#i don’t claim this lumine

[pwurrz]

i ranted about this on twitter but the way the traveller deadass stands there listening to tartaglia and yoimiya talk about gifts and souvenirs childe could bring back for his younger siblings and then joins in the conversation like “oh my god what’s going on is everything alright” is sooooo weird like……

[heaven-s-black-box]

Notes- Shorter S/O Neuvillette & more x gn!Reader

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Recovery date: September 11th, 2024

Description: heyy can i get headcanons of the genshin boys being taller by the gn reader by a head? For the characters can i get neuvillette, diluc, al haitham, xiao and anyone else u wanna write! Feel free to delete if ur not comfortable with this, and have a nice day! <3

Notes: This work was recovered in conjunction with an anonymous researcher, we thank them for their contributions. I added Ganyu, Layla, and Lumine. I was going to add Furina but it was getting too long. Heights taken from the gamer, also a head's height difference is about a foot.

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Neuvillette- 5’11”

A head’s difference is nothing, he’s used to looking at Melusines

Plus he’s almost 6 foot

He has to look down at most people

I feel like, as a dragon, he’s a bit protective of everyone smaller than him

Just in a pack kind of way where he’s looking out for the young/weak

Not to mention to him you are young, assuming you’re mortal

Not a very physically affectionate person, so doesn’t do things like use you as a chin rest

Does, however, enjoy you tucking into his side

He is starved for touch and affection, simple physicality makes him happy

I also feel like he tries to make himself smaller outside of court

Assure him you like his height and remind him to straighten up

Oo, leans down to listen to you! Tap his shoulder and he’ll lean close so you can whisper in his ear

Surprise him by jumping/getting on your toes/climbing up to kiss him and he will short circuit

Quickly starts keeping things you need on lower shelves, again he shares an office with Melusines he’s used to it

Overall, the height difference isn’t a big deal to him

Diluc- 5’10”

Also just shy of 6 foot, but most people in Mondstadt are tall and children avoid him

So he’s not really used to looking down (Jean wears heels and is 5’6”, he doesn’t have to look down much)

Likes the domesticity of seeing you in his clothes, no matter how they fit

Maybe sleeves are too long, or your torso is short and shirts fit you like dresses

Affection doesn’t come naturally to him, but once he warms up to it he will rest his chin on your head

Between his height and strength picking you up is easy and he surprises himself with how much he likes it

Keeps finding excuses to do it, like helping you over a puddle or down the steps

More than happy to lean down for whatever reason, be it so you can feed him something or whisper something

His favorite reason is surprise kisses though, but his all time favorite surprise kisses are when you yank him by the lapels of his jacket

If you live together he will try and keep your things on slightly lower shelves, but also you aren’t usually getting things the maids are

Overall, enjoys the height difference

Al Haitham- 5’11”

Once more, almost 6 foot

He, however, does not like looking down at people because it hurts his neck

Regularly complain about this to you

I’m torn between him teasing you and not wanting to put the effort in to that

I think if you start bickering, your height is on the table for teasing

Like if you’re ignoring each other, he’ll walk into you and claim he “couldn’t see you down there”

However, if you live together or even if you just stay over frequently, will leave things on lower shelves and gets a step stool

Leans on you saying he’s tired

Spends most of his time sitting/lounging so I don’t think his height is really a big deal

Definitely makes you work for his affection though, you will need to pull up a stool/kick him in the knees to get kisses

Can also easily pick you up if he thinks you’re taking too long to get somewhere

Overall, notices the height difference but doesn’t really comment on it

Xiao- 5’2”

Isn’t used to looking down at people who aren’t children

Seriously, very rarely does he meet people shorter than him

However, that doesn’t mean he’s super excited you’re shorter than him, he’s kind of indifferent

He will happily get things for you that you can’t reach though

Like Neuvillette, he likes to make himself seem smaller

Though in his case it’s for comfort, he likes curling into you once you get to that point

Also starved for touch and affection, but also traumatized from losing all his friends

So curling into you gives him all kinds of assurance

When you wave for him to bend down, it sometimes takes him a minute

Already short circuits with affection, but your head naturally resting on his shoulder during hugs really breaks him

You just fit together so well

He has a stool so he can reach high shelves, so when he forgets to leave your stuff on lower shelves it’s not too big a deal

Overall, give him a bit to get used to being the tall one but otherwise indifferent

Ganyu- 5’1”

Her heels probably have her standing at about 5’2”

So she’s used to looking up at people, most of the adepti are really tall and even Keqing is slightly taller than her

Definitely likes being able to let you hide behind her, she likes protecting you

Like Xiao, she isn’t used to being the tall one, but she gets really flustered and apologetic when you ask her to leave things on lower shelves

Pretend like you what to whisper something and kiss her when she leans down

She’ll get flustered then ask “what did you want to tell me?”

Being able to pick you up makes her feel extra strong, so sometimes if you want to get something high up she’ll just lift you

Look, we know she’s strong but we all played her character quest

Also likes when you lay on her/she’s the big spoon

I feel like being one of the shortest adepti weighs on her, so she totally understands if you’re self-conscious about your height

But she loves you, doesn’t matter if you’re shorter or taller than her

Also, she may be taller than you but if you kabedon/ flirt with her with any level of confidence she will shrink in on herself in embarrassment

Overall, loves the height difference 

Layla- 5’2”

Like Xiao and Ganyu, a little shorter than the world average so she kind of has to look up at most people

Not significantly, but she’s not used to looking down

She also doesn’t talk to people often, and when she does she’s sitting

In fact she’ll probably be seated for most of your conversations, so stand over her and fluster her

Will lean into you while you walk

Has also fallen asleep with her chin on your head or leaning over so her chin is on your shoulder

The sudden weight has probably nearly toppled you a few times

Likes to lay on you, her head on your chest

I feel like she naturally curls in on herself a lot, just from exhaustion and maybe a bit of self-consciousness

Would love to let you lean on her but she’s not sure she could keep you up right

Keeps things on low shelves anyways, sometimes standing on a stool seems like a really bad idea

Overall, the height difference doesn’t really affect your relationship

Lumine- 5’2”

Look, Aether is 2 inches taller, she never heard the end of it once she stopped growing

Another member of the, pretty much everyone is taller than me club

Her heels add maybe a half inch, they look pretty small

Loves being the taller one

Need help getting something from the top shelf? She’s on it, even if she has to get a stool

You asked her to get it, she knows you could use the stool but you’ve already asked her

Can’t see something? Want to get on her shoulders? Up you go

Likes being the big spoon/letting you lay on her because she’s terrified you’ll disappear

Seriously, she’s lost so many people on her journey so far

Uses you as an arm/head rest when you’re standing around

Will make lighthearted remarks about your height if you don’t mind

Stuff like “I could probably sneak you in in my bag”, usually it’s stuff Aether has said to her at some point

Kiss her bare shoulders, it makes her jump and she loves them

Overall, will only tease you about your height if you’re okay with it

[r0ttenhearts]

You promised II

half a decade had passed since your graduation in sumeru. your heart had healed, almost hardening, as you continued your studies in the academia. the very reminders of scaramouche would make your stomach tighten as you felt bile rise in your throat. but you were strong now, despite what he claimed.

your strength would be put to the test with the upcoming class reunion. you doubted scaramouche would be there, but if he was you felt a need to prove that you had done fine without him.

so you went, dragging your grey haired scribe of a best friend with you.

“these people are certainly.. eccentric aren’t they?” alhaitham mumbled, only loud enough for you to hear. you stifled a laugh as you looped your hand in the crook of his arm. “these are the people i went to high school with you know.”

“thank the archons you didn’t end up—“

“y/n?”

you froze. your whole body stiffened with that familiar voice. you slowly turned, seeing the same violet hair of a boy you had once adored.

but he didn’t look the same anymore.

you could tell there were deep bags under his eyes, and he looked thinner since the last time you had seen him.

had he been miserable all along like you hoped?

he took a step towards you, his eyes narrowing at the tall man who stood next to you.

“and who is this?”

you could see his discomfort. he always wore his emotions on his face, even after all these years.

“he’s my-“

“i’m her lover. and who might you be?”

you gasped as you looked up at him. did he remember the things you had sobbed to him about those nights? the boy who haunted you?

scaramouche rubbed his arm as he reached out towards you. he stepped back, afraid of what his touch might do to you. a sad look displayed across his face as he looked to you, desperately.

“could i have a word with you? alone?”

his eyes flickered over to alhaithams before settling on yours once again. you nodded slightly as alhaitham excused himself, promising to come back in a few moments.

you nodded your head towards him, waiting for him to speak. he looked to you with solemn eyes as he grasped the ends of his shirt.

“it’s just.. you don’t know how hard it’s been without you these past years. you don’t know how much i’ve regretted what i’ve said to you— lumine left me shortly after classes started.

you’re right to think i’m an asshole and to detest me after what i did to you.

but please—“

tears brimmed in his eyes as he grasped your hand.

“don’t leave me alone. let’s go back to how we used to be.”

you ripped your hand from his grasp as you looked at him in anger and disgust.

“seriously scara? lumine leaves you in the dust and you think it’s an opening to come back to me?”

you scoffed, walking over to alhaitham and tugging him down by his collar to meet your lips. you eye scara as your lips lock with alhaithams before you pull away, leaving the scholar bewildered.

“i don’t know if you can’t tell, but i’ve moved on. it’s me that doesn’t need you anymore.”

you watch as scaramouche bites down on his lip, shaking his head as he leaves the venue.

alhaitham chuckles as he walks over to you, resting his arm against your shoulder.

“that was quite a show.”

your cheeks burn as you look to the side, seeing his usual stoic face with a gentle smile. you nod as you put your hand on his arm that’s resting on you.

“i guess i didn’t lose anything from coming here, did i?”

he shakes his head as he cups your cheek, your lips coming together in a much more gentle, subtle matter than before.

“you’ve only gained this, my dear.”

taglist: @Imaogottazayn @rjreins @sugaringheart @arizzu @caffeine-mess @erenswife5 @etherisy @teapartyspilled @angelofdarkness2 @lovingveliona @supercoolusernameomg @ulqiorraswife @t-o-r-a-t-o-r-a

[moonlit-midnight]

Charmed and fascinated by you

Characters: Lilia Vanrouge.

Genre: AU, Urban Fantasy, Implied Romance.

Warnings: GN!Reader, self indulgent and inspired by an old fic that I wrote years ago, so excuse the slightly weird writing.

—

Lilia’s striking red eyes met yours as he leaned back against the balcony railing.

His long hair was unbound and disheveled, blowing wildly in the wind. It was a captivating sight to behold, a mess of raven black, dark blue and amaranth red.

Under the night sky, lit up with thousands of luminous stars he looked more inhuman than the first time you met him a few months ago.

Lilia was stunning, an absolute beauty, like the way a thunderstorm is when it strikes the dark skies.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” He broke the silence, his deep voice snapping you out of your trance. 

“You don’t seem like someone I should take lightly, but I’m not afraid of you.” you paused, shifting your gaze skywards before carrying on in a deliberate tone. “I’ve encountered creatures who’re far more dangerous than the fair folk, so I have no reason to fear you.”

And God knows I’m drawn to what’s strangely fascinating and unworldly.

Lilia stepped towards you, giving you a little bemused look.  “But I’m not a kind soul like you perceive me.”

“Nonsense!” you murmured, cheeks slightly tinted red as you stared at him. “You certainly are a good person.”

“When I trespassed in your realm months ago, you helped me escape when I got caught.” you took Lilia’s right hand in yours. It was cold as frozen iron, but you didn’t flinch at all. “You could’ve just left me there, but you held my hand and took me somewhere safe.”

“Goodness!” Lilia let out a soft chuckle, his eyes still steadily fixed on you, glinting in sheer amusement. “You’re either a brave soul like you claim to be or simply a peculiar human who holds a lifelong fascination with the denizens of the otherworld.”

Then he smiled at you for the first time, truly smiled, a smile as lovely as his name and no doubt the most hauntingly beautiful sight you ever gazed upon.

[zweetpea]

Freedom or Anarchy? Part 2 of 2

Cw: cringe, swears, innuendos. Mondstadt arc has concluded. Next chapter will hopefully be out by Monday. (Expect Monday or Tuesday)

‘Where am I?’

‘What happened to me?’

‘I wanna go home!’

“Time to get up.” You hear someone call. The voice sounds familiar, deep and most likely male (you don’t want to assume). 

You open your eyes and see blue. You’re still groggy from Albedo’s tea so you can’t really stand. Someone picks you up, supporting you under your legs and you back. 

‘Hang on, if this is Mondstadt… the only man with blue here is.’ “Kae…ya?” You say groggily. 

“She speaks… or are you a he? Hard to tell.” He sets you down on a couch in an office.

“This is the terrorist Albedo gave us?” Lisa asks. You can’t quite move but you aren’t as tired as before. 

“We’ll have to tie… him? Her? …Ah up! Tie up the terrorist.” Jean says. 

“Them… I’m gender fluid. I go by them. Sometimes I’m a he, sometimes I’m a she. But my pronouns are always them.”

“Well, at least we’re getting answers.” Lisa giggles. 

You say as Kaeya binds your wrists and ankles with rope. You lean forward onto him and whisper to only him. “Tighter, daddy~” 

“Sky, where did you say that Light and Paimon ran off to?” Kaeya asks, embarrassed and blushing. 

“We’ve met Barbatos, they went off to find him.” Aether says. That’s right, the twins didn’t tell anybody their real names. 

“We’re back! And we’ve brought a friend!” Paimon cheers. 

“Obviously this goes without saying but no one can mention this man’s true identity, okay.” Jean states with a harsh tone that you’ve never heard from her before. Everyone nods, except for you. 

Venti walks towards you and you look at him. “Are you the one Celestia fears?” 

“I have no idea what that means.” 

“The descender, the honored one, the adored one. Do any of these names ring a bell?” 

“No?” 

“Do not lie to me! Albedo said-” 

“Why the F you lyin’~ why you always lyin’~” 

“…” 

“Sorry I have a tendency to reference memes and vines. I’m Gen Z, it’s a part of who we are. I’m kidding, I think that’s just me.” 

“So the Adored One has a name, Jen.”

“No that’s-” 

“And these “Me-ms” and “vines” must be your sacred texts! You’re a nature spirit aren’t you!”

“No! And for the record I don’t think you are a god!” 

“Wow, the honored one looks down upon me.” 

“Boys, Girls, and squirrels, listen up! Because I’ll only say this once. I’m not from this world. I want to go home. The world I come from none of you are real.” 

“Honored one, saying “Boys, Girls, and squirrels” doesn’t help your claim that you aren’t a nature spirit.” 

“Oh for Shucks sake. Actually can I swear in here? I don’t think so. Hell! Bullshit! Kaeya’s tight Ass! Lisa’s big boobies! Mmhmm boobies~” you start to laugh maniacally. “I need to be put in a mental hospital.” 

“Oh for the love of-” Lumine cuts herself off and goes up to you then shakes your. “Pull yourself together long enough for us to get answers.” 

“Right, right. I’m just a college kid who majored in computer science and engineering. The world I come from you all are a game and I hacked into your code which brought me here. That “Boys, Girls, and squirrels” comment comes from a YouTuber I watch semi frequently.”

(A/n: Danny Motta is his name. He’s pretty funny. Go check him out) 

“How’d you heal Stormterror then.” Aether asked. 

“The sustainer of heavenly principles gave me her powers.” 

“So… none of us are real?” Amber asks. 

“Well, I don’t know how I’d be here if you guys weren’t real but to me you’re just a game. Any of you can be killed and revived at the Statue of the Seven.” 

“I suppose that does poke holes in my credibility as an archon.” Venti twiddles his thumbs. 

“Can I please leave now? I can take Dvalin with me and we can just leave.” 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. If Stormterror is still enraged we can’t let him destroy other nations. It could spark an all out war.” Jean says. 

“What if we let them stay at that broken down building?” Aether suggests. 

“I still think that we should keep Jen here just in case Stormterror gets any more ideas about attacking Mondstadt.” 

“So we use Jen as a bargaining chip?” Lumine chimes in. 

“Exactly.” 

“Okay if you guys are going to call me Jen can you at least make it Gen with a G? I want to be different.” 

“But Jean! Isn’t that basically asking Stormterror for a fight?” 

“Amber’s right Jean. If we’re going to keep them here we’ll need a plan to tame Stormterror.” Lisa says. 

“I’ll tame him.” Venti says assuredly. “We just have to keep them here long enough for me to calm him down.” 

“BARBATOS!” Dvalin calls from outside. “GIVE ME BACK WHATS MINE!” 

“Everyone! To your stations! Protect the city at all costs!” Jean shouts and everyone rushes from the room. 

“Shit! I have to get out of here!” 

“Master Jean! I’m scared!” Klee runs into the office. 

“Klee! Perfect timing, I’m your brother’s friend.”

“Your big brother Albedo’s friend? Why are you tied up?” 

“It’s a long story. Right now I need you to untie me so I can save everyone.” 

“You can do that? I don’t know, usually only bad people are tied up.” 

“No no! Klee it’s more complicated. You want to save Albedo and Jean and Kaeya, Lisa, Amber, Razor and everyone else right? Then you have to untie me so I can make Stormterror go away.” 

“How do I know that you aren’t lying?” 

‘If gold knows me. Chances are Alice will too.’ “Your mom knows me. I’m the adored one. You can ask her about me.” 

“Mom knows you?”

“Yeah, and you know about Albedos secret lab in the mountains right? I’ve been there. He told me about how much he cared about you.” 

“You’ve gone there?! You really do know Albedo. Okay!” She comes over and unties you. 

“Thanks.” You go over to the window, open it up and shout. “Dvalin!” He comes rushing to you at your cry and you jump out the window and grab onto his tail. 

He flies towards the woods and you land in a stone arena. “Andrius! I need a favor.” 

“What could the East Wind possibly want from me?” 

“Protect the Adored one at all costs. 

“How can this puny human be the Adored one?”

As the two bicker you quietly sneak away. As you climb out of the arena you stop when you see black boots and look up. 

“Who are you.” Diluc looks down at you. 

“I am iron man.” 

“Iron man?” Dvalin roses as he and Andrius start to brawl. 

“Can you get me out of here?” 

“Are you the one rumored to have healed Stormterror?” 

“Maybe.” 

“Come on.” He grabs your arm and hoists you up. He then picks you up and throws you over his shoulder and starts to run. 

“Hey! Am I just a sack of potatoes to you?” 

“Quiet down or they’ll hear us.” He runs and runs until you two get to a water bank. “Follow this past west and you’ll be in Liyue.” He tells you as he sets you down. 

“Oh wow. My own dark knight. How romantic. Well for saving the fair ward of the dragon you get a kiss, as a reward.” 

“No thank you.” He grimaces at you. 

“Oh come on! I was promised debauchery! You’re no fun.” 

“Just leave.” 

“Thanks for saving me! I’m coming back for that kiss though!” You say as you run off. 

‘Hot dragon archon here I come! Please be like a lizard and have two co-‘

[akiranzee]

🤪 • ° ` — “HEAVEN HELP A FOOL WHO FALLS IN LOVE”

-> PAIRINGS: Gojo Satoru x f!Jujutsu Sorcerer!Y/n -> SUMMARY: Shoko Ieiri and Geto Suguru compare the song Ophelia by The Lumineers similarly to two of their friends, Y/n L/n and Gojo Satoru’s situation. -> WORD COUNT: 3.0k+ -> CONTAINS: fluff, slowburn(?), ANGSTY PINING, fools in love lmao, slightly suggestive, GETO IS SUCH A GOOD BFFFFFFF🫶, & gojo and reader are both 17. -> A/N: gojo, geto, and shoko had met each other when children (specifically 10 years old). THERE IS A PART WHERE ITS ⚠️CRINGE WARNING⚠️.

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I, I, when I was younger I, I, should have known better And I can’t feel no remorse And you don’t feel nothing back

Ten years ago, a young Gojo Satoru could be found sitting under a tree, pouting and sulking for some reason.

Then here comes Y/n L/n, handing the young, pouting, sulking, Gojo Satoru a lollipop.

Gojo looked up, to see Y/n smiling at him, “you okay? Here, take my candy!” Gojo hesitated, but he took the candy either way.

The candy looked similar, one that he bought for Geto.

He was about to open it, when young Geto and Shoko arrived at the location, where Gojo and Y/n is.

“Hey, isn’t that the candy I gave you?“ Geto asked, looking at the candy and at Y/n suspiciously.

“Yeah? I told you, I don’t like sweets.“ You looked at Geto back, with eyes that said; ‘you were not listening, were you?’

Then, suddenly, Gojo interrupted, “hey, what- Geto, ain’t this the candy I gave you?”

“Yeah, but I don’t like strawberries now.” Geto shrugged his shoulders as he proceeded to sit down beside Gojo.

“Hmph.” Gojo crossed his arms and looked the other way, before saying; “This is all your fault. Why are you even here?“ As his eyes met yours dead straight.

“I- excuse me? How is it my fault?” You put both your hands on your hips and replied with a hint of sarcasm and anger.

“Well- maybe if you weren’t here, Geto would be eating my candy, now!” Gojo stood up, as if about to fight you. Geto stood up too, planning to stop any fights from happening.

But instead of a fight, an argument broke out with the two of you, both protecting your claims with reasons. Geto just facepalmed while Shoko just deadpanned.

You laughed at this certain memory, remembering how childish you both were, even up until now.

I, I, got a new girlfriend She feels like he's on top And I don't feel no remorse And you can't see past my blinders

Those memories were something fun that you wished to return. But ever since Satoru got a girlfriend, he rarely has any time to spend on you and your friend group, especially when his girlfriend is one jealous woman.

You had a feeling though, that she was only using Satoru for his money and fame, but was not with him for his love and affection.

Even though you guys were always fighting, even when he was a crazy menace, you were still friends, so you still cared for him.

But your heart clenched achily whenever you see her clung to his arm, whenever she kisses his cheeks, or when she wears his jacket.

You didn’t know why, but he’s just a friend... right?

Oh, Ophelia You've been on my mind girl since the flood Oh, Ophelia Heaven help a fool who falls in love

Days passed, and it was time for the first mission Jujutsu Tokyo High will be holding.

It’s a big day, for this first mission will determine who shall be selected to be sent to various cities, and if lucky enough, to other countries. Of course, every completed mission will grant them a hefty reward — cash, to be exact.

Then, the mission starts.

“You guys know what to do, right?” The host asked, and all of you nodded your head in agreement. The mechanics were; to randomly pick a number, then go to the designated area your number was assigned. The top 3 that finishes first, will be selected then.

As the mission started, all of you ran to your designated areas.

“Hey, emo. Why so serious?” Gojo caught up beside you, and joked about your serious expression.

“You’re wearing black too.” You replied back sarcastically, with your eyes only on the pathway and nothing else.

“Aw, nice observation ya got there. Too bad though, I can’t see you losing.” Gojo winked and ran off to his designated area, which so happened to be beside yours.

“Hah. Don’t get cocky.” You huffed back, and rolled your eyes before entering your designated area too.

Minutes passed, and you couldn’t find any curses in your designated area. You tried climbing at the tallest tree there, but you saw nothing other than the life of nature.

It was pure emptiness to put it shortly; but just then, you heard a loud boom. You ran towards that direction; and immediately saw a gigantic curse. Using your cursed technique, you managed to get closer without the curse knowing, as you had now taken its life away.

Exhausted from all the running, you sat down on a fallen tree log and wiped your sweat away.

As you tried to catch your breath, a certain white haired man sauntered towards you as he gave you a confused look, “hey, what was that about? That was my curse.”

“Huh? That was my curse.” You looked at him as confused, repeating his last sentence as you continued to wipe your sweat away.

“This is my area.” Gojo looked even more confused, now. The both of you were confused, but suddenly, you had an idea in mind. You walked over to where the curse dissipated, and crouched down to reach it, and found that the number in it is indeed 3; your designated number.

“What the hell? What’s your curse doing here?” Gojo took the number off of your hand as he investigated it to see if it was really the paper given.

“My question, exactly.” You stood up from the ground, but then suddenly, once again, the ground started shaking as if it was earthquaking.

“Ha! Look how they even have backups!” Not even waiting for the horde of curses to get closer, he ran towards them and ended all with just one big boom.

You can’t deny the fact that he’s amazing if you put his attitude and personality aside, but even so, that doesn’t stop you from being amazing yourself.

On the opposite side, comes another horde of curses. Gojo was far off fending the other side, so you took the initiative and took on this side. You used your cursed techniques and fended off a gigantic curse, then comes along a series of annoying little curses. Honestly, it was hard to eliminate them, but once you get the hang of it, surely, they all fell in one big hit swoop.

As you tried your best to one hit all of them, trying to best over Satoru, you didn’t realize that Satoru was done and that he served as an audience at your little battle. But little did you know, he was not focusing at the battle. Not at all. Rather — he was focusing on somewhere, specifically, somewhere below. He stared and studied each and every time your ass would sway and bounce at the sudden movements and techniques you’d do, like a little pervert.

It was quite long after all, that you guys had a proper hang out, making Satoru forget that you were no longer the girl he met, rather — the girl he once met has now turned into a lady.

To say the least, he was attracted to you — no, he became more attracted to you.

Satoru had always found you attractive. Even with that “candy fight” you guys had as ten year olds, he had found you adorable when you puffed both your cheeks out in anger, together with putting your hands on your hips, along with your grumpy cute voice, and eyes that planned a cruel and grotesque murder. But surely, as a child, you were far from thinking that; instead you perhaps planned on either punching him on the face or kicking him on the groin.

As you landed on the ground, finally finished, you expected Satoru to give out a sarcastic comment as usual, but instead, you were only met with a stare that held too long up at the ground.

“Satoru,” flicking his forehead, thinking that this menace could have totally, finally, lost his mind. “what the hell are you thinking now?” As if he saw the most ugly curse, he jolted and moved backwards, as you only sighed at the overreaction.

“Look, you’re getting cree-” A yell had cut off your sarcastic comment towards Satoru, only to see his little girlfriend behind him, running towards him.

Before Satoru could even fully turn around, he was met with the longest hug ever. Satoru didn’t even hug her back even when her literal two minutes hug ended.

Then, Satoru was attacked with a melena of questions — “Oh god! Are you okay!?” “What is this!?” “Are you hurt!?” And so on and so forth. Satoru only scratched the back side of his head whilst you sighed, both of you sharing the same thoughts; my/his girlfriend is so dramatic.

Satoru don’t even know why he’s with her. All he knows is that he should’ve been with you- ah shit, he’s thinking about that again.

Again, because every single night he rolls helplessly from left to right and right to left in his bed, thinking what life could’ve been like if he chose a different path. Specifically — a path where he is with you.

It just so happens that Satoru’s jealousy caught the best of him when he saw you training with a fellow rookie, and stormed off where he then lost his mind and agreed to what should never be in the first place. If only he set his mind right, he wouldn’t have agreed to become that woman’s man, no. Because he should’ve been your man from the start.

And now, ever since that day, whenever he sleeps at night, the image of you fighting and your ass never leaves his mind. Oh, he wonders, how soft would that be once he gets a hold of it?

I, I, got a little paycheck You got big plans and you gotta move And I don't feel nothing at all And you can't feel nothing small

After that Tokyo Jujutsu High first ever mission, the Top 3 students selected were you, Gojo, and a random student. Gojo, as expected, topped the rankings. But due to the command of higher-ups, he is to stay here for protection purposes, which leaves you and the other student to be sent overseas. Not to worry though, Gojo will still receive a hefty amount of cash as a reward.

Gojo knows, that in the next few weeks, you’ll be sent overseas. That’s why, he’s in front of your dorm door, wanting to hang out and cherish the last moments together before you go.

He knocks, and you don’t reply. He knocks again, and no reply again. He realizes though, that the door is not locked, just closed. So he opens it, only to reveal a ton of boxes — packaging boxes to be more specific.

“...Satoru...? What are you doing here?” You asked behind him, making him jolt in surprise. As he turned around, he saw you, with your arms wrapped around random things in a box. There were bracelets, picture frames, books, coats, and more.

He looked at them curiously, with you following where his eyes landed. “Ah, these are goodbye souvenirs from everyone.”

“What- you’re already leaving?” Satoru was shocked, to say the least, as he looked at your eyes now.

“Yeah, it’s in the next three days, you didn’t know?” The last three words kind of hurt, for your mind has once again reminded you that Satoru Gojo could never care less as to not even know when you’re already leaving. Hell, being sent overseas sure is exciting, yet the bad part of it is; you’ll never see the people you hold dear here for such a long time. That’s why, it pains you to imagine how Satoru — your very bestfriend, just didn’t care about your presence away for a long time.

“I... no, I thought it was in the next few weeks?” Gojo looked confused, his tone too, which made you feel a little relieved.

“Well, you thought wrong.” You walked past him, and began taping all the boxes scattered in your dorm.

“Tomorrow, at the park, 10AM.” Gojo suddenly said, but before you could even turn and look at him, he had already left.

~~~~~

10:01AM, Sakarenye Park.

“You’re a minute late.” Gojo said, as he looked up at you wearing a white floral dress that you looked like an angel just sent down from heaven as he slowly stood up from his seat at the bench.

“Oh come on, it’s just a minute.” You rolled your eyes, as you proceeded to walk towards him.

He reached his hand out, saying, “Let’s go?” And of course, you could never say no everytime he smiles at you that way.

~~~~~

7:05PM, Jujutsu Tokyo High Dormitory.

“Thanks, today was fun.” You sheepishly smiled at him whilst looking down, attempting to hide the forming pink on your cheeks.

Gently, he held your right cheek on his hand, making you look up. As you did, you only realized that your faces were only a few inches away. His warm breath hitting your face, his eyes looking at yours with affection so undescribable, his lips slightly opening, as if wanting to kiss and devour those plushy lips of yours.

But he stopped himself. He knew damn well his feelings are not gonna be reciprocated. Or so he thinks.

“I’m gonna miss you. That annoying voice of yours, I mean.” Satoru slightly chuckled before backing a few steps away, your cheek feeling immediately lonely after his hand left it.

“Yeah, no one’s got your annoying personality there.” You replied, while Satoru laughed and just said, “well, what can I say? I am a unique individual after all.” You chuckled at that. Soon, the laughter died down and changed into an atmosphere you’d never thought existed with him.

Sadness. Satoru’s eyes lingered on you once more before looking to the side, “well, I better head off now, see you soon, Y/n.” And with that, Satoru left. Leaving you all alone.

A part of you wanted to call out to him and ask him to stay, but the part of you that needed to let him go had won. You hated how it was so easy for him to let you go, yet it was so hard for you to do so.

Honey, I love you, that's all she wrote Oh, Ophelia You've been on my mind girl like a drug Oh, Ophelia

“Five years? Isn’t that... so long?” You questioned the higher-ups worrily. You just had to be sent to an unknown country all alone, with a student you don’t even know, and what’s worse- you don’t even speak korean.

“Oh c’mon, five years ain’t that long, woman. Besides, ya don’t have to do nothin’ but to eliminate curses there. So long as those curses speak korean, you’ll be finee.” Ugh, the sarcasm and accent of that old man. If only looks could kill, he’d be long dead by your glare now.

It may not be long for them, but it was long enough for Satoru to forget about you. Even if he doesn’t feel the same way as you do, you wanted to leave something that will make him remember you, even if it’s just as a friend.

You sat down on your desk and pondered what to leave behind for him. Then, you remembered the necklace you bought for his last year's birthday, which backfired because of his stupid girlfriend. You picked it up from the top shelf, still keeping it safe and clean, as if it was still fresh and new. As you placed it on your desk, you ripped out a piece of paper and wrote on it.

Minutes later, you turned off the lamp in the desk, as you yawned yourself to sleep, bidding goodbye to your dorm as tomorrow was the day to come.

~~~~~

Tears and snots filled your colleagues, while Gojo only remained nonchalant, with his usual sunglasses on. Even Shoko and Suguru were obviously trying so hard not to cry. And, it really disturbed you on how his “girlfriend” happily bid you goodbye, the only one standing out amongst all.

After you had hopped in on the taxi, Gojo immediately departed and went to a secluded area, where he took off his sunglasses and let his tears spill. Staying long enough to see you gone was hard for him. What more if you were completely gone for so long?

Days and nights passed, and he couldn’t sleep. Especially upon finding out you had left a letter specifically for him, that contained all your heartfelt feelings and desires to him, also gifting him a necklace when he never got the chance to gift you something back. And now he regrets letting you go so easily.

He broke up with his girlfriend, who basically barked like a dog and complained like a child when he did. That was the mistake he ever made. Again, he should’ve been with you, not with anyone else.

If only he knew how you felt all this time, then he would’ve been yours. Now he worries that you’ll find someone new in another country, and leave Japan for good. No, he can’t let that happen right? He can’t possibly... But what can he even do? He’s pathetically sulking in the darkness of his dorm that smells literal shit considering he hasn’t even bathed for almost a week.

“Satoruu. Get out of there.” A knock on the door was heard, and he knew for a fact that it was Geto. He opened the door, and Geto’s eyes immediately opened wide too, as he saw the miserable state of his dear bestfriend.

You were Gojo’s first love, for as long as Geto can remember. But he never expected to ruin Gojo this much. Even though Gojo was an annoying shit of a bestfriend, Geto cherished and cared for nothing more but Gojo. He wanted his bestfriend to be happy.

“Get up your lazy ass, would you?” Geto held his breath as he stepped in Gojo’s dorm and dragged him towards his bathroom, “c’mon, I’ll treat you out.” But Gojo further resisted, insisting he wanted you, and only you. He couldn’t care less if anybody else heard him, if they found out “the strongest” is this weak.

“No, no no no waaaayyy!! I want Y/n back Geto! It hurts so much!” Gojo whined again and again, because the memory of you leaving would just always replay in his mind.

How many days has it really been? Gojo could feel the cold water piercing his delicate skin, as he contemplated what could really be the opposite if he just wasn’t so cowardly.

His forehead was pressed against the cold bathroom wall, as his hands lazily stayed still. It was obvious that he had been crying — the red under his eyes was no joke — Geto felt cruel for having to expose his helpless face to the public, but this was him trying to cheer his bestfriend up.

As they strolled on the park, Gojo had been reminded of your latest, and last hangout. He remembered you wearing a white floral dress, along with the lightest shade of pink tinting your lips and cheeks.

He passed by at the bench he once sat on, and it brought along a lot of memories, in which where he stayed there for a long time, waiting patiently for your angelic presence.

Heaven help a fool who falls in love Oh, Ophelia You've been on my mind girl since the flood

Then, both Gojo and Geto ate at the restaurant in which both you and Gojo ate too, on your very last hangout.

It seems, for Geto, that everywhere he leads Gojo to, only adds insult to his injury. Everywhere he goes, he’s just reminded of you. It was a tormenting pain, at least.

~~~~~

Painfully slowly for Gojo, he had to sleep and return to his dorm by night, without even having to keep connection with you.

The line of connection of messages from Japan to Korea is just simply nonexistent, so even if Gojo did want to connect to you, there’d be no way at all.

His situation was getting worse, he had long neglected his duties as a sorcerer, neglecting the higher-ups, and himself. Partly blaming himself, even. He didn’t even have time to bid a proper goodbye, one that would tell you his response to your letter, one that would reciprocate your supposedly “one-sided feelings”.

And Geto never failed to see through his pain. And so, he did what everyone would do in his situation.

“Yet isn’t it far too cruel to let her stay there for 5 years?” Geto retorted back to the higher-ups.

“Silence! What authority do you even have to request such a thing? We held that event fairly — she even signed the contract! It is her fault if she didn’t read it thoroughly.” One of the higher-ups crossed their arms and huffed in annoyance,

“Then — let me issue a request to go to Korea.” Geto���s patience was holding on a thin line of thread as he continued to talk with the stubborn higher-ups, “you can’t expect me to sit down here while I haven’t even heard news of how she's doing out there.” Anger boiled within Geto, but he kept his calm facade intact.

“And you can’t expect us to just grant your request simply because you requested. Remember; you are in no place to talk like that.” The higher-up with a lengthy white beared appeared behind all of them, and that was all but enough for Geto to clench his fist and turn away to slam the door.

“This was a complete waste of time.” Geto thought and mumbled, but Geto is Geto. He will not give up just like that, so he’ll do it in his own way.

Geto knocked again on Gojo’s door, the white-haired man groaned and opened his door in annoyance, about to rebuke Geto, when suddenly- Geto pushed him towards his bathroom and preparing his things for him.

Gojo, already within the bathroom, stared at the wall with pure confusion. “Hey, what-” Gojo peeked out of the bathroom door only for a towel to be thrown in his face, “you’re going to Korea.” Geto said nonchalantly, “you haven’t used all your cash prize, did you? That would be all enough for your travel fee and stay there.”

“You’re... joking. How...” Gojo was still in a daze, you see, “now go take a bath”, now not anymore thanks to Geto’s help slamming the bathroom door in his face as he pushed him inside again.

Gojo couldn’t help but smile. His isolation within his dorm was driving him insane, that he’s thinking if this was just a dream. He wished it wasn’t.

~~~~~

Oh, Ophelia Heaven help a fool who falls in love Oh, Ophelia

As Geto bid him goodbye at the airport, Gojo's cheeky smile radiated amongst the walls of the building — he was finally going to see you.

“To hell with it,” Geto whispered under his breath, along with a chuckle, he finally saw the smug smile of his bestfriend after weeks. Now, he couldn’t care less on what the higher-ups will punish him for for slipping Gojo out of the school.

Gojo literally waited impatiently in the front row of the airplane to Korea. He couldn’t wait long. He misses you. Two hours and thirty-five minutes of flight will seriously drive him insane, even though it’s so short.

As he finally sat on the plane, he watched as the airplane slowly departed, reaching through the highest fluff of clouds. Time seemed to pass by slowly, painfully, even.

When he finally felt relief that he’d be able to see you soon though, two hours more and thirty-five minutes, he felt the sleep striking to him, after for so long sleepless nights.

Slowly, he leaned against the window and peacefully closed his eyes, pressing both his thumb and index finger on the necklace you gifted him.

~~~~~

By the time the plane arrived, Gojo immediately rushed to the Jujutsu High of Korea, not even caring if people looked at him with luggage following behind him, or if he looked like a fool with his messy hair.

There, then, with one turn of his eye, he immediately sees the one he had been always longing for.

You've been on my mind girl like a drug Oh, Ophelia Heaven help a fool who falls in love

“Y/n...!” You hadn’t had enough time to even turn your head toward the familiar voice, as you were immediately tackled to the ground.

As you felt heavy arms that wrapped around your waist, you felt a tinge of safety, and when your nose hit his neck, you immediately knew who that scent came from.

“‘Toru...?” With eyes widened, you couldn’t believe who was in front of you, now embracing you. “How...?”

Gojo cut you off, “shut up...” breathlessly, as he finally hovered his lips over yours, the very moment you’ve both been waiting for, for what seemed impossible, and for an eternity to ever happen.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

TTPD Track Speculation/Prediction: @wavesoutbeingtossed Edition

Against my better judgment, I’m putting down my predictions before I am proven completely wrong on April 19.

on the other hand I did correctly attribute all of the 1989 TV vault track teaser lyrics to their songs before it was released so maybe I’m just that good jk.

I’m putting everything under a cut because it’s long and mostly just shooting the shit but it’s a long weekend so what the heck!

I started writing this the night the album was announced at the Grammys in February, so obviously things may have evolved in the meantime. It will be very interesting to see just how wrong I am!

Here be speculation, musings, jokes and more! Enter at your own risk!

SOUND:

I honestly have NO CLUE. I’ve said many, many times that I would be absolutely gagged for an Americana-folk type sound like Carolina/Safe and Sound/some of her acoustic performances on tour. I don’t really expect TTPD to sound quite that stripped back, though. (Prove me wrong, Taylor!)

I am kind of feeling pop-rock-y though, à la WCS, TTDS, based on absolutely nothing but that is also a genre/sound I love that I am begging to hear more on albums.

Completely off the wall guess: Something more jazzy-big band-y, based on nothing but her styling in recent months on the red carpet that harkens back to golden age of Hollywood vibes (especially the Grammys), the inclusion of Clara Bow (renowned flapper girl) on the track list, and the way she keeps talking about being grateful fans accept her bending and switching genres over the years and support her when she does “weird” things.

FORMAT (?)

OK this is just me spitballing, but I said awhile back that I am just getting vibes that there may be, like, a story within a story with this. As in, using some fictional settings as an allegory for the story about herself. The example I used then was The Lumineers, and how they wrote their album III about three generations of a fictional family dealing with addiction, which was an allegory for the lead singer’s own family’s experience with it (without directly calling out the family member in question at the time). There were characters in the album, but many of the songs were sung from an “I”/“you” perspective. I may not be explaining myself well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are “fictional” stories in that they’re sung about characters (e.g. Clara Bow?), but it will be obvious to fans that she’s using the characters to speak about herself and her experiences. I’m just getting big “storytelling” energy from the hints. Which means I’m totally wrong!!!! Don’t listen to me!!! (I do think there will be some shades of this somehow, though.)

TRACK LIST SPECULATION

Fortnight: Think you are all on the money about it being the time between the start of tour and when Joever happened for good. Sort of a “two years of uncertainty coming to a head in two weeks” thing. Spending two weeks agonizing over what to do. Two weeks for your whole life to blow up. Finally being removed from the situation and grasping onto your dreams that have been on hold for years and realizing your mind’s made up because you won’t give this part of you up even if it means letting go of what you thought your future held. But another thing I’ve thought of: some common wisdom claims it takes two weeks for a new routine to become a habit, so… outside chance it’s like, two weeks go by and you’re finally used to/accepted whatever it is you’re trying to kick? Also had a thought that there could be many two-week periods that can mark your life and give pause. 

The Tortured Poets Department: No idea really lol. For some reason I feel like this is going to be a little more experimental, “laying the groundwork for the defense” type of vibe, kinda like Mastermind, or using the investigative/academic metaphor to delve into it like, Mad Woman or Vigilante Shit. (Or: it could be super petty roasting the infamous group chat lol. In all seriousness though I would doubt that because I feel like this album is very much about Her… unless said group chat was so insufferable she needs to blast it on main.)

My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys: I saw some talk on my dash about this giving renegade themes (you fire off missiles because you hate yourself but don’t you know you’re demolishing me), and I totally thought the same thing. Also those of you who pointed out the parallels to Cardigan are geniuses (when I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed you put me on and said I was your favorite). Again kinda think there might be some more metaphor in this but guessing it may be along the lines of “he’s only doing this because he knows I won’t leave” themes? It instantly gives dark and uneasy. It gives, the people you love are the ones you hurt the most. All signs point to Not Good.

(Or this is about Benji destroying his spin toys or is that just my cat that does that.)

Down Bad: Someone said (on Jaime’s blog I think*) that this is giving False God but icky and I can TOTALLY see that. (Then again I’ve always found False God sad in the sense that it’s like, “even when we fight so bad we can’t communicate we still have the sex holding us together.”) But, Taylor does like to take sayings with common meanings and twist them on their heads, so I also wouldn’t be surprised if “Down Bad,” isn’t referring to being down as in being horny for someone, but being down as in, feeling devastated/hopeless. (Or, even worse, mean both at the same time. 😵‍💫)

(*I wrote this post in February after the announcement, I don’t have a clue when any of this was said anymore sorry)

So Long, London: like a lot of people, I feel like this is her goodbye to the life they had and more importantly/poignantly, the dreams she had of their future. (I don’t know but, “remember looking at this room we loved cause of the light, now I just sit in the dark and wonder if it’s time” just feels like it’d be part of this story.) So because I’ve said that, watch it be an excoriation of London Boy lol. (You know I’m mad at a London Boy / who just really won’t leave Camden / Market in the afternoon / he hasn’t seen my American smile / in two months cause he won’t come to see me / when I have a show to do…) Feel like it’s going to gut us. BUT, also wonder if this is her “I’m getting the fuck out of dodge ROCK FLAG AND EAGLE” anthem haha. (Or: she ran away to London to escape the Bad Stuff but then got stuck in another kind of Bad Stuff living there for so long…)

But Daddy I Love Him: Pretty obviously the Little Mermaid reference. Very curious if the actual quote is in the song, or if it’s just named that to set the scene but the song instead is an expounding on the theme of giving up her voice for the sake of the relationship like Ariel. Also wonder if this is an overtly diaristic song or if she is going to use characters/figures/fiction to expand on the theme subtly, a little like Maisie Peters’ History of Man or Florence & The Machine’s Cassandra or even more pointedly like her own Last Great American Dynasty or The Lucky One. I do assume the overarching theme is going to be the push-pull between keeping her love and giving up things that are important to her to make that love work.  (Watch this be about her arguing with her father about marrying *** lol.)

The theme of giving up your voice/what you hold dear for love is so loaded, and has some parallels to Clara Bow’s story, which is also on the track list so… Lots to chew on I’m sure.

Fresh Out The Slammer: Totally think the reference to her locking herself up for years at home because she was scared in the Time POTY interview is a likely link to this. Feeling free after the weight of this decision is off her shoulders, yet the sheer terror at now being on her own and rebuilding her future. It could be uplifting but I could also see it being like pure chaos. BUT, a thought I had earlier is that, if this is a song that was written pre-Joever, maybe it’s about the aftermath of a rough patch. Like, we just got our get out of jail free cards, we made it through the other side of this Big Thing that almost ended us (e.g. the final blow in YLM), where do we go from here?

Florida!!!: Emphasis on the “!!!”!!! Honestly it had me at FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. I’m soooooo curious and sooooooooooooo pumped for this one. I don’t want to let myself hope it’s going to sound like a Florence song BUT I HOPE IT SOUNDS LIKE A FLORENCE SONG. I’m going to guess it may be a reference to the first stop on tour after the news broke. Wasn’t that also a show where a ton of things went wrong? I can see it going so many ways! Is it a hopeful “Florida I’m coming for you you’re a symbol of my great escape my prison break my entire life crumbling and rising again”? An introspective “I never thought I’d have to rebuild my whole world after it imploded, in Florida of all places?!”? Is it a sarcastic “fucking Florida always the scene of the crime I can’t believe my life is falling apart and I need to go to FUCKASS FLORIDA oh great every thing that can go wrong with my show is FLORIDA!!!!”? Is it a rant about the corporate mouse? Or a scathing takedown of Republican politics ahead of the 2024 elections? (lol) Who’s to say?!

Guilty as Sin?: Sooooooooooo curious about this. I’m a Carolina Stan and I know there is 0% chance there is a link between the two songs other than the lyric which is a common term, but it does make me happy. My first thought about this one is that it’s going to be biting or self-reflective — kinda like the bridge of Is It Over Now? Or the chorus of Anti-Hero. As in, “what is it exactly that you think I’m guilty of?” (E.g. ambition? Drive? Seeking attention? Being selfish? But could also be sad: Loving too hard? Caring too much? Being too needy? Hmmm.) I’m kind of feeling like it’s a “if it’s wrong to be guilty of these things I don’t want to be right.” Again if I had to guess I’d wonder if it would have the same vibes as the bridge of YLM. (For some reason, with the question mark, I don’t necessarily think it’s going to be accusing someone of something…)* I also had a thought about the seven deadly sins and this title and… THOUGHTS ARE THINKING**.

(*I may not have found it accusatory in February, but with the benefit of hindsight in March I… reserve the right to change my mind about this.)

(**Future Waves here: the thoughts may have been thinking for February Waves but March Waves has no idea what she was talking about.)

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?: I don’t knooooooooooow. At first the title kinda gave me Blank Space vibes, like, you don’t know how much I could fuck this up if I wanted. Then some people mentioned the similarity to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And now that’s absolutely all I can think about. If you’ve ever seen the movie (or the play), it is rooooooooough. Watching George and Martha drunkenly eviscerate each other as their guests watch on in horror is… oof. (As someone who has seen this happen in real life and was trapped on a boat with a couple in full unhinged mode… OOF. Just OOF.) Of course there’s the Burton-Taylor of it all too so… (there’s also an interesting theme in Virginia Woolf about buying into illusion to avoid the messiness of reality… and Martha resenting George’s lack of ambition.) Is this song cheeky? Or a threat? Is this a Better Than Revenge/Vigilante Shit rebuke or is it Bejeweled owning her personhood?

(Like any of these songs, there’s also the chance that it’s heartbreaking and is really a reflection on how the things that make her her can be weaponized against her… Or how her struggles/vices alienate her to the person she loves a la Anti-Hero…)

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can): My first thought is this is going to be one of her sarcastic/satirical/funnier ones, based on nothing except that this sounds like it could be an Olivia Rodrigo cheeky song lol. (Like, I immediately start singing this to the tune of “Get Him Back.”) Never beat those allegations, Taylor, we’ve all been there. It definitely feels like a stereotypical tale of “girl tries to fix a man who doesn’t want to change and refuses to give up.” Watch this actually be a sad ballad about the flip side of renegade and trying to help a partner through a crisis 😬 

loml: the quiet menace in this list!!!! Obviously we’re all immediately thinking “love of my life,” but because this is Taylor, we should not rest easy. The fact that it’s all in small caps is curious to me and calls back to text speak, so is this a term of endearment that turns into a final parting sign off? Is it from an email ahem? Is it a sweet song about the good parts of being together? A wistful song about a lost love? BUT THEN, because it’s Taylor, I can totally see this being a bait and switch and it standing for something else as some of you pointed out, like loss of my life, or love OR my life. Or something entirely different. I’m pretty convinced that this one is going to be devastating in some fashion. I just feel it in my bones.

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: Like many of you, I’m fairly certain this is going to be a bittersweet Long Live-esque ode to the Eras tour. The pick yourself up by the bootstraps, get out of bed, the show must go on and the show is saving my life story. Just thinking of the quote from the Time POTY interview where she said, “I know I’m going on that stage whether I’m sick, injured, heartbroken, uncomfortable, or stressed.” And in those early weeks, it seems like she might have been all of those things at once. Just trying to talk yourself into getting out of bed when all you want the earth’s core to swallow you whole and never come back. Kind of like, I can pick up the pieces of my life and carry on even when I am dying inside. 

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: Obviously this is about one Benjamin Button, please. OK, in all seriousness, it’s giving, well… *shots fired*. It’s giving “your integrity makes me seem small.” It’s giving “I’m a monster on the hill, too big to hang out.” It’s giving “all you are is mean.” So, part of me thinks it’s going to be turned on its head a little bit, just because… it seems to point to something directly and sometimes Taylor enjoys a bit of misdirection. So is this about someone who takes shots at someone else and in so doing, displays their own insecurity? Another thought I had is: Is this about someone who retreats into their own world so much that they’ve shut out everything and everyone else? Their whole world gets shrunken down to the four walls around them? I have a strong feeling this is an allegory-type song, using a fictionalized and possibly fantastical story to tell the real life one, but obviously I could be wrong.

The Alchemy: gonna be real with you all: I didn’t know that alchemy was the practice of turning base metals into something that looks like gold. I think I was mixing it up with apothecary or something, lol. I thought it was the practice of making potions and whatnot. #TheMoreYouKnow ANYWAY, I think the idea of “turning nothing into something that shines” is going to be important. Is it about using her best colours for a portrait to hide the cracks underneath? Is it about trying your best to make something work and thrive but ultimately coming up empty because the foundation is gone? Is it about turning these base experiences into art that fuels her? There are so many possibilities! (@taylortruther’s post about The Alchemy and other comments got me thinking too about the magician/illusionist scenario in So It Goes and now my brain is on fire.)

Clara Bow: Soooooooooo intrigued by this one too. People have pointed out so many of the interesting coincidences and parallels in their lives. Clara Bow was a silent film star who found her voice in the talkies — that right there is one metaphor about finding your voice in your art and your life. But it’s also an interesting parallel that she managed to parlay her success in silent film into talkies, at a time where few actors enjoyed a successful transition, which mirrors Taylor’s transition from country to pop. There’s the way Clara’s private life was splashed all over the press, driven by salacious rumours about her sex life and her perceived revolving door of lovers, which seems like something Taylor would empathize with. There’s the way she had a breakdown and left Hollywood, which may have some shades of 2016. Or that she got married and started a family, but insisted on keeping it a secret for many years to maintain privacy, which is interesting because in this case it seems like *Clara* was the one driving the need for secrecy, not her husband. (At least I read that in one article somewhere, sorry if that’s wrong!) Ultimately though, she died relatively young and was forgotten by mainstream Hollywood, a relic of a past uninteresting to all but the most diehard of film buffs. I’m getting vibes of “The Lucky One,”  (and “Nothing New”) both in themes and in storytelling. So, watch it be completely different and not a story about Clara Bow but instead just have it be an off-hand line lol.

BONUS TRACKS

The Manuscript: I’m veeeeeery intrigued by this one. (I know I say that about all of them. That’s because they all intrigue me.) I love the idea that this wraps up the “standard” album; the chair(wo)man of the Tortured Poets Department has submitted her thesis for review, and it’s up to the board to draw their conclusion. OR: the idea that this is the unfiltered submission to a publisher, before the editor’s review that will cut and tighten and ultimately make it better, but loses the author’s initial vision in the process. (Like self-editing to share the most palatable story to your reader. Which… Also gives Dear Reader/Midnights in general vibes.) OR EVEN: this is the author’s story, submitted to the audience for their review, leaving it up to them to draw their conclusions and annotate. There are sooooooo many ways I can see this going. 

The Bolter: A curious one indeed! I feel like of all of the bonus tracks at least, this is the one I have the least idea about. My immediate guess is that it refers to a person who runs, which would have all kinds of implications. Running from the law (unlikely lol), running from commitment, running from conflict… running for your life. Like running from commitment because you’re scared of being tied down (single girl version) to running from commitment because you’re scared of being tied down (bitter wife* version). (*NOT saying there was a secret wedding lol. I mean as in, that’s the future that was in store if one stayed.) I saw other takes saying bolter is also slang for jailer, which is also interesting with the Ready For It of it all. 

The Albatross: So much has been said about this one, so I don’t think I have much to ado about this one! The famous poem is rife with all kinds of allusions: the bird soaring on its own for up to six years, but being brought down by man’s cruelty. The bird looking majestic in the skies, but the burden of its wings dragging it down on land, slowly killing it. The story being a metaphor for how the very thing poets are exalted for in society are the things they are punished for personally. I think it’s safe to say this one is going to hurt regardless, whether it’s a reference to herself, to ***, or something else entirely.

The Black Dog: Also another one I’m not sure I have many thoughts on yet. The black dog being a metaphor for depression is likely the inspiration, and I’m assuming this has the potential to be one of the most vulnerable songs yet. I have a feeling most of this album will be, but the imagery of this — the black dog being a constant companion, wanted or not, casting a pall over its master’s every move — points in a pretty obvious direction. And one that is probably going to gut us.

Well there you have it folks! I am ready to be completely wrong!

[heyimdove]

Things of Note at @neil-gaiman ‘s NJPAC talk:

1. Do you people understand that he switches into accents when he reads? Do you people know he does a perfect Michael Sheen impression? did you know it’s also hot

2. He used to cold call publishers/mags to see if they’d publish his work. He’d lie when asked what other magazines he wrote for; they’d think he was more legitimate and would, therefore, be more likely to take him on themselves. “You couldn’t get away with that now” thanks to Google. Also, back then, “we had telephones and we used them,” but today’s publishers would not easily recover if you unexpectedly called them on the phone.

3. It was a personal point of pride for Neil to write for each of the magazines he’d claimed to have written for. He said “I didn’t lie. I was chronologically challenged.”

4. Neil made a deliberate effort to not be boxed in by publishers. He’d interviewed many authors who were unhappily boxed and did everything he could to avoid it, including declining big contracts from prestigious publishers (notably after American Gods). This is why he can write what he likes now. Comics writing spoiled him in this regard, as publishers mistook the medium for a genre, and therefore didn’t care what he wrote (so he wrote all the genres he wanted to in Sandman).

5. He hates Thomas Hardy thanks to being introduced to him in school. Regarding being forced to read Tess of the D’urbervilles, he said “I wouldn’t do that to a dog”. He hopes students, who might have liked him if they found him on their own, don’t encounter his work in school and hate him for it.

6. “The evil characters (you write) don’t possess you, you try to find the little bit of you in them….the little bit of you that is gloriously evil.”

7. “I touched the magic and passed it along” this was a line from Watching from the Shadows that especially moved me.

8. Terry was increasingly upset as the bidding on Good Omens increased (eventually reaching 150,000 - can’t remember if he said $ or £). For his part, when the book finally sold, Neil put on Iggy Pop’s Success and danced.

9. Anansi Boys should be out on Prime by the end of 2024!

10. Described Sandalphon as someone you want to “hit with a large oar”. (The woman next to me, who was extremely stingy with her applause, hooted like an owl at this and clapped til the last).

11. Pronounces Amazon as “Ama-zin” and Los Angeles as “Los Angelese”. This isn’t noteworthy, but I liked it enough to write it down.

12. “Being on a beach in bare feet” was the line that led Neil to realize David Tennant would be perfect for Crowley.

13. He is pictured on the ALA’s poster holding Wind in the Willows because, as a child, “it messed up my head.” He said he is “in love” with a chapter in the middle called The Piper at the Gates of Dawn where the characters meet Pan. It’s often left out of printings, which makes him sad because it is “strange, beautiful, luminous”.

14. TOATEOTL was originally planned to go to Broadway. Then, Covid. They did a “world tour” instead. Now that it’s wrapped, talks about Broadway are happening. He says all of adaptations of his work, this is his favorite.

15. “Disney’s Aladdin plays four times a day in Hell”

16. His favorite question of the night was “WHY did you think of the Other Mother?” He was tickled by the word choice of “why”

17. Asked the library in Sussex “What have you got in the way of really good horror for four year olds?” Obviously none existed so he wrote Coraline.

18. Talked about going viral for being in a falafel, seemed to marvel at the progression of the meme’s meaning.

19. “Tumblr is its own madness”

20. “Stephen King has fabulous stories about meeting fans in toilets, including being passed a book under the stall”

21. Read “The Day the Saucers Came” which I misheard initially as Sauces. Saucers is definitely better.

22. “You want to see me doing Dickens?” I laughed inappropriately at this. I was the only one.

23. I don’t want to say what pieces he read because I want you to buy tickets to his events. But it was very nice to be read to by Neil Gaiman.

It’s very worth it to go. I flew out from San Diego for this and would do it again in a heartbeat!

[therealslimshakespeare]

Do u think Benny has a fav physical feature of Lu’s? I def think the most like. Stand out feature of hers would be her eyes lol very doe like and sparkly brown in my mind. <3 But that be everyone’s fav feature of hers cause hello they’re so her. Also think her hair is like. Very beautiful. The Cherokee women I know have some of the most lovely hair ever

Oh certainly her eyes, because of course.

But the hair is such a good suggestion, because the ladies I know have glorious hair, my god, and it’s certainly a source of pride to them too and so it’s well nourished and kept and I imagine she has it pinned back or up for much her job -genuinely I do imagine Dutch braid styled hair on College Lu because she’s not doing full on braids but she’s also saying “fuck you” to the curl short trendy bob of the era- and so that means her hair done is for home, it’s what Benny gets to see, it’s what gets in Benny’s mouth when he’s sleeping and it’s what he patiently waits to see it brushed out in the shower and it’s what he gathers up to pull when they’re intimate.

Also. The cheekbones on my native friends? Why don’t we talk more about the insanely gorgeous width to many native people’s cheekbones? Have you seen the apples of a person’s cheeks in the Disney and it’s becoming rose gold luminous off their fucking cheek because their cheekbones are so strong and distinct and close to god? Yeah.

Also. I’ve mentioned her nose. Sorry not sorry I love a good strong nose and I love the face claims people have suggested but one reason I hold back in claiming one is that they’re very very very close to my imagining, especially with the eyes, but they’re a tiny bit Instagram Faced in so features which I just imagine she has. She’s got a good strong nose, ok? It’s fucking gorgeous and Benny loves to kiss it as if it’s an upturned Bambi one

[genshin-scenarios]

Chapter 2: dark side of dawn

Reembarking Starlight Masterlist

Characters: Paimon, Diluc

Chapter 1 <-

-> Chapter 3

It takes you a moment to break away from Diluc’s gaze, as if you’d just been hypnotised by the embers of a fire. You're saved from blurting out his name when Paimon flies towards you at record speed, almost knocking you over with a hug.

“Are you alright?!” She exclaims, teary-eyed. “Paimon thought you were going to be crushed!”

So did you, to be fair. “I’m fine, thanks to him.” You look at Diluc, who measures something between confusion and contemplation in his eyes. “Thank you for the save, Mister…?”

“Just Darknight is fine.” He averts his gaze to look at the defeated Ruin Guard, whose core has been pierced through completely by your attack. “You have pretty fast reflexes. It looks like that thing’s disabled for good.”

Paimon’s eyes widen as she follows his gaze and sees the damage. “When did you learn to do that?” She gasps. Lamely, you shrug.

“I guess I just shaped anemo into whatever I thought could help.” You rub the back of your neck. “There wasn’t much thinking involved, to be honest.” Your arm is still tingling from the recoil, but you don’t draw attention to that while you ask Diluc what he’s here for.

“Likely the same reason as you—to investigate the ruins.” He crosses his arms. “You don’t look like a local, though. Are you new to Mondstadt?”

Paimon explains that you’re an outlander who’s in search of a missing friend; seeing as you aren't sure whether the Abyss twin is Aether or Lumine, you’d decided to claim they were an old travelling partner, whose image is now fuzzy in your mind. 

But even after clearing out the remaining treasure chests and separating from Diluc, you didn’t come across Dvalin’s tear. Paimon’s starlight tinkling accompanies you as you return to the city deep in thought, before a weight dips from within the mysterious confines of your backpack. An energetic ping enters the air.

‘Meet the Darknight Hero achieved! You have been rewarded with: x2000 mora, x1 corrupted tear.’

You stop in your path and rummage through your backpack until your fingers graze something smooth and small. The teardrop glows blood-red, pulsing with a heavy, agonised power.

“Did you find another crystal?” Paimon floats closer to inspect it. “There’s no doubt they’re important, but I wonder what they are…”

You think about Dvalin and the lies the Abyss Order are feeding him, turning him enough to shed tears.

Will you be able to free him from his bad dream?

-

The master of Dawn Winery steps into the entryway of his manor, turning towards the shadow that welcomes him home. 

“Any updates on the Fatui?” He asks.

“They seem to be keeping their activities under close covers. So far, they have not started to act.”

Diluc has been keeping an eye on third-parties in Mondstadt ever since Signora entered the nation, but it seems like an unpredicted factor has joined the field—an outlander who wields the wind but has no vision, and can manipulate its form in miraculous ways.

“I need a report on an adventurer who’s recently entered the city.” He pulls the band off his ponytail. Diluc’s hair spills over his shoulders.

A strange traveller blessed by the wind…Just what new events will you stir?

[po-cky-o-o]

I am now obsessed with the idea of Lumi knowing other descenders that sometimes stop by Teyvat just to say hi to her.

I mean, if she and her brother have been traveling between worlds for so long, they are bound to meet others that do the same. With Lumine’s curious nature, she would most likely come over to chat with those people and exchange stories, and perhaps even traveling together for a while.

With her being as lovable as she is, those other travelers sometimes decide to follow her to some other worlds just to see how she’s doing. Y’know, like ancient beings who have been friends for centuries and occasionally meet up in random worlds.

Now, imagine if one of them stops by Teyvat because they haven’t seen her in a while (500 years coma and all that jazz) and were starting to get worried.

Now think of her harem’s reaction when they see this hot looking creature, that clearly knows more abt Lumine than they could ever hope to and to wrap thing up with a nice little bow, they can follow her to any world she ends up in.

I think some of them would be fascinated to se another being like Lumine but change their minds after seeing how chummy they act around each other. (Like Albedo, Venti, Kaeya, Zhongli, Cyno, Tighnari and Diluc)

While others would be the personification of jealousy. They don’t care who this person is, they just want them away from Lumine. (Scara and Childe)

And ofc there is the depressive bunch that will just think “wow, this person is so much better than me” and back off, silently crying to themselves (Xiao, Gorou)

Now, to make it worse, imagine that person is the kind of friend that acts like they are married to their pal. They know Lumi’s favorite food, color, book, her hobbies, the things she dislikes; they touch her casually and carry around any essentials she might need and comfort her when she remembers abt her brother.

The guys are all afraid she might suddenly decide to leave with that person, leaving them all behind, so they do their best to remind her of the good things about Teyvat, in attempt to convince her to stay.

They all come together to treat her with an almost royal treatment, claiming it to be repayment for all her hard work, when in reality they just really want to spoil her.

Of course, Lumi is confused at the sudden affection she is being showered with - after all she would never even consider leaving without her brother - but she is thankful for it nonetheless.

[iristars-exe]

Reasons why I think the remaining moon in Teyvat’s sky is alive.

Before I start I’d just like to say that this theory contains major spoilers for Chapter V Act IV. Proceed at your own risk.

This theory is gonna be really short, it’s basically just a combination of few small observations about the moons with no actual clever conclusion, I’m not sure if it can even be called a theory haha, have fun reading my rant I guess lol :)

If you did heed my spoiler warning and completed Act IV of the Natlan Archon Quest before reading this, then you would know that after 4 years we FINALLY have confirmation that the sky is indeed fake as the fatui have previously claimed.

Beyond the fake sky, we can see fragments of an unknown broken celestial body, I would like to propose that this celestial object is in fact the corpse of one of the three moon sisters.

In genshin we have multiple legends about the moon sisters, unfortunately I can’t remember which books/weapon descriptions referenced them but I’m pretty sure that in some sources all 3 moons died while in other sources 2 died and the remaining moon locked herself up in her palace as a result of her grief over her 2 dead sisters.

Now take a look at those 2 moons side by side

The broken moon may be hard to see but it’s visible if you squint, idk about you but the broken moon clearly looks dead to me, especially in contrast to the moon in Teyvat that we’re familiar with.

This contrast is why I think the version of the moon sisters legend that claims one moon is still alive and locked herself up is more likely to be true that the version that claims all three died and the ( non-broken ) moon is the corpse of one of the sisters, I mean the moon in Teyvat clearly looks more alive than the one beyond the fake sky…and if we assume that the moon in the loading screen, the moon in the overworld, and the moon in the spiral abyss are all the same moon viewed from different angels then I think it’s more likely that this particular moon is the only living moon sister left.

Admittedly this “theory” is not too strong because I don’t have much evidence aside from these small observations and bits of assumptions, but I still think it’s cool to think about :)

Reasons why this theory is probably wrong:

it’s unlikely that the moon in the loading screen, the overworld and the spiral abyss are all the same moon, mainly because the moons in the loading screen and spiral abyss never move unlike the one in the overworld, also the moon in the spiral abyss is probably underground.

the moon in Teyvat’s sky could very well be as fake as the stars themselves, meaning it might be a recreation/hologram(?) cast by celestia or the heavenly principles to give the impression that there’s a moon present in the night sky, which means said moon may not even be one of the moon sisters from the legends.

if we assume that all 3 moons are dead and that the moons in the 3 locations I listed multiple times are all different, then that implies that we’ve already seen all 3 corpses and that the broken celestial body behind the fake sky might not be a moon at all, alternatively it could be the other world just outside Teyvat, you know like the world Khaenri’ah spied upon from beyond the fake sky and the second of the two worlds mentioned everywhere in Arlecchino’s boss fight ( and other places )

Now that I think about it what if the broken celestial body is actually the destroyed home world of Aether and Lumine…I mean it’s possible, right ?

And that’s the end of this short but very cracky theory, I hope my explanation was clear enough ( I know it wasn’t (-_-') ) if you can help explain it better somehow or can think of any evidence to help prove/disprove my theory I’d be happy to listen ! Thanks a lot for sticking around and reading to the end, it means a lot :D

[alexanderlightweight]

hellloooo. do you have any dragon alec in your little treasure chest? i love him and cat magnus being cuteee

i wrote some just for you! here we go i hope you enjoy!

<3 lumine!

-

Magnus is gone when he opens his eyes

That’s the first thing Alec realizes even as his vision adjust and he can see for himself the lack of a body next to his own.

It’s the reason why he wakes.

The heart of his hoard is gone, away from Alec’s protective adoration and covetous claim. The knowledge of Magnus somewhere else — somewhere without Alec — is intolerable enough that Alec’s instincts threaten to take over. He wants to burst into his largest form and fly until he finds Magnus, destroying every single thing that is between he and Magnus.

But he can’t, because Magnus is most likely in Pandemonium which means that Alec can’t just destroy it. Not when it belongs to Magnus and is something he built, a sign of his power. To harm it would be to harm Magnus’ reputation and to put him in danger from those stupid enough to think it a sign that Magnus was weakening.

Still, threats are a distraction that Alec finds unnecessary. He’s much rather simply enjoy his days spending as much time with Magnus as possible. Which Magnus knows. Which makes the lack of his company and presence even more upsetting.

Clearly Alec hasn’t been communicating as well as he thought he was, which is disappointing but hardly Magnus’ fault.

Clothing is confusing without Magnus so Alec just goes with a pair of the sweatpants Magnus summoned for him and a hooded vest that still smells like sandalwood and sweat and magic.

It’s with Magnus’ scent in his nose that he follows the trail of Magnus’ magic and loops the path of the portal into a mirror that he steps through. The floor is cool and hard under his bare feet and Alec frowns as flashing lights, raucous noise and the scent of far too many people hit him all at once.

It’s possibly the worst experience Alec has had and he’s suddenly very grateful that all the times he’s come, he’s been a dragon and warded by Magnus’ presence and magic. As if it, Alec very narrowly avoid killing three people and maiming another dozen before he get to the point where Magnus’ magick thickens.

There is security here and when they try to stop him, Alec growls and lets the threat of his voice rush over them. It works well enough and then he’s up and in the high room that surveys the rest of the club from a large window and a glass floor.

Magnus is alone on his throne, but there are throngs of people around him and Alec loathes to see it. Magnus is practically surrounded and Alec can taste the greed and lust and envy in the air. It infuriates him to the point where Alec is just about to rip the nearest person’s spine through their neck when Magnus’ voice catches and stalls.

“Alexander?”

—

Magnus is stunned to see his boy, especially when he sees just what Alec is and isn’t wearing.

Alexander is in sweatpants and one of Magnus’ workout vests and only that. He has no shoes and from the delicious outline of his pants and the unzipped front of the vest, he has nothing else on either.

“Come here darling, I’ve missed you.” Magnus is helpless but to offer his hands and wait greedily for Alexander to come to his side. It infuriates many of his guests, but that’s to be expected. They don’t know who Alec is to Magnus and they certainly don’t know what he is.

“You didn’t wake me up.” Alexander says and Magnus pulls him to sit next to him, marveling that Alexander came out by himself — to Pandemonium no less — in human form.

Just because Magnus left and didn’t wake him up.

“You were too adorable to wake, darling.” Magnus admits shamelessly, “I couldn’t bear to see you pout at me for more sleep. I would never have left our bed.”

“I’ll sleep here then. I’d rather just come with you instead of waking up because I realize you’ve gone. Wake me up next time.”

Magnus hardly has a moment to process that very tired and sleepy speech and then Alexander is moving Magnus to the side of his own throne. There’s a minute where the very air is charged as the court meeting with Magnus pulse in confusion. Even Magnus is confused and then Alexander curls up — folding his large, long and still human limbs— and lays his head in Magnus lap. His cool breath tickles the bare skin of Magnus’ stomach and never before has Magnus ached so deeply as he does now.

The signs of Alec’s draconic nature are no doubt on his thighs and shoulder-blades right now, hidden for the moment by thin material. Likewise, the scales that normally dapple his jaw and cheekbones are only crowning his brow and lie hidden behind soft, dark curls.

Alec has rarely looked so human yet rarely has he been so clearly other.

It’s with possessive glee that Magnus allows himself to pet Alexander’s hair — his fingers finding and playing with the scales on Alexander’s nape — and return to the matter of the downworld.

A dragon counts Magnus important enough to it that immediately upon waking, he was hunted down.

And Alexander craved Magnus’ company enough that he suffered crowds of people and interaction in human form, just to sleep curled up in Magnus’ lap with Magnus’ hand in hair.

Whatever the smile on Magnus’ face says, it causes those around him to avert their eyes, apprehension in their postures.

Magnus however, is quite pleased. Pleased enough to let out the deep, rumbling purr that's been building since Alexander's head was pillowed on Magnus' thigh.

[baileypie-writes]

~Ranking All Yellow Cures in Pretty Cure~

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

Disclaimer: These are all my opinions! If you don’t agree with them, that’s fine! Just don’t attack me or anything.

‼️Warning: Spoilers for Futari wa Precure Max Heart, Heartcatch Precure and Doki Doki Precure‼️

(I’m pretty upset that there’s no yellow text color)

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

~🍯13 - Cure Honey🍯~

(Happiness Charge Precure)

Booooooring.

Cure Honey is one of the most boring cures to ever exist. Her only personality trait is food. All she ever talks about is wanting to eat rice. She even sings about it for her attack too, and it’s just so dumb.

That’s all I have to say about her. Boring.

~👑12 - Shiny Luminous~

(Futari wa Precure Max Heart)

Boring part 2.

She really has no personality, and her design is ugly. She’s only there for the plot. I was never a fan of her. The only thing putting her above Cure Honey is that her attacks are cool enough.

~🍍11 - Cure Pine🍍~

(Fresh Precure)

Boring part 3.

She’s shy, likes animals, and is Christian. That’s pretty much it.

But honestly, she’s not too boring. She adds something to the story. She’s just not as interesting as the others, and her attacks are cool.

~⛸️10 - Cure Etoile⛸️~

(Hugtto Precure)

I didn’t connect with any of the Hugtto characters at all.

I’m not a Cure Etoile fan. I don’t like her personally, and I don’t like her design. Like, why is she a flight attendant, and not a figure skater?

That’s all I have to say about her. I just don’t like her.

~🎶9 - Cure Muse🎶~

(Suite Precure)

Honestly, I don’t think she’s as bad as people claim. Sure she’s rude, but at least she has a reason. And she’s not too rude for me. After joining the team, she gets better.

I really like her design too. She’s really cute!

~♣️8 - Cure Rosetta♣️~

(Doki Doki Precure)

She’s cool! I love how her richness comes in handy, and how she’s not afraid to use it.

Her whole backstory with her being afraid of her strength was really interesting, and I enjoyed her journey to becoming a Pretty Cure.

I like her design too. Her hair is so cute!

~🟡7 - Cure Papaya🟡~

(Tropical Rouge Precure)

I like Cure Papaya’s design a lot! I’ve heard quite a bit of hate for it, and I don’t understand it. She’s so cute!

She’s lacking a bit in the personality department though. But I think she’s really funny sometimes!

~🍮6 - Cure Custard🍮~

(KiraKira Precure A La Mode)

Her little backstory spoke to me on a personal level. She talks to much about her interests, and weirds everyone out. She’s so me fr.

I think her knowledge for sweets is really cool. She taught me a lot of things!

I’m not the biggest fan of her design though. I just don’t like that shade of yellow paired with brown.

~⭐️5 - Cure Twinkle⭐️~

(Go! Princess Precure)

She serves.

Her confidence is amazing. And her attitude is perfection.

Her design isn’t for me, but I think it suits her very well. That’s all I gotta say!

~⚡️4 - Cure Peace⚡️~

(Smile Precure)

She was my favorite growing up(back when I watched Glitter Force… *sigh*). She’s super cute! And she’s an artist! I tend to like the artist characters a lot.

Her design is adorable too. I love her hair, and the little *pop* it does when she transforms. And the fact that she can control lighting is super cool!

~🌻3 - Cure Sunshine🌻~

(Heartcatch Precure)

I loved her backstory. Her feeling the need to be masculine, and her longing for cute things made me feel so sad for her. I was so happy when the other girls helped her explore more of her femininity. Did anyone else notice that her hair was longer in the last episode? I loved that detail!

She has a super cool design as well! And her relationship with Potpourri is really cute!

~🍋2 - Cure Lemonade🍋~

(Yes! Precure 5)

Cure Lemonade was the first cure I considered my favorite, and she remained my favorite for a long time.

I loved her personality and vibe. Her whole actress/idol thing was entertaining to watch as well.

But her design is probably what I love best about her. Her hair is just awesome. I love the way it swirls into place in her transformation!

~✨1 - Cure Sparkle✨~

(Healin’ Good Precure)

One of my favorite cures ever!

I love her design. It’s so unique! The poofy underskirt is probably my favorite part!

I see myself in her as well. She gets caught up in the moment, and gets too excited. And she feels like she’s unintentionally dragging her friends into things they don’t want. Seeing things I don’t like about myself in characters pretty much makes me like them instantly.

That’s all! Let me know what you think of my ranking, and how you would rank them yourself!

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[chickenparm]

A Draw - ChiLumi

you guys like jazz? and by jazz i mean me finally writing something. i wrote this for my buddy that deserves 1000 of these nastyass fics.

---

AO3 LINK

ChiLumi / ChildexLumine 2892 Words - NSFW (Size kink, thigh riding, foul legacy form)

---

Time, distance, circumstance; All keep Childe from truly reaching out with both hands to sink his fingers into Lumine. It’s not as if she’s uninterested - Childe sometimes plays the role of an oblivious nice guy, but he’s not a moron. The trailing of her eyes against the flash of skin revealed by his uniform, the way her cheeks flush when they’re nearly nose-to-nose in one of their occasional bouts, the reluctance to part ways when they have no further business with each other. 

No, Childe is convinced Lumine wants him, nearly as much as he wants her. 

But there’s a time and place for ruminating on his unwise feelings for the woman that is slowly but surely becoming a thorn in the Tsaritsa’s side that is too sharp to ignore. For now, she stands across from him in the secluded copse of trees that they’ve claimed for their spar, sword brandished and the silence surrounding them comfortably. 

Truthfully, they don’t need to exchange words. The typical rules of combat between Childe and Lumine never really change, but something itches beneath his skin and he calls out a greeting, followed with, “Girlie, I need a favor from you!”

“A favor?” Lumine responds, voice a bit flat and less musical than he remembers. From this distance, he can just make out the sight of dark circles beneath her eyes - she must be tired. 

But an advantage is an advantage, and it’s been a few too many fights since he last claimed victory. Especially with what he asks of her this time, a smile on his face like that would convince her. “I’d like to use my Foul Legacy transformation, if you’re up for it.”

“If you’re up for it.” Lumine responds, and Childe doesn’t miss the way her shoulders stiffen, her hand grips her sword a little tighter, and the shadows of her collarbone growing a little more prominent as she blushes. Huh… that’s new. 

But he waves a hand with a smile, “And that’s the favor - a kind Traveler helping me back to civilization so I don’t have to lay in the dirt out here recovering.” And maybe he gets to savor the feeling of leaning on her, his arm hitched around Lumine’s shoulders for support as he hobbles back to town. That’s a perk she doesn’t need to know about, though.

Lumine’s cheek shifts with how she chews on it, and it takes a little too long for her to finally nod, then add on, “Just don’t go too far. Don’t hurt yourself.”

As if they both wouldn’t be leaving the area without injuries from one another. Nothing lethal, of course, but bruises, sprains, maybe a gash or two. And this time, his debilitating exhaustion whether he won or not. 

So, it begins. With the knowledge he’ll be growing even more powerful, Lumine doesn’t dare go all out. The casual nature of each fight’s beginning gives her time to be a little distracted, and Childe wouldn’t dare deny her something so simple as shifting just right, widening that window of skin until it’s from hip bone to belly button. 

Lumine’s pupils expand, Childe’s blood sings and it can’t be attributed to the battle. 

It would be so easy, he thinks, to just take her. Or to let her take him. Before Lumine, the total sum of people he’d ever thought about willingly debasing himself for was a resounding zero. Either lack of respect, lack of trust, lack of power. She has two out of three, but he’s sure with enough time the trust would happen. 

One, two, three heartbeats before the familiar stinging floods his muscle fibers, his veins, every strand of nerves. The world doesn’t change, but it feels different at such a new vantage point as he looks down at Lumine. And she looks up at him with those same exact eyes, wide open and filled with hunger that is no longer as subtle. 

Things in his mind change a little when he lets the Abyss co-pilot his body. Nothing so overt, but certain inhibitions are lowered, specific emotions are amplified to the point of being impossible to resist. Temptation lingers in front of Childe, and he’s a little rougher than necessary when he pins her to the ground with clawed hands. 

The sound of her grunt of pain sounds warbled and is nearly lost against the rushing of blood in his ears. Lumine is so small now, growing fragile in the few moments it took him to shed one form and slip into another. There’s no fear in her eyes as she stares at the single-eyed mask that hides the twisted visage beneath, her legs shifting together in an unmistakable sign of his victory. 

“Submit.” 

Words don’t come easy. Childe resolves to only spout the ones that matter; phrases meant to direct and demand. His palms press to her shoulders, sharp-tipped fingers digging into the dirt to avoid the easy slicing of skin and sinew. Lumine’s throat bobs, the movement painfully obvious before she nods mutely. 

Demureness doesn’t feel right when she wears it like this, but Childe supposes it comes with the territory of this kind of victory. The pressure of his hold lessens, a silent invitation for her to make some sort of move to leave if she wasn’t exactly where she wanted to be. 

And Lumine doesn’t move from beneath him, only spreads her thighs a little wider as if to invite him exactly where he wants to be. 

Hands like these can’t necessarily touch her how he wants to, and he’s forced to make do with what he can. A little shift of his knee, careful of sharp bits and pointy things, until she’s pressed against the thin fabric covering Childe’s thigh. And he can feel the heat; the warmth seeping through the layers from her to him. 

After a moment of stillness - because he’s exercising impossible levels of restraint and every moment is met with the instinct to hurt, harm, leave lasting marks that might never go away - Lumine’s wariness slips just enough for her to roll her hips a single time. That’s all she needs to realize that if Childe won’t be a little more swift with providing what she needs, then at the very least she can take it for herself. 

A thousand words want to escape, but with his jaw clamped tightly shut, all he can do is purr through grit teeth, “Good.” 

It could be that it feels good for him. Or that he’s impressed with her willingness to use him for what she wants. It could even be some sort of reassurance that despite the last time she saw him in this way, things are so very different this time around. 

Truthfully, it’s all of the above. 

Lumine freezes, golden eyelashes fluttering at the sensation she gives herself using Childe so easily. Her breath shakes with arousal, Childe’s rumbles quietly with anticipation - he doesn’t have to wait long. Palms pressed flat against the ground below, Lumine uses it as leverage to rock against his thigh once, twice, three more times until her trepidation has all but vanished. The sounds that leave the back of her throat are shameless in their volume. 

If he were more like himself - or less like himself, sometimes he isn’t sure anymore - he’d be grinning wildly and prodding her for answers to questions like, “Does that feel good?” or, “Are you enjoying yourself?”

Instead, Childe watches with a single blue, gem-like eye as Lumine’s cheeks run pink and her eyelids fall halfway with each languid grind of her cunt against him. And each press put it in stark relief that the warmth through the layers is accompanied by a wetness telling of Lumine’s arousal, the depravity she’s indulging in by showing attraction rather than fear. 

Little puffs of air leave her parted lips, and he leans closer and examines the exact shade of pink, wondering if she’s just as pink elsewhere. Lifting one hand, relieving enough pressure that she could escape if she truly wanted to, Childe tugs and tugs at the straps of her halter top until she grows irritated enough to pull it open herself,  her chest spilling free and confirming the sick little suspicions in Childe’s head.

What he wouldn’t give to reach out and squeeze, pinch, roll until she’s breathless and whining beneath him, begging for more or pleading him to quit teasing. The best he can do to sate himself is press the heel of his palm to her breast and zero in on the sensation of her nipple hardening from just his touch alone. 

Lumine, suddenly so receptive and willing, arches into him and stammers out the single-syllable of his name in some form of elation before it melts into a quiet moan signaling her release. It’s nothing groundbreaking or earth-shattering, not with how dull the stimulation must have been through so many layers, but Childe could give her so much more if she wanted it. 

Surely she must - that can’t have been enough for her. The lack of exertion makes it so that he can stay like this longer, and if Lumine were willing enough to continue just… using him…

Childe pushes off of her, falling onto his backside and giving her a pleading expression that he knows full well she can’t see under the mask of his transformation. Perhaps it’s better that she can’t - it would likely only serve to scare her away, if the prominent bulge of his cock straining beneath the fabric of his belt wasn’t intimidating enough. 

Lumine props on her elbows. She watches him, bare chest rising and falling as she looks first at his mask, then his chest, then to his lap which he has made so very inviting. Sitting up more, she hesitates as if to make sure she isn’t misreading a situation that is so very obvious, then crawls closer. Childe thinks she looks rather pretty on her hands and knees, dirt staining her dress, her boots, the palms of her hands and pads of her fingers that reach beneath her skirt to pull away shorts and underwear that have been soaked through. 

Childe can be merciful, when he wants to be. And he desperately wants, right now. Hooking clawed thumbs into hidden fastenings, he tugs himself free of constraining fabric until Lumine pauses, eyes widening with a sudden hesitation at what she was so sure she could handle. 

“Come here.” The two words grate from his throat as he reaches out for her, part encouragement and part impatience. Bravery has always been a hallmark of hers, so what use is it for her to balk now when this battle is far easier than any she’s taken on so far? 

Lumine ignores his hand, swallowing hard before crawling forward further. Her dirtied hands curl around his shins, then hook around the sharp protrusions of his boots as she crawls into his lap. Those same small hands lay against his chest as she steadies herself, hovering over his cock but not quite touching. As before, it would be so easy to just grab her and pull her down, to impale her on his length and take what he’s been unable to stop yearning for. 

But he doesn’t. Transformed or not, Childe isn’t nearly so callous as to go faster than Lumine can handle. Though, she certainly can handle him when he’s this way, it simply needs to be at her pace - or he’ll never find himself in this sort of situation ever again. 

With one hand - it’s shaking - Lumine reaches down to wrap her fingers around him, giving a single experimental stroke as if to remind her of the inhuman size. As if she needed some sort of refresher when she needs to crane her neck to look up at his masked face. Then, holding him steady at the base, she lines up and lowers just a little, just enough to take his tip inside of a cunt not quite meant to take someone of his size. 

Lumine pauses, a whimper falling from her lips that mingles with the quiet relieved groan of his own. Even if this is all she could handle, it would be something he’d be appreciative of - she’s so warm, impossibly tight around him as she works a little more inside, bit by bit. 

Childe’s head cocks to the side, a silent question, and Lumine answers with fervent enthusiasm, “I’m taking it all. Be patient.”

As if he were the one starting to move faster, be louder, breathe so quickly that it borders on hysteria. Childe is as a statue, not even trembling despite the monumental effort it takes to keep from just gripping her hips and pulling her the rest of the way. It’s her own determination that keeps him in check - one way or another, she’ll get there. 

And she does. It’s agonizingly slow, but Lumine settles firm in his lap, forehead pressed against his chest. If she were to simply stay like this - stuffed full of his cock and keeping it warm - Childe would chalk that up to a victory and be able to die a happy man. But then she moves, leaning back a little, the walls of her pussy shifting against his length with a vice-like tension, and Childe greedily wants more. 

But his voice won’t form words - only a low rumble and a wheezing sigh. Careful of sharp-tipped fingers, he lifts his hand to rest his palm against one of her bare thighs, so small beneath his hand as he curls sharp fingers around it. Lumine makes her first real movement; a lift up before a tentative lowering. Childe’s vision swims, and the only coherent thought he can grasp in that split-second is the sensation of her thigh muscles trembling in his hand. 

He thought her stillness would have been enough, but the line has been pushed back a little more. Surely this would be enough, this tentative motion of riding his cock in centimeter segments that grow longer and longer in distance. 

Through a single blue eye, Lumine looks beautiful as she falls apart. 

Any poise she’s held in the light of day is long gone in the murky dim light as she braces her hands on his knees that help hold her upright, fingertips bleeding bone-white as she grasps at him in a mixture of pleasure and pain with unclear ratios. But if it’s not enough for her to want to stop, then who is he to decide which amounts are best? 

All Childe can do is watch as Lumine grows feverish and desperate, moving faster, fucking herself with his cock until she cries out in a way that’s eerily similar to what she sounds like when she’s in a short burst of agony. As she tenses to the point of shivering around him, Childe digs through his memories for any time he’s heard that sound in battle, then files them away to be repurposed in the event that Lumine has no further interest in taking him again. 

The line moves again. It’s enough that she cums, that she soaks his lap with her arousal as she gets what she swore she wanted. Childe stares and stares, committing it to memory even as the world shifts, as Lumine isn’t quite as small as she’d been moments before. His vision goes double before he realizes that one eye has become two, that Lumine’s breathless whines sound relieved as he gets a little smaller in turn. 

It’s easier to slide his arms around her, to cradle her in his lap as he kisses her with little care for the dazed expression she gives him. Lumine’s passivity lasts for but a moment, before she shows surprising strength in the grip she establishes on his sweaty hair. 

In the span of that single kiss, Childe almost forgets entirely that his entire body is screaming in agony. Lumine is like a balm, and only when she pulls away do his hands start to tremble and he struggles to extend an arm behind himself to simply stay upright. 

“I could kill you right now.” Lumine teases, and to most that would have horrifying connotations, but Childe thinks it’s the most romantic thing he’s ever heard. 

His head lazily rolls to the side in a mockery of curious expression, “What’s stopping you?”

“Sore.” Lumine says shortly, but amends it with a clarification of why she bothered to establish such a power dynamic after nearly fucking herself to pieces with his body. Is it some kind of sacrilege to have sex when he’s more abyss than man? Maybe something to bring up when he sees Skirk next, he thinks. His thoughts are interrupted by Lumine asking, “Technically that means I win. Because I could kill you. Checkmate and all that.”

“I could have killed you while you were busy-”

“But you didn’t say it, you didn’t claim it, so that can’t be counted.”

“That’s not-” Childe pauses for a moment. His cock is still inside her, her hair is matted with sweat, her cheeks flushed. Somewhere behind her, her underwear lays forgotten in the grass. There’s dirt under her nails. “Fine. You can have this one.”

Despite her victorious smile, the squeeze of her hands on his knees, Childe’s pretty sure this is, at best, a draw.

[zhongrin]

swirl & crystallize (and more)

(self-indulgent version | original post)

◇ characters ◇ romantic!zhongli, familial!xiao, platonic!kazuha, platonic!shinobu, romantic!al haitham, platonic!ayato, familial!yaoyao

◇ tags ◇ fluff, selfship, be respectful; don't like don't read!, soft yandere on some parts

◇ a/n ◇ since the people i tagged had a lot of fun with the selfship version, it made me want to write one for myself hahah

ps. i treat the two teams as if they exist in a separate universe, so they're totally unrelated to each other!

pps. feel free to join in if you see this!

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

team 1: xiao (🏠), kazuha (👥), zhongli (💞), shinobu (👥) + lumine (👥)

(dynamics with each other in the old post)

✧— zhongli

⚘ about mei: the primordial one ⚘

i’m not sure what you’re talking about, traveler-

hm? she… told you about it? …. i see.

well, as she had requested, i hope you keep this a secret from the others. if teyvat ever knows that the master of this world herself has descended, i fear many of her people would vie for her attention. and as you know, she dislikes being in the spotlight…

⚘ about mei: husband and wife ⚘

i daresay that no one walking upon teyvat holds as much love and devotion to her as i do. it certainly is pleasing to know that my affection is reciprocated, and to this day i am still unable to fathom how she can regard me as an equal - and at times, higher - than her.

while i can say that it feels… pleasant, to know that she adores me so to the point of worship, all my life i have lived believing that it should be the other way around… so it’s quite a dilemma that i’m facing here.

✧— xiao

⚘ about mei: the primordial one ⚘

i don’t know what you’re talking about, traveler.

... huh? you knew? and rex lapis responded the same way, you say? … hmph. i see.

don’t you hit me with that ‘parent and child’ nonsense that she always jokes about. i am unfit to be someone’s ‘beloved son’ or whatever, and certainly not rex lapis and teyvat’s impetus.

⚘ about mei: mother and child ⚘

honestly, she treats me like a child despite fully knowing i can take care of myself. worrying about me whenever we dive into battles, always fussing over me to drink the qingxin tea to help with karmic debt… i’ve told her several times that her presence alone is enough to ease the burden of-

a-anyway, she’s quite the mother hen, as i’m sure you also know.

✧— kazuha

⚘ about mei: a special existence ⚘

just as how zhongli-sensei may not be all that he claims to be, i believe the same applies to his wife.

…. haha, you’re quite easy to read, traveler. it was a mere shot in the dark, with only my intuition as its guide, yet it seems like i am right once again. well, no matter. perhaps i will gain their trust in due time. now, i only wish to enjoy the present times of this delightful company.

⚘ about mei: like a sister ⚘

while a geo vision suits her, i think she would have been just as happy with an anemo vision. the way she always asks for me to float her upwards so she can glide down like an excited child is quite endearing. and the way zhongli-sensei rigidly stands by whenever she does this… *chuckles*

oh, i’m sorry, i just think he worries a little too much for his wife sometimes… it’s really quite sweet. it… reminds me of my own father, before my mother…

… ah, apologies, i didn’t mean for the atmosphere to take a gloomy turn.

anyway, i’m just happy to see her so content whenever she’s interacting with zhongli-sensei. i just wish they can dial down the public displays of affection sometimes - i personally don’t mind, but i can see that a few people constantly get secondhand embarrassments, haha!

✧— shinobu

⚘ about mei: chaotic neutral ⚘

look, i’m not saying she’s at the same level as the boss. but you have to admit, for someone who was so shy and timid at first, she sure hid a whole lot of personality once you get to know her.

she’s also a little too spoiled. have you seen how mr. zhongli would just bend over backward to abide by her words? it’s as funny as it is endearing, but i worry she’ll get in trouble one day when she accidentally steps her foot onto the wrong territory... huh? the mom friend? me? ….. *sigh*

traveler.

when am i not the mom friend?

⚘ about mei: looking out for each other ⚘

fortunately, she could be responsible and serious when she has to. it still surprises me how grounded and stern she could be when times are dire; it almost reminds me of mr. zhongli. are all geo vision holders like that, i wonder?

…. wait. scratch that. that was a stupid thought.

bonus!

✧— lumine

⚘ about mei: the primordial one ⚘

the first time i realized that this world exists for her sake, i was shocked, of course. what made her so special that a world was born just to entertain her musings? sometimes i think that if not for her, perhaps we wouldn’t have been-

..... *sigh* what am i saying. i know it’s not her fault that things unfolded this way, since she didn’t have the power to influence the events happening in teyvat. in any case, she felt responsible enough to tag along on this journey, and it’s mostly thanks to her that an ex-archon and the demon conqueror himself agreed to travel together with us. so no, i don’t resent her or anything like that. in fact, i would say that we’re good friends.

⚘ about mei: little sisters ⚘

she told me that she had older brothers, once. and it just… clicked to me. the reason why i feel like we can understand each other really well. the reason why she was so adamant to accompany me on my adventure. why she’s so empathetic whenever it comes to matters involving… him.

it’s all because she understands the pain of being separated from her family.

perhaps after i reunite with my family, i can accompany her on her voyage to look for hers? but… well, looking at how she has found a family here too, i’m not sure what she wishes to do…

team 2: al haitham (💞), ayato (👥), zhongli (💞), yaoyao (🏠)

✧— al haitham

oh my god he’s already one of my most beloved dps because dendro element’s flexibility + his high damage. it also helps that he’s the only 5* whom i have the signature weapon for lol

since he came home at 1 pity, i imagine in this scenario we just dropped by the akademiya one day on a whim to invite him to the party… and the next day the acting grand sage just goes missing, with a letter on his desk saying: “the divine one invited me to a vacation."

cue people working at the akademiya being quite literally in shambles because who do they report to now??? hello???? first the grand sage gets dethroned now the acting grand sage goes missing???????

he respects ayato and barely interacts with him, but they surprisingly get along well, be it or outside the battlefield.

with zhongli… not to say that they don’t get along well, but they certainly aren't the bestest of friends. they don’t snap at each other or anything like that though! it's just that if you leave them alone in a room, al haitham would just default to reading his book and zhongli would probably find something to amuse himself instead of talking with the akademiya scribe.

seems indifferent to yaoyao but silently looks after her. he made her a flower crown using his vision at her birthday one time, but that’s a secret he’ll take to his grave. except yaoyao proudly presented it to the other members when they asked where she got the adorable flower crown. #exposed

⚘ about zhongli: cold ⚘

surely by now, you know that i dislike quite a number of people and will not bother to try and force myself to get along with them. he’s not special in this aspect.

i simply am not a fan of sharing my... personal interests.

⚘ about ayato: elusive ⚘

the man wields his words like he wields his blades; swift strikes precisely delivered onto vital points, and before you could even blink, he’s had his sword back sheathed. very efficient and yet inefficient at the same time, i'd say.

⚘ about yaoyao: why is a child here? ⚘

i’m not sure why a young child is traveling with us, but mei kept saying she’s tagging along because she’ll make me stronger. to this day, i am unable to understand her logic, but i value her opinion so i let her do whatever she wants. surprisingly, from the combat data i’ve collected, her claim seems to be true. perhaps her godly powers are at work here. i’ll have to study this phenomenon further.

⚘ about mei: the primordial one ⚘

rin is certainly interesting, isn’t she? doesn’t exactly act like a deity when she’s supposed to be this world’s reason for existence. neither does she ask us to worship or obey her commands. and she certainly doesn’t seem to mind being treated so… well. lightly put, beneath what was supposed to be her place. hah. it’s quite refreshing.

hm. it seems like the sharp-eared consultant is glaring at me yet again. i’ll go back to reading my book now. kindly do not bother me for the next hour.

⚘ about mei: similarities ⚘

sans her periodically outgoing outbursts of energy and her deep empathy, i think we’re quite alike in the minute details of our personalities and preferences. we believe in work-life balance and our wish to lead a comfortable life overall. we’re also both not morning people. dislikes sand getting in our shoes. thinks that going out in the rain isn’t preferable. both avid fans of a good cup of coffee. she even told me my soundproof earpiece is a marvelous invention and that she always uses it too, back in the previous world she lived in. naturally, this means we get along rather swimmingly.

ah, that reminds me, i should tell her that i’ve finished making her headphones. now, if you’ll excuse me-

hm? ….. yes, i’m aware that it’s already quite late. but is that not the point? you might not know because your room is never next to the consultant’s, but at times his snores are just far too loud. this way, she can use the headphones right away. i’m sure it’ll help her to fall asleep undisturbed by any external interventions.

and besides, she likes it when i visit her at night.

✧— ayato

gameplay wise, honestly, ayato is just there to take over while i’m waiting for al haitham’s skill to cool down lol

he’s the team’s wallet, aka childe 2.0

surprisingly, ayato gets along pretty well with all of them.

yes, including al haitham.

zhongli could be a tad gullible sometimes, so ayato actually is having a blast feeding him uh… questionable lies… plus, he’s a big tease and he finds it funny to poke and prod at the stoic man. someone save zhongli

yaoyao reminds him of young ayaka, so he naturally dotes on her. big brother behavior, very wholesome.... until you realize he’s teaching her where to stab people so they bleed out and die (or in his words: ‘so bad people will get an ouchie’).

⚘ about al haitham: bet ⚘

while i can’t say our work ethics match each others’, i suppose i can bet a million mora that he’ll win in consideration as his friend.

hmm? win in what, you ask? ahaha, don’t mind my silly musings…

⚘ about zhongli: milk tea ⚘

oh, mr. zhongli is such a pleasant individual to chat over tea. speaking of, i think it’ll be tea time soon. do you perhaps have a bottle of milk, traveler? ah, perfect.

why do i need it you ask? well, the expression on his face whenever i add them to my cup of tea is always a sight to behold, haha!

⚘ about yaoyao: child labor(?) ⚘

if it was up to me i would have arrested mei for child labor. but she was smart enough to borrow what seems to be a friend of hers’ counterargument: “but you also employ sayu in shuumatsuban?”

well, i can’t possibly dispute that, can i? *chuckle* i would love to get to know that friend of hers one day.

⚘ about mei: the primordial one ⚘

haha, it really doesn’t feel like she’s teyvat’s beloved raison d’etre, doesn’t it? the way we interact with each other is a very different dynamic than what i’m used to dealing with, back home. she's vastly different than the raiden shogun, both in personality and way of life.

if i had to liken her to someone… i’d say she reminds me of ayaka. well… a more… how do i say this without incurring mr. zhongli’s disapproving glares… unhinged version of her, once you know her truly.

come now, don’t look at me like that. you know it’s true. *chuckles*

⚘ about mei: mistreatment ⚘

in my opinion, she’s very biased toward the akademiya’s scribe and wangsheng’s consultant. have you seen the charms she bestowed on them? they’re clearly of a very different quality than ours. even a normal civilian with no vision would be able to tell that they’re special. i wonder how much effort it took her to enchant those artifacts.

as someone who thought of her like a little sister and willingly prioritized her invitation to travel together, it’s very saddening that she does not put the same care for me as she does for those two. oh, how heartbreaking. i am riddled with grief. *leisurely sips boba*

✧— zhongli

d-do i even need to explain? he’s in my every team composition because of his shield and burst lol

and he’s such an eye candy too

given his (currently) non confrontational nature, he gets along well with everyone…. well. he tries to get along with ayato and al haitham.

with ayato, it’s a constant battle of innuendos and implications and it causes major headaches to people listening.

with al haitham, he’s… well… honestly i’m not sure why they don’t 'get along'. perhaps the word i’m looking for is ‘distant’? there seems to be a hidden hostility here…

gets along most with yaoyao out of the three. so many precious grandpa-granddaughter moments. it’s him who reads/tells her bedtime stories at night and she loves it a lot. this routine is the reason why she would sometimes offer to other people to read them bedtime stories.

⚘ about al haitham: rivalry ⚘

rivalry, you say? hmm…

does it look so obvious from your point of view? ... this won’t do. i really shouldn’t be relapsing to my old self… *sigh*

⚘ about ayato: customs ⚘

though our taste in beverages doesn’t align, our chats are always eye-opening. i learn much intriguing knowledge every single time. for example, apparently, inazumans have this custom to add at least one unusual, exotic ingredient into every hotpot they have. is it not most amusing?

⚘ about yaoyao: glimpse of the future (?) ⚘

ah, the young disciple of streetward rambler. such a pure-minded and responsible child. i think it’s endearing whenever mei dotes on her and carry her around everywhere. she even let yaoyao sleep in her arms while we’re traveling. it makes me think of-

…. ahem. my mind wandered a little too far there, my apologies. what was i saying? yes, she’s a sweet little one, isn’t she?

⚘ about mei: the primordial one ⚘

personally, i think she should use more of her authority. especially to our front liners. most especially to a certain high-ranking personage from sumeru. i would normally never overlook such insolence, but since mei herself told me to not interfere… *sigh* there is, unfortunately, nothing i can do but reprimand them once in a blue moon.

⚘ about mei: tea ⚘

mei is the one who controls the finances in our traveling group, but while she could be quite frugal, she always gets me whatever tea leaves they have in the market whenever we visit any encampments or cities. i appreciate that very much.

she does enjoy her coffee every now and then, but at the end of the day, she always comes back for tea. i think she might not realize it herself, but she clearly has a preference for tea over anything else - that is, including coffee.

hmm? i’m speaking allegorically? why, i’m not sure what you’re referring to, traveler. i am simply stating my observations.

✧— yaoyao

it’s actually shinobu but recently i swapped her with the new dendro child bc i wanted more variety (and that companion exp hskdjskdj)

this sun child gets along with everyone!! good job yaoyao!! she’s like a precious baby niece i don’t have sobsob

she’ll follow either al haitham or ayato around like a duckling around the marketplace if i went with zhongli (she knows he has the worst spending habits so we take turns keeping an eye on him lol). got separated from al haitham one time and he almost had a heart attack. now he holds her hand whenever they walk around in crowded places.

ayato knows how to handle children because he literally raised ayaka, so yaoyao loves being around him! he’ll fulfill her more childish wants that she never voices out loud (out of consideration for others) with a snap of his finger.

zhongli is yet another expert at childcare (although he has his clumsy moments) and he’s on friendly terms with all the adepti so yaoyao considers him at the same level as her adepti friends. he’d take her into his arms if she ever falls asleep while we’re walking about.

i’m gonna cry these are all adorable as fuck help

⚘ about al haitham: protection ⚘

mister al haitham looks a little scary at first, but you know what? he’s super caring! whenever there are battles, he always, always makes sure that i’m out of harm’s way first! *huffs* i kept telling him i can handle monsters on my own, but he just crouched down and patted my head. he didn’t even refute it!!

*sigh* i suppose his manners are a little lacking, but he means well, so i’ll overlook it, hehe.

⚘ about ayato: kind ⚘

ayato gege sneaks me candies every now and then! they’re always sakura-flavored, and i can’t get them in liyue markets, so he told me he’ll get them especially exported from inazuma to liyue when we stop traveling together! isn’t he so kind?

oh, and he’s especially good at putting up my hair! i think he’s used to doing it… he mentioned having a little sister once. maybe he used to put her hair up?

⚘ about zhongli: warmth ⚘

mister zhongli reminds me of the adepti, because he’s very dignified and knowledgeable! but apparently, he’s just human like me... but i still like him! he’s very nice and mature, save for his impulsive purchase habits...

he also tells me bedtime stories, and it makes me fall asleep within five minutes… *yawn* oh dear, thinking about it makes me sleepy… i think i’ll ask mei jiejie if i can take a short nap…

⚘ about mei: the primordial one ⚘

oh, meirin jiejie is really kind! she always shares any sweets she buys, and whenever miss shenhe visits us we would ask her to help making these cold yummy treats called ice cream! now if only she would eat her veggies with the same vigor…

⚘ about mei: secrets ⚘

jiejie and i tell a lot of secrets to each other! she tells me it’s because i’m a special child… i’m really flattered that she would trust me that much! but anyway, she told me you’re a close friend of hers, miss lumine, so i can tell you one of her secrets!

okay, so, jiejie never really admitted it outright, but i think she’s very fond of mr. zhongli and mr. al haitham… she always talks about them and she’s always saying about how handsome and capable they are! i asked her who she would marry and she got all red, hehe. who do you think will get to marry her, miss lumine?

bonus because i adore yaoyao so much:

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