#i don’t do it as often as i used to which is a good thing

[bitchy-craft]

PICK A CARD: 10 fun facts about your future spouse

Hello and welcome to this new reading! I will tell you 10 fun facts about your partner/future spouse. I hope you all enjoy it!

FREE READING: a subscription to my Patreon before February 7th, no matter the tier, will give you a free question of choice. I updated the overall look of my patreon so feel free to look!

Masterpost > Paid Readings > Subliminal Channel > PATREON Masterlist [NEW]

The extended version (10 more fun facts) of this reading can be found on my Patreon, the link of which is here

~pick a card~

Pile 1:

1. They would love to draw you as their muse;

2. They enjoy shows that have incredibly dangerous and insane stunts (because why would you want to do that);

3. They can be very catty when it comes to their words if they’re annoyed; giving shade like a high-schooler;

4. They love their alcohol, but it has to be a specific kind;

5. They enjoy beautiful gardens and would love to have one to tend to themselves (but they aren’t good at it at all, you’ll probably be helping in the future);

6. Your future spouse loves thinking back to their high-school times with old friends, re-experiencing all of it;

7. Your future spouse is open to learning from mistakes and growing from past experiences;

8. Your future spouse would love to sleep in the forest with you sometimes; just you two, or your little family if you two have kids, in the forest with some fire and marshmallows on sticks;

9. They think a fun date in the future for the two of you would be picking fruits from trees;

10. They love acting as a joke; they have a whole alter-ego.

Pile 2:

1. Your future spouse enjoys driving cars a lot; they love the feeling it gives them;

2. They have a very small friend group (around 2 friends), but they’re so close they’re basically siblings;

3. Your future spouse has a tendency to let things go their way and just see what happens, even if preparing would’ve been a better idea;

4. Your future spouse will constantly giggle if they’re drunk;

5. They really enjoy cats, and most of guys their future spouse’s have had a cat when they were younger;

6. They find celebrating birthdays difficult and will act a bit ‘against’ it, but secretly they do enjoy it;

7. Your future spouse is good at imagining things (they prefer to imagine fantasy scenario’s);

8. Your future spouse loves being with friends and having a fun drink;

9. They will be causing mayhem to get a reaction out of you simply because they are bored;

10. They have a decent amount of influence on people; but they only really use it to fuck around and have fun.

Pile 3:

1. Your future spouse can enjoy a good book every once in a while;

2. They enjoy stargazing through windows something (they don’t prefer the outside often, given they get cold very quickly and dislike a ton of layers in order to do so);

3. They like circuses;

4. Your future spouse sometimes has nightmares, they’ve had this their whole lives. They have more then usual, and enough to be an issue in their lives;

5. Even though your future spouse will claim they’re not superstitious at all, they will always make a wish at a falling star;

6. Your future spouse loves to think about moral problems;

7. They would enjoy it to have a fish as a pet;

8. They’d like to sit in a dark forest alone and not do anything; they see the situation as something very peaceful and nice;

9. Your future spouse is very detail-oriented;

10. Your future spouse is often at the back near a wall at bigger gatherings, preferring to see everything instead of standing in the middle of it all.

[anarchistabsol]

This is pretty good advice, but it seems you didn't read your own source. The doctor being used as a source for information says multiple times that there is no true, perfectly safe way to bind. He also says that there are not any medically created nor regulated binders. So commercial binders like these are often all people have.

Towards the bottom:

With that in mind, and so little other research available, Dr. Ng says there’s no data that says conclusively whether it’s better to use commercial binders over other methods.

“We should look at commercial binders as a potential tool but approach them like other health and wellness products that aren’t fully tested — like, for example, vitamins and supplements, which aren’t regulated,” he says. “Binders might do the job and provide a desirable outcome, but they’re currently not regulated, so we just don’t know yet whether they cause long-term problems.”

I think that's a much more nuanced and better way of saying things in general. During the "how to safely bind" segment, Dr. Ng says a myriad of things to address safety issues. The most important (imo) are the ones along the lines of "get breathable binders, because the alternative traps moisture, which can lead to bacterial infections," and "dont get binders which are too tight, as they can worsen breathing conditions, and cause rib/shoulder pain or injuries."

The moral of the story isn't "dont buy binders from Amazon, they're guaranteed to not be safe." It's "research the company and options available before purchasing your binder."

In my experience (buying for my boyfriend), Tomboyx was high quality, but very loose. Alternatively, gc2b was a very average experience, not completely flattening his chest, but at the same time, saving his ribs from damage. We have yet to try other larger brands like WIVOV or something, but making blanket statements like "Amazon binders are unsafe" is really not helpful. Binding can be so important and helpful for trans men, although I'll let someone more qualified say their piece on that. I feel as though I'm unqualified.

Hey, PSA for younger/newer transmascs:

Tumblr has been showing targeted ads for "FTM binders" off Amazon. They look like this:

Do not buy these.

A binder is a piece of medical equipment. If you use one incorrectly, or use a poorly made one, you can really fuck up your ribs. This article from the Cleveland Clinic talks about how to bind safely.

A $14 binder is guaranteed not to be safe. There's a reason reputable companies charge more- sometimes a lot more. They have to carefully design binders so they don't crush your ribs or make you sick.

You know how everyone says Don't Bind With Duct Tape? Don't bind with Amazon binders.

[mommyslittlebird]

Far From a Monster

Wanda x Reader

After a particularly intense session, Wanda has some conflicting feelings about what it means to be your dom.

CW: Dom Drop, Blood, Mommy Kink, Guilt, Sexual Shame

Word Count: 1.8k

A/N: As someone is who isn’t a dom very often, I don’t know how accurate a depiction this is of dom drop. This is just what I’ve heard from other people. But I hardly ever see it written about so I wanted to give it a shot.

A/N: I KNOW, I said in the poll it was going to be more stepmom!Wanda next, but that fic is going to take longer than expected. Also in my defense this one was in the lead until almost the very end.

She had you just where she liked you.

You were face down on the bed, a sobbing mess in her hands. You had started on your hands and knees, but had long since collapsed forward. She had her hands drilled into your hips, which was the only thing that kept you up on your knees. She used her grip on you to force you to keep her brutal pace, cruelly dragging you back on to her each time she slammed her hips into you.

“Mommy please! Mommy it’s too much! Please mommy it hurts!” You cried. Your arms were wrapped around a pillow you were pathetically crying into.

“Aww sweetheart,” she cooed with faux sympathy. “You can give me one more, I know you can. Can you do that for mommy?”

You whimpered and squeaked into your pillow, but nodded nonetheless.

She reached down to pet your hair, but inadvertently drove your head further into the pillow. You moaned as her hand gripped your hair. “Oh you like that? Do you like it when mommy hurts you and pulls your hair?”

You nodded, but she pulled harder, pulling you up off the bed a little bit. “Words, princess.”

“Yes mommy! Yes I love it when you hurt me a-and pull my hair!” You cried. “Please mommy, I’m gonna cum again.”

“Is it starting to feel good again, baby? See I told you mommy’s cock wasn’t too big for you. You said it wouldn’t fit, but it’s made you cum, what, three times now?”

“You were right! You were right!” You conceded. “Please let me cum on your cock. Please mommy please.”

“Hmm,” She pretended to consider the request. “Tell mommy about how you're her cockslut and you can cum.”

“Yes mommy, I’m your cockslut. I’m your little toy you can use however you want,” you pleaded. “Fuck I’m gonna cum. Mommy I’m gonna cum for you.”

Your eyes rolled back in your head as you came so hard the strap fell out of you and hit your leg. Wanda smirked, satisfied with herself as you collapsed onto the bed.

Until she looked down.

There was blood.

And not an insignificant amount of it either. She swallowed. It couldn’t have been your period, could it? No you had been on birth control for years and hadn’t had a period since she’d known you. Besides, this was too bright and fresh to be period blood.

“Honey?” She asked, voice shaking slightly. “You don’t have a period anymore do you?”

“Hmm?” You asked, not immediately registering her question in your fuzzy haze. “No. Why?”

You looked down, seeing the blood that covered both your inner thighs and Wanda’s. “Oh. I must’ve torn a little bit. Sorry.”

Her brows knitted in concern. Her heart was racing. It felt like it might beat out of her chest. “I-I’m gonna go get a towel. Stay right here, baby. I’ll be right back.”

You couldn’t tell through your haze how panicked she truly was. You missed the way her voice broke when she spoke. You didn’t see the tears that pricked the corner of her eyes. You didn’t notice the frantic way she scurried into the bathroom. You simply laid on the bed, blissfully nuzzling a pillow.

Wanda closed the bathroom door, taking off the strap and running it under the sink. A cry broke through her lip when she watched the water run red.

How did she not notice you were bleeding? Were you telling her to stop when you said it too much? Did she push you too far? Had you torn at the beginning and just been in pain the whole time? Did you forget your safe word? Fuck did you say the safe word and she just hadn’t heard it? Did she genuinely hurt you? Were you going to be mad at her?

All the worst case scenarios ran through her mind. She felt a monstrous guilt rise up in her chest. She hurt you. She hurt you and she didn’t even realize it.

Why was she like this? Why did she even like to hurt you in the first place? Why did she like it when you cried for her? What kind of monster enjoys hurting the person they love?

“Wanda?” She was pulled from her thoughts by your gentle voice at the bathroom door. “Is everything all right, honey?”

She was bent over the bathroom counter, bracing herself against the granite. Tears were running down her cheeks causing her hair to stick to her face. You took a couple steps towards her, cupping her cheek. She pulled away.

“Wanda, baby, please tell me what’s wrong. Did I do something?” You asked.

Wanda shook her head. “No, love. No you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then what is it?” You asked softly, reaching out for her again.

Her teary green eyes finally met yours. Her bottom lip trembled. “I hurt you,” she admitted softly, in almost a whisper.

You took a sigh of relief. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt. It’s just a little tear. I’ll wear a pantyliner, it’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” she cried, “I hurt you! You were bleeding and I didn’t even notice! You were telling me it hurt and I didn’t listen!”

You pulled her into a tight hug, cradling her head into her chest. “Wanda, it's okay. We were just playing, just like we always do. I was having fun. I would’ve used my safe word if I wanted to stop. You did everything right, love.”

Wanda wrapped her arms around your shoulders. “I feel like a monster,” she cried softly.

You rubbed her back, kissing her temple. “You’re not a monster, love. You’re nothing of the sort,” you reassured. “You are so so far from a monster.”

She clutched you harder, pulling you impossibly close. “I love you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, honey,” you said, taking a moment to rub her back before proposing: “How about we get cleaned up and have a nice soft snuggle night, huh?”

Wanda nodded into your chest. “Is it alright if I take a shower up here and you take one downstairs? I think I just need a minute to myself.”

You pulled her out of the hug, holding her face in your hands. “Of course, honey. Just no more spiraling into thoughts of being a monster, okay?”

She smiled, turning her head to kiss the palm of your hand. “No more spiraling,” she agreed.

You pressed a long kiss to her forehead. “I love you, Wanda. And I think you’re a wonderful person. And I think you did everything perfectly.”

She giggled. “I love you too, darling. Now go take a shower downstairs. I’ll be ready for you when you come back up.”

—————

You finished up your shower, returning to your room in some soft pajamas pants and one of Wanda’s sweatshirts. You limped up the stairs a little awkwardly. The tear hurt a little bit more than you expected after the adrenaline wore off, but it was nothing a Tylenol couldn’t fix.

You walked into Wanda nervously fluffing the pillows in a little nest she’d made for the two of you. She turned around when you opened the door, still looking a little anxious. “Oh, hi I um, I got this for you. And some Tylenol.”

She held out what looked like a pad, but was cold to the touch. “What’s this?”

“It’s just a pad with some chilled witch hazel. It’ll help with tear,” she explained.

You looked down at the pad with a hint of disgust. Pads always made you feel so uncomfortable. But when you looked back up at Wanda’s anxious frown, you simply smiled and said “thank you, love. I’ll put it on now.”

You tucked the cool pad into your underwear. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it felt better almost immediately afterwards. The cooling sensation did wonders for the burning of the tear. Wanda smiled for a moment when you sighed in relief, but quickly went back to nervously playing with her hands. “C-can I ask you something?”

You took her fidgety hands into your own. “Of course love, anything.”

She tilted her head up to briefly look you in the eyes. “Do you think you could call me mommy for tonight?” She asked. The words came fast and jumbled, like she had to force them out of her mouth before she changed her mind. “I mean I know we only use it while we’re playing and I’m being rough with you and that’s fine if you just want to stick to that and you’re under no obligation to say yes or anything I just thought that maybe I could be mommy and be sweet and take care of you just so it’s clear that I still love you when I’m mommy and I’d never do anything to try to hurt you on purpose even though mommy Wanda seems super cruel and sadistic…”

You interrupted her nervous rambling with kisses to each of her knuckles. “Of course, mommy.”

She stopped speaking for a moment, looking at you with all the love a gaze could possibly hold. She looked like she might cry again, but she simply reached up and touched your cheek. You melted easily into her touch and it made her heart sing.

She loved you, and you knew she loved you. You didn’t flinch or shy away from her. You didn’t wince like she was going to hit you. You trusted her. Even as mommy, she was going to take care of you.

“Okay, my love,” she whispered. “Let’s get you to bed.”

—————

You spent the rest of the night cocooned in a variety of soft blankets. She had you sat between her legs, arms wrapped around your waist while she repeatedly kissed the top of your head.

She had her laptop open on your lap. The two of you giggled over a game of Firegirl and Waterboy. She even let you play as Firegirl even though the Waterboy keys were much harder for her to reach around you. For a kids game, the two of you were doing exceptionally poorly, not even making it past the first few levels before your eyes started to droop and you yawned.

She gently closed the laptop, moving it to the bedside table. “Alright princess, I think it’s about time for bed.”

“We’re already in bed,” you teased through a yawn, curling up on your side into her chest.

“Cheeky girl,” she chuckled, kissing your head and turning off the bedside lamp. She pulled you close, swaddling you against her chest with a blanket.

You rubbed your face into her neck and sleepily mumbled, “I love you, mommy.”

She smiled giddily, glad you couldn’t see her in the dark room. She gently rubbed the back of your head. “Mommy loves you too, princess. Sweet dreams.”

[themoonlitquill]

Whispers Woven in Shadow. (1/?)

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧? 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚? 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 ; I’m terrible at summaries, so please don’t hate me for that! This is an OC that I’ve been playing around with for literal ages and I finally made the choice to really dive in and develop her, and then the ideas just started flowing in and I couldn’t stop writing! I’m already working on a second chapter for this, but it all depends on if anyone even likes it. 😅 I don’t post my writing too often, so be kind if you don’t mind!! Oh, && special thanks to @coffeebooksrain18 for the moodboard! 🩵 Enjoy!

𝖳𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗀𝖾𝗋 𝖶𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 ; 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿-𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗶𝗹.

𝖶𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖢𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍 ; 3802.

Everything is different now, Ariadne Archeron blinks as she looks out the window to the clear skies of robin’s egg blue with rays of sunlight streaming through to cast a golden hue that emitted warmth and yet, she had never felt so cold, so empty. Her mind was spinning around in circles, jumping from thought to thought, never settling and making her skin itch with such an intensity that she had to refrain herself from digging her nails in and ripping flesh from bone.

It was all wrong. Every single bit of it. And she couldn’t understand what was going on and why she was feeling this way.

The simple answer was because she had been thrown into a massive pot that stripped her humanity from her without consent and replaced it with immortality, which was something she had only wondered about in the stories that Elain used to show her as a little girl; she never imagined that it would come true and become her life.

Feyre had accepted being Made into High Fae graciously, almost eagerly, while Nesta seethed and resented, focusing her pent up emotions into care and concern for Elain. That left Ariadne to deal with it alone and if she were to be honest with herself, she wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

She was broken, lost, and confused, nearly a shell of her former self. How was she to handle this? What was she to do? There wasn’t a set of rules for something like this and there was no one to turn to for advice, not that she could anyway with her inability to speak.

It seemed that magic couldn’t heal everything.

Ariadne had been born deaf and could only communicate through gestures and looks, which made everything that much harder for her compared to her sisters. She couldn’t get her mouth to form the words that ran rampant in her head, not that she didn’t try, and eventually, she gave up, coming to the realization that what she so desperately wanted to say would never be heard by anyone other than herself.

She had never felt sorry about her ailment before, knowing that Nesta understood when she was irritated by the way her eyes narrowed with a hand placed defiantly on her hip and that Elain knew when she needed a moment away from their father when a frustrated huff emitted from her nose, followed with the incessant picking at the skin around her fingernails.

And Feyre, well, she was able to decipher what Ariadne wanted before she even did.

But it was different now. It wasn’t the same and the changes she was going through had to be dealt with, with no help from anyone. It wasn’t fair.

She wanted to scream and yell and cry and throw things, but she couldn’t, and if she could, she wouldn’t want to. That wasn’t who she was and it definitely wasn’t how she acted when life didn’t go the way she wished for it to. Instead, Ariadne kept it hidden away from prying eyes and suffered in silence, because that’s what this all was.

Suffering.

Agony.

Without any end in sight.

Ariadne works to swallow the dry lump that had formed in her throat and she withholds a wince, knowing that she needed something to drink and she was already dreading the fact that she’d have to leave the bit of safety in the room, that was now hers, to go get it.

Unless she wanted to stick her mouth under the faucet again and she most definitely did not.

Downstairs it is, she gnaws on the inside of her lower lip until she tastes the unmistakable tang of copper on her tongue, the nerves already setting in. You can do this, Ari. Just stand up and walk. It isn’t that hard, her fingers clenched into a fist, nails biting into her palm. Get UP! Get up, get up, get up!

Why couldn’t she move? What was wrong with her?

Ariadne sucks in a breath and holds it for a moment, then releases, her eyelids fluttering as she struggles to keep herself composed. The tears were right there and there was no way she would allow them to fall; she had to be strong like Feyre would be, not letting anything knock her down, and if it did, she’d get back up to try again. She could do that, couldn’t she?

It’ll be quick. Start with putting your feet on the floor. That’s easy enough to do, she reopens her eyes and stares straight ahead for several minutes, working on keeping each breath steady. On the count of three… One, her skin prickles, but she manages to sit up straight, legs unfolding. Two, sweat forms on her brow as she moves her feet to hover over the carpet. Three!

The distance closes and she freezes when she feels the plush material against her skin, finding that it was kind of… nice. See, not so bad, right? One thing at a time. You can do that no problem.

A small bit of confidence surges through her and she quickly rests her arms on either side of the chair, bracing herself before pushing herself up; her knees wobble and her brow furrows, but Ariadne - more determined than she realized - finds her balance and straightens, taking a deep breath in order to calm down a little.

Hey! Look at that. You did it, there’s a twitch at the corner of her mouth, which she dutifully ignores. Now, another deep breath. Start walking, was it too soon to do this? It had only been a week since- Don’t go there, Ari. You’re doing so well. You aren’t there anymore. You’re fine, she lifts her chin and turns towards the door. Go on, she takes a step.

Ariadne keeps going, one foot at a time, and becomes more steady, making her way across the - her - room to the door and stopping to stand in front of it. Her hand wrapped around the handle, halfway turned, but she froze again. Completely immobile. Why was her heart beating so quickly? This wasn’t normal. It made no sense to feel like this and she couldn’t find a way to understand it, which was incredibly frustrating.

It’s good that you want to see something else besides these same four walls. Nothing wrong with that. No one is even going to be out there, she turns it the rest of the way. Nesta is with Elain, and Feyre, her heart clenches painfully. Feyre isn’t here right now, so you’re going to have to do this yourself, she pulls and it opens. There you go.

Ariadne peers out into the hall and looks down both ends, not seeing anything other than the rest of the doors, all closed, and the sconces that emitted a warm light. She slips through and begins to walk, her feet padding softly against the floor and she was hoping that the kitchen was in this direction or else she was going to be wandering around for a while; the House of Wind was huge.

She continues on with her hands clasped together in front of her, the pad of her thumb rubbing soothing circles onto the top and she can’t help but look around, never having seen anything like it before. Not even Archeron Estate. The amount of money that Rhysand had to build something like this? He must’ve grown up rich. Her gaze roams over the intricate carvings on the large columned archways, head tilted in quiet admiration. They were pretty.

The hallway comes to a set of stairs, only four, and Ariadne pauses before taking each one down to find a kitchen to the left that led to what she assumed was the dining room, and held a grand table in the center with multiple high-backed chairs.

Yeah, definitely rich from birth, she walks further in and flicks her eyes over the cabinets, realizing that she had no clue where anything was. Look through all of them. It isn’t going to matter anyway, she reaches up on her tip-toes and her fingertips barely brush against the handle. Oh, great, she sighs. Where’s a ladder when you need one?

She notes the sink only a few inches away and she moves to crouch down in front, beginning to search through and eventually coming up empty. Please don’t tell me I have to climb on a counter, Ariadne stands back up straight. Again, there was really no other way, was there? Of course not.

Her brow furrows as she surveys the correct way to do it without getting hurt, knowing that no one was there to help if things went awry; she finally settles on using the shelf that went across the middle of the bottom cabinet to use to give her a boost and then she’d be able to get her leg up by bracing her weight against the wall.

It seemed simple enough.

After getting into position, Ariadne takes a breath and places her hand to the left as she pushes her foot against the shelf. She grunts from the effort to lift her leg, managing to get her knee onto the counter and use what strength she had to pull the rest of herself on top.

She grasps at the handle on the cabinet to steady herself before she adjusts her knees and leans over a little to open it, only to find plates. An annoyed huff makes her nostrils flare and she carefully shuts it. I should’ve just drank from the faucet again, her arm extends and her fingers wrap around the next handle as she moves over. This is way too much to do for a cup, she keeps her spine straight and prays to whatever higher power hailed over Prythian that this was the right one.

Ariadne pulls, and she doesn’t notice the fabric of her dress shift or when she starts to slide; she peeks inside and her eyes brighten when she sees what she had been hoping for. Yes!

Her body goes to lean like she had done a couple minutes ago and her knees give out from under her, a surprised sound leaving her lips as her other arm flails, unable to find anything to hold onto. No!

Everything went sideways and Ariadne began to fall, the top of her foot hitting the edge of the counter and she hisses through her teeth, eyes squeezing shut and bracing for the impact of her body against the tiled floor. But it never came. There was something looped around her waist, cool and soft, flowing like silk and holding with a gentleness that she had never felt before. What is it? Where did it come from?

Whatever it was had decided to turn her upright and place her down safely, which is when she decided to open her eyes; the first thing noticed were the wings, massive and actually really beautiful, but holding a power that matched that of the one, two, three, four… seven siphons, which reminded her of sapphires, and then it was the deep bronze skin that was littered with dirt, grime, and only the Gods knew what else, followed by a tousle of dark hair, slightly curly.

Though, what Ariadne noticed the most was the golden glow that faded into hazel. There was a mixture of guardedness, curiosity, and worry - maybe? - swirling within the shifting shades of green and brown, but she wasn’t sure if she could trust it. Azriel, I think. The other one is who Nesta can’t stand. Cassian? This is the… Spysinger, her lips pressed together. No, that isn’t right. Oh! Shadowmaster. Yeah, that makes more sense.

She blinks and realizes that she had been staring at him for longer than she should’ve and quickly refocuses to see that he had come around from the other side of the counter to stand a few feet away from her.

It looked like the Shadowmaster had been in a few fights and then slept on the ground afterwards, which was weird to her because she swore Cassian was the aggressive one. Never judge a book, Ari. People look at you and think you’re not capable of anything or that you’re stupid, she lifts her chin and finds that she could now only see his chest when she did that, so she tilts her head back further until she finds his face again.

₊˚✧𑁍.ೃ࿔*:･

Azriel watches in silence as the youngest Archeron sister - Ariadne - nearly breaks her neck in order to meet his gaze, the warm honey of her eyes full of questions, trepidation, and a sadness that was trying to hide itself and he was certain it was much larger than what he already caught. He found himself wishing he could ask her about it, but that was impossible for two important reasons; one, Azriel didn’t do things like that and two, even if he did, Ariadne wouldn’t be able to hear him.

And who was to say that if she could, she would answer?

He resorts to raising a single brow, inclining his head towards the counter as he keeps his sights set on her, surveying her expression for the slightest change; it starts with a flicker of surprise before shifting to neutral and she nods, the smallest of sighs emitting from her parted lips and she glances at the still open cabinet that held the cups, then tapping her fingers at the base of her throat.

Ah, he steps forward and reaches inside to grab one, lowering it down and handing it to her. There’s a moment of hesitation, though it doesn’t seem to be an aversion to him. It was more so of someone unsure how to accept help when they had been doing everything without it for a long time. You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?

The ever-present shadows that swirled around Azriel became tense at the thought and he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind to be locked away.

Now wasn’t the time.

Ariadne was staring at the glass and he realized that she had no idea that the House of Wind would provide anything she wanted. After all, how was she going to know anything about a world she had been thrown into? Stories that passed over to the human lands weren’t always accurate.

Will you- He hears a quiet gasp and he cuts himself off, attention snapping back to the small Fae in front of him that was watching as… orange juice filled to the brim. Apparently, she figured it out a lot quicker than he thought she would. The corner of his mouth twitches. Smart girl.

Azriel takes a couple steps back and leans his hip against the counter, arms crossed over his chest with his wings tucked behind. Ariadne turns her head and blinks at him, observing his position before giving a single dip of her chin and he had a feeling that it was her way of saying ‘thank you.’

He returns the gesture and she begins to walk by, more than likely heading back to her room, and that’s when he smells it; cherry blossoms. It was sweet and soft, hints of creamy vanilla bean and almond with a warmth that made him want to reach out and touch her.

It’s his turn to blink now and he waits for Ariadne to pass before he looks over his shoulder, hazel returning to that golden hue as she makes her way back up the steps and disappears down the hall. His shadows begin curling around his neck and ears, whispering to him in cool breaths, some louder than others.

She is special. Yes, special. And alone. Afraid. She is lost. No way to understand. She cannot ask. She wants to understand. Must help her understand. Yes. Help her.

Azriel gives a small tug and they fall silent, though they flick against his skin in protest and to show their evident distaste for his dismissal. He rolls his eyes with a heavy exhale, giving his head a shake before he pushes himself away from the counter and disappears into the same temperamental darkness that matched that of himself.

₊˚✧𑁍.ೃ࿔*:･

Ariadne was unsure how to feel about her brief interaction with Azriel; he understood what she’d been trying to do and had even helped her, which was odd for her, but it made him better than most people she had met. He didn’t invade her personal space either, didn’t try to do anything at all that would make her the slightest bit uncomfortable.

In fact, he seemed to be a fairly decent male. She couldn’t remember a single instance over the few times she had been around him - even as a human - where he had ever acted out or caused any sort of problem. And if he did, she had an inkling that it would have to be over something important.

Her eyes lifted to the window and found that the sun had set, painting the sky in magenta and lavender with bursts of burnt orange and yellow; it reminded her of something that Feyre might like to recreate on canvas. There’s a sharp pang in the center of her heart at the thought of her sister and she winces, reaching up to rub the spot with her hand.

It was hard without Feyre. Yes, Nesta and Elain were there, but they were handling being Made even worse than Ariadne was. At least she had left the room. Granted, it was only once and she wasn’t gone for that long. It was still more than what they were doing.

And that had to count for something, didn’t it?

Ariadne had been the closest with Feyre, in age and in every other way. They were inseparable and a lot of love was shared between the two of them, along with a deep-rooted loyalty and respect for who they each were. And now? She felt like she was missing a vital piece of herself that she didn’t know how to get back and the longer the stretch of days went on, the more painful it got.

She picks at the skin around her nails and shifts her gaze to the floor, not wanting to think about any of this anymore. That was the thing about having no way to talk to someone; she tended to inner-monologue and go too into detail about things, overwhelming herself until she disassociated from it all.

Not the best solution, but it worked for her.

A flicker of movement in the corner catches her attention and she zeroes in on it, eyes narrowing slightly. Don’t tell me this place has ghosts now, Ariadne stands, noting how it was darker than it should’ve been with the way the light was streaming in. Because I will find a way to get out of here. There can’t be that many stairs.

She takes a couple steps forward, head tilted with curiosity and a bit of fear if it was actually a ghost. Whatever you are, I’m not going to hurt you, so that means you can’t hurt me either. That’s how this works.

The unknown something moves again, causing a shift in the air that her new Fae eyes are able to detect; it looked like smoke, though more refined and smooth, shimmering with an iridescence that reminded her of the stars. She reaches out. What are you?

It slithers forward and Ariadne watches as it brushes against one of her fingers, almost as if it were curious about her too, and that’s when she feels that same softness that had been around her waist earlier, silken and surprisingly strong.

You’re one of Azriel’s shadows, it curls around her finger and Ariadne hums. What are you doing here? Did he send you?

The shadow moves further up until it’s wrapped around her wrist, the end curled between her fingers and she feels something push at the back of her skull. It didn’t hurt, but it was strange; it sort of felt like someone was trying to fit the wrong key into a lock.

Ariadne keeps her eye on the shadow and takes a breath. Are you trying to get in? Feyre mentioned that before, but I can’t remember what it’s called. It’s mind reading though, isn’t it? Are you saying I can do it too?

There’s an instantaneous pressure around her wrist and she sucks in another breath. Okay, that’s… Okay, her brow furrows; how did the shadow know before she did? Was it because of Azriel being their master? But then that would mean he would know too, wouldn’t he? And he had never given any inclination that he did, so how?

She wished she knew all of the information that Feyre had given back when she first showed them that she was High Fae. Ariadne could read, some, from the few books Nesta was able to get when they lived in the small cottage and then even more so when their father had suddenly been offered a business deal that made them wealthy again, not that she remembered any of that part of their life, and was given lessons; she didn’t like them and proceeded to have a glare off with her eldest sister until it was made clear that there would be no changing her mind.

Ariadne would teach herself.

And reading turned into writing.

But it had been slow going at first and when Feyre had arrived with Rhysand, Azriel, and Cassian, she had only gotten so far and there was some of it that had been written down that she either got mixed up or couldn’t remember at all. It was all bits and pieces.

The tightening around her wrist draws her attention back to the present and she shakes her head. Right. Focus, Ari. If the shadow is trying to tell me what I think it is, I have to try, don’t I?

Ariadne closes her eyes and recedes back into her mind, maneuvering through the jumbled mess of thoughts before she comes across an opalescent wall, shimmering with a moonlight glow and she couldn’t help but think how pretty it was. Why had she never noticed this before? Her head tilts and she probes further, searching for some way to open it.

It brushed softly against her just as the shadow did and she gave an instinctive squeeze in return before the wall of light brightened, beginning to shake and shift, soon revealing a small entryway for a single person to get through. She gasps.

Whoa! How did I do that? Ariadne opens her eyes and looks down to see the little thing was weaving between her fingers. Can you hear me now?

Yes.

[ariesprincesss]

Super Random Astro Observations Pt. IV

as always, i am not an astrologer just a silly girl that knows a ton about astrology🤓

View more observations in this series here:

Super Random Astro Observations

Super Random Astro Observations Pt. II

Super Random Astro Observations Pt. III

‧₊˚🌈 sun conjuct pluto synastry first meeting was so insane!!

‧₊˚🌈 upon reading into these aspects everything makes sense with my last situation… i also had mercury conjuct pluto with him and as pluto there was a huge obsession over him and intrigue the instant i met him & he def had secrets and a hard time opening up i could tell that he kept cards close to his chest.

‧₊˚🌈 as a gemini venus & mars and the only coworkers ive made instant friends with being geminis is so crazy to me😭 i swear, they love to chat with me & i love it with them !!

‧₊˚🌈 back to the gemini energy, i can ALWAYS feel when someone has gemini placements like omg. every gemini sun ive gotten close with makes a point of like talking about everything ever , asking questions they probably shouldn’t ask, & just being overactive in that way😭 i will say that i feel like gemini in sun sign is kind of weak just in the sense that other placements can reallyyyy mellow their sun out.

‧₊˚🌈 2nd house venus in lunar return chart i spent money with absolutely no care lol. it was also in a taurus degree & i spent it solely on beauty products & clothes LOL

‧₊˚🌈 as an 8th houser (mercury especially) i have like a super big thing with being inconspicuous & using indirect language in conversation with ppl im just getting to know whenever they ask me questions, because i just don’t feel like they should know things ab me😭

‧₊˚🌈 so im like 2/3 months away from my solar return and am seeing it show up in real time… 6h stellium in my natal 7th is making me focus on work relationships & i don’t usually make friends w coworkers and ive already made 2 friends , one coworker i just met yesterday and another that i met like two months ago lol

‧₊˚🌈 after experiencing 8h synastry it rlly felt like the year was almost separated from before i met him and then after because of how different life felt for me afterwards

‧₊˚🌈 I noticed SO many 9h northnode celebrities having very similar life structures. Affluent or well off religious parent(s), moving homes often when young or in adulthood, having teachers or being guided by someone, studied their future profession in school/college, and lastly a lesser commonality i noticed was adopting a different religion at some stage in their life. i think above all with this placement leaving your birth town/ your place of residence could be important in your life story. (Ex: Donna Summer moving to Europe to preform in the musical ‘Hair’ which jumpstarted her career!)

‧₊˚🌈 also random but i noticed that a lot of virgo rising celebrities with 9h northnode were the youngest of 3 siblings & i am too so i thought that was super interesting lol or being one of 3 siblings, being the 3rd child birthed could be significant

‧₊˚🌈 leo mars musicians and being effortlessly good at playing instruments/having the ability to create their own special way of doing something /putting their own spin on something in their music… ex: Jeff Beck, Paul McCartney

‧₊˚🌈 so i always reference a life changing event in these that altered everything about my existence but i never reference what my solar return showed for that year. i had a 12th house stellium (sun,jupiter,neptune,chiron) and mercury, northnode, and uranus in my first house. it literally reads like a hidden part of myself is finally let out and expands, and it was almost like “ fate” for me to change mentally and physically that year. i also had pluto 10h and this feels like it manifested in a public change, or a change in public image and i literally had customers at my job going “you look different everytime i see you” 🫢, my natal sun sign was on the ascendant too and that year i started to come more into myself or i guess i became more like myself if that makes sense!(astrology is scary & almost so overt at times , it’s funny)

‧₊˚🌈 a year when i was overly promiscuous i had 8h moon & vertex in my solar return…

‧₊˚🌈 the month i got covid last year in my lunar return i had neptune & saturn retrograding in 6th house ,neptune square my midheaven & i was out of work for weeks lol

‧₊˚🌈 this one is less of an observation more of a question for the culture😭 has anyone else seen how lunar returns, solar returns, transits ,etc. kind of like hint that something or someone important is coming towards you? i think that is SO interesting because the month i met my ex online ,i had 7h vertex, chiron, & northnode but i remember at the time not considering him until the day before my lunar return chart switched to the next month when he made a big impression on me & asked to take me out and in that lunar return chart i had 7h juno & then 7h vertex again!

‧₊˚🌈 3 months before i met my ex, my ascendant progressed into libra in my progressed chart🫢

‧₊˚🌈 some transits i had for meeting him in person were transit south node trine venus and transit venus sextile northnode! i 1000% consider him as one of my first big karmic partners. you guys can read more about this meetings transits here !

‧₊˚🌈 I’ve recently been introduced to solar arc progressions which is a form of predictive astrology and found out i’m supposed to have a fated meeting with someone february 10th🫢 solar arcs only work to predict something like this if you have confirmation from 3 different chart sources tho!!! For me My Solar Return, Lunar Return, and transits confirm this meeting.

———————————————————————————

Thank you so much for reading! Comment what other Astrology content I should make bc i have no idea lol. I hope you guys enjoyed these observations ♡

[ziggy-scardust]

I worked for Elon for two and a half years, some time ago now. He wasn’t part of the alt-right then. At least, he made generally positive statements in company emails about supporting LGBT+ employees and women in STEM. Maybe he changed his mind, or maybe he never believed those things and just said them when they were expected - I have no idea and frankly I don’t care.

In a lot of ways I’m proud of what I accomplished there. I did valuable work and got useful experience and made some good friends. But my good work helped reinforce a credibility he should not have for an expertise he does not possess. He wasn’t often onsite because he was already running 3, then 4, companies. When he was, it didn’t make anything better or faster and in fact was disruptive. When I started, I was told cheerfully that the board had removed his power to fire people on the spot. Some of his ideas were good! And some were terrible and he would insist on technical work that we knew wouldn’t work being done anyway. He was clearly on drugs for at least one company all-hands. He made a couple bad calls on some contracts when I was there, too.

And now it’s been a long time and it’s been at least five years since I first remember telling some relatives that they shouldn’t put him on a pedestal, that that wasn’t a reasonable thing to do for any human being, and that having some good ideas did not make him an oracle or a genius. Unsurprisingly, those relatives are now full-blown Trump cultists and Elon is very much a part of their hero-worship. It is weird and it is sad, because they trust their imaginary image of him more than they trust me.

I hang onto my stock mainly because it’s not publicly traded so the only way I can sell it is back to the company, which gives him more control. At least my family loves me and my engineering degrees are real. And it’s kinda nice to know I wasn’t crazy, so thank you, Philip Low.

[writing-zelda-brainrots]

Can you, maybe possibly do more winx club/fairy! Reader with the chain drabs- 📍(idk if any anon has this emoji but I want it.. whatever they mean)

Yeah, you can have that emoji. Of the people who have asked to be certain anons, none of them have used that emoji. I haven't come in contact with these emoji anons that much, but from what I can gather, they're used to mark a recurring fan who prefers staying anonymous.

--

“I think I see your problem here.”

Now you were by no means an expert on teaching magic, but when Hyrule came to you asking for advice, how could you possibly say ‘no?’ In a way, you were the best person for him to ask. While all members of the Chain have come into contact with magic - and even used it themselves - it was through magic items or fairies (which you were a little horrified to learn they often caught in bottles). Hyrule was the only one to actually harness magic and cast spells.

The two of you were similar in many ways: both of you learned about your magical heritage much later in life than others like you, there was the fact that both of you could transform (even if, like all other fairies of his world, he was much smaller than you), and the fact that you both felt different from the people you grew up around due to your magic.

“You’re trying to force the magic out, but at the same time you’re stifling it.” You spoke as you came closer, letting Hyrule relax his hand. “That kind of polarising pressure doesn’t allow the magic to flow correctly, which could lead to your spell backfiring on you. Believe me, it’s not good for your ego.”

You laughed a little at a memory of some of your first spells going wrong. You have no idea how, but you somehow messed up a spell that would change the colour of your hair. It was literally the first - and easiest - spell they taught you at Alfea and you managed to turn your hair into a technicolour nightmare.

But it seemed like your impromptu magic lesson had to be put on hold.

"[Name], my grappling hook got stuck in a tree and I can't pull it loose." A whiny voice caught your attention. "Can you fly up and get it?"

You know, sometimes you wondered if it wasn't such a good idea to tell these boys about your powers.

"Can't Wild climb up there and get it for you?" You ask a little annoyed. "I'm a little busy right now."

"But I wanted to show Wild a cool trick with it. If I go asking for his help, it'll be embarrassing."

You couldn’t say ‘no’ to that pleading look. Wind’s expressive face had its funny moments, but his puppy dog eyes were like weaponized guilt. Shooting Hyrule a look that said “sorry,” you received a small “it’s fine” in return. You’ll continue your training later.

You let out a sigh, looking up at the tall tree Wind was pointing at, “alright. But if this happens again, you’re on your own.”

“Deal!”

In just a flash of light you had transformed into your fairy form, wings out and fluttering to lift you off the ground. Following the rope, you found the hook stuck high in the branches, not only caught by the tree, but also by the rope itself. The whole thing was a giant knot looping around itself, one that you found hard to see where it began and ended. “Geez, Wind, how did you even manage this?” You groaned as you began pulling the problem apart.

“I was practicing a trick, but it went south.” The boy shouted from below as both he and Hyrule watched you work.

“Yeah, I can tell.”

After what felt like half an hour, you finally managed to untie the thing. Letting out a sigh of relief, you grabbed the metal hook, looped the long rope over and around your shoulder and flew down onto the ground. “Here.” You handed the grappling hook over to a very enthusiastic looking Wind.

“Thanks!” Wind then immediately turned his head away, rushing off somewhere else. “Hey, Wild! I can show it to you now!”

“Kids, am I right?” You laughed to yourself.

“Yeah.” Hyrule chuckled. “I don’t know where he gets all that energy from.”

“Now, where was I-”

You hadn’t even had the chance to detransform before someone shouted your name again. This time it came from Four’s corner of camp, where he, Wars and Legend were busy at a makeshift forging station. “We need a stronger, more stable fire over here.”

“I was doing just fine.” Wars shot back at the small smith. “You asked for a stronger flame and I gave you one.”

“I said a “fire,” not a “blaze!” You nearly singed my eyebrows off!”

Guess Wars really wasn’t quite as good with his control with the Fire Rod as he thought. Whose brilliant idea was it to use a weapon meant for combat for forging, instead? But then again, who asks an Enchantix fairy, a fully fledged Guardian Fairy, to be a living furnace, as if that’s somehow better? Probably the same kind of person who asks that same fairy to get a rope unstuck from a tree.

And the smithing group had devolved into a petty argument while you weren’t paying attention. Maybe this could be your out, let you finally get back to Hyrule. But if you were a betting girl…

You turned your eyes to Time, Sky and Twilight who were sitting around a small fire, watching a kettle of water start to whistle. “Let me guess, you’ve got a request for me, too?”

The oldest thought for a moment before giving you a cheeky smile. “No, but I’m sure Wolfie would appreciate an eye-in-the-sky helping him during his patrol.”

Yeah, it was definitely a mistake to tell them about your powers.

--

[ann-non]

SVT reactions on finding out their partner reading smut

Author’s note : it truly has been a while since I posted anything at all.. I honestly have been passively using tumblr. I hadn't been motivated much to write even though I have ideas in my head. I wish I can write more, but for now I'm just gonna focus on my life and post on rare occasions like this when I feel like it. This one is just a sudden thought because some ppl at work are making this book club but they’re sharing all these high literature books. Like no hate, it just requires more brain power for me to read, so I don’t read them as often and I gravitate more to those easy to read spicy romantasies if you catch my drift. But anyway, they don’t need to know what I read in my free time so I just pretend I didn’t see anything lol But yea, it got me thinking about how SVT members would react when they found out the kind of literary corn their partner is reading hihihihihi Obviously, this is just a work of fiction, in no way I know how they would actually react and I wrote this solely for entertainment purposes. Please enjoy and lemme know what you think!

Rating : not sure how to rate this. I guess, there are some innuendos, but nothing explicit.

S.Coups

He walks into the room, sees you quickly shut your book, and immediately gets suspicious. "What are you reading?" He reaches for it, but you hold it tight. Now he has to know. When he finally peeks at a passage, his whole face goes red. He stammers, "I—uh—I didn’t see anything!" and power walks out like he’s on a mission. Later that night, he awkwardly asks, "So… Can I borrow it when you’re done?”

He immediately notices the playful glint in your eyes and before you could say anything, he quickly added, “It’s nothing, I’m just curious!”

Jeonghan

This man is a menace, he’ll have a field day. He would say things so casually just to watch you implode and be like “Aha~ so that’s what you like~” Before you can react, he snatches the book and starts reading out loud in the most dramatic voice possible. "‘His hands traced down her—’ Oh? Interesting." If you try to take it back, he holds it above your head and laughs. Later, he leans in, whispers with that shit eating smirk of his, "I should start using your books as references, huh?" and leaves you completely speechless. And the worst (best) part? He’d bring it up at random times too, like when you're least expecting it. "Hey, which chapter was your favorite? Asking for research purposes." 💀

Joshua

Bro is blushing when he reads what you were reading. He doesn’t expect that kind of scene when he joins you in bed and then reads along with you out of boredom. "My goodness… Is this what you love to read?" You, unaware that he was reading behind your shoulders all along, quickly closed your book as blush crept all over your face. "I—uh—I didn’t mean to intrude!" He hugged you and encouraged you to keep reading as he pulled you closer. But later, as he was on his phone with one hand while the other wrapped around you, he suddenly muttered, "So… do you, um, read those often?" and instantly regrets asking. He’s too polite to tease, but his brain is racing trying to process it.

Jun

Your book was laying on the table unattended as you were busy with your phone. Jun slowly picks it up, reads a line, and gives you a knowing smirk. "Ah… so this is what you like?" He savors your embarrassment. "You should’ve just told me~" Then, for the rest of the day, he randomly brings it up— "Would you like me to act out a scene for you?" Like he would say it completely seriously with that innocent but dangerous glint in his eyes. He’d lean in, smirk, and be like, "You know… I’m pretty flexible. We could test it out, purely for science." And then just grin knowingly when you start blushing.

Hoshi

He gasps so loudly you think something is wrong. "BABY. WHAT IS THIS?!" He dramatically grabs his chest like he’s about to faint. But then he gets curious. "Wait… lemme see that." Next thing you know, he makes it a whole event. He’d flop down next to you, stretch dramatically, and be like, "Okay, hear me out—I could definitely do this." Then he’d actually start attempting the position in the middle of the room, while you’re just sitting there face palming at his antics, "Babe… please—" 

Wonwoo

Wonwoo would glance at your book, read a few lines, and then give you that poker face of his. Then, with the straightest face, he’d say, "Is the writing good, or do you just read it for the plot?" You stammer, and he smirks, "I should borrow it next. Expand my literary horizons." He won’t tease you outright, but you’ll catch him randomly quoting suggestive lines just to see your reaction. "Ah, so this is what you meant by 'intense character development'? 😏" 

Woozi

He catches a glimpse of your book and immediately looks away. Ears red. He pretends he didn’t see anything, but later, he can’t help but ask, "So, uh… that book. What is it about?" If you try to explain, he’ll awkwardly nod and mumble, "Yeah. Okay. Got it." But if you tease him, "Do you want to read it with me?" he will malfunction on the spot. "Wh—NO. I mean—why would I—" and then he’ll be avoiding eye contact for the rest of the week. Dude is traumatized lmao

DK

He sees the book, skims a sentence, and literally jumps back like he got electrocuted. "WAIT—IS THIS—?!?!" His face is pure shock. "BABE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE INNOCENT!" He covers his eyes like he just walked in on something scandalous. But later, when you’re reading again, he peeks over your shoulder and whispers, "…What’s happening now?" He’d stare at the page, tilt his head, then look at you like, "Wait… is that physically possible? Are human spines supposed to bend that way?" Then he’d probably try to reenact the pose just to prove his point, and now you’re sitting there watching your boyfriend nearly sprain his back because of a book. He’d pause, look at you with wide eyes, and say, "Okay but… HOW?! Like, WHERE are their legs at this point??" Then he’d proceed to read the entire passage out loud just to make it sound even more ridiculous, laughing so hard he can’t breathe, but then he keeps reading because "Now I need to know how it ends." 

Mingyu

He’d walk in, glance over your shoulder, and freeze. Then, after a solid three seconds of silence, he’d gasp so loud and grab his chest dramatically like he’s in a K-drama. "WAIT. HOLD ON. A REVERSE HAREM?? AM I NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU??"

He’d literally act heartbroken, pacing around the room, muttering things like:

"I give you all my love, all my attention, and THIS is how you repay me?!"

"So what, you want four more guys? Is this why you’ve been reading so much lately?"

"IS IT BECAUSE I CAN’T MULTIPLY?!" 

And if you try to explain, he’s not hearing it. He’s already on his phone googling “how to kagebunshin no jutsu” while fake-sniffling in the corner. Bro is dramatic AF, but then he’s also the type to proceed to borrow the book (for research purposes he said), and end up getting way too into it. He’d come back blushing and stuttering like, "Sooooo I read it… and uh… I have some thoughts?? 😳"

The8

He’d glance at the book, shrug, and say, "Cool, do you like it?" before going back to whatever he was doing. But if you explain the plot, he might actually get curious and ask more questions in a totally nonchalant way. And when you least expected he would be like, "Hmm, it actually sounds kinda interesting… Can I read it after you?" but completely unbothered, like he’s asking for a normal book. He'd probably even come back after reading the book like, "Honestly, the plot wasn’t bad. The world building was solid. 4,3 stars out of 5"

He would even be willing to have an open discussion about the book and dissect it if you wish to. BUT!! He'd still take his chance to tease you by randomly dropping spicy one-liners just to fluster you. "I see why you liked chapter 12. 😏" 

Seungkwan

The moment Seungkwan catches you reading a spicy book, he already knows something is up. You’re too focused, flipping pages way too fast, and your expressions keep shifting between wide eyes and bitten lips. His senses are tingling. So, of course, he just has to know.

"EXCUSE ME—WHAT ARE YOU READING?!" He snatches the book, skims a paragraph, and squeals. "OH MY— SWEETIE, THIS IS FILTHY!"

But then, it happens, the performance of his life aka reading it out loud dramatically while also reacting in real time.

“He traced his fingers down her—OH MY GOD, WHY IS IT STARTING LIKE THIS?!” 

"His breath was hot against her ear as he whispered—" he pauses to look at you, scandalized. Cue his signature BOMBASTIC side eyes. "WHAT KIND OF LITERATURE IS THIS?!"

"She gasped as she felt his— NOPE. NOPE. NOT IN MY HOUSE."

But it doesn’t stop there. Oh no—he’s acting out the dialogue like he’s in a full-blown historical drama.

One moment, he’s dramatically dropping his voice to play the male lead, "You don’t know how long I’ve wanted you, my love." 

Then, without missing a beat, he switches to a high-pitched, breathless tone to play the female lead. "B-but what if someone hears us?!" 

He keeps reading, while still adding his own commentaries.

"Excuse me, WHERE are their hands right now???"

"Are they in a library? A CHURCH?! Oh, these people are going straight to JAIL."

"How is she still standing after that? I would’ve collapsed three pages ago."

He gasps, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor like he’s been fatally wounded by the sheer audacity of the scene. Meanwhile, you are absolutely DONE. You’re trying to snatch the book away, but he’s holding it above his head like he’s holding the last piece of food at a buffet.

 "OH NO, I NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS ENDS."

And yes, he will never let you live this down. He will bring it up at the worst possible moment. "Hey guys, did I tell you about the time I caught y/n reading a BOOK OF SIN?"

Vernon

He walks in, glances at the book, and just goes, "Oh, cool." That’s it. No reaction. No judgment. Just vibes. Later, when you're talking about books, he casually asks, "So is that one of your favorites?" You choke on your drink, and he just nods, "Nice." The next time you’re reading, he randomly goes, "Oh, this one is a classic  slow burn enemies to lovers trope. Good tension." You looked at him in shock at the realization that your boyfriend had read the book before and he just looked back at you with his usual laid back expression. “What? Did I say anything weird?”

Dino

He stares at the book, then at you, then back at the book. "Oh. Um. Cool." But five minutes later, he suddenly blurts, "But WHY do you read that?!" He’s so confused, but he tries to act mature about it. However, if you tease him, "Do you want to read it with me?" he IMMEDIATELY runs away, only to come back literally a minute later. He’s a little hesitant, but curiosity wins. He’d be like, "Wait… is that what people are reading these days?" and next thing you know, he’s HOOKED.

End note : obviously, I got carried away with Seungkwan’s. 🤣

[bellamoooon]

Riff never really thought he would last this long with you, but here you were, he had been with you since the year before Tony had gone upstate, which summed up to two years— which for riff was a lifetime considering his “relationships” never lasted more than a day.

“Come on girly girl, I promise they’ll behave this time…” there he was, puppy eyes and a pout standing in the door of your apartment, trying to convince you to let the jets have dinner at your place.

“Riff, you said that the last time, diesel threw a plate at action—“ you spoke reminding him about the catastrophic dinner that had happened weeks ago.

Because yes, you loved riff, and the rest of the boys, to be fair you had been like a mother to most of them, which was comic, seeing as they were all of your age, or a year younger, but despite that, the care you had given to your boys— as you call them — was more nurturing and motherly than what their actual mother ever provided.

But— often when you made dinner for all of them, it turned into a goddamn mess.

Chewing with open mouths, spilling juice, broken plates, sauce accidentally spilled on your pretty pink table cloth, and stolen spoons— don’t ask, you do not know what they take your spoons for.

“I just don’t want to have to clean up after, you boys are like a stampede of elephants, you tear my apartment to shreds in minutes” riff laughed, of course he did, he pulled you closer wrapping his arms around your waist.

“Come on angel, I’ll make the boys clean up, you just cook up one of those delicious warm meals of yours and we do the rest.”

It was tempting, getting to see the boys— and them endlessly complementing your food, and you weren’t an egomaniac, but man it was nice to hear— and spending time with riff, which was often a complicated task with all the trouble they find themselves in.

“Fine, but this apartment better shine after” he hummed as he left a kiss on your head, good thing he had convinced you, the jets were all getting set up for the dinner riff had promised them, he knew you’d give in eventually.

***

As you turn the stove off, right on cue there’s a knock at the door, you sigh, it’s just dinner, they’ll help clean up, no one’s gonna kill anyone, you try telling yourself, but who were you kidding, whenever more than three jets were in a small space— or big to be fair— an earthquake was bound to happen.

“Heya doll, got the boys, need any help setting up?” Riff said with his usual charming smirk as you opened the door, you made way as him and maybe five or six jets walked in behind all freshened up and smiling as they greeted you.

“Yeah, could ya set the plates and silverware, I’ll be there to serve in a sec” he nodded as he started to hand out plates to the boys as the placed them carefully on the table.

As you close the door a foot is shoved in the way letting out a yelp of pain, “ow!”

immediately you swing the door open to find baby John with his brows knit together in pain.

“Jesus, baby John! Why the hell would you do that?” He shakes his head as you place a hand on his back as you both walk in.

“The guys started to run— and…and I kinda lost ‘em so im just slightly late, sorry ma” you giggled as he spoke, always so well spoken and polite. He was a good kid from a broken home, and you were the kind of mother he always wanted his to be, so to say the least, you were fond of him.

“Alright, go sit down, I bet the boys already set the table for dinner” and they had done that exactly, and were even seated already, looking all pretty and innocent as if they weren’t in fights everyday.

As you had predicted, they all gushed over the food and how “no five star could do it like you did”— says riff, it’s just a simple meal, but he was used to eating whatever he could find cheap enough for himself, or starve, which was almost never, since you’d always have a little something for him.

“Okay, now clean up, I want no complaining or whining, Diesel— you’re on dishes tonight” obviously, he let out a soft “aw man” as he started picking the plates and taking them to the sink, “and the rest of you wiping up the table and the kitchen counter” they all groaned, but complied.

Riff found it incredibly amusing and mesmerizing how, ever since you two were together, they all obeyed to most of your orders and looked after you whenever you were out late.

“Y’know pretty, you’d make a great mom someday” he said as he wrapped his arms around your waist, making you smile as his warmth stuck onto you.

“Already am, dickwad, you made me responsible for all your jets, but I don’t see ya paying child support” you say as you turn your head to look up at him, lets out a loud chuckle as he presses a kiss on your shoulder.

“I’ll pay you once these monkeys are out here girly girl, they don’t need to know how good I fuck you” he whispered in your ear, your face lit up with a bright blush as you stuck your elbow in his ribs.

“Riff! You gotta stop doing that, I mean it.”

“Unless you’d want ‘em to hear your pathetic whining, pretty, remind ‘em you’re mine and no one else’s” he left a quick kiss on your cheek as he pulled away, going towards the boys to walk them out of the apartment, turning to wink at you.

You just know it’ll be best if you sleep in and not leave the house tomorrow.

[poppitron360]

@cometmoons so for some reason tumblr has glitched and isn’t letting me respond to the ask you sent me so I’m just gonna do it like this.

OK OK OK OK OK OK SO-

There is SO MUCH to talk about with Wouldn’t You Like. I feel like it’s hard to describe on a written post so I took the liberty of downloading a music notation app and transcribing the bits I wanted to talk about (This took me aaaages. But it was a really fun process and taught me a lot.)

Be warned this is a LONG post.

Firstly, here’s my overall take on the narrative of this song:

Odysseus is one of the smartest heroes of Greek Myth. He’s a mentee of Athena. He’s tactical. Yes, he is a fighter, but he’s for the most part a strategist and he uses diplomacy and cunning and his words to defeat his foes. Big Slytherin energy. Up until this point, that’s all he’s ever used. Eurylochus has doubted and challenged this approach, and has now come to him, saying that Circe is too powerful to defeat and that they should just run away. Odysseus “Pride is my fatal flaw” of Ithaca is insisting on fighting Circe, but is realising that he might not be able to talk his way out of it.

Hermes has now shown up like “hey ✨dAhLiNg✨how about you try something different? DRUGS!”, offering him a taste of something he’s never had before… power.

This, in my opinion, is a big step in Odysseus’ fall from man into monster, and Jay uses music in so many different ways to convey that, so let’s start with a break down of the song one section at a time:

Intro:

For most of the song, you’ve got the Lyre/Harp playing- Hemes’ signature instrument, which is significant to him because according to myth he invented the Lyre. This is the first thing we hear in the song, immediately setting up the things you need to identify his character.

Harps and Lyres are typically used in film and videogame music to give a mystical, magical atmosphere. I love how Jay blends modern (1980s) Synthpop with more classical, eclectic instruments that don’t normally fit the style. I’m assuming for budgeting reasons he’s using a VST or some kind of sample pack and not a real harp (session musicians are EXPENSIVE), but still- you hardly ever hear a harp in this kind of music but it WORKS.

The introduction played by the harp also lays out something that is shown throughout the whole song:

AEOLIAN MODE!!!!

Modes are hard to explain bc I barely understand them myself (I said music theory was my special interest, not that I was any good at it) but according to the Wikepedia article I’m reading about them right now, they were used a lot in ANCIENT GREECE. The Aeolian mode specifically was used a lot back then. The word “Aeolian” comes from… you guessed it- the Islands of Aeolus!!!

Aeolus, being the God of the wind- Aeolian mode is this mystical, free-flowing mode that simulates the feeling of wind.

You know when you hear a high wind through a telegraph pole you get this whistling sound? That’s basically a rudimentary, naturally occurring Aeolian Harp. There’s a whole Physics lecture about sound frequencies and microtones and shit in here that I am not yet qualified to give but this kind of stuff FASCINATES me about music.

I found this 60sec short that explains Aeolian mode really well from a channel I really like: https://youtu.be/bJ6TRQ3k45Q?si=sksSz4xyf_96uMrp It’ll give a much more concise explanation than I could, but basically all you need to know is that the melodies are in this special scale.

Aeolian mode is the natural minor scale. It’s often used to feel spooky and mystical- perfect for a song like Wouldn’t You Like where this magical character is singing about a magical plant. It’s not the standard G minor scale, but something a little more twisted and not really something we’re used to hearing, giving it a mysterious quality.

This is established immediately by the harpline, and sets the entire tone of the song. We then hear his trademark giggle, and so in the first 3 seconds we know everything we need to know about who Hermes is and what he’s like.

Speaking of the giggle- I briefly mentioned Panning in my post about Scylla, and while I can’t discern any use of it just by listening, but I imagine Jay’s probably used a subtle amount of it to give the sense of Hermes flying overhead.

Panning is a thing done in audio production where you can choose how much of the sound is heard on the left or the right.

Verse 1 (“I must say”… etc.):

It’s very gentle at this point, the orchestration and vocalisation is calm and lilted. It’s very beautiful, although the minor tonality gives it a slightly uneasy feel. (Often the minor key is described as sounding “sad”, but that’s not always the case. This is a great example).

The harp melody is repetitive, giving a sense of persistence, this adds to the sense of unease. It also has elements of hip-hop, as a gentle beat comes in as the chorus starts.

Chorus 1:

Now the harp cuts out and you’ve got that synth bass-line coming in- the repetitive, insistent beats and this “four-on-the-floor” drum pattern where the bass drum (which sits on the floor) kicks on every beat (in a four-beat bar). This feeling of it almost pounding in your head on every thump.

The instrumentation is very stark, you’ve just got the vocalist, the bass, and the bass drum. This technique is used by Taylor Swift in both the songs “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Vigilante Shit”- this really makes you listen to the lyrics as there’s nothing distracting you. As this is the first time we’re hearing these words, it draws you into what he’s saying.

On the line “Wouldn’t you like to have some of the magic?”, the Lyre comes in, playing this repetitive line that goes up and down and up and down. It’s a repetitive, almost hypnotic sound.

Verse 2 (“She can turn you to an animal”… etc.):

This is when this bluesy piano comes in.

The piano is used a lot in different points of Epic- it’s an essential part of any musical orchestra pit or just a song in general, and crucial in every composers instrumentation arsenal (and was also the first instrument I ever learned to play and my first real taste of music, so it’s not like I’m biased or anything)- but it’s mostly associated with Athena as it’s her signature instrument. It’s a stretch, but my interpretation is that Hermes is trying to appeal to something familiar to Odysseus. So far the only God he’s interacted with at length is Athena, who taught him this idea of being strategic and tactical. Hermes is acknowledging that this is Odysseus’ main way of fighting, while also showing him that there could be something more to it.

The piano plays these low-octave chords in this syncopated rhythm, which adds a layer of intensity that you didn’t have in verse one. This continues into the second chorus.

Chorus 2:

The orchestration is much more intense, pulling the audience (and Odysseus) in.

I’m gonna talk a lot about the musical “language” that Jorge has established for the universe- bits of music theory he’s tied in with themes that don’t necessarily have the same connotations anywhere else, because I think it’s genius.

Jay has said that the mythical beings (Gods, monsters, Odysseus when he kills the suitors) are all able to summon non-diagetic backing vocalists to back them up. Interestingly, Hermes doesn’t use this the first time round, speaking to Ody on his level, and is now rising up and displaying the power he’s tempting him with.

This is when we first hear the backing vocalists. There’s now a group of voices, so there’s more people urging you to taste the flower. Musically speaking, the harmony moving in the same rhythm with the same words as the soloist creates a sense of movement, congruent with Ody’s temptation.

Here is where we get to how this harmony works. This is the section that will actually answer your question.

First of all, I also struggle with overstimulation so I totally get what you’re talking about. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do backing vocals, and I know from experience that writing harmonies as complex as this takes skill and practice.

I think that’s why music is so special to me. The sensory calm certain sounds and songs give me, the good kind of stimulation and the bad kind. It has always made me so curious as to why and how the choices made in music can impact a person psychologically, make the listener feel immersed in a story, inflict specific emotions.

This is what fascinates me about music theory. Yes, it should overwhelm you. Yes, it should sound wrong. But it doesn’t. It WORKS. And what’s so interesting to me is why.

Jorge describes it as “crunchy and punchy” which is honestly perfect.

He is of course, referring to dissonance.

I have been studying music most of my life, and pretty much every music teacher I’ve ever had describes dissonance as just “sounding smushy”. It’s actually “a lack of harmony among musical notes”, usually two notes next to each other played at the same time.

But why does this sound “crunchy” and not “smushy”?

The Melody remains modal, as it has done the entire song. This is our grounding, our “Home”, but the harmony does something different. It’s moving down and up, flowing like wind, like the sea. And it’s doing this chromatically- using notes from the G minor key instead of the Aeolian mode- which creates clashes. Also known as dissonance. Also known as “smushy”.

And this is where we break out the good ol’ notation! I transcribed this myself by ear, so it might not be perfect. I can sight read tablature but not sheet music, so if this is wildly off then I’m sorry. I find it easier to explain music through annotations, but in order to make this screenreader accessible, I’m just gonna cite the lyrics and explain it in the text underneath.

In this section, “Wouldn’t you like to have some of the magic? Wouldn’t you like your outcome preferred?” The melody pretty much remains on C this whole time, only changing at the end of each two-bar phrase. This gives a forceful, repetitive, driving feeling. Hermes is being very persistent here.

For the first two-bar phrase- “Wouldn’t you like to have some of the magic”- both harmonies are the same. They then split at “Wouldn’t you like your outcome preferred?”

“Wouldn’t you”- The harmony starts on G, which is the root of G minor (the key that we are in). This is diatonic (using the notes from the key)- so it sounds nice, not “smushy”.

“Like to”- We then go down to F sharp, which is dissonant to the Aeolian mode, even though it’s the major 7th of G minor. This is why it sounds “smushy”

“Have some of the”- And here is where the “crunchiness” kicks in. It’s resolving down to the flattened 7th, which is F natural. The flattened 7th is the modal note.

“Magic”- The first two-bar phrase ends in E natural, which is dissonant to the mode. The melody also ends in D, which provides a lot of dissonance with the E as they are right next to each other, which can create clashes.

“Wouldn’t you”- This is where the two harmonies split. Harmony 1 goes back to G, which is the root of the mode. Harmony 2 goes down to E flat, which is also consonant (not dissonant).

“Like your”- Harmony 2 goes down to D, which is dissonant with the note in the melody (C) because they are next to each other. Harmony 1 goes to F sharp, which is dissonant to the Aeolian mode, as said before.

“Outcome”- Harmony 1 resolves to an F, and Harmony 2 goes back to an E flat.

“Preferred”- The last two notes “smush” as F natural (Harmony 1) and E natural (Harmony 2) are a semitone apart, then both harmonies join at E natural, which clashes with the D in the melody.

So the pattern goes from “nice” to “smush” to “nice” to “smush” to “nice” to “smush” to “nice” to “even more smush” and then when the next part of the harmony starts “deep in the night” you resolve back to the G, which is the tonic note.

Why does the dissonance work in this song?

It’s passing. Going down by step and resolving to a modal note. Passing notes that resolve don’t have that smushyness. They crunch.

Dissonance is a funny thing. Often musicians stay away from it because it sounds muddy and awkward and not great, but it can at times sound quite sweet, and with skill and knowledge you can learn how to use it effectively.

It also works here because it fits with the aesthetic and Hermes’ character. We’re already in this spooky, mysterious mode. We’re in a minor key. And Jay is using all these other musical techniques to give a slightly uneasy, hypnotic feel. The dissonance feels strange- not the sweet, diatonic harmonies we’re used to hearing. This is what makes this song stand out, and what makes Hermes such an intriguing and appealing character.

There’s this “up and down” melodic pattern that occurs throughout the song in several places. While Harmony 2 is doing that, Harmony 1 is just going down, repeatedly. I find it interesting that Odysseus isn’t rising to this power, but falling to it. It hints at Hermes’ trickster nature. These musical motifs (harmony, the harpline, the synthline, etc.) go up and down and up and down and up and down like gentle waves. We’re on the ocean. It’s lulling, compelling, hypnotic. “Come hither” whispering in the ear. It’s creepy, to be honest, and shows a darker side of the song that I will talk about later.

Bridge (“Here in the root of this flower”…etc):

Jorge has talked about how this is one of his favourite bits to sing, and musically that makes perfect sense.

Firstly, you’ve gotta hand it to Troy Doherty’s amazing performance. Hermes is so expressive even without seeing him.

Quick note about vocal techniques- YOU CAN HEAR SMILES. The act of smiling changes the shape of your mouth and thus changes the quality of your voice. You can HEAR Troy break out into a smile on the line “Though it’s only for a moment, ‘til you’ve beaten your opponent”. This is also my theory as to why the line “Penelope Whyyyy, you know I’m too shyy” is so stuck in everyone’s mind. Try singing it without smiling and then try singing it while smiling. Do you think it would’ve been that catchy if Jay wasn’t such a cutie pie?

Smiling is contagious, even if you’re only subconsciously noticing it. Hearing a smile gives you that little hit of dopamine.

When we hit the bridge, the piano, bass, and backing vocals cut out. Again, it’s just drums, harp, and lead vocals. This signifies a new section of music and also does the same trick as before- drawing you into the vocalist- but this time making you focus on the melody instead of the lyrics.

This whole bit is solely in Aeolian mode. The downward motion of the bridge increases the intensity of the song, dragging you into his words, falling into the power of the root. It’s sort of a callback to the downward motion to the second harmony line.

The constant quaver rhythm of this rising and falling conjunct “stepwise” melody gives a spiralling feeling, leading downwards. The rhythm is almost conversational, which fits with a mode like Aeolian that flows like the wind. It’s also why it’s so catchy and fun to sing. I love how Jorge composes in this uncommon scale in this particular pattern to reflect this idea.

There’s also one particular detail about the rhythm of this riff that compositionally shows something even deeper:

THIS IS IN TRIPLETS.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TRIPLETS SYMBOLISE IN EPIC???

RUTHLESSNESS.

Ruthlessness is usually a theme reserved for Poseidon, Act 1 Athena, and Act 2 Odysseus. You wouldn’t expect a “friendly” God like Hermes to be using it. But he is. He’s being persistent, constant. He is trying every trick in his bag to persuade Ody to take the flower.

Jay is VERY deliberate about his arrangements and his composition, so this is not a coincidence. He has established this “language” of musical voices, rhythmical voices, and motivic voices to symbolise all his characters and themes. It’s fascinating to me that he made this choice for Hermes. Ever so subtly hinting that the God might not be as benevolent as he seems.

Chorus 3:

The instrumentation of this new chorus is pretty similar to Chorus 2, except…

These DRUMS.

I asked my dad about these while I was staying with my parents over the Xmas holidays, and it resulted in a 5-minuite-long infodump about a specific type of drum used in 80s pop music (yeah I totally definitely don’t see the family resemblance at all /sarcasm). Any Brit in the audience might recognise this drum sound as sounding almost identical the intro to a show called East Enders (which I never watched, but was aware of) and idk if that was Jay’s intention, but the drums apparently have a long and complicated history, which I will give you the abbreviated version. (If this is too much information you can skip the next paragraph if you so wish, I realise this can be overwhelming)

Bass drum called the Simmons’ drum- electronic drum pad- famous for being hexagonal- they were radical in that they gave an electronic palette to modern dummers- they weren’t well-built and the very earliest ones were made from the same composite materials as police riot gear- caused repetitive strain injury that became known by session drummers as “Simmon’s wrist” because it was a bit like using your drumsticks on concrete (What’s that? You don’t think music is as intense as sport? Musicians get injured just as much as footballers do)- the sound is one of the most distinctive sounds in 80s music and entirely synthetic, generated through synthesis so some poor technician had to sit and programme a synthesiser to sound like a tom-tom- in the 90s and early 00s it was seen as cheap and over-the-top but is now looked on with a sense of love and nostalgia.

This is, of course, a sample of the Simmon’s drum as I doubt Jorge owns a real one.

So what does that do for Hermes? It grounds the song it its 80s retro aesthetic, creating Hermes’ unique stylistic voice. Jorge has described how he got the idea for Hermes’ sound when he saw a retro, multi-coloured lamp that made him think of 80s music. Each character in Epic has their own soundscape, and this very particular drum sound adds to it.

It also adds intensity to this final chorus. These loud, heavy drum sounds give that adrenaline rush that the previous verses and choruses have been building to, when Odysseus finally takes the flower.

Then we get Odysseus singing the “oOOOooOoOOhHHHhs” as he eats the holy moly, then the chorus ends, and we get a repeat of the harpline from the intro as he thanks Hermes for the help.

My conclusion:

Odysseus has made a Faustian pact with Hermes, the trickster god. While Hermes’s words are friendly with no ill-intent, the composition and orchestration lean more towards this idea of “making a deal with the devil”. Gods know the game, and how it’s played. You, mere mortal, do not. When they entreat mortals to do their bidding will offer riches, money, fame, success, magic, power, but very rarely are their motives sound.

This is Odysseus’ first taste of the magic that separates gods and monsters from mortals. He is able to fight Circe as an equal, and this new development teaches him that he doesn’t always have to be strategic and diplomatic, but ruthless and relentless as well.

I know that the fandom see Troy Doherty’s performance of Hermes as “omg babygirl so slayyyy!!!” But there’s actually a deeper level to what he’s doing here. He’s a trickster God, tempting and teasing Odysseus down a path of magic and power- giving him the first taste of something that will later drive him into becoming the Monster. Hermes is almost seducing him to the dark side, using rhetorical questions, waving the Holy Moly in front of his face and saying “Come on. You know you want it. Wouldn’t you like a taste of the power? Wouldn’t you like to be victorious for once?” In his lyrics describing a “taste” of the power being something almost like a temptation. Odysseus is breaking from his norm- using magic and might instead of logic, diplomacy and reasoning. While he’s doing it to save his men, this is a major step in his descent into monsterhood, and it’s fascinating how Jay does this not only lyrically, but musically as well, using what’s called “word painting” (music and words working together) to create the sense of hypnotism and manipulation.

Hermes is being:

Ruthless (triplets),

Ceaseless (repetition),

Persuasive (rhetorical questions),

And hypnotic (lilting, lulling melody).

He’s drawing you in, forcing you to listen to him (stark instrumentation focusing on the vocals, then increasing the instrumentation as the intensity progressively increases, culminating in this big, expressive final chorus with this pwerful drum sound)

Overall Jorge uses all these techniques to show Hermes manipulating Odysseus into taking the flower. By subconsciously making you feel the temptation that Ody- the Narrator- is feeling through music and orchestration.

So anyway, those are my thoughts on “Wouldn’t you like”. I didn’t even have time to talk about “Dangerous”- perhaps I’ll make a separate post about that but no promises. Thank you so much for reading if you made it to the end!

[mel-loly]

–I am back!!!✨

ANDDD since the majority voted “yes” in the last poll I did, I’m going to do a dtiys! Which will be this one:

Oh, and the rules and explanation of tdiys are in the text below (click for 'more' ↓)! Good luck to the participants, I love you all so much!!❤️

Explanation:

DTIYS stands for “Draw This In Your Style”. It's a popular art challenge where artists redraw a piece of art in their own style. DTIYS challenges are often used by artists on Instagram to celebrate milestones or to support other artists [which, in this case, I am celebrating my “return”].

How it works:

An artist chooses a piece of art to redraw.

The artist sets instructions for the challenge, such as the medium to use or the overall aesthetic.

Other artists create their own version of the piece and post it with the specified hashtag.

The artist selects the winners and announces them.

Now that you guys know a little about how it works, I will tell you some simple and “already expected” rules:

You can't steal or do it the same way as me, you have to do it YOUR style (because that's the challenge).

The redraw must have the same characteristics as the original drawing. For example, the colors must be similar or the same.

You can add and change things, but don’t “stray” too far from the original design and features.

Don't forget to tag me AND use the hashtag '#melloly dtiys'! Or if you don't want to post, just send me a private chat or ask! (and if you don't want me to say your name if you "win", please let me know and I'll make the drawing's artist anonymous!)

About the winners and the end date of the competition:

The competition will end on 03/23/25. There will be 3 winners, however, I will only draw (their own) OCs!

An art of your OC in my normal and detailed style (example (↓).

An art of your OC in my normal but simple style (example (↓).

A art of your OC in my chibi style (example (↓).

Thank you very much for reading and, again, good luck to the participants!!! (and if you still have any questions, just call dm and ask!!)💛

-Melissa, Designer.

[slaymitchabernathy]

Older & Wiser

| "...you're so much older and wiser and I, I wait by the door like I'm just a kid, use my best colors for your portrait..." |

Growing up, Soarynn heard lots of advice when it came to dating men.

Don’t date anyone who comes from a different financial background than you do. Upper class married the upper class, middle class married the middle class, and lower class married the lower class.

Those things don’t mix.

She was also told to wait until marriage. A good Capitol girl saves herself for marriage so that her husband knows that she’s pure, untouched by anyone but him.

Plus, it eliminates the fear of an unwanted pregnancy.

And although it was never directly stated, she knew that girls her age should stay far away from older men who were far too busy and important for girls like her.

But no one ever mentioned Coriolanus Snow.

It’s a damn shame that he’s thirty because he could easily pass for twenty-five. He’s so effortlessly charming, always knowing just what to say and working the room. He’s overly successful, rich beyond reason, devilishly handsome, and best of all, he’s obsessed with Soarynn.

They met one night at a silent auction. She had been dragged along by her good friend Livia Cardew who was looking for both a new piece of art and a potential husband.

She found the second one, Festus Creed, and left Soarynn to wander around the art gallery once the auction came to a close. She had been admiring a certain piece when Coriolanus came up to introduce himself.

However, a man like him needs no introduction, especially after placing the highest bid of the night. Still, she let him charm her, compliment her, and share a little bit about himself. By the time she had to leave, he had arranged for her to be picked up and taken to dinner at the end of the week.

Soarynn had been giddy with excitement, she never really dated while attending school so she didn't know what to expect but he surpassed every one of her expectations. They had dinner in a private room, lit by candlelight. The service was impeccable, Soarynn felt as if she were eating dinner with the President himself.

She learned a bit more about Coriolanus and the type of man he was, the type of man to crave dominance and control. She also learned that he had yet to marry because he hadn't found the right woman yet and was in no rush to settle down.

Despite hearing that, Soarynn held onto the hopes that she might be the one, the future Mrs. Snow.

Even now, waking up in his large bed alone, she hopes that one day he'll see that she's the one.

Coriolanus often rises before the sun, showering and getting ready for work which leaves Soarynn to wake up alone in his large penthouse apartment. The first time she woke up alone she had felt so...out of place. His penthouse is opulent, filled with tasteful furniture and expensive artwork. Everything about him screams how important he is.

But the household staff didn't bat an eye when she stumbled out of his bedroom in nothing but a borrowed button-up shirt from his closet the first time she slept over.

Now she's more than used to being here by herself, he even gave her a key! Soarynn just knows that it's a step in the right direction, that it shows how much he trusts her. She certainly trusts him, after all, she let him take her virginity.

He had been so sweet the first time, so patient and gentle, making it a magical experience for Soarynn. They often partake in rougher more passionate sex since she's more experienced and Coriolanus Snow is an excellent lover in the bedroom, always bringing her to a delicious orgasm without even trying.

Soarynn wakes up sore every morning in this apartment, covered in love bites in places that only he can see. Coriolanus is terribly possessive over everything he owns and Soarynn believes that he views her the same way, clear property of Coriolanus Snow and she's not mad about it.

It's her close friends who question his motives. They bring it up all the time how she should be cautious with an older man like him. "A man like Coriolanus Snow wants one thing and one thing only," Livia had told Soarynn one night at dinner, "I just don't want you to get hurt Soarynn."

But Soarynn had assured Livia that she knew what she was doing, Coriolanus would never hurt her.

She rolls over to face his empty side of the bed and smiles when she sees that a bouquet of roses has been left for her along with a little card. She takes the card and opens it, reading what he scribbled on the paper.

Buy yourself something pretty, darling. - Coriolanus

Soarynn can't help but squeal and kick her feet in excitement. He loves to spoil her. New shoes, new bags, new jewelry, new clothes and all on his card. Not that Soarynn can't afford these things on her own, but she's not going to be an idiot and decline such gifts.

Soarynn eventually pulls herself out of bed and goes into the bathroom, skimming her fingers on the marble countertops, imagining a life where she lives here all the time and has a vanity of her own. She does have a very small section of his closet filled with clothes she's left or purchased over the past few months.

She chooses a white dress, with a flattering neckline, short enough to drive him mad, and very flattering on her figure. She pairs the dress with red heels to give her outfit a pop of color along with gold jewelry. She puts on the necklace he gave to her just last week with a golden rose pendant hanging on the delicate chain.

Soarynn still doesn't have a lot of makeup in his bathroom, just a few toiletries and hair products so she'll buy some things today. She brushes through her long blonde hair, remembering how his fingers felt pulling on it last night. Soarynn sighs at her reflection, her life is so perfect, he is so perfect.

All she needs is a ring on her finger.

꧁ ꧂

"Ms. Nightingale, there's a phone call for you."

Soarynn looks up from the sofa she's sitting on, wearing only one shoe since she was about to try on another one with the help of the saleswoman. "Oh, alright, I'll be right back," she says, flashing the saleswoman an apologetic smile. She follows the other employee, a salesman to the back of the store where the phone is waiting for her to answer in the back hallway.

She brings the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

"Darling, it's Coriolanus."

Her lips curl up into a smile the second she hears his deep voice along with the pet name he gave to her, "How did you know where to find me?" She asks him, amazed at his ability to always know of her whereabouts. She rarely ever knows where he is but it seems that he prefers for things to be that way.

"I knew you'd turn up here eventually," he tells her, sounding prideful, "and I wanted to make sure that you were actually spending my money the proper way."

Soarynn giggles, twirling the phone cord around her index finger, "I am," she promises sweetly, "I was trying on shoes before you called."

"What color?"

Soarynn bites her lip before answering, "Blue."

There's a pause and she worries he might not approve, Coriolanus has a good sense of fashion and she's always trying to get his approval.

"Good, they'll bring out your eyes," he finally says and she sighs in relief. "Yes, I thought so too, are you still at work?"

Rarely does Coriolanus ever tell Soarynn about what his day entails, if he wants to see her, he calls her and she comes running. Their roles have never been reversed but once again, he prefers it that way. And she's not one to complain, Coriolanus is a very busy and very important man, she's lucky he can see her as often as he does.

"I am, although I might be at the office later than I normally am. Last minute meeting," he says as if that explains everything. Soarynn's smile turns into a frown, she was hoping to see him tonight, to spend the evening with Coriolanus wrapped in his strong arms.

"Oh," is all she says, her voice quieter than before.

"You should have dinner with some of your little friends, my treat darling."

Well, that's sweet of him. Soarynn leans against the wall and toes the ground, "You're so good to me," she tells him, knowing how much Coriolanus likes having his ego stroked, "I truly don't deserve your generosity."

The low chuckle that comes from her lover is all Soarynn needs to hear to know that she said the right thing, "Spend the night and you'll wake up next to me in the morning," he promises before she hears voices in the background, "I have to go, darling, I'll see you later."

"Goodbye," Soarynn whispers just as he hangs up the phone.

She wonders if he'd go into more detail if they were married, or engaged, or courting.

While they spend lots of time together with and without clothes on, nothing official has ever come of it and it's slowly beginning to eat away at Soarynn's heart.

She just has to act like it isn't.

꧁ ꧂

"Festus is being so annoying," Livia whines over dinner that night, "he won't stop pestering me about meeting his parents. We just started seeing each other!"

The bitter, jealous part of Soarynn wants to snap at Livia and remind her friend that she should be grateful that she actually has someone to call her own, unlike Soarynn.

But she bites her tongue and diligently nods to her friend's complaints, "That's so terrible Liv," Soarynn says, placing a sympathetic hand on top of Livia's, "he should respect your space and needs." Soarynn would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't want to be in Livia's shoes.

Livia is adored so publically, so openly by Festus who happens to be a good friend of Coriolanus. Soarynn wonders if Festus might pass along a hint for her, telling Coriolanus to hurry up and make her his.

People know that Coriolanus and Soarynn are friendly, that they spend a lot of time together but they're not courting so it doesn't even count. A bottle of champagne is brought over to their table by the waiter, "Oh, we didn't order that," Livia tells the man who politely shakes his head. "Compliments of Mr. Snow," he explains.

All the girls gasp at the sweet gesture, especially Soarynn because this must mean something. If he's sending her champagne then he must feel bad about working late tonight, which means that he's thinking about her.

"How sweet," she finally says, accepting the bottle, "he's always been so thoughtful."

"Has he mentioned courting you yet?" Clemensia asks from across the table, causing Soarynn to shake her head. "Not yet," she answers, "but it's coming soon, I just know it."

꧁ ꧂

Exhausted from a day of shopping and dinner, Soarynn is fast asleep in her lover's bed when he curls up behind her, wrapping a strong arm around her waist. Soarynn sighs and Coriolanus groans, hooking his chin over her bare shoulder, "How was dinner with the girls?"

Soarynn keeps her eyes shut, enjoying how his skin feels against hers, "It was good, the champagne was so sweet." Coriolanus shifts behind her and she can feel his bare chest pressing on her bare back, he always craves physical touch the most at night.

"My secretary suggested it," he mumbles, his voice growing deeper as he falls asleep, causing her heart to shatter into a million pieces. She thought that he was the one who sent the champagne, who thought of the sweet gesture. Not his secretary.

Soarynn feels her mood souring even more than before. She was already upset that she didn’t get to see him all day but this champagne is the last fucking straw.

Soarynn needs someone to appreciate her, to care about her, genuinely care about her.

She just wanted it to be him.

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn wakes up in a rotten mood.

The bed is empty. Again. But she can hear some sizzling in the kitchen. It’s Saturday which means the penthouse is empty, no staff on the weekends. Normally, Soarynn looks forward to these two sacred days. She gets Coriolanus all to herself since he doesn’t have to go to work. They run errands, go to the zoo, catch a movie, and end it all with dinner.

Not today though.

If he doesn’t see anything wrong with the amount of effort that he’s putting into this, then Soarynn is going to take it as an invitation to give Coriolanus Snow a taste of his own medicine.

At nineteen years of age, Soarynn considers herself to be a very mature young lady. Constantly complimented on how she carries herself, why, anyone on the street who laid eyes upon her would surely say that she’s at least twenty-one.

She knows how Coriolanus sees her. Sweet, adorable, submissive.

Harmless.

He likes her this way, likes carting her around on his arm, dipping into her fountain of youth. Soarynn sits up, pulling the covers up to her bare chest, and frowns, perhaps that’s why he’s kept her around for as long as he has. Perhaps she makes him feel younger, feel like he’s a young man again.

He certainly looks younger than thirty but still, he’s getting up there in age. Soarynn hasn’t even reached twenty and she already feels old, as if she’s outgrown her skin and her body. But Coriolanus might view her as a vice, something to remind him that he still has that famous Snow charm.

She glances over at the doors where she left all her shopping bags from yesterday, too tired to properly unpack them. She could stay for breakfast, let him dictate their day. Or, she could leave, leaving him dumbfounded.

Soarynn goes with the second option, quickly getting out of bed so she can dress herself. She doesn’t plan on coming back here for a long time, not until he comes crawling back that is. Soarynn knows Coriolanus well enough to know that he craves control and if he loses her, then he loses control.

Which is very unfortunate for him.

Pleased with her scheme, Soarynn goes out into the hallway, purse in hand, shoes on feet, and a determined look on her bare face.

“Darling?”

His deep morning voice catches her completely off guard. She freezes in her tracks, slowly turning around to face a shirtless Coriolanus. He looks so good right now, wearing some pajama pants with a plate in his hand. Whatever he made for them smells delicious and he looks delicious.

Maybe she could stay for breakfast.

No! She had to stay strong!

Coriolanus has a certain gravitational pull on people, drawing them in and keeping them right where he wants them to be, including her. It’s going to take a lot of effort to get out of his orbit.

“I…I can’t stay for breakfast,” she says, fidgeting with her purse. Coriolanus purses his lips, looking her up and down, “Why not? I made omelets.”

Coriolanus is an excellent cook even though he hires one, only showing off his skills to Soarynn. On Saturday nights he’ll pour them both a glass of wine and have her sit on the counter while he sautés a delicious meal. She’ll wear one of his button-up shirts, swinging her feet off the edge of the counter while she watches him.

Soft music will play in the background and he’ll have her taste test everything, laughing when he gets some sauce on her chin. Which will give him the perfect excuse to lean down, wiping it off before kissing her.

It’s a perfectly domestic thing to do with someone you don’t even consider courting and Soarynn feels a terrible chill run down her spine.

“I have to go,” she says softly, “there’s um, there’s an emergency.”

She could always tell him the truth, but when has that ever worked?

Besides, the terrible part of her still wants him to want her. So as a precaution, she’ll remain on his good side. A little distance will do them some good, even if he doesn’t know that’s what this is.

He looks concerned, worried for her well-being, and walks towards her, only stopping when he’s inches away from her and she can smell the omelet and the smell of roses.

It’s always been roses with Coriolanus.

“Is everything alright? Do you need me to do anything? Call you a car?”

He’s so sweet and caring even when she lies to him. Maybe she’s the one who doesn’t deserve him instead of it being the other way around.

Soarynn shakes her head, faking a smile, “No, no you don’t have to do anything. I just have to go alright?”

He seems disappointed that they won’t get to spend their morning together but he doesn’t push her. “Alright,” he mumbles, “call me when everything’s sorted then.”

Soarynn hums and presses herself on her toes to kiss him, short and sweet but she savors it all the same.

She doesn’t give him a chance to deepen it, pulling away as fast as she leaned in so she can leave. Soarynn closes the doors to his penthouse behind him, that terrible feeling still very persistent.

She hopes that he’ll pick up the pieces, put them together, and realize that she’s the one for him. Or he won’t and he’ll find some other girl to swoon and lead on.

She might have left the key he gave her in his room, but he still has the key to her heart.

꧁ ꧂

Three weeks pass by without a word from Coriolanus.

Well, he hasn’t come up and spoken to her in person that is. Soarynn has missed phone calls on her answering machine, unopened gifts that sit by her front door, and wilting roses that stand in a vase on her kitchen counter.

She’s been holding out on him, hoping, praying that this distance will remind him that she’s the one for him. He leaves notes with the gifts but they’re not confessions of love, just requests or possibly demands, all telling her to call him or come to his penthouse.

But Soarynn is done being at his beck and call, tired of being dragged around on an invisible leash.

She is Soarynn fucking Nightingale and she’s finally starting to act like it.

The sun is finally setting on the Capitol skyline and she’s forgotten how great of a view she has of it from her apartment. For a while, she was merely a visitor in her own home, coming and going whenever she needed something and then running right back to his place.

Not anymore.

Dressed merely in one of her many silk nightgowns, Soarynn prepares for a night in. She bought some chocolate and strawberries today at the store, planning on making her favorite dessert so she could snack while watching some television before going to bed.

A knock at her door pulls her out of the blissful bubble she’s been in the past few weeks and she walks towards her entryway. She mentally prepares to greet the gentleman who sits at the front desk in the lobby, responsible for delivering packages to the residents of the building. Or in recent weeks, gifts from Coriolanus that are addressed to Soarynn.

She’s sure this man is sick of her and her deliveries. She went from never coming home to the most popular person in the building in a matter of days.

She should really start tipping him.

Soarynn pops a strawberry into her mouth and unlocks the door, pulling it open and the fruit almost falls out of her mouth when she sees him.

Coriolanus Snow.

He looks furious. She’s been dodging his calls and ignoring him so he has every right to be but it’s something to see him standing her at her doorstep.

He’s never been to her apartment before. Never saw the need to.

And now here he is.

Soarynn doesn’t even know what to say, not with a strawberry in her mouth so she turns on her heel and walks back down the hallway, leaving it to him to either follow her or leave.

He follows her. Slamming the door behind him.

“So you’ve gotten my gifts and oh look, your phone looks just fine. I was starting to think that you fled the Capitol until I saw you earlier today on my lunch break, giggling with your friends as my car drove past you.”

Soarynn rolls her eyes, still chewing, men are so dramatic, and Coriolanus, although he won’t ever admit it, is always desperate for validation. Without her, she wonders who’s been stroking that big ego of his.

“Soarynn, look at me.”

She finally swallows down the berry and turns to face her lover, feeling simultaneously caught and commended for the efforts she’s gone through to get her point across.

You can be the most successful man in the world but without a woman by your side, you’re just another man.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" Coriolanus asks, looking confused while dressed in an expensive-looking suit, "You've been dodging my calls and tonight was the company gala, the gala that you promised to attend with me."

Oops. She forgot all about the gala.

"I thought you'd find someone else to take," she squeaks, watching the veins in his throat bulge. "Well I didn't," he hisses, stalking towards her, and for the first time ever, Soarynn realizes how big Coriolanus is, how strong and powerful he is. He could easily snap her neck, throw her against the wall, take her against her will. He won't, but he could.

"I looked like a fool," he continues, only a foot away from her now, "standing there without a date, being showered with pitying looks from everyone else. I had hoped that you'd come to your senses by now but you clearly haven't so tell me Soarynn, why are you so hellbent on ruining my reputation?"

Soarynn's jaw nearly falls open. He's not even here because he cares, he's here because his reputation is at stake. She resists the urge to slap him right across the face, even though he'd be quite deserving of it.

"Why won't you court me?" She finally asks, letting the question she's been thinking for months finally tumble from her lips. For so long she's held off on asking, held off on asking why she's never met his parents, or why he can call her every name in the book during sex but not in public.

Soarynn tries to be a patient person but her heart cannot say the same.

He looks shocked by her question, not expecting her to ask such a thing. A good Capitol girl never asks a man that, she waits by his side, waits for him to be ready to commit.

"I mean, you do everything else," she says exasperatedly, "you buy me things, send me flowers, kiss me, fuck me, and I do everything for you! I wait for you at your apartment, I listen to you talk about your day at work, I spend hours in bed with you. I just don't understand how difficult it is to court me, you're a grown man Coriolanus, you should be married by now, with children but you're not. And if you plan on being single for the rest of your life then that's fine but stop dragging me along with you."

They both stand in silence. Soarynn can't believe that she actually said that but at the same time, she's glad that she did. It's been too heavy of a burden for her to carry around any longer.

Coriolanus presses his lips into a thin line, composing himself after a moment of weakness, "Have you ever thought that maybe I don't see myself courting you? That I haven't taken this as seriously as you've wanted me to take it because I don't ever intend to?"

It's like he just ripped her heart out of her chest and tore it apart in front of her.

Soarynn feels the tears pooling in her eyes, unable to stop them from coming. This isn't how she planned for this to go, she thought he'd beg for her to come back and confess his feelings but instead, he's shot her down.

She sniffles as a tear rolls down her cheek, "Never mind then," she whispers, turning to flee the scene. She hears him calling out to her but Soarynn is already blinded by her tears and her heartbreak. She stumbles into her bedroom and runs past her bed into the bathroom where she can have a proper breakdown in peace.

She's been taking a lot of baths lately, reminiscing about the times when she'd take them with Coriolanus. Not anymore, she'll never think about him again after this. All those kisses, those smiles, those words. All fake.

How could she be so stupid?

She gave him everything. Her trust, her love, her virginity.

The gravity of what she's done hits her all at once and she sinks into the tub, curling up into a ball while she sobs. He's probably left already, perplexed by her strange behavior and tears. Soarynn has always remained cool, calm, and collected around Coriolanus, never whining or complaining. Not anymore.

She's so busy feeling sorry for herself that she doesn't even hear the tall, broad man pad into the bathroom, not until she feels his cold hand on her shoulder. Soarynn cracks her eyes open, gazing up at Coriolanus, somewhat surprised that he actually came after her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he tells her gently, crouching down by the tub, "you know that I care about you darling, but it's all...it's all so complicated. You wouldn't understand."

Those three words are enough to give Soarynn a second wind. She pushes herself to sit up and glares at the older man, wondering where he finds the audacity to say these things to her.

"Then explain it to me," she snaps, "because I'm not an idiot, I'm smart, I'm important, I am of value. I've given you everything Coriolanus, my trust, my love, my, my virginity," her voice breaks on the last word. She's ashamed all over again, she's been so foolish with him, so blindly trusting.

His brows crease and his hand remains on her shoulder, she hopes he doesn't remove it.

"Soarynn, you're so young, so beautiful and kind, it wouldn't be fair to chain you to me. I'm not always as kind as I am when I'm with you, not always as understanding. That side of me is reserved only for you but I can't guarantee that version of myself to my future wife, she'll have to deal with all sides of me, the good, the bad, and the ugly."

She sniffles, wiping away her tears in an attempt to look more presentable, "I don't mind," she mumbles and he sighs, "truly, I don't. I can handle it, I can be your wife Coriolanus, I can be Mrs. Snow. I won't let you down or embarrass you, I'll be so good, so devoted to you."

They both fall silent again but this time, she dares to reach out to him, cupping his face with her hand and he leans into her touch, "Who else decodes you like me?" She whispers, "You don't let anyone else see you like this but me, think about it, you've already got one foot in the door. Think about how easy it would be to just get married."

She can see him contemplating her argument, a desperate one but she's also desperate. Soarynn thought some time apart would remind him of what he took for granted but it also reminded her about how much she missed him. She's missed his smile, his laugh, the way he smells after they have sex.

Although he tries to remain cold and closed off, she can see right through his facade, she knows him too well to his chagrin and when he finally looks into her teary eyes, she knows that he's decided on an answer.

꧁ ꧂

꧁ Five Months Later ꧂

Soarynn sits in the finest nail salon in the Capitol, known for its impeccable service and treatment towards its clients.

With a fresh manicure and pedicure, she feels on top of the world, like a new woman. "What color did you get for your nails again?" Livia asks from the chair next to her. Soarynn lifts her left hand in the air for her friend to see her freshly painted nails, a light pink color, it's practically her signature. She admires her nails and more importantly, the way the sunlight causes her new engagement ring to shine and sparkle.

Soarynn would never consider herself spoiled, but she's used to getting what she wants.

Including a husband.

It didn't take much to convince Coriolanus that she was the one for him. After breaking down in her bathtub and telling him that she would be the perfect wife for him, she knew he'd make a move. He spent the night at her apartment, claiming that he didn't want to leave her alone in her moment of distress and they ended up without their clothes on, making up for lost time.

The next day they had officially made up and Coriolanus officially asked to court her. He told her that they'd tell everyone that they'd been courting for much longer but in secret. Turns out he was eager to make her his wife now that the idea was planted in his head, more eager than she was. He proposed a mere two weeks ago, getting down on one knee and shocking her with a gorgeous engagement ring.

The diamond is huge, and Soarynn loves looking at it, envisioning their wedding and what's to come shortly after. Children, pets, the whole nine yards. They're already decided on a date, next January since the Snows apparently only marry in the winter. Something about family traditions.

"I still can't believe you're engaged," Livia says with a shake of her head, "I mean, I suspected something between you two but still, it all happened so soon." Soarynn smiles, lots of people were surprised but she wasn't, she's been planning on becoming Mrs. Snow for a long time.

"When you know, you know," she replies.

She just knew from very beginning.

꧁ ꧂

When Soarynn finally gets home from another day of shopping, she finds that her fiance has busied himself in the kitchen rather than his study. An odd change of scenery for Coriolanus who’s always holed up in his study if he’s at home.

He’s chopping away at some vegetables on a cutting board, so focused on the task at hand that he doesn’t even notice she’s back until the timer on the oven beeps, snapping him back into the present.

He looks over at her and grins, “Darling, when did you get back?”

Soarynn remains in the doorway to the large kitchen, content with watching him cook, “Just now,” she answers, leaning on the frame, “is the cook not here?” He shakes his head, scraping the chopped vegetables into a large bowl, “I sent her home early, I sent everyone home early.”

Soarynn frowns, wondering if something happened while she was gone. She’s already moved in with him, selling her apartment but once they’re married, she’ll be in charge of managing the household staff.

Until then, Coriolanus is still in charge.

“Why?” She inquires, stepping into the kitchen and setting her purse down on the counter, “Did something happen?”

His smile only grows bigger as he goes to open the oven, a heavenly aroma quick spreads throughout the room and Soarynn suddenly feels very hungry. “No, nothing happened. I just wanted it to be you and me tonight.”

It’s Thursday which usually means Coriolanus coming home right in time for dinner and wanting to go straight to bed. But he’s already home, and cooking. Something must be going on, he must be cooking up something else besides dinner at the moment. She knows him too well.

“Is there a particular reason for that?” She asks sweetly, appreciating the gesture but questioning the intent behind it. Nothing comes without a price, nothing at all. Soarynn would know that better than anyone.

The ring on her finger is the perfect example. Only given to her once she bared her soul to Coriolanus and somewhat embarrassed herself by crying in front of him.

And he’s far too clever to come home early for no good reason, Coriolanus loves to play games, loves a good riddle, a good challenge.

Soarynn has never been too fond of games.

Coriolanus sets the pan down on the stove to cool off, allowing her to admire how handsome he looks from behind, his white dress shirt still tucked into his pants. She can see that his curls have broken loose from the gel he slicks them back with every morning.

“I have a gift for you.”

Well now her interest is piqued. He turns around and laughs at her expression, eager to see what he got her, “Oh, now you’re excited that I’m home early,” he teases, “well you’ll have to wait until after dinner.”

Soarynn pouts, already knowing that it’s pointless. Coriolanus is a simple man who likes to complete one task at a time. He won’t move to her gift until they’ve eaten dinner and he’s washed all the dishes. Which is very annoying for her and very amusing for him.

Even engaged he still likes to pull her around on a leash.

So she doesn’t fight it. She asks him about his day, lets him feed her pieces of food while he continues cooking until the entire meal comes together. They eat in the dining room, a huge room with an even bigger table for just the two of them. Coriolanus sits at the head of the table, of course, and Soarynn sits to his left.

“I was thinking about the wedding,” she says between bites of chicken, “we should really try to limit the guest list or we’ll be stuck greeting everyone all night at the reception instead of enjoying each other.”

Coriolanus sips his wine which is a shocking choice of beverage for a man who loves whiskey or bourbon. A small smile grows across his lips like he knows something she doesn’t. He probably does considering how much older and wiser he is.

“Darling, the guests will come to us,” he tells her, placing his hand on top of hers, “there will be no running around the greet the guests. We’ll sit down at our table and enjoy our dinner,” he gestures to their current situation to use as an example.

Soarynn feels a little silly now, of course, people will come up to them and not the other way around. But she’s never been to a wedding before, too young and none of her friends have even gotten engaged yet.

She’s the first.

At least she doesn’t have to worry about losing her virginity. They crossed that bridge months ago.

"Oh," is all she says, her cheeks burning with a little bit of embarrassment, "well, I think I found my dress today." Changing the subject is an easy way to avoid any criticism from Coriolanus who often expects her to act twice her age while still remaining the youthful, wide-eyed girl he met forever ago.

His eyebrows shoot up, he knows how stressed she's been about finding the perfect wedding dress. It has to be something distinguished, something elegant and flattering, something the wife of a Snow would wear.

He's got it easy, wearing a black suit like he always does for important events.

"Did you now? What does it look like?"

Soarynn shrugs, a sweet smile on her lips, "What does my gift look like?" Coriolanus laughs at her attempt to even the playing field, she can't help but want to know what he got her today. "Never mind then," he decides, shaking his head, "we can both bathe in the anticipation."

Soarynn groans but he doesn't give in. Every once in a while he does, even a grown man like Coriolanus Snow can't fight off her pouting and innocent gaze. So she shows him her freshly painted nails and asks him about work, it's a domestic night for the both of them.

Once dinner is eaten, she helps him with the dishes, passing them to him so he can rinse them off. Soarynn likes to imagine doing this a few years into the future with little ones sitting in the living room, whispering about how romantic it is that their parents do the dishes together.

Coriolanus has only spoken about children a few times since she met him but she knows that he expects to start a family. He's late to that race compared to his friends his age whereas Soarynn is very early.

"Alright," Coriolanus says, drying off his hands with a dish towel, "let's go get your gift darling."

Soarynn squeals with excitement, she's not always the most patient person in the world which is why Coriolanus loves to make her wait. He made her wait to get engaged but look how that ended for him.

She follows him out of the kitchen and down the hall towards his study. Soarynn has only been in this room a few times since they met, finding it boring since it lacks anything of interest to her.

"Sit down here," he instructs, patting an armchair that sits across from his desk. Soarynn does as she's told, sinking into the chair and crossing her ankles. "Now close your eyes and hold out your hands, no peeking Soarynn," he says sternly. Soarynn gives him the best innocent, angelic look she can manage, "I won't peek," she promises.

He grunts and she closes her eyes, holding out her hands to receive her gift. Soarynn listens to him walk away from her and then hears the sound of a desk drawer being opened. She hasn't the slightest clue as to what he's gotten for her. If it were jewelry or clothes then he'd bring her to the closet.

Soarynn feels him standing in front of her again and then feels the light weight of what must be a card placed in her hands.

"Open your eyes darling."

Sure enough, it's a card. Soarynn gives him a curious look as he leans against his desk, watching her with amusement. "A card? Did you get our wedding invitations back?" They finally decided on their wedding invitations and Soarynn has been waiting for all of them to be delivered so she can mail them out to their guests.

He merely grins at her guess, "Open it and find out."

Soarynn's fingers gently tear open the envelope and she's surprised to find no note or invitation inside. In fact, it doesn't look like there's anything inside. Soarynn purses her lips, turning the envelope upside down and shaking it when a small, pink card falls into her lap. Soarynn picks it up, holding it between her thumb and index finger to inspect it.

It's no bigger than her citizen's license.

"Well? What is it darling?"

Soarynn looks up at her fiance, very confused as to what this is and why he's asking her to tell him. She turns it to the other side and her eyes zero in on the words that have been engraved into the card.

Soarynn Snow - Capitol Banking Card - 05081 082810

A sharp gasp leaves her lips.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, is this, is this what I think it is?!"

For the longest time, Soarynn has just been using one of his cards to go shopping and spend his money. Coriolanus trusted her enough to hand over one of his many banking cards without batting an eye, telling her to go shop her little heart out. But that was back when this all first started, since getting engaged, she's still been using his card, mostly because he hasn't asked for it back yet.

His banking card is sleek and black, with his name and his card number engraved into it.

But this is her card, with her name on it.

Coriolanus smiles, nodding his head, "The bank called me this afternoon to tell me that all the paperwork was finally in order. I left work early to pick it up for you."

Soarynn leaps out of her chair, too excited to sit still. She flies into his arms, smiling and shrieking, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Coriolanus wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly against him while Soarynn clutches her card like it's a lifeline.

It's her first step towards becoming his wife.

"You're very welcome darling, I figured it was time for you to have your own card since you seem so keen on using mine to spend my money," he explains, giving her a teasing look. Soarynn giggles, she might have a habit of spending a lot of his money, but he can't have his fiance walking around in last season's shoes!

"Well, I'm going to have so much fun using my own card to spend your money," she tells him, smiling down at her little pink banking card. She can't believe he did this for her!

Although she'd never admit it out loud, there was a short-lived time when Soarynn worried that he only proposed because he felt pressured to, that he was only doing it out of duty and obligation. If that was the case then she was in for a miserable marriage where it would always be known that she trapped him into getting married.

But this card is clear proof that he feels the same way she feels about him.

He hums, rubbing a hand up and down her back, "It's the first official document that has your married name on it, even the banking paperwork has been updated."

She hadn't even given it any thought but he's right. Soarynn's old card still has her maiden name on it. According to the people at the Capitol Bank, she is Soarynn Snow, Mrs. Snow, Coriolanus Snow's wife.

It's the most perfect gift she's ever been given.

"I love it, thank you."

Soarynn kisses him on the cheek, leaning into his touch which becomes more possessive by the second, "There will be limits" he mumbles, turning his head so he can properly kiss her, "just like when you were using my card there will be monthly limits as to what you can spend."

Soarynn gives him a playful whine, tugging on his bottom lip, "It's all a precaution darling, I can't have you running me into the ground with your frivolous spending."

Soarynn gasps, pulling away from their kiss, "Frivolous spending?! My lingerie that you love so much is not frivolous!" She's got him there, Coriolanus loves it when she spends his hard-earned money on lingerie that he can rip off later that same night. And it's not like Soarynn has ever gone and run him dry, she's very frugal with her spending, only buying exactly what she needs.

Which sometimes happens to be twelve pairs of shoes plus a few new dresses.

"I do love your lingerie," he agrees, giving her a squeeze, "but sooner or later it won't just be the two of us on my tab, we'll have little ones and I have an inkling that you're going to be quite the spender when it comes to our children."

Just the thought of having children with Coriolanus excites her. Soarynn has always wanted a family, to be a part of something and she's always dreamt of being a mother. She's spent long enough thinking about the type of mother she's going to be. She'll be a good one, raising her children to be polite and respectful, but also darling and adored by all they meet.

She's meeting his parents this weekend for the first time.

Coriolanus has always kept her far away from his own family, to the point where Soarynn had to question if his parents were even still alive. Hers weren't. But now that they're engaged, his mother is eager to meet her future daughter-in-law.

"She's going to love you," he had told her after bringing it up to her the other day after dinner, "she's always wanted a daughter and I already showed her a photograph of you, she thinks you're adorable."

Soarynn didn't quite know if adorable was what she was going for but it was better than some trampy young girl running after a man ten years older than her.

Coriolanus hasn't mentioned a thing about what his father will think of her.

She hasn't brought it up either.

But she knows that his parents will expect grandchildren and she'll be happy to deliver on that expectation.

Soarynn sighs into the kiss, "You always think ahead don't you?"

From the moment she met Coriolanus, she knew he was one of the smartest people in the world, always so sharp and bright, anticipating everyone's next move before they could even think of it themselves, including hers.

"Of course darling," he mumbles, sliding his hand down to her left hand, rubbing her engagement ring, "Snow always has to land on top."

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

| taglist: @strawberriicakes @wonderlandbound111 @kickmybark @evilmenarehot @thevoicesinmyprettylittlehead @melodyoflovee @erensrealgf |

[ratsvalley]

So I’m working on carrot chapter 3 which means I’m definitely not gonna be able to draw this out for a while but consider the following for a Coalectra Valentine’s oneshot…I can’t write so take my ramblings.

YES THEYRE ON MY MIND ALL THE DAMN TIME I CAN NEVER GET RID OF THEM

This headcanon is also surprisingly fluffy this time…

-I like to imagine Electra employs their components for any time of social interaction, whether it be gift giving, invitations, or even ordering food. (Hmmm possibly hinting to Electra having social anxiety hmmm)

Back to gift giving, Electra is rich, meaning they can and will spoil their partners with lavish expensive gifts. And they always get their components to deliver them.

-When it comes to Porter they’ll get him things that they think would suit them, like new clothes (they don’t like to admit it but they get very giddy when they see Porter wearing them). They also give him dark chocolates (they’re both dark chocolate enjoyers you can fight me on this) and little cakes throughout his shifts. Porters not a huge sweets guy but he’ll gladly eat them if Electra bought them.

-And it’s always the components who deliver them, usually under the guise of “an important order from Electra that you should very urgently attend to.” Then they pull him into an abandoned alleyway to give him the gift. It was a little frustrating at first, not having Electra to thank for these gifts but Porter would get used to it eventually.

-He wasn’t the richest freight around, so getting Electra good gifts was impossible. Every so often he’d be able to save up a paycheck to buy them something nice, which they would deliver to them IN PERSON

Oh also my friend @rowansro came up with an idea that Porter gave Electra a little pet rock once and now I’m inclined to believe Electra keeps it in a cupboard to take out and hold fondly when they break up. Cause like it or not, they miss him.

-Back to the present… it’s Valentine’s Day and Electra wants to be the one to deliver Porter’s gift in person. They’re inwardly cringing when they realize they want to do something they consider sappy and sweet but oh god just imagining the look on Porter’s face as he opens his gift is enough to motivate them.

They decide to surprise him in the middle of his shift, which alarms him and the other freights. They’d never expected THE Electra to show up while they’re working, and the side eye Slick, Lumber, and Hydra give Porter when they ask to speak in private is LOUD and MASSIVE.

-Now despite Electra’s initial willingness, they find now that they are UTTERLY TERRIFIED upon the realization that they didn’t think of what to say. Usually Killerwatt thinks of something on the spot or they’ll just relay a premade message, but of COURSE they had to deliver it themselves when they didn’t even plan on what to say.

Porter on the other hand is positively melting at the idea that Electra actually took time out of their day to hand him a gift, he notices how nervous they are and immediately thanks them for delivering the gift. Now Electra has to swallow their pride and let Porter do the talking for both of them as they regain their composure.

And yet, all they can think about was the look in Porter’s eyes when he saw them walk in to hand him a gift. Such a small gesture, something that shouldn’t be this fascinating to anyone…and yet it made him happy. So obviously they need to do this more.

[luna-rainbow]

Hi!

What do you think Bucky would have done if he were in Steve's shoes in the grenade scene? (I have a thought about it, but obviously it's my take on the character and it changes from person to person, which made me a little curious about other people's perspectives)

Thanks for the ask!

I know that scene is often mentioned as a mark of Steve’s bravery and selflessness — which, mind you, they are indeed qualities he possesses — but I think there’s also something tragic about Steve’s split second reaction, and something insidious about Phillips and Peggy choosing him for the serum.

Wanting to live is human instinct, and everyone diving away from the grenade is the natural reaction. Steve’s first reaction though is to use his body as a human shield. I think it says a couple of things: 1) yes he’s selfless and brave but also 2) he doesn’t have anything that makes him, in that moment, see living as an absolute must, and also likely 3) he felt he didn’t have enough time to run away from the grenade because of his physical limitations, and because that’s the baseline he’s lived with, he assumed other people wouldn’t have the time to get away either.

The act of shielding the grenade with his body is always an interesting character moment. Remember, he’s at an army range; he’s not surrounded by children who might need his protection, he’s surrounded by grown men fully capable of taking care of themselves. So in that moment, Steve saw himself as more disposable than everyone else. Is it low self-worth or a fatalistic sense of pragmatism? I guess you could take either reading.

Sorry, that was a lot of Steve meta 😅 As for Bucky…I like to think of him as someone who has a strong will to live, whether that’s because of his parents, his sisters, Steve or simply his love of living, someone who keeps surviving even when he’s been made to forget what that reason was. I think he wouldn’t hesitate to throw himself in front of his fellow soldiers on the field and we’ve seen him do that for Steve, but on the training ground? I think he’d have enough confidence and self-preservation to know it’s a test but also to get to a safe distance (and drag Steve with him 😂)

I don’t think that means Bucky fails the test by any means. The test itself was flawed and artificial. It was never a test of bravery. It was a test of self preservation - or lack thereof. As much as Erskine tells Steve (and the audience) that he’s chosen for being a good man, it’s likely that Philips chose Steve because he’s a guy with no family or connections who won’t be missed if anything went wrong…and he has a death wish.

[cruesuffix]

Ughh it bothers me so much starting off every ask with "imagine" but I don't have a better word!!

Sigh...anyways... Imagine if kitty!Mick starts stealing Sharon's stuff, or stealing in general... Little kitty has sticky fingers I swear.. like Sharon is looking for a hair clip or hair supplies in general and they just...magically appear in micks bag for shows...

Or they go to a store or something and when they walk out he hands her a small eyeshadow pallet or a lip product and she's like "baby....please tell me you paid for this.." and he just pouts cause he thought she'd like it..

Sneaky sneaky little ginger.....

oomfie… sometimes you just have to say imagine <333 (“imagine” -john lennon circa 1970 or something) if it makes you feel any better i literally catch myself saying “maybe” all the time when i answer your asks… like all the time!! i also never know what else to say when i want to add in another idea it’s so bad lmaooo. i say don’t worry about it, at the end of the day your asks and drabbles and ideas are always so good!!<3333

either way, i’ve always imagined mick to be a kleptomaniac… idk why but i can imagine him just stealing things sometimes (maybe when he was younger, but he probably got even more discreet about it as he got older). like it’s just an impulse for him, so maybe he doesn’t even want whatever he’s stealing but he’ll still do it cause it’s kinda fun to get away with that stuff.

he’d definitely steal some of her accessories for shows. like she’s getting ready to go to one and she’s just like “wait where’s my bracelet??” and she just can’t find it so she has to go without it and then when she’s watching him perform she zeros in on his wrist and there’s her damn bracelet!!

other times, he’s just straight up stealing from stores. she probably wouldn’t think he’d steal from a store but soon enough they’re walking out of a store one day and he just hands her a tube of lipgloss, talking about how the shade goes great with her skin tone (where’d he hear that one from??) and she’s just staring at him. when he stops talking she asks him if he paid for it and he kinda bypasses the question and tells her that’s not important and just asks her if she likes it. she just stares at him and goes “you didn’t pay for this, did you?” and he just kinda puts his head down and pouts. “i thought you’d like it…” he whines, ears flopping down pathetically, but she’s already dragging him back to the store to put it back.

sneaky little klepto kitty!! let’s hope this little habit doesn’t trickle down to the kitties cause the last thing she needs is a whole family of thieves!!

[philosophicalparadox]

Similarly, literary analysis is a skill. It takes practice. And some of that practice inherently involves you being wrong or skewed. Bias is everywhere, but sometimes your bias informs your interpretation/perception in a way that’s just too far away from the reality — and with analysis, there is a kind of reality.

Which is precisely why literary analysis requires you to read a lot. It’s about pattern recognition, not opinion; literary analysis is more science than art, as the name implies, and while its rules aren’t fully understood, they nonetheless exist.

I see posts quite often in my neck of the woods (anime/manga) that neglects these rules while trying to understand the material through a heavily biased lens. This is usually because people neglect the most important rule: Culture Comes First. You can’t analyze the “data” in a piece of literature if you don’t understand what the “study” is — you have to weigh, by necessity, the cultural context of the work you’re looking at, because the patterns and themes that you are analyzing are not necessarily universal, and can vary from culture to culture. No surprise then that way too often I see people analyzing Japanese media through an American, usually, lens. Which has its merits, especially when you’re discussing popular media that reaches many people, or things that are shared, but nonetheless is a skewed perception that misses a lot of context giving patterns.

I also too often see analysis done as if it’s a journalist opinion piece, which to be fair, there is language in common between them, because again, biases must be recognized in any sort of qualitative study, but it fundamentally is not.

That isn’t to say that analysis that missed the mark doesn’t have merit; there’s a reason my literature classes always had us exchange and share our papers after grading. Different people have different strengths in pattern recognition, and what is noticed by one can be missed by another. It’s like peer review. In fact it IS peer review.

But gods does it IRK me when I see people who do the whole “my interpretation is the only right one” with analysis specifically, because, no, honey. That’s not how that works. Literary analysis isn’t just a fancy term your English teacher threw at you for fun. It has actual metrics. There are meanings behind the words Trope, Motif and Theme. I mean, there’s something to be said about an analysis that has good metrics and is widely agreed upon, because typically (though not always, courtesy cultural bias above) that means it’s “passed review” so to speak, but if you’re standing in a crowd shouting that you’re right and everyone else is wrong, odds are pretty good that you’re the wrong one. Or at least that you’re missing something on purpose.

Not “Only my reading of canon is correct” or “Interpretations are subjective and all valid” but a secret third thing, “More than one interpretation can be valid but there’s a reason your English teacher had you cite quotes and examples in your papers, you have to have a strong argument that your interpretation is actually supported by the text or it is just wrong and I’m fine with telling you it’s wrong, actually.”