#it would be a miracle to find someone who adores this poem as much as I do

[pomefioredove]

Hiii! I adore your writings especially the vill fics thank you for blessing us vil fans 😭🙏💕

Can you please write soulmate au with vil and the perks of being soulmate with him? Thank youuu

thank you so much, that's so sweet!!! and OHHH soulmate.... so good

summary: soulmates type of post: fic characters: vil additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is not specified to be yuu, FLUFFY, lovesick vil forever

Vil Schoenheit had always deemed the existence of "soulmates" to be a thing confined in the lines of a poem.

Ever the rationalist, Vil hadn't even entertained the fantasy of meeting his "perfect match", if such a person even existed. His life was not that of a cheesy movie script he'd turn down.

Finding someone who could cope with his strict lifestyle would be a miracle in and of itself.

...And if you had asked Vil Schoenheit what his image of the perfect partner would be, he would say exactly that.

Someone beautiful, intelligent, responsible, with the dedication and discipline to keep up with him.

Spoken with a sardonic smile and honeyed words, Vil knew that his chances of actually finding someone to meet his standards, to keep up with him, were slim.

He couldn't have possibly imagined having to keep up with you, instead.

You were like a shooting star; swift and bright, moving faster than he could fathom, cutting through the dark parts of his life like a hot blade.

Something for him to wish on.

Beautiful.

Like nothing he could have ever imagined.

There was a radiance in everything you did, one that made your skin glow with or without products, a certain warmth that so contrasted the refined and elegant image he'd grown to associate with beauty.

Vil would eagerly tend to your every need. It was a dream just to touch you, to have the honor of pushing your hair out of your face.

He would savor every second of grazing your skin, of tracing your features with delicate fingertips, if only just to cleanse your pores after a long day.

With you, every simple action is beautiful.

Vil enjoys pampering people he cares for, and thus your life is full of high-end products, the best groceries money can buy, and his personal advice from the very second he sets eyes on you.

He would gladly do your personalized skincare routine with you every night and every morning if time allowed it.

2. Intelligent.

In such a way that makes him eager to understand you.

Really, it's your insatiable curiosity that draws him in.

He could spend hours upon hours simply listening to you talk. Your interests begin excite him just as much as they excite you, your passion for learning and creating capture his attention with ease.

There's never a dull moment between the two of you.

What others might consider useless conversations about trivial matters, Vil holds to the highest regard.

It comes to the point where he begins asking you for opinions, even if he knows he'll disagree with your answer, just to hear your perfect voice, just to watch your expression change in the way it does when you're thinking.

He's infatuated with your thought process, with the way your mind works.

Understanding you is not a labor, but a privilege.

3. Responsible.

To where all he could ask for is you and your gentle touch.

You care. Whether you're aware of it or not, you care so deeply about the people in your life, it almost puts Vil to shame.

Paired with your determination and resilience, and your ceaseless sense of independence, it's absolutely irresistible to him.

Vil is so unfamiliar with the way you treat him. Tenderly, and softly, like he's something that needs to be taken care of. You don't put him on a high shelf like a trophy, but carry him at your side, like a beloved doll.

He's never been at the receiving end of such consideration.

On the days where it feels as if the world is coming undone around him, he has somewhere to go. A place to hide, where he can forget all that he's supposed to be, and just simply be instead.

You are a home to him.

Vil knows that the both of you are perfectly capable (exemplary, even) at minding yourselves, though that's exactly what makes this tenderness you share all the better.

Independence is a gift, though one that he'll gladly set aside for a time, to be alone and soft with you.

4. Keeping Up.

Some days, it feels as if he's hanging onto you for dear life.

Afraid that if he looks away for even a moment, you'd vanish, leaving him alone with all of his naive, shallow thoughts on what his soulmate should be.

You're a dream to him. Far better than anything he ever could have asked for, or even imagined. He would be a fool to let you get away, he knows as much.

And perhaps he doesn't have the words to express it yet, perhaps he does. Perhaps these thoughts of his are tucked away in a journal, imbued in the lines of a poem, or in the color choices of a floral arrangement. Perhaps he whispers them to you in the early hours of the morning, still caught in that dreamlike space between sleep and wake.

One thing has become clear to him, though: Vil could never adequately describe all that he wants in a soulmate.

You're far too complex to put in a single sentence.

[xuanzangg]

how genshin men describes you ft. non-binary reader.

mond version!!

let's have a quick start with diluc, we all know that he is a gentleman and would never do anything bad to you. the reader here is to be stated as a quiet person.

"oh, you wanna know more about them? fine with me then. they are a wonderful and they make me feel at peace, they ease my anxiousness and tiredness, with then around, everything feels much more lighter and brighter. they are just the right person for me, the person i can relay on too without any suspicion. their peaceful and quiet demeanor is very comforting whenever i know that their presence is near me. i have so many good things i could say about her but...well, they might be looking for me now, if you dont mind traveler, i have to get going for i, too, misses them dearly."

next up is kaeya!! we know that kaeya has this kind-of-flirty persona but is actually a big ball of sunshine, we also know that mond's grandmas loves and adore him very dearly. the reader is to stated as quite bubbly and indicesive person.

"oh, that's an interesting question, my dear friend. well, all i can say is that my partner, is a bubbly person, they tend to be indicesive sometimes and have their bad times such as not knowing what to decide and more. they are someone who i can truly trust about my life, without them, i wouldnt know what to do, honestly. they're just like a miracle that happened to have find me in the middle of my life's crisis."

guess who's next?? that's right! it's venti!! we all know know knoooowww that venti is a drunkard archon who is very allergic to catss >_< but is also a very responsible god. the reader is stated as a caring and loving person.

"ohoho, traveler. my beloved here is a very lovely person!! they love taking care of me whenever i get drunk, diluc would even tell me everytime im out at the angel's share, drinking with rosaria and kaeya that everytime i pass out, they would come running in the to me just to take me home and take care of my drunk self haha! there are many things that i found very lovable about them, so many that i wont even be able to count them. i trust them with my whole heart, i have also told my story about them, me being an archon and such, she just sat down there and listened to me blabber all things i wanted and needed to say, she was just listening to me, not interrupting me and smiling. when the time came that i had finished my story, she hugged me sincerely and smiled at me saying that she accpets me for who and what i am. i couldnt be more lucky to have them in my life and oh! i also write poems and would even make a song for them just to see their lovely smile! ah, love it is, i cant just help it, i love them too much and with my whole heart."

aaaaaa, i clearly have my own favorite!! but weelll, who can blame me XD i just think venti is a very wonderful character and completely fell for him!!

next up is liyue characters!

[dionysian-madness]

tfw they shot him down on the highway, down like a dog on the highway, and he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat—

[internalsealpanic]

Love Through the Ages (Damian Wayne)

Summary:  Love like baggage needs to be declared.

a/n: This is part one of a series that is a fic rec list disguised as a fic. For these fics, most of the characters will be speaking different languages, so unless specified otherwise assume that the characters are speaking in the first language I mention. They’re all vampires with centuries under their belt. Why wouldn’t I make them all polyglots.  Also, thank you to the proof reading gang for putting up with my shenanigans.  I will have links to the fics I recommend in the fic itself.

Warnings: Everyone is dramatic. 

Masterlist

Series Masterlist. 

You wait by the platform, tapping your feet to the rhythm of the Little Colonel Bojangles Dance. It's been so long since you've seen the movie but your feet can still remember the steps- much to Damian's annoyance. Your feet patter against the pavement, wet from the spring rain, in a soft rhythm that kept your excitement at bay.

You wave to the approaching cab. The passenger of the cab looks away from you, pressing his mouth into the heel of his hand as his eyes stare out into oblivion. Your mouth quirks at the petulant gesture. You haven't seen each other in two decades and he's still mad about... what was it again? You'll find out soon enough.

The cab stops in front of you.

You bow your head, resting your weight on your umbrella. You grin at his seated form postured perfectly with an ease of a man born with the world in his pocket. He's dressed in a black suit and a dark coat that looked far too thick for spring.

"Long time, no see, little prince." You say in a dialect of Spanish too old for the young cab driver to recognize.

Damian raises his brow, articulating his annoyance. It takes you a moment to realize that it was with the accent you'd chosen. It was inelegant and curt and it mangled the curve of the syllables far too easily. In short, it was your favorite dialect.  Rolling your eyes, you try again. This time with a softer, smoother dialect much more modern but still old enough that you could talk freely without worrying about eavesdroppers.

Damian cracks a smile at you. It was wry but soft in the way Damian always was. Your own exasperated smile softens as you look at his eyes, their ever-changing lushness. It's been too long.

You open the door. Damian eases out of the cab handing the cabby what you quietly hope was the correct amount.

But considering the wide-eyed glee on the cabbies face, you can guess that twenty years has done nothing for Damian's spending habits. That was if the tailored suit wasn't a dead giveaway.

You look him over whistling," whose funeral are you going to after the museum?" 

"Yours if we're on schedule." Damian deadpans looking at his watch. 

You snort, sounding like a piglet in mud. Adoration flickers in Damian's eyes but you miss it as you throw your head back.

"Who has a schedule on vacation."

"People who don't like wasting time."

"That's what a vacation is for."

Damian makes an annoyed noise in the back of his throat and you shake your head. Damian wraps his arm around your shoulders. You happily press into his side, reveling in the intimacy of the action.

Damian had been telling you a story in rapid Arabic, the only words you understood were 'Jon' and 'moron', when you pause in front of a pair of paintings. The painting on the left was of Damian, his form drawn in harsh, messy angles. He's hunched over his sketchbook, candlelight glowing softly by his side makes his copper skin and forest green eyes breathtaking. The subject is out of view. The other was a portrait of you dozing off on a workshop table, your flaws lovingly rendered in gentle brush strokes. By contrast, your portrait was lit by the summer sun. Only Damian could make your features look this beautiful.

Vaguely, you remember this.

You remember it only for the countless times it had happened.

"They say that the one on the left is the painter sketching the portrait on the right and that the portrait on the right is of his lover."  You say airily. Damian, not one to disappoint, gives you an unreadable look.

Your stomach turns. You drop the subject. Wordlessly, you two make your way to the exhibit.

"Love through the Ages?" Damian asks, crossing his arms.

"Shockingly love wasn't invented by Stephenie Meyer."  You say. Damian wrinkles his nose at you and you cover your mouth to hide the scraggly smile spreading across your lips.

"I'm shocked your paintings didn't make it in."

He looks down at you huffing, "it's only speculation." 

You're heart twinges at that.  You press a frown to your hand.

"It'll be fun, Dami. I promise. Pleeeeeease."

Damian's stern look gives way to a weary half-smile as he capitulates to you.

"I promise it will only be half as nauseating as Dick's attempts to do family bonding."

"Tt, it would take a miracle to surpass that."

You grin. "Perish the thought."

"They say this stardust came from star-crossed lovers as they traveled through space. Oh and this one is a statue gifted by Persephone to Hades."

You drag Damian all over the exhibit. Pointing to specific exhibits with enthusiasm. He has to admit. It's infectious. Then again, Damian's never been able to resist anything about you. This amount of enthusiasm for something so frivolous would have been obnoxious on anyone else but because it's you, Damian's found himself utterly enamored by it.

"This one," You say, pointing to a series of paintings. They were all beautiful, painted in bold colors. The torrent of emotions radiating off of the canvas. "This one was made by an artist torn between three loves."

"Three? She must have been an exceptional artist."

"Probably was but her name was lost." You sigh.

 "She’s got exceptional brushwork." Damian hums. 

You squint at it. You would think after hundreds of years you would be able to discern that.

"And over there! Look at those postcards!" You say, pointing the three postcards pinned to a cloth in a glass case.  One card showed the northern lights, another with a picture of a thick rainforest, another with a large cave, and another with the pantheon. 

"They're not well preserved are they." Damian comments, scrutinizing the postcards and noting all the imperfections, the little cracks and tears, the water stains, and odd splotches of dirt. 

You roll your eyes, curling your fingers around his arm. "That's cus Hermes supposedly brought them everywhere while he searched for his lost love." 

"Quite the romantic. Do you know all the artifacts?"

"Yup." 

"I see..." Damian drawls.  "Then why are we here then?" Damian winces at how harsh and impatient he sounds. 

"Cus Jon said I needed an excuse to get you here and viola. It worked. I knew you'd cross the sea for a rare exhibit."

I would cross the sea for you, no matter how many times, Damian thinks.

"What about this?" Damian points to a golden coin, shaking his thoughts away. 

You lean back, side-eyeing him. "Care to guess?" His handsome features furrow as he thinks. 

"I think it’s a coin used to pay Charon." He says finally. 

You frown. "Good guess." A smug grin curls on his lips.  You stick your tongue out at him. 

"It’s an old Greek coin to pay the travel into the underworld."

 "Why would they want to travel  to the underworld?" It's Damian's turn to frown. 

"Yanno for someone who's so smart. You're asking the dumbest questions."

"It's a reasonable question." He asserts, his tone oddly defensive.

"Most people can't bear to be apart from their beloved."

Damian hums noncommittally. He understands that. he understands that all too well. 

"Like you and Jon." You say grinning.

Damian glares at you. No real anger behind it. 

"You two bicker like an old married couple." You laugh.

 "So do we." Damian says flatly, stepping closer to you and closing the gap between the two of you. He's looking at you so intensely that your skin sets itself on fire. 

"I often think about burying you under the kitchen patio too." Damian sneers, with a sharp grin. 

You snap out of your daze. Leaning in close and smiling, your hot breath fan against Damian's face.  "Will you do it affectionately?"

The moment hangs still in the air.  If you could capture it in amber, you would.

"Huh? This is new." You say, looking down at the glass case.

"How many times have you seen this exhibit?"

You preemptively shoot him an accusatory look. "What are you?"

"Concerned."

"Pfff!"

You lean down reading the plate. "Says here it's a letter from the late 1700s and early 1800s. An unsent letter to lost love."

"Sounds cliched." Damian says, leaning down next to you. 

"You've said that about everything."

You feel Damian stiffen beside you. You glance at him. He looks mortified. Your eyes follow his and land on the letter. The calligraphy looks familiar but you can't think of where you've seen the scrawl.

Damian tugs at your shoulder.

"(Y/n), let's go."

You shrug him off.

"(Y/n), let’s go." He repeats with increased urgency.

You shove your palm to his face.

Damian wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you into his chest. You flail and kick out childishly.

“Damian Al Ghul Wayne, I will gnaw your arm off.” You hiss but he doesn’t let go. In a last ditch effort to break free of his hold, you wriggle out of your coat.  Landing on your ass, you scramble for the glass case. 

My beloved (Y/n), 

Finding the words to tell you how I feel about you is not an easy feat. I feel as though Ibn Hazm himself would struggle to compose poems to express my feelings for you even then they would be inadequate.

Whilst we are surrounded by such death and misery, here in London, I want you to know that during these dark times, it is you that keeps me a light. It is you that leads me through the void and guides me.

I think I’ve always loved you from the very first moment I laid eyes on your beautiful lopsided smile. Yes. Your real smile. The one only a handful of people will ever see. I have been lucky enough to see it every day.

As time passed, I fell more and more in love with you. You have seen all of me. You have seen the monster within me and yet you still stand by my side. Never faulting in your stance.

I wish I had the strength to tell you this, face to face. I wish I could look into your eyes and whisper words of love my immortal beloved.

With Love, 

Damian

You stare at the letter uncomprehending. Realization slides off of you like rain off a tin roof. You read it over and over again until each syllable is embedded in your mind. “Damian, what the actual fuck?!”

“I-”

“You dork!”

Damian clams up unable to think of a response. Ok, no. He had a number of responses but none of them were appropriate or witty. He searches your features but the only thing he can make out is shock. 

“(Y/n), I was-”

You press your hand to the glass. “How come you never sent me this?”

“The French Revolution.”

“Which one?”

He crosses his arms raising a brow. 

“Ok, nevermind. But still, it’s been 200 years.”

“A lot has happened in 200 years.”

“A lot has happened in 200 years.” You repeat mockingly.

Damian pinches your cheeks in retaliation.   

“I was pinning for more than 200 hundred years!” You protest. 

“So was I!” Damian says, releasing your cheek. 

“Then why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?” Damian asks, accusing and curt. You flinch, something vile and caustic rising in your stomach.  Damian sees it and grips your hand as you fall away from him. He just got you back. “(Y/n)....”

The fear and hurt melt off of your face. “I thought… I just thought you’d...” You ball your fists in frustration, not quite grasping the right words. But Damian already knows what you’re thinking. He’s seen that look in your face. He’s seen it every time you look at the mirror. It was infuriating to watch you like this. Why couldn’t you see just how perfect you are?

Damian pulls you into a hug, burying your face into his chest and resting his chin on top of your head. 

“You are infuriating.” He mumbles into your hair.

“And you’re rude.” You mumble back.

“Yet here you are 400 years later.” He laughs softly. 

You two stand in silence for a long moment. With Damian, silence itself was a language. It was one you’d grown fluent in. An unspoken conversation of confirmations and reassurances. 

He releases you but holds your hand in his. It feels warm. You shiver and Damian smiles at you, smooshing your coat into your face. Both of you can’t help but laugh. 

You step closer to the glass case, pulling him along. Damian follows without resistance, only lacing his fingers into yours. You both stare at the page. His proclamation of love carefully preserved for all to see. You take your phone out to take a picture.  Damian shoots you a glare. 

“You’re not sending that to Jon.” 

“Tim then.”

“No.”

“Fine, for myself then.” You pause seeing the confusion on his face. “In case, you know...” You say waving your hand. 

Damian tilts your chin up. “Beloved, I’m not going anywhere.”

Your chest flutters. After centuries of inaction, you can feel your heartbeat.  

[imagines-ouran]

in the midnight hour

Kaoru x angst // ft. Hikaru

He had come to realize that death was not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.

11:50pm

It was the inevitable, the inevitable that dared to stare straight through his hazel orbs, hopelessness consuming his entire being as he hesitantly peered straight back at the clock from across the room. Across the bare, empty hospital room, pale vacant walls seeming to lack any warmth at all. Swiftly positioning his chair closer to his twin, an uncomfortable one to say the least, a longing gaze of anguish clouded his thoughts as he gaped at the ever so still body laying in front of him. In a bed that was certainly too small for the both of them, one without warmth, one placed to simply fill an eerie void that crept throughout that hollow space.

His world had slowly stopped turning a year ago, yet for some reason, the universe had shown no mercy. It kept on turning, against his will, the clock refusing to stop the relentless countdown he had dreaded witnessing come full term. His entire essence was drowning in a pit of sorrow and despair, gasping for just a single breath of air that had yet to surface. That very well may never surface again.

I’m drowning.

Eyes fixated on the clock, he steadily shifted his attention towards the frighteningly stiff body beside him, the support of a pretentious machine having been the only thing keeping this beautiful soul from joining the divine stars above. The stars that illuminated the night sky, even on the darkest of nights.

Yes, I’m certain. This is what it feels like, to be pulled under by waves, waves that disguise themselves as water.

He hazily watched as his brothers chest slowly rose, the ventilator having been the only reason for such an occurrence, hot briny tears blurring his vision. Tears that demanded to cascade down his face, but he wouldn’t give them that satisfaction, not yet. It wasn’t the time, there were still 10 minutes. 10 unbearable, horrific, scrutinizingly painful minutes to come.

And just as slowly as his chest rose, it sank. Sank back down into the lifeless position it was in. Oh what a repetitively numbing process it was. Watching his other half lay there, his chest continuing on with such an agonizing process right before his eyes, subconsciously pleading to be saved.

This sea that I’m drowning in is not made of water. No, it’s made of something much worse.

But there was nothing he could do. A gut wrenching statement that sent shivers down his spine every time he had been forced to come to terms with it. He was his brothers rock, his safe space, his protector. He was supposed to be able to save him from situations like this, to hold him and tell him that it would be alright, to comfort him with a reassuring smile that would prove he’d surely be able to fix everything. To wrap him in his all-accepting arms, hold him close to his chest, silently lacing his fingers through his brothers ash brown hair as he welcomed the tears that would soon stain his pale skin. To soothe him with a tiny hum, one barely audible, although having a tendency to bring solace to his brothers aching heart. But this was different. All he could do now was wait for the inevitable.

It’s a sea of darkness— crashing waves of hopelessness and despair. And no matter how fast I swim, the dark flood that never hesitates to suffocate me always manages to pull me back in.

He carefully raised his hand to caress their cheek, softly running his fingertips across his bare skin, delicately grazing it as if it were porcelain. A sigh escaped his lips, lovingly admiring the face that had brought so much pleasure to his lonely world. So much comfort to his worries, something that had a tendency to consume him, so much liveliness to such a dull place. A person who had shown him that this life could hold so much more meaning to it if they had walked through it together, hand in hand, as the independent beings that they were. Someone who had finally made him realize that they would never truly find themselves all alone in this world; they would always have each other.

11:55pm

That had all changed one fateful night a year ago, exactly one year ago, this horrid day marking the anniversary of his brothers accident. Memories of an interrupted classroom came flooding back, the sudden chiming of his phone, having almost ignored the call due to the annoyance that had consumed him after disrupting the others around him. He could remember the pure terror that had managed to take over his body as the news was relayed, how his body trembled beneath him, how his breathing seemed to hitch. How insane he must have looked as he stormed out of that room, leaving all of his belongings behind.

Although the most vivid memory having been witnessing his brothers bruised and broken body lay directly in front of him, stretched out along a gurney. He had never seen such a large amount of blood before, at least not in person. The scars that had tainted his body, the wounds that would stop his heart. Not once had he ever pondered the thought of Hikaru’s absence in his life, not once did he believe a car accident would be the cause of such a tragedy.

But just like that, as quick as the snap of ones fingers, all of their plans had completely shattered. Their future together now ceased to exist. It’s almost as if the world were taunting him, attempting to see just how far it were able to push him until his breaking point had been reached. The world had a funny little way of testing people like that, and he detested it.

Hikaru, can you hear me?

A dreadful expression illuminated his face as a voice echoed behind him, the sound of a nurse anxiously reminding him that it was almost midnight. He snapped his head in their direction, eyes widening in such a way that pleaded for just a little more time. He was already well aware that once 12am hit, he’d have to give them permission to pull the plug. To stop the titillating machine that effortlessly gave life to his brothers body, to watch the dearest person to his heart fade away before his very eyes. He knew that, as he had already agreed to such a request a year ago.

And yet a single tear had still managed to escape his glistening eyes, not bearing the strength to hold in such threatening emotions any longer, fists clenching as the realization finally began to sink in. The agony, the relentless pain that demanded to be felt, was too excruciating to withstand. His hand reached out to interlock with his twins still hand, the other gliding over the front pieces of their silky hair, pushing the ends back ever so gently to plant a small kiss on his temple.

Hikaru, please don’t be scared.

Clacking footsteps along the icy tile floor came flooding in, drowning out the soft breaths of his adoring twin beside him. Breaths he had been attentively concentrating on until now, almost as if to ensure they were still there. His grip on Hikaru’s hand tightened, squeezing it to subconsciously assure his brother he wouldn’t dare leave his side during a moment like this. That he would wait until the very last breath left his body.

Everything will be alright. Soon enough, I promise, your suffering will come to an end.

A hand rested on his shoulders, stiff to the touch, but he couldn’t turn to meet their gaze. He couldn’t bare to tear his eyes away from his brothers small frame for even a second, his last moments of life ticking like a time bomb. But this wasn’t life, this wasn’t living. Remaining on life support for this amount of time was long enough; maybe it was a bit selfish, but he had wanted just a little more time with his other half. He hadn’t wanted to let go, not yet, as he had hoped for a miracle that insisted on never showing. Body trembling, he gently slid the hand not occupied by Hikaru’s across his chest, placing it directly above his brothers heart. His face scrunched, lips quivering, every bone in his body aching to the touch. Restraining the tears that were bound to descend at any moment, he shifted his attention from his brother only for a moment, begrudgingly giving a slight nod to the nurse beside him.

12am

Their dainty fingertips glided across the machine, pity devouring their sorrowful eyes as they met his, reluctantly shutting off the monitor that had kept Hikaru in arms reach for so long. And he froze, a wide-eyed gape transcending across his face, hairs rising along every inch of his body. A pit of utter denial forming in his gut, heart pounding at an exponential rate. As of right now, his brother was dying. There was nothing left preventing him from the inevitable, as this was it.

Repetitive beeping echoed throughout the now vacant room, both twins now having been the only ones left. The ringing of the monitor kept an undeviating pace, although steadily slowing down every so often. His head rested above Hikaru’s, temple to temple, hand in hand.

Do you remember that poem I had once read to you?

He breathily inhaled, keeping his hand firmly placed over Hikaru’s heart, listening as the monitor slowed after each passing minute. And as if following suit, so did his heart. Eyes firmly closed to listen to his slowing heartbeat, head still rested against Hikaru’s, he exhaled once more. Such a simple process, one that he had taken for granted until now. A process his brother no longer had the pleasure of taking part in.

This feeling, he couldn’t fully grasp it— why he couldn’t save him. The answer to that question eluded him, the world around him too surreal to fully comprehend at a time like this.

That poem, Hikaru, it reminded me of you.

And then, there was silence. Nothing capable of describing the absence of emotions he felt in that very moment, a lifetime of words waiting to be said had disappeared. For a split second, the world stood still. And with the bulge in his throat growing, two souls that had been intertwined since birth had finally begun to part, almost as if he could subconsciously sense his brothers hand pulling away from his as he sauntered towards the light.

He smiled into his brothers face as the monitor flatlined, hand clenching his twins gown as he felt his heart beat its last pulse, the tears he had held back for so long finally tumbling down his flushed cheeks directly onto his brothers. Lifting his head from his ashy haired twin, he gently repositioned it to rest against the crook of his neck, gently wrapping his quivering arms around him. A silent surge of uneven sobs had begun to escape his lips, unable to deter these overflowing feelings of despair any longer. Uncontrollable, unwavering sobs, almost as if he were a child once more.

He clung to his brothers lifeless frame, not a word capable of escaping his lips, his sorrowful weeps drowning out any efforts. Uncontrollably shaking, not a single breath able to be caught, eyes swelling up with each passing second. This time, there would be no efforts to resuscitate him. This was it, the inevitable.

When he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night

And pay no worship to the garish sun

[sugoi-writes]

How about the muppet boys with a boyfriend? Pretty please??

Osomatsu-San X Boyfriends! Part 1 (Oso,Kara,Choro)

(I know, I know, I’m splitting it in half. but I want to try and dedicate separate posts so I can really put my all into them, and just so it’s easier for me to soar through them, without sounding to redundant. Enjoy!!!)

Osomatsu

Handsy is an understatement. When he finally snags a relationship with his s/o, oh my god, you will not be spared a moment. He loves his man/male presenting s/o. 

For his favorite physical parts of you... expect lots of raspberries and kisses there. Expect him to constantly want to hold your hand, squeeze your thigh, or nuzzle into your neck. He’s a living, breathing space heater, and will do everything he can to stay glued to you/on you.

He, of course, will always mooch off of you, but most importantly: love to smooch you. 

He’s a simple man. He doesn’t want overly extravagant dates or grand gestures. He’s the type that wants to stay home and play games, and spoon all day (he hates to admit it, but he likes being little spoon as much as he does big spoon).

To his parents, anyone who can make Oso get off his ass get a job is a god send. Expect frequent phone calls, visits, and home-cooked dinners. They’re almost as enamored with you as their son, and make an effort to get to know you.

Even with you both productive and on your own, they insist you call them if you need anything.

Oso will definitely be the type that eventually wants to settle down. This may not necessarily mean marriage, but he definitely wants to live with you, have a nice little house in a suburb, and grow old with you. Whether you involve pets or children into the equation is up to you. Oso thinks adoption is a neet neat idea, and is definitely down for it and other alternatives.

Karamatsu

Tell him he’s pretty. Tell him he’s handsome. He craves validation, and finds it the most sincere when you’re threading your fingers through his hair. This baby is more than touch starved, but will not beg for it. But you can definitely feel his contented sighs and his warm cheeks when you give him a sliver of your kindness.

He can also crave the simpler things in life, but also loves grand gestures, fancy dinner parties, and going out on the town with you. He’s incredibly flexible, and his super power is being spontaneous. 

You’ll never have a dull moment with him. Whether you’re discovering his poems and songs hidden in the closet, helping him shop for new clothes, or taking him to places he’s never been before... you know that Karamatsu loves any moment that can be spent with you, beside you.

He is deeply receptive to physical touch and affection, and whenever you kiss him, kiss his knuckles, play with his hair... This man is P U D D Y in your hands.

Seriously this man would gladly jump down a flight of stairs, land in a forward split, and do vigorous jazz hands for a minute straight if it meant that you would pamper him as he should be.

He’s not spoiled... but he CAN be. And don’t expect him to back down when it comes to spoiling you.

He makes a lot of effort to be a part of and indulge in your favorite hobbies. Like to paint? He’ll be your muse. Like to sing? He’ll back you up with some guitar. Like to hike? Uhh... he’ll do his best. 

His parents, 10/10, will adore you and want you to marry him. ASAP. They know how much of an affect you have on their son, and will practically beg you to become part of the family.

You’re a ball of radiance and peace that befalls the family. But with Kara, they’ve seen him change into a sweeter, even more passionate guy. And they know that you’re the spark he’s always been missing.

Choromatsu

While some people make the off-putting statement that you “complete” someone in a relationship... people tell you that you actually bring Choro back down to Earth.

You can make him focus on what’s in front of him, in the here and now, instead of fantasizing and thinking of the “what if’s”. You’ve always appreciated his positivity and forward looking attitude, but sometimes you have to be realistic, too.

Choromatsu tries to keep his feelings for you in check, and not expose too much of himself that may be embarrassing, or maybe even adorable... but you always manage to get him to squeak out sweet nothings to you, while you have him in your arms.

He likes to work from home, as he’s the guy that can tend to hop from job to job, and evolve past a position quickly. Once he’s shown the miracles and niceties of working and having an income, Choro becomes a work horse. So, of course, you help him relax when he’s home, and keep him grounded when he’s stressed/overworked.

You both like to do simple, small dates, but you both really enjoy going on annual, INSANE trip. These are usually saved up for, and a combined effort on both of your parts. You could go to Comic Con, travel to an important job fair (for his or your work), go on a cruise, go to a Nyaa-chan concert.... it’s incredibly unpredictable, but the both of you thrive off of that! So what if you guys mostly worked hard?? You guys need to let off steam too!!!

You guys have evolved into a relationship that is healthy, domestic-like, and just all around balanced lifestyle. You amaze his parents with how dedicated yet independent you both are. They have bets that Choro will definitely want to marry you in a few years, but they’re relieved that Choro is taking his time, and just enjoying his “glory years” with you before tying any knots.

(Aaaaand, that’s it for part one! I’ll be coming back with the other 3, younger NEETS whenever I feel another surge of inspiration! I’m trying not to overdo it, because I’m currently going through a STRESSFUL transition into a new job. Ciao!)

[yetremains]

♡ + Yang and Ryou, both canon and MK verses :^)

SEND ME ♡ + A SHIP AND I’LL TELL YOU…

ANOTHER LONG ONE Oh boy this will be interesting *Entirely on the maybes of when they stop being dummy himbos* I tried

CANON

Who is the most affectionate? At first they would probably be very slow and gentle with the affection, considering there are already plenty of soft moments between them. Ryou is naturally affectionate towards his friends and loved ones, while Yang enjoys letting those she cares for know she does. But once the option is here, they would probably be very touch starved indulgence. Lots of tight holds, leaning into each other, soft whispers late into the night. Calling each other by their real names when alone.

Who initiates the handholding? Given the chance, Yang would absolutely go for hand holding first, as a grounding reminder. That it's real, Ryou is real, this is still reality. However I can see it being him that would in the quiet moments reach out to thread their fingers together, take solace in the warmth and grip.

Who worries more for the other? Ryou, without a doubt. While she worries over him and always has over the time they have known each other, Yang is the more feral. 'She protecc, she attacc, but also YANG YOU HAVE TO HOLD BACK'. After all these years, there has been the constant that Yang will willingly enter a fight if there is no other option. A combination of being a product of the world she's lived in, and the traumatic fear of loss.

Who is more likely to ask for help? Neither of them want to burden the other, or anyone really, with any of their troubles or endanger them, stubborn idiots. However they are extremely close, and if there was a deep need for help with something, or presence, and ear, then Ryou and Yang truly can depend on each other in times of need. And after a bit, probably more than willing to reach out. Breaking old habits is hard and never done in one night.

Who is the one always losing the keys? I feel like not one or the other would loose their keys all that often. Having been around in this world a god damn long time, they have learned to keep important objects close and on hand. But in Jack's case, maybe forgetting anything higher tech related would be more common.

Who leaves little love notes for the other? Being so tied with music, Yang would probably be leaving poems or small lyrics for Ryou now and then, while he'd leave behind heart felt notes of few lines.

Who can’t sleep unless the other is there? Sleep? These two? Less likely than you think! A combination of stubborn, trauma, PTSD, and the refusal to fall prey too the internal minds. But all the same, Yang wants to help him sleep more. But I feel that knowing they both have someone dependable there, they can't sleep well at all without each other.

Who is more likely to propose to the other? Two dummy thicc stubborn idiots managing this far? Your guess is as good as mine! This is much like a wild card, and it depends entirely on the thought processes. But if a lot of time goes by, it would be Yang, with a simple gold ring with writing around the inside of it. If she doesn't internalize it and let the thoughts spiral forever. Otherwise Ryou just might get the chance first.

Who introduced the other to their family first? Jack/Ryou, since he has adopted Ashi as a dottir. Yang doesn't really have any family left, considering her age and the wars of the past. And Scottsman is absolutely the wild uncle.

Who is more likely to play with the other’s hair? I've said this before, but Yang does love playing with her partners hair, and Jack is going to be spoiled like this. Running her fingers through his long hair, enjoying how soft it is. And amazed he can tie all of it up so easily and quick. Talent.

Who makes sure the other has meals/stays hydrated? It would possibly switch depending on the day and the others moods, the highs and lows. Yang will absolutely spoil him with salmon items, green teas, and peach anything, especially peach mochi.

Who is more likely to stand up to anyone for the other? A long time ago it would have absolutely been Yang immediately ready to throw down. But now, they are far more on par, and Ryou would absolutely be protective if he knows something would be too much or too dangerous for Yang to handle. He's the holder of most braincells and also arguably the more dangerous out of the two of them.

Who is the most likely to prepare a surprise for the other? Yang loves spoiling and surprising those she cares about. Be it small hand made items, food, silly gifts, it's just nice. So most often she might surprise him with something. But Jack is also the type to take great consideration and time to return such acts of affection.

Who makes the other pinky promise not to do certain things? Jack/Ryou. While the two of them no longer age, he is well aware Yang is much older and has crossed a lot of lines in the past. Long ago when he was more bright eyed, it was him that had Yang not be so merciless in a fight with someone, more willing to give second chances in a world that was so twisted already. He would most likely make her promise not to take unneeded risks. But on the flip side of that coin, Yang would make Ryou pinky swear to not let himself spiral so far down in himself and his thoughts.

Who puts a blanket over the other when they fall asleep on the couch? Sleeping on the couch? It's a miracle! In all seriousness though, the most likely scenario would be Ryou coming across Yang slumped on the couch at some point and putting a blanket on her. Since she will go quite a long time without sleep naturally, but further than should be done. But this doesn't mean that Yang wouldn't find him once in a rare blue moon instead, and put her vest over him with a blanket. Potentially going to slip closer to let his head lay in her lap.

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MK VERSES

Who is the most affectionate? It would take a while for them to get here, but as close and trusting as the two are, if one wants affection then it will be given. Touch starved old souls want their cuddles, and they want them now. In this particular case I feel it might be Ryou sunshine boy that is just a little more. Yang will eventually melt into it, if she's not being the big spoon, or letting him lay on her chest to hear the heartbeat.

Who initiates the handholding? Depending on the where and when, it could be one or the other. But feel Yang might be the one to reach out and hold, but Ryou's grip might be just a little tighter when the thread their fingers together.

Who worries more for the other? When is there not worry for the other? Both of them are dangerous warriors in their own right and have been through hell and high water, improved their fighting skills and talents over the years, thus seen each other messed up in more ways than one. It's natural. But does not mean the fear or worry goes away. But I feel like in certain scenarios, it might be Yang that worries more about him, and gets herself ready for the worst- which in turn makes him worry harder. It's an infinity loop!

Who is more likely to ask for help? For something smaller, it's left unsure. Potentially willing to bring one or another in for help. It's not often that the need for it might arise if it's something more difficult, but if it does, it might just be Yang to ask first. Stubbornly.

Who is the one always losing the keys? Potentially these two, who carefully keep track of such things, would rarely loose anything. For ease of sue as well, Yang might just label what keys of hers go where for Ryou, because Yang does travel.

Who leaves little love notes for the other? I can see Ryou leaving more simple notes, but Yang will leave origami folded flowers for him in return, to unfold and read himself. They may even use different languages to convey things better, seeing as some are lacking in words.

Who can’t sleep unless the other is there? Both of them no doubt, considering they've been through way too much. But having a warm body there to hold can help. However... The meaning of proper sleep is lost on Yang, as her schedule is often stay up 48 hours, sleep for 9 or so after, rinse and repeat. It means more likely to watch over and protect. Waking from nightmares and memories is a common event. But with Ryou there she can manage to sleep more regularly and not be so tense. The nightmares don't stop of course, but it does help.

Who is more likely to propose to the other? Oddly enough, while Yang had been the one who proposed too her old fiance many years ago, in this particular instance she might not. Would just be content and happy with what they have here, not daring push it. So it probably in the end would be the half edenian if it went that far. Unless Yang uses music to do so.

Who introduced the other to their family first? If very close friends and ally's count as family, or adopted ones, then I feel like it doesn't matter who does it first. This would just come into happening with lost of smiles and gleeful joy. Have you seen the adopted kids? Here they are on both sides, aren't they fantastic!

Who is more likely to play with the other’s hair? Yang would adore playing with Ryou's hair, brushing it and braiding or such things, massaging his scalp. Her hands are surprisingly soft, thanks to wearing gloves all the time. But if he were to do the same for her, she would be weak for it.

Who makes sure the other has meals/stays hydrated? Eating hearty and staying hydrated is something Yang always needs to do, and knows how horrible it is to not do so. So while she may sometimes neglect herself, this woman will make sure to feed Ryou as well as keep his favorite tea on hand as often as possible. She wants to make sure he is healthy as well as happy.

Who is more likely to stand up to anyone for the other? Considering how powerful these two can get I don't think there is an either one here. Ryou's own grandmother gave Yang the blessing to fist fight an Elder God, and Ryou himself is ready to throw down if he has too, as well as having fought a god himself too. In the end though, it is the calm and collected ones you need to watch out for more. If the culprit in question is truly beyond redemption and a blight on life, Ryou will take someone out and no one will find the body.

Who is the most likely to prepare a surprise for the other? Remember how Yang enjoys showing her affection in various ways? This is another one of those, and yes, she will get small surprised for Ryou. Be it wood carvings of certain places, people, or items, or personalized object of some sort, even a keychain perhaps, Yang will surprise him with such things. But I feel he would do the same with Yang, and possibly be something that would entirely catch her off guard.

Who makes the other pinky promise not to do certain things? They both do, making the other promise not to run headlong into things, or get them selves hurt. After having been through so damn much on either side, they know what each other is capable of, as well as the dangers that don't scare them no matter what. So a pinky promise is something I can see happening easily between them, and trying to uphold it.

Who puts a blanket over the other when they fall asleep on the couch? Here it might be a toss up. But more than likely it would be Ryou coming across Yang having succumb to sleep or exhaustion on the couch or in a chair, maybe even a desk. Woman tries too much at once and tries to keep notes and information, and will end up dropping things. So it would most likely be him to pull a blanket up and over her. But he's no exempt from experiencing the same thing, because if Yang were too find him asleep somewhere as well, then he'd be softly tucked in, and her staying close to reassure with her presence and warmth.

[astrologysvt]

Chart First Impressions: Seungkwan

In celebration of Seungkwan’s bday, I’m starting the “Seungkwan is Best Baby” club and here is my list of reasons why you should join it. 

These are just the first impressions I had to all of their charts – the parts that popped out to me as being notable, things I personally liked, things I thought were interesting or contrary to the image I have of them. Things like that. I’m not looking at anything in particular with each reading. Some of their readings may be more aspect focused, where some may just focus solely on their personal planets. If you have any questions on specific aspects or want to request a more specific reading, feel free to send me an ask!I adore this boy 

our little capricorn baby 

lets have a nice little capricorn talk. 

another misunderstood sign

caps can be seen as stubborn, maybe judgmental. 

maybe sometimes overly practical and inflexible. 

i’ll be honest and say that caps have been the hardest for me personally to understand, but learning to understand them has been incredibly rewarding and enlightening. 

the first hurdle you need to address if ur struggling to understand caps is to understand that they aren’t miracle workers. 

they are so easy to write off in readings as the hard-workers, the ambitious ones, the ones who get stuff done. 

lmao there is an expectation that, if no other sign can do it, a cap probably can — but these things are obviously more complex than that, and no one is immune to failure.  

honestly, i think the main reason why people think this is, is because a cap is gonna be the last one to be okay dropping things if they know no one else is going to pick it up after them. 

even if they’re over it and don’t want to deal with it anymore — they’re gonna be the ones who know how to find the patience and perseverance within themselves to see it to completion. 

i went into it a little bit with seungcheol, but i think the primary identifying factor for a cap is their sense of responsibility. 

how they decide to address/focus/direct this sense of responsibility is up to them, but i’ve met various capricorns at very different places with their sense of responsibility. 

some ignore it, some are CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT IT. 

caps who struggle to focus it in any which direction can tend to be pretty fickle with their time and struggle to justify imputing excessive amounts of effort into things they aren’t sure about.

if they don’t see it amounting to something, they’d rather not do anything.  

and then you have the caps who are so committed in one direction who really feel as though time is constantly passing them by.

this is because they’re so focused on their goals that they struggle to grasp the progress they are actually making. 

either way, what’s looming over them both is this hyper awareness of a sense of purpose (or lack there of). 

and in my experience, they both tend to be rather insecure regardless of the place they’re at with their goals. 

they’re either insecure in knowing they need to be doing things and aren’t, or insecure in not knowing whether they’re being the most efficient with their time. 

that’s just something to think about with both seungkwan and joshua, though i think this is much more prominent in seungkwan 

(not to say joshua doesn’t have the same sense of responsibility, he just seems to be less quick to action than seungkwan is). 

with seungkwan, he’s the opportunist capricorn. 

they’re the ones who don’t wait for people to hype them up to start doing things. 

if they see an opportunity, they’ve already signed on and have started preparing. 

this makes sense considering his approach to variety shows. 

if he sees the opportunity, he reaches out. 

same with his cover of love poem, he saw the opportunity to make this connection with IU and it ended up being this really beautiful exchange. 

this cap attitude is the one he exactly expressed in the behind the scenes, too, when he was explaining that he didn’t know where the courage came from but he really wanted to directly ask IU for the instrumental. 

he didn’t HAVE to per say, but his lack of fear allowed him to pursue this project in a very sincere, touching, and authentic way. 

it goes to show how good these caps are at putting the effort forward before they can think themselves out of it. 

these caps are just a mystery to me because you can’t even imagine where the idea to do the things they do come from, and before you have time to ask them what they’re up to, they’re already knee deep in the project and starting new ones as you speak. 

but lets look at the rest of his chart 

we’ve got a virgo moon! 

so i feel like people don’t give virgos enough credit for being some of the funniest people in the world, honestly. 

they are naturally very clever people and consequentially very great conversationalists (so long as they don’t have other, more reserved placements that may interfere). 

they are this way because they are so observant and detail-oriented. 

they can talk for hours about the intricacies of the most random things and can talk about them with such passion because they genuinely think the little things are the most interesting. 

they’re very similar to gemini placements in the sense that they want to know everything and study everything, and honestly just love being able to share their findings with people. 

i think the primary difference is that geminis do it because they are so curious and inquisitive, almost to a fault. 

where as a virgo approaches it more as research/getting their bearings. 

they feel the most comfortable in situations where they can account for all the details, understand how each part functions, and can have enough information where they feel as though they can comfortably predict all possible outcomes. 

they’re so good at this to the point that they manage to come to these findings incredibly fast, almost subconsciously. 

which is why you can hardly ever get anything past someone with a strong virgo influence. even when you think they’re not paying attention.

they keep tabs on the most random, minuscule things and man will they let you know if something is not how it should be. 

but how does this make him funny? 

virgo’s take that attention to detail and they apply that to their humor. 

they’re the ones to point out that random thing they noticed you did that you didn’t think anyone would notice, but boy did they notice it and did they think it was hilarious. 

or the kind of things that wouldn’t be funny inherently, but are funny because they put it in such a specific context that now you think it’s the funniest thing on the planet. 

it’s because they’re resourceful comedians who are super in tune not just with the nuance that puts those jokes over the top, but they are so good at finding the most obscure, random things to pick fun at. 

they’re humor also def leans more towards the satiric/absurd realm. 

i mean, john mulaney is a virgo idk what more i need to say to prove how funny and weird virgos can be. 

seungkwan honestly has such a big heart. 

so i know earth signs have a habit of coming across cool or impersonal, and with a cap sun, mercury, venus & virgo moon you’d imagine he’d be too cool for school. 

but don’t forget virgo influences are one of the healers of astrology. 

in astrology there are two “healers” 

pisces are the emotional healers, and virgos are the physical healers. 

this could explain his ultra obsession with helping the others maintain their health, and also why he manages to nag them about it in the sweetest way. 

but we’ve also got a virgo moon trine cap mercury. 

this makes him incredibly emotionally competent. 

having this aspect associated with both earth signs makes it so that his concern with health and stability is how he expresses his care.  

he truly and deeply understands the role he plays in taking care of his members and takes it very seriously. 

this also makes him really good at giving advice!!! 

he’s so attentive and is really good at balancing emotional support with guidance. 

this can also make him incredibly great in stressful situations as he’s able to take in chaos and turbulence through his moon and effectively process it. then his cap mercury’s quick brain and knack for logics kicks in and starts problem solving. 

his moon is opposite jupiter

this is the aspect that really makes him that fun-loving, sweet, warm-hearted boo we all know and love. 

he’s so generous with affection and humor because it comes from this bottomless well within him. 

he’s so accessible and i think this is one of the reasons why people are so quick to warm up to him. 

hehehe tho he does have a tendency to over do it due to that opposition.

the jupiter influence gives him this super open and free energy from that added sag influence while making him incredibly optimistic at heart.

he’s just so easy to be around, and when you see him open up his arms to you there’s no reason for you not to return the gesture. 

not only that, but talking with him is so fun because he is so animated and so passionate yet so invested in the conversation because he genuinely enjoys hearing from different perspectives. 

he is truly a happy, and optimistic person at heart and associating this with his moon makes him incredibly stable and enduring in the face of emotional turmoil.

it doesn’t make him immune to emotions or sadness, but he is certainly always able to find a silver lining while also allowing him to be constructive on the reasons he may have ended up where he was. 

but you take that and then you add his already super committed capricorn energy, and what you get is this incredibly resilient guy.

it’s because of this that he’s so capable of being present in every single aspect. 

there is at no point that seungkwan checks out, may it be professionally,  personally, emotionally.  

he is truly someone you can depend on in all fronts. 

[foxofsunholt]

hey, would it be alright if I asked for some Fluffy Facts about the ROs? I’ve been having a bit of a hard time emotionally for the past week so I could use some Fluff tbh if that’s alright with you 💕

200% alright! I'm not entirely sure what a fluffy fact is but I tried lol, if you want to know anything specific, shoot me another ask! Good vibes your way!!!!

Adelaide

She can't sing very well, which isn't a fluffy fact itself, but to calm the unease of overburdened workers around the castle, she will sing���to hear the princess sing so horribly off-key and haphazard is a comfort. Not every one is perfect, and Adelaide tries her best to get the people around her to not be so hard on themselves (ironically she's hard on herself but there's no one to sing horribly to her and tell her thinks will be okay....yet)—she does the same for the MC

Unsurprisingly a very affectionate person, when it comes to love, she harbours little shame for who her lover might be. She's very proud of it, actually. She'll be the first person to tell everyone 

She tries her best to take everything in stride, but in the days when that's hard...she allows herself reprieve. She will rest, laze about, breathe and quiet voices that tell her she's wasting her time—on those days she has warm drinks, snacks and books to fall on. She would understand if someone else wanted a day like that too, and if you wanted her company then, she'd never say no. 

Develops a white hot chocolate just for the MC, so they can experience hot chocolate (which is her favorite drink)

Loves to hear about people's days, their dreams, all the small things

Camille

Being someone who spends most of her time alone, she does delight in the quiet moments—wordless affection, comfortable acceptance of eachother

She never really knows how to tell someone she likes them. Do I shower them in gifts??? Here's three thousand roses are you aware that I love you

With the MC around, she does feel a lot more comfortable with going out and being among crowds of people—she never admits it but the truth is she's horribly shy in public settings, she never goes to parties or events for this exact reason—but she wants to and the MC helps her

She sneaks books that she really likes into the public library in hopes someone else will get the chance to read it before the council curators come, notice an unsanctioned book, and burn it 

Camille has actually become an adept copier for that exact reason, developing her own convenient spell for it 

The castle library is basically hers, everyone has just accepted that 

As children, Camille and Adelaide were always together. When Adelaide began to be forced to spend more time away, learning her royal duties, Camille made up excuses so she could join Adelaide, which is how she learned etiquette and decorum more than any servant should have

She was the one who gave Mars his cat, sir snuggles

Faith

Also very physically affectionate but in a much different way than Adelaide, she simply has trouble not touching people

A cuddler, a great sleep enthusiast, come to bed with me in literally any sense of the word please

She knows all the spots with the best views, it's where she goes to think, eventually, she will share them with you

Despite how she comes off, she does understand the detachment material goods can have as a gift—sure, a nice gold necklace is a great present but Faith would rather give the MC something else, something with meaning

Again, despite how she comes off, non-sexual and/or non-romantic intimacy is also something she likes—and likewise she's more than happy to oblige if it's something someone else wants (she'll smooch her friends, sHE'LL DO IT)

Enjoys touching someone's hair, playing with it, combing it—her own hair is long and messy so she doesn't really care for trying to fix it but she likes applying that care to someone else 

Has a very soft spot for children, she absolutely adores them and she's a miracle worker with even the most rowdy of child — she gives as much as she can to local orphanages and spends time with the children best she can

Mars

Sleeps cuddled with his cat and when he can't he carries around a painting of him—loves his cat a lot, basically 

He fights the urge to smile, if only someone could tell him it's okay to be happy

Expert masseuse, he learned because his muscles were sore from all the heavy armor but then he realized he can't massage himself so now he just has this skill he never gets to use 

Baking calms him down, makes him feel like he can do something with his hands that isn't carnage, he bakes sweets for the servants 

Not great with physical affection, it's new to him, but he enjoys holding hands 

Sir Snuggles came from a litter of cats he helped nurse to health, and then personally sought out adopters for. Camille took sir snuggles only to hand it right back to Mars—who did not think to keep a cat at all, knowing he wasn't allowed and that his quarters were pretty cramped

A fan of cute things

Sid

Often a loud and rough man, he becomes gentle around those he cares for

Always asks for his sister's opinion on fashion. When she was worried about how she might look in more feminine clothing, Sid wore a dress for a week

Protective; he'll speak up for those that can't, fight for others, do whatever he can. 

Truly can't bare to see anyone being wronged

You'll never find a more true friend, and if he hasn't heard from you in a while, he's sure to stop by with your favorite food to check in on you

Learns the words to all your favorite songs so he can sing along too

Loves to encourage people to try new things, whether that's food or steering a ship—if you're bad at it or don't like it, don't worry! Sid never judges, he's just happy to see someone try setting out

Yoon

*colors of the wind plays softly in the background*

The most likely person to understand how hard talking can be sometimes, and how helpful. He knows pain and you don't have to explain in so many words what's troubling you

A man filled with violent anger who never once loses his temper, he retains composure and would be forever guilty if he ever did explode at someone 

Usually knows what someone is thinking before even they do, he's ready with whatever you need

His vanity can be annoying, but it's also one of his favorite comedic tools—and it works, most of the time

reTAIL THERAPY 100% has "treat yo self" days with Faith that he's quick to rope the MC into 

Tells the best bedtime stories

Leaves sweet messages around, ranging from simple "I love you" notes to heartfelt poems

[glenncoco4]

To Love

A/N: Chapter 3 of What Happens Next? A little bit T.

XXXX

"Are we really doing this?” Marty looks over at his wife with a bit of apprehension. 

She hold her hand out for him to take, giving him a faint smile. “Yeah, you don’t like the idea?”

“I love the idea very much but just the thought of that thing being jabbed in my skin and drug through it is kinda cringe worthy.”

“Come on, baby, I already did it. You can’t bail on me now.” She bats her eyelashes at him and sends it home by pouting her lips. “Do it for me?”

“Damn you, Kensi Deeks.”

“I love you.”

45 minutes later

They’re standing by the wall on the side of the room, each of their arms that are closest to the mirror raised. She places her palm against his and threads their fingers together. 

He brings his lips to her for a chaste kiss and then they both turn to look at the reflection. A smile spreading to each of their faces at the now complete image before them.

The two waves start off slanted and then start to barrel, forming a heart. It’s them; it’s their love. 

Kensi had been thinking about these matching tattoos for awhile. Whenever they would have a break or lull in cases she would sit at her desk and just stare at her hand wishing she could be wearing her ring. They decided to keep their marriage a secret at work together but she still felt wrong without her ring. It was a part of her now, a part of their story and she loved their story. One day she was coming back from lunch and walked past a tattoo shop and that’s when it hit her. 

She watches as his eyes slowly flutter open and is met with two ocean pools. “Good morning, handsome.”

A lazy smile spreads to his lips at the sight of his beautiful wife in front of him. He tightens his arm around her even more and pulls her towards him until they’re bare chest to bare chest.“Morning, Sunshine.”

“Do you know what today is?”

“Yeah, it’s Saturday.”

“Try again, buddy.”

“Of course I know what today is, wifey.”

May 28, 2004

Kensi glares at him when she sees that playful look in his eyes.“Martin Deeks, if you want sex tonight I would be very careful with that cake if I were you.”

They cross her arms and bring the cake towards the other’s mouth. He does as told and places the piece of dessert in her mouth but the newly Mrs. Deeks has other plans. 

Marty’s eyes go wide in shock at the feel of her missing his mouth and shoving the fluffy dessert directly into his nose and upper lip. “Kenssss, come on. That’s not fair.”

She brings her lips to his ear, a seductive grin playing at her lips. “Be good and I’ll let you play with the cake later, hubby.”

He turns his head, their faces now a breath a part as a awestruck look crosses over his features.

“What?”

“Hubby. I’m your husband.”

“Yeah, and I’m your wife.”

He shines his pearly whites at the truth of her statement. Closing the small gap, he brings his lips to hers.“I love you, wife.”

“I love you more, husband.”

....

She starts playing with his hand, his wedding ring on full display. “So I was thinking.”

“Thinking’s good.”

“I was thinking that we should get matching tattoos.”

“Tattoos. Interesting.”

“Well, it’s just that I hate that I can’t wear my ring at work and I love you so much. I thought it might be comforting.”

“Baby, you know it’s just a piece of jewelry.”

“I know but still.”

He knows how much her ring means to her and how she hates that she has to leave it behind while at work, he feels the same way. “To be honest with you, I hate that I can’t wear mine either.”

“And that’s where the tattoos come in.”

She turns over and reaches into her night stand, pulling out a picture to show him what she had in mind.

His eyes light up at the image before him and how surprised he is at how much meaning a 2 inch image could have. “Wow, that’s so us.”

“Right? It’s inconspicuous and no one else would know the true meaning behind it.”

“It’s just a wave and of course together it would give us away but if someone….lets say a criminal were to see it, it wouldn’t get a second glance. Just another Californian with a wave tattoo.”

“Mmhm.”

“But we’d know what it meant.”

“We would.”

Marty stares at his love, god how he loves her. She’s still staring at their new artwork and he can’t help but notice the happiness that’s radiating off her. Truth is is that he would get his whole body tattooed if it made her happy. “We can still do stuff with these, right?”

She’s pulled out of her trance when her husband’s words hit her ears. Her hand that’s resting on his hip finds their mark and pinches the skin of his love handle. 

“Ow!” He yelps at the sharp pain. “Hey, it’s a valid question.”

Blake laughs at the blonde man’s clear meaning behind his words. “Yeah, man. You can do stuff.”

They keep their hands interlocked and thank the man that just poked and prodded at their bodies for the past hour and a half. “Thanks, Blake.”

The heavily tattooed man nods in appreciation of their business. “Anytime.”

As they make their way out of the tattoo parlor the sun is setting, which is perfect for his gift for her. Walking across the street hand in hand, he guides her over to the dunes. “If you’ll have a seat, my lady. I will present you with your gift.”

She brings her lips to his cheek at his adorableness. God how she loves him. She takes a seat in the sand just like he asked and looks up at him. The sun is hitting the water as it sets. Right here in this moment, she can’t imagine loving him anymore than she already does.

He reaches for his back pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. Just as he unfolds it, his body begins to tremble at what he’s about to say. His eyes lock with hers and he relaxes. The love she holds in her heart for him shines bright in her eyes and he doesn’t think he could love her anymore than he already does.

Just to say I love you

never seems enough.

I’ve said it so many times

I am afraid you won’t understand

what I really mean when I say it.

How can so much feeling,

so much adoration possibly fit into

those three little words.

But until l find some other

way of saying what I feel, then

“I love you” will have to do.

So no matter how many times I say it,

never take it lightly, for you are my life,

and my only love.

I love you now more

than ever before.

She can’t keep her eyes off of him. The words that leave his lips and the desperation she so clearly sees in his cerulean blues to find the words that describe how he truly feels makes her desire for his touch that much stronger. 

He watches her beautiful mismatched eyes and his heart does a million little flips as an angelic smile spreads to her face. She reaches out her head which he gladly accepts but instead of him pulling her up, she quickly pulls him down on top of her. Her arm wraps around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers.

She waits for him to bring his lips to hers but they seem to be stuck in this moment. Saying all they need to with their eyes. Somehow conveying to each other the depths of their love. Marty finally closes the distance between their lips and places a passionate kiss to hers. His tongue sweeps across her lips, asking for entrance. Their tongues begin to duel and hands begins to wander until they remember they’re on a public beach.

Kensi pushes her husband back a little to put some distance between them with a smirk. “We can continue that at home but it seems as though great minds think alike because I also have a gift for you.” She wiggles a little bit to pull out an identical sheet of paper from her pocket.

Sensing that they’re being watched, Marty places a kiss on his wife’s forehead and rolls over so now he’s laying on his side with his hand propping up his head. 

The brunette doesn’t stay laying down though. She sits up in front of him, crossing her legs and gives him a sweet smile. 

In you, 

I have finally found all I

never dared dream I could

deserve or have—the kind

of love that is rare.

Be known in a way that

touches the deepest parts

of me. Accepted in a way

that blows my mind.

In you, 

the love I have always 

desired to give now has a 

place to call home. I have

been a skeptic, but you are

my undeniable miracle.

The questions don’t matter

anymore. We have finally

found each other, and that

is enough.

As the last line leaves her lips, she’s abruptly pulled up onto her feet by her husband who then begins to hurriedly walk them to their car. 

“Baby?”

“We gotta get home now.”

Her laughter emanates from her joyous smile at his clear excitement. 

Once they reach the car he opens the passenger side door and all but pushes her inside.

She watches as he quickly walks around the front of the car and she bites her lip when she sees that his hands are down towards the front of his pants blocking any bystanders view of what’s going on underneath. 

Hopping inside, he turns the key, starting the ignition.  He feels her eyes trailing up and down his body. Marty locks eyes with her and right away knows that’s a bad idea because she has that seductive grin on her face and yep, she’s biting her lip. “Unless you want to explain to your boss why we got arrested for indecent exposure I suggest you stop looking at me like that.”

She really likes this game. The excitement of trying not to get caught adds that much more fuel to her fire. As he throws the car into drive and starts heading down Highway 1, her hand slips over the console and rest firmly against the bulge in his pants. “Happy Anniversary indeed.” 

XXXX

Deeks’ poem is by an unknown author. Kensi’s is by John Mark Green.

[annrosalie]

A very old poem

As a saw you I felt something different,

Like you were a symphony that i had to listen,

I felt those sparks everytime you were near me,

I had to ignore them everytime immediately.

Your words and eyes hypnotized me so much,

I don't know how or why I felt your heart,

I saw the pain in those beautiful brown eyes,

And I just wanted to hold you till it all goes down.

I still adore you and I don't want to believe me,

I already have my scars and battles, you don't need it,

I could feel your heart since the first time you spoke to me,

And i wasn't wrong, you are the coolest person i've ever meet.

I'm so glad that I could have some drinks with you,

And be in your company with some other dudes,

I wish you knew I fell in love with you completely,

I wish I wasn't that shy to admit this.

And I know this seems ridiciolous

i dont't care, I just tell the truth,

Those little things and gestures you did amazed me,

You are a little miracle and I wish you could see it too.

Your smile, your whole character is perfect as it is,

I couldn't take my eyes off you ever since September.

I think it proves you are on a whole other level,

Wish I could take all your broken heart pieces and pull them back together...

Cause i know your precious heart has been broken too much,

Those girls must have been blind cause I always saw you as a number one.

You don't even know how great you are,

I could love you with all of my heart.

I always knew you from the far,

I saw how you looked at her with the shine in your eyes,

It hurt I admit because I wanted to be her,

It sucks cause you loved her.

I had a boyfriend too, but he wasn't like you,

You'r someone who could make happy.

I think I fell for you at the very first time you called my name,

Maybe I'm stupid, but I can't forget you

I can't forget your voice, your smile, your touch,

Even though I know we didn't share that much,

But I see you, I see the pain in you and how a good person you are.

I adore that you care about everyone you little star.

You know, your music still means a lot to me,

As well as those times you checked on me

and asked if i was okay,

and you knew i wasn't so you listened to me,

which helped so much more than anything.

I miss those times to be honest, i listened to every music you sent with excitement,

I don't know why I love you, I wish I wouldn't,

But you are the most interesting person in the world.

The way you can have fun and still being deep,

The way you can laugh then crying and live your feelings.

You are rare and special, nobody comes near you,

It scares how much I wanted you, needed you.

But you always wanted her and it breaks my heart,

She's blind, doesn't see how bright you shine,

You know boy, you are amazing inside and out,

And as soon as everybody wear their glasses they will find out.

I know this writing is a little weird, but I really need to be open about this..

Those little gestures you did for me meant a lot.

The way you took care of me and waited for the bus to come and those small talks.

I know, I know it sounds crazy but you are an angel I hope everyone sees it.

I'm a fool I know because sometimes i thought maybe you notice me too,

But i'm not like you i have already been damaged, by my family, friends and lovers.

You are so much better and lovelier than myself,

I don't know why I thought i had a chance.

It doesn't matter because first time in my life I felt okay with being in a friendzone with a perfect guy.

I think I will never forget you, you are so special,

Any girl be lucky to have you, and I would envy them forever.

I wish I could forget your touch your kindness and humour, but I can't and l'm writing this for you to know.

There was someone hitting on me you know, I didn't wanna tell you who that was. That boy had a girlfriend and you guessed wrong, he still loved me better not that gorgerous girl of his own.

He tought I watched him from the start that's why he started loving me,

And the funny part is that i was watching you and not him.

Yeah that's the proof that i was a fan of yours since then, but i didn't wanna admit it then.

But now i miss you, this is funny i know,

We barely know each other but still i hoped,

For you to see me talk to me, and suddenly

It happened for a little while then it's gone and now an empty whole inside.

I felt like i could give you anything,

Because you are a sweet person,

And so much more to me,

I wish you knew me better,

I believe maybe you would be more interested than ever before.

I'm in pain because i was in denial i thought i loved my boy, but whenever i looked into your eyes i saw miracles which i thought i'd never find.

Wish i wouldn't love you, it's pointless, still i'm grateful for your existance

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient book of Proverbs and book of Psalms

for june 16 of 2021 with Proverbs 16 and Psalm 16, accompanied by Psalm 89 for the 89th day of Spring and Psalm 17 for day 167 of the year (now with the consummate book of 150 Psalms in its 2nd revolution this year)

[Proverbs 16]

People go about making their plans,

but the Eternal has the final word.

Even when you think you have good intentions,

He knows your real motives.

Whatever you do, do it as service to Him,

and He will guarantee your success.

The Eternal made everything for a reason.

Even wrongdoers fit in His plans; troubled times await them.

He abhors arrogant people.

Make no mistake about it! They will be punished!

The penalty of sin is removed by love and loyalty;

and by devotion to the Eternal, evil is avoided.

When people make good choices, He is pleased;

He even causes their enemies to live peacefully near them.

Better to have little and stand for what is right

than to become rich by doing what is wrong.

People do their best making plans for their lives,

but the Eternal guides each step.

The king makes a decision under divine inspiration,

but he must never render an unfair judgment.

The Eternal requires that business be conducted honestly;

He wants fairness in all your dealings.

When kings commit evil, it is despicable,

because their thrones should be built on justice.

Kings admire those who tell the truth;

they adore those who set the record straight.

A king’s rage signals that people will die,

but whoever is wise will pacify him.

If a king is smiling brightly, life will be granted;

his favor is like a cloud swelled with the first spring rain.

How much better it is to receive wisdom than the riches of gold

and to gain understanding over some silver prize!

The highway of the just bypasses evil;

those who watch where they’re going protect their lives from sin.

Pride precedes destruction;

an arrogant spirit gives way to a nasty fall.

It is better to be humble and live among the poor,

than to divide up stolen property with the proud.

Those devoted to instruction will prosper in goodness;

those who trust in the Eternal will experience His favor.

The wise at heart have a reputation for understanding;

pleasant words make the lips more persuasive.

Understanding for those who have it is a spring of life,

but it is pointless to try and instruct a fool.

From a wise heart flow careful words;

wise words make the lips more persuasive.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb:

they drip sweet food for life and bring health to the body.

Before every person lies a road that seems to be right,

but at the end of that road death and destruction wait.

People work to stay alive,

pressed daily by their need to eat.

Good-for-nothings conjure up evil ideas;

their conversations fuel destructive fires.

Perverse people stir up contention;

gossip makes best friends into enemies.

Violent people try to recruit their neighbors,

wanting to lead them down the vile path of evil they have chosen.

Body language can expose a person’s intentions:

whoever winks the eye is planning perversity;

whoever purses his lips is intent on evil.

Gray hair is a crown of honor,

earned by living the right kind of life.

It is better to be a patient man than a mighty warrior,

better to be someone who controls his temper than someone who conquers a city.

We may try to control the roll of the dice,

but actually, the Eternal decides what they will determine.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 16 (The Voice)

[Psalm 16]

The Golden Secret

A precious song, engraved in gold, by David

Keep me safe, O mighty God.

I run to you, my safe place.

I said to Yahweh,

“You are my Maker and my Master.

Any good thing you find in me has come from you.”

And he said to me, “My holy lovers

in the land are my glorious ones,

who fulfill all my desires.”

Yet there are those who yield to their weakness,

and they will have troubles unending.

I never gather with such ones,

nor give them honor in any way.

Yahweh, you alone are my inheritance.

You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.

You hold my destiny and its timing in your hands.

Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.

I’m overwhelmed by the privileges

that come with following you!

The way you counsel me makes me praise you more,

for your whispers in the night give me wisdom,

showing me what to do next.

Because I set you, Yahweh, always close to me,

my confidence will never be weakened,

for I experience your wraparound presence every moment.

My heart and soul explode with joy—full of glory!

Even my body will rest confident and secure.

For you will not abandon me to the realm of death,

nor will you allow your Faithful One to experience corruption.

Because of you, I know the path of life,

as I taste the fullness of joy in your presence.

At your right side I experience divine pleasures forevermore!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 16 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 89]

Will You Reject Us Forever?

Poems by Ethan the Ezrahite for instruction

[First Poem – God’s Promises to David]

This forever-song I sing of the gentle love of God!

Young and old alike will hear about

your faithful, steadfast love—never failing!

Here’s my chorus: “Your mercy grows through the ages.

Your faithfulness is firm, rising up to the skies.”

I heard the Lord say, “My covenant has been made,

and I’m committed forever to my chosen one, David.

I have made my oath that there will be sons of David forever,

sons that are kings through every generation.”

Pause in his presence

Can you hear it? Heaven is filled with your praises, O Lord!

All the holy ones are praising you for your miracles.

The sons of God are all praising you for your mighty wonders.

We could search the skies forever and never find one like you.

All the mighty angels could not be compared to you.

You are a God who is greatly to be feared

as you preside over the council of holy ones.

You are surrounded by trembling ones

who are overwhelmed with fear and dread,

stunned as they stand in awe of you!

So awesome are you, O Yahweh, Lord God of Angel Armies!

Where could we find anyone as glorious as you?

Your faithfulness shines all around you!

You rule over oceans and the swelling seas.

When their stormy waves rise, you speak, and they lie still.

You crushed the strongholds of Egypt,

and all your enemies were scattered

at the mighty display of your glory-power.

All the heavens and everything on earth belong to you,

for you are the Creator of all that is seen and unseen.

The four corners of the earth were put in place by you.

You made the majestic mountains

that are still shouting their praises to your name.

Breathtaking and awesome is your power!

Astounding and unbelievable

is your might and strength when it goes on display!

Your glorious throne rests on a foundation

of righteousness and just verdicts.

Grace and truth are the attendants who go before you.

O Lord, how blessed are the people

who know the triumphant shout,

for they walk in the radiance of your presence.

We can do nothing but leap for joy all day long,

for we know who you are and what you do,

and you’ve exalted us on high.

The glory of your splendor is our strength,

and your marvelous favor makes us even stronger,

lifting us even higher!

You are our King, the holiest one of all;

your wraparound presence is our protection.

[Second Poem – God Keeps His Promises]

You spoke to your prophets in visions, saying,

“I have found a mighty hero for my people.

I have chosen David as my loving servant and exalted him.

I have anointed him as king with the oil of my holiness.

I will be strength to him, and I will give him

my grace to sustain him no matter what comes.

None of his enemies will get the best of him,

nor will the wicked one overpower him.

For I will crush his every adversary

and do away with all who hate him.

Because I love him and treasure him,

my faithfulness will always protect him.

I will place my great favor upon him,

and I will cause his power and fame to increase.

I will set his hand over the sea

and his right hand over the rivers.

And he will come before me, saying,

‘You truly are my Father, my only God, and my strong deliverer!’

I am setting him apart, favoring him as my firstborn son.

I will make him the most high king in all the earth!

I will love him forever and always show him kindness.

My covenant with him will never be broken.

For I have decreed that he will always have an heir—

a dynasty that will release the days of heaven on earth.

But if his children turn from me and forsake my words,

refusing to walk in my truth, renouncing and violating my laws,

then I will surely punish them for their sins

with my stern discipline until they regret it.

But I will never, no never, lift my faithful love from off their lives.

My kindness will prevail and I will never disown them.

How could I revoke my covenant of love that I promised David?

For I have given him my word, my holy, irrevocable word.

How could I lie to my loving servant David?

Sons of David will continue to reign on his throne,

and their kingdom will endure as long as the sun is in the sky.

This covenant will be an unbreakable promise that

I have established for all time.”

Pause in his presence

[Third Poem – Why Has Our King Been Defeated?]

Why have you rejected me, the one you anointed?

Why would you cast me away?

Why would you lose your temper with me?

You have torn up the contract you made with me, your servant.

You have stripped away my crown and thrown it to the ground.

You have torn down all my walls of defense

and have made my every hiding place into ruins.

All the passersby attack and rob me while my neighbors mock!

Instead of fighting for me, you take the side of my enemies,

even giving them strength to subdue me,

and then watched them celebrate their victory!

You are no longer helping me in battle.

You’ve forsaken me to the swords of those

who would strike me down.

You’ve made my regal splendor to decrease

and allowed my rule to be overthrown.

Because of you, I’ve become old before my time,

and I’m publicly disgraced!

Pause in his presence

[Fourth Poem – Save Us, God]

How long will you hide your love from me?

Have you left me for good?

How long will your anger continue to burn against me?

Remember, Lord, I am nothing but dust,

here today and so soon blown away.

Is this all you’ve created us for? For nothing but this?

Which one of us will live forever?

We are all mortal, terminal, for we will all one day die.

Which one of us would ever escape our appointment with death

and dodge our own funeral?

Pause in his presence

So God, where is all this love and kindness you promised us?

What happened to your covenant with David?

Have you forgotten how your own servants are being slandered?

Lord God, it seems like I’m carrying in my heart

all the pain and abuse of many people.

They have relentlessly insulted and persecuted us,

your anointed ones.

Nevertheless, blessed be our God forever and ever.

Amen! Faithful is our King!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 89 (The Passion Translation)

[randomnessunicorn-imagine]

I'm watching public proposal video as I type. UT Pap Burgerpants, Fell bros and react to s/o propose to them in public, will they run away?

{ Awww~Yeah, there’s also Burgerpants, he’s the absolute king, I’m still waiting for Burgertale! }

📣 Pappy ~

You know he’s very romantic and fluff but he’s also so timid and insecure despite he always appears so confident and enthusiastic but he’s still a naïve skeleton. He would not use a date’s manual if he was able to behave with persons properly and sometimes he’s confused even after have read that manual. Maybe he has read too much theories but he did not do a lot of practice. You and Papyrus are dating from some months but he has not already confessed his love sentiment to you and he keeps defining you as “special friend”, “the greatest friend”, “the friend he cares the most”, and you are not so sure about what he means with these definitions and it’s like he’s friendzoning you. Sometimes, he lost himself in your eyes appearing like a sort of idiot, and you find him so cute all the times. Then, you understand you have to do the first move because he’s not going to declare first and he’s too timid and confused. You are very sure about what you feel and you cannot live in this mess for so long.You propose to Papyrus a date in the MTT’s Resort because it’s a romantic and familiar place and you know Papyrus is a fan of that robot so the skeleton, when you propose to him this date, becomes euphoric that he’s unable to contain himself. It’s a dream, the perfect date!The date goes very well and Papyrus seems so happy and relaxed, he speaks to you about his last days of trainings and he’s doing so many progresses but he’s so great so it’s oblivious his results are as great as him. You smile to him, and you are impatience to confess to him your truth.Then, you stand up revealing you have something important to say and everyone here has to listen to you. Papyrus gets curious and he follows you with his eyes full of surprise while you are reaching the stage. There, you take the microphone; the lights become dimmed, you start to sing an Ed Sheeran’s song to Papyrus because you know he appreciates a lot all this romanticism. «Baby, I’m dancing in the dark, with you between my arms. Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song. », you keep looking him in the eyes while you’re singing, it’s a true declaration of love and Papyrus is left speechless. «I have faith in what I see now I know I have met an angel in person. » yes, Papyrus is your angel and you have promised to yourself you would have protected him with your life, nothing matter more than him! In the meantime you sing, Papyrus starts crying for the emotion like a little baby.«And he looks perfect. I don’t deserve this, you look perfect tonight~» at the end of the song you say you love him so much and you could not find a more special way to declare your feelings to him. Papyrus is still crying and he screams that he loves you so much and it’s the greatest gift he has ever received.

📣 Burgerpants ~

You know very well he’s not a positive person and he often complains about life, saying how it’s difficult and harsh with every human beings but, in particular, it’s been so cruel with him and he’s just a cat, he did not do anything wrong in his existence.  Maybe you are his only light who illumines his turbid path and you treat him with respect and affection, he thinks he does not deserve this special treatment but you keep saying to him that’s not true and you love him because he’s funny, gentle, cute and he’s a cat. This is the supreme point!One day, you invite him to have a date with you at MTT’s Resort even if Burgerpants does not appreciate that place so much because it makes him remember of his boss and that job is too tedious and horrible to him. It’s like a nightmare he wants to forget!You have a specific plan in your mind and this last period he’s been too stressed, you just want to demonstrate all the love you feel for him, that you adore him despite the low self-esteem he got, and you are ready to help and support him every moment of his life. You want to spend the rest of the eternity with him but you are afraid of all his insecurities, he has to understand he’s worthy and he’s so extraordinary. Burgerpants is having fun with you this night and he feels so lucky you are so sweet and kind and you are able to love him despite his eternal complains and any other persons would have already left him alone but you possess all the patience of this world!Then, you say that you have to do something and he can wait for you here so he nods without asking anything else. You are directed to the stage and Burgerpants is confused but he just thinks you want to exhibit singing some songs but you are not going to sing anything, this time.All the people in the restaurant have their eyes pointed at you and you start speaking. You say that you are here this night with your lover, the person you love the most and these Shakespeare’s verses you are going to recite are dedicated to him.«Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm’d; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d; But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growest: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this and this gives life to thee.»After this, Burgerpants is shocked… Have you dedicated a Shakespear’s poem to him for real? How can it be possible? He would not deserve neither the last poem of the last poet. If the poetry has not been explicatory enough, you continue saying that you love him so much and he’s so much more than what he thinks. Then, he starts crying while all the audience is applauding you, encouraging your love.

📣 Reddy ~

You and Sans are together for several months and he’s the one who is most surprised since he had some doubts you could tolerate him for all this time.This last period, your mind is full of thoughts and there is a particular thing you want to confess to Sans but you never find the way or the right moment. This thing is so serious and important because it regards your future with him, this is not a decision so easy to take and you have to be sure he’s ready as well. You know he loves you so much even if he never says those words and he’s quite uncomfortable to show his true feelings. He’s such an ambulant crinch but you love him anyway despite his oddness.You and him are dating to Grillby’s like your usual and maybe it’s the time to confess it to Sans, you are tired and nervous, you need to open up with him.After the dinner, you get up from your seat going to the stage of the karaoke, Sans looks at you confused and he did not think you were the type to sing a song.Then, you start to talk, greeting the audience. You say you are glad to be here this night and you are going to confess something very important everybody has to hear. Sans is too worried because this audience is not as gentle as you think and they are going to launch you tomatoes if you don’t run away. Everyone is laughing at you, screaming to shut the fuck up.No, it’s not the right place and moment and a public declaration in this Underground is not exactly the safer and easier thing, maybe you have to change your plan before someone starts a fight and you find yourself dunking of tomatoe’s sauce. Sans is getting more worried and you can perceive his discomfort so you get out of the stage and he asks to you what the hell do you have in mind doing something like it. You should know the more you are hidden the more you survive in this hell. Then, when you and him come back home, you explain what you had in mind but you have lost your mind a little too much. You confess you just love him so much and maybe you were blinded by it. Sans becomes as red as those tomatoes that have not been launched and he’s unable to speak so you two stare to each other like two idiots. Two adorable idiots, anyway.

📣 The Edge Lord ~

Since you are Papyrus’ mate and he’s one of the most fearsome monsters here, none has the courage to mess with you so you are quite free but you have to be still careful and the danger is always under the corner.You are one of the only people who is able to appreciate him despite his arrogance and egocentrism and it’s a miracle itself. Actually, you put a lot of effort to handle and convince him to love you since he’s too stubborn and full of himself and it seems he was unable to love some other person who was not his own self. You realized it was not true and he can be soft when he cares about a person, in his odd ways but you know it’s not his fault if he’s born in a shitty society like this. You want to live a calmer life with him without battles, wars and worries and you want him to know it. He has never said those three words to you and he’s too proud but you can understand he feels the same and he truly loves you.One day, you and him decide to go out to dinner and it’s the perfect moment to explain your true sentiment to Papyrus. You don’t have so many problems and the crowd remains quite while you are talking because everyone here fears Papyrus and they want to live so they shut up.You confess to him that he’s your hero and you have never met a courageous and strong person as him in your life. You are not saying it to pump his ego but you truly mean it. You are happy and proud being his mate and you hope you and him can be like this forever.Your words are full of love and it’s the first time in the Underground these kind of words have been heard. Papyrus does not comment because he’s a little embarrassed but he thinks you have been so brave saying it in front of a ferocious audience like it and he feels the same to you. He will confess you his thoughts when you are alone because he has to keep his badass aura; it’s useful if you want to stay alive. He’s so glad and he needed hearing this from you.

[mtt-metal-crusher]

A Two Skeleton Mission- For Cartoons!

Dadster fic w/ kid!Papyrus: 

1149 words. Request by @foxtamer113

“DAAAAAAAD! THE TELEVISION’S BROKE AGAIN!” Papyrus yelled, his tiny fists banging against the screen, trying to get his favourite cartoon to pop back up. Think of all the silly animated hijinks he was missing! “DAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!” He yelled again when he didn’t hear his father’s footsteps approaching.

At long last (too long in Papyrus’ opinion), Gaster appeared in the living room, looking at what all the fuss was about.

Papyrus just pointed at the screen with a grumpy face, “Broke,”

 Gaster groaned, “Again?! I just fixed it last week,” He sighed, looking around the back of the TV to check if any wires had come loose. “Ugh, it looks like it’s blown another fuse,”

Papyrus watched him with avid interest, “What’s that mean?”

“It means, Paps, that the electricity that passed through the TV was at an exceedingly high current, too much for it to handle,” He looked back at Papyrus, whose eyes were on him intently, “Do you… have an interest in this sort of thing?”

Papyrus, who had only just reached the proud age of four and a half, nodded, “I want to know how to fix things!”

Gaster smiled, patting his son on the head. Sans had never been incredibly interested in engineering, it was all too much work for him. Sans was always better with sciences that you had to think about, and could do so without standing up. Papyrus was different, though, even though he was only four, he always seemed more swayed towards more involved skills, like sports and the arts. He painted and drew and wrote stories and poems. It was adorable for everyone involved. But now he was taking an interest in something Gaster could help him with, so he took hold of the opportunity with both hands.

“Well, okay then! First we have to unplug the television, even though we’re skeletons and wouldn’t suffer from the electric shock- it still wouldn’t be very pleasant,”

Papyrus nodded, running over to the plug and pulling it out, seeming to put all his effort into it. Four-year-olds were always a mystery to Gaster- they were always willing to do everything, and yet they barely had the strength to do anything- not even take out a plug.

“Good boy. Next, we’re going to move the TV to the floor so we can take a look in the back,” Gaster said, picking up the television and letting Papyrus hold onto the side, not really putting any of the weight onto him. Papyrus liked to think he was helping.

Papyrus sat down next to the television with his legs crossed, holding his chin like he saw his father do when he was thinking hard.

“What next? Do we blow it up?” Papyrus asked in an overtly serious tone.

“No! No- why would we do that?”

“You always blow things up at work!”

“Yes but- that’s for much bigger projects,” Gaster lied, not wanting his son to know that he sometimes just blew things up to pass the time. He didn’t want Papyrus to end up exploding the dishwasher when he wanted something to do.

“So… what’s next, dad?”

“We take the back off,” Gaster said, pointing at the screw-holes and taking out a screwdriver from his lab-coat pocket. He began unscrewing as Papyrus watched, noticing his tiny face get closer and closer as he did so. Until he couldn’t actually see what he was doing anymore because Papyrus’ head was in the way.

“Papyrus, sweetheart, I know you’re interested but I can’t see,” He said, moving him back slightly.

Papyrus huffed and crossed his arms, “I want to try!”

“You want to- oh okay then,” Gaster said, passing the screwdriver to him.

Papyrus held up the screwdriver like he was wielding a sword like a valiant knight, “I will fix this TV!” He yelled, jamming the screwdriver into one of the holes and twisting it hectically.

Gaster had to commend his energy. His accuracy, however, was left to be desired.

“I’M DOING IT!” Papyrus yelled, frantically turning the screwdriver with an arduous expression.

After around five whole minutes had passed, where Gaster was watching with slightly worried amusement and Papyrus was working with spirited determination, yet still trying to unscrew that very same screw, Gaster took the screwdriver back off of him.

“Hey! I was nearly there!” Papyrus complained, waving his hands to try to grab the screwdriver back.

“I’m sure you were, but maybe I should help you out with some of this hard work- it’s only fair,”

Papyrus looked at him suspiciously, and then smiled, plonking himself back down on his backside and crossing his little legs.

Gaster soon got the screws taken out as Papyrus watched with marvel, like he’d just witnessed a miracle.

He was a very good listener as he watched his dad explain all the steps for changing a fuse. Papyrus made observant noises like “hmm” and “oh yes” whenever Gaster showed him where the fuse was or told him what the different wires did. Gaster wasn’t entirely sure whether Papyrus actually knew what he was talking about or was just making the sounds he heard adults use when they understood something. Papyrus was observant of others like that.

When they had removed the faulty fuse, Gaster left Papyrus on his own for a second while he fetched a new one, knowing that he was sensible enough to not touch anything. Papyrus was a good kid despite being very lively. Sans was the opposite- a lazy kid despite having a tendency to set up pranks for his father to find whenever he was least expecting it.

When Gaster returned, he saw Papyrus in the same position, staring at the back of the television as though he was thinking very deeply.

“I have the fuse!” He told him, sitting down beside his son and plugging it in. “There! Should be as good as new now,”

They stood up, putting the television back into place carefully. Gaster allowed Papyrus to do the job he did most expertly, putting the plug back in the socket. When the television came back to life, Papyrus sat down in front of it, happy to see his beloved cartoons back where they should be- in front of his eyes.

“So! Now that you’ve shown to have an interest in engineering- maybe I could show you how to fix a few other things around the house!” Gaster said, but Papyrus didn’t answer. He was too absorbed in the bright colours on the screen.

It was then that Gaster remembered that he was talking to a four-year-old, someone with the attention span of a goldfish. He bent down, pressed his teeth to his son’s skull as a skeleton would to kiss, and left him be.

Time to go find out where Sans was sleeping today. Probably in the laundry basket. Or on top of a radiator.

[surveystodestressme]

72.

5000 Question Survey Pt. 18

1701. How will tomorrow be like today? i don’t know yet 1702. How would you react if a stranger pinched your bottom? i’d probably smack them 1703. When was the last time you went on a date? ummm, jack and i don’t really go on dates anymore.  or at least, we don’t call them dates. 1704. Have you ever ridden a horse? yes. 1706. What is almost over? i don’t know

1707. What should you be doing that you are putting off? calling my college to set up orientation 1708. How much would you have to change physically before you would no longer be yourself anymore? a lot 1709. How much would you have to change mentally before you would no longer be yourself anymore? ^ 1710. Would you rather be famous or notorious? neither honestly 1711. Would you rather have a necklace that’s dripping with diamonds or a blueberry farm? blueberry farm 1712. Could you take first place in a beauty contest? probably not 1713. Who is the biggest hypocrite you know and why? i know a lot of them 1714. Would you consider yourself to be more opinionated or bitchy? opinionated. 1715. How long is it until your next day off? it’s my day off right now 1716. What sound is annoying you right now? nothing at the moment 1717. Imagine you’re taking a vacation with 4 people. Who are they? jack, wyatt, jake,and rebecca 1718. The five of you travel by plane. Suddenly your plane crashes down over snowy mountains. The pilot and the air crew and all the other passengers die. The only way for you to survive is for one of you to get eaten by the others. Who will it be? lol idk honestly maybe wyatt, he’s got the most meat 1719. Anorexia and obesity are two life threatening eating related disorders. Why is it that when it is discovered that someone is an anorexic they are rushed to the hospital, but when someone is obese they are not rushed to the hospital? that’s a good question 1720. Who is your favorite smurf? never watched that 1721. Why do you do things that you know are bad for you? i don’t know 1722. How important is testing to education? i feel like people think it’s really important but intelligence (in my opinion) is not based on how well you can take tests.  1723. What food group do you eat the most of (bread and pasta, meats and eggs and fish, fruits and vegetables, milk and cheese, sugar and butter)? probably meat 1724. Who is the most adorable person you know? some girl i know has a little baby and she’s really chunky and cute 1725. If you had to spend a half hour locked in a dark closet with someone from school or work that you don’t normally hang out with who would you want it to be? uhhh... i don’t know? maybe one of the theater people because they’re all funny and wouldn’t make me feel awkward about the situation lol 1726. How often do you masturbate in a week? recently at least once or twice a week 1727. In the USA people work a full third of the year for the government, due to taxes. How do you feel about this? it sucks 1728. Should people be allowed to use cell phones in their cars? absolutely not.  some people can’t even drive without their phones as a distraction 1729. Have you ever been in the room while a human baby was born? nope. 1730. Have you ever been in the room while an animal baby was born? no. 1731. Did you see the video The Miracle of Life in school? no. 1732. How do you feel about having a baby? don’t want any children 1733. Have you ever had a tooth pulled? no 1734. Who are you waiting for an email/call/note/visit from? my boyfriend. 1735. What are you counting the days until? until i can move out and have my own place with jack 1736. What is the greatest temptation for you? my boyfriend? lol idk 1737. How do you resist it? i don’t

1738. Who is your knight in shining armor? jack ig lol. 1739. If you were walking and someone behind you yelled “HEY YOU!” would you turn around? probably 1740. Do loud noises make you tense? sometimes 1741. Has anyone ever told you that your epidermis was showing? not in those terms lol 1742. Would you rather work or stay home with the baby? work bc i wont have a baby anyways 1743. Would you rather have people agree with you all the time or tell you the honest truth? tell me the honest truth. 1744. Will you/have you gone to your high school reunion? i probably wont bc i wont even be living in the same state hopefully 1745. What do you think of your yearbook picture? it’s ok i guess 1746. Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer? gatherer. 1747. If you ever were to visit Hershey Park, the theme park based on the chocolate candy, would you enjoy going to the spa where you can be treated to a whipped cocoa bath, a milk and honey bath, or simply a chocolate fondue skin wrap? none 1748. If someone asks you to read a poem they wrote, will you really take your time to try and understand what they wrote and tell them what you think or just read it quickly and tell them that its really good? i’m not too good at interpreting poetry, but i’ll try my best 1749. Do you feel that if a coincidence occurs it means something? maybe 1750. Were you beautiful as a child? not really lol 1751. Do you think that it is okay for a homosexual or a woman to become a priest? yeah???? i don’t think it matters either way 1752. Which would you rather give up forever, religion or sex? religion. 1753. What comes to mind when you think of these places: Canada? maple syrup UK? british people USA? bald eagle Australia? kangaroos and giant crabs Germany? hot german women Italy? spaghetti 1754. What does your favorite bumper sticker say? i don’t have any 1755. Have you ever taken a shower with another person? yes. 1756. What bath toys do you have, if any? none lol 1757. Would you rather propose to someone you love or would you rather be proposed to by someone you love? i’d rather be proposed to bc i feel like i’d make it awkward or i’d do it wrong 1758. How can you reject someone nicely? idk 1759. What kinds of diary names make you interested enough to check out the diary? - 1760. What do you think are three common passwords people use to secure their diaries? birthdays, names, or a bunch of random numbers 1761. Pick an object in the room. Give that object a name. lamp - lampy 1762. What is the quickest way to make you blush? compliment me 1763. Do you usually feel that you deserve it when other people compliment you? yeah, ig 1764. If you were to start your own business what kind of business do you think it might be? video games idk 1765. What is one of your pet peeves? bad drivers 1766. What question do you get asked too frequently? do you still talk to the last person you kissed? 1767. You notice a ring is priced $40.00, but the cashier only charges you $10.00. Do you mention this to the cashier? probably not 1768. Could a kiss on the ___ be considered cheating? Cheek? Lips? Nose? Hand? Ear? Neck? if it’s not a family member, then yes.  if my significant other kisses another person ANYWHERE and i find out about it, unless it’s the hand, maybe, i’m not going to be too happy about it and i would expect the same response from him if i did that 1769. Would it bother you if your lover occasionally flirted with others? yeah 1770. How long has it been since you last played truth or dare? it’s been a while 1771. Should people who are living now be obligated to do things that will make the world better for people who will live 100 years from now? not obligated, no 1772. Imagine you have a dream in which someone you care for acts mean to you. Is it possible you will still be angry with this person when you wake up? it’s happened before but no i shouldn’t be bc it’s in my own head not something they actually did 1773. Have you ever left someone a note with a picture in it? If yes, how do you do it? idk 1774. What do you fear more, death or pain? death 1775. Are the questions still interesting this far into the survey? somewhat. 1776. Do you like the cartoon Inspector Gadget? its ok 1777. You know how Gadget wears the same outfit all the time, and his closet is full of outfits that are exactly identical to the one he wears? If your closet was full of just one outfit that you had to wear everyday what would it be like? idk i dont think i could wear just one thing all the time 1778. Would you rather time travel to the future or the past? future. 1779. Would you rather know how the world began or how it will end? how it will end.   1780. Would you rather meet your ancient ancestors or your great great great great great great grandchildren? ancient ancestors bc i know i wont have grandchildren of any kind 1781. Out of these 4 which is most important (1=most, 2= second most, 3 = 3rd most, 4 = least)? Curing diseases such as aids, cancer: 4 Preserving wildlife areas: 1 Ending terrorism: 3 Building colonies in space: 2 1782. In your opinion should every child be entitled to a good education? yeah 1783. What news item are you tired of hearing about? fucking politics. 1784. Speaking of 9/11 the anniversary is coming up. What will you be doing? it’s already passed. 1785. If this were a recipe for you, how would it go? 2 cups: 1 cup: ½ cup: A pinch of: A dash of: Mix well and bake until: Add: Serve: idk man 1786. Which of the following would YOU be more likely to survive: A fall from a 3 story building Driving a car into the water neither lol, i can’t swim very well and i know i wouldn’t survive that fall 1787. What philosophy was manifested in the communist manifesto? idk. 1788. Who is your exact opposite? jack is pretty different from me 1789. Would you rather have serenity or insanity? serenity. 1790. What do these phrases mean? Moulin Rogue: Le voyage sur le bateau: Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir: i have no idea 1791. What is the longest distance you have ever walked? oh i have no idea man 1792. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato believes that beauty truth and justice all basically mean the same thing. What are your feelings about this? ehhhh 1793. How did you first begin to assert yourself as independent from your parents? no more asking their permission for things, having my own car, and eventually moving out 1794. If you had a magic bracelet, would you use it to gain luck, money, health, creativity or love? money. 1795. What would you do if every time you used your magic bracelet something bad would happen to someone else? i wouldn’t use it probably 1796. This is a story about a girl. While at the funeral of her own mother, she met a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing, so much her dream guy she believed him to be that she fell in love with him then and there, although she didn’t even see him after the funeral ended. A few days later, the girl killed her own sister. What is her motive for killing her sister? she's crazy???? 1797. Have you ever intentionally hurt someone’s feelings? i dont think so 1798. What do you think of Franz Ferdinand? don’t know much about him. 1799. What do you think of the band Modest Mouse? never heard of them 1800. What do you think of Morrissey? ^

[spamzineglasgow]

In Response: Toward Passion According

Following an encounter with Jazmine Linklater’s pamphlet, Toward Passion According (Zarf Editions, 2017), Tawnya Renelle reaches out to Jazmine and what follows is a heartfelt, incisive exchange of thoughts around poetry and awe, movement in words, embarrassment, the body in writing, intimacy, reading and lyric theory. 

Dear Jazmine,

> I am reading your collection today as I sit in my pajamas on my couch. The rain is coming down and with my cup of coffee by my side I am snuggled up and ready to take in your words. I know you don’t know me, but you should know I often read in my pajamas. I am enraptured already with your collection after reading the quote that acts as an entrance to the poems. I feel I should explain to you what I am doing here before I go any further. And really what I am doing here comes from one of my favourite quotes about poetry by Jenny Boully, ‘Poetry is an instant, an instant in which transcendence is achieved, where a miracle occurs and all of one’s knowledge, experiences, memories, etc. are obliterated into awe.’

> You see I find so often that a review of a poetry collection attempts a summation of the poems and while I think that is important, for me, poetry is a moment captured. It is a moment when time stops, and lines take hold of the reader. So, I thought I would write you this letter as a living way of reacting and capturing each moment of awe as I read along. As a poet myself (who would love such a response from a reader) I thought I would share it with you. Apologies if it is presumptuous to assume you will enjoy this.

Her Stammer

> I have read the poem three times now and I am returning again and again to the lines ‘Beyond text~body~milk~blood beyond/(wo)man beyond contact beyond’ and it feels like a kind of returning to knowing, a kind of remembering of something I have always known. You ask me in the first line of the poem to ‘Remember you are elsewhere’ and I am in these lines elsewhere and beyond to a deep knowing and I feel caught by them and held there.

The world as (h)is

> I am falling in love with your use of / and () and I will admit that I have scanned the collection to see if it is used again and again and it is, I am filled with sheer delight and a kind of envy as well. I write words on the page and rarely play with the power of symbols to add to language, to deconstruct and to challenge language and to ‘enunciate sexed/un-(kn)own/ed.’ I like stopping a reader and slowing them down and your use of / and () truly does this and I am grateful for it. It makes me consider the words we use and what they can mean.

               Heroines Female heroines                reclaim the elsewhere

Before I continue, I feel I must both confess and tell you something. The confession is that my knowledge of mythology is limited, but I want to thank you for carrying me through Artemisia/Susana/Abra/Judith/Diana/Artemis with gentle care and a way that I felt despite my knowledge I understood the poem.

> The thing I wanted to tell you is that I see connection and serendipity everywhere, it is just the kind of person I am, and I wonder if you do too? This last week in Liverpool with a friend I got a new tattoo of deep significance, a reclaiming of myself, protection of myself, and an embracing in my strength and power as a woman. I am finding this poem echoing those emotions for me.

Bacchic Dance

> I read this poem and went forward to the notes and then returned to it again. I love seeing the many and varied influences of other poetry on your words. And after my second reading I sat for a while with these lines:

so all in name & lyric

                        so all & all unknown

                                                    like this          like this

                                                         & this & this

And I thought about the unknown and the multitudes of this and like this that I know and don’t know. I also studied the page, your words moving like dance across the page in motion and my eyes dancing along with them.

Ritual Dance

> I am reeling and spinning in this poem and it is the moment of the previous dance that has sent me into this state. And I am sitting now on my couch with lines that have moved me into the space of obliteration into awe with a collapsing of my knowledge and experiences. ‘we are plastic arts: viewer, sculptor, painter, piece/bridge gaps ‘tween worlds: even when they’re spelled’ and Imitate art advert/incite desire, embody ideal.’ I think about the body a lot, I write about the body all the time and these lines have left me with so much to think on, the dynamic body that moves and stays still.

> And now though I read the poem in between (‘Pyrrhic Dance’) I am in ‘Lyrical Dance’ and I think this is my favourite poem of the collection, though I can’t say for sure yet as I can see the last poem on the next page. But in order to tell you what lines left me sitting here on this couch moved and contemplative I would simply have to type out the entire poem. So I will say I adore the use of second person in a poem, the way it brings me in as a reader ‘I want you condensed’ and I am not the you that you write to, but I know a you so similar that this poem felt as though it came beating out of my own heart ‘body re-build measure my line’ and I want to thank you for giving me such a beautiful moment this morning.

Tryst

> Here I am at the end and my mind is blown (I wonder if this is very American of me to say) but your note says that the structure of this poem follows a film Cleo de 5 a 7 and I am learning French because I am going to Paris in January, so I have immediately added this to my watchlist. And then the poem is a response and reaction to moments in the film just as this is a review/response/letter/reaction to your poetry. I hadn’t known that at the end of my notes of reaction that you and I would crescendo in a kind of writing moment together ‘cut, like a poem’ in a moment by moment reaction. I am so happy and grateful for these words ‘A line in itself says nothing. But if you/use it to say something it says what you wish.’ So perfectly does it sum up what I hope I have done in this response.

> I will leave you here. I didn’t want to ask you questions about the poems, I simply wanted to live and (re)act and (re)spond to what you had written. And I hope that you saw

Response as review

Moments captured

Obliteration in  a line

                                                           Toward Passion According

                                                                         Yours Truly,                                                                                   Tawnya

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 Dear Tawnya,

> When I received your email asking me to respond to your response to my poems I was full of excitement, feeling honoured that someone had engaged with my work and wanted to engage with me as a consequence—and then my trepidation set in—how much are these poems my own? I wondered. I began worrying at the edges of a half-remembered something: John Ashbery, in interview, trying to explain his relationship with time and how poems from back then, whenever, have slipped—are continually—slipping away from him, no longer belong to him, despite being reminded and asked of specifics.

> Now, I feel very removed from the (my?) work, as I read your response to the epigraph—I don’t have a copy of the pamphlet here, can’t remember the exact words of the quote—I can’t quite remember it. But I am taken by the Jenny Boully quote you cite—not a name I know, but a feeling I recognise—I like the quote very much. I think I agree.

> I’m pleased that one of your motivations was to capture your own response, moment by moment, as you read—I instinctively approached your letter in the same way; didn’t want to begin reading until I was ready to write in response.

> However, I must be honest now: you respond to my poems, and I cannot write instantaneously—I have to read, heart beating—feeling embarrassed and nervous——

> I’m really struck by—because in all honesty it makes me feel a little uneasy—your phrase ‘as a woman’. In hindsight, I think that my own relationship with ‘woman’, or maybe my relationship with myself ‘as a woman’, at the time of writing this pamphlet was much more settled than it currently is—which I don’t think is to say that it was settled, even then. At the start of your letter you mention the epigraph from Luce Irigaray, and what I think is most interesting about the book that it comes from (Marine Lover of Friedrich Nietzche) is that—it feels, to me at least—or felt, at the time—I may be/have been really wrong—that in this text she is trying to undo, or rethink and make some reparations for, the infamous essentialism of her earlier work. Like she’s asking for forgiveness maybe, though I’d have to return to the text to point out where and how I think she’s doing that. Being ‘woman’ is so torn—historically such a marginalised position, but nonetheless still constructed of such artifice, whether wielded for empowerment or subjugation. Denise Riley’s Am I That Name? really helped me to locate my instincts in something like feeling (‘it is called feeling but is its real name thought?’ is a line of hers I often think) somewhere like ‘knowledge’? I often wish I’d read that book sooner.

> I’m relieved that you jumped forward to the notes section and saw that some of my lines are quotes! When I’m writing I always feel like, if there’s a thought I’ve been circling around, or something I’ve been trying to formulate for ages and it’s just not coming out right, if I come across my exact feeling in someone else’s poem then that serendipity should be honoured, and so I do often quote and credit other poets. So, I suppose I do often see connections, in response to your question. I think the art I love the most is the art that sends my mind spinning off in a million different referential directions all at once.

> Your response to ‘Lyrical Dance’ is so interesting to me, because I have actually been thinking of it lately. Studying for my literature MA, I’ve been reading lyric theory. I suppose I’ve been thinking about the poem because, my first thought, when I started reading this stuff, was—oh no, what have I done! I’ve written something ridiculous because I didn’t know anything about lyric. But the more I read and the more I learn, I think, actually, feelingly, I got it (something?), even then, from the poetry, not the theory—and so I am learning (even if retrospectively) to trust my instincts, and so your response to this poem, especially, comes at the perfect time. I am so pleased it speaks to you in the way you describe. It’s so strange to think of the generalised-specific reader-‘you’ actually being someone—being you!

> Thank you for engaging with me in this way, and bringing my poems back to me differently. Can I quote you? ‘I am so happy and grateful for these words’. I hope you find my response to your response heartening, as I have found yours.

Yours truly,

Jazmine

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Toward Passion According is out now and available to purchase via Zarf Editions.

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Text: Tawnya Renelle and Jazmine Linklater

Image: Zarf Editions

Published: 12/1/20