#i need to train myself in the ways of dan again

[almost-blondee]

Sleepless Night

Sunday x Reader

Sfw, Just my thoughts,

word count: 873

There will be PART 2

A/N: I was just feeling like writing about Sunday, This has no interaction between Sunday and reader, Sorry. But….There will be a PART 2 Where they interact. So hopefully you stay tuned. Hopefully he isn’t to ooc, i. tried my best. And again sorry for any grammar mistakes

———————————————————————————

It’s been sometime since Sunday had joined the astral express temporarily, and within that time he had begun having some unnecessary feelings flare up in the process. Worthlessness…Incompetence… These feelings are honestly nothing new to Sunday, however he is now burdened with the heaviness of silence. Being the head of the Oak family, left him a busy man, no time to just sit idle and get lost in thoughts. Now, on the contrary, he has all the time in the world to get sucked in to the spiral of emotions.

He is very grateful to the Nameless for letting him take refuge in the express, understanding that they have limited space on the train. So for the time being Sunday would sleep in the party car. This worked quite well, having everyone on the express in the living corridor, he might as well have the whole car to himself… Unfortunately for him, he has let his thoughts consume him, How come i have to sleep on this couch, why don’t i get a room to myself, Do they even want me on the express with them, they must still be wary of me, no body really wants me here… and so on. Although he knows that these are selfish thoughts, the mind has a way of thinking on its own. These thoughts plaguing him whenever silence would take over. March was not complaining to Dan Heng about him ‘cheating’ in their chess match’s , You were not talking his ear off about who knows what, you could ramble on for hours… Not a soul to be found in the party car. Sunday, lying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. How many times has he done this, He needs sound… Something to free his mind from these convictions.

He sits up swinging his leg gently so they meet the ground, slowly walking toward a case that’s lying by the wall. Thankfully before leaving penecony Sunday had chosen to bring his violin with him. He relished in the sound, it soothed his soul. How could he not bring it. He knows that he’s not the best musician, but it would always help him relax. Open the case and taking out the stringed instrument, he lifted it to just under his chin and started playing. He would usually know better then to make loud noises during the night, and maybe this would make the Nameless hate him even more… But in this moment he needed to hear something other than the devil on his shoulder. Swaying with the violin in hand, slowly moving in a pattern that almost looked like he was dancing, he was content. Forcing out all his feelings onto this wooden instrument, using it as a form of therapy, he was lost in the sound. So lost that he hadn’t noticed you coming down the stairs, moving slowly so he would not notice.

You had been in the living space above the party car. tossing and turning, you were having trouble sleeping. Stopping to stare at the ceiling hoping that if you just closed your eyes you would be accompanied by sleep, wishful thinking. Just when you think all is lost, you hear a beautiful melody… it’s sounds like a violin. The melody was full of sorrow, you could feel the emotions that drove the performance. You had felt lured to check who was playing this beautiful tune. you slowly made your way down the stairs catching a glimpse of a silver haired man swaying to the tempo of his playing, dancing around the car, enthralling you, he had looked like an angel. You could feel your cheeks begin to burn, while you watched this man so deep in his performance. You had never really thought about Sunday in a romantic way. But for some reason watching the display in front of you made you feel something. If this were a movie the audience would think he was a charmer and you were the snake following his lead. You feel as if you have been shot with cupids arrow, even drank a love potion… Seeing this man and watching him produce this beautiful song, made you fall in love, you know deep down this feeling didn’t just come from no where he is a very kind man, generous and willing to change for the better, it was inevitable not to fall in love. You had just never seen him in this light. As you are now frozen still sitting on the stairs, which must have happened a while ago, your face so hot that it might leave burns. Sunday finished up his song slowing the melody to a soft humming, he on the other hand felt relaxed. He had cooled down, almost putting himself to sleep with his lullaby. He sluggishly walked back over to the wall to put the instrument away. *Clank* His head snapped over to where he thought the noise came from. The stairs.

He Scoured the stairs faintly lit by the bar lights, only to see nothing. It must have been his imagination. Soon after he was snuggled into the couch, nodding off into a deep slumber.

You in the other hand… Are definitely not sleeping tonight.

almost-blondee

[myfanfic-urfantrash]

Baking Bread: Part 1 - Recipe - Part 6 of ?

Asking them if they'd let you get them pregnant for this series.

Cw: pregnancy talk, more suggestive than the last few(slight nsfw)

A/N: This will be the end until I eventually catch up on HSR and GI either by playing or whatever sooooo just wait until then I guess ^^;

Edited: 6/16/2025

-------

Dan Heng's flushed head to toe, or at least you think he is seeing as every bit of skin that isn't covered by his many layers has turned a lovely pink. He sighs running a hand down his face shaking his head and looking at you like you're an idiot.

"You've...you've been reading that one series again haven't you?" You deny quickly but with just one look from him you end up confessing that you have with a sheepish grin.

"As I've already told you: Vidyadhara can't reproduce-" You open your mouth to speak but he lifts up a hand to stop you flushing even darker remembering the last time you read this series. "No matter how hard o-or how many times we try we're- I mean I'm infertile."

"R-regardless if either you or myself-as you so want no child can be made." "It might not be actually possible but if you could would you let me?" You ask wiggling your eyebrows and his face that had started to turn back to it's typical shade turns a dark pink, so dark you worry he might pass put.

"I-I y-you-" He stutters eyes rapidly jumping focus as if searching for an escape. He finally settles on closing his eyes and turning away with his right hand covering his mouth and the left pointing at the train car door.

"M-maybe later just...go you're distracting me."

"I can distract you in other ways mainly with my-"

"GO."

-------

Caelus is the one to suggest it as soon as he discovers that there was a strange fruit capable of altering ones body to allow them to get pregnant or impregnate regardless of what parts they had initially. His eyes sparkle in wonder at the idea as he asks you-

"You gotta get me pregnant!"

...well more like demands it so innocently. It's a miracle that he's made it this far in his life with such blind recklessness in discovering the unknown but you love him anyway. Though you do explain to him just how important a decision like having children and pregnancy is.

He listens carefully ever ready to absorb knowledge like a sponge. But the gleam in his eyes doesn't change but instead gets brighter as he takes your hands in his. His smile is a little shy but so very cute alongside the flush of his cheeks.

"There's no one else I'd want to do this with."

And it's so very sweet as he goes on about how much this means to him and to have you in his life-

"Plus I want to know what it'd feel like if you came in me raw."

...Of course.

-------

Argenti and Boothill were typically a galaxy away from you but they always made time to contact you and give you updates on how they were doing and to check in on you. Most conversations weren't very long as they both had to be on their toes as the lives of a Galaxy Ranger and a Knight of Beauty were hardly peaceful.

So on the rare occasion the two of them were in your side of the galaxy, at a repair dock a few system hours away from your planet, you just had to ask during the call the burning question that's plagued you since your last night spent together.

Boothill's end of the line goes quiet as you ask your question. You see Argenti gasp from behind him before Boothill pushes him away from his phone and looks at you perplexed.

"Darlin', respectfully: what the fork?"

"Oh, Boothill they want a child with us! Isn't that wonderful? Such a lovely display of-"

Boothill pulls the phone away from Argenti again to spare you a little of his monolog although you can still hear him. "Darlin' do we need to get ya to a doctor or somethin'? 'Cause I'm pretty forking sure yer talkin' nonsense."

You watch as the lights and the background changes as they head inside Argenti's ship the familiar reds, whites, and creams surrounding them. "Last time I checked I sure ain't capable of making any kids and Argenti can't get pregnant either, it don't work like that."

Argenti pops up into frame head resting over Boothill's right shoulder. He nods agreeing with him.

"That is true our beloved. Though I would love to have a child with you, I am incapable of carrying our children not because of my body but also because of duty. It would be quite unsafe for both I and the child if I were to continue on my path while pregnant."

You nod in understanding.

"Well then I guess I'll just have to carry them myself." They both look at each other before turning back to you in awe. "-What?"

[thenovelartist]

Clipped Confidence - Honkai: Star Rail fanfiction

Back on the DanStelle train that I don't see myself leaving any time soon.

“What are you doing?”

It was a valid question, in Stelle’s opinion. Yet Dan Heng looked speechless as he stared at her.

Waiting for an answer, Stelle leaned against the bathroom door frame, her need to use to the bathroom slightly postponed for the moment as she stared at the man with scissors in one hand and a lock of his hair in the other. It had been a few days since they’d left the Loufu, and Dan Heng had transformed back into his more human appearance since then… for the most part. His hair, oddly enough, had stayed long.

Stelle had thought he liked it that way and that’s why it had stayed. But considering the scene before her, that clearly wasn’t the case.

With a sigh, Dan Heng slowly set down the scissors down on the bathroom counter. “I’m… deliberating,” he carefully answered.

Stelle gave a slow nod as she fought for words. “Which begs the question of how long you were standing there.”

“Longer than I should have been,” Dan Heng responded, snatching the scissors and preparing to walk past her. “Sorry, it was not my intention to—.”

Before he could leave, Stelle shot her arm out to slam her hand against the other side of the door jam, effectively trapping him in the bathroom. “Wait.”

He froze, his eyes wide as he looked at her.

Oh, she supposed his eyes were a little more aqua than before, as well. Not the dull almost-gray she was used to before he had transformed. The striking color captivated her more than she would ever care to admit. Her heart always skipped a beat in her chest when those eyes landed on her, but she was sure it was because of the dragon inside him.

At least that was what she told herself.

She swallowed. Now was not the time to go speechless on him. “I’d thought… er, so you don’t like your long hair?”

Wow, her ability to speak was outstanding.

Dan Heng paused, his lips pursed. “It’s not that I don’t like it, per se.”

“Sooo…”

He shook his head. “It’s unimportant. I should leave if you need to use the bathroom.”

“I do, actually—”

“Then—”

“—but!” she cut in. “I also asked a question you still hadn’t answered.”

Dan Heng looked hesitant, and several seconds passed before he sighed in surrender. “I’m just… not used to this. This long hair, I mean.”

“And you don’t think you can get used to it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then you want to cut it?”

Taking a step back, he turned back to the mirror, staring hard at his reflection once again. “I was thinking about it.”

For some reason, those words held an unfinished air about them, and Dan Heng didn’t seem to want to finish it any time soon.

With a sigh, Stelle patted his shoulder. “This is going to be a long conversation, isn’t it?”

Dan Heng just quirked a brow at her.

“Look, I want to listen—really, I do—but I’m not sure how long my bladder can hold out.”

At that, Dan Heng finally smirked. “Then I should let you go. That is if you’ll let me go.”

“I’ll hunt you down to talk after?”

He sighed. “I’ll be in my room.”

“Perfect.” Having finally gotten an invitation, she moved out of his way, allowing him to leave the bathroom. “You better have a real answer for me when I get out,” she warned him as he walked past her.

A grimace twisted his lips but disappeared so quickly she thought she’d imagined it. “I’ll do my best.”

It wasn’t exactly the response she wanted to hear, but her bladder reminded her that it didn’t really matter. She had something slightly more pressing than Dan Heng’s hair to worry about for the next thirty seconds.

~~~

Dan Heng dropped the scissors he held, ones he’d picked up more times than he cared to count in the last three days, onto his desk as he entered his room. He didn’t really know why it was so hard to make this decision. Normally, he was decisive when it came to things like this, yet he found himself floundering this time around. Worst part was that he knew exactly why he hesitated, yet despite that, he couldn’t reason himself into a decision.

And that was immensely frustrating.

Maybe running into Stelle was for the better. Maybe if faced with a force of nature that would demand a decision from him, he could finally make it.

Or maybe being faced with this particular force of nature was the worst-case scenario.

The door to his room suddenly opened, and he turned to see Stelle walking in. “Okay, I’m here. So…” She clapped her hands together, then pointed her fingertips towards him, “I got a deal for you.”

Dan Heng quirked a brow, already not liking where this was going. “What kind of deal?”

“You can either start from the beginning and tell me everything so I can help you make a decision, or I can just let you off the hook and you just have to answer my question from before: do you want to cut your hair or not.”

“I would hardly call that a deal,” he said with a sigh, already feeling tired.

“I would say it is since I was the one greeted with someone wielding scissors in the bathroom.”

“You say that as though you were in danger.”

“I was in danger of peeing my pants in surprise.”

“I… did not need to hear that.”

“And yet, that’s not even the worst thing I’ve ever said.”

Sadly, she was correct.

“So, stop stalling,” she said, walking up to him and putting her hands on her hips in a way that proved she was here to stay. “What’s your answer?”

Dan Heng sighed. “I… don’t know.”

“Then you can start from the beginning,” she said. “What even brought this on? If the length was bugging you, then you’re decisive enough to just cut it. Well, knowing you, you might have had someone help you so it didn’t look terrible.”

He hated that she knew him so well to know that. He also hated how much he loved having someone who knew him so well to know that. Finally, he hated that because she knew him well enough to know that, she would not be appeased with anything other than the truth.

Meaning he had to find the courage to put his worries into words.

“I hate that this long hair reminds others of my past life.”

Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting him to cut straight to the truth. “Then, cut it,” she said. “Why the hesitation?”

“Don’t you like it?”

Her brow knit together in confusion as her head tilted.

He sighed. “Since my return, March, Welt, Himeko… they’ve all mentioned that they like my hair like this. And… I wouldn’t…”

I wouldn’t want to disappoint them.

He didn’t want to complete that sentence because he knew how foolish it would sound. The fact his friends had vocalized their approval should not make him waver like this, yet that same approval meant more to him than he’d ever realized. So no matter how irrational he knew it to be, some part of him deep down didn’t want to disappoint them by changing his appearance. They’d accepted his dragon-esque appearance so easily, so readily. March was always commenting how cool he looked. Himeko commented how lovely his hair was. Welt himself hadn’t made a comment as much as accepting him so readily there was almost no hesitation.

But that was enough to make him hesitate. He didn’t want to lose this approval they’d given him. He reveled in it, found safety in it. Disappointing them after they accepted him would crush him.

“Nevermind,” he finally finished, pulling himself from his thoughts.

“No, you were definitely going to say something.” With that, Stelle leaned even closer into his personal space. “What’s up?”

Despite her eyes being round and imploring, there was something sharp in those golden irises of hers. Determination.

He looked away, his heart doing more flips in his chest the longer he held her gaze. “Do you prefer this?” he asked instead.

“Huh?”

“Don’t you prefer me with long hair, too?”

Forcing himself to meet her gaze once again, he found her looking at him with no small amount of surprise, her mouth slightly ajar as she processed his words.

And Dan Heng waited with a shocking amount of nervousness for her answer.

But what he didn’t expect was the way the surprise in her expression softened. “I prefer you home.”

His brow knit together in confusion. “Huh?”

She then snatched a lock of his long hair, twisting it between her fingers while an amused smile crept across her lips. “Did you think we liked you better this way? Is that why you hesitated?”

When she said it like that, lightly with almost a teasing lit to her tone, he felt so foolish that his face flushed with embarrassment.

“Pfft.”

Great, and now she was laughing at him.

“If that’s the case,” she began, snatching the scissors from his desk and snapping them together a couple times mid-air. “Then off it comes.”

Surprised, his eyes glanced to the scissors she was waving around far too flippantly for his liking before looking at the smug smile she wore. “You… prefer my short hair?”

She scoffed, thankfully aiming the scissors at the floor as she stepped even closer. “What I prefer is you here with us,” she said, her voice quiet since she was so close. “That’s what we all prefer. Whether your hair is long or short doesn’t matter.”

His face somehow grew hotter.

“And another thing,” she continued. “We weren’t commenting about your hair because we liked it better. We were trying to let you know how happy we were that you were back home, no matter how you looked.”

Despite feeling more like a fool with every passing second, Dan Heng smiled. “Truthfully?”

“I swear.”

Those two little words somehow lifted a weight off his heart.

“So!”

And in the blink of an eye, she slipped around him, pulling his hair into a ponytail before hanging her arm holding the scissors over his shoulder. “Am I cutting your hair or not?”

“Now hold on a minute—”

“Nope! No more minutes. I know you’ve made your decision already. You don’t hesitate when it comes down to it. So, what’ll it be?”

He sighed, hating that she was spot on. “Do you even know how to cut hair?”

“No, but I can look up a tutorial. It can’t be that hard, right?”

“Stelle…”

“Trust me, will you?”

Well, he did, but maybe not in this case…

“Wow,” she deadpanned. “Your silence speaks volumes.”

“I-it’s not that I don’t trust you.”

She sighed dramatically, but it was likely for effect rather than her actual feelings. “Can you trust me more than March, at least?”

“…Possibly.”

“Gee, what a vote of confidence.” She snapped the scissors open and closed in the empty air a couple more times. “So answer my question.”

Her persistence proved she wasn’t going to give him an out. His only course of action was to heave a sigh.

Behind him, she chuckled.

“I…” He swallowed. “I don’t want to look like Dan Feng.”

“Well then…” The scissors suddenly disappeared from his sight. “Say good bye.”

“Huh?”

And next thing he knew, she began hacking away at his hair.

Somehow, the surprise gave way to amusement. As a certain fiery stellaron girl continued to strain the scissors to chop off his hair, an errant chuckle escaped him. He knew it would look terrible. Logically speaking, he should have insisted they trust someone else to cut his hair. But he also knew that the girl behind him right now was more concerned with him than his looks.

And he simply couldn’t be mad at that.

“Done!” Suddenly, she flipped around him, waving his chopped off hair in her hand while she shot him a grin bright as the sun. “Alright, handsome, we should go fix the rest of it in the bathroom so we don’t make a mess in your room. Because I’m sure I’d never hear the end of it otherwise.”

Despite the warmth that flushed through him at that one little nickname that he specifically decided not to acknowledge, his own lips still held a small smile.

“And for the record,” she said, shooting him a heart-stopping smile as she walked out the door. “I like you with your short hair, anyway.”

And then she disappeared from sight.

It took him far too long to move, to follow after her, only to spy her already on her phone, likely making good on her word to look up a tutorial.

“Are you just saying that?”

She glanced up at him right as he caught up to her. “Saying what?”

“That you like my hair short after I already made a decision.”

A glimmer in her eye told him he was likely on the right track, and yet that somehow didn’t matter to him. “I guess we’ll never know.”

For some reason, the grin that she paired with those words made that answer perfectly fine with him.

[rakiah]

Euh... Bonjour! Je suis apprendent le françois, et je vais euh... (Translator moment lol) Pratique mon françois avec toi!

J'adore ton l'art, et ton en écrivant! Euh... J'adore Leona et Vil, c'est tres (translation lol) mignon! Je ne peux pas parler ou ecriver tres bien, mais je suis tres bien en mon classe!

Please tell me how I did! I'm so proud of myself for writing that message in French, but despite that, be honest and critical!!! 💜💚

Hey! Nice timing I must say haha let's do some french to celebrate Rollo banner (っ˘ω˘ς

It's good overall! You just did some careless mistakes! and a few ones just because of our damn accents lol

Euh... Bonjour ! Je suis en train d'apprendre le français, et je vais euh... (Translator moment lol) pratiquer mon français avec toi!

apprendent : the word doesn't exist but I might think what you tried! You're currently learning french so you can use the form "être (conjugated) + en train de + infinitive".

pratique : infinitive form always after "je vais"! It's like your "be going to + infinitive", in french it's "aller (conjugated) + infinitive"

françois : it's a very old fashion way to say "français" like... around 17th century? :'D Now, it's only a name!

J'adore ton art, et ton écriture ! Euh... J'adore Leona et Vil, c'est très (translation lol) mignon! Je ne peux pas parler ou écrire très bien, mais je suis très bon(ne) en classe/cours !

ton en écrivant : the possessive adjective is good! You just got the translation of "writing" mixed up. You used the past participle instead of the noun. Here you want to say you like my writing (écriture) not that I'm currently writing (en écrivant). Thanks a lot btw! 💞

très : Well, just welcome in our accents hell <3 "è" is used for deep "e sound".

écriver : wrong infinitive. Écrire is a verb from the 3rd group (the group where we put all the verbs that don't end by -er or -ir lol)

je suis tres bien en mon classe! : a bit tricky here. Since you're talking about how you're doing well in your classes, you have to use the adjective "bon(ne)". "Bien" is more use to express a feeling like "Je me sens bien" (I feel good). For the "en mon classe", the possessive adjective is too many in the sentence, you can say "je suis très bonne dans ma classe" but that doesn't sound great. You need to talk about your class in a more global way hence "en classe" ou "en cours".

Hope it help you! I'm happy you reached me to check your french, don't hesitate to do it again! <3

[lavendermin]

busy. try again later | welt yang

pairing | welt yang x reader

wc | 2.6k

genre | fluff, implied secret relationships, lighthearted banter

warnings | suggestive but nothing explicit, pregnancy, written following the pov of Stelle around the express, welt is railing your stars on the down low

Idleness. Boredom. It left Stelle a little fidgety when there was a slight break from major tasks. The Astral Express was currently stationed near Jarilo VI for a quick visit. No major missions were queued up and if she counted all the visible stars outside the window of the main parlor car for the 44th time she would surely lose her mind.

‘I should go check with the others. Maybe there’s something I can do… or risk losing my mind like this.’ Stelle hops off the parlor car seat and heads toward the passenger cabin.

A soft knock to the first door. No answer.

“This is technically a public room on the Express. You don’t have to knock every time you stop by,” Dan Heng responds flatly without looking up from a few open books on the table.

“It's still your room,” Stelle counters with a shrug, eyes skimming the room curiously.

Dan Heng lets out a quiet sigh that ends in a chuckle. He turns to look at her fully, arms crossed over his chest. “Something on your mind?”

“Just checking in. Need any help?”

“No, I’m busy but it would take longer to explain than the task would take. Try March. She wanted to head into Belobog to restock on some supplies while we’re still here.”

With a nod Stelle turns to head out of the data bank. Dan Heng watches the door slide shut, letting out a quiet exhale before getting back to the various books he has to sort through for information.

Oddly enough, Stelle finds Himeko standing just outside March’s door speaking to the newest Astral Express member. They don’t seem to pay Stelle any mind as she walks over.

“Are you sure? It would make a lovely walk,” Himeko offers. You shake your head and offer an apologetic smile.

“No, no, I’ll be okay. I’m pretty busy today with some… errands,” you reason, hands tugging and fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. “I’ll go next time.”

Himeko relents and sends you on your way. You quickly disappear down the hall toward the passenger car over where your room is. “Stelle, would you like to join March and myself on a quick trip to Belobog?”

She nods with a small smile. “If you’re not heading out too soon I’ll join you.” There were still a few others Stelle wanted to check in with just in case. You said you had some errands to do today so maybe Stelle could help.

Understanding her current little task, Himeko assures Stelle that they’ll be heading out in about an hour so there’s not much of a rush. March has been known to take a little longer than most at getting ready if it’s just a casual outing. The soft music and humming coming from her door gave way to the fact that Himeko had been waiting for longer than originally planned. She stays for some idle chatter to help Himeko kill some time as she waits before continuing down the rooms.

The door all the way at the end of the hall— Welt Yang’s room. Stelle gives a firm few knocks.

Silence.

She tries the door but, as always, it oddly doesn’t even budge an inch. He might be elsewhere on the train or engrossed in a new book so much he didn’t hear her knock. Well, it’s not like he usually needs help. More often than not Welt is the one offering help to those that approach him. Best to leave it at that for now. There was an attempt at least and that sat okay with her conscience.

Onto the cart over, your room is the only one in use save for the guest room just next to yours that will occasionally house a visitor. Stelle approaches and knocks.

There’s muffled shuffling on the other side and a hasty, ‘Just a minute!’ The hand that was reaching for the door handle pauses and instead Stelle waits patiently for you to answer.

The door slides open just enough for your breathless face to come into view. “Sorry I was, uhm, reorganizing my room a bit. It’s a mess,” you chuckle apologetically.

Stelle quirks a brow at your slightly disheveled appearance when you step outside into the hall and shut the door behind you softly.

“If you’re moving furniture I can help. Don’t hurt yourself,” Stelle offers with a kind smile. As much as you appreciate the offer you quickly shake your head.

“No, no, I’m fine. Almost done putting stuff away. Thank you for the offer anyway. If you’re looking for something to do, Pom-Pom might need help now that I think about it.” You quickly divert the conversation. “He was looking a little troubled the past couple of days.”

That being said, the conductor always has something troubling them. Pom-Pom was a busy bee every day keeping the Express in top condition and takes pride in doing so. Still, it didn’t hurt to check on him before heading out with Himeko and March.

You wave your brief thank you and goodbye, a polite yet nervous smile on your expression. Stelle subconsciously makes note of the way you don’t head back into your room until she leaves. Everyone on this train has secrets and with you being the newest member of a few months, she couldn’t fault you for being a little more reserved as you got adjusted.

And just as you said, Stelle comes across the train’s conductor who is uneasily sweeping around the parlor car to keep busy. Even the slight tap of the conductor's hat to get their attention makes him yelp before realizing it’s just Stelle and not whatever terrifying end Pom-Pom thought was finally catching up to him.

“Stelle…” Pom-Pom clearly looks uneasy and distressed.

“Something on your mind?” Stelle asks.

Pom-Pom glances around, looks behind some chairs, under a table, and hobbles back over to Stelle. The little conductor’s face scrunches in thought.

“Lately, Pom-Pom can’t help but feel that there’s something that changed on the Express. Like there’s another faint presence at times.” A look of fear crosses his face and Pom-Pom gulps down a few stray scary thoughts. “Stelle, do you think a ghost could have followed you onboard in your travels?”

She looks around. One end of the cabin is empty save for Dan Heng who heads out of the Express alone. The other end is just as desolate— not a single movement.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Stelle notes. “Are you sure it was a presence you felt? Have you been sleeping well?”

The conductor stomps his little foot down angrily. “H-Hey! Pom-Pom knows what he felt! Sleep is not the issue,” the little rabbit argues with a huff. “But, please go take a look around the Express and make sure a stray animal or something didn’t get on board accidentally.”

It really was strange if what Pom-Pom is saying is true. Generally, Stelle is quick to pick up on something amiss but nothing has seemed out of the ordinary lately. Still, to give Pom-Pom the ease of mind she takes another more thorough look around the parlor car. Nothing under the seats, hands swatted away from Pom-Pom’s plant, not a sound or sight out of place.

Stelle turns to the conductor who has started trailing behind with concerned eyes that shift around the room. “Pom-Pom, do you feel this presence right now?”

He takes a moment and scans the room, then shakes his head. “Well, no… But what if it’s hiding? Waiting for an opportunity to eat a tasty conductor?”

“Like a giant space rat?” Stelle quips with a laugh.

Pom-Pom lets out a whimper. “Hey! Stop trying to scare Pom-Pom!”

She puts up her hands defensively with a chuckle. “Alright, if you don’t sense it here maybe we should look around the other cars to figure it out,” Stelle suggests.

Though uneasy, Pom-Pom agrees. “Okay, but if something attacks it’s your job to protect and save Pom-Pom!”

Stelle agrees if only to calm down the fidgety conductor.

In the first passenger cart Himeko and March are now chatting among themselves about their plan for the outing. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. Stelle takes another look around with Pom-Pom in tow.

“Any presence here?”

The little rabbit shakes his head. “N-No… But Pom-Pom swears it’s somewhere!”

“Did you lose a button again, Pom-Pom?” March asks curiously as the two look around the cart.

Stelle shakes her head, quickly explaining the situation to save the conductor some stress. At this point he’s practically glued to Stelle’s leg, eyes shifting to and fro.

March forces out a shaky laugh that only gives way to her nerves. “Oh, haha… A space rat wouldn’t be on the Express… I hope.”

And maybe everything at once was a little too much for the little conductor. So much that he momentarily snaps. Which isn’t too extreme given Pom-Pom’s stature. “Stop, stop! Pom-Pom did not sense a space rat!”

It’s lighthearted banter at best between March and Pom-Pom. Just enough to at least alleviate some tension from this little unsolved train mystery. Stelle is in the middle of brainstorming any other possible reasons when the other passenger car door opens down the hall.

Your head peeks out to assess the situation, clearly on alert due to the loud bickering. As soon as you see the group down the hall you let out a little sigh of relief and head over.

“What’s all the commotion?” you ask Himeko.

She offers a shrug and a hand gesture that indicates it’s nothing too big of a deal. And it would seem that way, that is until Pom-Pom lets out a shriek.

“Th-There it is!” he yells, jumping behind March and Stelle. “The presence came in with Y/n!”

All eyes are on you and you’re hopelessly teetering between confused and dreading the next moments.

“The presence came in with Y/n,” Himeko muses calmly. She lets out a sly little chuckle, one that knows too much while keeping a perfect poker face. “Pom-Pom, do you think perhaps the presence is with Y/n?”

The conductor finally peeks from where he hides, uncovering his eyes. “O-Oh. Pom-Pom didn’t think of that… Passenger Y/n,” the rabbit starts as he cautiously waddles over to you. “Please hold still.”

Oh no.

Oh no. Oh no.

You don’t even get a word in. The tiny robot that Pom-Pom uses is quicker than you can register as it gives a brief scan of your form. The conductor is silent as his eyes quickly scan the data displayed on its tiny screen. The little gasp he lets out only further forms a cold sweat down your neck.

“Passenger Y/n… you’re carrying a tiny being,” Pom-Pom finally announces with a look of awe and confusion.

“Please don’t call it that,” you interject with a nervous laugh. “It’s just a baby Pom-Pom.”

March is the first to snap out of the momentary shock, her jaw dropped. “What?! You’re pregnant?! A baby?! Since when?!”

“Calculated to be an approximate nine or ten weeks of development so far,” Pom-Pom clarifies, eyes glued to the data.

“And there you have it,” Himeko concludes. “Our little mystery is solved for the presence Pom-Pom felt. I’d say that’s excellent teamwork as always from our Astral Express family.”

And it seems to be a satisfying enough conclusion for Pom-Pom thankfully.

“Well if there’s no real danger to the Express, Pom-Pom will be leaving. There’s much to do!” And with that the little conductor scurries off to the main parlor car.

The passenger car door shuts and March is immediately an explosive flurry of questions. Her insatiable curiosity leaves her speaking faster than she can really stop to properly think through. She’s next to you in less than a second, her hand gently on your stomach as she looks from your barely-noticeable bump to your uneasy expression. The questions are nonstop and practically all in one breath, one after another.

Did you know? When did you find out? Are you dizzy? Eating enough? Any pain? Have you contacted Natasha yet for a checkup? Any names? There’s an audible gasp as March pauses with a new train of thought, or maybe to take in air after the barrage of questions.

“Who’s the father? Don’t tell me it’s someone on the Express,” she interrogates further. Your nervous smile and avoidance of eye-contact is all the body language she needs to confirm her suspicion.

You push her away gently, suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed by all the questions. “March, p-please. You don’t have to worr–“

Amidst the chaos of the new shocking revelation, Dan Heng returns from his unannounced outing. March is quick to snap her gaze at him. It only takes a split second for her to put two and two together in her mind.

“Dan Heng… you jerk!” March lunges at him, shaking his shoulders wildly. “Not using protection?! Are you serious right now?! Are you even supporting her at such a crucial point in her life?! You better not run off and ditch her because I’ll find you and drag you back frozen if I have to!”

It’s comedic, despite the chaos, how expressionless but uncomfortable Dan Heng looks right now. He just lets March give him an earful before prying her hands off of him.

“March. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just got back,” he explains calmly.

The tears of passion and frustration are brimming on March’s eyes. You can only watch the scene unfold with mild unease, a hand protectively on your belly.

March huffs with a pout, hands on her hips. “Y/n is around nine weeks pregnant and you are hardly any help.”

“Wait, March—“ You try to stop her, face warm with embarrassment, but she’s too caught up in her passionate berating to listen.

March and Dan Heng are bickering back and forth without end when the door to the second passenger car opens soundlessly.

“It’s not me. And it’s not my problem if you don’t believe me.”

March lets out an exasperated groan. “If you haven’t noticed, there aren’t that many guys on the Express. I just don’t see how–“

“Is there trouble?” Welt interrupts as he comes up behind you and Himeko. He looks to the latter for explanation but she can only let out an amused chuckle. The knowing glint in her eye has you swallowing a whimper.

“March,” you start, face growing warmer by the second as you try to stop her to no avail. But everyone notices it— the way your body instinctively turns toward Welt.

March halts, voice growing smaller by the second as the words come out. “If it’s not… Dan Heng…”

Everyone watches as March reassesses her thoughts in real time now that Welt is there. Slowly the truth unfolds and you watch as her eyes grow wider by the second, jaw dropped.

“Mr. Yang?!”

The older man seems taken aback by her sudden exclamation. He looks to you for further explanation but you’re too flustered to speak. Your silence and averted gaze only further confirms March’s new theory that you two were sleeping together… and for quite some time now.

“Will someone care to explain what’s going on?” Welt asks with a sigh and pinch to the bridge of his nose.

There’s a chuckle that comes from beside him as Himeko interjects. “It seems our crew just found out about the result of your many little… escapades. But,” she continues, “We’re all adults here. Everyone’s private matters are to be respected. And we will all receive the future little addition to the Astral Express Family warmly.” She shoots a meaningful look at March, Stelle and Dan Heng.

They all nod solemnly.

“Oh,” Stelle begins with a look of realization. “So that’s what you two were doing when I stopped by her room.”

[ask-hsr-characters]

Hello!!! It's me again! The anonymous girl who just loves writing traumatized characters for her absurd stories!

-

To Aventurine and Dr. Ratio,

Hi'ya, it's me again! If you two are wondering why me and my 37 classmates, who should be in school and studying, are here homeless and starving... Well... I'll admit, I was serectly playing a video game, (Which is Honkai: Star Rail) in my phone during Science Class, hiding it away from under my seat from my teacher so that she doesn't notice. Then Suddenly my phone flashed a bright light across my classroom, teleporting me and classmates to where we are now, in your universe. Away from our own. So.... if you don't mind... *Gathers all of my classmates, who are a group of teenagers and have alright-ish grades for going to a school that requires you to have a passing grade score of 85 for major subjects and 83 for minor subjects that means including me, around Aventurine and Dr. Ratio with puppy eyes. Begging in the ground near their knees and me holding at least 38 adoption papers.* Are you two willingly to please again adopt us as your temporary children? We bet our parents and teachers wouldn't even notice our disappearance and since we have nowhere to go in the moment... Please?... We promise we will be behaving children. We really need a temporary parental figure to take care of us while trying to find a way back home, especially two father figures who I considered you two. And... Is it alright if you two can also please assist us with our homework? Especially me? Please. I don't even understand a few lessons from a few subjects well😭😢 And maybe even help us with studying for our upcoming final exams? If we can go back to our home universe that is. And... one last thing, I know my requests are already a bit too much, however... can we also please call you two Papa Vasha and Papa Ratio if you sign these adoption papers? Thank you.

-

To Hook,

Hey, Pitch-Dark Hook the Great! I can't help but watch you and your father's relationship blooming into a daughter and father bond. And... since your father might a bit too old to play adventurous games that require an extreme amount of energy with you and the Moles anymore and the fact he might disappear away somewhere in your life as you grow older... *Proceeds to throw a strange blue potion at Fersman, Hook's adoptive father that somehow turns him back to his youthful self, somewhere in his early 20s and runs away quickly as soon as possible.* Bye bye! Enjoy your time with your father's young version of himself!!!! ^^

-

To Welt.

Hello, Mr. Yang!!!! I heard you worked on a very popular animated series mecha robot called 'Arahato' and I have MANY questions to ask you. Do you at least heard of Magical girls? They are sort of like heroes but girls with extraordinary powers gifted by supernatural beings that need their help to save the world from evil, etc. My favorite one has to be Madoka Magica, Mermaid Melody, Toyko Mew Mew, Sakura Card Captor, Powerpuff Girls Z, Salior Moon, Creamy Mami, Fushigi Boshi no Futago Hime Gyu, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Symophogear, Flowering Heart, Precure, Ojamajo Doremi and the new upcoming Princess Session Orchestra. I'm actually currently making a magical girl show myself called 'Animal Freedom Protectors'. So do you have any advice on making an animated show? I'm open to anything to be honest.

-

To Yanqing,

Omg, Yanqing! I'm so proud of you! The fact you managed to defeat Hoolay with all of strength and power was so incredible! I have seen you fight so well many times before but never like that! I'm sure you already have blown March and Yunli's minds away (not literally). I'm sure General Jingyuan is already proud of you after everything you have been through. The fighting, training... everything was worth it for you to come this far. C'mom! Let's go celebrate your marvelous victory with some food! All on me!

-

To Dan Heng,

Hey, buddy. How's is it going after the recent adventure you have gotten through the Xianzhou? Tiring? I know. By the way, I know this might be invading your personal space... but... since you have your Vidyadhara form... CAN I PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PET YOUR HORNS AND YOUR TAIL? I WILL BE VERY GENTLE I PROMISE! Still, the way you literally throw your pole arm to stab that Vidyadhara elder, who I heard was one of those people who subjected your past self, Dan Feng to punishment, was sick as heck! Also, has anyone in the Express pet your horns and tail before? I bet March, Caelus and Stelle did😏

-

That's all I have for today! ^^

why must you torture my fingers in this way…

-

Aventurine: “Whoa! That’s a, um, certainly interesting story…”

Ratio: “Indeed. It sounds like you all need to get back home.”

Aventurine: “Aww, but Doctor! Why can’t we keep them?~”

Ratio: “No.”

Aventurine: “Fine, then. I’m adopting you all, since Mr. Grumpy over here won’t. And yes, you may call me whatever you’d like~”

Ratio: “Ugh, fine. I guess I’ll help you out…”

Aventurine: “Heh, yay~”

-

Welt: “That’s certainly a lot of questions…I’ve heard of the Magical Girl genre, but I personally haven’t seen any of those shows myself. However, if it’s advice you seek, then…I would probably say to just go easy on yourself. Making a show takes a ton of work, so be patient with yourself.”

-

Yanqing: “Really?! Celebration food?! Yeah, let’s go! Oh, and thanks for the praise!~ I’ll admit, I’m proud of myself for my victory…so it feels good to get recognized for it!”

-

Dan Heng: “Yes, it was quite tiring. But- eh? You want to…pet me? Sure…the others have already done so, as soon as they learned about my Vidyadhara form. Predictable. Hm? Oh…my fighting is ‘sick’? Is that a good thing…?”

-

ow my fingers after typing this

[freezerbnuuy]

Act 4:11 - Water Under the Bridge (Page 1)

LORE | CHARACTERS | ABOUT / CHAPTERS / WARNINGS

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another year later

Gideon

It seems so surreal, with both of my boys all grown up.

Josiah still lives here, and he plans to stay here. He's at university now, studying medicine and hoping to become a physician. It seemed a little out of nowhere when he told me about it. I don't envy him having to learn the ropes alongside Dr. Annorin, though.

Dan lives with Eli now, doing woodwork alongside him. I still do my fishing, but I'm not getting any younger. I'm happy they're both finding their feet, but it's still a little upsetting when your own children start going their own way. You get so used to their constant company that it hurts to not see them all the time, even if they're both happy in what they're doing.

Josiah still keeps himself to himself, and still doesn't have any friends or a partner at university. Even now, he's still not much of a people person- it does make me wonder how he'll manage a position as an eventual physician with his social apprehensions, but I'm sure he'll find a way.

He had the option of going to Britechester, but wanted to stay closer to home, and wanted little to do with the 'elitist snobs' of that corner of the country. Sometimes, when I look at him, I find myself mourning that I did not have the opportunities that he had- but it doesn't matter. What matters is that my son is carving a path for himself in life, and it's something he's enjoying.

He spends most of his time studying from medical books and journals, but he asked his professor about some practical application of the knowledge in said books, and Owen Annorin offered some time towards training him. 

"Your brother is awfully late."

"Of course he is," Josiah replies, laughing. "It's impossible for him to be away from Eli for longer than-"

At that moment, Dan bursts through the door and throws his arms around me and then Josiah. It seems like only a day or so ago, they were still just ten-year-old boys running around the garden.

"I'll admit, Dan, I've missed you, and I miss having Josiah around as often. Pardon the sentimentality," I say to him. "It's good to see you again."

"You too, Father. It's been a lot of hard work, but it's worth it, in the end."

"Well, you're not a stranger to hard work, are you? How are things with Eli?"

"They're fine."

"And..."

"No," he replies, bluntly. "I haven't told him. It's water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned."

I hear a deep sigh from Josiah. 

"Daniel, you're very much in love with this man. Don't you think you should be honest with-"

His narrow glare says it all- the words he wants to ask me, but won't. And if Ruth were still alive when you were a witchfinder, would you have told her that you killed people? The answer to that, I'm not entirely sure.

"I didn't kill anyone. And he doesn't need to know about the fight I had with Oskar, either. It's in the past, and it doesn't need digging up again."

It's difficult to not think of the situation with Volpe. He's not been a direct threat for some time. You hardly hear of any accusations of witchcraft, mostly because all of the witches here either fled or were killed. If anything, the Jacobans were more of a threat to the witches than Volpe was currently. It still weighs on my mind. I still wish I could have killed him back then.

"Very well. I'm sorry. You may be a man now, but you're still my son, and I still worry about you from time to time."

"I know, Father, but we don't need to worry about that now. As I said, it's in the past."

It's hard not to think about Oskar. I still remember the look on his face, somewhere halfway between regret and acceptance. I remember how much I despised him, but we were just two fathers willing to do anything for our children, and we had more of a reason to despise Volpe instead of each other.

As for Eli, he's been good to Daniel, I must admit- but the situation with Oskar and I had meant I've kept my distance and not spoken to him a terrible deal, despite an apology letter I wrote to him for my actions towards him some years ago. He never did reply to that.

"Daniel, Josiah...Promise me just one thing," I say to them, eyeing their fancy clothes I would have dreamed of at their age. "Promise me that, whatever happens, you will both stay humble, won't you?"

"Of course we will," Josiah utters, not looking away from his textbook. "Just because I'm being taught by an Annorin, it doesn't mean I'll become like one. And just because Dan's-"

"Don't you dare, Josiah."

Josiah chuckles to himself as his brother gives him an offensive hand gesture.

"Alright, alright - and just because Dan's in love with an Annorin, that doesn't mean he'll become like one either. I mean, well, he might become an Annorin if he marries him..." he says, in a playful, mocking tone.

[ninyard]

hi again, it’s the anon who was raving abt ur kevallison writing! i’m a writer, too so i totally get the wanting validation aspect of posting; just know that i’m rallying behind u with reblogs and comments and likes- you’ll be sick of me by the end i’m sure of it😭🤣 i just absolutely love the way you write them, the way you portray their tension and well… them fucking😅 two hot people are bound to bang, we don’t make the rules here💀

You know what I’m SO GLAD you like kevallison and think they’re hot because I think they’re so fuckin hot. Two hot people ARE bound to bang and apart from Renee they’re the only two single foxes. Are you telling me they haven’t shrugged their sexy shoulders after a banquet and gone back to each others hotel room? Are you telling me they’ve sat in a party and watched Dan and Matt, Neil and Andrew, Katelyn and Aaron, playing tonsil tennis and NOT said fuck it??? Let’s do it?????

I have honestly turned myself into a kevallison shipper. And they DONT DATE!!! They just have HOT HOOKUPS!!!!!!! It’s perfect and I love them and I love you for this validation. It’s all I need to continue on this kevallison train to nowhere 🫡

(And you’re so right. Their kinks working together?? It’s fantastic and hot and I love that for them)

[grandhotelabyss]

How do you write so fast? Do you really just pop out those weekly readings in under an hour? Is there a way to train your brain to write faster or have you always written densely complex material in lightspeed and the rest of us just need to accept the limitations of our IQ?

Not under an hour, but usually somewhere between two and four hours. (Occasional research isn't part of the count. Once I realized I wanted to write something about Nosferatu, I knew I had to familiarize myself with the earlier films and related discourse. Though the actual paragraphs I produced on all the Draculas and Nosferatus were, yes, written within about an hour.) I didn't train myself; I've always been this way; I don't know why. In middle school when I scripted Vertigo-style comics for my friend Dan to draw, which we then photocopied and sold in a local comic-book store, I would write those 24-page scripts in two days, late-night sessions on the weekends. My college and grad school essays were usually written the day or two before they were due (though, again, the research happened before). My doctoral dissertation, Portraits and Ashes, Major Arcana: six to nine months. The Quarantine of St. Sebastian House: three weeks. (The Class of 2000 was written over five years, but not continuously; rather in widely spaced rapid sessions while I was figuring out the structure.) It's not I.Q.; if I had any I.Q. to speak of, surely I would understand mathematics, physics, philosophy, economics, languages—and I don't understand any of those. It's really a feeling, possession by the daemon or whatever. Describing it subjectively, it's like this: the whole idea tends to come to me all at once—if the whole idea doesn't come to me all at once, I experience this as writer's block even if I'm having good sub-ideas, as happened with The Class of 2000—and I have to get it all down as fast as I can before I lose it. I don't think this is necessarily typical of the best writers, anything you should envy—or it drastically varies by person. Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, and Woolf were fast and daemon-ridden; Flaubert, Joyce, and Nabokov were slow and high-I.Q. The first list is not inherently superior to the second. It takes all kinds.

[idyllwave]

Guess who’s backkkkk. So I reread the whole novel to cook some more. And honestly, with Sunday on her side, y/n is so op. Like she could be unstoppable . And I love imagining myself in main character pov so I have a game plannnn. Welcome to “A dummies guide on how to survive a crazy ass emperor in a crazy ass palace”

Step 1: Recruit baldie, cuz he always hovering on our shoulders like a hawk. Instant easy way is to threaten him with info of him tryna steal from Jing yuan, but we need some solid evidence so I would throw one of our lives and dedicate them to digging up dirt on Dan heng and blade for some evidence. Doesn’t matter if we die cuz Sunday gonna do reanimation jutsu on us.

Step 2: get a right hand man/ woman. Could be blade after you threaten him or a completely new character. Someone with some power in the palace and someone beefing with Jing yuan,

Step 3: teach those stupid maids a lesson. Not necessary but I want to. As a wise woman once said

“To beat a bitch, you must be the bigger bitch”

—caristiona 2024

Easy way would be do frame them for stealing one of y/n’s belongings, wouldn’t risk doing it on my own but would get someone to do it for me as a scapegoat in case shit hits the fan. Can be blade if you threaten him, or recruit another maid who’s beefing with said maid. Jing yuan has lots of side chicks I think so this shouldn’t be too hard. Easiest route definitely. I would make sure to stir up the biggest shit storm for my lost belongings and try to get as much attention as possible, so if Jing yuan wants to even step in, he’ll be forced to take my side to save face. Oki, one bitch down, a million more to go.

Step 4: Research on Sunday, my theory is he’s either a minor god or penacony’s prince (most possible theory) and thus beefing with Jing yuan. Monday gave us a hint on history books so I’d literally scour the whole library for any bit of infor.

Step 5: waste one of our lives digging up some dirt abt moze. I rate him number 2 on our danger factor cuz he’s second unpredictable after Jing yuan. Again, it oki if we die cuz Sunday.

Step 6: continue with the amnesia plan cuz it was rlly good (big brain move author). Except this time we threaten baldie first. Blade is the best character for this. Except make the accident a lil more natural, we can pull of a fake poisoning incident and frame another one of Jing yuan’s side chicks. Something non lethal but enough to knock us out. Either hire someone to plant fake evidence or another maid cuz I would never risk it and make sure the evidence circles back to Dan heng so that we have smth on him too, not necessary but good to have. Literally 2 birds with one stone.

Step 7: try to make Jing yuan jealous, might or might not end up getting killed but wut ever, m’ I right? Cozy up with one of the male servants or butlers or even boothil. Do some lil hugs hear and there or offer them to kiss the hand greeting in front of Jing yuan. Lean on boothill’s shoulder or go on picnic, Jing yuan will def hear.

Step 8: literally last ditch effort. Pretend to have gone mad from missing our kingdom so much. Spout bullshit and throw tantrums like you a Grammy winning actor. Might not work against Jing yuan’s but will force him to rethink his plan which would be great breathing room to plan more.

Step 9: try to take control of the palace maids. There is no way all of them swear unconditional loyalty to Jing yuan, either trick blade to do the dirty work by “unknowingly” tipping them off about one of the keys him and Dan heng need. Or send balde off to training, dress up as a commoner and try to bribe the one of the least loyal maids. Gems, money, wealth wut ever.

Step 10: try to get another important figure on our side, might be rlly hard cuz we basically have 0 contact in the palace (thank you jing yuan). Jing yuan surely has some opposition even in his own empire cuz yk ppl. Could be a chancellor, could be even Sanctus medicus ( Ik they not introduced yet but I would love to see them as an opposing kingdom).

I was also thinking abt what roles some of the other luofu chars might have the empire. I think war strategist fu xuan. General!s disciple yanqing. Minister / chancellor of internal affairs Yukong. Minister of health Dan shu (if u don’t remember, she was former alchemy commissioner). Minister of resources mister gongshu. Diplomat and ambassador for foreign affairs ting yun. Head palace doctor bailu. Wandering apothecary Loucha.

Ik this is superrrr long and u prolly find this a bit boring but if u made it to the end, thank u. If u liked one of the details feel free to yoink cuz your novel is one of my,y fave Jing yuan au’s. Thank u for reading my survival guide, I hope u fabulous hooman has a fabulous day, mwah

XD (many, many thoughts for 3am, I haven't said everything I was thinking and my words are kind of messy, but im trying)

Getting a right hand man/woman would definitely be a good idea on y/n's part! Whether it be blade or not though... who knows? She already knows he and Dan heng are after a certain key that Jing yuan has, so maybe she could use that to her advantage?

And most definitely! Y/n has to show those maids who's boss! (Eventually) how she does it, well, I guess it'll be written eventually.

As for sunday, (haha), you're on the right track. Though, whether he's a natural born aeon or not is another thing entirely.

And i do plan for y/n to go through with her amnesia plan again soon! She wants to go home after all. And she has to do it in such a way that doesn't get her killed.

Also, making jing yuan jealous may not be the wisest decision 🤭 though, who knows? Maybe it'll be effective

😭😭 and y/n going mad?! Interesting thought, but I can't help but to think jing yuan just killing y/n so he doesn't have to be troubled or deal with the hassle 🥹

And taking control of the palace maids won't be an easy feat! Especially since she'll have to take out jing yuan's little harem first. (Sounds hard, but I bet she can do it)

XD most definitely!! There's bound to be plenty of people that y/n could try to befriend! (Dan shu being one of them). How she meets them though will be difficult since Moze is currently lurking in the shadows.

[pinkprimrose05]

DAN HENG.FOR THE CHARACTER ASK GAME!!

Cold Dragon Young!

General opinion/How much I care about them: Man, Dan Heng is such a fun guy. You see this quiet dude and you think he's probably all plain and straight-laced, but then he, in no particular order: gets into a an underground fight club tournament (and wins??), breaks a military fleet's banishment sentence to save his pals, and gets a whole cutscene wherethe idiot almost kisses the mc (there's no way that was a proper CPR attempt. He was 100% bullshitting his way there).

[Spoiler warning for the Luofu main quest incoming!!]

The way they handled his background and character arc makes me very sad tho. I wish the writers took their time with playing out his backstory; it could've been so much better if they waited long enough to let us get to know him and everyone else involved a little better, to see his struggle with the very interesting ship of theseus theme he has going on in light of Dan Feng's history, and deliver on all that in a way that's actually impactful in emotion and story relevance, instead of rushing it in favor of getting to the bossfight of the quest. Alas, it is what it is.

At least he got out of it with something! I mean, who can say no to 1 more little sister :D

A ship I love: *rummaging noises* huh, I wonder where I dropped that. Oh well. No ships for you, boy. Rip.

A non-romantic relationship that I love: THE ASTRAL EXPRESS. Sometimes a family is a retired Herrscher, the creator of The Dreaded Coffee™, a lonely dragon with autism, a calendar day in an ice cube, a funky ticking time bomb, and the bunny carrying the whole train on their back.

They are everything to me. Their groupchat is literally called The Astral Express Family. I love them your honor I hope they all live happy and peaceful and prosperous lives and hopefully don't get their 3rd stabbed member in a row when we head to the next planet. The Astral Express checks offs all the right boxes of wholesome and sweet for the found family enjoyer that is yours truly, which is just- mwah. I love them so so so much.

(Bonus shoutout to Bailu AKA the new little sister I mentioned a bit above. I NEED to see more of her and Dan Heng together, they're just adorable.)

The NOTP: Danmarch, Danstelle and Dancae. I just. don't see it. They're so sibling-coded to me, it feels off to see them in a romantic context.

My biggest headcanon about them: I think all Vidyadhara are cold-blooded by virtue of being dragons, so Dan Heng prefers to sleep on the floor of the archives because, given the amount of devices running in such a small space, it's always the warmest place on the Express. Or so he thinks until March drags him and Stelle for a sleepover in her room and builds a pillow fort. Turns out their newest member is actually a portable heater, and the pillows and blankets are also very warm and comfy too and- wait, what's that sweet feeling?

...Oh no.

Now he wants to try this again.

An idea for a fanfiction I would like to write/read about them: 5 times people smile at Dan Heng + the one time he smiles at them. Featuring me-typical express fam appearances, a sprinkle of Bailu and a dash of Jing Yuan, and maaaybe a hint of that one ghost from the past.

Now if only I can find something along those lines or figure out how to write it myself... hmm...

Something that makes me think of them: withered leaves, lotus blooms, small water ponds, zither music (idk), and, uh, Kaedehara Kazuha. Maple leaf windboy solidarity lmao

[vinylspinning]

Steely Dan: Can't Buy a Thrill (1972)

In my youth I was far too addicted to power and volume to appreciate any a number of subtler classic rock and adult-oriented groups, but in Steely Dan's case, I think this loss-in-translation was exacerbated by my initial exposure to their late-career hits.

Aja and Gaucho didn't sell five times as many copies as their predecessors by accident: they did so because Donald Fagen and Walter Becker polished their artsy jazz-rock into M.O.R. sounds so slick, they lost all that was edgy about past works, except for their spicy or obscure lyrics.

At least that's my opinion!

So my belated conversion duly accelerated as I worked my way backwards along the Dan's discography, 'til I finally found myself holding 72's Can't Buy a Thrill and learning more about the unconventional group that recorded it.

After paying their dues with little to show for it back in New York and its surrounding area, Donald and Walter were lured to Los Angeles by their friend and future producer Gary Katz, who had just accepted an A&R role at ABC Dunhill.

Ostensibly hired as staff writers, Becker and Fagen soon contacted erstwhile East Coast associates, Denny Dias (guitar), Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter (guitar), Jim Hodder (drums), and started rehearsing a "group with no name" after hours at the label's facilities.

Before long they moved to Village Recorders to record Cant Buy a Thrill and settled on the name given to a rubber dildo in William Burroughs' The Naked Lunch, which aptly reflected Becker and Fagen's shared literary interests and dark humor.

But because Steely Dan's core duo still saw themselves as songwriters, not recording, let alone touring, artists they almost needed their arms twisted to play their own material -- hence the ultimately short-lived enrollment of lead vocalist David Palmer.

Yet, Palmer fronts just two of these tracks: the sonically sweet but lyrically bitter "Dirty Work" (featuring exquisitely understated tenor sax from Jerome Richardson and flugelhorn from Snooky Young; both big band jazz vets) and the cryptic "Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)" -- an old tune from their days living in the borough.

Hodder wound up singing "Midnite Cruiser," but the reluctant Fagen was convinced to handle the rest, including the Latin-flavored "Only a Fool Would Say That," the propulsive "Change of the Guard," the ambiguous crime caper "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again," and, of course, the album's two singles.

At six minutes in length and clearly lacking the tempo typically favored by disc jockeys, "Do it Again" was an unexpected hit (peaking at No. 6), with its jazz chords and minor keys, long intro and distinctive percussion (congas, guiro), and rambling cinematic storyline.

By comparison, "Reelin' in the Years" might have been the purest single of Steely Dan's entire career; its sardonic break-up lyrics sweetened by a driving, bouncy, swing, and a quasi-legendary, one-take guitar solo by Baxter's friend, Elliott Randall, who also wound up playing on the comparatively subdued "Kings."

Not even the album cover collage provided any answers about the new and mysterious ensemble, framing the title taken from Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" with a photo of French prostitutes waiting for their clients in a red-light district.

None of which derailed Can't Buy a Thrill's steady ride to No. 17 on the Billboard chart, led by strong critical support right out of the box and followed by accelerating commercial recognition that eventually earned it a Platinum certification.

Oh, and even those of us who waited half a century to join the club can still witness the rare sight of Steely Dan in concert (before they turned into dedicated studio rats), thanks to this vintage clip from the Midnight Special, taped in August 1973.

More Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja, Gaucho.

[underratedbananawerewolf]

Fictober Day 14

Prompt 14: "If you don't stop now —" 

Fandom: Honkai Star Rail 

Rating: T 

Warnings: None 

Stelle enjoyed touching her loved ones. It assured her that they were real and that they wanted her to be there. It was especially important for the one she was romantically involved with. As with kisses, she was willing to take any opportunity to be in contact with her lover, especially since her time with him was so sparse.  

She had returned to the Luofu after dealing with the IPC in Belobog, eager to spend a few hours with Jing Yuan. Their responsibilities tore them apart more often than not; responsibilities that neither would ask the other to abandon. And so what time they did have together Stelle savored.  

Initially she had been kneading sore muscles, strained from a day of hard training but given the relaxation beneath her hands she had shifted to simple touches. Gentle callused fingers traced along scars that lined the skin of his back, her mind contentedly blank. She didn’t need to think here with Jing Yuan; she could just exist without any expectations.  

“Enjoying yourself?” Jing Yuan looked over his shoulder at her, his typical lazy smile on his lips as he teased.  

“Yes,” Stelle answered without hesitation, returning his smile with a small one of her own. “Are you?”  

The chuckle was more felt against her hands than heard. “Very much so.” He gave a contented yawn, his eyes closing as he settled back against her. “I’ll have to call you every time I work too hard.”  

No longer having access to his back her fingers trailed down his muscular arm, her eyes following her hand’s movements. “I charge extra for emergency calls.” she commented, teasing in her own quiet way. “You’ll have to upgrade your subscription though.”  

“I’ll make room in the budget.”  

She couldn’t help the laugh, her usual blank exterior dropped for the time being. Emotions, for all that they could be confusing and sometimes highly uncomfortable, colored her formerly gray world. And slowly she was learning how to express them openly. “I’ll send you the paperwork.” The long suffering sigh brought a larger smile to her face, even as her fingers shifted from tracing the bones in his hand to exploring the pattern of scars and muscles along his ribs.  

It was nice to simply touch, to feel the warmth of his skin beneath her hands and the steady rise and fall as he breathed. And yet, his breath hitched as she followed the path of the scar that she knew had come from Dan Heng’s spear. Golden eyes flickered to his face to see if it had hurt. As far as she knew this was his most recent injury and given how he had pushed his recovery, it was possible that it still hurt.  

Jing Yuan’s eyes were closed when she looked up, but there was no trace of pain anywhere. She could read that much at least. Cocking her head in curiosity, her fingers continued their path feeling his breath stutter again. Ah. A bit of mischief glinted in her eyes, and she dragged her fingers down the way they had come, still watching as he let out a small growl.  

“IF you don’t stop now, Stelle,” He rumbled as she shifted again, her teasing touch reaching the well-defined muscles of his abdomen.  

“Hmm?” She hummed, waiting for him to finish his sentence even as her fingers continued their exploration. A large hand enveloped hers, trapping it and preventing any further teasing. She looked up to see his eyes boring into her, eyes as gold as her own but there was something darker lurking there. “Yes?”  

“You’re tempting me.” He brought her hand up to his lips to kiss just above her pulse. “If you continue, I don’t think I can stop myself.” He might have been a disciplined man, but that didn’t mean he was perfect. Especially when she insisted on teasing him like she was.  

The trailblazer considered that, her gaze never wavering and then she smiled, an amused and slightly wicked expression.   “I wasn’t intending on tempting you but if you want me to, I can try.”  

With a tug on the hand he held, he brought her into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her to cage her against him. “Ah. If that’s what you insist on.” He bent just enough to brush his lips against hers. “Very well then. I am yours.” 

[an-anonymous-autobiography]

back in my periodic dan and phil phase and it’s making me think (WIP)

growing up i was always a bit quirky (autistic) and not like the other girls (not really a girl?) and i - was the quintessential - weird kid. i was picked on a fair bit by the other kids, some of them did give me a hard time, but the worst was from the adults. i was too weird, i didn’t behave right, i was a right stroppy teen (i had needs/boundaries), i was the one who had to be whipped into shape, i had to change to fit what was expected of me. i mean really i was kind of just asking for all of the trauma by choosing to be so strange and difficult (autistic and overwhelmed), they were just showing me some good old fashioned tough love.

this didn’t just apply to the ‘difficult’ emotions, it applied to everything. i experienced all of my emotions in the wrong way - the amount of times i was called aggressive just for being passionate about something and getting a little over exuberant. i was forced to quell my happiness because i didn’t show it properly, i felt everything too intensely and any non standard show of emotion had to be kept in check and not left to get out of hand. any chance i did get i took to far cos it was so unfamiliar to me and i didn’t know how to handle it.

i had to do things with reason, there had to be purpose, i guess there kinda had to be a demographic of sorts, someone to validate it and say yes i like this and therefore approve of you doing it.

“i want to do this” “but why?”

“who’s going to see/watch/read/like it?”

bitch? ME!! i want to do this for ME! why must my happiness need someone else’s permission?

i felt i had to justify being happy, or just purely existing. i always had to have a reason for doing things, it seemed the people around me didn’t really understand that sometimes i just wanted to do things for fun. they acted like my trying to be happy was unnatural and as a result those traits were trained out of me, as if joy is disallowed past age 8 and as if autism can be undiagnosed with enough positive thinking and discipline.

i always felt i had to be ‘proper’, and by proper i mean like, serious, mature, without frivolous intention, planned to a T. there was a right way to do things and all i knew was that i could never do it.

bringing this back to dan and phil. i’ve been watching some of their old videos, i keep watching them over again, sometimes i’ll finish one and then replay it pretty much instantly. it gives me so much nostalgia from when i was a kid, but also i can see so much of my old self in what they do. all of that joy that i wanted to experience, just simple awkward nerdy fun. people loved them for it and still do.

it’s not just them, there were/are so many people who became successful because of those traits that everyone tried so desperately to rid me of and it makes me sad to think of all i could have been if i’d just been allowed to be myself.

some of my quirks were a little too outlandish at times but i don’t think any child has a perfect grasp on the real world. i had so much promise and drive and it was taken from me for no reason

seeing all the people i knew, living their lives and being successful, getting jobs, getting degrees, getting married, etc etc. seeing all the people who were ‘worse’ than me now living more fulfilling lives than i feel i’ll ever have. hurts. it hurts to know all of the pain i went through as a kid was for nothing. it didn’t help me, i could have been far greater if i’d been able to just, be. they tried so hard to fix me and all they did was make me so much worse.

i don’t understand anything. i know nothing about the real world, no one ever thought i’d be capable of living like a normal person so i was kept from it. i feel like i was constantly forbade from just living.

it makes me so sad. so angry. all of the life i missed out on cos no one thought i could be human.

i am so tired of being half human.

i could have had a life, i could have done so much, actually been someone. but now i just hide in my room, i literally never leave the house, i don’t do anything. i’m sick of it, being forced to be no one. i’m me and i’ve always been me no matter how much you hate that and you can’t take that away from me. i am ME, you are not. you don’t know me better than i do, you barely know me at all, you don’t deserve to control me the way you do. i’d leave but you trapped me here, hid me from the outside world and got angry when i asked if i was allowed life skills. you made me into this burden you hate so much, and i’m not sorry for the pain that caused you.

███, ███ i just wish you’d take me away, let me stay with you, teach me how to be human like you are.

it’s way too early and i haven’t been to sleep yet

i’m rambling and i can barely keep my eyes open

[becomingego]

Track six, All That Remains

Can’t really feel the love I want

Or I just can’t feel anything else

I don’t know, but I know this feeling

Scratching my day just with...

Familiarity with empty intentions

I wake up and sleep in the same feeling,like chewing on flavorless gum.Not sweet, slightly bitter, mixed with leftover nicotine from last night’s cigarette. Just to keep my mouth busy, so my brain doesn’t stay too quiet.

I get lost, and lose at the battle I chose, each question hits like a slow bullet, Cimahi wind stabs all the way to the bone, and it’s all about choices I know I made

But I keep walking, even when I’m not sure this road has an end,. Sometimes it feels like I’m stepping on my own breath, Sometimes I just feel... so strangely off.

And...

Not sure enough well maybe I will be single forever, live by myself, or just disappear.

From the world.

Or worse, from myself....

Back in the day, when everything still felt like it mattered, and yeah... I know now, some things are just never meant to be, or maybe... nothing ever was.

The good thing is: no one notices I’m tired.

The bad thing is: no one notices that either.

I remember the first time I fell for metalcore, All That Remains-Six. From Guitar Hero 2. I’d go to the PlayStation rental place just to play that song, again and again, loud enough to drown the noise in my head.

2007, middle school.

I’d play with whoever was around.

I’d lose, most of the time, or not perfect

“I wish I was free of this...”

That long scream from Philip Labonte in the intro... felt like someone’s last breath thrown into the air, hoping to rupture into nerve and blood.

Ever since then, I trained myself in metal vocals. And even now, I can still scream like that. Of course, he’s better. My clean vocals are good, but still not like Labonte,. But it’s not about comparison.It’s about... letting wounds find a way to speak..

Should I go back?

Back to being a stranger?

Back to being foolish?

Back to this familiar kind of foreign feeling?

"Still feel her breath on my

Still want to taste her skin

But I know that would kill me"

Labonte screamed that.

And honestly, it couldn’t be more raw.

Is this just emptiness disguised as obsession?

Every night gets later.

And every decision feels like a slow suicide.

Like burning the blueprint of yourself.

Not to escape,

but just to be seen.

To be understood.

To not be alone in it.

Lately, I think I’ve lost it.

I don’t know what I want,

what I need,

or even what’s good for me anymore...

I can’t stand on my own

in this breath that keeps getting shorter.

I throw hope into the void I dug myself.

Void.

Sabotage.

Over and over again.

What’s lost?

What’s faded?

My conviction has blistered on skin sick with nausea, and loneliness comes back, in a shape I forgot the name of, but I still know who it is.

Like an old friend you don’t really like.

You recognize the face,

but you’ve forgotten their name.

Like a memory that’s blurry,

but never actually leaves.

“There is no one can understand me truly...”

Toe said it in Goodbye.

And I believe it.

“It’s more complex than how I used to thought

But already I know the start is the end.”

Now I get it.

Especially about you.

We were already over before we ever really began.

A confession too many of us are too scared to say out loud.

And suddenly I remember...

first year of middle school.

Suci.

That accidental touch when I asked about an assignment.

Her hand touched mine.

And that...

was my first touch from a girl I secretly liked.

My first crush.

Who already had a boyfriend, back then.

Strangely, that was enough.

Enough to make my body freeze,

my head spin through all the possibilities.

And for the first time,

I realized feelings can grow from the smallest things.

Maybe I overthink.

But I also overfeel.

I wake up to fake laughter,

to stories that aren’t funny anymore.

"The loneliness within me was the result of void

Remember the last eve when you hold me tight

Recover my wound" Sebuah tawa dan cerita - The awakening

Have I just been... forgetting myself all this time?

Maybe that’s why I’m still here.

Because no one cared enough to say something.

And maybe... I just wish those people...

would say:

“I’m sorry for putting you in this position. Yeah, I know you were always aware, but i keep ignore you, but you know right i dont like you"

That’s it.

Just be honest.

At least...

just be honest.

Even so, I’ve already let it happen.

Maybe I really am not someone worth loving.

And yeah...

Maybe I was never meant to have the best of anything.

[decoysouled]

hsr spoilers below - this was just me liveblogging to myself in a post rather than posting a million things on dash

"forget the past, it only brings sorrow" okay caelus calm down

"Meow meow" are you good flame reaver. do you need a snickers. oh its just cipher.

"if everyone believes in a lie, then it becomes a reality" can't wait to see what this is foreshadowing

"would you consider ceasing your support for the flame-chase journey" i do not like how this is sounding

Dan Heng saying the ones who need help are the people ambushing him is 10/10 loved that, but made me think of the 'call an ambulance but not for me' meme.

Phainon fighting the ghost of Christmas past, I love him. He genuinely sounded so tired after that training session though.

"i don't want to be the person who brings the mood down" Phainon my boy T_T

TB being glad Dan Heng isn't there to judge their reading choices haha

Phainon saying he has a card Cyrene once used, and it exactly matches the one from 'As I've Written' isn't suspicious at all.

what's up with all the sudden assassination attempts this is not looking good

"it's still enough to slice off your tongues" PHAINON HELLO???

Caenis is actually more evil than I thought she would be what on earth

Aglaea's goodbye to Cipher absolutely crushed me??

and she's dead so early i am so sad

"if you feel as lucky as they are, try me" angry Phainon is actually a bit chilling ngl

"i won't be merciful this time" so like. that was a cool line.

"Okhema still has you to guide them, Phainon" crying right this second - also her acknowledging he isn't perfect in the typical way, but because he unconditionally cares about people and embraces that no one else is perfect is so T_T

Him pretty much saying the stratedy he used at the debate in 3.2 was Anaxa's i am so sad rn

Phainon's speech was so good i love him, him truly believing in humanity's ability to be better,,,

that image with Phainon and then the figures of the people who are no longer there actually hurts my feelings

the goodbyes from him to them OUCH.

"even in your imagination" okay just kick me while i'm down game. him saying his goodbyes in his imagination bc he didn't get a chance to for the most part outside of it.

"i'm not the same person i used to be" "to me, you haven't changed at all Phainon" I AM IN TEARS ACTUALLY THANK YOU GAME

Phainon asking Cipher to protect Kephale's coreflame,,,

"i'll keep that lunatic occupied" she's so funny actually

"the only thing I want to do is to protect the people I care about" yeah and how did that work out for you, Phainon? surely that went exactly as planned

"so naïve that it makes me want to weep for your fairy tale" Anaxa they could never make me hate you

all of the Aquila lore was 10/10

Aquila's place being all computer-ish based is making me think on whether Amphoreus is actually real or just a simulation of someone's memories at this point...

"We have no intention of dying here with you" i love him sm

Phainon looks so sad abt losing Aglaea's bracelet thing with her divinity,,,

PHAINON WITH THE SUN IMAGERY BEHIND HIM DURING THIS FIGHT CUTSCENE IS SO

"the first and only god that Dawnmaker will slay is you" such a good line actually

Cipher taunting the flame reaver / insulting them is so funny i can't deal

the fact the flame reaver keeps saying they must take back creation or w/e.. is concerning

'Ciphainon' i'm dead hahaha

HER IMITATING PHAINON IS SO FUNNY AND FEELS SO WEIRD. THE BEEP BEFORE FAIRNESS??? HELP.

"cycles can't be broken" interesting.

"it has to be me" and why is that mr flame reaver. why is that.

well rest in peace Cipher

Phainon is so murderous this update i fear he's like one inconvenience away from crashing out

Mydei and everyone coming to help?? that was the best thing???

"i can't believe i left him alone on the battlefield twice" you can feel bad about it later Phainon

"you've been forging nothing but glory your entire life" i am crying again T_T

DAN HENG HOLDING OFF THE FLAME REAVER BC EVERYONE ELSE FAILED I AM IN TEARS AND ALSO HIM TELLING TB TO GO W/ PHAINON,,,

I love protective DH but I can't handle this many emotions this early in the morning

also him telling TB to keep Phainon safe,,,

"the destiny of the trailblaze is to bind the life and death of every world to our own exist" sobbing rn

"it's not goodbye forever" i can't

"you better keep your word dan heng, you cannot die here" being the response help T_T

The absolute trust TB has in DH I AM SO SAD BUT ALSO I LOVE THAT ABSOLUTE FAITH IN EACH OTHER

Phainon w/ "the first story taught me that the fate of a world should be in the hands of its people"

"i won't let your journey end here" PHAINON SAYING THERE ARE PEOPLE WAITING FOR TB TO COME HOME I AM

"now that this home is also in danger" not him saying Okhema is his home,,, not this,,,

"i hope that, in that new world, a new sun will rise, bringing one dawn after another to all" my heart

Trinnon w/ "all of us will see each other again 'tomorrow'"

OH NOT MYDEI DYING AND THE FLASHBACKS TO EVERYONE ELSE'S DEATHS AND SUCH

"become the dawn, delivered" i'm like 900% sure that was Mydei's voice,,, those as his last words i can't?

Herta saying curiosity killed 'Aki' - I'm assuming she's referring to Akivili? which is an interesting comment.

the reveal that an emporer's scepter is what caused the tragedy in Amphoreus is interesting. very interesting.

WHY IS PHAINON'S NAME SUDDENLY BLANKED OUT

"all who passed never once received the justice promised by the prophecy"

this combined w/ the previous line of how this gave birth to a lord ravager. don't tell me that it's Phainon who is like, the emanator of destruction here.

"this cruel flame-chase journey has made me abandon my fantasies" is. has he lost all faith in the prophecy. I KNOW I WAS EXPLORING THAT IDEA IN THIS ONE THREAD BUT DON'T TELL ME I WAS RIGHT

CYRENE SHOWING UP HELLO??

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT CLIFFHANGER WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER 40 DAYS FOR MORE WHAT THE HELL