop my unrefined elongated rant before I completely lose myself um hi hello I'm sorry that I got emotional in response to an anon ask describing the spiderman meme LMAO I'm a bit ill

[twelve-nights]

kin mem dump / i try to explain the mess that is my doll-solver timeline

Everything is under cut because this is going to be LONG. I apologize ahead of time for the likely disorganization lmao,, I don't have to energy to clean this up like a proper essay

"I" here refers to Doll btw,

It's probably obvious already but I was pretty canon divergent, although some of the things aren't confirmed or contradicted by canon, so I guess it could still be canon but probably unlikely.

I'll get to the weirdness with the Solver (and the "solver family tree" i made) at the end, so here's the other major differences:

The universe was a simulation. Or at least I'm pretty sure it was something like that. There's no way that the Solver should be able to change the properties of stuff using code or open up [null] black holes if it wasn't.

I became close friends with Uzi. Also I didn't die in episode 7. This friendship happened after what should've been ep 7 and it started after I let her keep the keybug after barging into her room. I remember telling her to talk to me later (which I honestly wasn't expecting her to do, but she did) after she told me that "[the keybug] was the only answer to what was wrong with [her]".

Yeva wasn't dead. I don't remember how I found her or when but she had survived in her core like Nori did. I'm pretty sure it happened at least a few months after Cabin Fever Labs though.

And finally, here is the "Solver family tree" and my attempt to explain it

Basically, the original Solver was copied into (infected) Cyn, which then mutated and became the thing in canon. Only Cyn's Solver and copies of that has an affection towards N/V/J/Tessa. That was later directly copied into Nori and Yeva during the experiments.

What the Crucifix Patch did in my canon was basically get rid of its "murder everything"ness and stopped a lot of the overheating problems (which in turn weakened it). I consider mine and Yeva's "strain" of it to be sort of separate from Cyn's, but since the virus doesn't just copy its "base code" and copies EVERYTHING into the new host (including memories), I do have a few snippets of memories from both Cyn and Yeva. This is also why Uzi's Solver has the same opinions towards N/V/J/Tessa.

Also, the Solver was a separate program and basically was like a half-person in your head fighting for control. Constantly. You overheat more than normal, even with Copper-9 being almost freezing

Anyways, Yeva and my copy of the Solver was a lot less murdery (although it still needed oil often) and we could kind of negotiate with it since it didn't want to murder everyone. I unfortunately did not learn this until after Cabin Fever Labs. Oops.

But yeah, I eventually formed a bit of an alliance with it and it would usually manifest itself as a security camera tail or wire coming out of my neck. Uzi's Solver fucking hated mine after realizing it was on our side and would try to fight it so much. Too many times did N and the others have to try to split us apart lmao,,

I have a bunch of other scattered memories that I'm not sure where I can fit an explanation here, so feel free to send in an ask or something :>

Oh yeah, I should probably explain why I say I kin the Solver.

Technically, I guess I'm only my own Solver but because that was a copy of an altered copy of an altered copy, I do have some memories from Cyn and Yeva. It's kind of just.. weird computer logistics...? So its easier to say I just kin the Solver than having to explain the weirdness of it in my canon lmao,, It's really hard to explain robot things in human terms lol,,

tagging @anon-coke since you were curious about this :}

[kafus]

i have also been answering questions on retrospring for my twitter audience so here's a few of those condensed into a post since they have likodot thoughts :]

Q: What happends on Liko and Dot's first date?

A: the topic of a first date is a little funny in regards to likodot because like… these girls technically already live together and are traveling together now too, so going out of their way to hang out together isn’t as huge of a jump as it would be otherwise. honestly i can really imagine them just setting aside time to hang out alone in dot’s room and be romantic about it - video games & movies sleepover kind of thing. they’re on the younger side so i don’t think they’re planning anything fancy plus that’s a very accessible way to have a first date considering, again, that they live together… also dot’s tendency for reclusion lol. in the future though i can imagine them planning actual outings - i like to imagine liko dragging dot to restaurant dates because it’s a doubly whammy of a date and also helping dot explore her limited tastes in food more lol. sorry for the ramble-y answer i think about this a lot xoxo

Q: What do you think about jealous Dot? And do you everr think about how it would go for both Liko and Dot IF it comes it an episode or something??

A: if you can't tell from my recent tweets i think the concept of jealous dot is fitting and also goes hard. like it's really effective drama material but also like… to be honest if i was a social recluse with poor social skills as a preteen/young teen and then someone was as kind to me as liko is to dot for the first time i would also be clingy and possessive. and this actually isn't an "if", i have personal experience with this sort of situation lmfao. so like i get it.

as for them exploring this sort of thing in the anime, i obviously don't expect a romance jealousy subplot, that's pure fanon babey. but considering dot's noticeable off behavior in recent HZ054 around ann, i would not be Surprised if they actually are setting up to do something with that? like, of the more normal variety lol. dot still struggling to socialize with people outside her circle and exploring more of overcoming her social anxiety, or if you wanted to stretch it, i don't think it'd be surprising if they decide to take it in the direction of dot feeling insecure around ann because ann is so naturally outgoing and was able to connect with liko instantly in a way that dot couldn't - but like in a friendship way, and liko having to assure her that she isn't a lesser friend and find a way for her friends to act comfortably around each other. that doesn't stop me from making into a romance jealousy subplot in my head though LMAO

Q: What if Dot never confessed to Liko that she's Nidothing/Gurumin? Like it's so nice to imagine and i wanna know your thoughts abt it :3

A: this might be an unpopular opinion IDK but i actually wouldn't have liked this very much. i think by the time liko saw dot's face IRL, the bit had run its course and it would have gotten annoying pretty fast. it was funny and cute while it lasted but likodot is meaningful to me for how these two care for one another and complete one another as people and i don't think their dynamic would feel nearly as sincere if dot was still hiding something that massive from liko… and like for what, at that point? dot never even really WANTED to hide being gurumin from liko, it was a massive misunderstanding that she just didn't have the courage or social skills to clear up, but by the time dot stepped outside her room to literally save liko's life and saw her face to face there was really no reason not to tell her the truth. i also think liko coming to terms with dot being gurumin in all of her silly embarrassed awkwardness and knowingly supporting dot in being gurumin is incredibly sweet and we would have missed out on that too had dot not told her. (alternatively, there is also a world where dot never told her and liko found out by herself but that would take away dot's agency and really trample over her character arc. i think it's important that dot was the one to say it and liko didn't have to go searching for that answer any more than she already did)

all that being said if you really want to put me in the shoes of an alternate universe where liko never found out, i WILL concede that the possibility of liko continuing to be a fan and dot getting flustered about all the attention liko gives her on streams and then seeing her IRL and KNOWING all that gay shit liko's been saying online despite liko not knowing they're the same would be cute/funny. just not cute/funny enough to warrant it over the reality we live in which i find much more cute, funny, and sincere and meaningful

[weirdestcornelius]

A little Sketchbook fluff fic for all the slappers out there. . .it had to be done, I don't make the rules. It's been a hot minute since I've written anything so apologies if this seems rough lmao.

This whole thing is building off what I said about Sly helping Scrap design a fersona for him to express himself. I accidentally projected onto Sly. Btw. I cannot promise that it won't happen again.

Scrap was laying on the floor of the Comet family's house, as he usually did on the weekends. But this time was quite different; it was the floor of Sly's room rather than Eve's. The bright green fox was sitting close to him, her drawing tablet in her gloved hands.

Scrap knew why Sly wore gloves, he had heard of it in fens mind multiple times. She picked at her nails out of nervous habit, and the gloves were something that she wore to "keep everyone from having something else to pick on me for" in fens own words. Well, thoughts was probably a better way to describe it.

The two had just been sitting in silence for a while, the only noise filling the room being the quiet scratching of Sly's stylist against her drawing tablet. But after a while, Scrap spoke.

". . .what are you drawing?"

That was probably a bit of a dumb question. Scrap already knew a rough idea of what the answer would be. He knew it was something about some sort of fersona thing, but he still wanted to know what it actually looked like; the way that Sly's mind buzzed with happiness anytime she was drawing told Scrap everything he needed to know about the contentment that the character brought her.

Sly's fur spiked a bit at the sudden words, though fen hesitantly looked down at Scrap's lying form. Nobody has ever asked to see her art besides her family, and well. . .that hadn't really gotten fen any nice remarks that really felt nice. Every compliment her family gave her felt so hollow, compared to all of the insults that were hurled at her. Those, fen felt whole and completely. Scrap could hear her mind swimming with negative thoughts, and he couldn't hide the frown under his paper mask.

"I'm not gonna- make fun of you or anything. You know I already know what you're drawing, kind of. I just want to see. If you're comfortable."

Sly exhaled slowly through her nose. Right. It was a bit weird, knowing someone who could read your thoughts. . .but it was also nice in a weird way. Sly had a hard time articulating all her negative feelings into words, but fen didn't even have to do that with Scrap. It was a relieving kind of weird. Besides, Scrap had never made fun of her for anything else before.

"uhm- yeah, okay. It's not that good though, so don't expect an actual work of art or anything-"

Sly nervously turned the drawing tablet towards Scrap, letting him see what she had been drawing. It was nothing fancy, just a few messy sketches of Stroke and some of her friends fersonas. They were a bit rushed, but clear for the most part.

Scrap could already hear Sly's mind going off in all sorts of directions. He almost winced at how loud it was in there.

"oh Tears, is he going to make fun of it? It's stupid, yeah- it's stupid. I'm going to be called something like coxgirl for the rest of my life- he's being quiet because he doesn't like it, isn't he? That was so stupid, so stu-"

Scrap abruptly cut off the flood of thoughts, his ears flicking as he sat up.

"Hey, those are pretty cool! What are their names?"

Good, a distraction was just what Sly needed. The ears of the fox flattened as they tilted back purely from surprise. Most of her family just said "cool" or "cute" in response to fens art. Nobody had ever asked her about it. Scrap kept his smile visible despite the sadness that creeped onto him hearing this in Sly's mind. Jeez, he really needed to get her out of this place someday.

"O-oh- well, the blue one is Stroke- she's my fersona. She's a cox and dragon hybrid, but it was honestly just because I wanted her to have wings- it's a pretty stupid reason, but yeah"

"it's not that stupid, I probably couldn't name a single person who doesn't think wings are cool"

Scrap laid his hands in his lap as Sly's eyes brightened. It was a nice change, hearing good things from fens head rather than just self hatred and dysphoria. Sly hesitated to speak, a smile forming on the corners of her mouth.

". . .yeah-! That was my thought process too! I've always wondered what it would be like to fly, or just have them to use as extra hands- imagine how cool that would be!"

Sly's smile became a bit more solemn as she looked down at her drawing tablet, her gloved hands resting on its corners.

"I could just fly away from all my problems. It's- kind of freeing to have Stroke. It's like I can live my life through her."

Scrap felt a bit bad for Sly for that last sentence- but the bad feeling was much, much worse in Sly's own head. It had already started to swarm with thoughts of all the things Eve has done to her, how it was hard to even live fens real life because of how bad she felt.

But Scrap could fix that. Not forever, but just for a moment. Sly needed- no, deserved even just a moment of content happiness.

". . .What do you think my fersona would be?"

Perfect distraction. Sly's ears perked up almost instantly, fens eyes drifting back towards Scrap instead of staring down at her drawing tablet.

". . .well, you seem like a drat to me- but like, maybe a cyclops drat. Since you have one eye and all-"

Scrap smiled under his mask. Maybe he wasn't able of fixing every problem in Sly's life, no matter how much he so desperately wanted to; but he could make life happier for her, if only for a few moments.

"Really? How would that work?"

Two hours later, Scrap is standing in the driveway of the Comet household, holding a piece of notebook paper with a few doodles of a bipedal drat drawn onto it in blue pen; with one eye, just like Scrap.

He stared at the paper for a moment, the same smile on his face that had been on Sly's own just a few minutes prior. He slowly slipped his backpack off his shoulder, unzipping it to grab the red folder he kept in its large pocket. He opened it, shuffling a few half drawn faces to one side to keep the left pocket empty.

Then, he put the paper inside.

[oddeyes588]

Uh oh it's a little late but guess who's posting about Oshi no Ko again, courtesy of chapter 147~

I have no goddamn clue what Aka is cooking.

As if ANYBODY knows what Aka is cooking LMAO. At this point we're all just here going along for the ride, regardless of where it ends up. At the very least, I'm stubbornly keeping my faith in him... and also theorycrafting. That's what this post is. Buckle up, folks. Spoilers below... here are my thoughts and speculations on the latest chapter.

In any case, starting with the first part of the chapter, featuring Kamiki. Honestly? I kind of doubt that Ruby didn't recognize him. It's not even a case of anime sameface, if Akane could recognize the uncanny resemblance, then so should Ruby... especially considering her current feelings for Aqua (lmao).

Which does beg the question... being that if she DID recognize him and her romantic feelings for Gorou haven't dumbed her down (which is the worst case scenario), why would she talk with him like this? Well, it's made clear by Ruby herself... she isn't sure.

Thanks to Aqua, she's abandoned the path of revenge, entrusting it all to him (without knowing just how badly he's doing mentally as a result). She's "poured out" her hatred so that she can move on, so that she can pursue the dream she's held in her heart throughout both her past life and her current life. To be an idol, to shine even brighter than Ai, one of the "stars" that kept her going when she was Sarina.

She's also learned, through acting for this movie, the unfortunate truth that nothing in this world is as simple as black and white. Hikaru Kamiki, her father, the one who killed Ai... he was never as simple as a malicious and unforgivable villain. He's a boy who has gone through severe hardships that sent him down the path to being the broken individual he is today.

But that doesn't mean she can forgive him. No matter where he came from or why he did it, the fact remains that he took Ai from them. She wants to pour out her hate, but that feeling stubbornly remains. Thus, she's at a dilemma. Is it right for her to continue hating him? Can she really move on if she does?

I think that's why she talks to him, why she tells him all this, while acting like he's just a stranger. In interacting with him directly, she hopes to receive an answer on what to do. (God I will pop the hell off if I actually got this right. Give me this, Aka. Tell me I'm just as batshit crazy as you are.)

Now, obviously I can hear the cries about how that really isn't the smartest play. I mean, come on girl, you are dealing with a literal murderer. There is not a single instant during this interaction where she isn't in very real danger... but impulsiveness is one of Ruby's defining traits. I think we need to stop expecting her to do the logical thing. She was in broad daylight, so she must've figured he wouldn't have killed her THERE... but it's hard to tell at this point.

She took her opportunity to give voice to her thoughts to the very subject of her hatred, but revenge isn't her goal anymore. Aqua brought her off of that path, even if she doesn't realize the consequences of leaving it all to him. In any case, those are my thoughts on Ruby.

Now, for Hikaru...

God he's so fucked up. God it's so interesting to me that his star turned white in that moment.

It couldn't be clearer where Hikaru's insane fucking headspace is at. He kills those with potential, those who shine the brightest, because by depriving the world of that light he can feel the "weight" of his own. Fucked up! Truly, not a single person in this family is okay.

But again, it's interesting to me that his star was white in this moment. We see him approaching Ruby as if to push her down the stairs, but it makes me wonder if he really was going to kill her. If he was going to kill her, wouldn't his star be black? The stars mean a lot of things symbolically, but murderous intent seems to be a theme with the black stars...

...or maybe he's just so fucked up that killing is, for him, what gives him those white stars. If feeling the weight of his life after killing is what he lives for, then maybe that's what gives him that light, even if only briefly.

For the moment, it's all speculation. Akane comes in with the save and gets Ruby away from him before anything can happen... and honestly, I gotta wonder what Akane's place is in all of this.

As we know, Akane is trying to put a "stop" to Aqua's revenge. What this means exactly is up in the air... since I doubt she's here to make it so Hikaru gets away scot free. She was willing to kill him herself for Aqua, after all, and hell... it seems like even Hikaru is willing to accept Aqua's revenge.

So it begs the question as to what "stopping" Aqua means in this regard. Is she just trying to stop him from "killing" Kamiki? Is she still planning to kill him herself to take that away from Aqua? What is my girl cooking?? Aqua's mental state aside I don't think you should want to help this guy, Akane.

But back to Hikaru... or actually, more specifically, the ending of the movie arc.

Yeah we sure did rush through this, didn't we? But honestly... I'm actually not complaining, but not because I didn't like this arc.

Because I think it makes sense that we've rushed through all of this. Because in the end, though this movie is possibly at least 90% accurate according to Akane... I think there's much more to this than what's been written in the script. What we've seen of Ai and Hikaru was all written as a story... and that's it.

We don't know how much of it is true.

I think that's why we've brushed past everything so quickly. Stuff like all the scenes we didn't see, Ai's rejection, etc etc... I think those were skipped because Aka isn't going to show us that through the context of a movie where we can't tell how much of it is really true.

I think we're leading up to seeing the details of Ai and Hikaru's relationship through Hikaru's own eyes, and that's why we've skipped so much.

...alternatively, the next chapters will include the parts of the movie we've missed out on seeing, but I think my idea is better, actually—

In any case, those are my thoughts. If it turns out that I got ANY of this even slightly right, I'm going to be reblogging this to hell and back. Let me into your headspace, Aka Akasaka.

[atopearth]

Ikemen Vampire Part 14 - Johann Georg Faust Route

Faust is beautiful but definitely creepy haha. What a great start to their relationship, he bites her and inspects her body to see if she's any different to the people in this era loll, what a guy. OMG who would have expected Charles the baby face to be the one that sleeps around lmao. He named his squirrel monkey Mephistopheles🤣🤣 I'm not sure how ethical Faust is but it was nice to see the heroine apologise for accusing him of killing people with no evidence or anything. It's hard to fault Faust considering how much pain he has to watch over with the people who confess in the confessionals and seeing the orphaned children try their best to live their lives. The most practical way is live on your strength alone rather than relying on prayers and I can't help but agree with that. Prayers can give solace but can it really save people? But I do agree that it can give hope. Faust being bad at waking up in the morning was expected but it was nice to see his hazel eyes without the glasses, BUT I emphasise that he looks so much hotter with the glasses. You shouldn't be friendly with your kidnapper, but if he's hot, why not? Just kidding, but honestly, the heroine warming up to them is normal considering how much time she spends with them especially since they're not terrible people who treat her badly.

Maybe it was cruel of Faust to say such harsh words to the sickly son that wants to die to relieve his mother of her pain, but I think Faust just wanted to use his own way to make the son realise how hard she is working because she wants him to live, not die. Sure it's easier on her if he was gone, but she's working so hard exactly because she wants him to live no matter how difficult life becomes due to it. Charles really wants to live a simple and happy life with everyone together huh? Anyway, it was funny to see the children think that the heroine and Faust are married because they live together, and then Charles and Vlad pop up and are like that means she's married to us too🤣 I mean, I'm not against that, it sounds wonderful. Considering his personality and his research on eternal life, you can't blame the heroine for thinking that Faust is behind these resurrection incidents where corpses have been coming back to life. I'm happy the heroine asked him straight out but too bad his answer was interrupted, but I'm curious now, because he said he absolutely wouldn't do such a thing and I want to know why. It seems that despite the way Faust is, he really cares about the "weak" and does his best to research etc because he wants to save them from things beyond their control like the epidemic that has now affected the children at the orphanage. Faust so kindly telling the heroine to not push herself actually made me so happy, it was so heartwarming! Honestly, I wasn't sure about their relationship, but seeing Faust sacrificing sleep taking care of her when she caught the epidemic whilst assisting him with the children was just so sweet.

I think it's sad that Faust had to witness and realise that the children around him in his orphanage he grew up in back in the day were being sold to slave traders and perverted aristocrats whilst the kind mother who took care of them didn't even know?? I can't imagine the life Faust and all these children had to suffer. The way Faust bit the heroine's neck and they both got excited was pretty hot tbh. It's crazy to witness such emotion and desire from Faust. I guess it's really different when he likes her hahaha. It's nice to know that once upon a time Vlad did try to actively change the course of history but realised that it was impossible because history corrected itself for major events so he couldn't interfere too much. I guess that means the reason why Faust vomited blood and is in a coma is because his actions is changing the effects of the epidemic. The heroine willing to risk her life to travel back in time and hopefully change the course of the future by making people more aware and careful of the epidemic so that Faust's actions won't be considered going against the order of the world is very brave and sweet. Her impression of him really has changed so much and I have to admit, I'm the same.

I can see why Faust gave up on his faith in God, if even Mother Therese questioned it when she was about to die, how could he not, having to watch her die when she was so kind to him and tried her best for the children that still ended up getting exploited? I quite like the CG of young Faust screaming into the sky that he refuses to accept innocent people dying and people being treated unfairly as simply fate. I think it was a nice amalgamation of everything Faust had to suffer through internally finally bursting out as he believes that God can't control everything and he will prove it by making someone or something with eternal life, a life that even God can't take away and simply regaled as fate. Faust being able to believe in hope again because of the heroine really made my heart break. Her efforts to travel through time wanting to save him really touched him and I'm glad he got to understand her feelings. The heroine desperately giving her blood trying to save Faust broke my heart too, especially because she finally understood a bit of Faust's pain in senselessly watching the people you love die when they don't deserve such a cruel ending. Alexandre, the guy that was researching or was into this, saving the day was expected but it's nice to see Faust truly free from a fate that desired to kill him.

The heroine angrily confessing her love for Faust was so cute. It's so nice to see how passionate their love is for each other now. It was also nice to know that le Comte told the residents about the heroine being safe when she travelled back in time and they even helped spread awareness about the epidemic because of that. Lmao, Faust going to the mansion and saying he was there to collect his guinea pig was so cute and endearing, I loved it, it really makes me think about how far we've come haha. Hehehe, Faust admitting that he wouldn't let the heroine go back to her time even if she wanted to was so cuteee. I also think it was fitting that Faust kept up his role as a priest in a way because he wanted to take over for Mother Therese even though he couldn't believe in God anymore.

Overall, I really enjoyed Faust's route. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started it and I actually had quite a long break because of life and I didn't think it was that interesting but when the story picked up, it really picked up. I love how along with the heroine, I really doubted Faust's original intentions and thought he was totally that crazy scientist kinda figure, and whenever he never denied it, it just made me keep thinking there's more to this but that doesn't mean he's not crazy! Well, anyway, it was nice to see how we and the heroine got to gradually understand Faust better with his actions and with what he learnt to express to the heroine. He evidently cared for people the more we got to know him, to the point that it was basically undeniable that everything he does was for people and to go against fate. I really enjoyed watching his past because of how he reacted to everything. His story isn't one that's very different from alot of people who have experienced such pain, but when he screamed to the world at how unfair things were and how he refused to accept fate as it was, it felt very understandable and made me want to cheer for him and support him. Considering how he doesn't show a lot of his emotions, it was nice to see how expressive he was and to know deep down how emotional he really was when it came to life. Initially, I wasn't too into the heroine and Faust's relationship but midway, I really loved how they both grew to understand the other and loved each other for the values and beliefs they held. And once they got together, Faust was just so cute and sweet in his own possessive way haha. No one beats my love for Vlad and Theo but I'd say Faust is pretty high up and it helps that in terms of looks, he's definitely the hottest for me haha!