#i get lost ao easily like

[bassforte]

One of the common things about me playing MMBN1 is i hardly know what the fuck im doing most of time.

[anonymousewrites]

A Not-So-Disastrous Romance (Book 1) Chapter Twenty-Four

Kusuo Saiki x Reader

Chapter Twenty-Four: Celebrations

Summary: (Y/N) meets Saiki's grandfather, and his friends celebrate his birthday.

Mouse Note: Thank you so much for everyone's support on this series, it means the world to me. Don't worry, the story isn't over, we'll return to Saiki and MC soon, but first I'm going to have an AOS! Logos and Pathos book and then a One Hell of a Love book and maybe some other things going on. I hope you guys enjoyed, I was super surprised by the support of this book, but it was so wonderful, and I hope you guys like this end

            (Y/N) walked through the shopping center, humming along to the song playing in their earbuds. They had gotten all the ingredients and supplies to try making macarons, so now all that was left was to go home and make them.

            Should I bring them to school and hand them out to people? thought (Y/N). In that case, I should get some bags to put them in.

            They paused as they passed a sad-looking man sitting dejectedly on a bench. “Excuse me, sir, are you lost?” they asked, stepping forward.

            “Huh?” The grey-haired man looked up. “What do you want?” he said grumpily.

            “I was wondering if I could help you at all,” said (Y/N), still friendly. They were used to people being rougher around the edges—Saiki was like that.

            “I don’t need any help. Leave me alone,” huffed the man.

            In a store nearby, Saiki was struck by a sudden feeling—something was going on with his grandfather. While his mother watched his grandmother try on teenager’s clothing, Saiki slipped out to check on his grandfather. He rounded a corner to look at where Grandpa Saiki had been left to fend for himself. Saiki nearly groaned. (Y/N) was speaking to him. Somehow, his family—weird as they were—kept meeting (Y/N). (Yes, his parents both liked (Y/N), but this was his tsundere grandfather. He couldn’t let (Y/N) get scared off by Grandpa Saiki’s outward rudeness). Saiki needed to intervene before Grandpa Saiki hurt (Y/N)’s feelings.

            “Well, sir, you look lost, and I don’t want to leave you to fend for yourself. Are you positive you’re alright?” asked (Y/N), smiling. “I know Shibuya can be a bit confusing sometimes. I got lost the first few times I visited.”

            Grandpa Saiki stared at (Y/N), still so friendly despite him being rude. “…I’m just waiting for my family. They went in without me.”

            “That’s too bad,” said (Y/N).

            “I fought with my grandson,” admitted Grandpa Saiki.

            Saiki stared in shock. (Y/N) had easily gotten along with Grandpa Saiki. It seemed everyone they met liked (Y/N) (or almost all). Not that Saiki could blame anyone. He liked them for a reason (innumerable reasons, actually).

            “That’s too bad,” said (Y/N), sitting down next to Grandpa Saiki.

            “He’s seventeen years old, and he’s my adorable grandson,” said Grandpa Saiki sadly.

            “You seem to care about him a lot,” said (Y/N).

            “But we fought, and now he doesn’t like me,” said Grandpa Saiki.

            “I’m sure he still cares about you,” said (Y/N) encouragingly. “Families have little quarrels all the time. You just have to make it up to him so that he knows you’re sorry about it all.”

            “But how?” said Grandpa Saiki.

            “A gift is always appreciated,” said (Y/N). “And if you want, I could help you pick something out. Your grandson and I are the same age, so maybe we have similar interests.”

            Saiki watched all of this unfold, dumbfounded. Grandpa Saiki was never so reasonable, and somehow, (Y/N) was handling him like any other person—easily, kindly. Curious, Saiki followed (Y/N) and Grandpa Saiki as they walked into a store.

            “What does your grandson like?” asked (Y/N). “Clothes, accessories, games, sweets?”

            “I’m not sure,” said Grandpa Saiki. “I know that he wears barrettes and glasses with all of his outfits and that he likes when my wife bakes.”

            (Y/N) chuckled. “He sounds like my friend. He really likes sweets and has glasses.”

            You’re so observant and yet so oblivious, thought Saiki fondly.

            (Y/N) led Grandpa Saiki to the grocery aisle of the store to show him the options for sweets. “There are brownies, cupcakes, coffee jellies, candy, all sorts of things. What do you think?”

            “Hm…I’m not sure,” said Grandpa Saiki. “What does your friend like?”

            (Y/N) laughed. “Well, my friend is really unique and has an obsession with coffee jelly. But I don’t know if every teenager has the same tastes as Kusuo.”

            Grandpa Saiki perked up. “Kusuo? As in Kusuo Saiki?”

            “Yeah,” said (Y/N), nodding.

            “That’s my grandson,” said Grandpa Saiki. I met one of my beloved grandson’s friends!

            “Really?” (Y/N) laughed. “What a coincidence! I’m his friend, (Y/N) (L/N).”

            “It’s nice to meet any of my grandson’s friends,” said Grandpa Saiki.

            You’re only saying that because you met (Y/N). They’re the best of my friends, thought Saiki. They’re the one he loved.

            “It’s a pleasure to meet his family,” said (Y/N), bowing politely. They grinned. “And now you know exactly what to get him!” They nodded to the coffee jelly. “Get him some coffee jelly and he’ll forgive you for anything.”

            “Thank you,” said Grandpa Saiki, picking up a package. “You’ve been a great help,” he said as they headed towards the counter to pay.

            “Of course,” said (Y/N). “Tell Kusuo I say, ‘hi!’ ” They bowed. “And, again, it was nice meeting you.” With a final wave, they headed off.

            Saiki watched his grandfather pay for the package and walked out. Somehow, this situation had turned in Saiki’s favor.

            When (Y/N) is involved, everything gets better.

            That night, as he ate his grandfather’s apology, he smiled and thought of (Y/N)’s kindness.

l

            Saiki sighed as he got up to leave class. Everyone had been bothering him today. Even minor characters like Amp and Kusuke had made an appearance. The cameos were off the charts, and Saiki knew that meant trouble, so he wanted to escape.

            Additionally, though, people had been acting strangely around him. His friends (bothers) weren’t hanging around quite as closely as normal and avoiding being around him. Ordinarily, that would be a good thing, but…

            “Hey, pal, let’s go home together. The runt says we should talk about tomorrow,” said Nendou.

            “Wha—?!” Kuboyasu stared at Nendou in alarm.

            “You idiot!” said Kaidou. “What are you doing?! That’s not what we planned.”

            “Huh? But it’s my pal’s—”

            “Shut up! Let’s go,” said Kaidou, dragging Nendou towards the door.

            “Come on, you guys,” said (Y/N), ushering them away. “Bye, Kusuo! See you tomorrow!”

            Saiki sighed. With his telepathy, he knew exactly what was going on, and despite his current respite from their bothersome schemes, it was just going to come around and become an even bigger problem for him in the long run.

Yare yare.

l

            “Nendou made me nervous,” said Kaidou as he looked out the window with the group by his side.

            “He almost ruined our plan,” said Hairo, shaking his head.

            “You almost ruined it, too, Chiyo,” warned Teruhashi.

            “I let my guard down. I’ll be more careful,” said Yumehara.

            “So where’s Nendou?” asked Kuboyasu.

            “I sent him home. With his brain, he can’t keep up with this plan,” said Kaidou.

            “That’s for the best,” said Hairo.

            “We’ve been preparing this for a week,” said Kaidou gravely. “We can’t afford to fail.” He unraveled the plans. The top read “Operation: Surprise Birthday Party for Kusuo Saiki.” “We can’t afford to fail. Now, let’s start the strategy meeting…for Operation Surprise Saiki, which is taking place tomorrow!”

            (Y/N) shook their head and chuckled. They had tried to intercede, but at this point, they were going to let the plan go through. They’re all put too much work into it.

            “Tomorrow, after school, Aren and I will lure Saiki to the location of the party, which is my house,” said Kaidou. “We won’t talk about his birthday at all. When we get to my house, I’ll go get something to drink, Aren will take him to the room. When the time seems right, Aren will set off a cracker. That’ll be the signal to say, ‘Happy Birthday!’ Then, I’ll bring out the birthday cake, and the surprise will be a big success. I wonder what the look on his face will be…”

            Poor Kusuo. (Y/N) smiled to themself. Hopefully he’ll remember they all have good intentions. I mean, even if his birthday is actually in August…

            Outside the door, Saiki sighed as everyone went on and on about their excitement and the gifts they prepared. At this point, he couldn’t tell them they had the wrong day. Not when Kaidou read aloud his proclamation of friendship. Not when (Y/N) was involved and so happy (even if he did wonder why they hadn’t corrected everyone about his birthday).

            A little smile appeared on Saiki’s face. Yare yare. So troublesome, and yet he was willing to put up with them. For some reason, anyway.

l

            “Saiki went home?!” cried Kaidou.

            “Yeah,” said Kuboyasu grimly.

            “I warned you, he likes to leave school as soon as possible,” chuckled (Y/N).

            “What do we need to do now?” said Kaidou.

            “Do we put a stop to it?” wondered Kuboyasu.

            “Not after all this time. Time for plan beta!” said Kaidou.

            “We have a plan beta?” wondered (Y/N).

            Sure enough, the entire group—Yumehara, Mera, Kaidou, Kuboyasu, (Y/N), Hairo, and Teruhashi—was soon crouching around the corner from Saiki’s house.

            “I’ll explain again,” said Kaidou. “First, we ring Saiki’s doorbell. When he comes out, we all pull the crackers. The Emotional Saiki Plan.”

            “What if someone else answers?” asked Kuboyasu.

            “We will explain it and make them let us in,” said Kaidou. “Let’s go!”

            The group headed towards the door and rang the doorbell. (Y/N) smiled and shook their head. Whoever opened the door, they knew Saiki had a trick up his sleeve. Going along with something so steeped in emotions was not Saiki’s way.

            The door swung open, and Saiki stood there.

            “Surprise!” called everyone, cracking the crackers.

            Saiki’s eyes widened in surprise, and he smiled. “What? What is this?”

            “Today’s your birthday, right?” said Teruhashi brightly.

            “Yes, but…”

            Aha. (Y/N) giggled behind their hand. That wasn’t Saiki. It was Mr. Saiki since today was his birthday.

            “We came to celebrate your birthday!” said Hairo.

            “Wow, really?!” said Mr. Saiki, beaming from Saiki’s face. It was odd to see it, but (Y/N) at least could see through it. “You know my birthday?”

            “Of course, Saiki,” said Kaidou.

            “ ‘Saiki?’ ” repeated Mr. Saiki, still happy.

            “Hey, pal!” Nendou walked up. “I heard it’s your birthday!” He held up a watermelon.

            “Nendou, you came, too?” said Mr. Saiki.

            “He managed it,” said Kaidou, nodding.

            “Come on in, all of you,” said Mr. Saiki.

            “Thanks, Saiki!” said Yumehara, heading it.

            Wow, no one has noticed how differently “Kusuo” is acting, thought (Y/N).

            “You seem to be enjoying yourself, (Y/N),” said Teruhashi curiously. “You keep smiling and laughing.”

            “I’m just having a really good time,” chuckled (Y/N).

            It’s still going? thought Saiki. He had thought this would end quickly.

            “Thank you all so much,” said Mr. Saiki. “I would never have expected Kusuo’s friends to celebrate my birthday. I’m deeply moved.”

            (Y/N) coughed at the mention of “Kusuo’s friends,” but luckily, no one seemed to notice.

            “You’re our friend,” said Mera.

            “Happy birthday,” said Hairo.

            “Yes, Saiki!” said Kaidou. “By the way, Saiki, are your parents here?”

            “My parents don’t live with us,” said Mr. Saiki.

            “Whoa, really?” said Hairo.

            “My mother lives in the family home, and my father is no longer with us,” said Mr. Saiki.

            He’s walking right into trouble with that one, thought (Y/N). They decided to step in. “Oh, yeah, he’s traveling for work right now.”

            I’m glad someone has worked it out and is helping.

            “What? No, he’s—”

            “Come upstairs,” said Saiki directly to his father’s mind.

            “Huh? Is that Kusuo?” wondered Mr. Saiki.

            “Kusuo?” repeated Kuboyasu.

            “I need to head upstairs for a moment,” said Mr. Saiki awkwardly, leaving the room.

            Alright, I’ll hold down the fort. I wonder what Saiki’ll do now. Have his dad continue the party or end it or…actually come down himself? (Y/N) hoped he would. Even if it wasn’t his birthday, they wanted to spend some time with him and give him the present. All of his friends did.

            Upstairs, Saiki explained the situation to his father, who nodded.

            “Oh, I see. That’s what I thought. I thought it was strange,” said Mr. Saiki.

            “You were totally into it,” said Saiki.

            “The surprise is over, so you want to switch places?” said Mr. Saiki.

            “No. Keep going,” said Saiki, giving a thumbs up.

            “You want me to keep going?!” exclaimed Mr. Saiki.

            “It’s not my birthday. I can’t pretend it is,” said Saiki, pushing his father back down the stairs.

            “I’m not you, Kusuo. I can’t pretend that I am. I think (L/N) already figured it out,” said Mr. Saiki.

            “They did. They’re observant. But they won’t say anything,” said Saiki. “I’m counting on you.” I can’t respond to their kindness.

            Pretend to be Kusuo, thought Mr. Saiki, standing before the door. He opened it. “Yare yare. Sorry for the wait. Yare yare.”

            I don’t say yare yare that much.

            “We’re sorry for interrupting your birthday while your father is away,” said Kaidou.

            “Oh, it’s fine. He’s coming back today,” said Mr. Saiki quickly.

            He’s really not like Kusuo at all, thought (Y/N).

            “And why’d you used the term ‘not with us?’ ” said Kuboyasu. “That sounds like he’s dead.”

            “You shouldn’t talk about your dad that way,” said Hairo, shaking his head.

            “M-My apologies,” said Mr. Saiki.

            “Well, anyway,” said Teruhashi, trying to break in.

            “Look, we finished the cake!” said Yumehara brightly, holding up the box.

            “It turned out great,” said Teruhashi.

            “Especially the face,” agreed Yumehara.

            They took the cake out and put it on the table. It was all smooshed and melted.

            “Oh, no,” the girls said, deflating.

            Oh dear, thought (Y/N) sympathetically. It’s so hard to shape cakes and keep them looking good.

            They should have gotten (Y/N) to help them.

            “It got smashed in the transit,” said Teruhashi in disappointment.

            “But you made it with lots of love, so that’s what matters,” said (Y/N).

            “What?! Love?! No, no! It’s just friendship! A friendship birthday cake! Besides, Chiyo made it with me! We put a ton of work in together!” rambled Teruhashi in a panic.

            “We’ll make another,” said Yumehara, looking at Mr. Saiki. “I swear, it looked perfect!”

            There’s no choice.

            “Wow, look! The cake is reforming!” said Hairo, staring at the cake.

            “The sponge cake is rebounding,” said Kuboyasu.

            Thank you, Kusuo, thought (Y/N). They knew he’d save his friends’ feelings after they worked so hard for him even if misguided).

            “Wow, this is amazing,” said Mr. Saiki, looking at the Saiki-shaped cake. “It looks delicious.”

            That is something Kusuo would say, thought (Y/N), grinning.

            “Just wait, you’ll really be moved!” said Mera.

            “We have a surprise for you,” said Kuboyasu. “A video letter—”

            Mera held up the camera, and Nendou’s face hit it. It fell to the ground, broken.

            “Oh,” said (Y/N), disappointed since Mera and Kuboyasu had worked hard on it.

            “Oh, no, that’s no good,” said Mr. Saiki.

            “Sorry, Saiki.” Kuboyasu took off his glasses. “Go on. Hit me. Everyone, hit me.”

            “Kuboyasu, there’s really no need for that,” said (Y/N) quickly. “It was an accident.”

            Yare yare.

            “Hey, look! It’s working,” said Kaidou, staring at the TV screen as it displayed the video letter.

            “It’s fixed,” said Hairo in happy amazement.

            “Alright!” said Kaidou. “Raise a glass and let’s start the feast.”

            “Cheers!” Everyone lifted their glasses.

            The party was in full swing. (Y/N) hung back since they felt awkward interacting with their crush’s father in such a context (also, they were disappointed Saiki himself wasn’t there), but everyone was having a great time. Some people armed wrestled, they joked, they laughed, and they bonded with one another—already a tight-knit friend group getting closer.

            Upstairs, Saiki sat and psychically monitored the party so that his dad didn’t screw anything up for his reputation or give away his psychic abilities.

            “Oh, there you are,” said Mr. Saiki, popping his face upstairs. “Your dad’s a star!”

            “Good for you.”

            “Well, you want to switch soon?” said Mr. Saiki.

            “No thanks. Hurry back now,” said Saiki. “I would only be a buzzkill.”

            “So what?”

            Saiki looked up at his dad in slight surprise.

            “Go on, Kusuo,” said Mr. Saiki. “You must feel some gratitude toward them. You didn’t want to hurt their feelings, so you asked me to cover for you. But that’s not right. They all came here for you, Kusuo. Even if you do hurt their feelings, you should go to them.” He turned and walked away.

            Saiki paused and watched him go. “Who are you to lecture me?” He stood.

            “I’m your father!” exclaimed Mr. Saiki.

            Saiki glanced at the stairs and walked down. He paused outside of the living room. Now, how do I get rid of them?

            “That was a huge success,” said Kaidou.

            “Saiki seemed really happy about everything,” agreed Teruhashi.

            “(Y/N), you didn’t give him his present,” said Yumehara.

            “I’ll give it to him later,” said (Y/N), smiling.

            “He seemed very energetic. He must have really liked all of this,” said Hairo.

            “Yes, but something didn’t seem quite right,” said Nendou.

            “That’s true. It’s like the walls around him are stronger than ever,” said Kaidou.

            “Maybe he was trying to hard to go along with us,” said Kuboyasu.

            “Oh, no, that’s terrible,” said Yumehara.

            “He should just be himself,” said Hairo.

            (Y/N) nodded. “We accept him how he is.” For who he really is.

            Yare yare. You’re the ones who are acting strange. Saiki opened the door.

            “Hey, pal, what took you so long?” Nendou grinned at him.

            “Saiki!” The group beamed at him.

            “Yare yare.” Saiki shook his head and sat down.

            He watched as everyone eagerly chatted and joked, leaving him a little more alone—not wanting him to “put up his walls again.”

            “Do you want a piece of cake?” said (Y/N), sitting down beside him and lifting a plate.

            “Yes,” said Saiki, instantly taking it and taking a bite.

            (Y/N) leaned in, smiled, and whispered, “Welcome to the party, Kusuo.”

            Saiki looked at them and nodded. Ah, well. He could avoid them all tomorrow. He supposed this wasn’t terrible.

l

            “Why didn’t you tell them it wasn’t my birthday?” asked Saiki. He floated the plates he was cleaning to (Y/N), who set them in the drying rack. “You know when my birthday is.” It wasn’t accusatory, just a plain question.

            “They made the whole plan before they even told me,” said (Y/N), shrugging. “At that point they’d put so much work into it that I couldn’t help but let it keep going.” They chuckled and nudged him. “Besides, that’s the exact same reason you let it go on.”

            “No, I just couldn’t convince them not to,” said Saiki.

            “Uh-huh,” said (Y/N), rolling their eyes with a laugh. “You know I see through you by now.”

            “See through me?”

            “Yep,” chirped (Y/N), grinning.

            Saiki looked at them, nearly asked them a question, and then stopped.

            “Oh, Kusuo, before I forget, I got you a gift,” said (Y/N), heading back into the living room.

            Saiki followed. “But it isn’t my birthday.”

            “I decided I might as well get into the spirit of things,” said (Y/N) brightly. They held up the present. “Tada! Open it up.”

            Saiki curiously opened the box and found a book(?) inside. He glanced up. This wasn’t a sweet or something themed on a sweet like (Y/N)’s usual gifts.

            “Look inside,” said (Y/N), grinning.

            Saiki lifted the album out and opened it. He stared. It was a photo. Of Café Mami. He turned the page. Now there was a photo of the sports festival, him running his race. Christmas with his friends. The beach. Okinawa. Karoake. London. Him having…fun. His friends with him. People celebrating, smiling.

            “I know you’re not big on being with people, but I know I really loved—liked having these moments with you,” said (Y/N). They smiled sheepishly. “So I guess this was partly a gift for me, but I, uh, I hope you can see these moments as fondly as I do.”

            Saiki looked between the photos and (Y/N). No. He wasn’t an extrovert. He didn’t seek others out. He found most incidents bothers. But…

            But.

            But in every one of these memories, there was something Saiki did like. Yes, he was…fond of his friends. This was the only moment he’d admit that. However, more importantly to Saiki, (Y/N) was in every one of those memories. They didn’t feature in any of the photos, but he knew they were behind the camera with a smile on their face. That was the reason Saiki instantly loved the photos. They held (Y/N)’s joy.

            And that was the reason Saiki loved them.

            “I love it, (Y/N),” said Saiki.

            (Y/N) beamed. “I’m glad.”

            “…I love it because you made it,” said Saiki. “You always put so much heart into what you make.”

            (Y/N) blushed. “Thanks, Kusuo.”

            “Even when I’m ungrateful, you’re still so kind,” said Saiki, stepping forward.

            (Y/N) looked at Saiki. “We’ve talked about this before, Kusuo, I don’t care that you’re not into words of affection. That doesn’t matter to me.”

            “It does. It does to me. Because you deserve to know that you’re a good friend and that I…I value you.” Saiki swallowed. This was it. “I like you, (Y/N).”

            (Y/N) started as they heard Saiki speak without telepathy. “You—You what?”

            “I like you,” repeated Saiki. “As…as more than a friend.”

            “You do?” A smile spread across (Y/N)’s face. “Really?”

            Saiki nodded jerkily.

            “Oh, Kusuo. I like you, too,” said (Y/N). They let out a joyful laugh. “I really, really like you, Kusuo. I have feelings for you.”

            “I do, too,” said Saiki. “I didn’t phrase it right.”

            “You phrased it just right,” said (Y/N), stepping up and taking Saiki’s hand daringly. They cleared their throat. “Can I-Can I kiss you, Kusuo?”

            Saiki looked at them, and he found that the idea of affection with them was as appealing as ever. He nodded and held their hand tighter.

            Saiki and (Y/N) leaned, hesitant, unsure of themselves, but perfectly comfortable with one another. They were willing to try something new with the person they loved.

            Their lips touched, and Saiki and (Y/N) pulled back for a moment. But the separation lasted for but a second as they leaned back in, kissing once more, more confidently, more eagerly.

            When they finally separated, (Y/N) and Saiki were both pink, and (Y/N) let out a little laugh at the rush of joy. Saiki felt their hand in his and gazed at the beautiful smile he had fallen for. There was only one thing he could say.

            “Oh, wow.”

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[slytherinshua]

SWORN TO EACH OTHER

genre. fluff. suggestive. takes place after s2 finale but there are minimal spoilers (a little referencing to what uk & yeong do after the finale tho) ++ uk & yeong cameo <3. warnings. making out (like a lot). and yul mysteriously loses one of his robes. a lot of marriage talk and how yul and reader are not married (yet). not proofread. pairing. yul x fem!reader. wc. 1.5k. request. no. a/n. i swear i didn't mean to write another yul fic and esp not another fic with a makeout scene WHOOPS! but the hanbok in aos always got me like so focused like.......... also yes i did research the exact set of hanbok yul was wearing in the finale episode cause i am dedicated to my details!!

Your lover, Seo Yul, never seemed to stop surprising you. Whether it was a new spell, a random piece of knowledge, or something he remembered about you that even you had forgotten about yourself; his ability to care and give far surpassed any other man. Yul was always willing to take a risk— to break the rules just slightly when it came to you. It was the effect you had on him, making his heart ache whenever you were away and his brain thoughtless whenever you were involved. You drove him crazy and he loved every second of it.

Maybe that was how he didn’t protest at all when a simple peck on the lips that was supposed to be discreet turned into a slightly longer kiss. He didn’t pull away when you threaded your hands in his hair to bring him closer to you, nor did he budge when you slipped your tongue past his lips, deepening the kiss to something neither of you had ever dared to try before. You weren’t even engaged yet (though you both knew that you would get married as soon as the opportunity arose). 

You were situated in an empty room in Jeongjingak, both aware that you Uk and Yeong were supposed to arrive at any time, not knowing when their boat might arrive back in Songrim. The room was a bit chilly as the weather was getting cooler, but Yul’s lips burned through any chill that could touch your body. He had you pressed up against a bookshelf, the same spell books that he had studied in his youth used as a rest against your back as he impatiently kissed you, exhausting his breath and any sensible thoughts left in his head. The only thing on his mind was you and, more precisely, your lips. 

How soft they were, how they moulded so perfectly against his. How did you do it? What expensive balm or ointment did you apply to get him so thoroughly addicted to the taste? If there was a way for him to be able to kiss you like this whenever, he would do it in an instant. 

He supposed that the most obvious answer would be to marry you first. And he had half a mind to propose to you right now and find a ring maker the same afternoon without sending word back to Seoho Fortress. He needn’t bother with his father’s approval when he already knew that nothing would sway his mind when it came to you. You were the only woman he would ever consider marrying, and you knew it too by the way he was kissing you. Yul would never give any other woman a chance to get this close to him, not even if she was the prettiest lady in all of Daeho.

The entire time that you had been lost in the kiss— familiarising yourself with another one of life’s pleasures that you had the enjoyment of experiencing for the first time with the first and last man you would give your heart to— you had been feeling the fabric of Yul’s hanbok. It was a light seafoam green with a soft lavender collar on the outer garment. With your wandering hands, and the style of the set (forgoing any ties for the collar or waist), the fabric easily started to slide off of his shoulders. 

Yul could feel what you were doing and the fact that he was about to lose a layer of clothing. You were so sure that he was going to finally tell you to stop when he pulled away from your lips at long last. But, to your surprise, he didn’t. He made eye contact, his eyes shiny with a hint of mischief hidden in them.

“Do you need help, my love?” He asked softly. You were shocked that he seemed so composed, and not even a little bit out of breath, unlike you. You gathered that it had something to do with his breathing technique. 

You nodded, a bit dazed, but still eager to be any closer to Yul as you could. Admittedly, you had some idea of what he was hiding under the elegant sets of hanbok. You hadn’t exactly been slick when hugging him. But you had never actually seen his chest, and just the thought of it had your face heating up and butterflies swarming in your stomach. 

The outer garment slipped off of Yul in seconds, and he tossed it aside on one of the chairs before grasping your waist to pull you closer again. He simply needed your lips on his again as quickly as possible. He had never felt this impatient in his life.

With your lips back on his and his skin just that little bit closer to your fingertips, you were both more than content. All thoughts flew out the window, much like before, until the sudden sound of footsteps made you jerk away from your lover. Yul didn’t register the reason for your unexpected action until he finally saw Uk’s familiar head of short black hair in the doorway. 

Right. Jeongjingak was a public space, and now that Uk and Yeong were back from their months of hunting down Jinyowon relics, they were overdue for a reunion. Yul had been excited to see his friend originally, but now he felt a twinge of disappointment, realising that Uk was the only thing keeping him from tasting your lips again for the next few hours.

“You’re back!” Yul heard you say as you gave a sweet smile to Uk, and his wife, Yeong, who was right behind him. 

“Yes, it was quite the adventure, wasn’t it?” Uk grinned, turning to his wife for her consensus. She smiled at first, but as she turned back to you and Yul, her gaze twisted to one of confusion and then astonishment. 

“Are you two lovers?” She asked quickly, causing your stomach to drop and Yul to turn his head, stunned by her suggestion. No one in Daeho knew you as anyone more than Yul’s close friend, and most of his rumoured lovers had been women of… more prestigious lineage. 

Uk narrowed his eyes at his best friend, taking in his rumpled hair, flushed face, and finally, his missing outer robe. His head shot back to his wife’s, a knowing look shared between the two before Uk let a sly smile grace his face.

“Yul, you never cease to surprise me. Here? In Jeongjingak? I didn’t know it was such a popular spot.” His smile grew as Yul’s face reddened, practically drowning in embarrassment from being caught in such a scandalous act. That too, with someone he wasn’t even engaged to yet. No one had any suspicion of you two before, and now he was sure that the news would spread rapidly to every corner of the country. And eventually Seoho Fortress too.

“I always thought their energy matched.” Yeong spoke up again, “Yul’s was so calm and yet powerful. No wonder Y/n’s daring personality was just enough to kindle its full potential. They will be a great match.” She gazed at you proudly, giving you a silent nod of approval at your anxious look.

In the time that the few words had been exchanged amongst the older couple, Yul had managed to slip his garment back on, hoping he was subtle enough with it. He was entirely flustered still. Everything from the intensity of the kiss to being caught so suddenly was enough to make his brain short circuit. His image as the cool-headed eldest son of the Seo family was crumbling beneath him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it now that Uk had caught him. 

“Yes… We are… engaged.” Yul stuttered, choosing the last word suddenly as a final attempt to make the situation look even slightly better. Your eyes widened in shock when you heard it, even wondering suddenly if you had forgotten when Yul had ever asked you to be his officially. He had never uttered a word of it to you— the last that you knew was that he would have to send a very carefully worded letter to his father and wait anxiously for approval.

Uk nodded approvingly, “I always wondered when you would. You are the last to do it, you know.” He teased, but was quickly shut down with a slap from his wife.

“Yul is doing far better than you! You proposed to nearly 20 other girls before getting married. And you are younger than him!” Yeong didn’t hold back, and you smiled at the sight. They had been through so much, you were glad that they were finally allowed to be happy together; experiencing a fulfilling marriage after years of hardships. 

You looked forward to the day that you would be able to seen with Yul like that. The day people would always expect to see you two side by side, when they would ask you about the other and how you were doing together, because you would forever be united from that moment, sworn to each other until death dared to tear you apart. You had never longed for something as much in your life, nor had you ever felt so deeply in love as you did with the man who stood next to you. Though Yul hadn’t yet asked you, you were already his, and there was nothing that could possibly change that fact.

↳ k-drama taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @wolfmoonmusic,, @cha3w0n-hearts,, @tempobaekh,, @candewlsy,,

@cosmicwintr,, @blossominghunnie,, @parkjennykim,, @seunghancore,, @emmylksblog,,

@bananabubble

[nekohime19]

Mini Mac # 36 : blooming

They meet the Hundred-eyed demon and the bud glow!

Macaque knew letting Bajie take care of the female demons was a bad idea. Did he tell the others that sending the pig would be counterproductive? No. Because he thought it would be better if someone knocked some sense into Bajie. He listened to the pig's surprised shouts as the spider demoness tied him up with a satisfied smile. Now the pig would think twice before trying to slip in women's bath.

“He failed.” Warned Macaque, he put his hand on the bud nestled in his front pocket and caressed it. As of late the baby was particularly active. They kicked more and more, moving inside of their bud. Macaque could pick up their heartbeat if he tuned in on the bud. Strangely enough, the lil guy often heard double the heartbeat, it was a lil irregular but Macaque figured out the bud distorted the sound a lil.

“Why did I even think he could do it?” Grumbled Wukong as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“We have to save Master.” Fretted Wujing.

“Let's go!” Cheered Ao Lie as he trotted forward, they all followed him.

Wukong took out his staff and easily dealt with the spider demoness once he spotted them, meanwhile Wujing helped Bajie out of the silk that binds him. Macaque watched the great sage fight with a swaying tail and a lil red on his cheeks.

“You're staring at him more than usual.” Laughed Ao Lie as he turned towards the lil guy. Macaque flinched and hid his face in the bud.

“Pfff, no. I'm staring like… normal.” Refuted Macaque, he groaned when the wind flipped his ears in mockery. The element was particularly annoying as of late. Always teasing him. But Macaque didn't want to argue about that.

“You know, Wukong likes you a lot. It's okay if you like him.” Macaque fur puffed out at Ao Lie's words. It's not like he was against the idea… In fact it sounded great to… begin something with Wukong. But Macaque had no idea how to broach the subject. Diyu, he never had friends before Wukong. Everything remotely close to courting was uncharted waters.

Wukong easily rescued Sanzang and they were able to resume their journey. But soon enough their path was blocked by the Hundred-eyed demon, the superior of the spider demoness. Macaque was in the middle of hiding (he didn't want to fight with the bud in the way) but the centipede managed to catch him.

“Well, what do we get here?” Sneered the centipede, he grabbed Macaque by the skin of his neck and held him close. The lil guy looked around and cursed when he noticed how each of the pilgrims was lost in a strange daze, an eye glowing in front of them. The centipede touched Macaque's forehead and immediately he was lost in a daze.

The lil guy was plunged into his memories. He watched himself bloom on the highest branch of a lone plum tree, in the middle of a harsh winter. He watched the forest being destroyed and him fleeing, escaping poachers. He watched himself sail on the sea and reach Flower Fruit Mountain. He didn't do much before he met Wukong. Didn't talk to others… Macaque ignored his memories and tried to reach the end of this daze, but no matter what he did he couldn't see where it ended.

The lil guy was worried for his bud. Even though Macaque still had some worries about being a parent, he loved his bud, he would tear this damn centipede to pieces if he dared touch his bud! But before the lil guy could lose himself in his anger, he felt a familiar warmth tear the daze apart.

Macaque and all the pilgrims were broken out of their daze, the eyes before them disappearing. Wukong's gaze immediately fell on Macaque (who was still being held by the centipede) and he growled before pouncing on the demon. The black-furred monkey freed himself and looked down, the bud was glowing. Macaque touched it and winced, it was oddly warm.

Wukong took care of the centipede and ran towards Macaque, holding him close.

“You're okay?” Fretted Wukong as he checked for any injuries. Macaque blushed a lil, he grabbed the bud and mumbled :

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.” Macaque then remembered Ao Lie words and he bit his lips. Praises were a good start, weren't they? “You… You're really cool when you, huh, fight.” Gods it was so awkward, why was he so awkward?

Wukong flushed, and then a huge smile broke out on his face.

“Yeah? You think so?” Chuckled Wukong as puffed out his chest. Then the great sage noticed how the bud was faintly glowing. “Everything alright with the bud?”

The rest of the pilgrims approached them.

“Did it have a flashlight option?” Snorted Bajie, Wujing hit him on the back of the head.

“It's not a bad sign is it?” Fretted Sanzang as he leaned over the bud.

“It looks really pretty.” Hummed Ao Lie.

Macaque took the bud out of his pocket and inspected it. It was very, very warm but nothing looked amiss. The lil guy was about to talk but he stopped himself when he noticed the bud shaking.

Delicately, the peach blossom bloomed. The slender petals slowly opened, their rosy color shimmering under the sunlight. Inside lay two tiny infants cuddled together. One of them slowly opened their eyes, they blinked and yawned before looking up at Macaque. They chirped excitedly. The chirping woke up the second one, they grumbled and pawed at their sibling to shut them up.

Oh, they were perfect, thought Macaque.

+ cut scenes

Sanzang *looking at the babies* : Awww, they're so cute 🥰

Bajie : hugh, twins. Twice the mouth to feed. 🙄

Ao Lie : Aww! 🥰

Wujing : they're so tiny, right elder brother?

Wukong *watching the babies with dilated eyes and chirping*

Wujing :.... I think he's broken. 😅

 

Savage : Ohhh, the world is so bright!! 😁

Rumble : Quiet.... I wanna sleep 😩

Ch1 / Previous / Next

[inell]

Fic Writers Meme

I was tagged by @andrea-lyn

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

1617, which doesn’t include most of my Buffy fic and some Potter fics that I never archived.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

5,496,775

3. What fandoms do you write for?

911 currently. In the past, I’ve written for: Buffy, Angel, Harry Potter, Star Trek AOS, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Teen Wolf, and 911.

I’ve also done random one shot crossovers with some of the above and: Queer As Folk (US), Velvet Goldmine, LOTR crack fic, Hook, POTC, and some RPF.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Masks (Sterek) 3444

Operation: Chick Flick (Sterek) 2819

Karma’s a Bitch (Sterek) 2809

Lucky Thirteen (Sterek) 2428

Bliss (Hermione sex club) 2389

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, always, I am a slut for positive reinforcement and I want to give thanks for that. (Stealing this answer because it’s true)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Moments (Cedric Diggory/Zacharias Smith) for obvious canon compliant reasons

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Your choice. Most of my fics have happy endings.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I’ve had hate on fics in the past, usually focused on ships.

My first actual taste of hate happened back in like 2001 or so. Some folks decided to do this website about hate on all these various Buffy fic writers, naming them as awards or whatever. I got a little paragraph as someone with potential who insists on writing fanon ships and ignoring canon and, uh, I’m thinking something about catering to readers instead of honing my craft? I don’t really remember. I had a moment of self-doubt, considered not writing anymore, and then I realized it could have been much more hateful and who cares what anonymous people think anyway. I think that’s when I really opened up my ships more. Similar thing in Potter, only the hate was Dramione OTP folks who didn’t like that I branched out of that ship. I’ve now written like dozens of ships in Potter after those tantrums ruined some (I thought) friendships.

9. Do you write smut?

Yes. I have to be in the right mood for it these days, though. In the past, I could write smutlets easily, but, as I’ve gotten older, I’m more about the dynamics between the pairing than just the smutty acts, so I have to be in the right state of mind to focus on it.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Yes, I have written crossovers. My current Teen Wolf series is a crossover, actually.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yep, I’ve had fic plagiarized before.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, I’ve had fic translated and even had someone ask to reference one in their thesis project once.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes, I have. Some positive experiences even if some of them remained unfinished. I actually have several fics lost to history cowritten with @andrea-lyn 💜

14. What is your all time favorite ship?

I don’t really have an all-time favorite. I tend to change my fandom and focus on one at a time. I will still read Kirk/McCoy if it crosses my path, and I’m still in Teen Wolf enough that I read Stiles fics. Mostly it’s Buddie at the moment.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don’t have one. The WIPs that aren’t finished likely won’t ever be, and I do plan to finish Out of the Shadows eventually.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I don’t know. People have commented about my characterizations a lot, and I’ve been told that some readers can easily see the story in their head, which I think is good.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don’t really enjoy writing action scenes. I think I have too much detail or introspection sometimes. Sometimes I fear that my writing needs to come with a cavity warning because it’s usually romantic fluff.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language during a fic?

It’s tough because translate is often wrong, and I don’t usually do it unless it’s most appropriate for a character. I’ll usually have them say whatever it is, and I’ll indicate it was said in whatever language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (October 1999)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I don’t really have one. It’s like choosing to your favorite dog. I really enjoyed the world building of Badass Supernatural Immortals and In the Shadows so maybe those.

That was fun. I always enjoy talking about fandom and writing. Tagging: @exhuastedpigeon @hippolotamus @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels @dangerpronebuddie @smilingbuckley @daffi-990 @diazsdimples @disasterbuck @rainbow-nerdss @glorious-spoon @rosieposiepuddingnpie @queerdiazs @kitteneddiediaz @tidesreach and anyone else who wants to do it!

[affixjoy]

I’ve read a few fics lately with some great timey wimey premises so if that’s your jam you might also enjoy them!

If I missed your fav please share in the comments! I love this sort of thing and will always want to read more.

Some Version Of You by @ncc1701ohno

Summary: Bones is stuck in a time loop and stuck in his room. With Jim. He's forced to admit how intense this thing between them has gotten, how much he feels for Jim, even as he's been falling in love with Spock.

Does what happens in a time loop stay in a time loop?

Thoughts: I’m a sucker for time loops and this is just such a great short look at it with academy era McKirk.

Highlights: the angst! The longing! THE END!

It Ends Or It Doesn’t by @muirmarie

Summary: McCoy dies, and Kirk breaks his hand on a wall. Kirk dies to save McCoy, and McCoy breaks his hand on Spock's face for not stopping him. Spock dies, and he doesn't have to see what happens next, because the day resets. The day keeps resetting. McCoy keeps dying.

Thoughts: these self sacrificing idiots just love each other so much and I love THEM!

Highlights: there’s a loop towards the end where they accept what is happening and it’s probably my favorite part of this fic.

Grief As A Four Dimensional Figure by @jennelikejennay (moreta1848)

Summary: "One might arguably say it is not fully logical to care whether I cannot return to Vulcan because it no longer exists or because it is separated from me permanently in five-dimensional space.”

“No, I think I get it,” said Jim. “Like, I haven’t gone back to the old house in Iowa in years, but I do like knowing it’s there. If my mom sold it and it got knocked down, it would make a difference to me.”

The ambassador nodded. “Likewise, even in four-dimensional space, we are separated from the things we have lost only by distance—by the fact that we cannot easily travel along the timeline.” He marked out a section of his timeline, then a dot further back in the bottom timeline—Jim’s timeline. “My marriage is here. I am here, in a different timeline and at a different time. But my marriage exists. It is a figure in four-dimensional space which will continue to exist, in that sense, eternally. So long as the timeline does not collapse, it is a permanent part of history. So although I do not have my spouse with me, I know that he existed. That somewhere, in a time and a dimension I cannot go, we are meeting for the first time. That somewhere, I am asleep in his arms.”

Thoughts: I rarely like aos as much as tos fics, but this one worked so so well for me.

Highlights: every reference to the one with the whales, all the feelings about Amanda, all of Spirk’s big feelings about each other.

Way From Within by @gunstreet and @justveeing

Summary: Jim and Spock are assigned together for a rescue mission, and in the exhilarating aftermath, their attraction to each other comes bubbling to the surface. But the next day Spock is surprisingly distant, and the rest of the morning starts to seem eerily familiar to Jim...

Written by gunstreet and illustrated by lorvee, this is a K/S timeloop story in the vein of Palm Springs or Groundhog Day.

Thoughts: pretty sure we all collectively lost our minds about this one when it came out a few months ago, but if you haven’t read it yet it is GREAT. All the fun time loop tropes I love with Kirk and Spock at the center.

Highlights: the art is so good! I love seeing these scenes illustrated!

Happy reading everyone! 🖖

[fritzes]

semifinals thoughts for every match that doesn’t involve a violent abuser (bc fuck him, I love writing these and the other three matches deserve to be talked about)

wta:

gauff v sabalenka: a rematch of the us open final! if you took coco’s quarterfinal performance and aryna’s quarterfinal performance and put them against each other, aryna would win handily. coco’s unforced errors, especially on the forehand side, are really bringing her game down. that being said, she had some shaky matches at the us open but when it really mattered, she found her best game, kept her cool, and won. aryna is known to be the exact opposite: she plays incredibly but often lets the pressure get to her in later rounds. I think the fact that she lost the us open final to coco will absolutely be in her head the entire time. since she lost from a set up, if she wins the first set here I don’t think that will be a comfort to her (in fact, it might make things worse). even if coco continues blasting unforced errors, I have more confidence in her ability to keep her mentality stable than I do in aryna’s. like I said before the quarterfinals, though, this is new territory for aryna. she’s never defended a grand slam title before, and so far it seems to be emboldening her. we could see a new side of aryna here that doesn’t get frustrated as easily, and that’s gonna be really dangerous for anyone playing her. I fully expect this to be a close, three-set match, but if one of them isn’t at the top of their game then the other one is going to take full advantage of that and win

zheng v yastremska: qinwen is the favorite, but I don’t think this is going to be as straightforward as it looks on paper. dayana is incredibly under-ranked (I’m not sure what happened, but I think she might have had some doping accusation issues?). she has been playing some insanely good tennis at this tournament, and she will absolutely challenge qinwen. the key for qinwen here is to serve well - that’s definitely one of her biggest weaknesses, but if she can do that it gives her a massive advantage because there’s really nothing else in her game that dayana can attack. this would be a first grand slam final for either of them, so whatever their unique ways of dealing with pressure are will absolutely come into play here as well

atp:

sinner v djokovic: the one we’ve all been waiting for… this match felt inevitable from the moment the draw came out. jannik has been playing the best tennis of his life in the past few months, and he absolutely carried over the momentum from last season. of course, novak is always going to be the favorite, especially at the ao. the big question for jannik here is endurance. his history in close five-setters isn’t great, and all of his matches so far have been pretty one sided. if he wants to beat novak, his body needs to hold up. if he does that and he keeps playing the way he’s been playing (preferably with a few less unforced errors), he has a real chance, especially when you consider how much time and effort novak has spent on the court. but, novak is novak, and he’s 10-0 in ao semifinals. if jannik wants to win this match, he has to be perfect

[bettsfic]

I feel like you've answered something similar ao sorry if it's repetitive!! Do you usually work with, like "bolt from the blue" ideas, or do you sit and plan something out? As in, thinking up a story to write and laying the groundwork etc.?

I ask because I usually have a sudden idea, more or less formed, but I always run out of steam with them. I'm passionate about them but they're easily "damaged" in a sense, and fall apart eventually. I haven't had an idea like that in maybe 4 years. Recently I sat down and actively tried to come up with a story from scratch. It feels less passionate and exciting and I hope that stuff comes later once the basics are mapped.

I was wondering what your personal experience with starting out is, and your perspective! Ty 💗

well i used to be able to have an okay idea, sit down and write it, and be decently happy with it. but as i've improved as a writer, it goes more like: find a vibe, write a meandering 10k to figure out the story the vibe conjures, rewrite it knowing that story, and go from there. the benefit of this is that i end up being very happy with the final product rather than decently happy, and it also makes revision easier because it becomes easier to see a piece's true potential. the drawback is that everything takes a million years to write.

here's an example:

the other night i couldn't sleep. i ended up staring at my ceiling for 4 hours thinking about a one piece fic idea. it came to me fully formed, like i knew how it started, how it ended, and more or less how to get there. it would be a one-shot, maybe 8k. was it a good idea? no. did i start writing it anyway? yes.

i also had another idea, far more amorphous. in fact all i had was a single image and i was trying to figure out what story could be told around that image (this is how i finished my novel recently too, except the image i had in my head didn't end up making it to the final draft at all, but that's how it be sometimes). no matter how hard i thought about it, no story developed. so i started writing it anyway just to see what would happen. i was seeking just a general feeling of a character's intense yearning and self-loathing; i was curious about how he would develop in this specific AU.

i have about 6k of both fics. the first one did what you mentioned: i got to a certain point and lost steam. if i put my mind to it, i could barrel through and finish it, but i'll probably never be super happy with it. in other words, it'll get the job done, but the job itself is not very good.

the second one is just a pile of random thoughts completely unstructured, but it has legs. the former can't be revised to be better than what it is, because i set the ambition too early. the second one can become something really cool, but that requires me to follow it until an actual story arises, and when that happens i'll have to go back and rewrite it knowing what the story is. it'll take longer, but it'll be better for it. it might be a small thing that sparks a much larger thing down the line.

there's nothing wrong with the first method. i wrote and published a number of stories by knowing what the thing was before i began writing. but the second method is more fulfilling and keeps me engaged for longer.

so i guess what i'm saying is, maybe know less about what you want to write. let yourself draft to explore. don't be afraid of rewriting. pay attention to the paragraphs and sentences you really like, because even if they don't make sense now, you'll find a place for them later.

if you want more concrete advice, i talk more about drafting and setting ambition in an issue of my newsletter.

[divineerdrick]

Warhammer World Reveals for Mar 2, 2024

So I'm late on this, and not looking to not be late on these any time soon. Still, I really enjoy blogging these reveals.

In case you didn't hear, this time we didn't get a live show. My guess is that this isn't because live shows won't be a thing anymore, but just because they don't have many reveals this time around. Still, we'll have to wait and see what they're up to in the future.

We still get our WarCom article above, so let's take a look at what we've got!

NOW DATZ PROPPER ORKY!!!

LOOK AT DAT MECH SUIT!!!

LOOK AT DEM WEAPONZ!!!

Seriously! This Big Mek is badass! I definitely prefer the alternate head sculpt with the iron jaw. But if you're someone who pictures your Waaagh's Mek as being a little more kunnin', the main previewed sculpt is still good.

We also get some stats. That is a nice big gun, but in keeping with standard Ork themes it's going to be very swingy. While fly can be a relevant keyword, you're not bringing this git for his firepower.

This, on the other hand, is a perfect reason to bring him. Re-rolling advance rolls isn't anything to sneeze at, and this will make his unit really hard to screen out. Very dangerous, especially if Calling the Waaagh remains unchanged.

There's an interesting box for you!

I'm not going to speculate on whether or not this box will be any good, since we don't know what's going to happen in the codex. But three of those kits are pretty relevant right now. And if you've ever wanted a Stompa, here's a potential discount if you need or can split the other models.

Finally we have our Codex reveal. Haven't been the biggest fan of this Edition's Codex art so far. Don't get me wrong, it's a cool piece of art, but it doesn't really sell the army well to me.

Next we have our reveal for the Custodes. And yeah, sorry, this doesn't bring as much excitement for me as that Big Mek.

Our second new mini is a new Shield-Captain. He definitely looks suitably ornate and imposing, but I'd keep the helmet on. I think the expression on that head sculpt is supposed to be contempt, but it's just not reading clearly as anything. In fact it just as easily reads as, "What the hell happened to this galaxy while I was stuck on Terra?" Fitting maybe, but not really portraying the majesty of the finest warriors in the galaxy.

The Shield-Captain can now take a Pyrithite Spear, which is appropriate since you'd think a Shield-Captain could basically wield whatever they wanted. Previously, this weapon was limited to Forge World. Melta may have lost a step in 10th Edition, but Custodes have plenty of ways to get more out of it.

This model is also coming with it's own box set, including a full six Vertus Praetors. Those aren't doing particularly well right now, but they could get some love in the upcoming Codex.

Again, that's a very well done golden man, but there's nothing here to sell the faction or inspire a player. Why aren't they doing battle scenes on these covers anymore? Seeing a Captain and three Guard holding their own against a horde in their elegant combat stances would go much further to depict just how epic these warriors are.

This ties in with Hammer and Bolter, bringing characters introduced there to the table top. As such, I feel like this is going to be a bit niche.

The sculpts are definitely nice, but I'm not really seeing anything that screams AoS about them.

One of my greatest praises for current GW has been how they've used the Mortal Realms to really let their imaginations take flight. So many of the new factions are just such wonderful reimaginings classic fantasy races. But these look like they would feel at home in any dark fantasy world. You could easily see them stepping off the pages of a Conan novel from the 1950s. For some, this will be a good thing. But especially now that Old World is back, I want Sigmar to keep pushing and keep giving us stuff that is new and cool.

There's also no hint at rules, or even system, for this band of killers. I'm betting we might eventually see rules for both AoS and Warcry. But it would be nice if they got some Underworlds love too, even if maybe the Singri has to stay behind.

This is the one reveal I'd had spoiled. This is so much fun and Blood Bowl is the perfect place for it! When I saw the preview of the goose, I was honestly thinking that maybe it was something for halfling cooks for Old World. But this is way better!

These are a lot of fun, but I do kinda wish they'd gone a bit further. These gnomes don't really look like they're playing the most brutal sport in Fantasy. But I can't help but think of how much fun, and thematic to the game, it would be to see a bunch of wild animals just let loose on the field.

Remember, there's no rule that says a badger can't play Blood Bowl!

Final Thoughts

This was fun! Although I had a lot to say about Codex covers, that Shield-Captain's face sculpt, and some generic bad guys in AoS, these were still fun reveals. I can also definitely understand why they didn't really hype us up for them or do a live show. But as a casual release for a Saturday news post, this is perfect.

And yeah, I'm not gonna stop being salty about 10th Edition Codexes any time soon. So it will probably take something impressive to make me cheer a Codex reveal.

[22degreehalo]

Aaaaand I finally return with my next update for the Summer Fic Reading Challenge by @ficreadingchallenge!!!

And the end really is coming up, hahah... But I hope I will be able to finish the whole card before then! :)

Reviews/links under the cut~ Ships include Yuki/Kakeru, Aegon/Larys, Dirk/Jake, Archie+Jughead gen, Kirk/Spock, and Aegon/Helaena!

Domestic/Curtain Fic Like Fireworks in the Night Sky by PrincelyHairdos (86k, ongoing, Yuki/Kakeru) Uaaaaghhhhhhhhh OTL I really can’t recommend this fic enough if you want to fuck yourself up!!!!!! Yes, there’s the pining, and the achingly-sweet relationship between the main two boys, but they’re both in relationships at the start of the fic, and the story explores every little beat of the pain and awkwardness and tension of that premise!! None of the characters involved are bad people, and the story is equally sympathetic to all four of them, but Yuki is very much just forcing himself in his relationship with Machi (comphet up the wazoo), and although Kakeru and Komaki sincerely love each other, he and Yuki so obviously have this long-standing unintentional and unaware emotional affair going on that just gets more and more in between them! I chose this theme because so much of the Yuki/Kakeru relationship revolves around how comfortable around one another as uni students living in the same dorms; they’re not actual roommates, but they may as well be with easily they share their space, and it’s that pre-established and on-going easy domesticity that provides all the delicious, awful tension in their actual official relationships!

Rarepair Last Hope by Yarwrit (1.4k, Aegon/Larys) Of course for this theme I had to use a ship that I never possibly would’ve considered prior to that final episode of the show :’D But this fic was exactly what I wanted: Aegon’s despair and Lary’s quiet support; Aegon’s rationally skeptical of his sincerity, but so desperately needs some sort of a real friend, and the commonality between them as two disabled men rings true. Larys might well still just be manipulating him (I mean, that’s certainly at least part of what’s going on), but his attraction, at least, is real, and meaningful <3

Space AU it’s only a canvas sky by Mayleavestars (9.2k, Dirk/Jake) I really struggled with this theme for a while because I’m not much of an AU reader and all the space AUs I could find just felt like normal fics with a hand-waved set dressing. This fic was my saviour: the vaguely Star Trek universe setting relates perfectly to the long-distance communication Dirk and Jake had in canon, allowing for a dynamic that perfectly supports their canon personalities and relationship while giving enough of a twist to the formula to justify the AU. Oh, the pining; the rituals!

Angst love story (but it's platonic) by sharksarewaterdogs (2.8k, Jughead + Archie gen) Another soulmate mark fic, and another fun twist! Jughead's angst is super believable, not just worrying about himself but how Archie would feel to know that his soulmate is an aro/ace guy. But Archie is so sweet, and once the shock wears off, their friendship really does shine through! I always love to see a-spec fics with at least a lil non-fluffiness, and this was nice and cathartic <3

Author’s Oldest Fic The Word Withheld by j_s_cavalcante (12k, Kirk/Spock) Of course for this theme I had to go with one of the chronologically oldest ships I’ve been into, and what a beautiful fic I chose for that!! I have memories of AOS fic about Spock Prime encouraging his younger self tom seize the day and make the most of the time he has with Kirk, but applying that plot to TOS gives it all the more resonance given the way things turn out in the canon timeline. The quiet intimacy between Kirk and Spock is on full display here, and perfectly reminded me why I once read so many fics about these two <3

Bittersweet/Unhappy Ending lost innocence. By ProjectFreelancer (1.4k, Aegon/Helaena) :’( These two deserved so much better… Among all the longfic in this fandom I was soooo happy to see this shorter and more melancholy missing-scenes type fic, elaborating on this relationship we haven’t gotten to see nearly enough of, with a particular focus on the actually pretty damn traumatic circumstances of their marriage!! It ends on a positive note for the whole family… but we already know how this story ends. :(

And that's all so far!!

Of the spaces left, I have a definite fic in mind for 'Enemies to Friends / Lovers' (it's just a matter of finishing it first; could've done that before making this post but I've delayed long enough already :') ), and a potential something for Take Your Fandom To Work and Secret Relationship. I didn't expect that last one to be difficult given how much I love the trope, but maybe I just need to try some other pairings... And I've always figured it wouldn't be too hard to find something for Whump once I get in the mood, heh.

So with all that, it'll just be a matter of which of the random non-recced fics I've read recently I should use for the Free Space!! n.n

(Also ahhhhh I really did expect to ask for another card before this thing ended... but that'd be kinda pointless now, huh :'D)

(Also? Yes, I have indeed managed all different ships for each square so far. :'DDD No idea how it's worked out that way, but I can't bring myself to stop now!!)

[vespertea]

Erlang Shen ! I'm playing with their dynamics some more and trying to get a feel for personality. We know that Erlang Shen is stronger than SWK, and I think this would be one of those dynamics where he isn't the same kind of "jeering" monkie king that he is with Macaque, who's weaker than him. I think SWK maybe has a genuine distaste for Erlang since he can't win against him. And SWK desires to be stronger, and more powerful, and is in his own world trying to be the very best (leaving Macaque behind). Erlang has a positive personality and still tries to get along with SWK, since business is just business. Maybe also doubles as a sort of babysitter to make sure the monkie king doesn't try the same tricks again..

For Macaque, since Erlang is strong but friendly, maybe they do alright together? I haven't thought about this one as much, but I do know that if Wukong sees them together, he only sees the bad. It's kind of funny, that Erlang is this hero who wants to rid the world of evil, but since he has stood in SWK's way time and time again, he's viewed as a villain. Macaque probably likes his dog, in his own tsundere way. SWK maybe would have an irrational fear of the goofy fella based on previous battles...

Maybe they're the kind of acquaintances (Shen & Macaque) that do things together because their mutual friend(s) asked them to. They don't like nor dislike one another, so they get along.

SWK and Erlang have the kind of relationship where one friend lets things go really easily and the other doesn't, and maybe they even have a competitive relationship where they always have to "be better" than the other (though I think Erlang Shen makes more fun of it, and SWK would take it more seriously). I feel bad making Wu look more like a grumpy monkie king, but I'm still thinking of positive points in their relationship..... uhhhhhhhhh

Oh, maybe the kind of story where the hero requests the help of the monkie king and his troupe, and he refuses... MK and Mei are immediately on board and have to talk Wu into going with them, and he reluctantly agrees but stays reserved away from shen while challenging him on everything. They go through their super cool and epic journey, have some bonding moments in between, maybe they fight again but it's out of bottled feelings, and then at the end of the journey they win together, and then SWK warms up to the half-blood and accepts that "Okay, I guess we can be friends" feeling. I think they could have been friends from the start if wukong was acting the way he did with Ao Kuang and Ne Zha (trying to be friendly, letting the past slide) but I think the reason he would act like THIS is because he lost to Erlang Shen. He didn't lose to Ne Zha, so he was confident in messing with him to get what he wanted. Same for most of his rivals. But since he lost to Shen, maybe it became something more dark, something that's a bit more .... resentful.

Idk, I'm still working on it lol.

[nikofortuna]

JTTW Chapter 15 Thoughts

Chapter 15 for the @journeythroughjourneytothewest Reading Group!

Yes, dragon is very snake-like! Swallows prey whole.

Honestly I am good with Sun Wukong putting Tang Sanzang in his place here. Especially when he started crying at the mere prospect of walking. If anything he should have cried at the life of the poor horsie lost! Not because it inconveniences him a little.

Truly he encounters a problem and goes ‘Oh, woe me!’ right away! Instead of trying to figure something out he basically gives up, it really is no wonder that the largely self-sufficient Sun Wukong who has encountered far greater trouble in his life already gets annoyed with him.

There’s a little typo in the Anthony C. Yu version! The first line of the combat poem reads “The dragon extending sharp daws” when it should be sharp claws!

In the German translation Sun Wukong specifies that if the dragon doesn’t give the horse back he will kill him to avenge the horse’s death, which I find to be a very sweet addition. Horsegirl Wukong all the way!

A longer bit about writing ahead. I played a game with lovely worldbuilding and lore which has been given out very naturally, so my eye easily fell on this detail.

Hm, I don’t know but some of the infodumping about the lore of locations just doesn’t feel very natural. In this instance I have various ideas on how to better it.

Perhaps they could have just mentioned the name of the river and Sun Wukong in his boundless curiosity could have asked why it’s called that.

Or they could have just mentioned that there has been nothing evil about this stream and then the name of it upon which Sun Wukong could have asked something along the lines of ‘If there was never anything evil about it, why is it called that?’.

It could have also been established beforehand that he likes to know a bit of history behind locations and their names specifically and note that others know about this. Then they may tell him these things right away as they know he’ll want to know anyway.

Or is it actually that local spirits have a habit of dishing out info about the location they inhabit with this much detail? On the off-chance that this might be so, it would be good to mention in a footnote at least.

Though even just restructuring it a little would have worked as I found in the German translation, which summarize the history behind the name in one sentence. Roughly translated it says “There was nothing to complain about this stream, it is merely very deep and broad and the water is so crystal clear that birds of prey, when they look down while flying over it, mistake their mirror image for members of their own species and plunge themselves into the water. Hence the name Eagle Grief Stream.” Flows far better in my opinion, pun intended.

Back to the story at hand jumping straight to killing instead of negotiating how else the dragon could pay them back like say get a new horse is a little hasty. He’s a dragon, he could probably get a new one somehow. A lot of this conflict could have been solved through proper communication as is literally explained during the conflict resolution.

Human form Ao Lie! With fashionable pearl jewellery I see! Why did Guanyin take those I wonder? Perhaps it was to make the new harness.

Horsegirl Wukong strikes again! This time making sure the horse gets good quality gear only.

And Tang Sanzang falls off the horse again. There will probably be two types of falling of the horse. One is getting knocked off somehow during tense moments and one is just sliding off the horse in a silly manner during more light hearted and comedic moments like this one.

Ehm… Why are Muslims listed with minor threats? I don’t like that, I don’t like that at all. This was omitted from the J. F. Jenner translation. The German translation kind of kept it, but used the specific groups mentioned in the original text, which isn’t all that much better.

This chapter made me really consider how nice it might be to get a remake of the story, which sticks as close to the original as possible while ironing out plotholes and contradicting parts as well as all these less than stellar outdated details. It’s a great story with a ton of intricate details and much if it holds up to this day, but it has flaws that just don’t need to be there.

[witch-of-the-world]

Ao Lie's Return

So if anybody was interested in this post, I wrote it out properly.

“Don't go wanderin' off too far! Dinner'll be ready in twenty minutes!”

The warning shouted behind them was barely acknowledged as the three raced into the tunnels. Mei and MK were already bored despite only having helped set up camp a moment ago, and they were eager to explore the cave system in which the group had decided to spend the night. Redson had been more or less dragged along with them, still feeling more comfortable with the two of them than sitting around with the others. And anyway, his fire quickly came in handy to light up the dark tunnels.

“How deep d'ya think this goes?” MK asked.

“I dunno,” Mei replied. “Wonder what kinda stuff is in here.” She leapt up onto a ledge, two feet wide and only a little more off the ground, walking on it with outstretched arms.

“We'd better not get lost,” Redson commented.

“Nah, I got this,” MK assured her. “If we do I can just gold-vision and pick the right tunnel.”

“You're certain of that?” Red asked, but got no reply as the other ran ahead.

“Hey, look at this!” MK exclaimed. “It's some kinda weird door!”

Mei hopped off the ledge and came closer. Red brought their fire towards it as well, illuminating a round handle on the wall, surrounded by carvings. It did, in fact, look like a door.

“Weird,” said MK. “Wonder what's in there.” He reached for the handle.

The door opened easily, and the three jumped in surprise as green torches lit up down the sides of a large corridor.

“Woah,” they said in unison, looking around. There was little in the room besides a statue at the other end, with something in front of it. As they got closer, Mei exclaimed in surprise. “Is that--??”

“What?” MK asked, looking up at the statue.

“It's...it's Ao Lie,” said Mei, stepping closer to the statue in awe.

It was, indeed, a perfect stone recreation of Ao Lie, in his human form. He was standing facing the three of them, eyes closed and head bowed slightly, hands clasped in front of him. He looked...quite peaceful.

“It says something here,” said MK, approaching the stone tablet in front of the statue. He frowned at the words. “I can't make it out.”

“It's an old form of writing,” Redson said, coming up to the tablet as well. “I haven't seen anything written like this for centuries.”

“What does it say?” MK asked.

Redson peered at the tablet. “When She Who Is Worthy Of The Dragon's Power approaches, the seal will be broken,” she read. There was a green crystal set in the stone above the tablet.

“She who is worthy of the dragon's power...d'you think that means...me?” Mei asked.

“It's likely,” said Redson. “You are the one who wields the Dragonblade after all.”

Mei stepped closer, laying eyes on the tablet itself, though she couldn't read it either.

Suddenly, a light flashed across the crystal.

“Uh, did you guys see that?” she asked.

“See what?” MK replied.

Mei didn't answer, stepping closer. Reaching out slowly with one hand.

“Mei?” MK asked.

The crystal was so shiny that she could see her own reflection in it.

The reflection's eyes flashed in a bright green light. Was that...the outline of a dragon?

She placed a hand on the crystal.

Immediately, there was a flash of light. MK and Redson both staggered back, shielding their eyes. Mei lifted up her free arm to protect her face, the other hand still on the crystal. All three had their eyes closed as a great CRACK resounded through the stone hall. It was followed by the sound of crumbling rock.

When Mei's green eyes opened again, they found another pair just like them.

The girl blinked in surprise. Standing before her, no longer a statue but flesh and blood and bone, was the great dragon Ao Lie.

He was still in human form, in the same position the statue had been in. As the dust settled around him, his eyes caught Mei's, and he stared at her in fascination.

A smile crept onto his face. “Oh wow,” he said. “I thought I'd never get outta there!”

Mei realized the tablet and crystal had broken apart under her hand, and she slowly lowered her arms, staring for a moment at the one in front of her.

Then she broke into a huge grin, clenching her fists in excitement. “It really is YOU! You're really Ao Lie!”

“Yup, that's me!” the dragon replied, rubbing the back of his head. “But uh, who are you?”

“I thought Mei met him inside the scroll!” MK whispered to Redson.

“You dolt, that wasn't the real Ao Lie, that was just a recording of a memory!” Redson whispered back.

“I'm Mei!” the girl exclaimed. “Mei Long! I'm your great-great-a-thousand-times-great-granddaughter!”

“Oh wow!” Ao Lie exclaimed, bringing his hands together inside his long sleeves. “When I got put in there I barely even had a great-granddaughter!”

“Really?” Mei asked.

“Yeah, she was like, three years old,” said Ao Lie.

“No, I mean...how long have you been in there?” Mei asked.

“Hmm,” Ao Lie said, placing a hand under his chin. Then he shrugged. “I dunno.”

“Huh,” said Mei. “How'd you get inside that statue?”

“I...” and Ao Lie looked around him at the crumbled stone. “I...don't really remember. It's all kind of...fuzzy.” He frowned, continuing to look about him, and his eyes caught MK and Redson.

“Oh, those are my friends,” said Mei, turning around.

MK grinned. “Yeah! I'm MK, and this is Redson!” He pulled Red close to him with an arm around their shoulders. Redson rolled his eyes, pulling away and giving a slight bow in greeting.

“Cool!” said Ao Lie.

Suddenly, from down the caverns, a shout echoed across the stone. “Kids! Dinner!”

“Oh!” said MK. “We better go!”

Mei took Ao Lie's hand and grinned. “C'mon, you can meet the others!”

The three dashed off, Redson lighting their way and Ao Lie trailing behind, pulled along by Mei. They soon reached the main cave where the others had set up camp.

“Guys, guys, look who we found!” Mei yelled as the four of them came out of the tunnel.

The others looked up. Sandy and Pigsy only showed mild confusion, but Tang leapt up in excitement.

“Oh my WORD is that really him?” he yelled.

“Uh-huh!” Mei replied. “This is my great-great-times-a-thousand-great-grandfather, Ao Lie!”

She turned to him, but Ao Lie didn't seem to have noticed the three of them. He was looking across the cave.

He was looking at the member of the party who was staring back at him in utter shock.

“Wukong!” he exclaimed, letting go of Mei's hand and dashing across the cave. He leapt onto the monkey, hugging him tight. “It's so good to see you again!”

“Y...you too!” Wukong replied, a bit thrown off. He returned the hug, and smiled. “What the heck, why were you here? I mean, I thought you were...I haven't seen you in forever!”

“Oh!” said Ao Lie, as if he'd just remembered. “I got sealed inside a statue!”

He said this so casually that Wukong couldn't help but laugh. “Wait, what?”

“We found him in a cave back there!” MK explained. “And Mei touched a crystal and set him free cause she has the dragon powers!”

“Couldja be a little more vague about that?” Pigsy asked.

“I have a great-great-lots-of-greats-granddaughter!” Ao Lie exclaimed. “This is the best!”

Wukong chuckled again. “Well, it's good to see you again, old friend,” he said.

“You too!” Ao Lie replied. “Hey, speaking of old friends, where's the rest of the group?” He looked up into Wukong's golden eyes, still hugging him. “Where's Master Sanzang and Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing? I bet they all missed me too, huh?”

Everything went quiet.

Wukong stared back into those hopeful green eyes. At that cute little smile.

He sighed.

[tsa-smth]

Slow shifting

About how Bai Long Ma scared a child with his looks

Drabble, Gen, all ages, the author is on the middle of the book

PS - my first actually written fanfic ever, it's quite simple and made for kicks. Let me know about grammar mistakes in DMs, especially on the English version since that's not my native language. Have a good time Русская версия

Several days ago Tang monk have acquired one more disciple, and the merciful bodhisattva named him Bai Long Ma. Three pilgrims were heading to the West. The route was peaceful so far, nobody threatened Tripitaka. The sun was going down and was blinding their eyes through branches. The pathway was getting thicker and they saw smoke before - good signs there were people ahead. And then there was heavy rain. By agreeing on them not getting to a village fast enough, they found shelter in a cave they noticed - surprisingly, it didn’t have any hosts. Sanzang invited disciples for sutra reading that turned to a debate between the monk and the monkey, and the transformed into human Bai Long Ma stole the scriptures so he could read them himself. On the second watch, the monk switched the place with the white dragon-horse - looking like a steed again - and went to sleep without preparation. The monkey didn’t saw any fiends and, how wild he wasn’t, entrusted a watch to the hooved one. Seems like the simian had a soft spot for equines and it was easy for him to claim the new member as trustworthy in such an appearance - despite their secretiveness and silence - and even forgot they both got into a brawl because of what happened with the previous horse. The newbie wanted to goof around - just a little bit. The thing is, he didn’t have a proper time to be in his true form from the start of the journey. Due to Guanyin’s spell, transformations took way more time than it’s supposed to. He transformed into a human to attend Tang monk’s lessons and that was all. First of all, his gotten as a punishment for arson and destruction of the pearl scars hadn’t healed yet. He hadn’t the same terrifying fame that the Monkey King had, and if an evil soul would recognise him as one of the disciples in his two-legged image, lóng could lose a fight easily and the monk would be left without a horse for an escape. The same way, Bai Long Ma couldn’t transform into lóng to not destroy everything around the mortal. Second of all, it can be too hard to convince humans that creatures don’t mean any harm, especially if one of them is particularly scrappy and arrogant. If villagers recognized a shapeshifter in the horse, it didn’t seemed like noble monk’s words would helped them. And all of that means, if he wants to act like a horse, he should think like a horse and be a horse, and he doesn’t shapeshift into a young man or a lóng if a situation calls for it. Bai Long Ma thought for a while, examining moon shine on the white fur, the scars and horn cuts were acting up under the weather. Recalling the time the goddess had to dissuade his father from the execution, he thought he was a better horse than a prince. Though, under the closed by heavy clouds sky and and without uninvited audience, he couldn’t sulking about past for long. Ao Lie waited until the monk would fully succumb to sleep and took action. Silently, he started a transformation. Fur is getting covered by scales, vibrissae thickens into catfish whiskers, and the mane becomes a spine. But haven’t hooves transformed into claws how he heard something two-legged moving to their direction. Lóng becomes a horse back again. He could distinguish a child, probably lost while playing, running through the pathway through tree trunks. — Oh no, that’s the cave! — frustratingly said the girl. Seeing the light she thought she already reached her village. The little human went further until it clicked in her head that there are someone sleeping here. — I wonder for how long I was in the forest... — Tiny... The white dragon-horse hadn’t enough time to go back into its role. The child heard the voice from the steed, and when she raised his eyes to it’s muzzle, she was horrified:

That's not the looks of horse - Cut cheeks with rows of teeth like saws Snake-akin eyes are split by sword The girl burst into tears and ran away. — Who dared to disturb the Great Sage Equal To Heaven during sleep!?, — shouted Sun Wukong threateningly. Sanzang haven’t woke up by a miracle. Glancing at the disappointed and irregular horse’s muzzle, he sighed and asked: — Did this child tried to steal something? The horse wrinkled his already distorted maw and shook his head. Receiving it as an answer, the Handsome Monkey King sat at cave’s entrance and called the wet brother to come inside as a horse supposed to. “Yeah”, thought Bai Long Ma, “raindrop walking won’t be soon”.

Notes:

It was made for Ao Lie as one of those photoshops of dog mouth horses, but at some moment it stopped to be a shitpost

[louhilainen]

The Only One for You - Olympia Soirée fanfic

Tsukuyomi wants to make a trip with his dear, dear child. A glimpse of Tsukuyomi's twisted mind before and during "Half-Moon", a bad ending in Akaza's route. Contains spoilers for Akaza's route.

TW: Abduction, Tsukuyomi being creepy and a bit predatory too and I mean it

Words: 2,530

Cross-posted to AO

Tsukuyomi watched a crease between his brows as his dear child ran out from Naraku, her steps echoing when they hit the stairs in a hurry as if she wished nothing but to get far away from him. No doubt she was running to the surface, to Akaza of the Red, so they could together save this cursed island and its disgusting habitants who did nothing but obsess over colors. The door shut after her with a heavy thump, imprisoning him with his regrets.

She really has fallen in love with that man.

Tsukuyomi sighed and shook his head. He had probably realized it even earlier than her. After all, he had seen the same look on many White women before her. Hakua had looked exactly the same when she came to tell him about a strange man from the Outside World, who had washed ashore and asked for his permission to take him as her husband. Both of their eyes were a bit distant and a voice soft, when they murmured the name of the man they had fallen to.

He sent an apology to Hakua, not being able to protect her only daughter, as he gave the spring a last glance and turned his back to it. He stepped from the moss-covered ground onto the porch of his house and made his way to the living room, the wooden floor creaking under his feet. The unfinished mandala rested against the stand with different colored paints and brushes in front of it. He would have to hurry if he wanted to finish it before everything would end. Tsukuyomi sat down, took a red-colored brush, and started working on a part that still demanded his attention.

His face tightened, as he added red paint to the canvas. It irked him to see the same red, the same color that man’s eyes and hair were.

I should have killed him when I had the chance.

He moved the brush a bit too fast, accidentally tainting a white color next to it, and clicked his tongue in annoyance. An easily avoidable mistake, of the kind he rarely did. But he could fix it when the red paint would dry. He put the red-colored brush down and took another brush, this time a white colored.

You can still save her.

Tsukuyomi furrowed and lowered his hand. Was it his own voice? Or was it merely a whisper from Shinimizu? He put the brush down and exited the house, striding to the edge of the Shimizu Spring. It looked the same as ever, the water still and clear. The half of Amaterasu’s mirror, which he had stolen from Kakurinomiya, lay on the bottom. Izanami’s glee from his offering and inevitable freedom rumbled under the surface as she fed strength from the mirror like a parasite that had long been denied nourishment.

Tsukuyomi chuckled, his foul mood fading away. It was amusing how he would be the one to release her when he had imprisoned her in the first place and even lost his powers as a god in the process.

He knelt at the edge of the spring, raising his sleeve to his arm, and ran his fingers in the water. The ripples appeared and vanished almost at the same time, much like how human life extinguished before it could even begin. When he had started to live in Naraku, he could tell which fleeting whispers in the air were his own musings and which ones were from the Shinimizu. Along the long, long years he had dwelled in Naraku, with no one to keep him company but his brother, it had stopped mattering whose voice he heard.

He scooped the cool water with his hand and swallowed it. He swept his mouth with his sleeve, water dripping a bit from the corner of his lips. A sheer curiosity and boredom had driven him to start drinking from the spring, but he had grown to appreciate the taste. The water soothed him like always, allowing him to see what was most crucial.

I can still protect her.

The mirror did have another half. The one that lay at the bottom of the Ikimizu Spring in Tennyo Island. He could just wait for Izanami to gain her powers back… but why should he wait? It would be far more efficient to just break the other half of the mirror. The result would still be the same; the Second World would drown and all of those who lived there.

Whereas he and his dear child, Byakuya… would make a little trip.

Just like in the past.

Tsukuyomi jumped up, something foreign, but warm bubbling inside of him, something that he had trouble recognizing. He placed his hand on his heart. It was excitement… and happiness.

He was not able to save Amaterasu, but this time… he could save Byakuya.

The tokyo-mushi fluttered to his view, crossing the spring. The glowing insect usually didn’t approach him as they both stayed as far away from each other as possible. He stretched his hand. He cared little for it, but it had once been his brother and a god. He could afford to show some courtesy. It landed on his hand and fluttered its green wings. Trapped in this simple and primitive life form as a punishment for what he did to Amaterasu, it could not communicate his desires if it even had any left at this point.

But Tsukuyomi could at times sense distant emotions or interest from it such as when his child came to visit Naraku for the first time. As it rested on his hand, a faint mix of emotions echoed to his awareness; sorrow and regret. It was as though they were standing on the opposite shores and it shouted at him, but he could hardly hear the words.

He sneered as there was no reason for him to listen to Susano-o’s pleading. “You are the last person I desire to hear that from.”

With a wave of his hand, it was forced to take flight like a lone leaf on the wind. Tsukuyomi turned his back to the spring, Naraku, and the Second World. He should not waste time. Douma and Hiruko knew about the existence of the other half. If they were fast enough, they could halt his plans. He smirked while he walked to the stairs. Hiruko was nothing to worry about, as he lacked the ambition to act. No doubt he was somewhere lurking in the shadows, which were the only place that welcomed such an unsightly creature as him, and weeping after his precious Amaterasu.

But Douma… Although his hair had started to turn grey over the years, he was the same as always; his eyes holding the same command and defiance that could challenge even the will of the gods. Very much like Byakuya pursed her lips together and raised her chin, eyes flashing a defiant glint when Tsukuyomi had tried to warn her about Akaza of the Red. The father and the daughter were truly alike.

He hurried up the stairs, while the sound of the bathhouse, its customers laughing and buzzing, grew louder the further he got up.

He knew without looking back that Susano-o tried to follow him, but he didn’t bother to stop or to turn around.

****

Finally, the world had ended.

Only he and Byakuya were left. She was finally safe from Akaza of the Red and Amaterasu, resting in his arms like a doll. He stroked her hair, his hands trembling, and smiled widely; he didn’t recall a time he had felt so joyous. No more disgusting humans defiling and destroying those he cared for. She slept with her mouth a little open, but quietly. The only movement from her was the rising of her chest in a steady rhythm. She reminded him of the dolls he had built over the years. White, long hair, and porcelain skin. Perfect and stainless.

The sea of Shinimizu surrounded them in the darkness, waves cradling their boat gently like a mother would rock her child to sleep. The Shinimizu had engulfed both Tenguu and Tennyo Island and all the small islands. Everyone was finally equal in death, as the Shimizu did not segregate between colors. Every living mortal from main colors and lower classes, from babies to elders, rested at the bottom. The only memory left from the Second World was the moon shedding its pale light, the one he had to sacrifice his right eye for.

He had barely been on time, as she had come to look for the mirror as well, to use it to find the other half. But meeting her on Tennyo Island suited him just fine, as he wouldn't have to search for her. The sheer shock of him shattering the mirror in front of her had caused her to fall to the ground like a marionette, of which strings had been cut off. She didn’t need to lay on the cold ground for long, as he had taken her in his arms and carried her to the boat before the overflowing Shinimizu could reach them.

Tsukuyomi fixed a lone strand of hair from her face behind her ear. It had been a long time since he had cradled Byakuya like this. As a little, she had snuggled against him when he read her stories or when they gazed at the stars in the same boat they were now. Whenever he came to visit Tennyo Island and landed on the shore, she was already waiting for him, waving her hand and jumping up and down. The moment he had both of his feet on solid ground, she would throw her small arms around his neck, babbling about whatever was going on in her mind. From time to time, Hakua asked him cautiously if her daughter was being a nuisance. His answer was always no, she could never bother him. He had enjoyed every moment they spent together; be it him teaching her various things from the world while she listened carefully to every word of his, or him taking care of her wounds and comforting her if she hurt herself while playing too roughly.

How much time had passed. As a child, she had been a scrawny little thing and weighed hardly anything. He easily carried her back to her mother, if she fell asleep in his arms. Holding her at the boat, when she was a grown-up, was both a familiar and foreign feeling when her childhood days were both near and long gone.

But… she fit so perfectly in his embrace like this was where she was supposed to be all along.

In his arms.

A feeling of peace and warmth filled him. He chuckled amused as he caressed her cheek. Perhaps he had waited for too long and he should have broken the mirror the day she turned 18 years old.

"Dear child, it seems that the world has ended," he said, gazing up at the moon. “But you and I are safe here. You will not become Amaterasu now." He tried searching inside of him a regret of not being able to see his sister or a longing for her. Nothing.

“And, you were also able to escape from that red-haired man. Wonderful, isn’t it? I am very glad I was able to protect you.” He had indeed saved her. But there was still so much for them to come. “We will travel together to a new world. We will sleep aboard this boat, just like when you were little. When you awaken, I will tell you a story you have never heard before.” He still had many stories to tell, countless stories she had not heard of.

“Byakuya…” he said, her name sweet on his lips, and traced her cheek softly. “I will always be on your side, and I will always wish only for your happiness. I do know you loved that man” —Tsukuyomi grimaced as a needle picked his heart at the memory of her declaring to him that she was going to take him as her husband—“but he would only have brought you misfortune. Which is why I am here to protect you. You do understand, yes?”

"Akaza…" A whimper escaped from her lips and she tossed her head, as though she was having a nightmare.

“He is no longer here.” Tsukuyomi stroked her hair to soothe her sleep. “You have only me now.”

She would need him in the same way she had needed him as a little. His lips quirked up as a realization dawned on him. No… It would have to be different this time. After all… she would have no one but him. He alone would have to fill every void in her heart; he would serve as her father, brother, protector…

And lover, if she wished.

“I am the only one who can love you," he stated, tasting the words in his mouth.

When she would open her eyes, she would no doubt wail for Akaza of the Red and for all of those she had lost. In all likelihood, she would curse and yell at him, maybe even attack him in rage. When her rage would fade and reality would reveal itself to her, she would fall to the depths of despair. But she would have him pull her up from the abyss.

When she would cry, he would dry and kiss her tears away. If she saw nightmares, she could listen to his singing and rest in his embrace. She could cling to him whenever she wished, as he would always be there for her. He would never defile her like he had promised. But… when she could not handle the loneliness anymore and would be desperate to feel another being's warmth, he would be there to offer her that.

When she would have shed enough tears she would see that her happiness was with him, she would once again throw his arms around his neck and bless him with a radiant smile that warmed every corner of his heart and soul.

Tsukuyomi kissed her gently on her forehead as a promise of their life together, careful not to wake her up. When his lips met her skin, his heart pounded a little faster, the sensation surprising even himself. He hadn't felt that way ever since he had been a child and Amaterasu had given him a soft kiss on his cheek with a promise to take him as her husband.

“So you will do the same and love me too,” he whispered to her ear.

The crease between her brows relaxed as she gave out a weak whine and curled up. He tightened his hold on her as she huddled closer to him like a small animal searching for warmth.

Tsukuyomi rocked her like he had done when she had wept after his father and fell asleep in his arms exhausted from crying. He began to sing the same song he had then sung for her.

She sighed as though she was back in the past with him, reliving those happy times.

[padmedala]

nobody asked, but here's a dozen Riordanverse books I would rather read than a tsats sequel. reblog and add your own.

disclaimer: this is just my opinion. I don't actually dislike solangelo, I just was very disappointed by tsats and have other characters I like more

Emmie and Jo backstory novel

a well-told version of their love story would go so hard. Imagine traveling and fighting and living alongside someone and gradually falling in love with her, knowing that not only would the outside world scorn you for that love, but that you are breaking your vows, betraying you family, the Hunters. who makes the first move under those circumstances? who is the first to acknowledge what's between them? how do they decide to give up immortality for each other? it makes me insane to think about. plus, it would be so fun to have a book set in the past. see what Camp was like in the mid-twentieth century?. see Zoë again! learn more about Phoebe? I would give an organ to read this book

2. More Magnus Chase

Magnus Chase easily could have been a five book series and would have been better for it. thanks to the Senior Year Adventurs, there's now a precedent for Rick restarting a series we all thought was finished, so just write MCGA 4 and 5. there are already ao many storylines set up: Magnus learning more about his family history, getting Bragi to compose a poem for Jack, whatever Surt was up to in 9ftNW, the powers Magnus got from Alderman's blood (like why have that happen and never use it?), Magnus and Alex's developing relationship . . .

3. Multi-Pantheon Crossover

Remember how Tower of Nero teased a Greek/Norse/Egyptian crossover story and now it's four years later and no word if that's happening?

4. Piper and Shel

How is Piper adjusting to life in Oklahoma? Is her relationship with her Dad any better? Who is Shel? How does she know about magic? What is their relationship like? Has discovering her queerness changed Piper's understanding of what it means to be the daughter of the goddess of romantic love? All these questions and more could be explored. I think it would be really cool to learn more about Cherokee culture and folklore, maybe even have that be the focus and Greek mythology take a backseat, although obviously, Rick would need to tread carefully. it's probably a situation where it would actually make sense to bring in a co-author

5. Lavinia Freaking Asimov

Yeah, all the sapphic characters are getting a spot on my list. I love Lavinia and want to see more of her. How is she adjusting to leading the Fifth Cohort? What do her shoes do? Is she still dating Poison Oak? Since Lavinia has a much stronger connection to nature spirits than most demigods, I think it would be cool if the book were about that. Maybe she meets Grover when he's visiting Percy and Annabeth and helps him with his Lord of the Wild Duties. We could also see Frank and Hazel as praetors, and maybe Claudia and the characters from Probatio's Journal as supporting characters

6. Irish Mythology Series

Rick has shown an interest in Irish and Celtic mythology (See Finn McCumhail short story, Mallory mentioning each-uisce in SotD, Luguselwa) so just go full in. Whether another modern story, or more historical fiction like an expansion of the Finn short story, I'd read it.

7. Jason and Reyna backstory book

Prequels are really hard to do well, which is why this is so low on the list, but if done well, this book could be read before The Lost Hero, so readers would have more of an emotional attachment to Jason and see him as more fleshed out character rather than a boring Percy stand in.

8. Percy Jackson's Trojan War

I listened to the audiobooks of PJ's Greek Gods and Greek Heroes, and while I felt sometimes the humor/Percy's voice was a little forced, for the most part, they were good, engaging age-appropriate retellings of the myths. Achilles and Odysseus were notably absent from the Greek Heroes book, maybe so we could get Percy's retelling of the Illiad and the Odessey in a future book?

9. Rachel in Paris

I love Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and would read a book all about her. What would the plot be? Would it even feature magic/mythology in any meaningful way? I don't have answers to these questions.

10. Aeuthales Adventures

What are Meg and the other children of Nero up to post-ToA? I don't know! But I could.

11. Waystation Crew

Same goes for the Waystation family. I bet Leo, Calypso (probably broken up by now lbh), Literyses, and Georgie could get up to some crazy hijinks around Indianapolis

12. Malcom Pace and Jake Mason

These are two very minor characters, but so was Will Solace at one point. I ship them for no other reason than 1. it's established that they're both queer, and 2. an Athena-kid/Hephaestus-kid pairing could do so much damage

+13. Estelle Blofis, Harbinger of the Apocalypse?

There's been a lot of hints that there is more to Estelle than meets the eye, seemingly too many hints for it to just be a coincidence. I think at the very least she has the same True Sight ability as Sally and Rachel.

idk if Rick would ever write a book where she's the protagonist. even if she were say 10 years old, 2 years younger than the youngest rrverse protagonist to date, Percy and Annabeth would be 27, old enough to have kids of their own, I can understand why he would be reluctant to go there, but as someone who has grown up with Percy, or rather grown up while Percy stays forever a teenager, I think would be cool to get a next gen story with Percy and co. as adult characters in the background

i hope the tsats sequel is an improvement on the original, but even if it's a great book there's still about a dozen riordanverse characters I would rather get a spinoff/"standalone" novel before another book about nico and will