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

[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

[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)

[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

[istumpysk]

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ADWD: Daenela III (Chapter 16)

Whenever two torches crossed in the air, a naked girl leapt between them, spinning. The torchlight shone off oiled limbs and breasts and buttocks.

The three men were erect. The sight of their arousal was arousing, though Daenerys Targaryen found it comical as well. 

@aegor-bamfsteel thinks this is some of George's best work, and I couldn't agree more.

+.+.+

In his honor Daenerys had donned a Qartheen gown, a sheer confection of violet samite cut so as to leave her left breast bare. Her silver-gold hair brushed lightly over her shoulder, falling almost to her nipple. Half the men in the hall had stolen glances at her, but not Xaro. It was the same in Qarth. She could not sway the merchant prince that way. Sway him I must, however. 

She seems kind of irritated by that.

+.+.+

He had come from Qarth upon the galleas Silken Cloud with thirteen galleys sailing attendance, his fleet an answered prayer. Meereen's trade had dwindled away to nothing since she had ended slavery, but Xaro had the power to restore it.

Unreliable narrator Daena Targaryan.

+.+.+

Her face was warm. The wine, she told herself. Yet somehow she found herself thinking of Daario Naharis. 

[...]

The queen longed to see his face, to stroke his three-pronged beard, to tell him her troubles … 

Removing her childish infatuation with Daario from the show was ridiculous.

+.+.+

"I am glad you came to me. It is good to see your face again, my friend." I will not trust you, but I need you. I need your Thirteen, I need your ships, I need your trade.

Every time Daera tells me she needs ships I'm aroused by my arousal.

+.+.+

The cedars that had once grown tall along the coast grew no more, felled by the axes of the Old Empire or consumed by dragonfire when Ghis made war against Valyria. Once the trees had gone, the soil baked beneath the hot sun and blew away in thick red clouds. "It was these calamities that transformed my people into slavers," Galazza Galare had told her, at the Temple of the Graces. 

Something something no trees.

Galazza Galare must love dragons and Valyria.

+.+.+

"I might have cause to fear the Sons if they saw me wandering alone through the streets, but only if it was night and I was naked and unarmed. They are craven creatures."

"A craven's knife can slay a queen as easily as a hero's.

+.+.+

"My lord is good to care so much, but I am well protected." Dany gestured toward where Barristan Selmy stood with one hand resting on his sword hilt. "Barristan the Bold, they call him. Twice he has saved me from assassins."

Third time's a charm, amirite?

+.+.+

You see, we are alike. If you will not take me for your husband, I am content to be your slave.

Freedman. Daenela doesn't have any slaves.

+.+.+

"I want no slave. I free you." 

*gestures broadly at everything*

+.+.+

His jeweled nose made a tempting target. This time Dany threw an apricot at him.

There are moments when Daena's lack of training is clearly evident.

+.+.+

Xaro caught it in the air and took a bite. "Whence came this madness? Should I count myself fortunate that you did not free my own slaves when you were my guest in Qarth?"

I was a beggar queen and you were Xaro of the Thirteen, Dany thought, and all you wanted were my dragons. "Your slaves seemed well treated and content. It was not till Astapor that my eyes were opened. Do you know how Unsullied are made and trained?"

If you cared about that, why are you using them?

+.+.+

"Cruelly, I have no doubt. When a smith makes a sword, he thrusts the blade into the fire, beats on it with a hammer, then plunges it into iced water to temper the steel. If you would savor the sweet taste of the fruit, you must water the tree."

The image of a sword being tempered by ice water is pleasing to me.

+.+.+

"By all means." Dany was unsurprised. "I shall free them."

That made him wince. "And what would they do with freedom? As well give a fish a suit of mail. They were made to dance."

"Made by who? Their masters? Perhaps your dancers would sooner build or bake or farm. Have you asked them?"

Hold this.

+.+.+

"Slavery is not the same as rain," she insisted. "I have been rained on and I have been sold. It is not the same. No man wants to be owned."

Xaro gave a languid shrug. "As it happens, when I came ashore in your sweet city, I chanced to see upon the riverbank a man who had once been a guest in my manse, a merchant who dealt in rare spices and choice wines. He was naked from the waist up, red and peeling, and seemed to be digging a hole."

"Not a hole. A ditch, to bring water from the river to the fields. We mean to plant beans. The beanfields must have water."

"How kind of my old friend to help with the digging. And how very unlike him. Is it possible he was given no choice in the matter? No, surely not. You have no slaves in Meereen."

Dany flushed. "Your friend is being paid with food and shelter. I cannot give him back his wealth. Meereen needs beans more than it needs rare spices, and beans require water."

"Would you set my dancers to digging ditches as well? Sweet queen, when he saw me, my old friend fell to his knees and begged me to buy him as a slave and take him back to Qarth."

She felt as if he'd slapped her. "Buy him, then."

Gosh that almost sounds like slavery to me.

+.+.+

"Ghiscari wine?" Xaro made a sour face. "The sea provides all the salt that Qarth requires, but I would gladly take as many olives as you cared to sell me. Olive oil as well."

"I have none to offer. The slavers burned the trees." Olives had been grown along the shores of Slaver's Bay for centuries; but the Meereenese had put their ancient groves to the torch as Dany's host advanced on them, leaving her to cross a blackened wasteland. "We are replanting, but it takes seven years before an olive tree begins to bear, and thirty years before it can truly be called productive. What of copper?"

Holy shit, she planted a tree.

Will she wait? Don't make me laugh. Will they survive the battle in Meereen? Don't make me laugh.

+.+.+

"Meereen is a free city of free men."

"A poor city that once was rich. A hungry city that once was fat. A bloody city that once was peaceful."

His accusations stung. There was too much truth in them.

Almost like decimating a city's entire economy overnight is a terrible way to enact change.

+.+.+

Qarth wants no khalasars seething round our walls. The stench of all those horses … meaning no offense, Khaleesi."

"A horse has an honest smell. That is more than can be said of some great lords and merchant princes."

Maybe someone should tell the Daera fandom even Daenela doesn't trust sweet-smelling things.

+.+.+

Daenerys, let me be honest with you, as befits a friend. You will not make Meereen rich and fat and peaceful. You will only bring it to destruction, as you did Astapor.

Does it count as foreshadowing when it's obvious?

+.+.+

"Two will soon become four, then ten. And Yunkish envoys have been sent to Myr and Volantis to hire more blades. The Company of the Cat, the Long Lances, the Windblown. Some say that the Wise Masters have bought the Golden Company as well."

Her brother Viserys had once feasted the captains of the Golden Company, in hopes they might take up his cause. They ate his food and heard his pleas and laughed at him. Dany had only been a little girl, but she remembered. "I have sellswords too."

That's fine, she doesn't strike me as the type to hold a grudge.

+.+.+

"Two companies. The Yunkai'i will send twenty against you if they must. And when they march, they will not march alone. Tolos and Mantarys have agreed to an alliance."

That was ill news, if true. Daenerys had sent missions to Tolos and Mantarys, hoping to find new friends to the west to balance the enmity of Yunkai to the south. Her envoys had not returned. "Meereen has made alliance with Lhazar."

That only made him chuckle. "The Dothraki horselords call the Lhazarene the Lamb Men. When you shear them, all they do is bleat. They are not a martial people."

Even a sheepish friend is better than none. 

Notice how she doesn't have any allies? Why would anyone expect Westeros to be different?

This is a girl who will always win friends with force.

+.+.+

Your eunuchs are fine soldiers, but they are too few to match the hosts that Yunkai will send against you, once Astapor has fallen."

"My freedman—" Dany started.

"Bedslaves, barbers, and brickmakers win no battles."

He was wrong in that, she hoped. The freedmen had been a rabble once, but she had organized the men of fighting age into companies and commanded Grey Worm to make them into soldiers. 

"Made by who? Their masters? Perhaps your dancers would sooner build or bake or farm. Have you asked them?"

They don't sound like freedmen to me, Daena.

+.+.+

"My dragons have grown, my shoulders have not. They range far afield, hunting." Hazzea, forgive me. 

Say her name.

+.+.+

She wondered how much Xaro knew, what whispers he had heard. "Ask the Good Masters of Astapor about my dragons if you doubt them." I saw a slaver's eyes melt and go running down his cheeks. 

George making sure you didn't miss it her last chapter.

Once Azor Ahai fought a monster. When he thrust the sword through the belly of the beast, its blood began to boil. Smoke and steam poured from its mouth, its eyes melted and dribbled down its cheeks, and its body burst into flame. - Jon III, ADWD

+.+.+

A fleet. It was more than she could hope for, so of course it made her wary. In Qarth, Xaro had offered her thirty ships … for a dragon. "And what price do you ask for these ships?"

Marriage.

Sorry, wrong fleet.

+.+.+

"I must consider this. May I inspect these ships?"

"You have grown suspicious, Daenerys."

Always.

Just wait until ADOS. This is nothing.

+.+.+

"Not all your enemies are in the Yellow City. Beware men with cold hearts and blue lips. You had not been gone from Qarth a fortnight when Pyat Pree set out with three of his fellow warlocks, to seek for you in Pentos."

Tyrion

You were as cold as ice, and your lips were blue. - Tyrion VI, ADWD

Euron

Euron turned to face him, his bruised blue lips curled in a half smile. - The Reaver, AFFC

+.+.+

"Is that meant to frighten me? I lived in fear for fourteen years, my lord. I woke afraid each morning and went to sleep afraid each night … but my fears were burned away the day I came forth from the fire. Only one thing frightens me now."

"And what is it that you fear, sweet queen?"

"I am only a foolish young girl." Dany rose on her toes and kissed his cheek. "But not so foolish as to tell you that. My men shall look at these ships. Then you shall have my answer."

Her inability to control her dragons / herself.

+.+.+

"As you say." He touched her bare breast lightly, and whispered, "Let me stay and help persuade you."

For a moment she was tempted. Perhaps the dancers had stirred her after all. I could close my eyes and pretend that he was Daario. 

He's gay? She's knows he's gay.

She took a cherry from the bowl on the table and threw it at his nose. "I may be a young girl, but I am not so foolish as to wed a man who finds a fruit platter more enticing than my breast. I saw which dancers you were watching."

George has transformed Daenerys into a sexually ravenous beast.

+.+.+

If I were a dragon, I could fly to Westeros, she thought when he was gone. I would have no need of Xaro or his ships. Dany wondered how many men thirteen galleys could hold. It had taken three to carry her and her khalasar from Qarth to Astapor, but that was before she had acquired eight thousand Unsullied, a thousand sellswords, and a vast horde of freedmen. And the dragons, what am I to do with them?

I know where you can get more?

To their number the fleet had added nine new prizes taken on the seas, so the sum was fifty-four - The Iron Suitor, ADWD

+.+.+

"Drogon," she whispered softly, "where are you?" For a moment she could almost see him sweeping across the sky, his black wings swallowing the stars.

If you ignore the fact that they're foils, and forget everything you know about the temperament of these two animals, and what they represent, we can turn this into aegony foreshadowing.

Ghost . . . Where are you? - Jon VII, ASOS

+.+.+

Westeros. Home. But if she left, what would happen to her city? Meereen was never your city, her brother's voice seemed to whisper. Your cities are across the sea. Your Seven Kingdoms, where your enemies await you. You were born to serve them blood and fire.

Daenela's hearing a voice telling her to serve blood and fire, and I'm supposed to believe this girl isn't going batshit crazy?

+.+.+

"If a warlock's spell could kill me, I would be dead by now. I left their palace all in ashes." Drogon saved me when they would have drained my life from me. Drogon burned them all.

Lol.

+.+.+

One of her young hostages brought her morning meal, a plump shy girl named Mezzara, whose father ruled the pyramid of Merreq, and Dany gave her a happy hug and thanked her with a kiss.

Why are noble hostages serving her?

+.+.+

As ever, Lord Ghael was the first to present himself, looking even more wretched than usual. "Your Radiance," he moaned, as he fell to the marble at her feet, "the armies of the Yunkai'i descend on Astapor. I beg you, come south with all your strength!"

"I warned your king that this war of his was folly," Dany reminded him. "He would not listen."

"Great Cleon sought only to strike down the vile slavers of Yunkai."

"Great Cleon is a slaver himself."

+.+.+

"We are all dead, then. You gave us death, not freedom." Ghael leapt to his feet and spat into her face.

Oh shit.

+.+.+

The rowers are slaves, but if we offer them an honest oarsman's wage, most will stay with us. Rowing's all they know. Those who leave can be replaced from my own crews. It is a long hard voyage to Westeros, but these ships are sound enough to get us there, I'd judge.

Reznak mo Reznak gave a piteous moan. "Then it is true. Your Worship means to abandon us." He wrung his hands. "The Yunkai'i will restore the Great Masters the instant you are gone, and we who have so faithfully served your cause will be put to the sword, our sweet wives and maiden daughters raped and enslaved."

Does this sound like a man who's secretly assisting the Meereenese nobles?

+.+.+

"Wherever the Mother of Dragons goes, the Mother's Men will go as well," announced Marselen, Missandei's remaining brother.

Lol, thanks for the reminder George.

+.+.+

"Those left behind in Meereen would envy them their easy deaths," moaned Reznak. "They will make slaves of us, or throw us in the pits. All will be as it was, or worse."

"Where is your courage?" Ser Barristan lashed out. "Her Grace freed you from your chains. It is for you to sharpen your swords and defend your own freedom when she leaves."

"Brave words, from one who means to sail into the sunset," Symon Stripeback snarled back. "Will you look back at our dying?"

What an absurd thing for him to say. Thank god a "freedman" shut him up.

+.+.+

"Enough." Dany slapped the table. "No one will be left to die. You are all my people." Her dreams of home and love had blinded her. "I will not abandon Meereen to the fate of Astapor. It grieves me to say so, but Westeros must wait."

Love? No one is going to love you, dumbass.

I will not abandon Meereen to the fate of Astapor.

[George R. R. Martin's voice] She will.

+.+.+

Ser Barristan went to one knee before her. "My queen, your realm has need of you. You are not wanted here, but in Westeros men will flock to your banners by the thousands, great lords and noble knights. 'She is come,' they will shout to one another, in glad voices. 'Prince Rhaegar's sister has come home at last.' "

lmfao.

<- Davos II

I know you won't believe me, but when a room full of people needed an entire page to figure out her name, I swear to god I knew something like this was going to show up in the next chapter. Lol

Barristan's going to be a big problem, eh?

"The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends," Ser Jorah told her. "It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace." He gave a shrug. "They never are." - Daenerys III, AGOT

(Daera's banners!)

+.+.+

The sailors unrolled the tapestry across the floor. It was old, dusty, faded … and huge. Dany had to move to Xaro's side before the patterns became plain. "A map? It is beautiful." It covered half the floor. The seas were blue, the lands were green, the mountains black and brown. Cities were shown as stars in gold or silver thread. There is no Smoking Sea, she realized. Valyria is not yet an island.

"There you see Astapor, and Yunkai, and Meereen." Xaro pointed at three silver stars beside the blue of Slaver's Bay. "Westeros is … somewhere down there." His hand waved vaguely toward the far end of the hall. "You turned north when you should have continued south and west, across the Summer Sea, but with my gift you shall soon be back where you belong. Accept my galleys with a joyful heart, and bend your oars westward."

Great job selling her on the idea of going to Westeros.

+.+.+

"When I went to the Hall of a Thousand Thrones to beg the Pureborn for your life, I said that you were no more than a child," Xaro went on, "but Egon Emeros the Exquisite rose and said, 'She is a foolish child, mad and heedless and too dangerous to live.' When your dragons were small they were a wonder. Grown, they are death and devastation, a flaming sword above the world." He wiped away the tears. "I should have slain you in Qarth."

Uh huh.

In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him. - Davos I, ACOK

x

Melisandre said, "and all men are ants before the fiery face of god. If sometimes I have mistaken a warning for a prophecy or a prophecy for a warning, the fault lies in the reader, not the book. - Davos V, ASOS

+.+.+

The next morning Xaro's galleas was gone, but the "gift" that he had brought her remained behind in Slaver's Bay. Long red streamers flew from the masts of the thirteen Qartheen galleys, writhing in the wind. And when Daenerys descended to hold court, a messenger from the ships awaited her. He spoke no word but laid at her feet a black satin pillow, upon which rested a single bloodstained glove.

"What is this?" Skahaz demanded. "A bloody glove …"

"… means war," said the queen.

Here's a well known Daenerys -> Jon chapter transition.

A lot of you are already aware Jon will remove a glove in the next chapter.

-> Jon IV

As they did their count, Jon peeled the glove off his left hand and touched the nearest haunch of venison. He could feel his fingers sticking, and when he pulled them back he lost a bit of skin. 

But I don't think any of you realize how funny this chapter transition truly is.

Final thoughts:

It feels like I've read the same chapter three times.

I'm not complaining, she makes me laugh.

-> return to menu <-

[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

[starbudspresents]

Re.Gray 009 - Aria, pt. 1

[ Masterlist ] [ Read on AO3 ] [ Raws ]

Narr: The ghost had been a resident of Mater, they said. Narr: Bitter resentment for his people, who had abandoned the city and moved away, twisted his face into terrible ugliness. Narr: To ease his loneliness, he dragged in any children who came too near the city.

sfx: goooo [train barrelling down the tracks]

Allen: Er...

sfx: tan [hand slaps onto railing]

♦ 26

Allen: There's just one thing I can't make sense o—

sfx: dan [jumping off the bridge]

Kanda: Focus on the damn train—

Toma: Look sharp, gentlemen, it's here—

sfx: goooooo [barrelling right along]

Allen: Wait, we're getting on that!?

sfx: bah [jump again]

♦ 27

sfx: DAN [party slamming into roof of train at speed]

Allen: Boarding on the fly....

Toma: Entirely routine, sir.

Narr: Aria of an Old Clay Man and Lonely Nights ①

♦ 28

Conductor: Dear guests, this is most irregular! Conductor: This is the first-class car! Regular passengers go in the second-class car... Conductor: Not to mention your choice of entrance—

Toma: We're with the Black Order. We'll be needing a cabin.

Conductor: The Black—!? Conductor: My deepest apologies! sfx: pekori [swift reflexive bow]

♦ 29

sfx: patatatata [footsteps] sfx: TAN [louder clank, possibly switching tracks]

Allen: What's all this about?

Toma: The Rose Cross3 on your lapel will get you into many places on the Vatican's authority.

Allen: That so....

Toma: By the way, sfx: gasha [door to cabin opening] Toma: my name is Toma. I am a Finder, and will be accompanying you to Mater. Toma: Very pleased to make your acquaintance.

sfx: gatakon gatakon [train noises]

Allen: So, Allen: that question I had—

♦ 30

Allen: How are this mysterious legend and the Innocence connected?

Kanda: What a pain. Kanda: Tch. Kanda: So, like, the thing about Innocence...

Allen: Did he just click his tongue at me?

Kanda: Over the years between the Flood4 and our time, it's adapted itself to all kinds of circumstances. Kanda: At first, it was all buried underground or lying at the bottom of the sea... Kanda: But that "mysterious power" the stuff5 has seems to help human beings find it. It comes in all sorts of shapes and guises.

♦ 31

Kanda: Once found, it always causes some kind of weird phenomenon, Kanda: for whatever reason.

Allen: So Innocence might be behind this "Ghost of Mater"?

Kanda: Yeah. Kanda: "Where there's weird, there's Innocence." Kanda: So the Order goes over strange places with a fine-toothed comb, and if they figure chances are good, they send us in.

Allen: "Strange".... Allen: "Its mere presence radiates enough energy to affect its surroundings. In the possession of an Accommodator, it can also become an anti-Akuma weapon", huh. Allen: What a mysterious substance6.

♦ 32

Allen: If the presence of Innocence gives rise to strange phenomena... Allen: then the Ghost of Mater might...? Allen: !

Kanda: It's—

Toma: Indeed. Toma: I7 was present during the investigation, so I saw it with my own eyes. Toma: The "Ghost of Mater" is, in truth—

♦ 33

Akuma: Now where you could you be, Akuma: sweet Ghost of Mater?

♦ 34

Akuma: This place is such a maze. Akuma: And so cramped! Akuma: It's fun if I think of it like a treasure hunt, though. ♥ sfx: ke ke ke [harsh cackling laughter] Akuma: You know I'll find you, ghosty-poo!

Finder 1: Dammit... We're backed into a corner here....

Finder 2: It's only a matter of time till it finds us....

Guzol: Lala, run....

Lala: No, it's all right. I'd rather stay with you, Guzol. Lala: You're the only one who accepts me for myself.

♦ 35

sfx: gii— [Akuma notices them] Akuma: Theeere you are!

Room occupants: !!

♦ 36

sfx: zah [party running at high speed past the "camera"]

sfx: zazazaza [camera catches up to party and hears each footstep]

Allen: So the Ghost of Mater is only a doll....

♦ 37

Narr: They called Mater "the land God forsook". Those who lived there eked out a meager existence amid the arid rocks. Narr: To distract themselves from the misery of their lives, they created dolls; Narr: delightful dolls that danced and sang. Narr: Eventually, they tired of the dolls and departed for other lands, Narr: but the dolls they left behind were still animate. Narr: And now, five hundred years later....

Kanda: If they made a doll using Innocence, it's not impossible.

♦ 38

sfx: KU BA [Kanda and Allen sense something]

sfx: kiiiiii [high-pitched whistle, perhaps the wind but perhaps a scary violin note]

sfx: piri piri piri [pebbles rolling down the slope as they slide toward the town]

Allen: Why've I got such a chill suddenly? Allen: The Finders should be here somewh—

♦ 39

Kanda: Tch. We came as soon as we got Toma's message, but... Kanda: They're already dead.

Allen: ......

Kanda: Hey. You. Kanda: Before we go down there, listen up. Kanda: I don't care if you're this close to getting wasted by the enemy. If I think you're a liability to the mission, I'll stand back and watch. Kanda: Casualities are a given in war. Don't go thinking we're "comrades" or whatever.

Allen: Such a nasty way with words.

♦ 40

sfx: DO [explosion down in the town]

Allen & Kanda: !

sfx: dododododo [Akuma gunfire]

Akuma: Fire, fire away!

sfx: guni [pressure added to foot on Finder's back, ribs creaking]

Finder: Nghf....

Akuma: Nasty little humans. sfx: shuuuuuuu [dust rising from the impact crater forming around the barrier cube] Akuma: Very clever, setting up a barrier with the doll and those gadgets inside.... Akuma: This might take a while.

♦ 41

Finder: W-We'll never let you Akuma have the Innocence....

sfx: guu [Akuma stomps down]

Finder: GYAA sfx: bushu [blood splats]

Akuma: Maybe I'll play with your skull to kill some time.

Allen: Stop! sfx: DON [Allen's arm slams into Akuma]

♦ p42

Guzol & Lala: !?

sfx: pii [Allen's eye spinning up] Allen: !! An Akuma!?

sfx: niko [Akuma grins]

sfx: dokun [Allen's heart turns over]

Akuma: What are you?

♦ 43

sfx: go [Akuma kicks Allen] Akuma: Spit it out!

sfx: don [Allen slams into nearest wall] sfx: garagaragara [stones clattering]

sfx: gari [booted foot lands on stone] sfx: zah [dramatic effect]

Kanda: That idiot.

♦ 44

REEVER WENHAMM

Australian | 26 years old Height: 185cm | 6'1 Weight: 75kg | 165lbs Birthday: September 8th Virgo, blood type A

can: FIZZ arrow: cola

Can't actually handle booze or tabacco. Despite the way Komui's always selfishly dragging him around, Reever (kinda sorta) respects him. That said, he's been thinking somewhat seriously about a career change lately, being 26 years old.

♦♥♦

FOOTNOTES

無人化 mujinka is the process of an operational facility becoming unmanned, usually because personnel are being replaced by automation. A city is a very odd thing to refer to this way. [ ♠ ]

棲んでいる sundeiru is homophonous with "lives (there)" but means "nests", in the animal sense. [ ♠ ]

The Rose Cross has a long and varied history, mostly as a symbol of the various Rosicrucian orders. Aleister Crowley was tied to one of those, which will be a fun callback later. [ ♠ ]

Kanji: 大洪水 daikouzui = the Great Flood Furigana: ノア noa "Noah", or "the Noah (family)" [ ♠ ]

Kanji: 結晶 kesshou "crystal(lization)" Furigana: いし ishi "rock, stone" [ ♠ ]

Kanji: 結晶 kesshou "crystal(lization)" Furigana: モノ mono "thing" [ ♠ ]

Toma uses his own name as his first-person pronoun, which generally reads as kind of... cutesy, even childish? I've seen it most often with either literal children or like, female J-pop idols. "Toma is here. Toma is happy! Toma will be careful."

It carries much the same connotations in English, though it's used much more rarely (which is why I didn't translate it directly; it would come off much weirder than it actually is, like he's a Teletubby or something). [ ♠ ]

[two-wheeled-therapy]

2022 OVERLAND EXPO EAST

How have I never heard of this wondrous event before?  Fortunately for me I noted the posting about it on advrider forums.  Upon checking it out, I signed up immediately for the full Overland Experience.  I am hooked! 

I loaded Jipci up for the ride down to Arrington, Virginia and pointed her south on Friday morning.  Arriving at the event, check in was a breeze as the staff of ever helpful volunteers showed me where to go.  Once there I knew I needed to set up my camp ASAP so I could get to the first event I had signed up for - The DART Level II rider training.  Once my weekend home was set up, I set off to find the training. 

It had warmed up considerably and was in the high 70′s as Bill Dragoo introduced his staff and started our training. I have about 12,000 miles experience riding dual sport motorcycles, about half of which was on dirt or gravel roads or trails, but I have never taken any training to teach me how to ride on these.  Let me tell you, there is no substitute for professional training.  Bill and his staff introduced each segment of the training and provided demonstrations of how they were supposed to look.  I, on the other hand, provided demonstrations of how they weren’t supposed to look. When seeing several of the obstacles they presented, I thought “there is no way in hell I’ll be able to do that!” My first attempt often reflected this negative mindset. But putting their patient guidance to use, I surprised myself and actually learned a lot, accomplished a lot, and overcame a lot.  I had originally tried to get in to the Level I course but was told it was full.  Bill told us all that regardless of what the scheduling app said, if we wanted to show up for any of his training while there, providing we paid for the full Overland Experience, we were welcome - Just show up with a proper gear and a positive mindset, and he would let you take the training.,

Knowing I needed more training, I toyed with the idea of making the Overland Expo an entire weekend of rider training.  But I had signed up for a lot of other training, and wanted to visit the vendors and get the full experience, so opted to keep my schedule and attend training on moto-camping, cooking, acro yoga and more.  Wait a second . . . did I say acro yoga?  Hell yeah!  And much like some of the obstacles in the DART training, when I first saw what they wanted me to do I thought “there is no way in hell I’ll be able to do that!” And once again my first attempt often reflected this negative mindset. But the patience and professionalism of Sam and Raquel of yogaslackers shone through and I was able to accomplish new things.  .

People.  That is what motorcycling is all about.  Yes we see amazing landscapes and remember them well.  But its the people that make each journey special.  People like Bill Dragoo, Adv Matt, Chef Corso, Sam and Raquel,and my new friends I met while camping, Steve and Rosita who have been living in their Chevy Colorado for months as they explore the country.  There were two people who really stood out to me on this journey.

The first is Dan of Cycle South.  This is the guy that posted the thread about this event on advrider.  He also is a guy who has ridden his little Suzuki throughout South America and has amazing stories to tell.  The other was Adv legend Sam Manicom.  Having heard about Sam Manicom through watching Adventure Bike TV on Amazon Prime, I had read some of his works and knew a bit of him.  So I signed up for two of his sessions.  The first was “Ask Sam anything”.  It was easy to get to this session as it literally was in the same site as the session I had immediately before that. So I wasn’t surprised when at first it was just Sam and me sitting there talking after we introduced ourselves.  But, not having looked at my watch, I didn’t realize that we had spent the first 10 - 15 minutes of the session with just the two of us talking about life and riding.  Sam was just as interested in my rides as I was in his.  Eventually about 4 others showed up and it really felt like a small group of guys sitting around the campfire after a day’s ride.  The only things that were missing was the campfire and the beers.  The second session I had with Sam was more widely attended as it dealt with moto-journalism.  How to get your story published.  Again Sam was just a down to earth guy sharing his knowledge and experience with other like minded individuals.  If you ever get the opportunity to talk with him - don’t pass it up - he has a wealth of knowledge and experience he is willing to share and also wants to learn from your experiences as well.

For the ride to the expo, I packed Jipci for much more than just a weekend.  I packed her for the 30 day Alaskan trip so I could see how she will do, and identify things I need to change.  I definitely need a bigger tent - the one man tent was just too small, and I don’t like my gear being outside, even if it was in a “vestibule”.  I am also thinking of soft bags for the big trip.  They will hold more which will allow me to carry less.  More on the reverse logic in another post. 

So I checked off my first two nights of moto-camping - One of which got damn cold, leaving frost and ice on Jipci.  But I survived.  The training, the experiences, the people made this all a wonderful event.  Oh and the fact that I was the big raffle winner on Friday night was a bonus too - which more than paid for the entire trip.  I came back with a few trinkets from the expo - One was Sam Manicom’s latest book, Moment Collectors, which is a collaborative book with chapters written by several different ADV riders (Dan wrote chapter 17).  I have read 4 chapters so far and it is a great read. Those who know me know I get stickers from places I have gone.  On the SAC Cycle these stickers adorn the inside of my top case.  This experience made me start another new thing - Stickers of people I have met along the way.  Jipci now has Sam Manicom and Cycle South stickers on her. These stickers evoke memories of great experiences as much as any “destination” sticker can. 

If you’ve never been to an Overland Expo - Go.If you have been - Go again!  I most definitely will be back.

[descendinginto-madness]

a quiet cry for help.

word count: 1636

content warnings: mentions & descriptions of health issues, medication, mentions of the character struggling to take good care of their health sometimes

summary: N/A

author's notes: i'm going to be so honest when i'm writing this i'm very sleepy idk what to say </3 emile isn't allowed to be happy this month. also once again this wasn't written with a romantic relationship in mind :3 i now see i could've added a lot more of dan heng's feelings but i'm gonna be so honest i didn't have time </3 maybe at some point i'll edit this and do that

The Astral Express Family

Emile: uhh guys

Emile: could someone lkke

Emile: come to the parol car rq lol

Emile: *parlor sorry

Dan Heng frowns slightly, reading the incoming messages. He’s sitting in the archives, working - or rather, was working, up until he saw the texts. Normally, perhaps he wouldn't pay too much attention to these messages - their tone isn't too out of place for Emile, even the typos are something common for them - but right now, he can't help but feel slightly concerned by them. There's something about them that makes him feel like something's wrong - even though he shouldn't…

Or should he?

Then, suddenly, all of the pieces fall into place and he realizes what exactly feels off for him.

He remembers how Emile looked when he saw them this morning; tired and a bit pale, like they weren't doing too well. They still smiled when they saw him, and insisted they're alright when he asked them about it, but both of them know that Emile tends to brush off their issues, whether emotional or physical. It's not a secret; neither that, nor their health issues, caused by the Stellaron remains in their body - and even if Emile did try to keep them that way, it wouldn't be possible. Not with how attentive Himeko and Mr. Yang in particular were, and with how similar some of their symptoms were to what Stelle herself has been and still sometimes is suffering from: nausea, dizziness, fevers and sometimes body pains - and though Emile's flare-ups seem to be less violent than Stelle's most of the time, they're still something not to be taken lightly.

Granted, in the morning they also didn't look like it was something extremely serious either - thankfully. He knows he's probably worrying about Emile much more than they are about themself, but even so, it was still concerning - especially since they decided to go help Himeko with something about the train engine instead of resting. 

And that's… also the part that makes his worry spark again.

If it was the two of them who needed help, Emile would've worded their question differently. If it was something only they needed help with, Himeko should be there to assist them, so they wouldn't ask - unless she isn't there anymore, because the two of them have finished their work already.

Me: What's the matter? Is everything alright?

He can't help but feel like it's a rhetorical question right now, but it's necessary; he's already distracted from his work, somewhat anxiously watching the three dots at the bottom of the screen disappear and reappear a few times, as Emile is typing.  The fact that he's the only one who has read their messages so far doesn't help - not that he's going to get angry at the others now, he'd just feel much better if he knew that if anything bad has happened, there's someone else also ready to help immediately.

Right when he's starting to think that it's taking them a worryingly long time to answer him, a reply appears.

Emile: yes and no 

Emile: i kindaaa

Emile: might've overestimated myslef lol

Emile: *myself

Emile: tried to stand up then almost fell haha 

Me: I'm on my way.

If they aren't strong enough to stand on their own then it's - obviously - a bad sign, yet they're still clearly trying to make their messages sound lighthearted. 

Of course.

He's glad the archives are the first cabin in the hallway leading to the parlor car; it takes him just a moment to get there, open the door and step inside the lounge area maybe a tiny bit too frantically - but he can't help it, he's not even entirely sure what to expect. Thankfully, though, what he sees isn't the worst case scenario that popped up in his head - Emile isn't passed out on the floor somewhere, but instead curled up on one of the couches, half wrapped in a blanket, and - most importantly - conscious.

That's about where the good things end, though; when he steps closer he can't not notice the paleness of their skin, and the sickly look on their face, almost as if they were about to throw up. But even so, they smile when they see him - their lips stretch in a faint, weak-looking smile. 

“Hi,” they say, and their voice is quiet, almost like they were afraid that even speaking too loudly is going to make them feel worse.

“What's the matter?” he asks, sitting down right next to them. “Where's Himeko?” he adds, raising his hand to touch their forehead gently; he can immediately tell it's a little too warm. Of course, they have a fever, and it’s painfully clear that it isn't the only thing bothering them right now.

“She left when we were done,” they reply. “I was almost falling asleep and ended up doing it here, I guess she just wanted to let me rest.” 

Dan Heng nods. 

“And then?"

“And then I woke up and felt awful,” they let out a quiet laugh, but it's short-lived. They hold back, as if even such a simple thing could make their nausea worse. “I… didn't know it'd get so bad so quickly,” they add. They sound almost apologetic, and Dan Heng looks at them for a moment; as much as they tend to overlook their symptoms sometimes, he doesn't doubt they're telling the truth right now. 

He nods again.

“Do you need help getting back to your room? Or would you prefer to stay here? Do you need me to get you anything?” He says, trying to sound calm, so they won't feel like he's flooding them with questions. They shake their head but, once more, it looks like they held themself back from instinctively doing it with more energy at the last minute. 

“No, Ii– well, I'd go to my room, it's just–” they pause, then look away with a quiet sigh, and he’s sure the slight red hue on their cheeks isn't a sign of any illness this time, but rather embarrassment. That's why he doesn't rush them; a few seconds pass before they speak up again, but he waits until they're ready to do so. 

“Well— I feel like I'm gonna throw up if I try to get up again,” they finally admit. He can obviously tell it isn't easy for them - he knows they often have trouble asking for help, and it's also something he understands much better than he admits.

“I can carry you back” he offers. He says that before he can properly think about it, but it's alright. They don't seem all that convinced, so he quickly reassures them. “It's fine. I won't mind.” Only then, they finally give him a small nod. He stands up and carefully slides one arm under their back, and the other - under their knees; he feels the warmth radiating off of their body as he picks them up. Soon enough something else catches his attention, though - Emile's eyes. 

Or rather, the way Emile looks - like they are about to cry. 

The two of them make eye contact and of course, Emile immediately wipes their eyes in a not so gentle manner. His expression softens a little; it's still serious, but it loses most of its usual cold.

“...Are you alright?” he asks, and it's not a rhetorical question this time - he's not inquiring about their physical well-being, both of them know how that is. This is about whatever else is on their mind right now. 

“Yes, sorry,” they reply quietly, looking away, and he shakes his head gently.

“You don't have to apologize,” he reassures them. They can't control it, after all; their health issues aren't their fault. If anything is to blame here, it's the Stellaron.

“But you said you're going to be working–”

“And since when is my work more important than your health?”

They don't reply this time, but they rest their head against his shoulder as he carries them back to their room. He slides the door open and heads straight towards the bed. He's glad to see the medicine on their nightstand; it's not like he wouldn't immediately go get it for them or look around their room if it wasn't there, but he's happy that, as it seems, Emile finally remembered about it. It could mean they don't feel guilty about using the Astral Express's stock anymore; or, well, at the very least, less than they did earlier. 

“Do you need anything?” he asks, looking around the room to check if everything is in place. It's a little messy, as always, but he supposes that's just how Emile’s place is usually going to look. Among other things left on their desk he spots a half-empty bottle of some sweet drink, but he doubts that they will want to even look at sweets in their current state. 

“Water?” they ask; he somewhat expected that. 

“Sure. Will you be alright on your own for a moment?”

When they nod he leaves the room and goes to the kitchen. He texts Himeko and Mr. Yang on his way there to inform them about Emile's state, but he also adds that everything's under control, and that it's… Less serious than it sometimes gets.

Once he comes back to their bedroom, though, with a glass of water in hand, he sees they're already asleep. 

He quietly puts the glass on the nightstand, right next to the medicine, and adjusts Emile's blanket, to make sure they're properly covered. They mumble something in their sleep when he does it, and he freezes momentarily, but they don't wake up. 

He stands there for a few seconds more, thinking - and, ultimately, he makes himself comfortable on the floor, back leaned against their bed.

He will stay there for a while, just in case.

divider by @/cafekitsune

[notesofarichlycolorednight]

s2ep1 the collector

there was so much wrong with this one. so much like jenny nicholson, i'm making a list to keep on track

hawkmoth being hawkmoth

master fu making a mistake and losing everything

hawkmoth akumatizing himself

ladybug's comment about gabriel agreste having a son

i guess they're kinda all interwoven, but those are the main points i want to hit. i'll start with the last one bc it's the easiest.

why did ladybug say that he had a son, as if she hadn't been to the agreste household before and called adrien by his name. the writers really were like, "continuity? who's she? don't know her."

i think the whole idea of hawkmoth is a lot like how the writer/director approached the book of henry (the movie). as analyzed by dan olsen (folding ideas on youtube), he mentions that the writer wrote the script with the knowledge that henry was going to die and his mom was going to (almost) go through with his plans if he did. which is a bad starting point, bc up until henry is hospitalized, we're supposed to believe this 12 year old is going to go into a gun shop and buy a sniper rifle.

and it's the same idea with hawkmoth. it feels very much like the creator of ml needed a villain, and designed hawkmoth without actually understanding what the butterfly miraculous does when it's not in the wrong hands. like he designed the villain before deciding that the butterfly was also going to be a miraculous. or like he was still deciding what miraculous to include.

and the reason i say this is 1) it sure seems like hawkmoth just being a thing was something master fu was prepared for, even tho he didn't have any basis in it. like maybe you could argue he should assume it would end up in the wrong hands, but how would he know what that would look like? and that's also just a baseless assumption. 2) the whole explanation of how master fu lost the peakcock and butterfly miraculous.

he says he made a mistake when he was younger (and i believe he's supposed to be like 100 or smth right?? or am i mixing that up? it's probably been a good 40 or so years since his screw up at least), and i'm hard-pressed to believe he and gabriel are the same age. but he says that that mistake is what led him to lose the tome and the two miraculous. but then makes a wild leap of logic into thinking that whoever possessed the tome must also possess the missing miraculous and be hawkmoth? like please walk me through that logic, it doesn't make sense!

the writers didn't even add an in extra--it was probably sold or changed hands a lot, but whoever possess it now may well be hawkmoth. tho i suppose that leaves a plot hole by itself bc how can you guarantee that all three items stay together if it's changed hands a few times. but i feel like that's easier to swallow than that giant leap from "i lost these things" to "so anyone who has them is hawkmoth."

not to mention, again, if all three items did change hands a lot before gabriel found them, how did he find them together. i mean maybe the seller sold them as set, but if he hadn't, how would master fu have known that anyone would know that they're holding a miraculous. unless the kwamis come out of them unwillingly?

i'm tying myself into knots and getting all jumbled up here on what if's, so i'm going to move on. i still do think master fu expecting the butterfly ending up in the wrong hands and knowing what that looks like is weird from a writing standpoint. it just, again, makes it feel like hawkmoth was a villain first and a miraculous second. or at the very least, was always a villain and never a good guy.

i think the writers use master fu being young and still in training as an excuse for way too many things (i did watch s2 but i only remember very few things, unlike s1, bc in s1 i actually enjoyed the show. by the time s2 came out, the fans were getting antsy and salty). and they do it in this episode bc when marinette says gabriel got akumatized and so that exonerates him/crosses him off the suspect list and master fu just accepts that is crazy to me.

bc you'd think master fu knowing as much as he does about the miraculous, he'd also know that the butterfly miraculous holder can posses themself with their own butterflies. surely, the powers of the miraculous are the first think you'd learn as a guardian!

and while i think it's a fine convention to use, i'm only criticizing it here bc the writers are bad and lazy, as evidenced by the first season.

i do like the implication is that emilie is a bad lady who stole the miraculous and broke the peacock one tho. i support women's wrongs.

i also really love that gabriel's english va slightly lowers his voice when he's hawkmoth.

and it's hilarious to me that the artists literally changed gabriel's entire face shape when he's hawkmoth lol.

also racism and chinese mysticism. unfortunately, i believe we're going to get a lot of that this season. and i'm going to never stop sounding like a broken record.

[thestarsofpines]

so I'm conflicted on some things with the fic and this is gonna be me rambling to myself but if anyone wants to toss their opinion or ideas my way I'm all ears.

I have a good chunk of what should be a first/one of the first chapters written. but it starts with a lot of exposition and it doesn't actually show the events as they take place; it just talks about them. I don't know if I wanna make the exposition into actual scenes either though. it's hard for me to judge what I need to show and what I can just tell.

this train of thought also applies to how I'm gonna have Danny explain some important things, like his history with Vlad and cloning. part of me wants to explain it because it explains it in detail for the reader, in case they aren't familiar/it's been a while since they saw the show (I myself had to rewatch Kindred Spirits because I was very fuzzy on the details). but then I also wonder if that'll just drag the pacing down, since I feel like a good portion of the DPxDC fandom is already familiar with the events of the show.

I've already written explanations-though it's literally just Danny talking-for the portal accident (which I will keep, since it isn't shown in the cartoon and it's an interesting scene to get to write), Vlad cloning him, and about Dan (both The Ultimate Enemy and A Glitch In Time). But it's long, and like I said just him talking. so I'm thinking I need to cut it down while also making it more than Danny just talking at the reader.

another thing I'm struggling with is how I want Danny to remember his time with the League of Assassins. he remembers it of course, but the way he kind of looks back on it and learns to adapt to life with a "normal" family. and how much of that I want to "sprinkle in" before he meets the Waynes. it's currently feeling a bit jarring where it's added, but I don't know if that's because it's a rare thing in the story and I just need to add more, or if it just feels inorganic.

the biggest struggle I'm having right now is the ending, or rather where I want it to end. I know how I want the story to play out-not necessarily the specifics of everything, but the general idea-but finding a good place to "cut off" to be...satisfying, I guess.

maybe this is all normal! this is my first fic in years that I've planned out in depth-aside from one or two fics (that never even got past the planning stage) I used to write "straight ahead," (aka write each chapter without knowing where it was going to end) so making an outline and a timeline to reference is a big change for my process, but it's very much a welcome one! it's already been a huge help. but now I'm also struggling with organization in my document, because it's grown to 96 pages and there are written scenes mixed in with the outline and stuff.

okay well, this didn't help too much but it felt good to put the struggles into words. I really need to finish my scenes for DP Rephanimated, but I'm still so focused on this fic that it's hard to shift my attention. I'm off the next two days though, so my goal is to finish the animation before my week starts again on Friday. I literally only have two shots left (and to lip-sync another, but that shouldn't take too long, ideally).

anyways, thanks to however read this lovely wall of text :) ohh!! if anyone knows how to look for a beta reader for a fic (or would...like to offer themselves-) I'd love to hear from you! I think an outside perspective would be super helpful.

[vernahateclub]

All post-wedding dialogue

I married Amirah and here are all the NPC lines after the wedding sequence

(captured during EA, might have changed since then. Also no Haru/Logan)

Andy: Nice shindig, Builder. Course, if it was me; organ music is a bit corny. I woulda done rock guitars! Twenty minute drum solo between vows! Dancers explode out of the cake, they're wearing- wait a sec, am I seriously talkin' about my own wedding right now? Get it together, Andy. Get it together...

Arvio: Anyone who doesn't believe in true love... well, it's a pity they missed this ceremony! Even one with a heart of stone would have melted after hearing your wedding vows...

Banjo: Meow!

Burgess: "Though you met in darkness, your souls are on in the Light..." Pretty good, huh! Heh, well. Not mine. Deacon of Meidi! But it totally reminded me of you two! You shine brighter than like... all the stars combined!

Catori: If your marriage was a business, I'd invest every last penny! Here's to wishing you many years of happiness.

Coco: Coo! Coo!

Cooper: Welcome to the club, builder! The marriage club! Now, it's not an official organization. We don't have membership cards. I mean, we have marriage licenses, which, I reckon for all intents and purposes could suffice as a membership card, but, well, to me that just wouldn't feel right. First thing you're gonna wanna get straightened out in your marriage is who sleeps on which side of the bed... (you realize there has probably never been a better time to slowly back away.)

Dan-bi: Congratulations, congratulations! And now, as this monumentous ceremony nears its close: time to get down to business... that's right, I'm talkin' about babies, baby! Good chance our kids'll be the same age... then they can have a best friend right out the gates! Well... you think about it...!

Deputy Captain: Meow meow!

Elsie: So what was it like standin' up there? Was it more... beauty of this miracle called life? Or more... Warmth of the Bright Sun in the form of finding true love amongst those closest to you? Ooh, I can tell the way you're lookin' at me, it's both!

Ernest: If I ever need to write about the perfect wedding, I'll always be able to draw upon this moment for inspiration. Congratulations, Builder

Fang: I pray for you to be forever... as two swans

Grace: You're going to have to give the rest of us dating advice at some point, Builder. It's not easy to bag a keeper like you did, eh?

Heidi: What a wonderful ceremony... Hey, extended family means expanded homestead, am I right! Just come by Construction Junction anyti- oh, shoot, I just did an ad spot at your wedding. Sorry! And congratulations again!

Hugo: Nothin' like a good start as a good omen for a happy marriage. Steer the course, Builder. You've got this.

Jasmine: Your wedding has been super fun, Builder! I love the flowers, too! I just wish there was someone here taking pictures... maybe that's what I'll do when I grow up; take pictures at weddings. Then you can relive this moment anytime you want!

Jensen: Hey, with this wonderful ceremony coming to an end, it's time to start thinking about your honeymoon! Why not take a train to Lucien! I hear it's nice this time of year.

Justice: Dang, Builder, you're a lover and a fighter! Not many people get to say that! Hence... you know, the whole nature of the phrase revolving around the idea that one must choose one or the other...

Krystal: Ah, shoot... I was really hopin' we could have someone from the Salvage Co. Who could make it through the ceremony without cryin' but... aw, here it goes...! Waaahhh!

Mabel: Oh, Builder. You two are like peas in a pod. Like bread and butter. A real match made in heaven! Oh... I can hardly contain myself...!

Macchiato: Meow!

Matilda: I must say, in all my years, I have never read for a more earnest and unwavering couple. I wish you the best, but can say you hardly need any thoughts or prayers; your love is one that will surely last a lifetime.

Meerkat: Squeak! Squeak squeak!

Mi-an: You two look amazing together! And just think, all of this started with you hopping off that train platform oh so long ago... we've come so far and built so much... some of us building even... relationships!

Miguel: Keep your wedding vows, Builder. Take them home, put them somewhere safe. If ever things are hard, look at them again and try to recall the splendor of this moment. Congratulations.

Mort: Congratulations, Builder. You know, I always say my greatest achievement was convincing Martle to marry me. I wish you two the same happiness.

Nemo: Ruff! Ruff ruff!

Owen: Whew... I said I wasn't gonna cry... Oh, who am I kiddin', here come the waterworks... wahhh...! You two... are just so beautiful together... sniff...

Pablo: Love the outfits! You two match in just about every way possible! Seeing you two... oh... it makes me want to almost think about maybe considering having thoughts about one day... thinking about getting married.

Pebbles: Marry! Marry! Marry! When my ma and my pa gon get married...?!

Pen: Heyyy, you actually went through with it! I was kinda hoping to see someone get left at the altar, but... this while 'magical moment' thing kinda works, too. Congratulations!

Qi: Excellent work, Builder. Though, new to the sport, I'm quite confident that you're winning at wedding-having. I can honestly say I have never seen anyone so skilled at weddings before.

Rian: Hey! Me an' Dan-bi got married here, too! I guess not that much of a coincidence, it's the only place in town... but we've got that in common now and uh... I dunno, maybe gettin' married here is good luck or somethin'.

Rocky: Aw, man... I'm gettin' all warm and fuzzy inside... I... nah, Riast, I ain't cryin'... I'm just... talkin' in a really high voice for some reason...! Congratulations...!

Trudy: The family is the foundation of our society. It makes me proud to see someone like you putting down roots in our humble town. I'll keep trying to make our town a better place for you and your loved ones!

Unsuur: Wow, this wedding is great. You should get married every day.

Venti: I was clapping for you guys so much my hands hurt. Clap clap clap. Ow!

Vivi: I am just so glad with how the attire turned out, you two look absolutely to die for. Riast, it really has been an honor to be here and to be able to contribute on your special day. Congratulations! Now go and enjoy yourself, your grandma said so!

X: I want a brother! I want a sister! More birdies! More birdies!

Yan: Heyyy there newbie! Thanks again for the invite! Say, you're out of shrimp cocktails. And those tiny hotdogs. Aaaand... well, pretty much all of the hors d'oeuvres; I stuffed 'em all in my pants for later! So yeah, very happy for you la dee da dee da, go get us a re-up on those hors d'oeuvres! I'm starvin'!

Zeke: I used to be the guy to pronounce couples. Saw a lot of 'em stick together, a lot of 'em fall apart. Sometimes, only way to know if a shoe fits is to slip it on. Here's hopin' to many comfy walks for ya, Builder.

(I don't know what Amirah says as a wedding guest, but here's what she says as a bride)

Amirah: My only regret is that this moment couldn't have come sooner. Today, I feel our love emboldened by a new spark... I love you more than I ever thought possible, Builder. Thank you for this day..