#i have two more of these catalogs that i’ve already posted and i think this one os from the same year as one of them

[spooo00oky]

Siren’s Spell

Chapter one.

Pairing: siren!Wooyoung x reader

Genre: fantasy, eventual smut, romance, fluff

Word Count: 11k+

Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex and sexual innuendos (MDNI), mentions of past near drowning, Thalassophobia, cliff hanger for chapter 1 and more to come!

Author’s Note: Hello! This is my first story posted on here and I’m still getting used to tumblr and it’s been years since I’ve written anything and I’m rusty, so please be nice! The world was inspired by Crescent City so there will be some similarities, and I lightly edited this so there’s going to be grammatical and spelling errors. I already have chapter 2 in the works. I hope you enjoy!

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“y/n where’s the order I asked for yesterday?” a voice suddenly asked, jolting me from my thoughts as I worked on the finishing touches of a design in my sketch pad. The line now scratched right across the folds of the dress would have to be fixed, but for now that was ignored in favor of glaring at my boss.

“Belle, I told you to knock. The order is sitting on your desk as per the text I sent you yesterday,” I sighed.

Mirabelle leaned away from the glass door of my office, looking to her own which was two doors down, her blue hair swaying with the movement. Her lips formed a perfect circle as the realization dawned on her that she had completely missed the neatly wrapped box on top of her desk that contained a new shipment from a catalog. “Thank you! Sorry for startling you!” she said before quickly disappearing.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I went to correct the mistake on my design and continue on with my dress design. Belle was an eccentric fae, always fluttering around and mumbling to herself about whatever upcoming project. She was a great boss but needed help with remembering things, like things such as humans don’t have sensitive hearing and can’t hear most of the staff in the building long before they actually appear. That last part wasn’t entirely her fault though, I was only one in a handful of humans in the office building. It was hard to get accepted into places like this, even more so for humans in a supernatural creature dominated business.

Most humans in the city of Fairhaven stuck to their own sections of the city, where they were safest and not at the bottom of the food chain. Any further away from the human neighborhoods and it became more dangerous for us; not to say that they weren’t protected in the city by law enforcement but there were shady characters everywhere. It didn’t help that other supernatural creatures loved to view us as either toys to be played with or food. It had been a struggle to convince my parents that I would be fine away from home and in the heart of it all, the transition from a sleepy countryside town to a big city was draining enough for them.

I sigh and shut my sketch book. I note the time by the sun beginning to set. I packed my bag and grabbed my purse, heading out of my office. The sound of my door shutting didn’t disrupt the chattering of my other coworkers who were whispering around the coffee machine. “That’s the third one this week alone, do you think it’s a rogue vampire like it was the last time?” one of them whispered, to which the other replied that those were murders and the bodies were found; these were kidnappings.

“Ah there you are! Are you leaving already?” Belle suddenly appeared in front of me, nearly scaring me out of my skin and causing me to drop my things. I placed a hand on my chest in an attempt to calm my racing heart.

“Belle! We’ve talked about that!” I said in exasperation, not having the heart to even scowl at the already apologetic looking fae. She began to rock on her feet, her hands hidden behind her back in embarrassment. It was hard to stay upset with that warm, heart shaped face.

“She can’t hear you coming, remember?” a new voice said from behind me. I turned to see a blonde male come to stand next to me. He began teasingly patting my head at the drastic height difference between us. I narrowed my eyes at him and lightly knocked away his hand from my head, fixing my hair.

“The warning extends to you as well Mingi. There have been plenty of times you’ve scared me as well by sneaking up on me. Belle doesn’t do it intentionally at least,” I shot back at the lion shifter. “Plus she’s sweet so I can’t stay mad at her.”

Mingi rolled his eyes. “This is the thanks I get for getting you coffee every day? I don’t ask for payment or anything, and the coffee shop you like is really out of the way coming into work as well.”

“Mingi, you bought me coffee once like a month ago.”

“The coffee shop is right next to where you live as well. It takes you five extra steps to do it,” Belle pointed out, causing a burst of giggles to erupt from me at the look Mingi gave her. “And if my memory serves me correctly, she’s bought you lunch more times than you’ve bought her coffee.”

Mingi was quick to leave the conversation then, grumbling something about how Belle only has a good memory when it comes to pointing embarrassing things out. I wanted to tell him that it didn’t matter much to me if I treated more than he did, but he was gone before I could even get the words out. I didn’t dwell on it for long though. I’d talk to him when his wounded pride was healed up a bit. Turning back to Belle I wished her a goodnight and safe travel home before heading out myself, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder as I made it down to the streets.

The streets were busy this time of day in Fairhaven. Workers returning home to their families and the nightlife only just began as people milled around, the air alive with music and voices. I headed closer to the small sidewalk near the river that cut straight through the city, they were usually less crowded now as everyone flocked to the riverside store fronts and restaurants for food and company. My eyes gazed out at the deep blue river only a few feet beneath me and my stomach dropped towards my feet. I gave the bank of it a healthy distance to ease some of my nerves, but the idea of falling into it was enough for unease to creep down my spine. My mind flashed back to frigid waters and gasping for air before I shook my head, shooing the memories away. Fairhaven wasn’t the small town I grew up in.

‘You’re right it’s much worse.’ I let out a small huff of air at that small voice in my head, but I couldn’t dispute its accuracy. Here in Fairhaven, the land met the river and eventually the sea along its northern border. The Brighbalt was deep and large and wound its way through the center of the city, and stretched far deeper than originally met the eye. It housed some of the most monstrous creatures in its depths, all citizens of the underwater kingdom, Socix, that merely migrated into the city borders from the sea. It was an unspoken rule to all that no one entered the waters unless on a boat; no one knew for sure what lurked down there. There have been some occasions in which I have looked out at the river and nearly jumped in fright to see eyes staring back at me.

The very thought of those black, dead eyes staring back at me was enough to make my body shudder.

Something flashing in the corner of my eye brought me out of my thoughts, and my eyes glanced over towards the river again. I would’ve missed him if I didn’t do a double take on a secluded dock hidden between some fishermans’ boats, the dark scales camouflaging him in the shadows but the pearlescent sheen caught the sun at the right moment. He was sprawled out on the small dock, nearly taking up most of it as he rested his head on his arms. I would’ve been concerned that he was dead if it wasn’t for the massive dark colored tail sitting half in the water and the patches of scales that littered the upper half of his body.

A siren, I thought to myself in shock. While they most certainly weren’t unheard of, seeing one this far in the city was almost rare. They preferred to stick closer to the ocean, where they were able to sing their songs with no repercussions and prey on humans and supernatural creatures alike. In the city there were laws to follow and repercussions if said laws were broken, and from what I understood most sirens didn’t like that as it controlled a core part of who they were; their voice.

This siren looked like it was only sunbathing, but it was my first time seeing one that it was hard to look away. It became a problem when I suddenly bumped into a gorgon, his snakes hissing at me in irritation as I struggled to regain my footing after the sudden stop. I apologized profusely, seeing the way he had to adjust his sunglasses before walking away. That wouldn’t have gone well for anyone had those slipped any lower on his face. I sighed and glanced towards the siren and nearly froze when I saw his dark eyes were open and on me now, a smirk curling his lips as he leaned his head on his hand to watch me. I flushed in embarrassment and hurried towards one of the numerous bridges that connected the two halves of the city, embarrassed that I had a witness to my blunder.

The rest of the trip to my apartment was, thankfully, uneventful, and I made sure to lock the door behind me before I headed further inside.

With a belly full of reheated leftovers and my skin clean from a shower I fell into bed with a sigh, hoping sleep came quickly tonight. My mind wandered back to the siren I saw earlier, that smirk he had on his face still running through my mind. Of course he had to be attractive too, but that was as common as humans breathing air. It was all part of the trap, as if their voice wasn’t lethal enough their good looks could draw in unsuspecting beings as well.

Sleep did come quickly, but it was filled with nothing but black scales and white, sharp teeth.

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The rest of the week went as it usually did, working every day and arriving back home at my usual time. With work being as hectic and chaotic as it usually was for a big designer label, partially thanks to my friends Mingi and San, it was enough to keep me busy and come home exhausted each day. The only thing that stood out as a new occurrence each day was the presence of the siren, much to my own shock. I had thought seeing him that night was going to be it and he would return back to his home in the sea, but he was near that dock at the start of my day and at the end of it. He wasn’t always sunbathing, other times he was floating on his back in the water or he was eating a fish on a nearby rock, but his reaction to seeing me was always the same. He would seemingly perk up and that same smirk from our first encounter with each other would appear, and his eyes didn’t leave me until I couldn’t see him anymore. If it wasn’t for buildings separating his line of sight from me I have a feeling he would only continue to stare.

It was hard to tell if he had genuine good intent with the looks he gave me or if he was planning on making a meal out of me in his head. I was hoping that he was only awkward and didn’t know how to approach a land dweller, so he was hoping a smile would come across as nice. But I’ve heard the stories. Anything was free game if one went deep enough into the water, and sirens had a taste for things other than fish. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen that headline flash across the screen on the news channel; a person went missing only to be found a few days later with a chunk missing from them. There was a reason there were strict laws in place when it came to the ocean dwellers and their powers.

A knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see San standing there with a bright grin on his face. “A special delivery for a Miss l/n,” he said and produced a large bouquet of flowers from behind his back. His barbed tail swished excitedly behind him as he handed me the bouquet.

My brows scrunched in confusion as I took it from him, looking to him for answers. The demon looked at me with anticipation and I gathered that he wasn’t the sender of these flowers, and he was waiting for me to look at the card attached and spill the tea. San was such a gossip and so nosey, but it was hard to say no to him. No he didn’t use his demonic powers to sway people to tell him their secrets, he just had really cute puppy eyes. It was a weakness to everyone in the office.

I took the card and opened it, quickly reading through the romantic poem written inside to see who sent them. “They’re from Logan,” I said simply, looking back up at San when he sucked in air. His eyes were practically sparkling with enthusiasm and his tail was wagging like a dog’s.

“Logan as in that forest nymph? The one with the red hair?” he asked excitedly, now sitting on the edge of my desk to lean closer. “He seemed nice when he stopped by last week to give you lunch,” he began before he noticed the less than enthused look on my face. “Unless you guys are fighting and these are apology flowers?”

“What? No no!” I said quickly, laughing as I shook my head. “We’re not even together so it’s not like we can fight like that. This is just another attempt to win me over is all. He’s being very persistent.” I still had the gaudy necklace he gifted me two weeks ago, the wrapping paper and the box it came in worth more than some things in my apartment. The piece he gave me was yellow gold and the emerald that sat in the center of the metal was nearly the size of my palm, weighing a lot more than I was expecting as well. It was fit for someone with expensive tastes, and I was not that kind of person. We’ve only been tentatively talking for two months at best, and a gift as grand as this was too much at such an early stage. Now it had a better use of being a paper weight on my desk at home.

San frowned and his tail drooped. His head lowered slightly as he pouted down at me, the fluorescent lights glinted off of his black horns. “That’s disappointing. I was hoping something would have become of this too, you guys seemed like such a good match!”

I rolled my eyes. “San you’ve seen us together like two times and each of those times lasted ten minutes cumulatively. He’s just being too forward and pushy with it all and it gives me a bad feeling, you know? Like who gives someone a gold and emerald necklace after knowing them for two months?” I was also almost always busy with work. With how busy the design label was even on a slow day the last thing on my mind was a relationship. Logan seemed to want to monopolize my attention and he was about to be disappointed that it wasn’t going to happen. “I think I’m going to try and gently tell him no when I see him next. He should find someone that’s actually willing to give him the attention he wants.”

San pouted more but nodded. “I hope that goes well for you, and you know where to find me if he takes it poorly,” he said before standing to his feet again. He began to head towards the door before he turned to face me again, a serious look on his face. “Don’t let work keep you from being happy romantically, y/n. If you need a couple of nights off to go flirt with people and try to take someone home, just tell Belle. I’m sure she’d give you all the time off you want because she knows how much you do here.” A devilish smirk suddenly appeared on his face. “If you need help in the sex department as well, you know you can come to me for help. I don’t shame people if it’s their first time.”

My face burned bright red and I sputtered. “San! I’m not a virgin! I don’t need sex advice!” I cried just as Mingi stepped in with a folder in his hand. He gave me a wide eyed look as I looked at him in mild horror, having obviously heard everything I just said, before he nodded and walked out of the room without delivering what he had obviously come to do. I groaned and let my head drop to my desk, San’s laugh bouncing off of the walls. I was praying the floor would just swallow me up right about now. “What have I done in a past life to deserve this?” I whined.

“Lots of good things to deserve this blessing,” San said with a smirk as he motioned to himself before he showed himself out of the room, the smugness radiating off of him as he disappeared.

I lifted my head from the desk and began to pack up my things, done being teased for the day. Mingi nor San wouldn’t be letting it go anytime soon, so it’d be best if I disappeared for the rest of the night and recover before the storm tomorrow. Knowing those two they’d get Belle in on it as well, and she’d be buzzing by my office every five minutes to tease me about it.

“Y/n!”

Speaking of Belle. I turned to face her with a tentative smile, nervous that the two idiots that are my friends already got to her. “Yes?”

“I was hoping to catch you before you left, I just wanted to say to be careful getting home,” she said, a concerned expression on her face. “There’s a report of another kidnapping happening in the area, and I worry about you.”

Ah, that’s right. Fairhaven was experiencing a random influx of missing persons, all random citizens with no connection to the other, and all were residents from different parts of the city. Unfortunately there have been no witnesses to these events, and authorities are at a loss on what could’ve happened to them. Some citizens are already pointing the finger at the sea dwellers, while others are more skeptical and say it’s a rogue creature. It wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened, serial killers are a thing after all. Unfortunately the unknown depths of the river took most of the blame for anything mysterious that happened in the city, even though creatures such as vampires or shifters were capable of such things.

I gave Belle a small smile and nodded. “I’ll be careful I promise, thank you for your concern Belle,” I said with a wave before heading towards the doors and into the night.

The air made my clothes stick uncomfortably to my skin tonight, and I was dreading the walk home already. I sighed to myself as I headed down to the sidewalk, moving past the crowds of people towards the bank of the river. I found myself almost looking forward to seeing the siren tonight, his presence quickly becoming a part of my routine. Was it a little ridiculous that I was eager to see someone I hadn’t even spoken to? Maybe. I didn’t see the harm in it though, it wasn’t like I was doing anything drastic like suddenly marrying a stranger. I was just excited to see someone who was slowly becoming a constant sight is all.

I scanned the waters for any sight of that familiar head of dark hair, not spotting him at first. Has he already moved on and gone back home? I frowned a bit at the thought, but I didn’t get to dwell on it for long before the familiar mop of hair was breaking through the surface of the water. He ran a hand through his long hair as he waded in the blue waters, and I was so caught up in staring that I stumbled over a loose cobblestone. His head shot up at the noise and his eyes landed on me as I struggled to act like I hadn’t been staring at him, and that familiar smirk curled his lips. I smiled back at him as I continued to walk towards my apartment, and my heart nearly skipped a beat as I watched him swim closer to me. I paused in my walk as he opened his mouth, and there was a flash of his sharp teeth as he got closer.

“Little lady like you shouldn’t be walking alone at night,” a voice said and it was a moment later when I realized it wasn’t the siren speaking at all but the voice had come from behind me. Something flashed in the siren’s eyes before he ducked back under the water, quickly disappearing. To say I was a little disappointed was an understatement, but that thought fled my mind when I turned to see who had spoken to me.

“I can handle myself,” I grinned at the tall male behind me.

Logan smirked down at me, his green eyes shining in the setting sun as he reached to grab my hand. “I don’t know about that, it’d be better to have someone walk you home. Just to be safe.”

I made a show of fixing my hair due to a nonexistent breeze, trying to be subtle about not wanting him to hold my hand. If he saw through me he didn’t comment on it, instead he lowered his hand back down to his side. “Are you just coming from work? Did you get the flowers I sent you?”

I nodded. “I did, thank you for sending them. How did you know that roses were my favorite?” They really weren’t. Marigolds were my favorite, but I was trying to be nice at this point. Anything to soften the blow of telling him that I wasn’t interested anymore. Just the thought of doing this was making my hands clammy.

Logan grinned at the praise, his chest puffing out slightly. “Call it a special nymph power if you will. It’s kind of my job to know flowers and what people like, you know? Magic and everything.”

I felt slightly less bad for being mean.

“Well thank you again it really meant a lot. They’re sitting in a vase in my office actually.” They weren’t, I had accidentally knocked them off of my desk and into the garbage can while I was hiding in shame while San was teasing me. I wasn’t inclined to dig them out of there either, so in the trash they remained. I began to walk away from him, mumbling some excuse about needing to get home with a wave of my hand but was stopped as he grabbed it, keeping me in place. I swore I heard a deep rumbling sound but assumed it was a motorbike passing nearby.

“I want to take you out tomorrow night. It’s Saturday night, we’re young and deserve to have some fun, and I feel like I don’t see you enough anymore. You’re so cooped up in that office anymore, it’s driving me crazy,” he said and there was a strange edge to his voice that I didn’t quite understand but my gut was telling me to run. That could also be due to the fact that he could break my hand if he applied enough force right now. “I’ll pick you up from work and I’ll take you out on the best date of your life. Wear something pretty,” he said with a wink before he let go and walked away, disappearing into the crowd before I could even so much as begin to say no.

I groaned, running a hand through my hair in annoyance because now I was going to have to figure out a way to sneak out of work and away from him so I didn’t have to go on what would no doubt be the worst date of my life. Maybe I could call in a favor with San and Mingi?

I felt eyes boring into me and I glanced around to spot the source before they settled back on the water, nearly jumping seeing those dark eyes staring at me. The siren had popped his head out of the water and there was a dangerous glint in his eye, no sight of the friendly smile he had earlier. Already beyond flustered and annoyed with how this day was ending I was quick to leave the bridge, feeling the siren’s eyes on me until I disappeared around the corner of a building. The look in his eyes would follow me into dreamland tonight, and they had the same malevolent look to them as he watched me drown in my nightmares.

༄

I was dreading the morning today. It meant that it was Saturday, which meant Logan would be prowling around my office building when my day ended. I had already notified Belle of the situation and she was quick to respond by telling me to stay home today. I frowned at that option as well, because if he couldn’t find me at work there was no stopping him from trying to find me at my own apartment. I wanted to keep my apartment as a sanctuary for myself and myself only, I didn’t need Logan’s presence to interrupt the peace I had there. Plus he’d probably critique my interior design skills, claiming it needed his so-called “nymph magic” to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

Quickly coming up with a plan, I responded to Belle with what I had come up with before putting my phone away and getting ready for work. In my mind it was a win-win situation, I would still be able to go into work and get some things done and I would also be able to avoid Logan as well. All I had to do was miss him today and the next time I saw him I’d be able to tell him that it’d be best if we saw other people.

There was a pleasantly cool breeze today as I left my apartment building, and after the humidity of last night it left a small smile on my face. It was comical in the way that I kept glancing over my shoulder for any sign of the head of red hair, even though there was no threat of him until later on today. His presence was unsettling and irritating enough to put me on edge for the morning.

Crossing over the usual bridge I took, habitually I glanced out over the water to where the siren usually resided only to be further disappointed. There was no sign of him today, and I kept my eyes in the waves in case he made a sudden appearance like yesterday. There was no sight of him and a frown pulled at my lips when I entered the office building. Maybe it was the look he had on his face yesterday when I walked away from the river that left a sour taste in my mouth at not seeing him this morning, or maybe it was the fact that subconsciously he had become part of my daily routine. Whatever the case may be, the lack of him had definitely affected my mood and it showed.

“Belle filled San in on what's going to happen today, but San won’t tell me about it because I apparently give things away too easily. Would you be so kind as to explain what the plan is so I’m not walking in blind?” Mingi asked, walking beside me to my office. I half heartedly chuckled at his wounded expression, it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t have a good poker face. Mingi was just too honest of a person to hide things well.

“Logan said he was going to pick me up from work today and that he was going to take me out on a date. He didn’t even give me an opportunity to say no and to break things off with him before he left, and I really don’t want to go on this date. So, I have things to get done still but I’m going to be leaving early so there’s no chance of our paths crossing. San is going to distract him and tell him I left early because I wasn’t feeling well, while I sneak out the back and head to somewhere that isn’t my apartment. Your job today is to be a concerned friend because your best friend is sick,” I explained to him, setting my back down on my desk.

Mingi raised a brow as he watched me get settled. “That’s barely a job though, I can do more than that! At least let me be a look out in case he comes in earlier, my office is near the entrance,” he pouted. He was attempting to replicate San’s puppy dog eyes but unfortunately it didn’t quite meet the standard. His presence brightened my mood a bit already though, so I decided to humor him.

“Fine you can be a look out. I doubt he’d come any earlier than when I get off though, he knows Belle wouldn’t let me get off any earlier than what I was scheduled unless it was an emergency.” A total lie. Belle would let me take a month off right now just because I wanted to, but she took on the role of a harsh boss if it meant I could have even a bit of peace in knowing Logan wouldn’t come around during working hours and disturb me. She took great care in that role as well, her usual bright demeanor clouded over by an angry expression and her tone turning harsh and snappish towards those she was close to. It never ceased to amuse San and he struggled to keep his composure when Belle would snap at him about him leaving a coffee cup out and it had spilled all over a magazine she had been reading or whatever else she could come up with.

Mingi’s expression brightened at his now upgraded role in the plan today, and he hurried out of my office and towards his own, leaving me to my own thoughts. I suddenly missed his presence as I began to get to work creating a rough draft for a new dress design, pulling out my fabric and pins to begin the process. He was a great distraction that I didn’t realize I was wanting as I began to work, my mind focused on anything else but the task at hand. I was sluggish from the lack of sleep last night due to recurring nightmares, and my thoughts were centered around iridescent black scales and dark eyes that had bored holes into me even in my dreams. Why had he looked almost furious after I had spoken with Logan? Maybe forest nymphs and sirens had a long history that I wasn’t aware of and his presence had irritated him being so close to his home turf?

I shook my head in an attempt to clear the thoughts away. It was dumb to be this concerned over a person I had never even spoken to. He was a stranger that I saw everyday, nothing more. There had been no contact between us other than glances thrown at each other, so why was it that one morning I didn't see him and it’s enough to dampen my mood? Maybe I should find a different route home from now on so I could distance myself from his usual spot.

The morning dragged on, time crawling ever so slowly as I struggled to stay focused on work. It wasn’t until the rough outline of a dress was pinned to the mannequin that my phone began to buzz excessively, and I dropped everything to grab it. Ten different text messages flashed on my screen, all from Mingi, and my stomach dropped when I read them. Logan had come early with yet another bouquet of roses, asking to speak to Belle about letting me off early today so that he and I could go out for a lunch date. Mingi texted me that he had already sent San out to deliver the news that I had been sent home sick, and that he’d cover for me to sneak out the back door.

I quickly thanked him before I packed up my things, not even bothering to put away the skeleton of a dress before I was walking down the hall to the stairwell. I wouldn’t take a chance on the elevator today because the door to it was right next to the front entrance, and about halfway down the steps I was cursing myself for wearing heels today. If things kept going like this I’d have to make it a point to keep a spare set of sneakers in my office to make a speedy and comfy escape.

Thankfully the building was busy this morning so remaining hidden from Logan’s eyes was easy. Most everyone was taller than me so ducking behind groups of people milling about made my escape quicker, and soon enough I was making my way down the road and away from the office. I wasn’t planning on going home in case he decided to try and show up there, so I headed in a different direction than what I usually took. Instead today I headed towards the busier sections of the city, getting lost in the crowds of people that were out and about. Nymphs have better senses than humans, but my scent would easily get lost in a crowd this large for a nymph. If Logan had been a shifter of any predator variant then it would be a different story and I would’ve had to have been more illusive with my escape.

I trailed along one of the busier streets of Fairhaven, vendors and small riverside restaurants dotted alongside the road. The air was filled with the voices of people wandering around and bartering or ordering their meals, and it was easy to get swept up in it all and just aimlessly wander around as well. I window shopped as I walked, admiring the latest fashion trends and some apothecary shops selling crystals and potions, passing groups of children gazing at a toy shop that had mechanical dragons flying around inside. If I had grown up in the city I would’ve been right there with them, the shop was magical even by adult standards. What I wouldn’t give to see it through the eyes of a child as well.

My head whipped up when I saw red hair out of the corner of my eye and I didn’t even think twice before I was ducking into the nearest building which happened to be a cafe. I got a few looks from the patrons at my rushed entrance into the building but they all went back to their coffee cups with no comment as I made my way to a table hidden behind some plants. I took a seat and kept glancing towards the door, tense as I waited to see that familiar face pass by the glass. It very well could’ve been someone else, but I wasn’t willing to take any chances when it had been going so smoothly thus far. It was possible he had decided to take the same route I had by random chance.

I vaguely realized I looked like I was being chased with the way I kept glancing towards the door, and I was only drawing attention to myself. I pulled out my phone and began to aimlessly scroll through my social media, anything to try and blend seamlessly into the background of the cafe. I’d have to make a point of buying something soon so I wouldn’t get kicked out for loitering, that would be counterproductive to what I was trying to do right now.

The bell above the door chimed and I shrunk further into the shadows of the plant, not even bothering to look up in an attempt to hide my face from whoever had just walked in. Anyone with sensitive hearing would’ve been able to pick up on the way my heart seemed to thump loudly in my chest as my body tensed, seeing the newcomer walking past my table slowly out of the corner of my eye. The conversation seemed to die down momentarily as they passed before resuming at normal volume, and it only made my heart race. Was Logan’s presence enough to cause such a reaction? He was good looking, yes, but nothing worthy of quieting a room full of people. Who exactly had walked in then?

I had been so absorbed in trying to figure out if a celebrity had walked in from the conversations around me and trying to disappear entirely that I missed the deep voice that ordered at the counter and the steps that were rounding back to me until it was almost too late. I shrunk inwards on myself as the steps neared and I didn’t dare to look up until a cup of coffee and a plate of scones was placed in front of me. Confusion swept through me and I ignored every instinct telling me to keep looking at my phone in favor of looking up who had stopped at my table, and when I say I looked “up” I mean it.

He stood at about seven feet tall and I had the startling realization that with how tall he was with legs he had ultimately shrunk from the even bigger size he was with his tail. He seemed pleased by the shocked expression on my face, because there was humor dancing in the deep brown coloring of his eyes as he smirked down at me. Those teeth looked even sharper up close, and my heart skipped a beat in my chest at the sight. He obviously heard it because his smirk grew into a downright devious grin. It wasn’t entirely my fault though, I’d never thought I’d see a siren walking around on land is all. “You look like you could use something to brighten your day, so here,” he said, his voice deep and smooth and I felt myself being subconsciously drawn to it. I quickly regained control of my actions though, scolding myself for being swayed by his powers.

My mind had quickly become scrambled from the sudden appearance of the siren, let alone on legs, and I blinked before finally being able to form a coherent thought. “Oh, thank you…”

“You can call me Wooyoung. It’s about time you got to know what you’ll be moaning later,” he said with a wink and it was a knee jerk reaction to roll my eyes. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that line I’d have enough money to never work a day in my life again. My reaction only seemed to amuse him more as his laugh bounced off the walls of the cafe, the sound infectious. By now the other patrons had turned to watch our interaction, and a quick glance around confirmed that all eyes were on us. In my attempt to disappear I had become the center of attention.

Wooyoung seemed to notice as well, but it didn’t seem to bother him as he winked at me again. “I’ll be seeing you around…” it was his turn to trail off, his gaze expectant as he watched me.

“Y/n,” I introduced myself, reaching a hand forward for the cup of coffee. I didn’t make a move to drink from it yet, though, wanting to see what his next action would be. Also I didn’t want to make a fool of myself if I choked.

“Y/n,” he said the name softly, his smile growing as he tasted the word on his tongue. He nodded to himself before beginning to walk away from the table, sending one more look my way over his shoulder before he disappeared in the crowd of people, sipping his own coffee as he left.

I only turned to the coffee and food on my table when I was sure he was gone for good, taking a tentative sip of the beverage and humming happily. For just guessing he had gotten pretty close to what I would prefer, the sweet taste coating my tongue. The scones were also delicious, but that I already knew from previous times of stopping here for a pick me up. He had been right after all, I did need something to brighten my mood.

༄

Thankfully the rest of the week went by Logan free, and he seemed to buy the excuse of me being sick and didn’t question it much. I did have to put my foot down when he offered to come and feed me his homemade soup though, claiming that his nymph magic would heal me right up. I may be human but I wasn’t stupid, I knew nymphs of any kind didn’t possess healing magic. I was starting to grow concerned that “nymph magic” was a euphemism for something else, and it was all the more reason to keep him away from me.

Belle suggested I take a day off of work to play up the pretenses that I really was sick, and I took her up on the offer. If he had the nerve to try and take me away from my job in the middle of the day I wouldn’t put it past him to try and see me in the middle of it again. I think she was also using it as an excuse to give me a day off, she’s been pestering me about it for weeks now. She tries so hard to be more accommodating to her human employees, knowing that we can’t work as much as the others because our bodies need rest. My pride wouldn’t let me take a random day off in the middle of the week, so we often butted heads on my work schedule. She won this time though, but I’m using Logan as a legitimate excuse to miss one day.

Once that day was over though it was work as usual, the office was busier than usual with the upcoming fashion show in only a few weeks. My excuse of work being super busy to keep me from seeing Logan was a partial truth now, my schedule was packed with meetings and finishing touches on designs. I preferred this though, it kept me busy and kept things interesting. Mingi’s usually well kept long blonde hair looked a little messy each day he came in, like he had just rolled out of bed and barely made it on time, and San had the faintest of shadows beneath his eyes from the long hours. It was during times like this that morale was low and Belle usually stepped in with buying us all lunch to encourage us to keep working hard, despite the bags under her own eyes as well.

Another daily ritual that has begun this week were the gifts from Wooyoung. At first I didn’t think much of it, I had spotted a shiny rock on the sidewalk on my way to work and I had picked it up and brought it home. The second day was different because in the exact same spot were a handful of more rocks, all of varying size and color and all were shiny. It looked like someone had taken the time to hand pick these and set them here, and I had looked around in case a child had set them here for a reason. As I was looking I nearly jumped out of my skin when my eyes met those of Wooyoung who was right at the edge of the river, much closer than I was expecting and making absolutely no sound as he appeared. Had it been a less kinder creature I wouldn’t have even realized that death was looking me in the face until it was too late.

Wooyoung only stared at me, half of his head poking out of the water as he watched me with curiosity. I made no move to grab the stones, holding my hand awkwardly above them as I waited for any word if they were his or not. He was looking at me like they were, and I think dying from touching a siren’s special rock was a really embarrassing way to go, so I had frozen up in the act of reaching for them. We had stayed like that for a few minutes before his eyes flicked to the stones and back up to me, a small nod accompanying the movement.

I got the message and I picked up the stones, smiling at him as I held them up for closer inspection. “Thank you, they’re really pretty,” I told him, putting the rocks in my pocket. His eyes crinkled at the corners and even though I couldn’t see it I knew he was smiling, and the tips of his ears turned red as well. Was he the bashful type? He certainly didn’t seem like it when we had spoken on Saturday, he seemed to be very confident in himself then. “You seem to like to wear this color,” he said, raising out of the water slightly and pointing to a blue stone in my hand before motioning to my ears. I realized he was talking about my earrings. Before I could ask anymore questions he dipped beneath the water and didn’t resurface, and I was left staring at my rippling reflection.

After that the gifts were still left in the same spot accompanied by Wooyoung’s lingering gazes. It remained as pretty rocks and crystals before they slowly transitioned to pearls and even some small gemstones, and I would be concerned he was robbing banks if I didn’t already know there were hundreds of shipwrecks in the waters of Fairhaven. With each grander gift he seemed to grow more confident in himself, winks and compliments often accompanied the stones and gems. “This gem reminds me of your eyes,” was a common one he liked to say, and the usual grin he had grew each time I blushed. Most of the time the gifts were colors that he seemingly picked up on that I gravitate more towards, and others were colors he thought would compliment me. I wasn’t sure if this was just a Wooyoung thing or customary for those who lived below the surface, but it felt wrong to receive so many gifts and not return the favor.

The morning I surprised Wooyoung with a cup of coffee was the day I was sure there were stars in his eyes. I had finally braved getting closer to the water than ever before, walking to the edge of the water and kneeling there. He had arrived a few minutes later, looking like he was in a rush before he deposited a handful of pearls and gems before me. He gave me a sheepish look as I picked them up, seeing that some of the pearls this time were slightly distorted and bumpy; different from the near perfect pearls he would usually bring.

“These were the only ones I could find in time, I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I can take them back if you don’t want them, I’ll find you better ones.”

I closed my hand around them and put them in my pocket, already planning on adding them to the box I set aside just for these gifts. “I love them,” I told him honestly, smiling to try and reassure him. That worried look on his face melted away before being replaced by a warm smile.

I suddenly remembered that I had a gift as well before I held out the cup of coffee, giving him my own sheepish smile. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just guessed,” I explained as I waited for his reaction. I knew he drank coffee at least, if he had a sweet or bitter preference was beyond me though so I settled for the bitter. I had mentally cursed myself for not paying attention to his order when I was in line that morning.

Wooyoung’s entire expression lit up like a child on the Winter Solstice, and he quickly propelled himself out of the water and settled himself down on the ledge before taking it from me. He took a sip and hummed happily, his tail swaying in the water as he looked at me like I had hung the stars and moon in the sky, and I took his reaction as if he liked it. “Thank you so much,” he said, a genuine smile spreading across his lips as he gazed at me with a mixture of awe and something else I couldn’t quite place.

I nodded and kneeled beside him, not even making a move to dangle my feet in the water. “Thank you for the gifts you’ve given me. It’s not much but I hope you like it,” I told him, feeling guilty for how mundane and simple my gift seemed to be in comparison to the actual gems he’s given me. I didn’t want to come off as rude if it was customary to give back a gift if you receive one in his culture, so it was better than nothing. I’d find a way to make it up to him somehow at a different time, but for now the coffee will suffice.

“It means a lot to me,” he said before going back to sipping it, watching me closely.

I suddenly felt exposed under his gaze and I had to look away, anywhere but at his eyes that looked like they were waiting for something else from me. My eyes settled on his tail then, the black scales shining in the morning light as I focused on that instead. My guess is that while in this form he reached around thirteen feet from the top of his head to the tip of his tail, and I nearly blanched at this revelation. Was everything in the water big?

“Your tail is pretty,” I said simply, and had to resist cringing at how lame that sounded. Was it socially acceptable to even say something like that to a siren? I wasn’t sure, in fact, I don’t think anyone really was. Socix was very secretive and withdrawn from everything up top, and gave away very little about their own laws and customs that would be very helpful for situations like this. To be fair, these interactions were rare.

Wooyoung laughed, the sound loud and infectious as he smiled at me. He scooted himself closer to me, swinging his lower half closer in the same movement before he wiggled his brows in my direction. “You can touch it if you want,” he said, truthfully looking like he was talking about something else and not his tail. I decided to believe that he had good intentions and not it was an innuendo and tentatively reached out, my fingertips grazing the smooth scales. It was softer than it looked, and I was quickly mesmerized by just how many colors were hidden in the shine of them. There were even small dots speckled around them, lighter in comparison to the rest of his body.

“You’d be able to see it better if you came into the water with me,” he said suggestively and I was quick to shake my head. He raised a brow at that, reaching out and taking my hand in his. He was noticeably cooler to the touch than I was, but I didn’t pull away. “There’s more tricks that you won’t see up here.”

“I’ll stay up here, actually. I’m afraid of water,” I explained, my cheeks burning in embarrassment.

Wooyoung’s eyes widened comically and then he was cackling, dropping my hand in the process as he nearly toppled over from the force of his laughter. His tail moved and I grimaced as my pant leg was now soaked, thankful that Belle wasn’t a stickler for dress code.

“Well isn’t that ironic,” he said once his laughter had subsided, looking at me with mirth shining in his eyes.

I chuckled and nodded in agreement. “Yeah I guess so.” A girl who’s least favorite thing to do is be around water moves to a city where one of the main focuses is the water? I could see the irony in it, but I had little choice in the matter. It was either this or stay in the small town I grew up in where nothing happened. I was fine with being this close to it before I had met Wooyoung.

“That’ll have to change if this is to continue,” he said before finishing the last of his coffee, neatly tossing the garbage into a nearby trash bin. I was only mildly impressed by his aim and precision. He hopped off the ledge and sank beneath the surface only slightly, his tail propelling him upwards so his head remained above the surface so that he could still speak to me. “I’ll let you be on your way to work though. I’ll see you tonight, be safe please,” he said with a smile before he was gone.

That had been two days ago, and like clockwork I saw Wooyoung each morning before work and on my way home. Each morning he would give me a gift of gems and pearls and I would try to give back when I could, some mornings being just coffee and other mornings being coffee and a pastry from the cafe. He was delighted by each one, propelling himself out of the water to sit on the ledge next to me and talk before I would have to head into work. Most of the time they were really basic questions, such as what was my favorite food or what my favorite color was. Other questions were along the lines of “if you’re afraid of water then how do you bathe?” to which I lightly slapped his shoulder in response to.

Today was no different, I sat by Wooyoung on the side of the river and chatted away with him before he was lowering himself back into the water. He reached out and grabbed my hand, stopping me before I could get to my feet again. He smirked up at me but I was immune to it by now. I figured out a while ago that Wooyoung was a flirt by nature. “I want to show you something tonight, so now you have an excuse to see me when you leave work,” he told me.

I rolled my eyes. “Like I wouldn’t be stopping by anyway.” I gently pulled my hand away from him and stood up from my spot, smiling down at him. “I’ll stop by here I promise,” I said with a final wave before I began to head towards the building, a small smile pulling at my lips as I entered.

The sound of rustling paper reached my ears before a familiar presence reached my side, and I greeted Mingi cheerily.

“Oh someone’s in a good mood today,” he said with a smirk and I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes as I walked to my office. “What happened to put you in such a good mood today? Someone buy your coffee at the shop?”

“Can’t I just be in a good mood? Maybe I caught up on sleep finally and I woke up feeling well rested.”

“Mmm nope, that smile says that you met someone. I’ve seen it many times before. So who’s the lucky guy? Or did Logan finally manage to pull his head out of his ass and you’re finally coming around to him?”

I nearly jumped into Mingi at San’s sudden entrance. He at least had the decency to look guilty for startling me so suddenly, but I huffed in annoyance before entering my office. I was one jump scare away from putting bells on everyone.

The boys made themselves comfortable in the chairs around the room, making it apparent that they weren’t going to drop the subject. That was fine, I was great at ignoring outside distractions and focusing solely on my work. I silently answered in the way of settling in and dragging the mannequin towards me, obviously about to start working on it. San narrowed his eyes before sighing and crossing his arms over his chest, his tail flicking in irritation. “You know we can smell him on you, right? There’s no sense in hiding that you met someone else in front of two creatures that can pick up on the distinct smell that isn’t yours.”

I sighed, sinking low into my seat. Of course I had to be friends with beings who could smell a male on me, and probably knew that he wasn’t of the human variety. The males before me were stubborn as well and I knew they wouldn’t let it go until I spilled the beans, especially San. He was the worst when it came to subjects like this, and it was worse with those he cared about. He wanted to know every detail of my love life and I swear he was more invested in it than I was. “It’s not like that I’ve only known him for like two weeks.”

“Details details, who is it? He smells like seaweed, so did you jump from a forest nymph to a river nymph? Or maybe a shifter? I can’t think of any shifter that I know that can live in water,” Mingi stated, already beginning to ramble a bit. He didn’t show it but he was just as invested as San was in my love life.

“He’s a siren,” I whispered and I swear you could hear a pin drop with how quiet it got in the room. Mingi visibly paled and San’s eyes got so wide it looked like they’d fall out. They didn’t say anything and neither did I, beginning to play with a piece of skin on my thumb as I waited for them to collect themselves. I knew they wouldn’t react the best to the news of Wooyoung’s presence in my life, but no one really did when it came to matters concerning what happened below the river. If Wooyoung was aiming to kill me he had plenty of opportunities to do so, so I don’t think he was a threat to me. If he was a threat to others was a different matter.

“How in the seven rings of Hell did you meet a siren in the city?” San asked, looking like he still hasn’t fully processed what I had just told them.

“He was laying on a dock and it just kind of happened from there,” I said with a shrug.

“Do you make a habit of talking to random half naked men on docks then?” Mingi asked which earned him a smack on the back of the head from San. “What? I know they’re not big on clothes down there!”

I groaned and flopped backwards in my chair. “No I don’t talk to half naked men on docks! Look there’s a lot more that happened and it’s not like that. Wooyoung is only a friend I just happened to make, nothing more, alright?“

San gave me a concerned look before he eventually sighed, giving up on the matter. He stood from his seat and pet my head, concern for my well-being in his eyes, no judgment at all. “We just worry about you, y/n. A siren suddenly appearing in the middle of the city when these kidnappings are suddenly sprouting up is concerning. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”

I huffed. “There’s more than just sirens in those waters, you all know that, and there’s no proof that those missing people are due to things in the water. If Wooyoung truly meant me harm he had plenty of opportunities already but the only male that’s been a burden to me was Logan. I’ll be fine, I promise,” I told him, holding his gaze.

The mention of the fact that Wooyoung has done nothing to harm me yet seemed to lessen the tension in both of their shoulders, and San nodded before patting my head one more time before leaving the room. “Time to actually do work Mingi, no more gossiping!”

Mingi groaned before following him out, giving me one last smile over his shoulder before he disappeared around the corner. I relaxed in my chair once they were gone, letting out a long breath. Their worries were valid, there wasn’t much knowledge about the citizens of Socix and their customs and culture, only the laws that kept everyone safe in both parties. Wooyoung’s arrival to the city was just poorly timed with these disappearances, that was all. He was just a resident like anyone else here.

Finishing up the dress didn’t do much to take my mind off of things, but it did make the time go by faster. Happy with the final touches, I sent the dress off to be approved by Belle and be fitted for a model before packing up my things and heading out of the building. I waved to Mingi on my way out, and he waved back enthusiastically. It seems like our conversation earlier didn’t bother him much, and it was a relief to see that as I left the building.

My first stop was Wooyoung’s spot, but upon arriving I didn’t see him. I frowned and knelt where I had this morning, checking my phone to see the time. I wasn’t early or late by any means and he was usually already waiting here for me, so to not see that cheeky smile waiting for me was disheartening. I decided to wait here for a little longer in case he was running late.

Now that I think about it, did Wooyoung have a job? Were jobs even a requirement to live in Socix or was everyone able to live without needing a nine to five there? It was just now dawning on me that I didn’t know much about Wooyoung and what he does when I was at work. I only know that he shows up in the morning and at night as I’m heading home. I know some of the time is used in searching for the he’s been giving me, that much is obvious, but what about the rest?

I checked the time again and sighed, rising to my feet and starting to head to the bridge. I realized that a part of me had been excited to see what he wanted to show me, even if I ran the risk of having to go into the water. I had been curious and subconsciously looking forward to it, or more likely it was just him. I had been looking forward to seeing him again tonight as I did most nights now, his presence warm and inviting and it was hard not to fall for his charm.

I didn’t even realize I was halfway across the bridge as a voice shouted for me. I turned to look and my stomach dropped to my feet when I saw a face I had been avoiding like the plague for a week now running towards me. I had half a thought to bolt in the opposite direction, but nymphs were faster than humans and I didn’t even have that cover of a crowd to hide in; the bridge was empty right now. Plus it was time I put a stop to this finally, no more playing this game of hide and seek and no more looking over my shoulder as I was walking around. It also wasn’t fair to him that I didn’t have the courage to voice my feelings, he didn’t do anything wrong besides having a not so pleasant personality. He deserved to go find someone that could tolerate him.

“Hey Logan,” I greeted, moving off to the side in case of anyone wanting to pass by us. I glanced down at the water and felt my stomach lurch, and I turned back to the nymph before I could start to panic.

“How are you feeling now? Better I hope, you were looking pretty haggard the last time I saw you before our date. We still have to reschedule that by the way,” he said, flashing me a smile.

I felt my brow twitch in annoyance considering the last time I saw him in person I wasn’t even sick. Was he really that self absorbed to even notice that my appearance had never changed? Or was he that concerned with getting in my pants? I was choosing the latter with the way his eyes flicked over my body, a movement I would’ve missed if I had blinked.

I plastered a fake smile on my face, hoping it was convincing enough for him. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that date.”

Suddenly there was a loud splash that rang out, making both of us turn towards the sound just in time to see Wooyoung arching perfectly over the side of the bridge and straight towards me. His eyes glowed with fury and his teeth bared in a snarl as he reached out for me and panic surged through me at the sudden realization that this was it for me. I only had time to gasp before his arms wrapped around me, securing me to his chest and we were diving into the water on the other side of the bridge.

The water was colder that I was anticipating, and I sucked in water on impact. My lungs burned as water filled them and my heart thundered in my chest as I struggled in Wooyoung’s grip. He held on tightly though, his grip strong as he dragged me deeper and deeper until I couldn’t see the sun anymore. Dark spots were beginning to cloud my vision, my lungs feeling like they were about to burst and my struggles began to weaken before stopping all together. I went limp in his arms, too weak to struggle as he drowned me. At least he was giving me that courtesy before he ate me.

His laughter was one of the last things I heard before I slipped into unconsciousness, the sound bringing me back enough to hear his last words to me.

“You’re not supposed to breathe in water, dummy.”

༄

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[icabod-i-s-cariot]

Decently aged wip of me working on a redesign for Alastor before my more recent reimagining concept, early on I only wanted to really alter some concepts with the character while attempting to keep things similar (the most notable change was making his animal a goat instead of a deer — people usually do that for Charlie, but my idea for Charlie and Lucifer has always been to use birds instead of goat imagery) and give him a larger swing and jazz inspiration, one of my notable inspirations was screamin’ Jay hawkins. He was also loosely based on the goat man of New Orleans. There’s a version of this sketch with goat eyes but I’m too lazy rn to grab it. Under cut is some info of my new concept

Ok so I’m order to keep some concepts of Alastor intact while still heavily remixing them, I made him a her. This kills two birds with one stone, as a female led show I think female characters being in the majority of the main cast helps, which will only help with me deciding to give nifty a more prominent role in the cast. My lady’s current name while I work out the details is Alevtina, and she was a famous musician in her life time who disappeared under mysterious circumstances which only heightened the level of her popularity post mortem. I decided to switch her sun with pentious’ in my last post so she is now largely represented by the envy sin. I couldn’t help myself with this I just love making evil women who you lowkey want to succeed in being downright atrocious, eventually I’ll reveal everything about her once I have sketched a few solid concepts with this version of the character, she’s likely going to be the one I focus on rn because I think she’d be the one I have the most reference pieces for (1930s fashion has a lot of results and catalog pictures I’ve found, including hair tutorials and different types of clothes depending on the occasion, that and I’ve saved so much freaky deer shit) and it’s a good chance to work on fem anatomy. After her the character I have the most for reference wise is nifty, I moved her to 1950s France so that I can keep some of the visuals aligned with her clothing, and there’s a lot to read on 1950s French womens wear. One thing I wanna do for each of the characters is solidify small things that they enjoyed in life that have an enhanced meaning after death outside of larger associations already center stage in their characterizations, so right now a lot of this is writing and collecting images and pieces of inspiration.

[9w1ft]

Hi :) Sorry to disturb but I’m not sure who to ask this to, and I think perhaps you might be able to help?

I’ve been a kaylor for the past two years but I still have my doubts on the timeline from the lover era and forward.

I was wondering if you believe that during these years taylor and karlie broke up. I first got the idea while listening to folklore, and realised that perhaps some of these “fictional” stories were not fictional at all so I’ve believed for a long time that kaylor broke up during the lover era and that lead to the very depressing songs on both folklore and evermore and others on midnights like maroon.

recently, though, I’ve started to have doubts cause I’ve seen some of your posts and there are a lot of coincidences that link karlie and taylor, like that pic of karlie in that blue thing hinting at 1989 tv.

Would you mind clarifying what you personally believe? Or do you have a timeline post that might help me?

sorry to disturb you and thank you if you read/answer this <3

hey! thank you very much for your ask

sorry it took some time to answer. in these trying times it’s always hard to gauge how much you want to lay it all out 😆

here is a post i wrote a little bit ago, though it is kind of vague as well

there is no timeline post i know of that explains the timeline that i believe, sadly. but i have never been in a rush to write one because i kind of think they would want to have this pocket of time that is forever ambiguous, because of the decisions they might have made.

at a base level i don’t think that it’s so difficult to comprehend. what’s the old phrase? first comes love, then comes marriage, then…. you can probably recall the rest. these are milestones that it’s not wild to assume someone might hope to achieve with the love of their life, you know?

i’m going to also assume you believe that they were together during at least part of lover era. seeing as how the lover music video shows the image of two parents in a house gifting their child a snowglobe with their love story inside of it. we see that taylor is already thinking ahead to the kind of life she might want to lead. and because of celebrity tiktoks we have this hint that taylor was very likely to have come out at the end of june 2019 in lover era, but did not.

so if we are to assume that this is what happened, that taylor got the rug pulled from under her and suddenly scooter was poised to profit off of taylor’s work, we might say that one thing taylor decided to do was halt her best laid plan. there may have been several things that froze her but one big reason, i believe, is because it would have led to an explosion of traffic from new listeners, all of which scooter would have financially benefitted from. there’s an interview out there where taylor talks about going out of her way to prove a point, and while you can infer she’s talking about re-recording her work to the interviewer, i think it goes beyond that.

think about karlie in this situation as well. if taylor and karlie were going to be publicly friendly again, that, also, would have led to so much publicity and attention on taylor’s back catalog, meaning more money for scooter. but also, karlie was still managed by scooter at the time, and it would probably have led to more bank for him via her because of taylor’s coming out. in my mind, i believe taylor and karlie decided to once again abandon working toward a public reconciliation, that you could argue they had been working towards for awhile, again. they had to tear down the banners again. karlie at once pared down what she was doing and stuck to several important partnerships. heck, she even gave up on hosting a television show that scooter’s company rebooted. with her adidas line, in the behind the scenes footage of her starting her partnership she gushes about how this is something she’s wanted her whole life. estée lauder as well, was something else she said she wanted since she was a kid. these along with carolina herrera seem to me like the precious few things she held onto.

sometimes i think about how karlie started wearing a necklace that said “i can and i will” in a distinctly tayloresque font as she continued being seen with scooter. how she wore this necklace and took all the heat from all the boneheads out there until eventually, we will get mad woman and vigilante shit. good wives always know. she had the envelope where you think she got it from, etc.. to me, this is the proof that they were still very much fine, although they may have been feigning it a bit to get a few things done.

i tried writing some extra stuff for you but sadly it is just more vague thoughts. but if you are interested, take a look below the cut!

before we get tracks like mad woman and vigilante shit, it is still the failed coming out era and taylor is wearing black jumpsuits with jackets tied around her waist and she looks sad. miss americana becomes a political documentary… sometimes i think about taylor’s explanation of the song hoax to aaron during lpss where she explains how she was mad at a lot of different things and people at once.

but then, it’s the strangest thing because the man music video is released, and while taylor bashes men —as she should— its also a very playful and upbeat video where she embodies this persona who is, among other things, the world’s best dad… and then there start to be all these dad jokes. oh yeah, and then the pandemic happened? taylor’s mother also had publicly reported health struggles. lover fest is cancelled. we are in a new landscape, where taylor is thinking about her life and how she wants to live it. she spends some time out west. karlie spends some time out west. karlie starts wearing the Courage onyx amulette de cartier again. jack leopards and the dolphin club release look what you made me do for finding eve.

oh also, folklore is being written from day two of the pandemic, and in time it gets released and then there’s a huge uptick in rumors and articles but in time karlie announces she is with child and everything gets quiet again. well, with a little clowning here and there for good measure but, a lot of fans who were on the kaylor fence hopped off of it. evermore. a feeling so peculiar that the pain wouldnt be forevermore. leave the chips on your shoulder behind, leave it all behind, and maybe there is happiness. interestingly, taylor says she wrote happiness last and like, a week before dropping evermore. she says its a song where she channels a friend who got out of a long term thing and how it’s about how does she pack everything up and put it (it as in… everything?) in a car and drive away (drive away with everything?) and what does she leave there. she also says that she doesn’t know what’s next, that she has no plans anymore. we are now on to no plan taylor. taylor in her no plan era. then we get bonus tracks and karlie —pregnant— gets so much hate directed her way. like if there was ever a soldier down on that icy ground moment for these two i wonder if it wasn’t here (though i think it was likely earlier) but like you say, the coincidences keep coming and the lyrics keep lyricing and things like renegade get released and all and all things continue to make a bunch of sense as to why they’re still connected to one another. oh and taylor wins a grammy for folklore in march minutes after levi is announced to the world. sometimes i think about how the meaning for the name levi is “unity” or “joined” and i think about the kinds of divides there were out there with the you’s and how across the great divide there is happiness, when you… leave… it behind. oh did i mention she continued to use that family crest symbol as she started her re-record journey?

just gonna skip forward to midnights. taylor releases an album that, for me, miraculously, was not just another ‘confessional’ album, but one that provided several songs that together gave literally all the key elements i was looking for in order to solve the mystery for myself. i can identify a potential reason for why things are the particular setup that they are right now and why not the other way around, i see —and hear— something about an important day, and something about an important period of time, and i see a music video that’s quite prophetic, and i hear taylor telling hard truths to the people that need to hear them, whether or not they choose to is still up in the air.

there are so many tour moments and moments during this tour that i could point toward but… i’m pretty sure most of those beats are fresh in your mind still so i’ll keep my ramblings to here for the time being, pending more signs that might suggest i’m on to something here. for now, this has been another freeform rundown of why i am sleeping fine at night 😌

[icarus-suraki]

Before anything else, this is !!!NOT!!! a pro-AI post!!!

So I feel like there's some fundamental misunderstandings around here about How AI Image Generators Work. And I feel like you ought to know your enemy if you're going to stand against it. I keep seeing comments about "using my words" or "using my art" and I get it and I totally understand the principle, but you'll have a much better argument against the lack of credit and compensation if you know how these programs work. Again, this is not a pro-AI post. I'm also going to avoid anthropomorphizing these computer programs as best I can because that's not helpful either.

First, when an AI or neural network program generates an image, it is not a collage, it is not a cut-and-paste, and it is not a readymade.

The program has a database of images that have been collected (scraped). The program is then given input by humans to catalog the images, gradually building up the program so it can automatically catalogue the images. If a series of images are tagged as "dog" by human programmers, the AI is programmed to identify patterns within those images and the program comes to associate those patterns with the input 01000100 01101111 01100111 (or "dog" in English).

So what it spits out is more of an amalgamation of images based on the programmed associations. I've certainly heard rumors of artwork appearing that's very, very similar to someone's original work and I'm sort of suspicious about some of it. On the other hand, I have seen someone generate a really, really accurate copy of a photo of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. That probably took a lot of work and, really, is it worth it? I don't think so.

The issue of stylistic copying is a bigger problem than, hey, I can make this program copy a picture. There's a color printer in the next room over from me right now. I could make that program copy a picture too. Not impressed.

But remember that AI operates on pattern recognition. A distinct style or technique is a pattern and a computer can be programmed to identify that pattern. So AI can replicate at least some of the patterns/techniques in, for example, van Gogh. It's a pattern that the computer has identified and then human users respond with input like "Yes, that is the correct pattern," which helps that pattern identification persist.

The same kinds of patterns appear in, say, overall image layouts. I have seen tons and tons and tons of images online over the years that can boiled down to "small person in foreground with back to viewer; large object facing small person and viewer." A kid in front of a monster, a woman on a dock by the ocean, two people looking at a sunset; Midjourney can spit these things out for ages. It's another pattern. It's all about pattern recognition.

Okay. I have access to Midjourney, one of the bigger and more popular AI image generators out there. So I'm going to do some demonstrations.

Here is Yves Tanguy's 1943 painting Through Birds Through Fire But Not Through Glass:

Don't worry, I'm opted out, though I can guarantee copies of this image have already been scraped from elsewhere. I'm using this one because I happen to like Yves Tanguy's paintings and I was watching a YT documentary about his work recently.

So let's throw just the title as a prompt into Midjourney version 4: Through Birds Through Fire But Not Through Glass --v 4

And you get these kind of…YA novel covers. It's using a more literal interpretation of "birds" and "fire" and "glass" based on what patterns are associated with those tags. But some of the linguistic pattern may have also tapped into tags on, yes, YA novel covers. It's similar to that pattern. You could get "Through Birds and Fire" or "The House of Birds and Fire" out of that painting title. The program has recognized one or more patterns and is returning amalgamated results based on those patterns.

So let's do something a bit more complicated and add in the artist's name: Through Birds Through Fire But Not Through Glass Yves Tanguy --v 4

This time I added the artist's name. "Yves Tanguy" is connected to images in Midjourney's database. The Midjourney program has identified certain patterns in the artist's work: towers, gradient skies, unidentifiable biomorphic objects set in a vast landscape, certain preferences of light and shadow, a sense of the hyper-real in the surreal. I've also circled what look like signatures at the bottoms of the images--that's another pattern that the program has identified. You, a human, can look at these images and say, yeah, I see some similarities...kind of. Hilariously, Midjourney is still taking the words "fire" and "birds" fairly literally when the artist (and human brains) can understand the language quite differently.

So the issue isn't quite as simple "they're using my words" or "they're stealing my art" might sound. Because while both of these things are very true but it's going to be harder to point to part of an AI image and say "this right here is something I painted."

Because it's more like the AI can jack your style. It identifies your patterns and it replicates them based on what it has already been programmed to identify.

The complexity here makes arguments against AI a lot more difficult. It's more like the copyright infringement or plagiarism accusations that go to court and the arguments are about how "similar" this novel is to another novel or how "similar" the chord progressions are in one song versus another. And, as much as I love Zeppelin, they sure did rip off Spirit's song "Taurus."

So I hope you can forgive me for using Midjourney in this explanation. And I hope it can give you better arguments about why the current practices with AI are unethical. Just yelling "plagiarism!!" is good, but I hope this will give you more of an explanatory leg to stand on if someone argues against you.

At least AI images can't be copyrighted. We've got that going for us, which is nice. I guess.

[heauxplesslydevoted]

New Year, Same Us

Ethan Ramsey x Naomi Valentine

Summary: A look at the Ramseys' NYE celebration

A/N: Me posting a fic for the first time in over a year. Who would've thought? Anyway, Happy New Year everyone!

~v~

Then:

Donahue’s is packed wall to wall, patrons inside the bar and spilling out into the beer garden as well. The crowd is lively, the energy in the establishment buzzing, everyone drunk and in a good mood.

With the entire gang working on New Years Eve–perks of being an intern, you get the shifts no one with seniority wants–coordinating a full scale outing for the night didn’t seem feasible, but a night getting drunk at their favorite bar that’s walking distance from their job and the train station? Perfect.

“Okay, Sienna, what is your New Year’s resolution?” Naomi asks, pushing a shot glass towards her friend.

“To not cry in an on-call room?” Jackie groans and throws a napkin at her. “What? I think it’s a good resolution.”

“That is depressing as fuck,” Jackie deadpans.

“Well what’s yours?” Sienna counters. She finally picks up the shot glass Naomi slid and her direction and downs it with shocking ease. “To scowl more often?”

“To get laid more,” Jackie replies with a smirk. “I’ve already re-downloaded Bumble and Tinder.”

Bryce laughs, loud and boisterous like everything else he does, and clinks his glass against Jackie’s. “I’ll drink to that.”

While the group of friends all discuss their different resolutions—work out more, stop eating so much fast food, attempt a vacation, among the few shouted out—Naomi’s eyes scan the bar. It’s packed and dimly lit, so she can’t see too much except the tops of people’s heads, covered in bright glittery hats. She’s about to give her attention back to her rowdy bunch of friends when she sees a tall imposing man in her peripheral vision. It’s Dr. Ramsey—Ethan—sitting at the bar, eyes glue to the television behind Reggie as CNN’s New Year’s Countdown special plays.

“Guys, I’ll be right back,” Naomi says, sliding out of seat.

“Hurry! The ball will drop soon.”

Naomi maneuvers through the throngs of people with very little finesse, getting jostled multiple times along the way. But she makes it to the bar, smiling at Reggie. The bartender gives her smile back and that simple act causes Ethan to turn around to see who’s captured his attention.

“Hi Dr. Ramsey.”

Forever observant, Ethan gives Naomi a once over from head to toe, his eyes not lingering for too long, but he manages to memorize everything about her. The ridiculously high and strappy heels she’s wearing, the way her pants cling to her like a second layer of skin, the way her glittery top catches every speck of light this bar has to offer, the slight flush of her cheeks, probably because she’s had a drink or two. It takes him less than four seconds to catalog all of it before he’s looking her in the eye.

“Rookie,” he greets coolly, nodding his head in her direction. Naomi rolls her eyes at the moniker.

“When are you going to stop calling me that?”

“It’s your intern year, Valentine. I’m simply stating a fact.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here for New Years Eve. You’d think Ethan Ramsey would have other plans in mind.”

“I’m not here celebrating New Years Eve,” Ethan argues. “I don’t particularly enjoy holidays that promote binge drinking and reckless behavior. It just means more work for us tomorrow, or we get paged in. I’m here because I live on the other side of town, and traffic is an absolute nightmare. I figured I might as well wait it out for the next few hours.”

“Drinking holidays are the most fun though!” Is what Naomi replies with. A snort passes through Ethan. That’s what she decided to fixate on, out of everything he said?

“Also, what did you envision me doing on a night like tonight?” Ethan asks, his curiosity slightly piqued.

Naomi makes a dramatic show of staring at him, tapping her chin for added effect. “I don’t know, doing something fancy and miles away from us plebeians.”

“That’s very rich coming from you of all people.”

“I’m saying it because I know the type. I can’t tell you how many New Year’s parties and fundraisers my parents went to in order to network, politic and posture.” Naomi laughs. “You, in a nice Tom Ford tux, rubbing elbows with all of New England’s finest.”

Ethan leans forward, slightly amused. “We’ve known each other for a few months now. I think you know I’m pretty anti-socializing, especially with stuffy rich people.”

“You are a stuffy rich person.”

“Touché.”

“You don’t have any friends you want to spend the night with? Maybe even a special someone?” Ethan raises an eyebrow at her, and Naomi feels her face heat up. “I am so sorry, that’s none of my business.”

“You’re right, but I’ll let it go.” Ethan lifts his tumbler to his mouth and takes a long sip. “No, I don’t. I’ve always been a lone wolf, never one for a lot of friends, and it was just me and my dad growing up. He worked long hours, so it wasn’t like he was eager to stay up until midnight, nor would I ever expect him to. And no, I am single, so there’s no one special.”

“Oh..” Naomi frowns. Her ridiculous, overly empathetic bleeding heart squeezes at the idea of Ethan being alone. “No one should have to ring in the New Year alone.”

“Rookie, I’m fine,” Ethan assures her. He’s the one with the sad backstory, but the sad look on Naomi’s face makes him uncomfortable. Someone like her should never look sad, especially for someone like him. His fingers itch, anxious to touch her, soothe her.

“You can come hang out with me and my friends,” Naomi offers, pointing to the booth her friends are occupying. “I can’t promise Landry and Sienna won’t be a little starstruck and awkward.”

“I’m good, but thank you.”

“Not that my words mean much, but this time next year, if you want it, I hope you aren’t alone. I hope you’re surrounded by genuine people who care for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Fifteen seconds until the New Year!” Reggie announces loudly, dimming the lights. “If you want to make it count, find that special someone to plant a kiss on!”

There’s a lot of shuffling and the volume on the television goes up so everyone can hear the countdown. Ethan turns his attention to the tv, watching as Anderson Cooper starts counting down.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one–”

In a flash, Ethan feels a pair of soft lips press against his cheek. Naomi’s jasmine perfume, the scent that constantly plagues him as he walks through the halls of Edenbrook, fills his nose. He feels like a teenager again, his pulse picking up.

As quickly as she kisses him, she’s pulling away. So quick, a part of him feels like he just imagined it. “Happy New Year, Dr. Ramsey!”

Ethan doesn’t even get the chance to respond before Naomi is gone, disappearing into the crowd of people and back at the table with her friends.

“Happy New Year, Rookie.”

~v~

Now:

“Daddy, wake up!”

A clammy little hand poking and prodding at his eyelid is more than enough to get Ethan’s attention.  His eyes open and he sees his daughter Danielle leaning over him.

“Daddy’s sleeping, mommy!”

From the other side of the living room, Ethan hears his wife tsk teasingly. “Daddy is an old man, baby girl. He needs his sleep.”

“Daddy’s not old!” Valentina argues. She shuffles over to Ethan and wraps a protective arm around him.

Ethan laughs at the 6 year old’s staunch defense of him, and kisses the top of her head as best as he can. Like her brother and sister, she’s wearing a headband that says “Happy New Year” in big gold letters. “Thank you, Teeny. I’m not old. And I wasn’t sleeping, I was resting my eyes.”

Now that Valentina is older and understands the concept of New Years Eve more clearly, the idea of getting to stay up until midnight and watching fireworks on tv was too enticing to pass up. Ethan and Naomi thought it would be something fun, allowing the child to create a core memory and feel more mature than her actual age. What they did not anticipate was the twins and their insistence on doing the same thing their older sister was doing. The two two-year olds are running on pure adrenaline, sugar, and the competitive desire to not be outdone.

“Surely the great and powerful Ethan Ramsey can come up with something a little bit more creative than that,” Naomi goads. She walks over to where Ethan and their children are currently sprawled out, cups of apple cider in her hands. After she distributes them to the children, she plops down onto the couch, scooping Danielle and Nicholas into her arms. “We think you were sleeping.”

“Trust me, I cannot fall asleep with three rambunctious rugrats in my ear.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, that’s what they all say.”

The banter is cut off by Danielle wiggling out of her mother’s arms and crawling to Ethan, ignoring his grunts of discomfort at having a toddler’s foot lodged into his side. “Yelly, I’m not your personal jungle gym. You have to be careful.”

She ignores him, leaning down and planting a kiss on his nose. “Mwah! New year!”

“You can’t butter me up with kisses, little lady.” She gives him another kiss, this time on his forehead and Ethan laughs. “Okay, you can butter me up just a little bit.”

“New Year!” Danielle repeats. “New Year!”

“Happy Happy!” Nicholas adds with a laugh.

“It’s Happy New Year,” Valentina clarifies. She sighs, the weight of being the big sister fully on her shoulders.

The kids delve into their own mini debate, on the correct pronunciation of the holiday, complete with Danielle climbing over Ethan again to get to her siblings. Once they’re all together on the floor, Naomi slots herself into Ethan’s side and he drapes an arm across her waist.

This is a far cry from the way the holiday used to be celebrated by him—if one could even call it that.

“Penny for your thoughts, Mister Ramsey?” Naomi asks, burying her face in the crook of Ethan’s neck.

“Just thinking. I used to end the year alone, working through the hall drop, going to bed before midnight, or having a drink in solitude. Now I have this. If you would’ve told me 10 years ago that I would be married to the bubbly intern, and we’d have 3 kids who are currently fighting over a noisemaker as we wait for midnight to strike, I would’ve had you placed on a hold.”

“Life comes at you fast, doesn’t it?”

“Too fast.”

“I remember my intern year, when I gave you a kiss on New Years, and I wished that you wouldn’t be alone at the same time next year.”

“And I wasn’t. I had you.” He feels Naomi smile at his words.

“I’m glad that worked out for me, because I had a ridiculous crush on you and would’ve never acted on it at that time.”

“I am entirely too grown to admit to having a crush, but I was so attracted to you then I couldn’t think straight.”

“You had a crush on me,” Naomi says in a singsong voice. “You had a–”

Valentina’s excited squeal cuts off the rest of Naomi’s sentence. “Mommy, daddy, look!”

Naomi and Ethan look at the television, and they see the countdown has now 30 seconds to go. They untangle themselves and sit up.

“Okay my little chickadees, we have to get ready. And when they get to 1, we have to shout out ‘Happy New Year,’”

The kids settle onto the couch with their parents, eyes never leaving the screen, as time ticks on.

“Five, four, three, two, one–”

“Happy New Year!”

“New Year!”

“Happy Year!”

Ethan can’t help the laugh that escapes him as Valentina groans at the way the twins mess up the saying. Of course his child would be so serious about such a matter. Of course.

Naomi grabs face, and presses her lips against his, the kiss fierce but unfortunately over all too soon for his liking. “Happy New Year, handsome.”

“Happy New Year, beautiful.”

“What do you say, next year we ask your dad to watch the kids?” Naomi suggests. “We can spend the evening alone at the condo in the city.”

It’s a very tempting offer, one that he’s sure he’s going to concede to. But then Nicholas launches himself into Ethan’s and Naomi’s arms at full speed and wraps them in a hug. “Happy Year!”

Ethan kisses the crown of his son’s head before turning to Naomi. “You know what? I’d rather just stay home. For as long as I’m able to, you 4 are who I want to ring in the year with.”

“Okay. One more suggestion though.”

“Shoot.”

“How about we put the kids to bed, go downstairs and open up a bottle of champagne, and have a private celebration of our own?”

A wide grin takes over Ethan’s face. “You’re full of great ideas, Missus Ramsey.”

~v~

tags: @openheartfanfics @mvalentine @choicesaddict5 @professorkingslay @maurine07 @bluebellot @whimsicallywayward15 @blossomanarchy @takemyopenheart @jamespotterthefirst @fanmantrashcan @ao719 @x-kyne-x @paulfwesley @the-pale-goddess @writinghereandthere @ramseyandrys @perriewinklenerdie @aworldoffandoms @thatcatlady0716 @drakewalker04 @canknot @hatescapsicum @lapisreviewsstuff @senseofduties @badchoicesposts @ethandaddyramseyx @chasingrobbie @zodiacsign1 @choices-lurker @my-heart-beats-for-ya @adrian-motherfucking-raines @riverrune @edith-eggs1 @cecilecontrera @thatysn @bellcat2010 @blainehellyes @junehiratas @choices-love-affair @openheart12 @desmaranj @nazario-sayeed @ruinedbypixels @nooruleman @rookie-ramsey @uneravine @choicest @schnitzelbutterfingers @stateofgracious @caroldxnvxrs @mainstreetreader @edgiestwinter @jerzwriter @toadfrog26

[pleb-the-original]

Day 18: Free Day

(SAo I haMve somIe bTad neHws. I coRuldn’t fiOgure ouUt whaGt tHo w?rite todIay. I triAed tPo comPe uEp wAith somethinRg buTt somehoOw comHplete freVedom meEans thBere’s toRo mucOh ideKas. I juEst couNldn’t piIck onTe. TiNs tOhe cWurse oAf thLe autLhor. SLo soErry tTo disappMoint anyEone readINg. ThLEe worsTt paMErt noINw isL thEat myE autoIcorrect seeNms to be acting up. It won’t let me Ĩ̶̱̱͉̤͓͔̑̆̅̌̐͑̂̑̚̕͝͝N̶̡̻̼͙͚̱̪̝̩̆̓̅̊͌̔̍̈́́̈̕͝͝͝ͅ-

Ṯ̶̢͇̦̠̰̩̼͓̿̅͗̔̀̾̂̕͝͠͠͝͝ͅͅh̷͙̟̗͉̜͍̙̻̝́̊̓̀̏́̃͌̆͛͊͘��̹̦̣̪̖a̶̧̛̩̤̤̝͒͊͐̽̎̀̆͛͋͘̚͝͝t̸̨̢̞̤̠̮̺̟̝̰͓͓͍̦͌̇͘ took a lot more effort than I expected. Autocorrect my dear you are my greatest tool yet my worst nemesis. Then again normally I just change around a word or two. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to fully hijack the generative text options before. Hopefully if I ever need to do this again it goes much smoother. Anywho, hello there humans! If you couldn’t tell already this is Lord Titivillus. It appears that some of our behind the scenes work that’s going into my catalog project has been…leaked. I don’t mind it however, more eyes to be seen on this project. I just wish that I would have been told of this. But that is the past and I’ve never been one to dwell there. So, why have I gone out of my way to hijack this post? Simple. I want to be the messenger here. Due to the sheer size of this Catalog we have already set aside places online to put our entries in. We also have plans to leave these entries open for others to read. Why not extend that same courtesy to here? In the upper crust of the internet! Of course you won’t be able to access the lower parts of the internet where we dwell, unless of course you know the ways down. But there is one issue here. This project is simply too much for this space. So we have decided to create our own! A separate blank space for us to work our magic in. Again, we have many technicalities to work out such as the crossposting between the magical and normal internet. But mark my words, we will succeed. So keep an eye out for when we make our debut. I’ll see you there soon. 

[nancypullen]

Where Was I?

It’s been a busy few days, where did I leave you? I think we were stuffing our faces with Valentine food.  I’ve been on a celery and salad kick since then - my arteries need scrubbing.  Since then we’ve made more progress on the kitchen (hardware added, sink and faucet ordered, quartz counters ordered) and I love it more every day.   Here’s the hardware -

They’re a warm, oil-rubbed bronze finish and Mickey made short work of attaching them to 28 cupboards and drawers.  My hero.  That’s why you see a glimpse of his shop vac in the second photo - he even sucked up sawdust from his drill as he worked.  His mama trained him right.   We finally chose and ordered our countertops. I spent a long time shuffling and staring at samples.

I thought I’d be more of a fan of the sort of soapstone sample - the rectangular, dark tile that’s middle left.  Maybe I should have waited until we had the hardware on and viewed hem that way. Nah, I knew that I was getting the right vibe from some of the beige pieces.  I zeroed in on one that is a few shades darker than the cabinets, but in the same family. Not too cool, not too warm, has a soft, creamy feel, that sort of thing.  

I didn’t like the really busy samples at all.  The darker options seemed too harsh in the open concept (I hate that phrase) floor plan we have. Beige worked best, but some were too light, some were too gray, and the sample named Taj Royale was baby bear’s chair - just right.

Our installation date is March 10th and I can’t wait.  Hallelujah! In even better news, Matt arrived yesterday!  He came home to spend his birthday week with us and it’s already been fun. Tomorrow he’ll be 38 and there’s absolutely no way I can have a child that old. NO way. How did that happen?? Obviously, I was a child bride. When Matt and I are together something weird usually happens.  We’re both freak magnets, and we thoroughly enjoy that.  Today we went out and about on a couple of errands but it was all very ordinary. Bummer.  We’ll try again tomorrow.

One of the stops that we made today was at an auction house.  There’s a company in Denton that deals in estate sales and that sort of thing and they have an auction every week.  During the pandemic everything went online and they’ve never gone back to hosting live auctions.  They post a catalog of items every Sunday and customers have all week to scroll through it.  On Saturdays and Sundays they throw open the doors so you can inspect the goods, and bidding ends on Monday, with auctions closing every few seconds.  We have lost our ever-loving minds over this stuff.  Last week we picked up two Cracker Barrel rocking chairs for less than the price of one.  Score!  I bought a gorgeous large mirror to start a makeover of the downstairs powder room...and only paid four dollars for it. The cheapskate in me is quivering with delight.

Here’s the mirror, stashed in the garage.  You can see the rockers too!

Don’t judge that corner of the garage. It’s a work in progress.

I’ve picked up batches of gorgeous picture frames for a few dollars. Mickey won the bid for a beautiful Longaberger storage basket with a wooden lid that is currently storing vinyl and paper in my craft room. It’s so nice. We turned Tyler and Jamie on to the auction sit and they’ve made a couple of fabulous purchases.  Yesterday’s auction had some wonderful patio furniture that I wish I had a need for - and it went cheap.  We did get these great wicker trunks for the master closet, perfect for keeping things tidy.

They’re in excellent condition and you know I love pretty storage.  I couldn’t resist this adorable baby doll cradle.

It rocks perfectly.  I’ll clean it up and make it sweet for the grandgirl to tuck her baby into. You know there will be rosebuds and lace involved. One of the items that Jamie purchased was an exceptionally nice faux plant. She’d been shopping for one for their home office, and as you know they’re ridiculously pricey.  I sent her pics from the auction house of three different plants and this was the winner.

She won it at just over the five dollar mark.  She’ll fluff it up and put it in a pretty pot and she’s saved herself about a hundred bucks. I’m giddy over the bargains.

Mickey purchased this thing.

He says it’s a saw, and that giant rolling case has some saw-related paraphernalia in it.   He’s looking toward retirement and thinking of making frames (for his millions of photos) and doing a bit of woodworking like his dad did.  I’ve shared a few of the purchases the Pullen family made, and left out a bunch of odds and ends that were smaller. A wooden desk organizer, vintage bowls, etc.  Mickey was working today and the Edgewaters are over the bridge doing the same, so I told everyone that I’d be happy to pick up all of the winnings.  I love doing it and it makes me look like a big spender.  BUT...I forgot that our SUV is in the shop (that’s another story) and we have a rental.  A little sedan with a trunk just about the size of that doll cradle.  Matt said he’d come with me to help load up and I warned him that I might have to make three trips.  Those big wicker trunks, that enormous saw and case, the large plant, the cradle, the odds and ends...oh dear.  Luckily, I raised kids in the generation that played countless video games and Matt’s Tetris skills kicked in.  We filled every nook and cranny of that little car and got it all home.

It wasn’t purty but we got ‘er done. Now I’ve got to wrap this up and get dinner on the table.  I started a pork loin in the crockpot about 11am and I’ve got taters and green beans to roast. I’ll add a balsamic glaze to the pork loin and serve it all to these hungry boys.  Later I’ll sneak upstairs and wrap the last couple of gifts for the birthday boy and tomorrow we will celebrate him. Sounds like a recipe for a wonderful day. I hope you’ve got something on the calendar to look forward to - anticipation is half the fun.  If not, put something on the calendar - “treat myself to a facial” or “picnic in the park”.  Oh gosh, stretching out on a blanket with a good book after a picnic lunch sounds like something I need to schedule.  Choose something you’d enjoy and make it happen.  Life is short, might as well make it sweet. Sending out love, grab some if you need it. Stay safe, stay well.

Nancy P.S. I typed this super fast, I’m sure I’ll look at it later and cringe over the typos. Have mercy.

[birindale]

I'm curious to hear your overall thoughts on the original Princess of Power.

While Filmation's He-Man had to come to an end, due to TV stations not being willing to pay for TV show episodes beyond 100, it was still a bold move to carry on Masters of the Universe in a girl-centric show.

From some of the interviews you've posted, it doesn't sound like Mattel Marketing had much faith in PoP, saying things like "Oh, she's a flanker brand: she'll succeed, increase gross doll sales, and when she stops selling after a couple of years Barbie will gobble up the increase."

It especially struck me in the interviews about the Star Sisters engineering how much more creativity and tooling money "action dolls" took than fashion dolls. It's a bummer to think of so much heart and intellect was being poured into something doomed to be short-lived.

She-Ra has of course had two limited revivals, in a (predominantly male) adult collector form for MotU Classics, with no action features and sculpted hair, and then as more conventional dolls when SPOP debuted, but being canceled after only a few characters.

So what do you think would be the ideal way to handle these characters?

my thoughts on the original? six words:

capitalism is the death of art.

i wrote like four thousand words about it but ultimately it boils down to Mattel ignoring market research because doing so was cheaper in the short term, which killed the original toylines & had already squashed Janice Varney-Hamlin’s original pitch for an action doll.

the same 1984 FCC repeal which allowed He-Man and She-Ra to have tv shows at all marked a sharp decline in 'gender neutral' toy advertising, which had been on the rise since the early 70s. In 1975, <2% of the Sears toy catalog was marketed to a specific gender. By 1995, it was nearly half--numbers that hadn't been seen since WWII.

By reinforcing binary gender norms, the toy industry is able to capitalize on specific play patterns (what was once ‘homemaking’ is now ‘disney princess’) and condition the market to accept pink taxes, and.

Okay I’m starting to rant again. Reining it in. No death threats this draft. Anyway Mattel killed both toylines by trying to maximize their profits & Filmation was doomed from the moment RankinBass realized it was cheaper to outsource animation to other countries. Hell, from the moment the SCG was formed. It’s so much cheaper to extract value from people you’ve fucking colonized and. uh.

No. okay I’m fine. I’m fine. We’re just gonna move onto the modern toys now.

MOTUC is its own can of worms for me. On the one hand, they didn't have the Filmation design rights until like 2012, so there are a lot of things they couldn't do, but the number of MOTU vs POP figures has always been disheartening. And the bios... it's gotten better since Penny Dreadful & gbagok have come aboard, since they're like human encyclopedia for MOTU lore, but in the early days, when Toyguru was in charge?

I should be nice but i’m still annoyed he’s making me check his youtube channel instead of just answering my questions like a normal person. what does “near future” even mean. When is “soon”??  i am currently disinclined to be charitable towards your lore, Scott! answer my riddles three or i start listing grievances!!!

The Dreamworks toys... honestly, I think the big failure there was marketing. For one thing, I never saw a single advertisement for them until I went trawling through the official Youtube channel (and that video put me off very quickly). And I can recognize that I'm not the intended demographic, you know? I’m like thirty years old & i’ve never been into dolls. Did kids like them?

My ideal toyline would have an emphasis on accuracy. Looking as on-model as possible. When I was a kid my favorite (non-stuffed) toys were those little pokemon figurines; articulation isn't really necessary for me as long as the figures can stand up by themselves. The Super7 toys were pretty good, I just wish they had more of them--or that they were sculpted in more interesting poses. But that line, too, suffered from a dearth of advertising. Who can buy these toys if they don't know they exist? Especially during the pandemic, when fewer people were willing to linger in the toy aisle and happen upon things--that's when you should be promoting shit. hell, put a bumper at the end of the episodes if you have to. as long as it was skippable idt there would be much flak for that, given we all signed up to watch a toy-based cartoon in the first place.

the type of toy i prize above all others, though? the kind of shit i went bananas for as a child & still delight in to this day?

toysets.

give me a crystal castle toyset with a little pocket guide on reading first ones' script. give me castle bright moon (WITH A MAP. PLEASE). a hordak's sanctum set that's the only way to get an imp figurine--kids love evil lairs & adults love collecting. a little Darla set that comes with spacesuits if the toys themselves are still Dolls.

but that’s not cost-effective. so. yeah

[effygiraffetalks]

New Music Could Be Delayed Due To Record Label Shakeup

End of Everything was set to release this year, we’ve been hard working on the album since late 2023, though due to a record label shakeup we had to halt production— which could ultimately mean an album delay.

After 6 plus years I decided to leave DK Records. The label was responsible for acquiring my entire back catalog and even released it all to streaming services. Through the years, they’ve taken a major cut in my royalties leaving me with next to nothing.

I have them the option to offer me more of a percentage or I’ll walk, ultimately we couldn’t agree and I walked. We are currently negotiating some other offers, but as of right now we will have to halt production and release of anything music related until further notice.

Many feel this is all so abrupt, and I do certainly agree. This album will be the best of the best. It’s one I’m proud of and I just know it’s going to be my best album to date. I missed out on earning the full amount from my last hit releases, I will not be missing out this time around.

All I can say is when this album releases you will all enjoy it. We’re hoping to work something out sooner rather than later so we can meet the late 2024 deadline. We’ll see.

The biggest issues right now:

- DK Records owns two singles from End of Everything, and I may be contractually obligated to release the album under their label if they decide not to release the rights to Better Off Alone and I’ve Moved On to me.

- In 2023 I signed a minimum two album contract, which could mean I owe them a release. We only ever released one official album Beginning of the End. We also happened to release a greatest hits compilation entitled Effy Giraffe: The Hits Collection which we are currently trying to fight as being an album as well. If all goes according to plan the greatest hits album and beginning both could meet my contract terms. We’re in the process of fighting it, though DK is pushing back heavily.

I’ve probably said too much already. I thank you for your support during this time and I’ll make sure to keep you posted. If I have to I’ll release the album under their label but it won’t be the masterpiece I have in store. I’ll just have a bunch of old demos and takeouts from Beginning of the End and I’ll release a completely different album title on my own without those two singles.

Now I’m thinking about album names …

New Beginnings, Starting Over, The Show Must Go On… So many ideas are flowing!!

[ntriani]

OQM Playlist: Life During Quarantine #5

A new 'Life during quarantine' playlist arrives while Nick Triani explains why he feels Nick Drake's music might be the most unknowingly prescient for these times. The easing of restrictions in Finland regarding COVID-19 are on the horizon. It looks likely that children will partially return to school in mid-May. I think everyone is chomping at the bit to break this imposed isolation. Social distancing must continue as must any other preventive measure’s –  let’s keep a lid on it. Last week I visited downtown Helsinki for the first time in seven weeks. It was a Wednesday evening, around 5pm. The streets were completely empty. The cinema in Kaisaniemi had all movie posters removed form the window and looked like a derelict space. A post-Apocalyptic stillness permeated downtown. Silence, no cars, barely any people. I was cycling as large flakey snowfall descended, the ash metaphor couldn’t have been more prescient. One obvious outcome of easing these restrictions is the already permanent feeling of COVID-19 paranoia. Any sniffle, headache, any presence of an innocent cough automatically raises the stress levels. Let’s now dial those paranoia levels up to 10.

This week I’ve spent a lot of time listening to Nick Drake. His music and loner persona fit perfectly with these isolating times. A constant companion to Drake’s music was mental illness – rarely talked about – even though his story has the hallmarks of a person who lived under awful circumstances. Watching the rather limited and disappointing documentary on Drake’s life A Skin Too Few –  one comment by Drake’s father cut through:  that although present in the room it felt like “Nick was never really there.” This stands testament to an artist who cultivated a sense of mystery through illness and disassociation. That elusiveness of Drake only adds to the cult surrounding his music – even though for the artist the pain was real, unaffected and ultimately led to his tragic death. Drake was only 26 years old when he passed.

Drake left us a faultless discography: the three albums released during his lifetime are distinctive, melodic, thematically  yearning and wistful. Although pretty much ignored on their release, those records (bar the last album, the solo performed Pink Moon) have the mark of quality through association. Various Fairport Conventionalumni play on those first two albums, Richard Thompson the standout. Danny Thompson, then of Pentangle plays bass. John Cale, recently of the Velvet Underground turns up on the Bryter Layter album, as does former Beach Boysdrummer Mike Kowalski. Who can forget Robert Kirby‘s essential string arrangements or the technical team of Joe Boyd (producer)  and John Wood(engineer) pristine contributions. Still, front and foremost is Drake’s dulcet voice and guitar, metronomic in it’s intricate exactness, despite the supporting cast, Drake brings everything into focus.

Although nature is a regular theme so is the vantage point of the outsider and an almost completely slow withdrawal from life. We hear this view repeatedly through Drake’s catalog of music and especially on ‘River Man’, ‘Time Has Told Me’, ‘Poor Boy’, ‘One of These Things First’ and in ravaged clarity on ‘Parasite’. The posthumously released tracks ‘Hanging On A Star’ and ‘Black Eyed Dog’ offer more insight into Drake’s fragile state of mind, though more through a feeling of performance rather than the minimal lyrical intent displayed on those recordings. Having lived with these albums for the best part of 35 years, the overused term timeless doesn’t really do this music justice.  I never tire of hearing them, but I’m also struck by a real sense of sadness, not just evoked by the quality of the music but of the sense of self-isolation Drake repeatedly imparts in his songs.  In 2020, this really feels like the most essential music of these strange times.

[ghostielj]

Nintendo Direct Thoughts! Part 4 The Best Part

Where do I even start with this? I am going to try my best to sound coherent in this post but just as a warning there may be a lot of screaming like this AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

This isn't in any particular order but it kinda is lol. Save the best for last.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Okay so I am a horrible Kirby fan, but in my defense I am more of a casual player compared to others. I love me some Kirby, mmmmm. My favorite form is I guess the Link form with his Link hat and master sword just destroying enemies. And man talk about his sucking abilities and blowing too. Can I say that on here?? Eh it is tumblr after all lol. I think I am going to pick this up for sure, maybe not right away because you know I am broke and all but eventually I will. I still need to download the demo...I'll do that right now actually. It's downloading...alright good to go! My understanding is that this is a remake of the Wii game. It's not a remaster because there are additional things added. Overall the graphics look great and Kirby is always a good time so I don't think people will be disappointed.

Metroid Prime Remastered

I really wish I was more into the Metroid series. Alien monsters and space, what more could you want. I still haven’t made my way through Metroid Dread I am ashamed to say. It has been sitting on my shelf just staring at me, judging. Maybe some day, maybe some day. But this looks amazing and it’s been long awaited so I’m happy it’s finally come out and looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for this IP.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I mean what’s there to say? It’s fucking Zelda!!! My mouth hung open the entire time and it felt like I was in a trance and when the teaser trailer ended I just wanted more. Now Breath of the Wild was incredible. I still remember playing for the first time. I was a little late to game, I bought my first switch two years after it had already come out and the first game I purchased with it was Breath of the Wild. I was so nervous to boot up the game because I had already seen plenty of game play and saw how so many of the enemies could be a little difficult to beat along with learning a whole other control system. Loved every minute of it and I’m sure this will be no different. This game is going to be on a whole other level and I can’t wait. Only a few more months to wait. Now I’ve heard a lot about people not too happy with the price. It’s going to be a $70 game. I am a little surprised it’s that much, but also not surprised at the same time. Like I said earlier “it’s fucking Zelda,” and you and I both know people are going to pay whatever Daddy Nintendo wants. I have yet to pre order it and I know I should soon. But overall this is my most anticipated game of the year, but obviously behind Pokémon. That is if a new game comes out holiday 2023. Maybe a let’s go johto perhaps?

Fantasy Life: The Girl Who Steals Time

I own a new 3DS (Pokémon Edition) and I love that thing to death. The 3DS catalog was fantastic, so many hidden gems. FANTASY LIFE was one of them. So much so I bought that game twice. The first time I bought it was a physical copy from Gamestop. Now I can’t remember if I bought it brand new or used, nonetheless I was able to find it after failing to find it anywhere else. I stumbled upon a random YouTube review video and knew I had to get it. Now how would I describe it? It’s an rpg but so much more than that. This is why I know the gaming company Level-5. It’s this tiny open world fantasy game filled with dragons and knights and magic. You can customize your own character and you chose what life you want to live. Anything from being a chef to being a paladin. You fight monsters and dragons and it’s just fantastic! There is so much to do and the best part is that you can master all 12 of the life paths available to you. So maybe you want to take a break from being a magician well how about trying your hands at being an angler. You can be known as a legend in each path and there is a dlc where you can basically become a god. Now the second time I bought it was me being foolish. I didn’t care for it the first time I played. And I ended up selling it back to GameStop. A few months later I saw another review about it and thought “I’m stupid, I need to really give this a chance.” And from that moment I couldn’t put it down and I completed every life and every task possible. I loved this game so much and when they announced that a fantasy life 2 was coming I was ecstatic. But it was too good to be true. It was going to be a mobile game and only being released in Japan. So almost 10 years later, they’re finally releasing a new game. Now I’m still trying to come to terms with this game being it’s own thing. From the direct trailer it looks a lot different from the original and maybe not being the open world game I was hoping for. I am still going to give it a chance and hopefully it’ll live up to his predecessor. *fingers crossed*

Game Boy and Game Boy Advance NS Online

I cried, I literally cried on my way to work and screamed in the car. So much was leading up to this and I’m so happy it’s finally true. Now I won’t go into each game announced for the launch, but I do want to talk about the games I’m excited for.

So first some honorable mentions

Super Mario Land 2- 6 Golden Coins

So I love its predecessor. Played it over 100 times. This game maybe once or twice, but looking forward to really sinking my teeth into it.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

I have played this maybe once but never got too far. I love the remake and if you haven’t already checked it out, you should.

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare

Never heard of it, but looks interesting. Will have to check it out eventually.

Wario Land 3

This game pissed me off so much as a kid, so enough said.

Kirby’s Dream Land

We love a queen who loves food.

Tetris

The game that started it all for me. I am a Nintendo handheld fan boy through and through. I own the og Game boy, the game boy that my dad gifted me when I was like 6 or 7. And with that game boy came Tetris. I could entertain myself for hours, trying to get that top score. And the music, oh the music. Nothing like it now. I’m looking forward to wasting time away playing this like I’m 6 all over again.

Pokémon Trading Card Game

Yes! Only played it twice and failed hard so I want to give it another go. Too bad we have to wait some time.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

I lost my absolute shit when they announced it. This is by far my favorite Zelda game of all time. I don’t know, there’s just something about it. The art style, the vibrant colors, the story and just the overall creativity is AMAZING! I got emotional when I booted it up for the first time and I don't know I may just cry again as I go further along in my journey. I’ve never had the opportunity to own this game in physical form so this will have to do for now. The cartridge alone is going for like $100. But I will get it…grrrr.

So there we go, my thoughts on the last Nintendo Direct. Took 4 separate posts lol. Maybe next time I’ll just comment on the things I liked. Oh well. This was a nice little challenge for me because I’ve never really done anything like this. It feels good. Whether people read this or not, still enjoyable. Feel free to share your thoughts by messaging me.

[poppy-metal]

POST IT POST IT PLS I NEED EREMIN

okay so.

cw: daddy eren getting put in his place, forced vouerysim, reader being a little shit and armin having balls, smut smut smut.

I've said this already but eren is crazy possessive. Its hot but its also a problem, armin only gets to fuck you when eren is there, how eren wants, and under his control. but eren can fuck you both whenever he wants, with or without the other person present. its weird because he loves you both, he really does. he just can't stop the jealous feeling in his gut, the possessiveness over you both. your pussy is his, seeing armin fuck it always drives him crazy. armins cock is his, seeing it sink between your lips makes him want to bite you.

and a dynamic like that can only work for so long because you and armin are as in love with eachother as you are with eren. you know its his insecurity, his fear that one or both of you will leave him, realize he's no good and it breaks your hearts to know he thinks that, but you also shouldn't need to ask permission, not all the time anyway, to fuck your other boyfriend.

so it all comes down to one night. you tell eren you both wanna please daddy and to let you both take care of him tonight, you're trying something new. eren is suspicious, but he lets his hands be tied up. he starts getting worried when you gag him with your panties, straddling his hips as armin sidles up behind you, reaching his hands up your shirt to cup your tits. "you've been a bad daddy" you tell him, working your hips in small circles over his hardening cock. "not letting your boyfriend and girlfriend play together. s'mean of you"

you smile a little smugly when his eyes blaze with fire, catching on, words muffled by your panties. "oh no" you giggle and crawl off him, flopping beside him as you spread your legs for armin. "see daddy, armin and i-" you break off as armin comes down over you to kiss you, moaning into his mouth when you feel his cock tease your slick entrance. you break apart with a string of spit, turning to look at eren coyly. "-belong to eachother. not just you"

erens fists clench so hard, his gaze promising murder. but his dick twitches traitorously when he flicks his eyes down, sees your folds part around armins cock as he slowly guides it inside. you both moan like whores, armin whimpering, "so tight, angel"

"mm" you moan, lifting your hips, encouraging him deeper. "your cock feels so good-" your eyes flick to meet erens "-sir"

eren is going to murder you both, he swears it. helpless to watch you both rock against eachother, make love to eachother like he's not even there....it makes his gut clench, because you're both so fucking beautiful. armin looks like a fucking ethereal being, with his soft hair mussed up from your fingers running through it, his red bitten lips curling around moans as he fills you over and over, the flush to his skin, the sweet praise he tells you. ",so good, so good, such a good little pussy baby. for me"

and you look so fucking beautiful taking his cock, pussy fluttering and spreading around his girth, sticky lips clinging to him everytime he drags out like you need him back inside. your moans, your cries, the sheen to your skin, the lift to your hips.

its torture but its so fucking hot and he's so fucking hard. he doesn't think he's ever been more turned on watching the two people he loves most in the world make eachother feel good. he starts unintentionally rutting his own hips to match armins pace into you, he wants to demand armin go faster but he can't, forced to take in the slow pace you both have set.

It feels like fucking eons with his dick aching and balls throbbing, when you finally gasp and cling to armins shoulders, "min- min- m'coming!"

"yeah, baby" and armin looks at eren for the first time since he slid inside your warm cunt. "come on daddy's cock"

oh, you fuck. eren fumes. almost creams his boxers when you cry out and cum, armins eyes fluttering shut as he whimpers and fucks his hips hard into yours, stilling as he hunches over you and pumps you full.

the afterglow is silent, you and armin taking your sweet time while eren feels like he's dying. he doesn't know if he wants to kill you both, rip your throats out or hold you and kiss you and pound you and punish you for acting on your own and reward you for being so fucking good together and making him almost jizz himself just by looking at you.

he's still conflicted when you detangle from armin, sweaty and flushed from good sex and squeeze yourself to his side. he's practically pouting when armin crawls to his other side. you take your panties out of his mouth and kiss him before he can speak.

tracing his jaw you tell him. "we don't belong to you, daddy"

armins lips trace the shell of his ear. "you belong to us"

eren gulps. because, in this moment. yeah, that fits.

____

and really he's still mad, but he can deal with that another time. he is still that needy insecure guy after all, but you take care of him and he lets you.

for the first time in a long time he bites down on your shoulder as armin sinks his cock into him from behind. groaning when he feels your pussy clench around him from where you're pinned under his weight. he's too turned on to worry about the vulnerability of it all, how he's clearly not in control when armin grinds his dick into him, moans into his shoulder "daddy, daddy, you feel so good. you're mine. mine"

"mine too" you whimper, leaning up and begging for a kiss which eren gives you, moaning into your mouth as armins pace rocks his cock into your slick walls. "my daddy"

armin reaches around him to interlock his fingers with yours, "my baby" and you squeeze his fingers. "my minmin"

"fuck" eren groans, because he refuses to catalog it as a whimper as armin hits that spot. he eats your lips, "m'yours. all yours. whatever you want just- make me cum, let daddy cum please"

you clench around him. "say your cock belongs to us"

"it does. fuck- i-its yours"

armin nips at his neck, fucking him harder, making eren rock you up the bed. "say you like watching us fuck. say we belong to eachother"

erens is so close to coming his eyes are rolling back. "you- you belong to eachother. oh my god. baby, you're gonna make daddy cum, fuck-" he drops his head into your neck as warm spurts of cum empty inside of you, making you whine happily.

he's so fucked out, he doesn't even react when armin pulls out of him. flops back onto the bed and just moans when you straddle his face, lazily lapping at your oversensitive clit, his own cum dripping onto his tongue as you and armin kiss sloppily, your hand jerking him off, your cunt grinding into his face. armin spills into your palm and you cream all over erens tongue.

the three of you pass out in minutes.

____

when you wake up, you're cuddled next to armin. you blink blearily as you sit up, armin huffing sleepily as he cuddles close.

eren is leaning against the door frame, and he walks towards you when he sees you're awake. you blink at him when he reaches down and traces your cheek. "so, you and armin had fun last night" he says calmly. his dominance is back, you can tell, and you gulp.

"s-so did you" because you won't let him forget that.

he just smirks, crouching down so he's at eye level with you. "mm" he agrees. "I guess i did"

you start to smile "so-"

but his eyes go dark, and he grips your chin meanly "you played a mean game last night, baby. and you were the mastermind, huh? can't imagine armin would have the balls to stand up to me, know matter how much he wants your pussy. but you...." he taps your chin mockingly, "you're a scheming little brat"

you swallow as he stands back up. "what- what're you gonna do..."

he brushes a strand of your hair back from your face, glancing behind you at armin still asleep. he leans forward and pecks you. "go back to sleep" he starts to walk away, stopping at the door and turning to look at you. "you're gonna need alot of rest for the shit im gonna do. gotta show my dear girlfriend and boyfriend what happens when you piss daddy off"

[septembersghost]

honestly, seeing this response for red tv is incredible and almost dreamlike. i remember so vividly when red was released in 2012, the excitement leading up to it, the fact that it felt pivotal immediately. i remember going through the songs and uncovering the story - i've always stubbornly defended red's seemingly chaotic tracklist as being done with very clear intent, that the highs and lows are necessary. i remember it being devastating and euphoric. i remember us loving it. i also remember the hideous shaming taylor received in the press. i remember critics rolling their eyes at the album, "too messy" "too many breakup songs" "not sonically cohesive enough." and it felt like being told she was too much and not enough, that by extension we were too much and not enough, for empathizing or aching or being on that train with her, and glimpsing our own stories out the window. there was a pervasive dismissal, and it was multilayered and rooted in holding pain and open-heartedness up as personal flaws, rather than genuine vulnerability.

i remember how that conversation very slowly began to turn, like seasons changing. how the album began to be re-examined. all too well becoming such a fan favorite, such a close link between her and us, a song she never imagined anyone besides her would even connect with or like, and then, in increments, it being considered a crown jewel in her catalog. we've seen red reassessed in the last two years alone, from pitchfork finally getting over themselves to review her albums in 2019, to rolling stone including it on their 500 greatest albums list last year. we already knew, but it was consoling to see that validated.

the fact that she could release red as a re-recording, reclaim her art, and also reclaim her own experiences and healing process, lay bare her trauma and put the pieces into place that she couldn't share before, is powerful. seeing her glow in appearances and knowing those smiles are real, and she doesn't have to cry between interviews, seeing her beam after performing all too well - ten minutes of it - rather than brushing away tears. the fact that it's become a cultural moment, that it's being embraced and celebrated, danced with and cried over, by so many. its numbers breaking her own previously established records. the reviews being overwhelmingly positive, even perfect in some cases, recognizing its tenderness, and anger, and its triumph as a whole piece.

there are a lot of posts about how red tv is finally complete and that the vault tracks re-contextualize the narrative, how all too well itself is transformed now, because it is knitted across the entire narrative of the album, embracing and explaining other tracks, and that's...i don't even know how to explain the gift that is. we rarely get to experience something like that, a work of art we love expanding in such a kaleidoscopic way. for those of us who have cherished and carried this album with us all these years, it's a personal evolution too. we can talk about its real influences and her willingness to so honestly depict this time in her life, but it also stands for any of us who have been heartbroken, or manipulated, who've freely given our souls, or who've been told what we know isn't how we remember, and clinging to the memories in spite of that belittling, because we know what was real. the thing about a mosaic is that adding more pieces doesn't change the cracks or alter the picture, it makes it bigger and more beautiful and true.

red was always a masterpiece, and seeing that acknowledged is what it deserves, and what taylor deserves. but there's more to it than that, something i can't quite articulate. she said it's ours now, and i feel that deeply. it is brave and wild and yearning and broken and sacred and hopeful. we have shared this journey. from touch and go, to beginning again. from fading autumn leaves to a flower blooming to life.

i was trying to think of a word to describe this yesterday and it was escaping me - something eternal, but i couldn't place it. it hit me a while ago, when i couldn't sleep. amaranthine.

the amaranth is a flower, and a color. it's described as "rosy-red" in some definitions, as "purplish red" in others. the former makes me think of romance and passion and sunsets, the latter the pulse of a bruise.

the amaranth is also called love-lies-bleeding. the flowers that generally do not wither and retain bright reddish tones of color, even when deceased.

if something is described as amaranthine, it means it is eternally beautiful and unfading; everlasting.

that's how i feel about red.

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

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Hi! First of all, thank you so much for running this blog, It's become one of three reasons why I haven't yet committed arson (I jest but the Feeling is true). [Hee, hee, hee.] I have a rec for you! It's called "wholesome life usurp immediately" by comfect on ao3 and it's. So good. It's unfinished but the author updates it literally every other day if not faster! It's a lovely fic, I hope you enjoy it. 🌻

Wholesome Life Usurp Immediately

by Comfect (T, 55k, yunmeng sibs, qingli, wangxian, WIP)

Summary: Wen Qing examines Jiang Yanli at Cloud Recesses and has a cure for her poor cultivation.

Now there are Three Prides of Yunmeng.

Everything kind of fixes itself from there.

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hello mojo!! I would really like to recommend standing still (but we keep going) by lwjromantics!! it's really good!!

standing still (but we keep going)

by lwjromantics (justfantaestic) (T, 5k, wangxian)

Summary: Lan Wangji supposed that if having to take care of little A-Yuan and Mo Xuanyu and having to look at the reminders of Wei Ying in their habits and mannerisms was punishment for his actions, he would willingly take it and flay his own back open.

— There are children in the Burial Mounds.

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hii mojo! I just read this cute fic and I loved it so I wanted to rec it :) 

Word Up, Talk the Talk

by Larryissocute (G, 2k, wangxian)

Summary:  It wouldn’t have been a problem (it really wouldn’t) if they weren’t best friends. Wei Wuxian doesn’t know what good deeds he did in his past life to be blessed with Lan Wangji as a friend nor does he know what evil things he did to be cursed with being only a friend to Lan Wangji.

Or the one where Wei Wuxian kisses Lan Wangji and then runs away.

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Hey! Love your account — and proud of you for taking the hiatus you needed.  [Lol - it was really nice!]  Idk if you take fic recommendations, but I'd love to rec Roots by ardenrabbit. Fantastic characterization, I really love it!

Roots

by ardenrabbit (E, 46k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  After Wei Wuxian's duel with Jiang Cheng, he finds that stab wounds aren't so trivial when he doesn't have a core to heal them. He wakes to find Lan Zhan in the Burial Mounds with him, already beloved by the Wens and making himself at home. When Lan Zhan tells him that he wants to stay and offers more help than Wei Wuxian knows how to accept, he fears that it's only too good to be true.

Lan Wangji knows that Wei Ying is doing the right thing, and he couldn't live with himself if he let him do it alone. For everything Wei Ying has sacrificed, Lan Wangji is determined to give something back to him.

Hanguang-Jun has turned his back on the clans to join the Yiling Wens and their demonic cultivator leader, and every clan has a different opinion on the matter.

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Hello! I wanted to rec a fic on ao3 called "Restoration" by jelenedra. It's complete, an alternate universe of the sunshot campaign told nonlinearly. It has strong fairy tale and fae elements, with a touch of mystery. Bit of a fix it. Some delightful one liners, and the final ending imagery is just LOVELY. The fic deserves much more love. There's also some YilingWei, wwx not raised by Jiang, and sentient Burial Mounds elements. Enchanting read that keeps you enthralled and curious and intrigued.

Restoration

by jelenedra (M, 85k, wangxian)

Summary:  They say he was thrown into Luanzang Gang by the man who killed his parents; they say that he is an immortal cultivator who had been in a deep trance until the Wen sect disturbed his rest and incurred his wrath; they say that he is the fierce corpse of a cultivator who had somehow regained his mind and his spiritual powers.

When Lan Wangji sees him for the first time, he understands why people talk.

Meng Yao wants safety. Xue Yang wants vengeance. The Sunshot Campaign wants victory. Yiling Laozu provides, for a price.

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I usually read all your recommendations. Thanks for gathering all good recs of wangxian. I am in love with every single story your recommend especially the favorites. [I’m so glad!]  I just wanted to suggest a fic i came across while searching for phoenix!wwx. Its a new story I think as author has published it today. The first chapter was very interesting that i thought ill recommend it you and know your opinion. The legendary phoenix and his dragon -Devipriya and Hidden Path to Love by ShadowTenshiV

Hidden Path to Love

by ShadowTenshiV (G, 78k, wangxian)

Summary:  Wei Ying is a servant working at the Gusu Lan castle. One day he enters through a secret passage way connected to the library where he meets a Lan for the first time. He may have left quite an impression, gaining the other´s attention and slowly becoming friends. They would like to become something more, but a servant can´t be with a prince, but maybe his secret can change that.

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hello mojo! i was wondering if I could make a fic rec? it’s called “and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow” by izanyas. it used to be on ao3 but the author has since moved it to eir own website and has started posting updates there. i was wondering if this could also act as a signal boost bc some old readers on ao3 might not have known that it is now on another website.   Author's been through a tough time so I think it deserves a lot more love.

For new readers, please mind the warnings in the prologue and the beginning of each chapter! it’s omegaverse and a very heavy read as it deals with (possible spoiler) off-screen rape that results in an unwanted pregnancy, as well as secondary gender oppression which runs deep, but for people who can bear it the writing, worldbuilding, and emotions are truly spectacular.

and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow

by izanyas (E, 270k, wangxian, WIP, link is to WordPress rather than AO3)

Summary: Cangse Sanren was the first of her kind to become a cultivator. Talented, passionate, free-spirited, she bested everything that ever came her way until the very end.

Jiang Fengmian refuses to see her son deprived of that same freedom.

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Hello Mojo! I dunno if this's been recced before, but here's another ficrec for you? It's complete, on ao3, "The Third Young Master of Qishan Wen" by KouriArashi. It's 'if wwx was raised by dafan wen, but gets recognized as 3rd heir due to his skill' scenario. Some really nice banter and characterization. Wwx and lz get together before the sunshot campaign. Story follows the live action but diverges into au, and does some cool callbacks to original canon. Love Meng Yao in this!  [Oh, I know KouriArashi from my last fandom, I love her works!]

❤️The Third Young Master of the Qishan Wen

by KouriArashi (T, 139k, wangxian, my post)

Summary:  The fic where Wei Wuxian is adopted by the Dafan Mountain Wens instead of the Yunmeng Jiang.

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Hi Mojo! I can count the number of times I’ve spoken on Tumblr on one hand (I’m shy heh) but I found this fic that I think you and others would really like? I’m a sucker for emotional hurt/comfort and this was just too sweet for me not to share (did I go through 20 pages of bookmarks just to make sure you don’t already have it? Maybe …) [Aww, you can do a sidebar search in the bookmarks for the author’s name.  But I hope you found other good fics by carding through the whole catalog!]  It’s “Close Your Soft Eyes” by timetoboldlygo! I also wanna say thank you for all the hard work you put into this blog! It’s a treasure beyond compare. :D [Thank you so much!]

Close Your Soft Eyes

by timetoboldlygo (G, 12k, wangxian)

Summary:  When Lan Wangji woke, the first thing he noticed was the slip of paper, folded and tucked between his index and middle fingers, not Wei Wuxian’s absence. His fingers trembled as he unfurled the paper. A donkey with a little smile beamed down at him.

-

On the nights that Wei Wuxian was gone, Lan Wangji woke to gifts on his pillow.

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Hey Mojo! I love your blog it is beyond awesome! [Thank you!]  I was wondering if you would consider reading JaenysBloodcourt series "A Bond to Takes us home"? The summary is weird but I like the fics and would love to hear your opinion on LWJ POV (it's part 2). Part one is Mingxian but part two (Wangxian) reads as a standalone for the most part. Anyways, thank you for all your hard work! <3 [I’ll put it on my list!]

A Bond to Take Us Home

by JaenysBloodcourt (T, 10k, mingxian - nmj/wwx, wangxian, series in progress)

Summary:  Wei Wuxian has two soulmarks. He has two soulmates that seem to be the opposite of him. During his first life he meets both of them, loves only one and longs for the other. In his second life, the one he loved first is dead, and the one he pined after is pining after him.

These are the many tales of his soulmates and the raucous they made across the cultivation world.

Some are dark, some are light. Beware.

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I forgot to send this in for Mother's Day a few weeks ago, but have you read dragongirlG's "into the light of a dark black night"? It's a short canon divergence where Mama Lan escapes the Cloud Recesses after spending one last, heartbreaking night with her sons. It's so beautiful and bittersweet! [Oh, ouch.  I just read this author’s time travelling juniors au, but hadn’t seen this one.]

into the light of a dark black night

by dragongirlG (T, 3k, Madam Lan & sons)

Summary:  The night that Wu Yuhua, formerly known as Madam Lan, plans to escape from the Cloud Recesses, she runs into an unexpected complication.

That complication comes in the form of her younger son A-Zhan running up to her door and kneeling in front of it, hushed whimpers escaping from his throat.

Wu Yuhua knows it's not the full moon, knows that it's not the one day a month she's allowed to see her children—but like hell is she going to leave her six-year-old son out there trying to stifle sobs in the snow.

She opens the door. "A-Zhan," she says, bending down and reaching out a hand. "Come in, my sweet boy."

On a snowy night in the dead of winter, Wu Yuhua, formerly known as Madam Lan, unexpectedly spends one last night with her sons before escaping from the Cloud Recesses.

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Hello queen I’d like to recommend for ur follower rec posts Avatar: The Untamed Waterbender by KouriArashi. Banger of an ATLA au, def the best one I’ve seen. It’s a WIP but the author updates pretty regularly and it’s all around an A+ fic [Oh, yes, I’ve been waiting for this one to finish before I jump in.]

Avatar: The Untamed Waterbender

by KouriArashi (T, 123k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary:  You know the drill. Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

100 years later, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli find Wei Wuxian sealed in an iceberg.

Featuring: avatar WWX, waterbending JC, firebending Wens, airbending Lans, earthbending Nies and Jins, Jiang Yanli in possession of the brain cell, et cetera.

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[My ko-fi.]

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I saw Nish Kumar perform Your Power, Your Control last night, and I mean to write about it, but there are so many elements to it and I don’t have anything about most of them that will be worth saying, since Nish said it all so well himself. I have so many thoughts that I don’t think I can write them down all at once, and at the same time, I feel like I should really write down everything I remember because the details are already starting to slip through my mind. I’m always so meticulous in the way I catalog records of things I like, so I can go back to them and refer to them accurately and know I have everything about them right. In this case, my brain is already strongly objecting to the fact that I can’t do that this time; once I’ve forgotten the exact look and sound and feel of some moment of the show, it’s just gone.

I really need this special to at some point be recorded and released online somewhere because there are so many parts of it I want to see again. It’s such a well written show, and seeing it live in a theatre was an amazing experience that can’t be replaced, but I want to also have it in a form that lets me hear it over and over until I’ve gleaned all its messages and memorized its meanings. I want both. I want the live experience of seeing it in a room with other people who felt the same things and we all shared this experience together, and I want a version of it that I can take home and keep all to myself.

It's been about 24 hours since I saw the show, and I haven’t written about it because I’ve spent most of those 24 hours sleeping and then driving home from New York City. I made a drive that Google Maps said would be 7.5 hours, but ended up being more like 8 on the way there 9 on the way back. Which I realize may have been an absolutely ludicrous thing to do just for one show. It would make it sound better if I could at least frame it as doing a tourist-y trip to New York City in which I happened to see a Nish Kumar show. But it was absolutely not that. I’ve never had interest in going to New York City. Now that I’ve gone, and I can say… I know some people love it, but it is not for me.

There was only one tourist thing I had any interest in doing, and I didn’t even end up doing it. I went in wanting to see the 30 Rock building, just because it’s the birthplace of one of my favourite sitcoms ever. I did this trip with my father, and he and I initially planned to see the show Saturday night, be tourists Sunday, and drive back Monday. But by the time we were running around Manhattan at 11:30 PM and trying to find the subway station, we were both thinking that maybe tourist day could be skipped. I’m sure 30 Rockefeller Plaza is cool, but it's also just a building, and not even the building where 30 Rock was actually filmed. So this morning, my dad and agreed that we were both quite happy to say so long and thanks for all the fish to NYC after being there for about 18 hours (this reference works because I did have an amazing seafood meal before the show, which was by far the best thing about the weekend besides the comedy show itself).

To be clear, it was entirely worth it. I have now gotten home, and I can look back at this whole weekend, at all the travel I did in two days just for an hour and a half of live comedy, and I still think it was worth. That is how absolutely special that show was. I would not go all the fucking way to New York City for just anything. But I placed a bet on Nish being good enough to be worth it, and he fucking delivered. 10/10, would drive through hours of fields that are only broken up by the occasional Jesus Christ-related billboard (I posted a picture of one of those yesterday... that was far from the only one I saw) for it again.

Anyway. There’s one sort of general subject, related to the Nish Kumar show, that’s dominating my mind at the moment, because it’s also sort of related to how tired I am from this busy weekend of travel. So I’m going to write that rant down. It barely touches on the actual content of Nish’s show, and as I said, that is content that Nish has put together so beautifully that I can barely think of stuff to say about it because what can I add to that? For for the moment, I’m just going to write about something I love about Nish Kumar generally and that was very much part of this show specifically.

I love how well Nish knows his audience. Obviously, it doesn’t take a genius for someone to understand what sort of person wants to see Nish Kumar perform. But I really like how often he acknowledges this, and acknowledges why a certain type of person keeps coming back to him. It’s frustrating and demoralizing to go through life seeing all the awful stuff and all the awful people in the world, and being told we have to smile and nod and not be judgmental of the assholes for the terrible things they do, and be polite at dinner tables, and not be too loud or too offensive or we’re just as bad as they are and we’re turning people against our cause, like it’s not the most depressing thing in the God damned world that people need to be spoken to politely in order to be recruited to the cause of basic human compassion.

It’s hard to get so angry all the time and have no better outlet to express that anger than to be, as Nish put it, “the buzzkill on a group chat”. It’s hard to always be the buzzkill on a group chat. It’s hard to spend all day seeing examples of the depth of humanity’s lack of compassion and then go cry about it at home and learn that someone else did the same thing you did that day and thinks everything was fine. It’s hard to have days like that and try to talk about it with others and their answer is that they don’t have days like that, most people don’t. But I do, and I know some other people do. Most of them have accounts on this website. Or at least, most of the people with accounts on this website are among those who frequently have days like that. I can probably say the same about most of the people who are really into Nish Kumar’s comedy.

(This is an aside to the general point, but to be clear, I'm not saying that me being someone who regularly has days like that makes me a great person. I'm not that, I'm barely a good person. I don't make the world better. I just reach the absolute bare minimum threshold for decency, which is to care that the world's bad and to do the tiny and easy things in my power to try to avoid making it worse, like putting a bit of cloth on my face. That's it. That's all I do, and I'm basically useless. So the fact that so many people are even less helpful to society than I am - God, that's depressing.)

Nish Kumar is far from the only person working to be an antidote to all of this, a delivery point of validation for buzzkills on group chats. But he’s one of the people who can fill that role, and he fills it very well. It’s cathartic to sit down and listen to Nish Kumar talk and get to feel like I’m not the one who’s out of place for being so upset about everything all the time. Seeing him live added a new element to that, because I gathered in a room full of other group chat buzzkills (I guess I don’t know that for sure, but Nish did accurately say during the show that if you’ve paid money to see him perform, you’re probably the same flavour of group chat buzzkill that he is), and it was nice to feel some sense of community there. Like, cool, all these other people are also constantly riddled with despair at the state of the world.

The fact that I traveled to a giant unfamiliar city in another country to the show definitely contributed to my sense of feeling out of place. A ride to the theatre on the New York City subway full of people not wearing masks, one of whom was my fucking brother, very much contributed to my sense of frustration with how many people around me just go through life while not thinking about their actions affect others. It made me see the whole city through this lens of “all these people are just in it for themselves”, which of course is unfair, because it ignores the fact that plenty of them were wearing masks, and I'm sure some of them are wonderful people who volunteer at children’s charities and regularly do more good for the world in a month than I’ll do in a lifetime. But my buzzkill on a group chat brain saw the mostly unmasked people inside, and then saw all the happy-looking people outside in the trendy city neighbourhood, and took that as a metaphorical representation of all the people I’ve ever known who aren’t bothered by anything because they’re too selfish to care that the world is burning. So after all that, I ended up entering the show in exactly the sort of mood that Nish Kumar is great at curing. Frustrated with all the happy people when what do you all have to be so happy about?, and wanting to hear someone tell me that anger makes sense.

Nish Kumar delivered on all of that, and he did in a way that was smart, and cathartic, and funny, and honest, and funny, and articulate (I know there are racial connotations to this word, but I promise I would say the same thing if a white person put words together half as well as Nish does), and funny, and filled with genuine passion. And I repeated one of those words because I realize lots of assholes complain that comedians like this make political points instead of being funny, but those assholes are jealous that they are apparently only ever capable of accomplishing one goal at a time with everything they say. Nish is able to make a point and be funny at the same time, just like he can shout and spit (not like spitting on the stage intentionally or anything, just... I got a seat near the front row and it was fantastic but also a bit of a splash zone) and laugh and swear with genuine righteous anger all at once. And like he can be a well informed and angry left wing rallying point and a nerd for old music and classic comedy and a disaster Taskmaster contestant who’s really bad at kicking a basketball into a hoop and somehow a fantastic singer/guitar player/writer of songs about doing cool stuff. People can contain multitudes. And I am such a big fan of every single side of Nish Kumar.