#it was a journey to figure out what's available so i hope this is helpful for any other collectors!

[marshmallowgoop]

DCMK Blu-rays

A list of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito content with physical HD releases.

This won't be comprehensive by any means; I'm going to be focusing on Japanese, German, and United States releases because these are the ones that I own and am most familiar with. I believe that many of the films are also available on Blu-ray in several countries, dubbed in several languages, but I don't have much concrete knowledge about that at this moment. Please feel free to add any information!

That said, the main thing to know about Detective Conan Blu-rays is that... they kind of don't really exist. The television series is (mainly, more on this later) released on DVD only in Japan, usually with the equivalent of four episodes per disc, sold at 4,620 yen each. They're grouped in "Parts," with up to 10 Volumes per Part, and the next release, on June 23rd, will be Part 31, Volume 3, containing episodes 1007, 1008, 1010, and 1013.

A handful of episodes are released on Blu-ray via collections in Japan; there are the Treasured Selections and Akai Family TV Selections. But with a series running over 1,000 episodes, it really is just a handful of episodes available in these collections.

Treasured Selections

With the Treasured Selections, you can get 67 episodes on Blu-ray:

1: "The Roller Coaster Murder Case"

2: "The Kidnapping of the Company President's Daughter"

54: "The Game Company Murder Case"

128: "The Black Organization: One Billion Yen Robbery Case"

129: "The Mysterious New Student"

176-178: "Re-Encounter with the Black Organization"

226-227: "Battle Game Trap"

230-231: "Mysterious Passenger"

258-259: "The Man From Chicago"

271-272: "Hide, Hurry Up, and Abbreviate It"

277-278: "English Teacher vs. Great Western Detective"

286-288: "Shinichi in New York"

307-308: "The Remains of Voiceless Testimony"

309-311: "Contact with the Black Organization"

338-339: "Four Porsches"

340-341: "The Hidden Secret in the Toilet"

343-344: "Convenience Store Trap"

345: "The Confrontation with the Black Organization: The Coincidence of the Two Enemies on a Night with a Full Moon"

346-347: "Look for the Mark on the Buttocks"

361-362: "Teitan High School Ghost Story"

425: "Black Impact! The Moment the Black Organization Reaches Out."

427-428: "Super Secret School Zone"

429-430: "The Point of No Return"

462-465: "The Shadow of the Black Organization"

484-485: "The Whereabouts of the Black Picture"

491-504: "Red and Black Crash"

507-508: "Blind Spot of the Karaoke Shop"

509-511: "Conan VS Double Code Mystery"

However, anything before 286 is not in HD; these are all traditionally animated episodes that were not especially remastered for these releases:

Episodes 286 and beyond (from Treasured Selection 6 to 18) are digitally animated, and these Blu-rays are more properly HD:

Akai Family TV Selections

With the Akai Family TV Selections, you can get 33 episodes on Blu-ray:

563-564: "The Detective Squad vs. The Band of Robbers"

578-581: "A Red Omen That Summons Danger"

675-676: "Not Even a Millimeter of Forgiveness"

699-700: "Shadow Closes in on Ai's Secret"

701-704: "Pitch Black Mystery Express Train"

724-725: "Thief Kid and the Blushed Mermaid"

779-783: "The Scarlet Return"

785-786: "Taiko Meijin's Match of Love"

836-837: "The Unfriendly Girls Band"

861-862: "Just Like a 17 Year Old Crime Scene"

863-864: "The Spirit Detective's Murder"

866-867: "The Traitor's Stage"

881-882: "The Magician of the Waves"

Other Japanese Blu-rays

Beyond these, the TV-original specials Episodes 804-805 ("Conan and Ebizo's Kabuki Juhachiban Mystery") and Episodes 965-968 ("Kaiju Gomera VS Kamen Yaiba"), plus the canon Episodes 927-928 ("The Scarlet School Trip"), are also available on Blu-ray.

Finally, special edition Blu-rays for Movies 17-25 include a second disc containing the movie's tie-in anime episode... but that second disc is likely a DVD, speaking as someone who doesn't own any of these but does own the Japanese special edition Blu-rays for Movies 14 through 16, where the second discs are, indeed, DVDs.

German Blu-rays

Outside of Japan, Germany is currently releasing boxed sets of the Detective Conan series starting from Episode 1. At this time, these are the only physical releases of the remastered footage (which make a big difference), and they include Japanese and German audio (but any German-dubbed songs are omitted). Three boxes are available now, covering Episodes 1 to 96 (or 102 with the international numbering); a fourth box is set to be released on May 19th, covering up until Episode 122 (or 129 with the international numbering).

Do note that these releases edit the name boxes in a way that can't be turned off, however.

Films, Specials, and Magic Kaito

In Japan, there are Blu-ray releases for:

Films 1-25

Both Lupin crossovers

The Disappearance of Conan Edogawa: The Two Worst Days in History

Episode One: The Great Detective Turned Small

Magic Kaito and Magic Kaito 1412

In Germany, all of the same content is available on Blu-ray. There's also a Blu-ray release for The Scarlet Alibi, and I believe that they're the only ones with a physical HD release of Gosho Aoyama's Collection of Short Stories as well.

In the United States, there are Blu-ray releases for:

Films 19-23

Both Lupin crossovers

Episode One: The Great Detective Turned Small

As far as I'm aware, there are no HD releases anywhere of the OVAs. They're available on DVD in Japan, either separately or via four "Secret File" compilations (though these only cover OVAs 1-9).

There also aren't any HD releases of the Magic/Bonus files, but DVDs are included with the Japanese special edition versions of Movies 12-16. They're also available for individual purchase in Japan as well.

TV Specials 1, 2, and 4 (with 3 being the Lupin special, 5 being The Disappearance of Conan Edogawa, and 6 being Episode One) seem to be DVD only, too. Actually, I'm not sure if TV Special 1,"Time Travel of the Silver Sky," is available on disc at all? But TV Special 2, "Black History," is said to be included with the Japanese special edition DVD of the second live-action drama special, and TV Special 4, "Fugitive: Kogoro Mori," is included on the Part 24, Volume 7 DVD.

TV Special 7, "Love Story at Police Headquarters ~Wedding Eve~," might be included on Blu-ray in Japan with the special edition of Movie 25, but I can't confirm if that disc is a Blu-ray or DVD right now (and the same goes for The Scarlet Alibi, included with the special edition of Movie 24 in Japan).

The eight VHS-only Shogakukan Illustrated Encyclopedia Series tapes are obviously not available in HD, either.

Tl;dr?

So, in short, combining releases and eliminating the not-remastered Treasured Selections, you can find 186 episodes on Blu-ray right now (with more on the way with the fourth Detektiv Conan box). You can also get all of the films and Magic Kaito series, plus a few specials, in HD.

And I think that's all I've got! Feel free to add more information if you know any! I am desperate to physically own more HD DCMK content.

EDIT: I've done some more digging, and from what I can tell, starting with Movie 24, the Japanese special edition Blu-rays for the films changed the bonus second disc from a DVD to a Blu-ray instead. This means that Episode 1,002, "The Beika City Shopping Center Garbage Bin Mystery," included with the special edition of Movie 24, as well as Episode 1,039, "The Flying Jack-o'-lantern," included with the special edition of Movie 25, are available on Blu-ray, too. So, a more accurate number of episodes that have been released on Blu-ray (in HD) at this time is actually 188. Further, this confirms that The Scarlet Alibi and TV Special 7 are also available on Blu-ray in Japan.

Additionally, though I have provided a couple of links throughout this post, the Detective Conan World wiki deserves a bigger shout out than I initially gave; their "Collectibles" page, and particularly their "Japanese Blu-ray" article, were a huge help in compiling the information laid out here. Many, many thanks to the contributors.

And while I'm here, for those interested in English-language releases specifically, Magic's Detective Agency is a fantastically detailed resource for every DVD released by FUNimation (Volumes, Season Sets, and Films). They're not HD releases, true, but at the time, they're the only physical releases of any episodes and the first six films in English.

Finally, I also discovered that a fifth Detektiv Conan box is set to be released on July 21st! This should mean that remastered episodes up until 145 (or 155 with the international numbering) will be available on Blu-ray, and it bodes well for these releases to continue. Hopefully, there will be physical releases of the remastered footage in other countries, too!

[amyrahrose]

Content warning: Sukunaxreader smut, penetration, multiple positions, dominant Sukuna! , unprotected sex (Wrap it up!), pet names, Sexual theme, Adult theme, talking her through it, although it is sometimes not mentioned <READER IS BLACK FEMALE CODED>, BUT ALL ARE WELCOME TO ENJOY! ❤️

Authur's Note→ 18 and Under, GET TA STEPPIN! I know for sure this will be broken into parts, however I'm not sure how many parts will be to this. I just decided to get back into writing little dabbles here and there so I'm honestly just testing the waters with this. Slightly proofread (English is my first language, but even the baddest of Bitches still make mistakes! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) ) I do hope you guys enjoy! 🤎

Synopsis: You’ve decided that you would begin your fitness journey. Accompanying your best friend, today’s the day where you’ll being taking working out and going to the gym seriously (well kind of). Lacking motivation and ready to go back home to lounge around to watch some TV and pig out, that all changes when suddenly you meet this drop dead gorgeous as hell man. Will he be the inspiration you need to continue your new lifestyle?

Part 1 found here →→ GYM RAT: PART 1

w.c» 2.1 K

It was Tuesday night, and you found yourself pacing back and forth in your apartment bedroom, forgetting that you had Jade on Facetime to help you pick an workout outfit to wear to the gym with Sukuna tomorrow. 

“Girl I don’t know why you’re stressing over an outfit, ya’ll going to the gym not Ruth’s Chris.” Jade rolled her eyes at you jokingly. She thought it was cute how you were trying to make sure you were prepared for your gym date with Sukuna, but she also knew how bad you can overthink things, causing you to freak-out and panic. 

“I know, I know but I still want to look like I’ve been to the gym before.” You stated back desperately. You know it sounds silly, but you wanted to make a good impression, even if it was just a workout session. 

“Honestly Y/n, I swear you set unrealistic goals. You could show up in a trash bag and that man would still be into you.” Jade tried convincing you but to no avail. You were dead set on having the perfect workout attire to flaunt in for Sukuna. 

“Well what about this, oh no wait what about this one?” You had two different sets in both of your hands, shoving one after the other in-front of the screen for Jade to critique. 

Realizing that nothing she was saying was going to help the situation she caved in and took a good look at both outfits. The first was a high-waisted leggings and sport bra set in a rich, deep brown color and the other was an all into one, low cut design with a low scoop back and cross-body straps in all black. Remembering how Sukuna was looking at you as if he was going to devour you, she figured the later would surely set him over the edge. 

“Let’s go with the all black, give my man something to work with.” Jade cackled out while wiggling her eyebrows up and down at you. You laughed nervously because you knew she was going to pick that one. To be honest, you wasn’t sure why you grabbed that one in the first place when you set out to go to your local department store shopping for gym attire. When you seen it you knew it was something that was going to turn heads and demand attention, more importantly Sukuna’s attention, prompting you to hurry up and toss it inside your shopping cart before deciding against it. But now you wish you did change your mind. You knew you could pull it off, but you couldn’t help but wonder if you would be coming off too strong, or desperate, by wearing it. 

“You asked for my opinion and I gave it to you. You’re going to look amazing in it Y/n. You’ll definitely get worked out- uh I mean get a good work out in it.” Jade said quickly before you caught her statement. Noticing you were still too wrapped up in choosing between the two outfits, she blew out a breathe of relief at you not catching what she said. That most definitely would’ve sent you in a frenzy and make you not want to go to the gym at all. 

“I know, but are you sure? Like really, really sure.” You asked again. You knew you were too much inside of your head about the matter, but you needed reassurance. Looking back up to Jade you caught the look she was giving you and knew she was about to give you a piece of her mind when all of a sudden you squealed in shock from the incoming call flashing on your screen. 

“Y/n what the hell is wrong with you?” Jade asked bewildered. She watched as you hurried and ran to your vanity looking over your appearance before rushing back to her wide eyed. 

“It’s him, he’s Face timing me!” You stated, looking back at Jade in shock. It took her a moment to figure out who it was you were talking about before she smiled devilishly and wiggled her eyebrows once more. 

“Well what are you doing still on the phone with me? Answer him! Oh and show him your choices for tomorrow and see what he thinks.” She proclaimed. Before you could argue, she hung up the call leaving you to fend for yourself. 

Shaking your head and exhaling out a deep breath, you answered Sukuna’s face time call with a small smile. 

“Heyyy you.” You answered shyly. You mentally slapped yourself for how you answered the call. 

“What am I, 12?” You thought to yourself. 

Sukuna’s deep laugh pulled you out of your head, making you look at him and his surroundings. He was obviously at the gym, you heard the clanking of weights and the gym’s music in the background. He was staring back at you, looking like sex himself. His hair pushed back with sweat, making you just now notice how it was dyed pink, and a hue of pink across his cheeks signaling that he must have just wrapped up his workout session. 

“What’s up ma?” His raspy, deep voice sounded off into your phone’s speaker. The sound stirring up a feeling deep inside your stomach, making you want to record his voice to be played over and over. 

“Uh nothing much, I was just on the phone with Jade. You know, nothing too crazy.” You replied with a small smile. You kept your gaze transfixed on Sukuna, taking in his handsome features. 

“God this man is so fine.” 

“Mh, what was that mama?” He asked while he placed his phone down. He was now in the guy’s locker room, checking himself out in the mirror. 

“Shit”, you whispered to yourself, “Nothing, I didn’t say anything.” You answered, half stuck on the fact he heard you and also the new nickname he’d given you. Your brain was short fusing at the sight of him now peeling off his sweat drench compression shirt, revealing his abs to you once again. Your mouth watered at the sight while you unconsciously clenched your thighs together. If he pulled the stunt in-front of you tomorrow there was no way in hell you were going to make it through the workouts. 

“Oh yeah, what ya’ll were talking about?” Sukuna asked, trying to hold in his smirk. He most definitely heard your remarks and he knew exactly what he was doing by taking off his shirt, soaking up your reaction. He felt he dick come to life by the sight of you clenching your thighs together. How he wished he was over your place right now, seating comfortably in between them. 

“Well.. she was uh-she was helping me pick a outfit for tomorrow.” You answered quietly. You’re not sure why you gave out the information, thinking he might think you’re crazy for discussing something as ridiculous as that. 

“Oh yeah? Let me see what you came up with.” He replied while shuffling through his gym bag. 

Caught off-guard by his response, you were certain he would have just questioned why you would go to great lengths as that. You watched him for a little bit as he looked around in his gym back, thinking he must’ve have been joking until he turns around to look at you with his brows shot up in curiosity. 

“Well ma, you ‘gon show me what you got?” He asked with a chuckle. He found you cute with your shy girl expression. He turned back to his bag, finally finding his towel so he could prepare for his shower. 

You blew out a breath you didn’t even realizing you were holding and thought the hell with it, he was going to see you in it regardless, what’s the harm of you showing it to him now?

“Well okay, if you insist.” You said while holding up the gym set Jade picked out. You waited anxiously until Sukuna turned back around to gauge for his reaction. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine mam-” Sukuna stopped, sucking in a breathe. He took in the black set you had selected and fought with himself to keep in the low growl threatening to come out. Taking it in, he found it hard to keep out the thoughts of how your body would look in it. The way the front would hug your tits, or the way your sweat would be cascading down into the dips of your back, or how the way it would mold around your plump ass. He closed his eyes, trying to stop himself while he was ahead, but it didn’t stop the rush of blood going to his dick, making his gym shorts uncomfortably tight. 

“So- what do you think?” You asked timidly, you were still too wrapped up in overthinking your outfit choice you didn’t catch the internal battle Sukuna was having with himself over it. 

Trying to be nonchalant about it, he shook his head slightly while offering a small smile. 

“I think it’s good Y/n, whatever you’re comfortable in, that’s all that matters.” He said in a low tone. You looked at him curiously, wondering why the sudden formal change. Not trying to let it get to you, you offered a small smile back at his input. 

“Okay, if you say so.” You replied back. There was a beat of silence between you to before you let out a giggle at how intense he was staring at you. 

“So you called just for me to look at you flex?” You asked, lightening the mood again. He blinked wide eyed before chuckling.

“Nah ma, just making sure you don’t flake on me tomorrow is all.” You sighed in relief at him going back to his nickname for you, helping quiet your nerves a little bit. 

You smiled at him while shaking your head no. 

“Nah, I’m locked in. I wouldn’t bail on you.” You respond back. That causes him to smirk before replying back. 

“Good, wouldn’t want a good outfit like that to go to waste.” He joked back, causing you to put your head down shyly. 

“Ha, nah we wouldn’t want that.” You giggled out. You looked up, catching him watching you with the same smirk etched on his face. 

“What?” You asked, having him watch you the way he was, was doing something to you. 

“Nothing ma, Ima see you tomorrow, alright?” He stated while throwing his towel over his shoulder. 

Shaking your head yes, you both said your goodbyes before hanging up the phone. Placing your outfit back across your vanity, you plopped on-top of your bed still smiling like a fool at your phone. 

Sukuana’s POV

He groaned lowly as he placed his hands around his dick, slowly stroking it up and down. He tried desperately to get the thought of you out of his head as he took his shower, but nothing he did was working. Every time he tried to think of something else, his thoughts always came back to you. 

Drawing in a breath, he threw his head back as the water from the shower head caressed his skin and helped lubricate his motions as he picked up pace. Flashes of you entered his mind. Seeing how you would look in the gym outfit you flashed in-front him not to long ago or the way he imaged how you plush, thick lips would feel wrapped around his dick, or how well your pussy would mold around his dick as he thrusted relentlessly into your velvety walls. His thoughts ran wild with all the things he would do to you and with a flick of his wrist over his swollen tip it was all that it took to send him over the edge. 

“Y/n.” He moaned out, forgetting his surroundings but ultimately not caring if anyone heard. He continued with his lights strokes, watching as ropes of cum shot down the shower drain. 

“Shit.” He cursed under his breath as he tried to regulate his breathing back to normal. He could only hope he doesn’t act this way around you tomorrow or he wasn’t sure how things would end. 

Before he could stop himself, thoughts of you came rushing at him again and he silently cursed at himself as he felt his dick harden again. Knowing it wouldn’t go away on it’s own, he began to slowly stroke himself again to ease the relief. 

You were going to be the death of him. 

© 2024 Amyrahrose. Please do not translate, copy, plagiarize, or repost (sharing links is fine 🤎) without my permission. You will only find my entries/content on tumblr!

[unabashegirl]

The Cover | part 4

Y/N and Harry, lifelong best friends, pretend to be a couple for a family wedding weekend in Edinburgh. As they navigate the event, old feelings resurface, and what starts as an act turns into something real, leading them to confront their true emotions for one another.

Author's note: Hello everyone, here is the final part of the cover. I've decided to keep the smut exclusive to my Patreon subscribers. I hope that is okay with you. Also remember that this is a shorter version of the original.

I'm trying to come up with new ideas for one shots. Pls vote! Especially if you are subscribed to Patreon! Help Decide the Next One-Shot!

I'm still trying to gather the money to continue my journey to medical school in January. I've only gotten 1% of my goal. I'll leave the link here in case you would like or are able to help me. Please I am desperate! 🥺 https://ko-fi.com/mariabernal8706

Collections on Patreon!: These are ⭐️one-time purchases⭐️ that give you access to specific stories or series, even if they’re not fully finished. 👉🏻 You’ll get all the chapters available so far and automatically receive any new chapters as they’re posted. 👈🏻No membership needed! It’s perfect for those who want to enjoy a specific story without a monthly subscription. Plus, it’s a great way to support my work while getting exactly what you’re excited to read. Head over to my Patreon, find the Collections section, and grab the one that speaks to you. Once purchased, the content is yours to enjoy as it’s updated.

check out my patreon (starting at $2) and get full access to the rest of the chapters, various one shots and much more :)

As the evening wore on, the rehearsal dinner turned into a carefree celebration under the soft glow of fairy lights. Laughter filled the warm air, wine glasses clinked, and the once-formal atmosphere relaxed into something more boozy and free-spirited. Most guests had trickled out, leaving behind only close family and friends, including the bride, who was barefoot and swaying on the grass.

Harry sat at the large wooden table, eyes on the makeshift dance floor where family members stumbled over each other, laughing. His blazer was discarded over his chair, the top buttons of his shirt undone, a sheen of sweat glistening on his chest. The summer night was humid, and the heat from earlier hung in the air, clinging to everyone like a heavy blanket. Harry ran a hand through his tousled curls, the dampness at his hairline a reminder of how sticky the night had become.

Harry leaned back in his chair, one arm draped over the backrest, the other holding a glass of whiskey, now mostly just melted ice. He hadn’t been drinking much since the toasts, but the buzz from earlier still lingered, making him feel a little lighter than usual. His shirt clung to his chest, damp from the heat, and he unbuttoned another button to catch some air.

Across the yard, Y/N spun in her floral dress, laughter echoing in the warm night air, blending with the upbeat music from the DJ. Her cheeks were flushed, hair wild from dancing and drinks. She was the brightest thing in the yard, a glowing figure of joy among the family still hanging around.

Harry took a slow sip from his glass, his gaze never leaving her. She was magnetic��the way her dress swayed, the way she threw her head back when she laughed. It was impossible not to be drawn to her.

His shirt collar felt tight again, and Harry absentmindedly tugged at it, his eyes tracing the way Y/N’s dress hugged her in all the right places. There was something about the way she moved tonight—so free, so completely herself. It was like watching the most beautiful thing in the world, no filters, no pretenses.

He exhaled, a mix of admiration and frustration settling in. They hadn’t confessed anything yet—no love, no admissions of the truth that lingered between them. Watching her from the sidelines, it hit him just how deep he was in it.

Y/N’s cousin twirled her on the "dance floor," and for a split second, she stumbled, giggling as she caught herself. Beth, now barefoot, joined in, and the three of them—Y/N, her cousin, and Beth—started dancing in a clumsy circle, arms around each other’s shoulders.

The group’s laughter rang louder than the music, and even Y/N’s cousin—who had spent the evening showing off her fiancé and trying to impress Harry—was caught up in the happy, drunken haze of the night.

Harry sighed, rolling his shoulders and sinking back into his chair, the sweat on his skin cooling in the evening air. His gaze never left Y/N as she moved, effortlessly beautiful. It struck him again how out of place she seemed here—surrounded by these people, with their petty remarks and forced conversations. She was so much more than that. Watching her dance, carefree and full of life, made his chest tighten.

Then, as Y/N spun in the circle, her eyes met his. For a moment, her smile softened, more intimate, before she waved at him playfully, inviting him to join. Harry shook his head, raising his glass in a half-teasing salute.

She pouted, narrowing her eyes at him before rolling them and letting her arms drop from her cousin and Beth. Without missing a beat, she marched toward him, the fabric of her dress brushing her legs with each step.

“You’re really just going to sit there all night?” Y/N teased, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. Her voice was light, but the challenge in her eyes was undeniable.

“I’m enjoying the view,” Harry replied, his voice lower than he meant to. He grinned, but there was no mistaking the heat behind his gaze.

Y/N’s lips curved into a knowing smile, and she tilted her head, studying him for a moment. “The view’s better up close,” she said, holding out her hand.

Harry stared at her outstretched hand, the challenge and playful spark in her eyes tempting him. It was impossible not to be drawn in. His heart raced, the idea of crossing that line between friendship and something more pulling him in.

For a moment, he considered brushing her off with another excuse. But something shifted. A decision settled in his chest, heavy but certain.

Without another word, he reached out, his hand taking hers. Instead of getting up, he tugged her gently toward him. Y/N gasped in surprise as he pulled her close, his grip firm but careful. She stumbled slightly, and before she could react, Harry pulled her down onto his lap.

“Harry—” she whispered, voice breathless, the protest fading before it even left her lips.

Harry wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Y/N's legs draped over his lap as she sat sideways on him, his other hand settling on her thigh. The warmth of his touch seeped through the fabric of her dress, the floral print fluttering slightly as she adjusted. The delicate pattern contrasted with the intimacy of the moment.

His heart raced, but he kept his voice steady. “Thought you’d look better here,” he murmured, his words laced with both playfulness and something deeper.

Y/N looked up at him, wide-eyed and speechless for a moment, her cheeks flushed from the sudden closeness. She shifted in his lap, slow and tentative, the nervous energy between them thick and palpable. Neither of them had fully acknowledged the tension before.

Her hands found his chest, fingers brushing against the open buttons of his shirt. She swallowed hard. “Harry, what are you doing?” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. Was it a challenge? A question? Or just a way to steady herself in the chaos of emotions between them?

He smirked, though his heart felt like it might burst. "I don’t want to dance," he murmured in her ear. "I prefer being here with you."

Her breath hitched at his words. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She’d always hidden her feelings, pushed them aside, but this felt different. It felt real. The way Harry’s arms held her, the way his breath brushed against her skin—it was as if they’d always been this close, even when they hadn’t.

Y/N bit her lip, her nerves taking over for a moment. She wasn’t sure if this was just Harry being playful or if something had really changed between them. But as she sat in his lap, his hand on her thigh, the truth felt undeniable.

Harry could feel her hesitation, the tension in her posture, caught between leaning into him and pulling away. His thumb brushed over the fabric of her dress, a small, reassuring touch, silently telling her it was okay to stay.

“Relax,” he whispered in her ear, his voice low and soft. “Just… stay.”

Y/N exhaled, her body melting into his as she allowed herself to give in to the moment. She leaned her head back against his chest, their breaths syncing as they sat close and quiet, the fading party around them.

The world blurred into a soft hum, the laughter and music fading into the background. All that remained was the warmth of Harry’s embrace, the steady beat of his heart beneath her hand, and the electricity of their unspoken feelings finally surfacing.

Y/N closed her eyes for a moment, her hand resting over Harry’s on her thigh, fingers intertwining. “What are we doing, Harry?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tightened his hold on her, his lips near her temple. “I’m not sure,” he murmured, “but I don’t want to stop.”

Her heart fluttered at his words. For the first time that night, she allowed herself to believe—just a little—that maybe he felt the same way she did.

Y/N took a deep breath, summoning the courage she needed. The alcohol made her head spin, but it also gave her the boldness to act. She knew if anything was going to happen, it had to be now.

Suddenly, she stood up from his lap. Harry looked up at her, surprise and curiosity flashing in his eyes. Y/N reached for his glass, brushing against his fingers as she took it. Without breaking eye contact, she downed his drink in one swift motion.

Harry’s gaze was intense, a mix of desire and uncertainty in his eyes. Y/N’s heart raced, but she ignored the nerves and extended her hand to him—an invitation, a challenge, all in one.

For a moment, Harry hesitated, his eyes searching hers. Then, slowly, deliberately, he took her hand. Y/N felt a jolt of electricity as their fingers intertwined. With a gentle tug, she pulled him up from his seat, their bodies close, the tension between them undeniable.

Without a word, Y/N led Harry away from the fading party, through the quiet halls of the house. The sounds of laughter and music drifted behind them, their footsteps echoing softly in the silence, their heartbeats quickening in sync.

They reached the door to their shared bedroom, and Y/N paused, her hand on the doorknob. She turned to face Harry, her eyes searching his.

His gaze was intense, a mix of desire and something deeper. He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The simple touch sent shivers down her spine.

“Are you sure about this?” he whispered, his voice low and husky.

Y/N nodded, her voice barely audible. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

With that, she turned the doorknob, and they stepped into the room together, closing the door behind them. The night was far from over, and whatever happened next would change everything.

Y/N woke up before Harry, her head pounding slightly from the drinks of last night. The dull throb of a hangover tugged at her, but the memories of the night before were as vivid as ever. Every touch, every whispered word, every lingering moment—it was all clear in her mind.

She lay there for a moment, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. Her gaze drifted to Harry, lying beside her on his stomach, completely naked. The sheet had been kicked off during the night, leaving him uncovered. His broad back rose and fell with each slow breath, muscles relaxed, his messy curls falling across his forehead. He looked peaceful, vulnerable, and breathtakingly beautiful.

For a brief moment, Y/N let herself admire him—the smooth lines of his back, the curve of his spine, the way his body seemed perfectly at ease. A warmth spread through her chest, not just from the memories of their night together, but from the way Harry made her feel in this quiet, unspoken moment.

With a sigh, she slipped out of bed as quietly as possible. Grabbing a pair of pajamas from her suitcase, she slipped them on, the soft fabric comforting against her skin. Her mind buzzed with thoughts of the day ahead—the wedding, the ceremony, the reception.

Y/N cast one last glance at Harry before tiptoeing out of the room. She needed a moment to herself—and some breakfast—before the chaos of the day began.

Heading downstairs, she stepped into the dining room, still feeling the faint throb of a hangover, but the promise of coffee and food was enough to offer some relief. She spotted her cousin and Beth immediately. Both looked worse for wear after last night's festivities. Beth was lounging in her chair, sipping a Bloody Mary with a smug expression, while Y/N’s cousin—the bride—was nursing her headache with a cold compress pressed to her puffy face, slowly nibbling on toast.

"Morning," Y/N greeted as she made her way to the coffee pot, pouring herself a steaming cup. She sat down at the table, hoping the caffeine would kick in and help her survive the day ahead. Beth’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she took another sip of her drink.

"So," Beth said, leaning forward with a sly grin. "Where did you disappear off to last night?"

Y/N’s cheeks flushed with heat, the memory of waking up next to Harry still fresh in her mind. She tried to play it cool, taking a long sip of her coffee before responding. "We just... went to bed early," she said, keeping her tone casual, hoping to brush it off. "Nothing exciting."

Beth’s grin only grew wider. "Uh-huh. Sure. You just went to sleep, huh?" She leaned in, lowering her voice like they were sharing a secret. "Come on, Y/N, don’t be shy. You’re a dirty girl now, aren’t you?"

Y/N nearly choked on her coffee, her face burning even hotter as she shot a glare at Beth. "Beth, seriously," she muttered, feeling more exposed than she wanted to admit. Before she could say anything else, her cousin, the bride, spoke up.

"I’m actually glad we have a moment to talk alone," her cousin said, setting down her toast and focusing her attention on Y/N. Her voice was sweet, but there was a sharpness in it that immediately put Y/N on edge. "I’ve been wanting to bring this up for a while now."

Y/N’s pulse quickened as she turned to face her cousin. "Oh?"

Her cousin smiled tightly, pressing the ice pack harder against her swollen face. "I’ve been meaning to say… I’m a bit surprised, to be honest." She gave a small, pointed shrug before continuing. "That someone like Harry would notice… well, someone like you."

Y/N’s heart sank, though she’d braced herself for comments like this. Hearing it still stung. Her cousin’s words were dripping with condescension, like she couldn’t believe Harry would even look twice at Y/N, let alone be interested.

"Someone like me?" Y/N echoed, her voice calm but guarded, forcing herself to keep her tone even.

Her cousin waved a hand dismissively. "You know what I mean. You’ve always been so quiet, so reserved. And Harry’s... well, he’s Harry Styles. A global superstar. It’s just... unexpected, that’s all."

Y/N’s stomach twisted as insecurity rose to the surface. She’d always known Harry’s fame was a shadow that loomed over everything, especially in situations like this. But hearing it like this? It felt personal. It felt like her cousin was questioning her worth, her place beside Harry.

Before Y/N could think of a response, Beth cut in with a sharp laugh. "Oh, shut up," she said, dismissing the bride’s thinly veiled insult with a wave of her hand. "Harry doesn’t care about all that. If anything, he’s lucky Y/N even looks at him."

Y/N shot Beth a grateful glance, feeling the tension shift slightly in the room, but her cousin wasn’t done. She leaned back in her chair, sizing Y/N up with an unreadable look. "Well, I suppose we’ll see," she said, her voice laced with skepticism. "But it’s just... different. I never would've guessed."

Y/N swallowed, trying to keep her composure, but her cousin’s words hung in the air like a cloud she couldn’t shake. She took a deep breath, forcing a smile despite the nervous flutter in her chest. "Yeah," Y/N said softly. "It is different."

Beth, ever the firecracker, raised her Bloody Mary in a mock toast. "Different is good."

Y/N’s cousin’s voice dripped with saccharine sweetness, her next words like poison. "I mean, you’re just so... simple," she said, emphasizing the word in a way that felt anything but kind. "And that’s okay! Not everyone has to be flashy or... glamorous." She waved her hand dismissively, as if to brush aside any possibility that Y/N could be more than what she was implying. "You’ve always been the quiet one, the one in the background. I suppose some people might find that... charming."

Y/N forced a tight smile, but her cousin’s words stung deeper than she expected. Doubt crept in with every backhanded comment. Was she really that unremarkable? Did everyone see her the way her cousin did—as someone who didn’t quite belong with someone like Harry?

Beth wasn’t having any of it. “Simple?” she scoffed. “You mean down-to-earth, real—not fake like some people I can name.”

Her cousin smirked, clearly pleased with herself. “Look at Harry’s usual type—models, actresses. Saw him with that model in London last week? They looked so into each other.”

Y/N froze, her stomach twisting. “What model?” she barely managed to ask.

Her cousin leaned back, eyes sparkling. “You must’ve seen the pictures. They were everywhere. Harry was all over her. Thought they were dating.”

Y/N’s head spun, images of Harry with someone else filling her mind. She hadn’t seen those photos, but the thought gnawed at her.

Beth wasn’t having it. “Can you stop stirring shit? Harry’s here with Y/N, clearly doesn’t care about some random model.”

Y/N’s cousin didn’t respond, just gave a tight smile. Y/N tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest.

Y/N’s cousin gave her a sweet, condescending smile. “I just thought they looked so... in love. But who knows?” Her eyes glinted, clearly relishing the discomfort she was trying to stir.

Y/N felt the doubt creep in, but instead of reacting, she straightened her back. She locked eyes with her cousin and said, her tone ice-cold, “You know, I could say a lot of things right now. Things that would take that smug look off your face.”

Her cousin blinked, caught off guard. Y/N smiled, the edge never leaving her voice. “But since it’s your wedding day, I’ll keep them to myself. I’ll play the part, smile for the cameras, and make sure everything’s ‘perfect.’”

With that, Y/N turned and walked away, the weight of the moment settling in as she left her cousin speechless. No more doubts. Not today.

Y/N shot her cousin a cold smile, letting the weight of her words sink in. "After today, we’ll be strangers. I don’t plan on speaking to someone so self-absorbed and cold-hearted ever again."

Beth raised an eyebrow, impressed by Y/N's bluntness, but her cousin's face fell, her shock turning to indignation. Before she could respond, Y/N brushed off her hands nonchalantly. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, let me know when hair and makeup get here," she said casually, turning on her heel and walking out.

But as soon as the door closed behind her, Y/N’s facade cracked. The anger that had fueled her words faded, replaced by confusion and pain. Her heart raced, and doubts flooded her mind. Was her cousin right? Did she really belong in Harry’s world? Or was this all just a fantasy? The thought of facing him upstairs—of confronting everything she was feeling—felt too overwhelming. She couldn’t do it, not now.

Y/N slipped quietly through the back door into the garden, the crisp morning air doing little to ease the storm inside her. Coffee cup in hand, she made her way to a small table, steam rising from the mug, the only warmth she could feel.

Her hands shook as she took a sip, the bitter taste matching the thoughts spiraling in her mind. The garden, serene and beautiful, felt like a different world from the chaos in her head.

She had no answers, no idea what to do, or where to go. It all felt like it was slipping through her fingers.

Y/N gripped the mug tightly, trying to steady her racing thoughts. But before she could find her peace, the back door creaked open.

Her mom stormed out, face flushed with anger. Y/N didn’t need to ask why—her cousin had already run to her, no doubt twisting things to make her the villain.

"Y/N!" her mom’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and demanding. “What did you say to your cousin?”

Y/N tensed, her heart sinking. Of course, this was coming. She didn’t even look at her mom, just stared into her coffee, hoping it would swallow her whole.

"She came to me in tears, Y/N! Tears! On her wedding day! How could you be so cruel?"

Y/N bit the inside of her cheek, keeping her voice steady. She didn’t want to argue—not when she felt so broken inside. "You don’t know what she said to me," she murmured. "She’s been making snide remarks all morning—about me, about Harry. About everything."

Her mom crossed her arms, annoyed. "She’s the bride, Y/N! You could’ve let it go. It’s one day. Now look at what you’ve done. The whole family is talking about it."

Y/N’s chest tightened. "It’s always about how things look, isn’t it?" she muttered, almost to herself. "I didn’t want to make a scene, but I wasn’t going to let her tear me down, not today. Not when I’m already—" she stopped, not wanting to show just how fragile she felt. "Not when she was being completely out of line."

Y/N’s heart dropped as her mother’s words hit their mark. “Out of line?” Her mom scoffed. “She was just pointing out the obvious. Harry isn’t like us. He’s not… your type. And everyone knows it. You should’ve thought twice before bringing him into all of this.”

The sting of her mother’s words cut deep. It was like being told, once again, that she didn’t fit in. That she was too much of an outsider, even in her own life. She felt small, like everything she’d worked so hard for wasn’t enough to make her belong.

“Mom,” Y/N whispered, trying to hold back the wave of emotion building in her chest. “Why do you always make me feel like I’m not enough?”

Her mother paused, just for a second, before shaking her head, as if dismissing Y/N’s hurt. “I’m just saying you need to be realistic,” she said, voice lowering as if that would soften the blow. “Harry’s great, but he doesn’t belong here. You don’t belong here. You need to think about what’s best for you.”

That was it. The words that would stay with Y/N for days. The ones that would echo in her mind, repeating like a broken record. She wanted to scream, to tell her mom how much it hurt, but instead, all she could do was blink back the tears. She didn’t have the strength to keep fighting, not now, not with everything weighing on her.

“Just… fix this,” her mom ordered, voice soft but still holding that cold command. “Make it right before the wedding starts. You owe her that.”

Y/N felt the world close in, her heart sinking lower than she ever thought it could.

Y/N’s heart sank as her mom walked away, leaving her standing in the cold. No response. No comfort. Just the weight of her words hanging in the air. She wiped at the tears that had started to spill, her chest tight with everything she couldn’t say, everything she couldn’t change.

She dragged herself upstairs, each step heavier than the last. Her mind was a mess, full of her cousin’s cruel comments and her mom’s cold disappointment. What was she supposed to do with all of this? Where could she go?

When she opened the bedroom door, the warm steam from the shower hit her like a wave, and there he was—Harry. Freshly showered, his damp hair curling at the ends, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He was toweling off, his back to her. For a moment, she stood frozen. Her heart ached, unsure of how to handle the storm brewing inside her.

Then he turned around, his face lighting up when he saw her. “Hey, there you are,” he said, walking toward her with that familiar smile. But then, his expression faltered when he noticed the tear stains on her face, the redness in her eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked softly, his hand reaching for her. He moved toward her as if to kiss her, but stopped short, brow furrowed in concern.

Y/N opened her mouth, but no words came out. She tried to smile, to act like it wasn’t a big deal, but it was—everything felt too big. Her throat tightened, and the tears started all over again.

Harry’s face softened, his hands cupping her face gently as he wiped at the fresh tears. “Talk to me. What happened?”

Y/N’s heart raced in her chest. The question she didn’t want to ask, but needed to, bubbled up. “Are you seeing someone? A model?”

Harry froze. The question caught him off guard. “What? A model?”

Y/N's voice trembled, her tears barely held back. “Are you seeing a model, Harry? Please, just tell me the truth.”

Harry looked at her, confused. “What? No, I’m not seeing anyone. Where’s this coming from?”

She choked on her words. “My cousin said she saw pictures of you with someone in London last week, and—”

He immediately softened, understanding clicking. “Y/N, listen to me,” he said, his voice steady and warm. “If I was seeing someone, you’d know. I’m not dating anyone. It’s just you and me.”

Her heart lifted with the sincerity in his voice. He pulled her closer, his forehead resting against hers. “You know how the media is—they make stories out of nothing. Those pictures? Nothing serious. Just some event.”

Y/N closed her eyes, leaning into him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s just… everything here has me so confused.”

Y/N melted into Harry's embrace, the warmth of his words easing the ache in her chest.

Harry held her close, his hand soothing her hair. He pulled back slightly, his green eyes full of concern. "Y/N, we don't have to stay here," he said gently. "We can leave right now. You don't have to stay if it's making you feel like this."

Her heart raced as she blinked up at him. “But it’s the wedding…”

“I don’t care,” he cut in, shaking his head. “I don’t want to see you upset over something your cousin said. You don’t need to deal with that. Not another second.” He cupped her face, his eyes searching hers. “We can go. We’ll pack up, drive back to London—just you and me. Leave all this behind.”

Y/N felt her chest tighten, knowing he meant it. He would drop everything for her, even for the weekend. The sincerity in his voice made her heart ache.

“I don’t want to see you hurt, love,” Harry murmured. “If staying here means you’re miserable, then let’s go. We can make our own weekend. No pressure, no fake smiles, no cruel comments.”

Y/N swallowed hard, the idea of leaving so tempting. But she still hesitated. “Harry, I... I don’t know.”

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “It’s your choice. We stay if you want, but you don’t owe anyone here anything. Not even your family.”

Y/N rested her hands on Harry’s chest, leaning into his warmth. The idea of running away with him was tempting, but she couldn’t just walk away—not now, not after everything. Still, his words meant everything.

“I… I think I want to stay,” she whispered, voice steady. “I don’t want to run, Harry. Not from them.”

Harry nodded, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “Alright. But if you change your mind, we’re gone. I’ll pack in a heartbeat.” His small smile made her laugh softly, despite the tears still clinging to her lashes.

“Thank you,” she murmured, sinking back into his arms. “For everything.”

“I’ve got you, always,” Harry whispered, his breath warm against her hair. “No matter what.”

The wedding was beautiful. Y/N couldn’t deny it. Despite the tension with her cousin, the love between the bride and groom was undeniable. Her cousin’s eyes sparkled as she walked down the aisle, and the way her fiancé looked at her—like she was the only person in the world—had Y/N’s heart swelling. She even teared up a little.

Though Y/N hadn’t patched things up with her cousin, she didn’t feel the need to apologize. She knew she’d done nothing wrong. Her cousin’s hurtful words had crossed a line, and Y/N wasn’t about to apologize for standing her ground. Harry agreed, and that was all that mattered.

As for Harry? He was the star of the wedding. Eyes constantly on him, people whispering and sneaking glances, captivated by the famous face. But Harry didn’t seem to care. His focus was entirely on one person.

Y/N.

he was wearing a sky-blue silk dress that seemed to float with every step. The fabric hugged her perfectly, and her hair tumbled in loose waves around her shoulders. Harry couldn’t tear his eyes away. Throughout the ceremony, the reception, and every moment in between, his gaze never left her—she was the most breathtaking thing in the room.

No matter how many people tried to pull him into conversation, Harry stayed focused on her. His hand found hers more than once, squeezing it under the table during speeches, or brushing her back as they weaved through the crowd.

Every time Y/N caught his gaze, her heart skipped a beat. That warm, genuine smile—just for her—made her feel like she was the only person in the world. There was an unspoken bond between them, growing stronger with every minute that passed.

As the night wore on, filled with laughter and celebration, Y/N couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of pride. Not just for standing up for herself, but for the man standing by her side.

[tarohugs]

to my first (l.jn)

►idol!lee jeno x reader

► angst (of course), childhood bff jeno, slightly toxic jeno (or very...)

► w/c 1.0k

►a/n not very long but wanted to feed you guys something since i've been so inactive. sorry for all the jeno content but i know y'all will enjoy

“Grow up y/n. It’s time we move on from this.”

Jeno is your childhood bestfriend. Or, was, your child bestfriend.

After he moved to Seoul to pursue his journey as an idol, he managed to keep some contact with you. This didn’t last for long though. With the strenuous hours he was instructed to train and schooling, he had little time for communication. Of course, this broke your heart as a teenage girl, but you moved on regardless as time progressed.

Today, you meet with Jeno as he came home for the first time in years for Christmas break. The company always gave him little time for rest and insisted that he spend holidays in Seoul to maximaze his training. When you heard Jeno was coming back, you were ecstatic to rekindle.

You had hours of news and gossip to fill Jeno in. Although your relationship was not what it used to be, you were adults and were aware that this would occur. As a result, you tried to keep contact with Jeno and follow up with him when time allowed.

You were always the first one to reach out to Jeno, however, you were quite disappointed when he failed to tell you himself that he would be visiting home. Why would Jeno not tell you? You had just assumed the best - he was going to surprise you.

The surprise you had in mind was much different then what he actually brought home. Jeno had a girlfriend.

She is beautiful. Her style was feminine and clean, right up Jeno’s ally. Her figure was delicate and contrasted the falling pursuit of snow that surrounded her as she and Jeno held hands, walking to the doorstep to greet his family.

His family had invited you over, ecstatic to see you two reconnect after years of little contact. Jeno’s family had always been fond of you, teasing that one day you would be their in-law. Of course, you denied all accusations. You and Jeno were nothing more than friends and he made that extremely clear as he introduced everyone to his girlfriend, Yena.

Everyone looked at you when Jeno had presented his relationship, but you couldn’t help but smile. You were happy for Jeno, you had to be. Jealousy wasn’t a pleasant emotion, you had to avoid it, even if it were calling your name.

You couldn’t compare to Yena. Everything about her was perfect. You understood why she was so lucky to claim Jeno as hers. Even when you two made eye contact, nothing about her read as insecure knowing you were Jeno’s bestfriend.

As dinner time approached, you tried your best to converse with him, but to no avail, he was too busy catching up with the rest of his bloodline. You were confused to why Jeno had never told you he had a girlfriend, not that he needed to, just some form of updates would have been acceptable. Reaching to sit in the chair next to Jeno hoping that this would be your opportunity to catch up with the boy, you were immediately swatted away. He claimed the spot was saved for Yena, fair game.

Instead you sat by his cousins on the opposite end. You were disappointed. Extremely disappointed. Jealousy couldn’t even cross your mind, just anger. Anger for the boy that promised you so many things when he was young. Angry that he didn’t even care about your existence.

This isn’t the Jeno you know. You had to get him back - which is what led you to the conversation you were in now.

“Grow up y/n. It’s time we move on from this.” Jeno had stated harshly once you finally had time to speak with him privately.

Tears threatened to spill from your eyes, but you were stronger than this. “Jeno, I just don’t get it. Why don’t you care for me anymore. I get that you have a girlfriend and I’m happy for you. But can’t you at least care for me a little?” You had spilled your true feelings for Jeno, all except your actual romantic feelings about the boy.

Of course you had liked him when you were younger, that’s just how girls and boys act when they’re kids. Even as you grew into adulthood, you moved past your small crush. But part of you will always hold a place in your heart for the boy that first earned it. Lee Jeno.

“Listen, I don’t know what’s gotten into your head. We were just kids that grew apart. We were never bestfriends after I moved away. We’ve talked no more than 10 times over text, is that what a bestfriend is to you?”

Ouch. Jeno offered no sympathy. You had reached out many times to try and catch up with him. He was always the one to ignore you but you excused his actions for his busy work schedule.

How had you missed so many signs he was giving you? For the first time, you felt defeated. For the first time, Jeno had failed to make you feel respected. He hated you.

You had no words to offer Jeno. All you wanted was to curl into a ball and cry away your sorrows. But you couldn’t. You would have to give an explanation to the rest of Jeno’s family for your early departure and reject Yena’s continuous motions to become friendly. You couldn’t do that to the rest of them, even Yena, the girl that you should detest.

Jeno noticed you were at a lost for words and offered to end the conversation there with a single phrase. “Look y/n, I don’t know what is going on in that head of yours, but I need to get this through. We’re adults and you need to act like it. Our relationship from us being kids stopped as soon as I moved away, you know this. You never mattered to me, get that through your head.”

Lee Jeno had just broken your heart. He was the first one to give you butterflies and he was the first to cause heartbreak. He had managed to do it all.

Even through all of this you couldn’t deny, Lee Jeno will always be remembered as your first love.

[vexcraft]

also on ao3 here!

special delivery

Pearl was fairly certain this was not in her job description. 

She supposed she had agreed to do special deliveries and while she would not necessarily count this as one because there was a permit for these kinds of jobs – though she figured that since there was no transaction involved she wasn’t breaking the law and then technically this was not necessarily a job for the man with the mob permit – this was still something she would have called Scar for. If he was available that was. Which brings her to the next problem.

Scar was currently very small, very grey, and a little feathery. And also in her mailbag.

Pearl did know a little about the vex thing. Not a whole lot, it didn’t really come up all that often, but at least she knew enough to realize that the little creature she had spotted inside one of the chests of the explosive firework shop was Scar. She had noticed the chest wasn’t properly closed when she had been restocking her flower truck and she would hate it if rainwater ruined the fireworks that from what she’d heard could cost Cub more to make than he was selling them for, so she had decided to help the man out and close the chest. Only to find a very small Scar in it.

She had no idea what to do with a vex though. Especially with a vex that seemed very much to be sleeping and showing zero signs of planning on waking up any time soon. So she had carefully picked Scar up where he had been curled up in the middle of the fireworks and gently placed him in her bag, glad that she had already delivered all the mail that had been there earlier.

She was also, for once, glad that her donkey was as slow as it was. It made the journey to the one person she figured could probably help her with this issue a little more steady. Steady was what she needed right now – she didn’t trust herself to fly or even run with a literal person in her bag.

The journey took a while, and every now and then she looked into her bag to make sure everything was alright. Each time Scar seemed just as asleep as the last time and she briefly wondered if he was maybe unconscious and not just sleeping – but he seemed to be tossing and turning a little so she wasn’t too worried. Surely Cub would know what was up.

Pearl couldn’t say she was surprised she saw sculk when Cub’s area came into view. The extent of it was mildly terrifying though, especially as he resided quite close to her, but she paid it no mind. She had more important things to worry about, like finding Cub (and maybe hoping that he was not covered in sculk). 

“Cub?” she called as she got off the donkey. She didn’t have a lead and there weren’t any fence posts nearby anyway – she would just have to hope the donkey wouldn’t wander off the pathway into the sculk. “You around here?”

She heard the sound of a firework going off and quickly a rather normal-looking (aside from all the dye stains) Cub landed before her. 

“Hey hey,” Cub greeted her. “What’s up? Good to see you, Pearl.”

“I have a special delivery for you,” Pearl explained, putting on her slightly more professional mail lady voice. 

“Hmm?” Cub hummed, obviously curious. “Intriguing. I don’t remember buying anything or signing up for anything.” 

“Yeah, about that…” Pearl opened her bag and held it out enough for Cub to be able to look inside. He took a few steps forward to peek into the bag and then let out a little amused sound.

“I see, I see,” Cub nodded, reaching into the bag. Pearl winced a little as Cub picked up the sleeping vex by the scruff of his neck like one might hold a small kitten – she was certain Cub knew how to handle a vex miles better than she did but after spending the better part of the last hour being as careful as she could it did catch her off guard a little. Scar didn't seem to mind, still deep asleep. “Where did you find him?”

“He was sleeping amongst the fireworks in a chest at your shop,” Pearl said as she watched Cub cradle the vex in his arms – or rather his arm, he didn’t really need both of his arms to hold something so small. “I figured that might not have been the best place for him.”

“Makes sense, makes sense,” Cub nodded and Pearl had no idea what exactly about this was making sense to Cub, but she was glad something was. “Thank you for bringing him here, I’ll take care of him.”

Cub looked like he was about to turn around and leave to do whatever one did to care for a vex and Pearl couldn’t stop her curiosity. 

“Cub? Can I ask a question before you go?” 

The man paused. “Sure, of course,” he replied. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry which did ease Pearl’s nerves a little. “Shoot.”

"Why?” she asked and it came out a little less polite than she was hoping for. “I mean, is he like, alright? I’ve never seen that happen before. Had me a little worried there.”

Cub seemed to either not notice her tone or simply not care. “Just means he’s really tired. Like really really tired. Nothing too serious, I’ll talk to him about it.” Scar turned a little in Cub’s hold almost like he knew he was being talked about. “It happens sometimes, every now and then.”

“He’ll just be back to normal once he’s rested?” All of this was raising more questions than answering them, but she didn’t want to pry. 

“Yep,” Cub confirmed. “He seems to like sleeping in chests, not the first time he’s been found in one. I’ve never tried to put him in a shulker box, do you think I could mail him?”

Pearl just stared at him. “Please do not try to mail Scar.”

[lurkingshan]

Knock Knock Boys: The Unexpected Delight of the Summer Season

Who would have thought that this little under appreciated pulp would come in and steal the Thai BL summer season with so many bigger, shinier, more expensive shows on air? Not me! But here we are, and Knock Knock Boys is going down as one of my unexpected favorites of 2024.

I liked this show from the start, with its premise of four men, each dealing with various Life Situations, coming to live together in a shared home and developing natural friendships and romantic attachments. Each episode begins with a cold open that puts us squarely in the middle of their latest shenanigan and then we jump back to work our way there over the course of the episode. The writing is clever, the directing and editing is zippy and fun, and the whole thing is founded on queer and sex positive themes. I expected it to be a sexy, comedic romp with a sprinkle of mystery as we learned more each week about what these boys were running from.

And it is that, sometimes. But it is also a surprisingly touching story of queer friendship and finding yourself and your tribe and building courage to live an authentic life with the support of your loved ones. It's a story about making the effort to understand and giving each other space to figure ourselves out. It's a story about the importance of communication and giving others a chance to come through for you. It’s a story about how true friendship and patience and empathy can empower someone to change their life.

And it's also a touching romance, times two. Latte and Almond were the favorites all the way through for most of us watching, and seeing them go from friends to something more to proper boyfriends was so lovely. What I loved most about their arc together is how gently it advanced; despite Latte starting the show as our resident sexually experienced pansexual, he was also clear that sex and relationships are meaningful to him, and we saw that in how he pursued Almond with utmost patience. Almond was completely inexperienced and fixated on another guy when they met, and Latte was his genuine friend in helping him sort through his feelings and move on from Jumper before he was a prospective love interest. When Almond became more aware of the attraction between them and they began dating, it all felt natural, as did the progression of their physical intimacy. They are precious and their relationship has such a strong foundation that it's easy to believe they'll stay together long term.

Perhaps most surprising to me is how much I ended up loving the Peak and Thanwa romance, as well. Peak's journey, and the way it ultimately landed, is what sent this show into the stratosphere, and it's where that theme about patience that I mentioned above comes through most strongly. For much of their story, Peak and Thanwa were caught in a frustrating cycle of constantly misunderstanding each other, and it was mostly down to Peak's failure to communicate about his family situation and the way it was restricting him. These two kept missing beats, refusing to talk, and hurting each other because they just couldn't get it together to clear the air, and that can be hard to watch episode to episode. But once we have the full picture, Peak's behavior becomes understandable, both to Thanwa and to us, and we can only join his friends in rooting for him and giving him strength to be brave. And he was, in one of the most satisfying and heartwarming scenes I've seen in bl this year.

I just can't recommend this show highly enough, and I've kept things somewhat vague above because I hope more of you will watch it now that it's over and available for a binge. This show is not perfect, but it's so heartfelt and you will be rewarded in the end. You can find the show on Gaga and the small but mighty crew of us regular viewers screaming about it every week in the tag. You don't want to miss it!

[plor-bindery]

Bound: The Bucket List, by GallaPlacidia

This is actually a gift, but I'm taking a risk that my pal Lately isn't on Tumblr enough to know about this thing, lol. (Lately, if you see this: surprise? Merry Christmas?)

This is, of course, a bind of GallaPlacidia's fic The Bucket List. Galla's fic is no longer on AO3 but is available if you make a very small effort to locate it, which you should if you haven't already done so.

First off: huge thanks to @sits-bound who spotted me their typeset of the fic when mine was not behaving at all. I owe them thanks for this, for their choice for Draco's handwriting (which became quite a Theme for me as I went), and their help in figuring out toner-activated foil, which I used on the endpapers.

Secondly: the UK folks among you will, I hope, recognize this binding as an homage to the Oxford Black n' Red notebook. I wanted to create this binding to look as though it might be Draco's actual bucket list notebook, so I went with this theme in the colour choices and cover design, down to the name tag label (made from HTV) that I imagine Galla's Draco slapping on haphazardly as he frantically began his list.

I made Draco's version of the notebook just slightly different, of course -- with Galla's name in place of the text "black n' red", the name tag, and the little Aelfgifu crest in place of the Oxford one on the original.

(Aside: Aelfgifu is a bit of an inside joke with me and Lately, as we have spent a lot of time imagining a magical college within Cambridge called Aelfgifu College, as well as Draco and Harry's different academic journeys, their collegiate romance, etc., without ever writing more than a few hundred words of same, whoops. But! The college has a crest now! Maybe it'll get a story to go with it!)

This is a favorite, tip-top fic for Lately, and it's up there for me too. I don't think I need to dwell on Galla's brilliance as it's well-known in the fandom. But it was a treat to create my own typeset and bind for this fic. (I kept my first attempt as a personal copy, warts and all.)

More process under the cut.

Materials: Nothing extraordinary here except (as noted) the foiled endpapers. I used 1 mm board to create proper Bradel boards with a notch for the spine piece.

Process: A three-piece Bradel! My first!

I could have done a quarter bind (as the actual commercial notebook uses) but I wanted to learn a true Bradel three-piece bind for a non-fandom bind and this was my chance to try it out. Verdict: kinda neat, and handy when foiling directly to bookcloth (which I did not do here, but did for the non-fannish bind.) Endbands are machine-made and boring. (The actual commercial notebook has no endbands but I couldn't go that far.)

The typeset was fun. Galla's writing is very dialogue-driven, which means a lot of paragraph breaks, which leads to some interesting page break challenges, but in the end it came out nicely. I enjoyed setting Draco's letters, the Prophet article, and the Witch Weekly gossip column. And I had too much fun dropping random shit into the half-title page.

Re the endpapers: yes, I did comb through the fic and pull out all the numbered bucket list items, then all the non-numbered ones referred to in passing, which I then numbered and slotted into the list for the endpapers. I regret nothing. (Not pictured: for the back endpaper, the list is identical except I went through and struck out all the items Draco knocked off his list in the course of the story.)

I still don't own a colour printer! But I do own a little tiny photo printer (Canon Selphy) which is what I used to print the Aelfgifu crest, which I then just cut out and glued on. I like the shiny quality, even if it probably should be more like printed HTV in texture.

I'm quite delighted with the cover design. This one was so fun!

[twentyfourducks]

Con alcuna licenza: Sunday x Reader

Robin invites you to look through some old photo albums, and Sunday decides to revisit an old hobby.

(intended as somewhat of a character study with some fluff)

check it out on ao3?

4213 words

You open your eyes to dappled sunlight illuminating the foot of the bed. There’s no presence to your side to keep you company as you wake up fully, only the fading scent of familiarity. In your half-asleep state, you can’t help but feel a bit of sadness; couldn’t he have stayed a bit longer? 

Once you decide you’re ready to get up, you rise and shuffle to the kitchenette in this wing of the house. The journey from the bedrooms to the main area is a short trip, but you always take your time in the mornings to absorb the beauty of the mansion’s main hall. Light filters in through stained glass windows, projecting vivid images onto the marble flooring. As you proceed, your shadow is the lone subject in the colors painting the tiles in myriad hues.

From staying here many a night, you know that it’s not often that either sibling has the time to cook their own food. However, you still look through the cabinets in hope that there’s something that could be eaten…plus, you don’t really want to bother the main kitchen staff if you’re the only one being served. 

After rummaging through everything available, the only thing that looks somewhat appealing to you is the untouched oak cake in the fridge. You try to slice through it with a knife, but it fights against you; the tough consistency makes you wonder if it’s stale or just meant to be like that…

Once you’ve wrestled a piece off, you take a bite. How does Sunday manage to eat this? You think to yourself between chews. This tastes…like tree bark. 

You’re looking for a trash can to inconspicuously spit the earthy mouthful into when you hear someone approaching. 

“I thought I heard someone in here!” chimes a pleasant voice. “And, well, I figured it couldn’t be my brother…”

With your back to Robin, you force yourself to swallow the awfulness. “Good morning,” you say as you fill up a glass of water.

Robin clasps her hands together. “What’s that you have there?” she asks, but then falters as her eyes see what’s on the counter. “Oh no,” she hurries over to snatch the plate away. “Don’t—I wouldn’t recommend eating that. It’s a very…acquired…taste.”

“It may be a bit too late for that,” you say, grimacing as you try to drown the remaining taste in your mouth.

“I’m sorry you had to taste that…” She places the oak cake back in the fridge, and slightly obscures it behind a bottle of SoulGlad. “I’ll phone the chef so they can send something better up. Is there anything in particular you want?”

“It’s okay. I think I’ve lost my appetite anyway.”

“Are you sure?...I’ll ask them to bring something anyway.” She pulls out her phone and walks away. A moment later you hear her speaking indistinctly around the corner. 

In a matter of minutes, a platter of tantalizing breakfast food is set in front of you, and you’re thankful for Robin’s hospitality (and thankful for not having to force yourself to consume any more of the oak cake roll.) 

You eat and then go into the parlor to relax. When you enter, Robin is there flipping through pages of a book. A bag of sunflower seeds and a pile of books rest near her on the coffee table.

“What are you doing?” you ask, and she perks up at the sound of your voice.

“I was just looking through some old photos.” She pats the open cushion next to her. “Care to join me? There’s photos of my brother when he’s young,” she says, adding the last part in a singsong voice. 

Not wanting to turn down the prospect of seeing an adorable Sunday in his youth, you take her offer up, sinking into the plush cushion as you sit down. 

“We used to scrapbook together in our youth,” Robin sighs as she lays out the pile of books. You notice that in the crevices and along the spines, there’s an accumulation of dust. “At some point, when our careers began to develop, we slowly moved away from it…but there’s a part of me that wishes that it was a hobby we still continued. Maybe…maybe I’m just too nostalgic.” She shrugs before leaning back against the couch and returning to the book she was looking at. “Feel free to choose any one you want.” 

You choose one bound in dark red leather with a pattern of music notes painted on the front, and open it to a page with a light blue ribbon sticking out. The ribbon unfurls to reveal “First Place” in a gold-lettered cursive font. Affixed to the page with musical stickers are photos of a young, well-dressed Robin who couldn’t be any older than ten. In the background are the tall red curtains of the Penacony Grand Theater. 

Turning the page, the center photo has teenage Robin and Sunday standing in the Theater’s grand hall.. You can’t help but giggle at Sunday’s outfit: a white dress shirt with a red bow tie and suspenders attached to his pants. His silver hair just barely reaches his shoulders, and a glowing smile is on his face. The rest of the photos on the page are Robin standing with various other performers.

The next page is populated only with Sunday, who looks to be the same age as in the previous photo. He’s dressed in formal concert attire, and the largest photo on the page is him in an auditorium playing the violin. 

You turn to Robin. “Sunday used to play the violin?” you ask. 

“Hmm?” She looks up, and eyes what page you’re on. “Yes, he was great at it. As we grew up, we were encouraged into music. The violin was his favorite instrument.” She wistfully sighs as she studies the photos. “I wish he still played.”

“When did he stop?”

Robin pauses and does a quick count on her fingers. “It has to be..maybe three or four years ago? He kind of…tapered off as he began to take over Oak Family duties. I wish I remembered more clearly, because that was also around the time I began to take my career seriously…”

There’s a silence as she stares off into the distance. Then, she turns to you and asks, “Do you mind if I look at that album after you?”

You nod, and she returns her attention to the photos she was looking at. 

Turning the page again, there’s a certificate that takes up the bulk of the area. “Best Performer Award,” it says in print. In these photos, Sunday beams as he holds the certificate and a trophy, a proud warmth in his eyes. 

Mixed into the following pages are the siblings playing a variety of instruments; you see images of Sunday on the piano, tuning a cello, playing the flute. He gets taller, and his hair grows longer. Some of the photos are taken in what looks to be a music room with instruments in the background, others are in performance halls. One of the photos has Robin and Sunday singing in a choir in what looks to be a grand tribute to Xipe; the entire ensemble dons long robes in a deep purple hue.

As you leaf through, you note that Sunday shows up less and less in the photos. The last page is a group photo of smiling people, with Robin front and center in a beautiful dress, an updo, and a trophy in her hands; you recognize a logo in the background to be one of a famous award show hosted by the IPC every few Amber Eras. Within the group is Sunday as you know him to look today.

When you close the book and set it between you and Robin, she looks up. “If you liked looking at those photos, you might like the ones in this book.” She picks an album up from the table and hands it to you. “Careful, this one hasn’t been organized yet.”

You can tell from the unworn leather and the crisp pages that this book is the newest out of all the others. Still, it has a faint layer of dust that looks to be recently brushed off. When you open it, inside are newspaper clippings and concert programs disorderly strewn throughout the pages in no particular order. Everything in it has one thing in common: it’s all related to Sunday. 

Robin’s eyes linger on the pages of the book. “When we each began to take our own path, and we began to spend less time together, I still longed for the carefree days of our youth when we could indulge in being creative…The thought of scrapbooking probably hasn’t crossed my brother’s mind in ages…but that won’t stop me from collecting thing for the next time we get a good opportunity.”

The first item you pick up is the booklet for an orchestra performance that, according to the date on the front, took place five system years ago. Penacony Symphonic Orchestra, reads the flourishing text at the top, followed by the subtext Spring Concert. You turn the page to the list of performing members, and recognize one of the names at the top credited as the orchestra’s concertmaster. 

Indeed, in a photo of the orchestra on the next page, you see Sunday sitting closest to the conductor along the stage’s edge. 

A page of newspaper from four years ago is under the previous page, with the headline stating in bold that the conductor of the Penacony Philharmonic Orchestra had to take a leave of absence due to health issues, and that concertmaster Sunday will be replacing him for the time being. 

The corner of a photo peeks out from the middle of the papers, and you pull it out. It’s a picture of Sunday taken from the audience as he conducts the orchestra, arms outstretched in a gesture for what must be a grand part of the song. You can’t see Sunday’s face, but from his posture, it looks like he was made for the role. 

Another photo is stuck behind that one, and so you peel the two apart. This one seems to be from a different concert. It shows Sunday from the side with a focused expression. His left hand is behind his back, and his right hand seems to be in the downbeat of the meter, judging by the position of the baton. 

You didn’t notice Robin leaning over to view the pictures as well until she speaks. “I wish I had been able to go to more of his concerts,” she says. “During this time, I was touring, and to go to those two concerts I had to take a rushed trip here and then rush right back to the star system I was performing in.”

“Why did he quit?” you ask.

“He was trying to balance his orchestral role with his role in the Family.” She rests a hand on her necklace with furrowed eyebrows. “Shortly before he was made Oak Family Head, he…decided to focus solely on that role.”

Judging from the pensive look on Robin’s face, you decide to lay off of the topic of Sunday not being in the orchestra anymore. “And he doesn’t play as a hobby anymore, either?”

“Not that I know of. But also…I’m not home as often anymore, so it’s possible he could pick up the occasional instrument.” She shakes her head. “Every time I’ve asked why he stopped, he emphasizes the importance of his role in the Oak Family. I personally doubt that's the entire reason, however…maybe if you asked, he’d be willing to open up more to you?”

___

Time goes by faster than you expect it to while you’re looking through the photo books. At some point, Robin left for singing practice, and your eyelids began to get heavier and heavier…

Sunday returns to you asleep on the couch with an open book on your lap and other books splayed out around you. Curiosity piqued, he quietly inches closer to eye what it is that you’re reading. The ghost of a smile plays at the corner of his mouth when he sees the photos on the page. Robin must have been saving these throughout the years. 

A pang of nostalgia hits him as memories return to him. There's no other responsibilities pressing at the moment, so it wouldn’t hurt to bring his violin out briefly…plus, he knows you’ll be interested in hearing him play after seeing the photos.

He makes his way to his bedroom and eases the door shut in hopes no sound would leak out to disturb you. He goes for his closet, and searches the back shelf for his violin case…when his fingers find the handle, he frees it from the darkness. 

The first thing Sunday does is clean the dust off of the dark case. Then he sets it on his desk and undoes the silvery latches; the lid releases, and he opens it. 

Inside the case, resting in a bed of velvet, lies a remarkable piece of work: a hand-carved, beautifully varnished, multiple amber eras old violin that was gifted to Sunday in his youth. His eyes linger on the details, as he’s always been enamored with its beauty. 

He strips his gloves from his hands and plucks at the taut strings in sequence. A discordant chain of notes play; the violin is evidently out of tune from disuse. The corner of his mouth twitches downward. Old habits arise as he seeks to correct this injustice.

As he tunes, he hums the specific frequency he wants the string to sound like. The pitches have been etched into his mind from a young age when he was taught by his instructor to use oneself as the reference. Each tone is separated by a fifth; he’s able to capture them perfectly as he turns the fine tuning pegs.

When he’s done, the pizzicato notes are satisfying to the ear. 

Sunday takes the bow from the case and tightens the tension of the bow hair. He recalls the last time he played, and he remembers how meticulously he cleaned and polished it before leaving it on the shelf to wait for him to take it up again. The body of the instrument still retains its shine.

He checks his container of rosin: lucky for him, it’s not dried out. In long, slow strokes, he runs it across the bow hair with a firm but gentle touch. He’s thorough when he cleans off the excess with a piece of cloth.

After the violin has been restored to its former glory, he brings the violin to his neck in a playing position, touches the bow to the string, and plays a slow, drawn out note as the bow runs along the string. A shiver runs up his spine as he absorbs the sonorous timbre, and he eases into a melodic sequence of notes. 

You’re witness to most of this; at some point, you were awoken by the faint sounds coming from Sunday’s room and crept down the hall only to be hindered by a closed door. In a painstakingly slow manner so as not to get his attention, you opened the door only a sliver, enough for you to peer into the room. 

You watch as he sways with the rhythm he plays. The tune itself is simple and gentle in nature, one you’ve never heard before. His movements are entrancing, and you’re enamored, so much to the point that you forget to make yourself scarce when he’s finished…

When he plays the ending note, his eyes catch yours through the ajar door. 

“Like what you see?” he asks with a smug smile. “You can come in now. Or would you prefer to continue watching from a distance?”

There’s a coy guilt all over your face as you push the door open fully and walk in. “How long did you know I was there?”

“Only the whole time.” He lowers his violin and sets it down on his desk before pressing you a chaste kiss. “Did you have a nice rest?”

“I did. I…” You laugh nervously, bashful at the fact that he definitely saw you looking at his old photos. “I didn’t hear you come back. How was your day?”

“Rather tedious. The bulk of it was overseeing the creation of The Reverie’s budget for the next fiscal year. But…I’m here now. I noticed you were looking at old albums; shall I assume Robin was the one who brought those out?”

“Yes,” you nod. “You were cute as a kid.”

“Ah…really? You think so?” He angles his face away from you to hide the blush forming from your compliment.

“Very photogenic.” You rest a hand on his jawline and guide his face back towards you. His wings flutter in response, but he doesn’t shy away from your touch. “I’m jealous, actually.”

“You know as well as I that there’s no need for you to be jealous.” 

You brush your hand against his neck before you pull back, lest you get carried away. “I was hoping you would play me a song.” 

“What is it you would like to hear?”

“Anything you play would be lovely.”

You sit down on his bed and wait in hushed anticipation as Sunday readies his violin once more. He closes his eyes, and you wonder what he’s thinking. Is he visualizing the music? Is there an internalized metronome he’s counting along to? Maybe he’s—

Interrupting your thoughts, and with his eyes still shut, he starts into a slow melody. His fingers glide across the strings while his other hand draws the bow to weave the notes of a flowing song. Your mind wanders to how mesmerizing he must have looked under stage lights. 

The music swells like the crest of a wave, and it sounds like his tempo has quickened to be more spirited. Already, you’re impressed by how he hasn’t faltered at all while playing. How many more songs must he have memorized? He continues to evoke a sort of vividness through his motions and navigates complex sequences with fluidity. 

His song tapers down, creating a sense of finality that mirrors the beginning of the piece. In the last cadence, he opens his eyes to witness the last prolonged note softly washing over you. He savors the sound before letting it fall into silence. 

Sunday looks to you in anticipation, and to his surprise, whispers of doubt swirl in his mind: Did he make a mistake he wasn’t aware of? Was he in dire need of practice? Or maybe…you didn’t like it. It’s been ages since he’s played for an audience; maybe his skills have deteriorated since then. 

It’s a bit funny, he thinks wryly. I doubt I've been this nervous to know how I did since my first ever playing test. 

The tension leaves his body in reaction to your rapid applause and bright smile. “Sunday! That was amazing!”

He’s awash with relief that you seemed to be satisfied with the song he played. He turns away to set his violin down, but can’t help the feeling of pride blooming inside him as he puts his gloves back on and joins you on the bed. 

You grin at him. “I expected you to be pretty good, but you love exceeding expectations, don’t you?” 

“I admit it’s not…that bad for a long time without practice,” Sunday says, taking your hand in his. “Definitely not my best.”

“If that’s not your best, I wish I could have seen you at your peak.” You lean back onto the bed, and he follows, the mattress shifting with the change in weight distribution. Studying the ceiling, you voice your thoughts by asking “Why did you stop playing?”

“I had to devote myself wholly to my role in The Family,” is the answer he responds with.   

Your eyes drift over to glance at him. “You couldn’t find a way to balance both?”

He sighs. “When I was given my role as the Bronze Melodia, it…was tiring, to say the least. Listening to the confessions of people is more draining than it sounds, especially when…” 

Sunday trails off, lost in thought. You squeeze his hand to bring him back, and he exhales a shaky breath.

“...Right. I…would be completely drained upon returning home from Dewlight Pavillion, and it was difficult to even muster the strength to practice. And then…I became the head of the Oak Family. I had to relinquish my roles in the orchestra, both as a player and conductor. I can’t say I don’t miss it,” he says, longing in the undertones of his voice. “But those roles have since been filled with deserving people.” 

There’s a moment of introspective quiet before Sunday looks to you. “Have you had dinner yet?” 

You shake your head no. 

He rises from the bed and towards the door. “Then I shall inform the kitchen to prepare a meal for us. I don’t think Robin will be joining us tonight…”

As he retreats down the hall, you remain on the bed, pondering his words. Knowing Sunday and his relationship with the Oak Family, you can’t help thinking about the possibility that there may have been a more persuasive force behind his departure from the musical scene…

You stand up and neaten his bed to the way it was, your mind stuck on the things left unsaid.

___

You open your eyes to a dark room. The bad dream you were just having vanishes before you could even recall it, leaving only a pounding heart in its wake. Your eyes flit around the room as you remember where you are. The pale luminosity of the night streams in through sheer curtains onto the foot of the bed. There’s a warm presence to your side — your lover — who is fast asleep, unaware of your racing mind. 

Exhaling, you blindly reach for your phone on the nightstand and squint at the bright screen. System time is three something in the morning. You set it down and roll over, trying desperately to return to your slumber, but to no avail; all of your tiredness has quickly dissipated. 

In the dimness of the room, you gaze at Sunday in his tranquil beauty, and watch his chest gently rise and fall. His silver hair captures the moonlight in the way it shines and disperses it into locks strewn about his pillow. Slightly parted lips give way to faint somniloquies that you wish you could understand. 

You’re lost in how idyllic he looks…until long eyelashes flutter and reveal golden eyes under drowsy hoods. Your body quickly stiffens with the hope you haven’t accidentally woken him up. He stirs beneath the sheets, and looks at you with tired eyes. 

Softly, he asks “Dear, why are you up?”

“I…had a dream that woke me up,” you whisper in reply. “Go back to sleep.”

Without saying anything else, he reaches out and pulls you into an embrace. You melt into his chest, warmed by the comfortable heat he radiates. 

“Was it a bad dream?” he softly inquires.

You nuzzle closer to him. “It was gone as soon as it came.”

Sunday holds you tighter under the blanket. 

After what could have been moments or minutes elapse, you look up to him. He’s still awake. 

“...I’ll miss you tomorrow morning,” you say. “What time do you have to be up?”

“That doesn’t matter,” he murmurs. 

“What time?”

“...Five.”

You wearily groan into his chest. “Oh, Sunday…you work too hard.”

His hand traces languid shapes into your back. “That’s why I have to savor as much time as I can with you.”

In his arms, you reflect on the day, fatigue slowly beginning to weigh down your thoughts. You recall glimpses of Sunday playing his violin, and his effortless grace. The first melody you watched him play, the one you watched through the door, swims through your head. 

A question pulls at your mind, and you choose to ask before you forget. “Hmm…Sunday?”

“Yes?”

“What was the first song you played earlier?”

He takes a breath. “It…was a song I remember from my youth. When I first started playing music, it was one of the first things I transcribed…from memory. Because I never wanted to forget.” 

“It’s a beautiful song.”

You can’t see, but a smile forms on Sunday’s face. “It…was a song our mother would sing to me and Robin.”

“Could I hear you hum it to me?”

He begins to hum the melody, and the dulcet tune coupled with the faint vibrations of his chest begin to lull you into a peaceful sleep. You try fighting it off, just to hear his voice a little longer…only to end up closing your eyes in the end.

Once your breathing is even, Sunday admires your sleeping form. Before he closes his eyes to return to sleep himself, Sunday whispers three words into your ear that evanesce into the air; three words he’ll be sure to repeat to you again once you’re awake.

___

"Con alcuna licenza" is a musical direction that refers to expressive and rhythmic freedom, allowing the conductor to speed up or slow down the tempo of a piece at their discretion.

[aigoos]

Obikin Shrine Journey

Today, I went to work for the last time this year, and I added to my Obikin shrine some new merchs that I received a few days before. This shrine has been my project for all of 2024. What started as a few charms (or danglies, as I call them) and buttons grew into this as I spent the entire year collecting enamel pins, stickers, charms, prints, plushies, buttons, figures, magnets, and photo tiles.

I started off with a much smaller board, but then in the summer, my co-worker and I had to change offices, so I took the larger board in our office (which was good, because I had run out of space), and then even took over the refrigerator and expanded the shrine onto my desk, shelf, cabinet, and wall.

Let's just say I am grateful that my current co-worker and my former co-worker support my obsession. I've never mentioned to them about the actual ship, only stated that they are my favourite characters from Star Wars, and I did do my best to keep the shrine platonic as possible . . . until a gay colleague saw my shrine and said, "It's giving off a homoerotic vibe." LMAO. If he thinks my work shrine is homoerotic, then I wonder what he'd say if he saw the sexy shrine I have at my work home. See below on why that shrine is staying home LOL.

Anyway, I also wanted to mention that @barmadumet's collection is what heavily inspired me to start my own collection. Thanks to her, I finally personalised my workspace that I hadn't bothered to do anything to for three and a half years. This adventure has brought me many joy -- though my bank account says otherwise, ahaha! But seriously, it got me to support many small businesses and artists (50+!!!!), and it allowed me to meet many other like-minded collectors, and they also helped me get some of the pins that are no longer available. Plus, a couple of my friends and colleagues even gifted me some items for my shrine. This adventure has not only brought me happiness, but it has humbled me as so many people have helped me along the way.

Oh, and it has also taught me to just accept that I cannot put things up straight and to know when to just let the crookedness be.

That said, I've compiled a list of all the businesses/artists below with links to their shops and/or social media~ To conclude, I hope 2025 will allow me to fill up that remaining space on the board!

Amanda Baldwin Art Armstrong Outpost A Sirens Pins BBCre8 BCRCustom BlackWandaShop Cedric @cherriielle @christinechangart Designs by Gen Designs by Joe Distant Fantasy Boards EchofromtheMill @faivsz FestiProper FoldItCreations Foundling Mercantile @geekipopstudio @ginalongillustrations Ginshi Hatters Designs Holy Pins Hunter and Convor IchigoTokki Joy Addict Junction Point Workshop @kana7o KJones Crafts LaDecorEU @dinagastuff Lantern Pins Laser Brain Patch Co Liminal Pins MaxxMerch @mouyashii @mushbuzz-do-not-repost Mythmore Mythos Merchant Co @nickytess Odder Than Antiquity Osiripengin PinButlers Inc Pinculture Co Pins of Marvel and Magic PlushiShop PotatoClone RebelArt Design Roobean Art Ruzovy @saeuchelle @saltyseaturtle Shannon Burton Art SnowFoxTrading Co SuppieDoodles Sword and Whetstone These Pencil Shavings Winter Aifu Xanadu Pins

[syyskirjat]

Sueños de piedra (ch1)

Okay, I promised (to myself) to check out whatever media won the ultimate obscure blorbo tournament ( @who-do-i-know-this-man (I wasn't sure whether to tag you or not but in the end I figured I might as well, hope you don't mind I guess))

Turns out that it's a guy from a 2015 Spanish YA fantasy book

And turns out there's a free sample available! Which is lucky for me because I'm currently very broke

Sueños de piedra by Iria G. Parente and Selene M. Pascual

I don't speak Spanish so I'm gonna rely on the translator quite a lot lmao (well I understand some Spanish actually, but definitely not enough to read a whole book)

The title translates to something like "Dreams of Stone" I think?

Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, a prince rewarded a wizard for helping rescue a young girl in trouble. Charming. Too bad none of this is true. In reality, the prince dreams of glory and revenge; the magician, with her spells not always being a disaster and the young woman in trouble, with fleeing from a past that torments her... and from the memory of the man she has killed. Once upon a time...

(Yes this is just Google Translate, sorry)

Okay so, prince, magician and a damsel in distress? Prince wants revenge for something, who knows what, magician is having trouble doing the magic, and the damsel is in fact a killer? Ok ok

The dedication goes as follows:

To all those who embark on a direct journey towards their dreams every day. May you always reach your destination.

Okay so Marabilia is a place? That's apparently also the name of this book series. Is this like the kingdom then? So it consists of three islands, two small ones and one big? Or is it supposed to be a continent? It definitely seems too small to be a continent

I know the blorbo is called Arthmael de Silfos so I'm guessing he's from the Silfos area in the north of the big island then. I can see what's probably a city called Duan and a forest called "Merlon Forest". We also have different towers around the big island, one of which seems to be called the Tower of Black Magic. (I didn't even need to use the translator for those yay xD)

Okay the first chapter is called Arthmael so I guess we're meeting our blorbo already, which is nice

— Let me make it clear: are you going to give my crown to a bastard?

Okay..... the very first line and I already think Arthmael might be a bit of a spoiled brat (I assume he's in fact the prince)

Apparently Arthmael just found out that he has an illegitimate older brother but I guess this brother's mother is noble anyway so it's legit? I dunno yet. Arthmael thinks this guy is blackmailing his father somehow and is already considering poison as a solution

And anyway, what kind of a name is Jacques for a king?

lmao, so much shade to all the kings called Jacques

Okay so Jacques's family is very powerful and loved by the people of Silfos and the king fears a civil war if he disrespects his claim to the throne. Alright. Kinda weird since based on Arthmael's thoughts, this society has a similar attitude to bastards as in European history, but okay then. I wonder if Jacques is even actually the king's son or is this some kind of a ruse?

Arthmael is very cheeky and even references his dad's love life directly to his face, his dad is not very happy

The king tells him to just be a good boy and hopefully they'll find him some crown princess to marry so he'll get a kingdom that way

I guess these different areas on the map are kingdoms then, that makes sense. They look like very small kingdoms but this is a small place in general.

Arthmael doesn't seem to mind this idea except that there's only one possible princess like that in Marabilia and that's Ivy de Dione. Not sure what's wrong with her.

Well, who knows? Maybe, if I wait a few moons, some other bastard, in Verves or Idyll, will come out from under a rock and come offer me her hand.

Somebody's very snarky, that's cute

Arthmael is very haughty about how the people have always known him as the crown prince and accepted him as such, Jacques laughs and asks what has he even done for the people. He's like well he hasn't really done much yet because he was planning to do things once he became king, but he's been supporting the local business (taverns) and employing servants (lmao). Also apparently there are some girls he's seeing...

Apparently Jacques's family are big traders and business people (despite being noblemen) and create lots of jobs, and also big on charity, so everybody loves them

Arthmael is jealous of how proud his dad looks when Jacques says this, and how he's never looked at him like that

Well, I guess you're kind of a little shit so it makes sense, Arthmael

— If the smartest thing is to become the idol of a few starving people in order to be king, I can do it too.

Oh my god, this little brat

He declares that he's going to be a hero, to overshadow the charity of Jacques' family, because heroes are remembered by history while philanthropist aren't

So he plans to become a storybook Prince Charming, saving damsels in distress etc.

Jacques finds this understandably hilarious, the king is not amused

Once Jacques leaves, the king again offers to arrange a marriage to Arthmael, specifically with the princess of Dione

I'm almost tempted. I have never been to Dione, but they say that their ships are the lightest and fastest, and that sailors come to their shores from the other side of the sea, speaking strange languages that only they understand. Who come from lands where women wear short dresses, if they wear anything at all. Places where war is so normal that, as soon as a child is strong enough to pick up a sword, they push him to the front lines.

Alright then, I see what he fixates on

Was there anything wrong with the princess then or?

Barbarians. I remove the thought from my mind.

Oh okay. What a charming young man /s

Dione is like right next to Silfos according to the map btw, is this like one of those neighbourly feuds?

Okay he says it's because he doesn't want a foreign kingdom, he wants to keep his home, which is fair I guess

The king is like what do you want me to do, kill Jacques and his pregnant wife? And Arthmael is just like yeah great idea, because he's a dumbass. The king is like wtf

Apparently Jacques' family is from that Duan city that I noted earlier, and his mother died a few days ago and apparently "her loss is greatly felt"

The king regrets spoiling Arthmael too much, and talks about how Arthmael doesn't understand anything about suffering or anything and only cares about girls

Arthmael is already considering faking his death to make them all feel sorry, because of course he is, he's exactly that kind of guy

He says he doesn't want to go try to charm the princess, he'd rather just go off on his own (also there's a whole bit about how only a man can rule Dione or something and the king of Dione won't accept his daughter to become a ruler)

His dad tells him no, just stay here and be a good boy, don't make everybody gossip about drama in the royal family

Arthmael is like hey you managed to hide your bastard son for years, you can hide my disappearance

They fight a bit more but then Arthmael just storms out, grabs a few things from his room and leaves

a change of clothes, a bag of coins, my sword, and my favourite cloak. I do not need anything else.

Okay then, good luck I guess

To be a hero you only need a brave heart. Or so they say.

I feel like you also need to not be a selfish prick but maybe that's optional

Okay end of first chapter!

Our blorbo seems like a real brat!

But I guess the point is probably that he needs to learn some lessons along the way, or something like that, idk. I'm sure there's a reason for why whoever entered him into the tournament likes him so much

I'm guessing the damsel in distress is not the princess? Probably? She wasn't called a princess anyway. TBH she's the character I'm currently the most curious about. The next chapter is from the point of view of someone called Lynne and I hope that's her. Could be the magician too though I guess? No wait, I think the magician is a guy. Altho idk maybe Lynne could be a guy's name, I don't fucking know.

I'm guessing that Arthmael will try to rescue the damsel so he can be a hero, because that's what heroes are supposed to do, but then it'll go wrong somehow? And then the magician will get involved somehow, I have no clue.

That's all my predictions I suppose. Altho I'm guessing that Jacques might turn out to be a villain somehow, I didn't get the vibe that he was particularly great either, just not as much of a brat as Arthmael, and it would then be something for Arthmael to do when he gets back home. Then again maybe the book will surprise me, who knows. To be honest, it would feel a bit like a cop out if it turns out that the guy he hates actually is evil, but it could be handled well, and it's not like I like Jacques either so far. He seems extremely sus too

No guesses as to what the title refers to yet, it could be anything

Idk, like I said, the damsel's storyline is the one that interests me the most rn, it might actually get me to read further (good job, blurb, you got me)

I still have a surprisingly good amount of the free sample left, there's actually nine chapters here, so idk, maybe I'll keep going? We'll see

I'm pretty happy with how much I was able to follow the text even on my own, altho I definitely had to rely on the translator. I would not have had the patience to try to translate all of this myself. But I definitely understood multiple full sentences! Yaaay xD

Apologies to fans of this book series, I hope I didn't seem too rude

[aluria-sevhex]

so now i'm in Act 3 i guess

notes:

-methinks Siffrin is panicking

-plot twist: you can't escape the time loop until you deal with your... ???

-no you little bitch don't pretend everything's fine that's not good for your mental health

-YOU *KNEW* THIS WOULD HAPPEN??? FUCK YOU LOOP

-i'm not giving up you little shit

-ok Loop what IS your deal. you *asked* to be here???

-ok i need to help Mira with her mysterious papers

-:O A HINT AT ODILE'S FIELD OF STUDY

-the music is more unnerving than it was in Act 2. also it sounds glitchy now

-oh it's normal now. was i just suffering from an actual audio glitch and just. didn't question it? like "oh yeah ofc it's glitching things are fucked now"

-...that enemy didn't spawn down here in Act 2.

-eh ima get off for the night

-late in the evening on July 4th and i am back yippee this is probably a bad idea considering how long my play sessions get

-YEAH THE TITLE MUSIC MY BELOVED

-ok i can't help Bonnie on this loop- HOLD UP. DID SIF'S ART CHANGE IN THE MENUS? YEAH HE'S NOT SMUG ANYMORE ToT also i think their profile used to say "It's you!" with an exclamation point but now it says "It's you." with a period :(

-rip my darling blorbo Paper α V

-side note: idk if i've mentionwd this before but i like how the levels, stats, and skills all show the fact that you're near the end of the journey (ex. Odile having Rock, Paper, and Scissors III at the start)

-I FOUND THE BOOK BONNIE WAS LOOKING AT.

hmmm... death rituals...

-hehe i found the stostorage roomoom

-NONE OF THESE BARRELS WILL LEMME TAKE THE NUTS >:(

-another book in the headache-inducing language i can't read.

-weird shit going on: Siffrin, Loop, the King, the disappearing island, the headache-inducing shit

-hehehe yeah Isa i'm sure you'd *love* to pet your taciturn hopeful-future-partner

-it's not just the menu art i think Siffrin's battle art is also less happy. :(

-HOLD UP. also! Siffrin's profile used to call them the Traveler but now he's called the Wanderer. :(

-hehe. Sif hit the counter and said nya again. cat Sif

-this enemy ALSO did not spawn on this floor before. fucking giant hand thing

-ok thinking: can't help Isa until i've helped everybody else in one loop, can't help Bonnie on this loop and i need to prove i know them via their favorite foods, need to help Mira and Odile...

-thank you Loop for being available- OH I CAN BRING UP THE SADNESSES BEING DIFFERENT :O

-ok need to help Mira with the papers. some are in her dorm. Odile wants to read a familytale. i'll have to find one in the library or secret library. need to find out Bonnie's favorite foods by trying different ones. maybe i should loop forward a bunch to different areas, find out their favorite foods, and THEN do the big loop where i help everybody!

-i need to talk to the King eventually

-looping forward to Floor 1's end

-fun fact i'm keeping track of all my causes of death in another note. i'll share it when i finish the game

-man i also need to figure out how to help Mira's fan and remember where the last book issue is...

-the looping screen art is nice :]

-yeah yeah i need to beat this asshole to get to the snacks

-hold up. the coin fell on heads this time. strange...

-last time i picked plantain chips. this time i'm picking cookies. would probably be good to check what Bonnie eats each time

-ok they like rice. time to loop forward!

-while i'm on Floor 2 i might as well find a familytale for Odile...

-LOOP 24? THE MATH DOES NOT CHECK OUT.

-WAIT THE GAME ACKNOWLEDGES IT. HUH. YEAH I SHOULD BE ON 23. SIFFRIN IS SUS 𐐘

-fuck. i accidentally moved forwards when i meant to go to the library. it's fine i'l help her when i help everybody

-oh great i have to fight these assholes again.

-fuck. i think i fucked up and didn't make sure Mira had Pretty Moving Cure. i might get a game over.

-this is by far my dumbest death

-LOOP 27??? I WENT FROM 24-27

-gonna try to be less liberal with loop usage because the skipping is kinda scaring me

-aw... Siffrin's friends try not to touch him as they squeeze through that's nice... wait. he seems to not be remembering why. did he forget that they don't like being touched... maybe. maybe i should call Loop.

-well that was unhelpful

-time to adjust the memories i have equipped. welcome back my lovely scrimbly blorbos Lovely Moving Cure and Paper α V

-hm. ok so the boulanger in Dormont has a familytale...

-oh my god we're discussing colors. what happened to them.

-THEY STILL EXIST. BUT WE FORGOT HOW TO SEE THEM. ???

-*SIFFRIN*. HOW IS THIS FAMILIAR. JFC YOU ARE SUS

-plot twist! Siffrin is from our world and forgor that he got isekai'd! :P (i love making random bullshit predictions it's very entertaining)

-oh yeah so RE: Siffrin's altered art: Sif's time-frozen portrait used to look panicked but now it looks calm

-hehe openphrase123 worked

-love Sif's habit of picking up random shiny shit. magpie or crow behavior.

-oh? Siffrin didn't always hate croissants?

...bruh.

-also damn shout-out to Mira's crisis over not knowing some of the people

-the combination of Siffrin's silly attack names and serious battle portraits feels so *wrong*

-:o Sif learned a new skill

-ok i'm gonna log off for the night

hey if you wanna read all of my posts as i play through ISAT, they are all tagged as #Aluria plays ISAT for the first time (please don't spoil)

bruh when i was making this post i accidentslly pasted the notes again there instead of pasting the tag name. that truly was. delightful. to go through and delete it all

also shout-out to those of you who i keep seeing popping up in my notifs liking these posts ;) and also anybody who takes the time to read all this stuff :D i know that *i* like seeing other people's reactions when they experience stuff i like for the first time so i'm very happy to provide that for others! also it's nice to see some of the responses ^-^ :D

[charmedreincarnation]

Your desires already exist and are here. It is done

I know Growing up, we’re all told to “reach for the stars” and “follow our dreams.” We’re encouraged to think that our goals and ambitions are only achievable if we strive for them. But it’s wrong, your desires and dreams are already out there, just waiting for you and I know it can be hard to unlearn what we are taught and conditioned.

The truth is, most of what we desire is already available to us, whether it be inner peace, financial freedom, or any other goal. It doesn’t matter how distant and out of reach they may seem. Whether it’s something physical or something intangible, our deepest wishes already exist in the world.

It’s a misconception that desires have to be manifested from something outside yourself. In truth, your desires already exist inside of you, ready to be activated. You don’t have to wait for something to happen in the world before you can start to live the life you want. The key is tapping into that power inside and learning to trust the journey. Your capacity to create and manifest is already within you. It’s a simple matter of recognizing what you want and allowing it to come to life. Whether it’s a career, relationships, or creative projects our your spiritual endeavors, you are capable of achieving anything when you open yourself up to the possibilities within. Don’t be discouraged if progress doesn’t happen overnight.

So Be gentle with yourself and enjoy the process of pulling the dreams out of your heart that have been waiting for you. There is no rush, and if things don’t happen as quickly as you would like, that’s ok.

Take each day as it comes. Let go of any expectations and allow what needs to happen to unfold in its own time. Don’t worry about what other people are doing or what tips and tricks they may be doing to manifest their desires. Trust that your own path is uniquely designed for you and have faith that what needs to happen will show up when it needs to.

Remember that your desires are already here. They are ready to be revealed, created, and experienced. Affirm that in your heart and trust that they will come to fruition when the timing is right and you are ready.

Maybe the key to achieving our dreams isn’t to strive for them, but to train our minds to recognize them in the first place. To learn that even when our dreams elude us, they’re still right in front us – just in different forms.

It’s important to remain hopeful and continue our journey towards our goals. But it’s also important to open our minds and be aware of the possibilities that can often go unnoticed. Learning to be open to new paths, ideas, and opportunities can make the process of pursuing our dreams much smoother.

We should focus not just on what it will take to get us to where we want to be, but on how the world is already helping us get there. On how life is providing us with the necessary tools and resources – even if we don’t recognize them right away. Our desires already exist somewhere in this world, we just have to learn how to tap into them. So the next time you feel your goals slipping away, remember this: your dreams have already been created. They’re just waiting for you. All you have to do is be open to the possibilities that exist and let yourself dream a little bigger.

Now Here are some awesome quotes from some of my favorite figure heads to maybe make your day 🥰🥰

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein:

“What we think about, we bring about.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”-Deepak Chopra

Just remember everything and everyone is on your side and it’s inevitable to not get your desires. Let go of excluding any potential outcomes, or judgement of yourself or others, and accept that each moment is leading you somewhere. Stay focused on the positive, trusting that what is meant for you will never pass you by, and that when you truly believe, you will have it. As Dr. Wayne Dyer also said, “You'll see it when you believe it.”

[husbandhannie]

home, home, home, home

pairing: woozi x reader

word count: 1.1k

warnings: some relationship insecurity, but this isn't exactly angst, one(1) barely present sexual reference (no details at all)

a/n: svt's home is actually really inspiring when you're in the mood

taglist: @leejungchans @junhui-recs @itsveronicaxxx

jihoon’s distracted, and he knows it. given soonyoung’s concerned gaze, he knows it too.

“we can pick this up later”, his friend offers, “we have time”.

“no, it’s okay���, jihoon responds, not sounding nearly as sincere as he should, “i said we’d do this”.

it’s true. as much as he rolls his eyes at soonyoung’s “tiger agenda”, he promised his friend a tiger-themed song for International Tiger Day, and jihoon is a man of his word. he can’t just stop for today, as much as he desperately wants to.

“we have more than a month”, soonyoung insists, “how about we continue tomorrow? after gym?”

jihoon sighs. he knows his mind is focused on something else today, knows that he can’t help his friend today. he bids soonyoung goodbye as he leaves his studio, and it’s a testament to how preoccupied he is that he doesn’t roll his eyes at soonyoung’s illicit smirk.

you. he’s got you on his mind.

and no, it’s not the way soonyoung thinks.

you haven’t texted jihoon in the last 12 hours, and he’s losing his mind trying to figure out why.

to most people, this might not be a big deal. after all, most of those hours were in the night — the period of the day in which people generally sleep. but you almost never sleep before 2 AM, and neither does he — and the two of you always text during the night. always.

so understandably, jihoon is a little freaked out about the lack of messages from you. his texts and calls to you have gone unanswered, and he’s hoping it’s not on purpose.

as he manoeuvres his car through traffic, he tries to think of the last time the two of you met. it was two — no, three — no, wait, four days ago. you had dropped by his studio for dinner, and mentioned feeling overwhelmed with your master’s thesis. he was working on a track, he remembers.

maybe he was distracted. maybe it dawned on you that he wasn’t available enough, that he wouldn’t be there for you when you needed him the most. maybe you decided to cut your losses and ditch him.

the logical part of his brain knows that that’s very improbable. the two of you talk, and you have always told him when he did something that bothered you. the other part of his brain, however, has been almost waiting for this to happen.

yes, you’re busy too, and yes, you dislike big flashy dates as much as he does, and yes, you prefer night-ins spent just talking — but maybe you realized something, maybe you decided that you deserve better.

the significance of your presence in his life has never hit jihoon so hard, and he’s hoping that he hasn’t fucked this up.

he doesn’t think he’s ever made the journey from your building’s parking lot to your floor so fast — he’s racing through the stairs to the second floor, and for once he doesn’t dwell on how your landlord should cut down your rent because the elevator is somehow always under repair. actually, he’s not thinking about anything but you — and how he feels like the ground under him might give out any second.

he’s felt this way before, back when his group was new to the industry. he remembers the uncertainty, remembers the feeling of dread. he didn’t think he’d ever feel it again, least of all in a romantic relationship. this is what happens when you find a home, he thinks.

he has to stop himself from pressing your doorbell the second he stops in front of your apartment. he manages to wait for about twelve seconds while he catches his breath, before giving in, lightly panting.

the door opens and you emerge in your blue pajamas, your eyes squinting at his figure. he’s woken you up.

“jihoon?”, you blink, a confused smile making its way to your face, “what are you — “, you stand up straight, and he knows you’ve noticed his sweaty forehead and quick breaths, “everything okay?”

“yeah, i, uh”, he stutters for a moment, because he hadn’t thought about what to actually say to you, “you weren’t picking up my calls”.

seriously? he does a mental face-palm. “you weren’t picking up my calls?”

“just came to check if everything is okay” there. that sounds more reasonable.

“oh?”, you move to let him in, closing the door behind you while you answer, “ah yeah! i had a couple of drinks last night with my team, and came home and passed out. left my phone outside, i think”.

oh. jihoon feels the knot in his chest loosen up. he hasn’t fucked his up. you’re still here, he hasn’t lost his home.

“sorry about that”, you continue when he doesn’t respond, “didn’t mean to worry you”.

“no, it’s okay”, he offers, smiling when he notices that you’re wearing your pajama shirt inside-out, “i wasn’t that worried”.

it’s a lie, but you don’t need to know.

“anyway, i’m just going to chill out today”, you say as you pull out your coffee cup, “maybe cook a little, read a book”, you turn to him with another cup in hand, his cup. “wanna have coffee before you go off for work? it’s soonyoung’s tiger song for today, right?”

“he ditched me today”, jihoon pretends to be annoyed, but he can’t help the smile that grows on his face when you laugh, “i can hang around here, if that’s okay”.

“ofcourse”, you smile, and jihoon has to hold back from pulling you into a hug. you do it for him though, wrapping your arms around his waist and sighing into his shoulder. “i missed you”.

jihoon holds back from telling you the truth about his work today. and about the tensed car ride here. and how he ran up the stairs of your defective building. and how he hopes you’ll never get tired of holding him like this.

he’ll tell you later, he knows. later, when it’s not too freaky to tell you what you mean to him, when he’s sure he can say it out loud in words that make sense. later, when he’s sure he’s your home, too.

for now, he just wounds his arms around you and pulls you even closer.

“i missed you too”.

[hauntedraggedyanne]

Where to start your story part 2

I guess if the MC getting ready for a job that appears in 0% of the story is the ONLY way to start it, then go ahead

1️⃣: Doing a hobby/mundane task that has something to do with the rest of the plot

This is not only a great way to introduce the world building and type of story you’re writing, like having a MC be a mechanic only for them to be put on a massive spaceship, but it can also lead to some creative scenes down the line. Maybe your MC is a painter or artist, and while they might not be the best at fighting enemies or outsmarting anyone (or maybe they are it’s your story), but when they’re given some time to themselves they’re able to paint a few small pieces and sell them, only for the bids to skyrocket and give the adventuring team the money to continue on the journey. There’s lots of possibilities.

2️⃣: Trying to avoid getting in trouble

You can handle this in multiple ways, and the crime or rule broken can be as horrible or as understandable as you wish. But how do they respond to authority accusing them of something they did/didn’t do? Do they become apprehensive and rude, or do they smooth talk their way into safety regardless of how much evidence is available? What about the people with them? Are they enablers of bad behavior, showing how the MC is stuck in the wrong crowd, or are they clueless that the law even existed in the first place and are panicking over what their parents will think? This is a great way to introduce a key personality trait, while also showing off who the MC hangs around with and what that says about them.

3️⃣: Stuck with their biggest fear

Yes, you will have to figure out what/who exactly put the MC in this situation, but that can vary on the fear itself. If they fear something physical, like the dark, animals, or bugs (same honestly), what do they do in that scenario? Do they run away screaming, or do they try to defend themselves against the threat? Is the fear something that they find stupid, so they don’t want to act insane in public so they would rather just sit in petrified fear to avoid being gawked at, or ARE they insane so they charge head first to fight the terrifying chipmunk half way across the street? But what if the fear isn’t something like that, but rather an idea or a state of being, like being alone, or the fear of death and ideas that come with it? This one might be a bit more of a depressing start to your story because of the ideas that may come with it, but it’s also great for character development and learning how to cope with the things they can not control.

hope this helps!

[oscconfessions]

Since Inanimate Insanity has recently ended, I've decided to tell my II journey to the void. We go back 7 years, aka half my life ago. (This will mainly focus on the main grand slams)

First of all, like many, I watched Battle for Dream Island first. I thought BFDIA got cancelled (didn't know there was a season 3 and beyond till WAY later) and found Inanimate Insanity. Only problem is I saw the big ol 1 in the corner of the SEASON 2 thumbnail, and figured that was the starting point. And. I. LOVED IT. I proceeded to watch the rest of season 2 the same day (well, what was available at the time, ep 1-11) and I was convinced that EP 11 was peak fiction.

Though that was also because I instantly related to Balloon. I didn't have the context of season 1 yet but as a kid that was bullied by "friends" seeing Balloon being shoved aside felt familiar. But as much as he was relatable I LOVED Suitcase because to me she represented someone that was kind and wanted to be friends with Balloon. It gave me hope that I could have a friend too... But as much as I just wanted a friend, I was 7 so naturally if anything got along they had to kiss- Stayed obsessed with Inanimate Insanity a little longer but my attention span was short and after finishing season 1 (I HATED it so I tried to ignore it's existence, I like it much more now, but at this time, yeah) I found other fandoms.

Flash forward 3 years later. I'm 10 now and my attention span is a biiiiit better (though I'm not obsessed again, it's just one of my background fandoms) and I find out 2 new episodes where out! Watched them, but ultimately was slightly sad because I realized that wasn't really going to be any Suitloon content from this point. But they were still enjoyable because Suitcase was still in it! Stayed in the fandom, EP 14 came out, then season 3. I remember when season 3 came out, I HATED Nickel and Balloon's friendship WITH A BURNING PASSION and it definitely didn't help that they're ship was absurdly popular. Balloon was my second favorite next to Suitcase so the fact that (I thought) they were writing him so BADLY (again, I THOUGHT) upset me. Eventually I warmed up to them and still didn't ship it but could respect it. By the time the finale happened I could it admit it was cute, just not my favorite.

...then I went to the meetup for S2 ep15 this june... and I'm HYPERFIXATED AGAIN. And stay hyperfixated until the finale (and honestly beyond). I'm having the time of my life, I get a Tumblr, I have both irl friends that actually stayed for another year and moots that i can hyperfixate with, and Im happier then ever! And...now it's over.

As much as it might sound dumb, I feel like I finally have the Suitcases to my Balloon and this show was able to keep me company until then. I remember how many times I would sob about never getting friends and watching Inanimate Insanity to give me hope. So thank you II. For helping that girl feel less lonely.

.

[vilevenom]

Howdy, folks! Sorry I haven't posted much in terms of fic the last couple of weeks, I've been having pretty bad writers block 💕

I finally got a smidge of inspiration, though, talking with @em-doods about her sweet BroZone parent OC's, and what it would be like if they managed to get back to their boys. If you don't know who Birch and Flora are, please check out these amazing posts over here, and here! There is also a very sweet sketch of them, if they were older over here. They're in the top right corner ❤️ This is short and sweet, and I hope y'all enjoy~ When Will I See You Again title inspo

The journey to find pop village had been arduous at best, but absolutely nothing in comparison to their slapdash escape from the Bergens twenty-five years prior. Battered and utterly terrified, Flora and Birch had barely managed to escape Chef's kitchen and flee from Bergen Town all together. The Bergens had given chase, making them lose their way and not stop running until they were well and truly lost, with no feasible possibility of finding their way back home.

Now, after two and a half decades, they'd gotten word through the grapevine that the pop trolls were inviting trolls of all genres to their new home, hidden in the forest. Birch had jumped at the news, and promptly began packing their belongings to start on the journey. He'd wanted to immediately try to find their way back to their boys, to get them all to out of the tree, once they'd stopped running. Unfortunately, it took years for them to even find their way back to the troll kingdoms, let alone figure out where the pop trolls had disappeared to once they'd found out the troll tree had been deserted. It had seemed hopeless. Until now.

With no other mode of transport available to them, and age slowing them down, it took weeks to travel by foot. But finally, after nearly two months of traversing the kingdoms, they could see brightly colored pods hanging from the trees in the distance, and hear the sound of upbeat music wafting through the forest.

"We're so close," Birch exclaimed, giddy glee blatant on his face. He began to bounce as he walked, the pans hanging off his pack jangling together at the movement. Flora couldn't help but giggle at her husband's exuberance, forever wearing his emotions on his sleeve.

Slowly, though, her laughter died away as they approached the village. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she stared up at the little houses tucked snuggly between the branches. Her babies would be so much older now. Their egg would be nearly 25. She wouldn't even know them to see them, outside of the vibrant shock of blue hair that had protruded from the top of their shell. She could still remember, in vivid detail, the look on John Dory's face as he clutched the egg in his arms and screamed for her as she was ripped away from him by clawed fingers. It tore her heart to shreds to think of that moment, knowing just how much must have wound up in John Dory's lap because of their disappearance and inability to return home. She wondered what kind of trolls her boys wound up becoming without their parents around.

"Hey," Birch's voice snapped Flora out of her ruminations, drawing her gaze down to his smiling eyes, "Stop thinking so much. I can hear it from over here."

"Sorry," she said with an embarrassed laugh, tugging absently at the shawl draped around her shoulders, "I just can't help thinking about how much our boys must have changed since we last saw them. How much they've grown without us. We didn't even get to name our egg, before-"

"Stop that," Birch stepped in front of Flora, forcing her to halt her steps, "Sure, they'll be different from when they were kids. That was bound to happen, with or without us. But, they'll still be our boys. I'm sure they all turned out to be amazing trolls. You need to give Rosiepuff a little bit of credit, here. I'm sure she raised them well. After all, look at how you turned out." He gently took her hands into his, giving them a light, reassuring squeeze.

"I know. I know, it's just…you know how my mom was with the boys, sometimes. And, what if…what if, during Trollstice-"

Again, Birch cut her off, shaking his head as he spoke. "You can't think like that. Our boys were resilient and smart. They knew how to keep themselves safe."

"But, the egg-"

"Johnny and Spruce were old enough, you know they would've taught the baby everything they knew to stay safe. Heck, they were looking after Clay and Floyd during Trollstice without us even needing to ask them for years. They're all fine. I know it. I know it, Flora. Have a little faith."

Flora sighed, a soft smile curling her lips at the hopeful expression on her husbands face. "You're right," she sighed, curling her fingers around Birch's hands to return his steadfast grip. "We won't know anything until we get to town and find them. I need to keep my head up!"

"That's my girl," Birch hummed with a grin, leaning up on his tip toes to press a kiss to Flora's cheek. "Now, c'mon! I can't wait to see this place! It looks massive in comparison to the tree! Do you think Peppy is still king? One of his daughters must have taken over by now, don't you think?"

Flora let her husbands gentle ramblings wash over her as they trekked on towards the village, trying her best not to come up with any more worst case scenarios about their children. Birch was right, she had to think more positively. Their boys were survivors, and they wouldn't have let anything happen to their youngest sibling.

Walking through the last barrier of scrub and tall grass into the village was a bit of a shock to the both of them, freezing them both in their tracks. The vibrancy of the colors, and cacophony of sound were so different from what the troll tree had been. While the tree had always been bright and music was nearly always heard, it was truly nothing in comparison to what they'd stepped into. There had always been an air of despair and hesitancy around the tree, making trolls more cautious in how loud they sang, or how brightly they colored their pods. But here, everyone was free to be as boisterous as they wanted, and it truly showed. There was so much life everywhere you looked. Flora felt overwhelmed, glancing down to her husband who was openly weeping as he took it in.

"Look at this place," he breathed, looking up at his wife with a grin, "Look at how they've flourished."

"It's amazing," Flora easily agreed, feeling tears of her own welling in her eyes. She took her husbands hand in hers as they began to venture into the village, her heart beating a sharp staccato in her chest, anticipation buzzing in her veins. Her eyes scanned the crowds of trolls as they walked, keeping an eye out for the shades of hair she had memorized since the day each of her children had hatched.

However, absolutely nothing would truly prepare her for the feeling of elation that bulldozed into her as she finally caught sight of teal hair she hadn't seen in twenty-five years. The goggles nestled into his hair sealed it for her - that was her boy. Her sweet little green bean, all grown up.

"John," she breathed, before letting go of Birch and running full tilt at her son, who was stood casually chatting with another troll in the middle of the market place.

~

Branch had nearly had to forcibly drag John to the market to do some shopping. As much as the eldest brother whined about wanting to spend more quality time with Branch and Floyd while he was living in pop village, shopping was not something he was overly keen on doing. The two had talked about it once, both commiserating that there were just too many trolls all over the place for it to be an enjoyable experience. But, they had come to an agreement to at least accompany each other when shopping was necessary, so they could complain about it the whole time without being judged by their respective partners.

Which is what they were doing, griping about the price of fazzlefruit, when a troll suddenly barreled into John Dory, clinging to him like her life depended on it.

"Woah there!" John grunted, startled into holding his arms out to the sides as the troll in question buried her face into his shoulder and began to weep, muttering 'my baby, oh my baby' over and over again into his jacket. "I, uhm…well, this is awkward," John chucked, glancing at Branch who looked like a swag stag caught in the headlights. "Right, uh…" Gently, he pried the crying woman's arms from around his ribs, slowly easing her away from him. "Look, I'm really sorry, but I think you've got the wrong troll," he murmured quietly, "I don't-" He paused, eyes wide as the woman lifted her head, his jaw going slack as he took her in.

"JD…?" Branch prompted quietly from behind him, though John barely registered his brother had even spoken.

"…Mom?" John whispered, barely able to believe what he was seeing, his vision blurring as tears welled in his eyes, "But…no. No, I saw you. I saw you get taken! How can you be here?!"

"Oh, Johnny," Flora gasped, wiping at her face before reaching out and tugging John into another embrace, "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so, so sorry."

John returned her hug with fervor, clutching her close like she'd disappear if he let go. "Oh my glitter. I never thought I'd see you again! I can't believe it," he cried into his mouthers shoulder, "I can't-wait! Is dad with you? Did he-" he pulled away from his mother, but kept her shawl clutched in his fingers. He let out a shout as he spotted his father jogging towards them, tears running down his own face as he waved at them as he approached. "DAD!" He opened his arms as Birch reached them, the three quickly sinking to their knees as they cried and clung to one another.

They sat like that for a time, before Branch quite loudly cleared his throat and kicked at John's foot to get his attention.

"Oh! Oh, cupcakes," John reluctantly pulled himself away from his parents embrace, stumbling to his feet to grab at Branch and tug him forward, much to the blatant confusion of his baby brother. "Branch! These are our parents! Mom, Dad, this is Branch." Gently, he pushed Branch towards their parents, who stood from where they'd been kneeling on the ground, cheeks ruddy from their tears. "He hatched a month after Trollstice."

"Look at you!" Flora cooed, wiping at here eyes quickly before stepping forward, hands outstretched towards Branch's face. He cringed as she approached, fully expecting to have his cheeks squished, much like Clay had done when they'd reunited, only to be pleasantly surprised as she simply cupped his cheeks in the palms of her hands.

Branch let his shoulders slowly relax as she looked him over, frowning slightly as she began to cry again, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hello, my sweet baby," she finally sighed after a long minute, a sad smile on her face, "I'm so sorry that we missed you."

Her gentle words seemingly broke something in Branch's chest as he heaved a sudden, ugly sob, surprised by the wave of emotions that crashed over him as she drew him into a tender hug. He let his arms wind around her as she rubbed at his back, openly weeping like he'd never done before as she murmured reassurances into his ear.

"I'm here now, sweetheart. Momma's here."