#it looks more like a mix of our two styles but it was fun!!!

[ranas-twisted-wonderland]

this was a lotta fun!!! (I’ve never watched alien stage, I need to get to it lmao)

originals:

[ruvviks]

"The outer reaches of space remain unexplored by humankind to this day, but its greed is relentless. We grasp and yearn and hunger for knowledge— answers to questions we cry out into the endless void expecting to understand, expecting the stars to respond. The stars will not, but one day something else will— and we will not like what it has to say." — Rome Solomon, Beyond the Exosphere (1965)

taglist (opt in/out): @shellibisshe, @florbelles, @ncytiri, @hibernationsuit, @stars-of-the-heart, @vvanessaives, @katsigian, @radioactiveshitstorm, @estevnys, @adelaidedrubman, @celticwoman, @rindemption, @carlosoliveiraa, @noirapocalypto, @dickytwister, @killerspinal, @euryalex, @ri-a-rose, @velocitic, @thedeadthree

[lamaery]

Looking for a stormy or colorful summer beach read? @priscellie and Ihad way too much fun creating some romance novel versions of Rhythm of War and Warbreaker. I made the illustrations and Priscillie made them look like actual books – beautifully ridiculous, curly typography, mock-up and all. I hope that there will be more :D

-------------------------------------------------------

Image description: (by Priscillie) Photomanipulation of two battered paperback pulp romance novels that look straight out of a thrift store bargain bin in the 1980s. The books are RHYTHM OF WAR and WARBREAKER by Sandra Branderson. RHYTHM OF WAR features an illustration of Navani and Raboniel experimenting with light, Raboniel looming behind Navani and leaning in, their faces almost touching. Raboniel streams voidlight from her image-left hand, which travels like lightning through Navani's tuning fork and into the sphere in Navani's gloved safehand. It's the primary source of light in the scene, and the background is nothing but murky darkness. Raboniel focuses intently, her red eyes alien and unknowable, as she focuses on her work. One of Navani's unkempt locks of hair just brushes the corner of Raboniel's mouth, and I'm not normal about it. Navani looks like she's gone three days without changing clothes and that she's slept in her hairstyle a similar number of nights. The collar of her havah is open, revealing her collarbones. Her expression is a mix of amazement, fear, and exhaustion, her mouth slightly open and her head tilted back slightly. Her face is lit from below by their experiment. The title and author's name are angled at a sharp diagonal, with strong capital letters and the occasional flourish. At the top is the tagline "In the Heart of War... Passion and Honor are Fused!" In one corner is some publication information, with a little logo of a seal and the words "A 'Sealed With a Kiss' Paperback," the fake ISBN 17S-631-1123-1210 (the last two sets of numbers being our birthdays), and prices in America and Canada. The other book is Warbreaker, also by Sandra Branderson. The illustration depicts Susebron and Siri in a ridiculously overblown, windswept Fabio-style cover, with a shirtless Susebron holding Siri so she's half sitting on his chest, one knee up with her thigh along his chest, her legs off to one side, and with her body twisted so she's facing him with her upper body, leaning down to him, a breath away from kissing him. She's wearing a teal dress with a Mesoamerican vibe that reveals her midriff and leaves her shoulders bare, but with a long train that blows off to the side. Her arms are painted in looping gold shapes. Her hair is blonde for most of its length, but it's beginning to change to a vivid red at the scalp. It's wrapped in teal ribbon to match her dress. Susebron has long, sleek black hair caught by the wind, chunky gold earrings and a slim gold cuff at his upper arm, and is wrapped in long white strips of awakened cloth that snake through the image in an energetic explosion of fabric. He gazes at her in handsome adoration and abandon, and she gazes back in love tempered by concern. The title has the same diagonal and italicized design with the same typeface and flourishes, but the title is jazzed up with shimmery, iridescent type. At the top is the tagling "She was forced to marry a god... Then she took his breath away!"

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - It's Quiet but Sweet RN

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

I'm early I know, I have a v busy weekend.

Jan 2025 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 8 of 12 - So awkward and so cute! I love the sibling relationships in this show. They’re all so wonderful. 

Could we talk about Thomas in that aborted sex scene? That ultra sensual sniff test neck thing?

He did a phenomenal job at conveying Japanese thirst with Taiwanese payback, unique IMHO for Thai BL. Kong did a pretty standard Thai style uke call and response, perhaps a bit more sexy than most. But Thomas was really spectacular. All in all, a particularly sensual make-out scene, rare in this kind of BL. I applaud the actors and director.

These two are so lovely.

OMG Lee has a phi he likes? Where did this nugget of joy come from?

Hyung romance crumbs are a go! Just for me? How kind. Goodness Lee has got great game, watch that boy work. He certainly didn’t get it from his older brother. Also that was such a smooth approach, what a classy way to get permission to court. I don’t know why we got this inserted tiny short story, but I’m not mad about it. I hope we get more. But this is crumbs, can’t expect it. 

ThamePo (Fri YT) ep 5 of 12 - I love how Po understands Nano's feeling of heartbreak as just that, since to lose a friend (or friends) can be as painful as losing a lover. Po is such an empathic character, I love him so. 

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 7 of 12 - I did bark with laughter at Style’s dad interrupting them. Also I enjoy the tension of knowing that there is doom in coming. It’s fun to watch these actors really stretch themselves to portray loving boyfriends with secrets. Bison looks like a determined little feral thing, Fadel just looks tired poor baby. 

Caged Again (Fri Gaga) ep 10 end - Pet fish baby + cat = snack…… EPIC. Also giving a cat a career as a stuntman is genius. 

Final Thoughts

A sweet and innocent show with an absurd premise = sunshine penguin + grumpy panther become human boys and fall in love. With great leads and sides, a solid (if campy) support cast, and sweetly queer backbone, this still never entirely resonated with me because it was just a little too slow. Still I can totally understand why others loved it so much. 8/10 

Fourever You (Thurs YT) ep 15 of 16 - I love that North has no artifice whatsoever. But frankly I’m really more interested in the 2 pairings still to come. If we are lucky. Arthit “getting bitten by piranhas” thing was hilarious. 

Sangmin Dinneaw (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - Of course I love the argument over linguistics, this time honorifics. So good. But the rest of this ep was pretty slow. 

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT) ep 11 of 24 - Gun is a little dim, poor thing, but I do kinda adore him. Yotha is a bit of a melodramatic queen though I love how he deadpan responds to teasing and always acts exactly like a boyfriend. And I see GMMTV’s patented “single brain cell club” is back. 

The Boy Next World (Sun IQIYI) ep 1 of 10 - Well it’s certainly intriguing. And I like this pair better here than in their first series. 

Ossan‘s Love Thailand (Mon YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - Oof. Well, it’s better than the original, but that’s not saying much (from me). It’s slightly less overacted. I still find the lead utterly unappealing and I have no idea why anyone, including the audience, is supposed to be interested in him. But if he looks like Earth maybe it makes a little bit more sense? Mix is great. Honestly? This just made me wanna rewatch Thousand Stars.  

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 13 end - What a darling little show. I genuinely couldn’t have enjoyed it more. About a deaf care worker and his spoiled broken little prince. Taiwanese at its softest and best. Highly recommended. Easy 9/10

(for me the only flaws are the first 1/3 and the fact that it's unlikely this will be a big rewatch for me)

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 10 end - The feeding each other water thing when the water-bottle trope is so prevalent in JBL = just so good. 

Summation 

Adapted from a Korean Webtoon I can see why this went to Japan, it's super harsh for KBL Essentially a story about two lonely boys from opposite sides of the track who fall madly in love in high school, despite the fact that one is  repressed and the other abused. Despite a rough premise (trigger warnings) this is an oddly lovely little show. Darker than is my personal preference but sublimely stylish, turns out sometimes that combo works for me (see The 8th Sense). The world that springs to mind is “refined.” I enjoyed the restful distancing feel of the filming style.

This is an easy 9/10 from me. 

Eternal Butler (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 5 of 12 - I’m sorry but if you have a sex robot, he should be self lubing. Just saying. Also…… better at parking (pun not intended). I like the sides now. I’m enjoying this more than the first installment, easer power dynamic to digest. I do kinda adore the main couple and all their kinks. 

When it Rains it Pours (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Convoluted story about a man in a relationship who is sexually unfulfilled and his friend who is in love with him, who accidentally become secret confidants.

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 15 of ? - no time this week, two next week.

It's airing but......

Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai ???) - has been picked up to air on WeTV, or something? Criminals who meet in prison fall in love. I did find it on YouTube, initially un-subbed, then subs happened by which time I got distracted. It is very pulp but intriguing. For now it's to the wayside until someone tells me it landed safely. Occasionally Thai pulps want to be edgy and it's not a good look on them. But sometimes they do good.

In Case You Missed it

End of year wraps are here!

2024 Trend Report

MY BEST & WORST BLs of 2024

Best Kisses (and sex scenes) of 2024

BL's 2024 Quirky Awards

2024 Awards - Quick Picks

Next Week Looks Like This:

January Drops

1/15 Impression of Youth (Taiwan Weds Viki iQIYI) 9 eps - Same team as DNA Says Love You, so I have high hopes.

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

It me. (Fourever You)

Gayest bridge in Thailand is back!

Love a good lap lie.

I NEED MOAR!!! (all Your Sky)

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[byoldervine]

Why No Writing Advice Seems To Work

There’s millions of tips out there for writers, but so much of it just doesn’t apply, and it often feels like nothing ever works because you have to wade through a million failures before you find a success. But why is that, exactly?

1. Implicit phasing. Seeking advice while in the drafting phase of your writing can be difficult when many popular tips are more important during the editing phase. It can build on perfectionism struggles that a lot of writers have, but a lot of people genuinely don’t realise that this advice will suit them better for editing rather than drafting. If it’s about improving what you’ve already got, or just improvements in general, don’t touch it until you’re editing; you can’t improve on something that doesn’t exist, so you’ll just be going over the same draft a gazillion times without making progress. What you need to look for are tips for brainstorming, getting out of a funk, etc

2. Concept to blueprint. For me, literal thinking has kept me from understanding a lot of writing advice and, even when I’ve got the gist of it, I struggle to figure out how to take it from a general phrase (e.g. “Show don’t tell”, “Make it a habit”) to something actionable that tells me what I need to do. If you’re misunderstanding what the advice is saying, or you don’t know what actions it’s implying that you take, of course it’s not going to be helpful. Sitting down and dedicating a minute or two to considering it can really help, and if you’re still unsure then always feel free to ask other writers; there’s bound to be others who were in the same boat that can share their own interpretations and the actions they took that helped them

3. Hobbyist approach. If you’re only writing for fun, and especially if you don’t consider yourself a ‘real writer’, it’s easy to think that some of the advice doesn’t apply to you. For me, I always thought that the whole “Write every day, make writing a habit” thing was just for people who were super serious about it or on a schedule, not for people who were just writing for fun and didn’t mind it taking forever. But after trying out NaNoWriMo, I realised I actually quite enjoy having a set routine that allows me to see consistent improvement, and even after NaNoWriMo I experimented to see how often I could write without it feeling more like a chore than a fun activity. It’s definitely worth it to at least try out tips that you think may not apply to a hobbyist just working for fun; sometimes you might learn something else about your writing style, even if the tip doesn’t work for you

4. Unique takes. Ultimately, we’re all different people with different experiences, habits, interests, styles, physical abilities and neurotypes; not everything will work for everyone. And that’s a good thing! Yes, it’s frustrating when we try a popular tip and it just doesn’t work for us like it does others, but that’s one more thing we know about ourselves and how we work, and maybe it’ll lead us to a new discovery that makes it easier going forward. If everyone was the same, all our writing would be the same, and that would be boring. You’ll stand out as a writer by working differently to achieve unique results. And if you find something that works for you, make sure you share it in case others benefit, too!

5. Customise. Finding your own tips and sharing them can lead others to you, and it all starts with experimentation; try new things, mix and match existing tips you’ve tried and figure out what can be adjusted to make your writing process better. I can’t keep to NaNoWriMo’s 1667 words per day demands, it’s too much work in too little time, but I can do 1000 words every week and be much more consistent than I used to be. Or maybe watching your word count all the time demotivates you? Try changing your measurement from X words to writing for Y amount of time - or you could even try both and say you’ll write for a max of Y minutes unless you can reach X amount of words beforehand. Even if it’s not something that was originally intended by the tip, can you find a way to customise it to work better for you?

[d4isywhims]

🚨 breaking news: vandeleur heir is seeking love!

submissions officially closed!!!

more details on our bachelor here <3

heir to the vandeleur fortune, arvin is brimming with excitement at the prospect of a life steeped in luxury. however, there’s a catch: he must find a partner to uphold the vandeleur legacy, as mandated by the patriarch, victor vandeleur. arvin hatches a plan to create a bachelor challenge for himself. after all, his father never specified that he had to marry for love—he can secure a beautiful partner and a lavish lifestyle, a true win-win. besides, old victor vandeleur is blissfully unaware of his son’s machinations. he’s staunchly resistant to social media, much to the chagrin of his children and new trophy wife, who find it utterly absurd. as for arvin’s sister, delphine? she’s too furious to engage with their father, harboring resentment over not inheriting a single coin. with all this chaos, arvin thinks his plan is foolproof. What could possibly go wrong?

more info below!

i will be carrying out this challenge based on the original rules by @xurbansimsx, but with a few added twists of my own :)

🏅 challenge events

there will be three events that feature a skill challenge! i won’t tell what the challenges are but you might be able to guess based on the events i have planned (list of events are on this google doc that i hastily prepared 😌). the winner of each challenge will get an intimate one-on-one time with the bachelor after the event which lasts for 1 in game hour. other than the challenge, events will be used to mingle around!

🎭 elimination

after a challenge event and the speed dates, elimination will be held where arvin will send two contestants home. the contestant with the lowest romantic relationship bar will be eliminated. the cycle repeats until we have the last two contestants!

❤️‍🔥 woohoo/romantic interactions

woohoo is strictly not allowed until the final 2 contestant remains. arvin will be staying with the contestants at the vandeleur estate, but only friendly interactions are allowed. romantic interactions are only allowed during events, one-on-one time and dates. if a romantic interaction happens autonomously outside of these events, it happens 👀

💭 wants

as stated in the original rules, if the bachelor has a want (romantic or not) with a contestant, he is allowed to perform so at any given time.

there will be twelve contestants, submissions are on a first come first serve basis

female young adult sims. no occults this time, loves :(

any three in game traits allowed, except for the romantic trait. each contestant must have one negative trait (keeps the challenge interesting hehe)

must have likes/dislikes

go crazy with your sim’s background! :D

give them occupations if you want to, but this will only be for storytelling purposes. we wouldn’t want our contestants leaving in the middle of a date 😔

you have 12 points to distribute to any skill(s) of your choice (read: list of events). you can also list down their traits + points in their introduction post and i’ll gladly set their skills for you :D

use all the cc you want, but preferably maxis match/maxis mix simmies 🫶🏼

all outfits are optional (i can dress your simmies up for events/dates if you want! but it would be fun to see the contestant’s personal style hehe)

poses might be used here and there for a bit of storytelling

your sims might look a bit different in my game due to my defaults, but i’ll try to keep them as is the best i can!

tray files for the sim downloads, please :)

aaaand i think that’s about it! apologies for the lengthy post T_T submissions are open until the 20th of october or until i have all twelve contestants. but i might extend if i need to :) i’m so excited for this as this is my first EVER bachelor challenge :D credits to @flocy-sims’ nafisa and @bloomingkyras’ gemma for inspiring me! go check them out 🫶🏼

don’t forget to tag me @d4isywhims and use #hearts4arvin in your submission so i can reblog! :D and also keep track

list of contestants:

1. larissa harrison by @bloomingkyras

2. clementine strafford by @channyology

3. [reserved] by @flocy-sims

4. luna convington by @simsinfinitylt

5. cynthia gray by @honeysylvan

6. melissa tucker by @aliengirl

7. francesca williams by @ruthplaysthesims

8. cora vinson by @jazzy-jazzsims

9. everly malone by @simlish-clouds

10. lourdes jaleel harper by @akitasimblr

11. averie ocampo-muñez by @squeezesublime

12. ashley evans by @linalinsims

[reel-fear]

Whelp, Lone Wolf looks like it's gonna be continuing the trends I've disliked abt recent Bendy releases pretty well. Here are some of the things I noticed in the trailer and my thoughts about it in general. Yes they are mostly negative. They will also be in order of when these things show up in the trailer and some with timestamps & pictures.

So Bertrum is back! So so glad to see him and Bendyland return, I'm pretty willing to bet none of the BATDR cast will ever be seen again considering how forgettable most of them are, so I wouldn't hold my breath on that. I also however wouldn't hold my breath on seeing too many returning batim staff either considering how many of them are related to controversy now.

Bertie mentions it seems like something else has captured Joey's imagination and he's not as interested in Bendyland. I hope this is something like the machine or something and not Yet Another random Joey motivation thing/project to add to the timeline. Like Joey wanted to appease gods, become immortal, get money, get a family and Also do something else? Please just keep him consistent for two games in a row I'm begging.

Fun thing while watching the trailer watch how the video goes from having grey borders to weird black line borders and then none at all a few times. Our very polished and not at all rushed trailer folks.

Boris is using his batim model instead of the kinda weird one he had in BATDR which he shared with Tom. I'm glad for that though it is also a little strange he didn't get a newer one for a release all about him.

Why why why, are we going sci-fi now with all the machines and stuff? The ink machine was only really relevant in BATIM as the thing that brought these rubberhose monsters to life, there was no hint of all this... Nonsense in that game and I preferred it that way! Why do we have to also be like FNAF and lose that interesting aesthetic we started out with to become more like other more generic horror games? Why why why is Gent now the main focus I don't even think Gent was properly mentioned in BATIM?? Idk, I just thought the interesting personal drama of the hell-ish studio and the tortured residents in it was enough to carry the franchise, I didn't need an evil sci-fi company in the mix. I know BATDR already hinted at this direction but that doesn't mean this isn't still a massive leap from that game. We got shows of subtle but yes more advanced tech here and now we just outright have what look like turrents in the 1930s animation studio. Whyyyyy...

This animation looks bad. I'm allowed to finally say that right? Like the fluid simulation looks bad, the ink looks all chunky and low res, I mean it looks like the shit you see in that animated Food Fight movie. What is with the red? Why are we so eager to break the iconic pallete and art style THAT MADE THE GAMES UNIQUE. If I wanted to see a sci-fi adventure with blood and gore, I'D GO PLAY THE HUNDREDS OF OTHER GAMES THAT DO THAT BETTER!!! Don't remind me of better games I could be playing Mike! Why does Boris have a weird, anime ink, demonic power animation?? What is that???

Why are those things alive now, wasn't the bendy animatronic not doing anything enough of a disappointment? Why are we deciding only now to do something with them when most people are probably now gonna just be confused. Why are the machines alive? Did the ink machine do that? Did gent do that? Did the evil sci-fi company really see a boris themed animatronic and go 'ah yes the perfect evil killing machine for our evil motives'?? I have so many questions.

Also that thing was not designed by Lacie. At least the Bendy animatronic was designed in a way to be eerie but you could see how kids would find it appealing same way the Bendy cut outs were unnerving but also cute enough to pass as something kids would love. This is just. Childlish edgy design without considering that these were supposed to be designed with kids in mind. I wouldn't be so hard on this franchise for that if it wasn't something that was better IN PREVIOUS GAMES, like I mentioned with the bendy animatronic and such. Esp since it now has more competition with things like poppy playtime. I'm begging you guys if ur pc can handle Unreal Engine 5 please buy that instead of this garbage.

Also it seem this was the actual animatronic Tom stole the arm of since its design fits the redesign his robot arm got for dark revival. I don't really care too much about that but it is cool.

Now however for the scariest thing of all! Bendy's declining level of polish and increasingly rushed products! You've heard of the uncanny and weird expression Henry made in the cage trailer!

You've heard of the graphic novel being published with an obvious coloring mistake!

Now get ready for the ink demon's hooves stuttering and twitching like it were a poorly made physics object in the trailer for a game! [using a gif from the steam page since it shows it off really well]

I mean I shouldn't have to say anything more right? Like that's just inexcusable. We've reached modern Pokemon levels of not giving a fuck how bad our trailers look and still expecting people to buy it.

Now I'm gonna go into some stuff on the steam page for the game and then I'll get into some more general points:

Why does this franchise have such a hard time animating faces and humanoid characters? What is this Malice expression-

Also hints to the Boris is a person/Buddy thing? Are we keeping that? Is there just a separate version of Buddy for the games without any of the compelling parts of him in his book? Or is this now being used to reference something else?

Sammy shown off uh- touching a Banjo in a way that resembles playing it? Uh guys, could we not have given this trailer and steam page more time to clean these up a bit why are his movements so slow-

"Bendy: Lone Wolf™ will tests your ability to survive against ever increasing odds. Monsters and obstacles emerge from every direction as you journey into the rubberhose halls of the world's most evil animation studio. Every day is a challenge." Lmao rubberhose? Animation? I forgot those were parts of the franchise, after all you sucked them all out of the ink demon a while ago.

One of the gifs which I didn't feature has a jumpscare/flashing lights, I hope it will have a warning for those since Secrets Of The Machine still doesn't. I also don't know why we're keeping the jumpscares since most people rightfully made fun of how bad they were in the og game but. Idk taking feedback has never been good with this team.

Overall everything just kinda, sucks. the polish is gone from even the trailers. The art style becomes less of a factor with each game and the lore is so hard to keep track of even for die-hard fans. The comments on the trailers seem almost purely positive so far so that doesn't give me much hope they'll ever learn though... The top comment is a quote from DCTL too which is hilarious. Also Boris still has NO facial animations, even in his own game he'll never be an interesting character, why am I supposed to care abt saving him in BATIM again?

I'll be playing and checking it out more but probably only because I'm getting it for free since I had dark survival. Besides that yeah I wouldn't waste my money on it. I'll probably rip the assets to look at though. Can we please make some more critical comments on the youtube upload? I don't want people buying this garbage.

Anyways yeah just wanted to say all this, I'm gonna be working on more positive posts soon I promise and they will be Bendy related! Not the canon-stuff but the fanmade stuff so stay tuned! Bye!!

[carelessflower]

sunday recap 👚💅🏻

literally play all day lmaooo

me and my friend set up a date for today so we go have jjambbong ramen near the place. we also have some crispy pork with sweet and sour sauce. the noodle get a 10 while the pork get a 9. it the smallest portion on the menu yet it enough for two. also everyone get one fried egg and I mix it with kimchi, sweet and spicy sauce, chilli and soy sauce 9/10

next there was like a festival in range of the lunar new year and that our main destination, look at home crowded with shop and shoppers lmaoo

the many many outfit i have tried on, plus the one shirt I thought was cute (the blue one).

white lace shirt: so close to buying it but I remember I already bought one I similar style literally this week

red bow shirt: they got some get-two shirts with half-the-price thing going on but it like so skin tight

yellow shirt: I love big ruffle collar so bad but this one one size smaller than mine :((

black dress: again with big ruffle collar that doesn't suit me but I want them anyway. my friend said it make me look like victorian maid

gingham dress: kinda giving cottagecore flowers on hair maiden

what i bought...this is 2$...if you wanna yell at me...consider i am very beautiful and smart

some random stuff i saw browsing through the market. lmaooo look at that shirt and that store. also the bracelet is cute but way out of budget. the necklace look cute too but I already got too many jewelry. and the perfume:DD love sugar baby and something like called sexy, and some tea scent. the tea scent istg is a dupe of matcha meditation like bergamot, tea, white chocolate. maybe im considering hmmmmmmmmm it cheaper than matcha meditation

then me and friend went to mixue for some milktead (black sugar boba tea btw 7.5/10 wayyy too sweet) and got this little blindbag figure...it look like discounted chocolate candy. then we ordered like thai style spicy and sour chicken feet and cause the boba tea didn't allow outside food so we gotta go to the park near that and then there only one pair of chopsticks and then we drop it and gotta share using a stick. fun.

at least when we dropped sauce all over our hand we decided to go to the mall near there and it the right decision cause I gotta satisfied my perfume crave by going around sniffling again, these stores I never got the chance before! look at my trophy

hmmm first one i checked is diptyque , the candle smell amazing btw. for the perfume I like most of it cause it very natural subtle scent. check some stuff people rave about. didn't like l'eau papier that much, something about it was giving mineral to me. fleur de peau is good tho (alec scent btw). glad I didn't order philosykos out of hype cause I discover I dislike fig note so much lmaooo. love love eau duelle and do son. warm vanilla cake and very sophisticated white floral, which once again alec would use dont @ me

next is jo malone. their spray test papers are so cute. peony & blush is still so pretty, and I'll add bluebell into my wishlist. not very long lasting tho

tried delina exclusif and it definitely more rose than lyche compared to of delina. need to come back and smell other bottles tho. did smell meliora cause they said they dont have valaya in stock and it very much giving ice queen

when i saw memo paris stall i cheer, i laugh, i giggle. most definitely i finally got a verdict for sintra memo, which I almost ordered a sample before. it suck ASS bigger than alec's btw. smell like rotten milk with rotten dried fruits. i clearly dodge a bullet. smell marfa and madurai and it sooooooo alecore mecore me so genius core. inle are pretty and siwa is my type (sweet vanilla)

there some launching pop-up for a hair curling iron brand and like they were doing it for free and I thought why not. first pick freshly iron second pic was after 1-2 hours. i can say curly hair doesn't suit me lmaooooo

dinner with noodle cause im outta money

[its-not-a-pen]

Wow your comic looks really fun, I love the cartoonish artstyle mixed with historical styles, it's really neat for me

thank you im glad you enjoyed it! i have two great loves and those are a) history and b) 80s manga, and i like combining the two to emphasis the fact that history is alive, fantastical, and often deeply hilarious.

while im here, i've just realised i never shared this fun tidbit. here are the references I used for Emperor Qin Shi Huang and William Shakespeare:

This image of Qin Shi Huang is from the 19th century, created some 1700 years after his death, so take it with a big level tablespoon of salt. No image exists of him, and physical descriptions are contradictory, which is rather ironic considering this is the guy who commissioned the extremely lifelike terracotta army. I decided to go with a Qing dynasty depiction because it's the last imperial dynasty of china, and acts as a nice bookend to the first Qin dynasty which kick started the whole thing. You'll notice that QSH is wearing an anachronistic yellow robe, he should actually be wearing black. Yellow did not become the imperial colour until the Ming.

Shakespeare is based on the Chandos portrait. We don't actually what he looked like either, this is simply the oldest known painting thought to be him. (I made sure to include his extremely stylish earring). The history of the painting, and the quest to put a face to the famous name is a deeply fascinating read. Xenophobia also comes into play here, one of the main critiques leveled by painting's detractors is that this man looks too dark and Jewish to be an "English" playwright. Our perception of history is coloured by the biases of society. A more definitive (albeit much cruder) portrait would be the 1623 engraving published with the first folio. It was viewed by people who knew him, and should have been reasonably accurate.

you can read the comics here: terracotta + thee fyrst roule ov inglish

once again, thank you for the lovely feedback! i've got another exciting qin dynasty comic in the works, it's like almost 60% done but i've been so busy with my coursework so idk if i'll be able to publish it until july next year. stay tuned!

[nerdyrevelries]

Jo March: The Pragmatist

One of the most common complaints I hear about Little Women is the way it ends. Many people think that Jo stifles her creativity and gives up on her writing in order to marry Professor Bhaer, which isn't true. Jo writes a very successful book in one of the sequels, Jo’s Boys, but let's set that to the side because what I really want to discuss is what Jo actually thinks of the writing she’s doing in the latter half of Little Women. 

In Part I of Little Women, we see the type of writing that Jo does prior to selling her work. In “A Merry Christmas,” the family puts on The Witch’s Curse, an Operatic Tragedy, which seems to be a Shakespearean melodrama. In “Jo Meets Apollyon,” the book Amy burns in anger is “half a dozen little fairy tales.” In “The P.C. and P.O.,” Jo writes a comedic poem and a lament for one of Beth’s cats. Finally, in “Secrets,” Jo submits a tragic romance to The Spread Eagle (one assumes that this name was less funny when Little Women was originally published in 1868.) The Spread Eagle doesn’t pay beginners, so we can assume that everything written up until this point is the type of writing Jo does for herself when there’s no pressure to make changes to please an editor in order to get a paycheck. 

Part II begins with the chapter “Gossip,” which catches us up on what’s been happening over the past three years. Jo is now a regular contributor to The Spread Eagle who receives a dollar for each story. She refers to them as “rubbish,” so she doesn’t seem particularly proud of the writing she’s doing, but she’s in the process of writing a novel she hopes will win her fame and prestige. 

In “Literary Lessons,” Jo observes a boy reading a newspaper story illustrated with a dramatic scene of “an Indian in full war costume, tumbling over a precipice with a wolf at his throat” and two men stabbing each other while a terrified woman flees the scene. When the boy offers to share, Jo agrees more because she likes the boy than because of an interest in the story. The story is sensation fiction, which Jo privately thinks is trash anyone could have written. However, when she learns the author is making a good living from her stories, Jo decides to try her hand at this new style of writing. She submits the story to a contest the newspaper is running and wins $100. Jo uses the money to send Beth and Marmee to the seashore. She’s proud of her ability to earn money to help her family, so she continues to write these kinds of stories since they are lucrative. 

She later finishes her novel and sends it to multiple publishers, only one of whom is interested, and only if there are major cuts and revisions. After conflicting advice from her family, she decides to make the requested changes, which earns her $300 and some very mixed reviews that lead Jo to respond, “Some make fun of it, some over-praise, and nearly all insist that I had a deep theory to expound, when I only wrote it for the pleasure and the money. I wish I’d printed it whole or not at all, for I do hate to be so misjudged.” 

In “Calls,” Jo reluctantly joins Amy to return calls to their neighbors with generally disastrous results. One incident involves Jo receiving a compliment on her writing. 

Any mention of her “works” always had a bad effect upon Jo, who either grew rigid and looked offended, or changed the subject with a brusque remark, as now. “Sorry you could find nothing better to read. I write that rubbish because it sells, and ordinary people like it.”

This passage makes it very clear that Jo isn’t proud or fond of what she is writing. The reception to her novel combined with the money she can make from sensation fiction has changed Jo’s primary motivation for writing. She is no longer doing it for the love of writing or because she’s pursuing her dreams. She’s trying to make money to help out her family.

I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. We all have periods in our life when we take a job that we aren’t extremely excited about because it will allow us to achieve something that is more important to us. However, it’s a different narrative than is usually spun about Jo who is frequently depicted as continually working towards her dream. There is a role in Castles in the Air that fits that narrative. It’s called the Striver, but I don’t think that’s the role that Jo has. Instead, Jo is the Pragmatist, which is a role about setting aside your dreams for the moment because you have other responsibilities. Both are interesting conflicts, but they lead to very different conclusions when it comes to Jo’s story! 

With that in mind, let’s take a look at “Friend,” which follows Jo in New York. She’s now writing for a newspaper called the Weekly Volcano, which has required Jo to make so many changes to her stories that she decides to have her work published anonymously. That certainly wouldn’t be a good career move if she was truly trying for fame! She’s also come to greatly respect a man staying at her boarding house named Professor Bhaer. One day, he makes a comment about a newspaper that publishes sensation stories like the ones Jo is writing. Her response is telling:

Jo glanced at the sheet, and saw a pleasing illustration composed of a lunatic, a corpse, a villain, and a viper. She did not like it; but the impulse that made her turn it over was not one of displeasure, but fear, because, for a minute, she fancied the paper was the “Volcano.” 

Professor Bhaer notices her look and guesses the truth, but instead of letting her know this, he decides to gently explain his reasoning. After this, Jo goes back to reread the stories she has been writing and decides to burn them. Far from stifling her creativity, Professor Bhaer is the one who sees that Jo is ashamed of her writing and reminds her that she is capable of more.

This is part of a series on the literary inspirations behind game elements for my upcoming tabletop RPG based on the novels of Louisa May Alcott and L.M. Montgomery, Castles in the Air. To see a complete list of the posts I’ve written thus far, check out the master post. If you would like more information, visit the game’s website!

[1shortnsweet]

Auburn

Criminal Minds Platonic x reader

warnings- descriptions of blood, guns, knives, swearing, physical fighting, use of y/n

summary- you were the youngest member of the BAU team. When you’re sent on your first house call with an unsub, things go south very quickly.

word count- 1,224

——————————————————

"It's gotta be either Michael or Jonathon. There's no other explanation for a guy who's killing twenty-year-old girls for fun," Derek said, his voice steady yet heavy as he stood in front of the projector. The mugshots of the two potential suspects were large on the screen. The team had been sent to Vermont to investigate a series of brutal murders, all of the victims were red-haired women between the ages of twenty and thirty, almost identical to the unsub's passed ex-wife, who had died in a car accident.

You and JJ were assigned to "question" Jonathon White at his home, a short five-minute drive from the police station where the rest of the team were. As you drove up to his house, it appeared normal. Two cars were parked in the driveway, and a children's bike laid out on the front lawn.

Stepping out of the car, you watched as JJ pulled her blonde hair into a low ponytail. You followed, gathering your auburn curls into a similar style, your heart beginning to race.

"Keep your eyes up. Just because he's not our top suspect doest mean it's not him,” JJ reminded you, her voice a mix of firmness and protectiveness. This was the fifth time she had said that, a reminder that despite being the youngest on the tean, you were not clueless. JJ knocked, and you both held up your badges as the door opened. Mr. White stood, a towering figure. The smile he forced onto his face felt more like a mask than a greeting. As he let you both in, his gaze lingered a moment too long on you, sending an unsettling chill down your spine.

"What kind of car do you drive to work every day?" you asked, your heart racing as you hoped for a response that was different from the previous answers you'd received during the interrogation at the station. JJ went upstairs, as she began her search for any evidence or hidden weapons. White remained quiet, leaning against the doorway of the living room, your eyes scanning the family photos. Each image depicted a happy family with seemingly nothing hidden. Your gaze shifted momentarily to the kitchen counter-a knife, its blade catching the light. Back at the police station, Penelope was doing her best, her fingers over the keyboard as she looked through old records.

"I've got a hit! An old arrest record for Jonathon White, his fingerprints were found at one of the crime scenes,” urgency in her voice. "It's him. It's White. We need to call JJ and y/n before they go in," Garcia said, her tone shifting to alarm. Immediately, Hotch and Derek sprung up, as they grabbed their phones. When neither you or JJ responded, the team piled into the SUV, out of the station.

Meanwhile, JJ was still upstairs, an unsettling feeling in your stomach as you wondered why JJ was taking so long. Just as you turned to ask White another question, you hit the ground, world spinning as you looked up at White standing over you, his fist clenched. Blood immediately dripped from your nose, trickling down into your mouth.

"Get up!" Before you could get fully up, he kicked your leg, sending you back down. The corner of the coffee table colliding with the back of your head. You prayed silently that JJ had heard something and was coming downstairs. You managed to roll over in time, missing the knife plunging into the carpet where you had just laid. However, the weapon came back again before you could react, slicing through your pants and into your upper thigh. The pain was immediate and burning, the warmth of blood immediately seeping all over your leg. Tears welled up in your eyes without any warning and you found yourself unable to get up on your own. As White wound up to plunge again, you covered your face in hopes of him missing.

"Put the goddamn knife down, or I swear to God I'll pull the trigger!" You immediately recognized Derek's voice. JJ appeared behind him, eyes locked on White. Derek handcuffed the man and shoved him to the ground.

"Are you alright? Where did he hit you?" Hotch was at your side in an instant, concern in his eyes as he took in the blood smeared across your pants and the cut on your face.

"Hotch, I'm okay. It's just a little cut, and my nose hurts, but I'm really fine," you insisted, though your voice trembled slightly as he helped you up, his grip careful. JJ and Hotch helped you walk to the ambulance parked out front. The pain in your leg was becoming unbearable, but you would never admit that to either of them. A week later, you walked into the BAU office. Your earlier than expected return took the team by surprise as they looked at you in confusion.

"Don't all clap at once. Miss me? Cleared an entire week early," you announced with a stupid smile. Spencer chuckled, tossing a balled-up sheet of paper at you. Derek made remarks about you being back, and JJ hugged you, still apologizing for what happened even though you told her it wasn’t her fault. You made your way to Hotch’s office, hoping to get a moment in private with him.

“Hey, um, thanks for this,” gesturing at your bandaged forehead, “and you know, everything else,” referring to your father and how he had treated you like his own child since his death. He gave you a slight smile, which was more than anyone was used to. Neither of you were very emotionally available people, so it didn’t take much to make it awkward.

“1, you’re never going on a house visit without me or Derek again. 2, you’re taking those self defense classes with Reid. No excuses. 3, Are you okay y/n?” You could see the concern on his face as he took in your state, questioning how you managed to get cleared by the doctor.

“I am fine Aaron. I needed out of that house, I was going insane watching Cars with Jack every morning,” you reminded him of the relationship you had grown with his son in the last few months. You both exchanged a silent, yet assuring glance and you walked out of his office back to your desk. As you sat down, you noticed the piled up “Get Well Soon!” cards and a singular pack of your favorite gum- Spearmint. You smiled to yourself knowing there were still people who really knew you besides your father who you missed everyday.

You may have been back at work, but the memory of the incident still lurked in your mind. You couldn’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if you weren’t the unsub’s exactly type- red hair, green eyes, twenty three years old, similar to his ex-wife. A few nights that week you woke up sweating from haunting nightmares replaying that day. Your mind kept trying to come up with solutions to stop reminding you of it all, one finally hitting you out loud.

“I think I’m gonna dye my hair.”

At first, everyone stared at you. Then out of nowhere the rest of the team spoke up.

“I vote blonde.” JJ said, smirking and twirling her own hair.

“I like jet black.” Reid offered.

“What about purple?” Penelope suggested standing next to Derek’s desk.

You smiled to yourself once again, pondering which color you would walk into the office tomorrow with. Oh, you were so excited to be back.

[skreebat]

*kicks open your door* I AM HERE FOR THE HUMAN AU!! I have actually been thinking of a human au for like a week now so this is just perfect!! Do you have the OUAW party working at their carnival or are they all kind of doing there own careers? Also ALSO how did Kremy and Gideon meet?? I kind of like going the GTA (grand theft auto video game) route where Kremy is mixed up with Garou in legit crimes just in our world and not Avantris fantasy style setting.

I really haven't thought too much about it yet but it's so hard to let go of all the fantastical and magical aspects for a human AU. I really like those! Maybe it wouldn't be all like DnD world but... I think they'd be working at a Carnival. Likely much like the initial plot of OUAW, that having gone badly and them being all flat broke and two to the four (five with Hootsie) at the beginning, meeting Torbek later and so on.

I have to think about how to adapt someone like Frost into it, but I think the easiest to go with is Gricko travelling about with his daughter and taking odd jobs.

Kremy most definitely got mixed up with someone very powerful and very dangerous when he was younger, trying to get to better places in life, and cheated his way on up and on his own, but used Garou's name for a lot of it, and now owns a lot of money.

Gid...I feel like Gid's story would be Very Dark much like the original one and he's definitely broken out of some sort of prison or hold or captivity of some kind before he met Kremy. Likely on a night Kremy was drowning his sorrows when another business went to shit before he cashed out. Maybe this big fella just ended up in the same quiet, dingy bar, and Kremy threw caution to the wind and paid for his drink. Because, why not, right? Guy looks like he's had a rough, well, life. Screw it, he's feeling generous.

Likely parted ways that night - or well into the morning, drunkenly walking out in the painful sunlight - and maybe just bumped into each other a few more times before actual drink meet ups became a thing. Real conversations became a thing. Exchanging stories. Then it likely really started a proper business partnership when Kremy had some crazy idea and offered to have Gid help, for part of the profit.

And it developed into Kremy helping this poor fucker getting back on his feet. Or huh - on his feet for the first time, really. Before they knew it, scams were abound, and a lot more fun than they used to be.

[itwasanangryinch]

Vamptember Day 4: Tape Recorder

You kept me in that apartment for how long? You were there, Daniel. I don't remember that's why I'm asking

I'm going to be using these prompts as a way to explore different art styles than I might otherwise try. Ferric Blather is a mix between flat poster art, typography, and hand-drawn lettering.

Image description under the cut

Interested in buying? || Ko-fi

[ID:] A flat rendered digital painting featuring characters from AMC's Interview with the Vampire. In the foreground, the vampire Armand clicks the fast forward button on a tape recorder. His hand is angled at an unnatural angle as he grasps the recorder.

In the mid-ground, interviewer Daniel is shown in shadow with green handwritten words over his silhouette. He is physically bound to an unseen chair.

The background is a wall with two windows, each with two translucent curtains, and a green carpet. Screened on top is part of the earlier fight between Louis and Armand. On Armand's hand is the artist's watermark '8-Tracks Creative.'

The green words on Daniel Molloy are a slight paraphrasing of his interrogation by Armand, namely to make it a monologue.

ARMAND: You held Louis' attention. He confessed his inner most secrets to you. 128 boys he's brought here. And you're the first he didn't consummate and drain. That makes you special. That warrants investigation. Bartering with desire; is that what makes you fascinating? You think in all these spools you'd arrived at some ineffable truth. Louis thinks I'm boring. Do you find me boring? DANIEL: No!

The typed words across the background read:

LOUIS: Things got a little heated. ARMAND: With a boy. Things got heated with a boy. I was at home picking lint off the sofa. L: I said to join us… A: The room soiled and once again, I'm here with mop and mindfulness to clean it up. L: So the room got dirty, so what? I'll clean it up. A: No! I clean it up. You make the mess and I clean it up. Put it on the calendar, align it with Ursa Major, Louis' tri-annual fuck off and find me with apologies to follow later! L: I'm sorry. A: You seek comfort in the company of low-lifes and unfortunates and broken children - fine. L: Fine, fine, it doesn't sound like fine. A: But revealing our nature to a reporter that you met at a bar ten hours ago! What if it was published? L: I was having some fun. A: You don't feel a little embarrassed? L: I was in the middle of ending things when you walked in. A: No! You were already passed out on the floor. Next him, Louis. Out on your feet from the drugs you stuffed him with. L: Oh this is boring! You're boring! This is boring! You are so boring! A: Here come the drugs. L: Colorless. Flavorless! Dull. Dull weeks, full months. Dull as fuck. Suffocation by the world's softest, beigest pillow. The ten hours I spent with that boy were more exciting, more fascinating than decades spent with you. There it is, the half-blank, half- apocalyptic look. But what does it mean tonight? Does he [cuts off.]

[End ID]

[forevernneverending]

5/5

“Not a day goes by without laughing thinking about Terje”

DAILY: Jarle Kvale is a front man in Vreid - and was best friends with Terjo Bakken.

OSLO/SOGNDAL: It's almost ridiculous how quickly time flies. Think 10 years.

But it doesn't feel like he's completely awake. We talk about Terje for the day.

JARLE KVALE IS one of the people who knew Terje Bakken best. They grew up in the same hamlet. Together with the brothers Vegard and Terje made up Jarle a tight trio. First in games and fun on the football pitch, where Terje was the goalkeeper.

- We had our own place, the Sauaperla stadium up there. There were many hard battles, Jarle remembers. But at the age of 12-13 there was less and less football, - more and more music on the two teams -

- THE TASTE OF MUSIC WAS Growing up probably mostly came via Terje's older brother and their friends. It started with Kiss and Metallica, but soon things got tougher. Terje started of all places in the accordion club.

He got an accordion at the age of 11 and quickly learned to play. He wasn't like that

long there, Jarle tells.

All the way back in 1994, Terje started Windir as a one-man band. He played all the instruments and made all the tek stars and all the music himself on the first two CDs.

The third musical friend in the neighborhood, Jorn Holen, played drums on everything Terje made, but he was a member of the other metal band on the farm - Ulcus Molle together with Jarle.

THE PERHAPS IMPORTANT

GUEST, outsider

the factor for the teenagers being able to create a proper musical platform was Jorn's father, Svein Holen. He let the young people spend time in the barn, first in a small cramped room, later in a much larger one, which they decorated and polished up seventeen.

- I am eternally grateful to Svein for this, Terje was too. We talked a lot about how lucky we were to be able to drive to ourselves, when we wanted without fixed incubation times and adults as determined.

Here the young people were slowly but surely to play different instruments.

And the two bonded slowly but surely together. But there was still a way to go for Terje, because he was ready for - HE WAS A searching person, always looking to try new things. You can tell he was a bit restless. loose soul, who liked to go his own way. He was a little worried about what others thought of him, says Jarle.

But even if they continued as two bands right up until 1999, they worked closely together and they almost always played together. Listen to and tease each other and talk a lot.

- We could sit all night discussing. Like that time we sat down in the morning and talked about the hospital policy in Sogn and Fjordane. I have no idea how I got there.

So, in 1999, Terje was ready to take a step further and the six-piece band Windir say the light of day then the collaboration developed between best friends

Jarle and Terje moved on.

They wrote most of the lyrics and songs, doing each for themselves at first, because they sat down and perhaps sewed Jatane together. Or tip each other.

VREID, WHICH IS the band in which Jarle and Jorn are still in, saw the light of day almost 10 years ago, and today has a large international career. The band is a draw at the biggest metal festivals, both nationally and internationally.

And has many big near misses behind him. Windirfans can be heard and seen everywhere.

- They come with t-shirts with the Windir brand, with tattoos of our emblem and of Terje. I have seen many large tattoos of him.

They have CDs, records, pictures, in short, everything possible.

Terje or Valfar has a very large position out there, 10 years after he left. He is an icon. Big role model for many bad musicians and fans. He never bir gloymd.

- Keifor this position, do you think?

- He did something no one had done for. He then mixed folk melodies and black metal.

Terje was totally preoccupied with local history and boiled it together with music for parish metal. It did not bother him. Today, parish metal is a well-known style in the global metal scene.

An approach and a style that many new bands use. All thanks to being a man. Silver and extremely talented. He is one of the greats, quite simply, says Jarle Kvale.

FOR THE GOOD, they, Vreid, Windir and Ulcus Molle PLAN a memorial tour, where big-brother Vegard will sing at Windirlätane.

- It will be special. It's actually funny how quickly time has passed. Think 10 years ago. The loss of Terje is still there, but it doesn't feel like he's fully awake. We talk about him until the day. He is present in our lives, says Jarle Kvale.

He thinks it will be a good thing to travel on tour and play the old songs.

- It will be good for our own, but it will be completely safe. It's also good for all the fans, who like Terje so much. We must remember and honor him properly. But first I have to go to the barn and climb the old laths again. It will be strange without Terje...

(Now I cry)

[pankowcrumbs]

Weekend at the Cabin X Harry Styles

It wasn’t supposed to be anything special. Just a few days away from the chaos of our usual lives—a cabin in the woods, rented for the weekend, with a few close friends. Just a chance to disconnect, unwind, and have some fun. But with Harry Styles involved, you could never expect things to stay ordinary.

We arrived at the cabin late Friday afternoon, the fading light of the day filtering through the trees, casting a soft glow over the rustic wood of the place. The moment we stepped inside, the smell of pine and cedar filled my senses, mixed with the faint, warm scent of a crackling fire already burning in the stone fireplace. The atmosphere was peaceful, almost magical, far removed from the noise of the city.

Harry and I had always been close. We were friends, best friends. We’d known each other for years, long enough for me to become accustomed to his teasing, his quick wit, and his disarming charm. So, when he suggested we head out here with a small group for the weekend, it made sense. I hadn’t really thought much about it—just a chance to hang out, to laugh, and maybe get a little drunk on wine in front of the fire, but nothing more.

But something felt different this time.

Maybe it was the way Harry had been acting. More affectionate, more touchy, than usual. Or maybe it was the way his eyes seemed to linger on me a little longer than necessary. The way he casually brushed his hand against mine when he passed me a drink. It wasn’t anything overt. Nothing I could point to and say, That’s it. That’s the moment everything changed. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a shift in the air between us.

I caught him staring at me more than once—when I was reaching for a glass, when I was laughing with the others. His gaze was different, though. Not casual. Not the look of a best friend. There was something deeper, something... longing? I didn’t know. But it made my heart beat a little faster each time.

By the time evening rolled around, the group was gathered in the living room, sprawled out on the oversized leather couches and armchairs, chatting and laughing as the fire crackled in the background. Harry and I ended up sitting next to each other on the couch, our legs brushing occasionally, though I was pretty sure neither of us had intended for that to happen.

I kept stealing glances at him, trying to act normal, but every time I did, I found his gaze already on me. It was like we were locked in some silent conversation I didn’t quite understand. The others noticed nothing, too wrapped up in their own conversations, but I felt it—the shift. The unspoken tension hanging in the air.

"So," I said, my voice a little too high, trying to break the silence that had settled between us. "What’s your plan for tomorrow? Hiking, maybe?"

Harry looked at me for a long moment, that same unreadable expression on his face. "Maybe," he said, his tone soft. "Or maybe we could just spend the day in, yeah? Just the two of us. I think we both deserve a little break from everything."

The casual invitation was so normal—just the two of us—but the way he said it made my heart skip a beat. I nodded, unsure of how to respond. Of course, it made sense to have some quiet time alone—there was no need to have an itinerary for every moment—but the way Harry was acting made everything feel... different. There was a strange, electric current that ran through the space between us.

The night wore on, drinks were passed around, and we all retreated to different parts of the cabin. Some headed to bed early, others stayed up playing cards, but Harry and I lingered near the fireplace, not quite ready to call it a night. He leaned against the mantle, his eyes following me as I fiddled with the logs in the fire, making sure the embers stayed alive.

"You're quiet tonight," he said, his voice low and teasing.

I shrugged, trying to act casual. "Just tired, I guess. It's been a long week."

His eyes narrowed slightly, as if evaluating me, his lips twitching into a smile. "Mmm. You sure? You’re usually the one keeping everyone up with your stories and your laugh."

"Maybe I’m just in a different mood," I replied, avoiding his gaze.

He stepped a little closer, and for some reason, the proximity made my breath catch. "What kind of mood is that?" he asked softly, his voice full of curiosity.

I turned to face him fully now, my heart suddenly hammering in my chest. There was something about the way he looked at me—something different. Something that sent a shiver down my spine. "I don’t know," I said, my voice quieter than I intended. "Maybe I’m just... thinking."

"Thinking about what?" he asked, stepping even closer, his presence overwhelming in a way I hadn’t quite noticed before. His gaze dropped to my lips for a fraction of a second before he met my eyes again.

I swallowed, trying to ignore the heat that was creeping up my neck. "Nothing," I said, though my voice betrayed me. "Just... everything."

Harry didn’t smile. Instead, his eyes grew softer, more intense. His hand brushed my arm, his touch light but deliberate. "You know, I’ve been thinking about something too," he said, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Something I haven’t quite been able to shake all night."

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead, I found myself staring at him, caught in the weight of his gaze. The space between us had become unbearable, thick with tension.

He took another step forward, his body almost touching mine now. I could feel his warmth radiating, the slight scent of his cologne filling my senses. I didn’t move, didn’t pull away. For some reason, I couldn’t.

"I think," Harry said, his breath warm on my face, "that I’ve been wanting something more from you lately. Something I didn’t know how to ask for before."

Before I could respond, his lips were on mine.

[meowmeowmeowmeow4x]

Dark Blue Moon and the Suffering Sun Chapter 31

MASTAPOST

big thanks to brekitten for betaing this chapter, and HAPPY MERMAY TO EVERYONE YAYAYYAYAYA

Here’s a fun fact, Danny noted, as he sat in the driver’s seat of the GiW truck they’d stolen GTA style from the government. Despite having a father whose driving may be more dangerous than the sirens that he hunts, and parents who built a tank that can float…

Danny did not know how to drive.

But luckily, Damian did! Thank goodness. Guess that rich kid education was paying off.

The issue, though? Damian didn’t have legs at this moment.

Which meant that Danny was the one stepping on the gas, while Damian took the wheel, sitting in Danny’s lap.

Here’s a fun fact. Whenever Danny’s dad drove, he always used to think that it was the scariest thing in the world. The G-forces turning you into a ragdoll. The screaming and car horns from other people. The uncertainty of whether you’ll make it to see the next day.

On this clear summer day, Danny learned that there was something far, far scarier.

To have all of that happen, and you were the one at the driver’s seat.

“Step on it!” Damian shouted. Danny could only comply. Stray shots blasted past the windows, but the armored vehicle stood firm. Another blockade was up ahead, a blockade that was very quickly becoming vacant as agents scattered to the side.

Damian cackled maniacally. His howling trills filled the air and mixed with the screams of the agents.

“Should I slow down?”

“Negative!” Damian yelled. Danny was seriously regretting following this plan. Why couldn’t they have just walked and snuck around the barriers?!

The blockade smashed into pieces. The truck rammed through the gates signs like they were wet tissue paper. Well that went slightly better than they’d expected. But there was still the issue of the very large tail of vehicles pursuing them.

Danny looked back and forth nervously. “Please tell me you have a plan for those guys.”

“Shoot them.”

“What?!”

“With your ice. Give them a frozen tire or two.”

Danny gulped. He was used to a little fighting, but this was getting ridiculous!

Then again, it was the GiW. Yeah, go on then. Danny poked his head out the window. Damian had torn up part of his shirt (rude!) and forced Danny to wear it like a mask. He’d also put some mucus in his hear to make it white. It was a challenge to twist his body to keep pressure on the gas pedal while also looking behind him, but some siren flexibility helped.

There. A GiW car lead the chase behind him. One of the agents glared at him with all the hatred she could muster (so the same amount that he usually received from glares), and fired a beam that missed him by about 40 degrees. Yeah. Good luck with that aim. Danny returned by icing over the road. His powers created a right-facing ramp right in front of the car. The car could not brake in time and flung itself to the side. Then an armored SUV took its place in the front.

Danny grinned mercilessly. Maybe Damian had a point.

He narrowed his glowing eyes. His target was small, but its relative position was pretty constant. Just a little to the left… and that was just perfect. Danny flung an ice beam. It hit its mark perfectly. The tire of the SUV leading the chase froze completely. The vehicle skidded out of control. Then the truck right behind it failed to brake in time. Like dominos the entourage crashed into each other like a perfectly programmed sequence. The sound of car alarms and clanging metal filled the air like music as the boys sped away in their getaway vehicle.

That was not the end of it, however. Danny spotted more and more vehicles assembling from the side roads. Danny flung ice like a kid in a snowball fight, but he’d burnt most of the energy from the tamales earlier. He needed more food.

“Save your strength,” Damian called out. “We are almost at our destination.”

Before long, the countryside roads gave way to tall buildings and crowds of tourists. With the vehicles hot on their tails, Damian yelled at him to slam the brakes. At the same time, the kid swung the steering wheel hard left. The truck drifted on its side for a few heart-stopping seconds before coming to a halt.

Danny kicked the doors open. He and Damian were out in seconds, invisibly slipping into the gathering crowd of onlookers. He bumped a shoulder or two, and more than one person waved their hands over their noses, making a disgusted comment in another language, but the crowd meant more than one kind of invisibility.

The agents filed out of their vehicles in quick succession, looking to muscle through the civilians. However, a matching crowd of police officers met them, engaging in heated argument. Danny had the distinct feeling Damian absolutely intended this.

They walked through the streets of the town. Further away from the truck, the crowd became sparser, but it was still very busy. American brands lined the storefronts, and local street food venders populated the sidewalks. From the corner of his eye, Danny spied a prime opportunity.

He casually sidestepped the sleeping security guard on his way to a suitcase and backpack store. Damian side eyed him, or at least he felt he did. “Relax Damian, this will make things much easier on us.”

Did he feel bad about stuffing Damian into a waterproof backpack? Maybe. But look, keeping invisibility on for hours at a time was hard! He needed a little respite. Besides, the GiW were probably looking for a white-haired scaly menace, for all that he was careful never to show his fully human form to them.

And Damian wasn’t even gonna overheat and die of heat stroke! He’d been very careful to ice over the lining of the backpack to keep the kid cool. Now if only he’d stop complaining.

“I would like to put it on the record that this is an awful idea.” Damian punctuated his fifth complaint with a sharp jab into Danny’s soft human spine. Ouch.

“Dude, I am literally undetectable right now. What more do you want?”

“You look like a vagrant with a very, very clearly stolen back pack.”

Maybe Damian had a point. People were staring, and covering their noses. Perhaps he had miscalculated. Danny ducked into an alleyway and camouflaged himself again, even if it made his stomach churn. “Look, their scanners are pretty close ranged, but I’m using my powers, it’s way easier for them to detect us.”

“Tut. Very well, but you still need a better disguise. Move quickly. I can smell them filing into town even from here,” His passenger chittered. And move quickly he did. Danny ducked into a clothes store and yanked the first articles he could see. He was half-tempted to reject the clean clothes to spite Damian, but spiting the GiW by not dying seemed much more attractive of an option. Then he borrowed some food from a convenience store.

It was necessary for his survival, even if it made him ill.

With his slightly less homeless-looking clothes, Danny was finally able to show his face without looking like a street rat. Well honestly he still looked like a street rat. The kind of things salt water and four days of not showering will do to your hair. But he at least looked like a decently-dressed street rat.

The agents had already swarmed the town. Thank goodness the sun had dried his hair again, or he’d be clocked in a blink. They patrolled around the streets in pairs and harassed innocent bystanders about the siren menace, all the while an official-looking police guy yelled at an official-looking GiW guy.

“We are close to the shore. Keep calm.” Damian whispered.

Just keep calm as the people who want to dissect you look you right in the eye. Thank you Damian for the encouragement. Danny forcibly slackened his shoulders, and slouched his back. Just a normal teenager. Nothing to see here.

The edge of the town was just ahead, maybe a hundred meters. Just needed to avoid suspicion for a few minutes more.

Danny walked through the human-shaped landmine, suddenly distinctly aware he had no shoes on. Only three meters away, an agent scanned over a young man, then attempted to pat him down, only for the man to shout at him and pull away. Then two more agents showed up and held his arms down. Danny shuddered, but he forced himself to continue. Danny hid himself between two adults walking past. He held his head low. It was just like high school, avoiding Dash, he told himself. Just like high school.

He was inches away from leaving the outer bounds of the area when an agent called out right to him. “Hey you!”

What does he do. What does he do, what does he do what does he do?! Sweat pooled on his neck. Just play natural. Yeah. Put all the hours of Spanish lessons to good use!

Danny turned around, and with his most casual smile possible, said.

“¿Yo no hablo ingles?”

Even he cringed at how bad that sounded. Adrenaline pooled in his still legs. The agent rattled off some excuse the government was peddling, and then pulled out a scanner. Danny’s eyes widened. If he stayed, Damian would get detected. If he ran, he’d be outed as a sympathizer at the best. If he fought, then the whole world would know Danny Fenton was a freak of nature.

Danny’s brain moved a mile a minute, but his muscles locked in place. What could he do. What could he do.

His eyes locked on a pair of Panamanian policemen behind him, with grim looks on their face. He scrambled together the last vestiges of the Spanish class he’d barely been passing.

Danny sucked in a breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“¡AYUDAME!” He shouted. Danny crossed his arms over his groin, and put on a pained expression. “¡LOS GRINGOS ME TOCARON!”

The agent blinked in puzzlement, like a deer in the headlights. His dumbfounded expression contrasted with the thunderous look that came over the Panamanians. Thank you Jazz for forcing him to actually study. Maybe foreign language classes weren’t all that bad.

Danny took the distraction and speed walked away from the premises, as verbal fireworks and fists flew.

The beach was in sight. Just a couple more minutes, and the GiW would never be able to catch them. Danny sprinted for the water. This close, the urban roads transitioned back to foliage and dirt again. He ducked underneath low branches, and jumped over fallen debris.

Then the air buzzed. The familiar scent of ozone permeated the space. Skulker.

His nose picked up the rocket. Danny lunged to the ground. A tree exploded into dozens of splinters behind. The shockwave threw him further away and slammed him into a rock. His vision shifted nauseously.  

“Put your mask on and run!” Damian shouted, having emerged from the backpack. Danny didn’t need to be told twice. He slicked his hair and booked it. Without his lateral line above water, Danny was forced to rely on Damian spotting for him. Skulker’s missiles exploded in mid-air as his friend took to intercepting them with his shots. More came through, forcing Danny to duck and weave through the storm.

“Where is he?!” Damian shouted. “I cannot get a visual on him.”

“He keeps flying into different spots to shoot at us. We need to get to an open field.”

Then came the machine blasters. The shots tore through leaves like they weren’t even there. Danny threw up an icy shield that deflected the shots away. Heavier blasts pelted the shield and forced him to reinforce it even more, straining his body.

Skulker’s voice cried out somewhere to his flank. “Over there!” Damian cried out. Danny threw an ice spear in the blink of any eye. It flew through the dense tree top. Seconds later, metal tore open in a screech. A smoking Gatling gun fell to the dirt.

Danny sprinted through the remaining thicket, and burst on to the beach. “Quickly, Danny!” Damian shouted. Stray gunshots blasted sand high into the air. Danny jumped behind an upturned wooden boat, ducked and rolled. The boat exploded into splinters, but otherwise shielded him from the blast. Danny tramped over seaweed and sandcastles alike, a mad dash for the water where he’d be in his element.

A net collided into his body from the side. The boys were thrown to the sand. The force sent Danny’s mask flying off his eyes, right as he spotted two familiar figures just off the beach.

His blood turned to ice. “Damian. Hide in the backpack.”

“What are you talking about-” Damian sucked in a breath.

“Get in now!”

In the water, standing on a jet ski, his mother lowered her binoculars, and suddenly she was racing towards the shore line at breakneck pace. Skulker laughed in the air. Danny threw off the net, dashing back into the jungle. He couldn’t get caught. Not now. His vision flashed with bright lights and glowing gun barrels.

“Don’t think you can simply run away from the mighty Skulker, whelp!” Skulker charged up another salvo. Just then, a blue shot tore through his arm cannon.

“Do not touch my baby!” His mother roared. She front-flipped off the jet ski and landed soundlessly on the sand. She charged for Danny, arms outstretched. “Danny!”

His foot landed on a patch of sand that didn’t sink slightly inwards like he’d thought it would. Danny’s blood turned to ice.

Sand erupted in a plume of yellow and white. His ears rang like high-pitched white noise. Danny barely registered the backpack being torn off his arms, Damian’s screeching becoming further, and further. The last he saw of Damian was in the clutches of Skulker, who shot him a metallic smirk as the man retreated into the sky. He smelled his mother and Bruce Wayne running up the beach. He nearly passed out turning invisible, aided by Skulker’s sand smokescreen. It was all he could concentrate on.

Danny stumbled behind his mother and Bruce’s backs, even as she yelled “Danny! Danny! Baby boy, where are you?!” into the empty beach. He stripped wordlessly in the water, turning skin to scales. But it was the lack of that familiar weight over his shoulder that made him feel more naked than anything else.