#kisa dear

[nohr-and-thirst]

Hey this is Kisa. Don't feel bad about putting Luocha and Welt together. I do it to. I think they could be good friends..

I would like for Luocha to be good friends with Welt-

But I’m gonna be very honest- I think he cause Welt the biggest fight or flight response- and I worry for Welt-

Otto Apocalypse made Welt’s life the biggest hell and also made so many people he loved die or just made him suffer so much. Even going so far with a video game copyright, A COPYRIGHT (APHO 1 mentioned this I believe).

Void Archives is a very different cause as we get straight up told by him that he was heavily influenced by Otto, even if he does not wanna admit it, he will because of the fact he was stuck with Otto for 500 years

I would love Luocha to be a good guy but just like Welt in Luocha’s quest I too had that “oh my goodness don’t pull an Otto-“ realization and let me just say the yell I had

I wanna think Luocha is a good guy, but I feel so bad my team is just Luocha, Welt, Yukong and Silverwolf. Yukong and Silverwolf are chilling while Welt is trying to keep Luocha so far away from him-

[protect-namine]

I am about to start a neji route (because I feel that I need at least three playthroughs to fully understand neji and his plays, so I can't leave him for last). so my thoughts on this may change, but for the moment, my thesis is that neji and kisa are the same kind of thespian, just in different fonts.

(I am slightly exaggerating kisa'a character here. there are hints and I do think pushing the envelope of what her character could be is part of what makes kisa... kisa. as I'll explain later, for better and worse, kisa is constrained by the conventions of being an otome heroine.)

anyway. in essence. neji turns Other Persons into stories,

and kisa turns Other Persons into performances,

while they both simultaneously run away from, avoid, or sacrifice Becoming Persons themselves, for the sake of theater

or maybe it's the other way around. something something discovery if not recognition of the self through the other... except they're both unreliable narrators so who's to say if the recognition actually takes hold, really. kisa at least is a little bit self aware. neji, on the other hand, deals with realizations of the self through writing, without actually processing them (e.g. ms robin, domina, etc).

I keep thinking about (novel) kisa closing her eyes and feeling like her sense of self would melt away until tsuki centers her and gives her theater as a way to heal from the grief of losing her mother. it happens again during tsuki's univeil performance: kisa curling in on herself and tsuki pulling her back to theater as way to help kisa move forward with her dreams. pretending to be others is more fun than being herself.

and then there is neji (insert spiderman pointing at spiderman meme). but in his case, he would rather play eccentric roles, caricatures, comic relief, than be a Person With Depth on stage. neji is always either a seer of some kind (a fortune teller, a ghost who sees 10 seconds into the future) or a bit character (employee A), or... whatever he initially planned for domina. he is the mechanic behind the stage, but never the lead actor. his vulnerabilities do not need to "stolen" for the story, though others' are fair game.

kisa does not think about gender as it applies to herself in her daily life (mostly) and only sees it through the lens of acting and theater. how does she act mukai vs maiden, charles vs chicchi? the same way that neji does not think about the motifs and characters he writes as a window to himself, but rather as objects to be put on stage. rukiora is based on a younger neji, mary jane is I Am Death: Revisited (mary jane is to takihime as gashadokuro is to jacob), sissia is always meant to be the foil to I Am Death. but neji doeen't really understand that just like how he didn't understand oh rama havenna. sissia (kisa route, jack jeanne ver) is to kisa as domina is to neji.

literally kisa at her most extreme is just theater thoughts 24/7

kisa "I don't like being me; I'd rather be other people" tachibana 🤝 kokuto "I need to experiment and witness visions I can't create or I'll die" neji: this is a totally sane and Normal way to cope with abandonment and grief 👍

(it is not implied in the game, but since kisa turned to theater to cope with grief as a child, I wonder if the reason she never looks too deeply into tsuki's disappearance is because she's once again using theater as an excuse to conveniently Not Think About It. out of sight, out of mind. tsuki must be doing well, wherever he is, whatever it is he's doing.)

there is also the meta perspective of how kisa in-game inhabits a role where the player can (and is expected to) self-insert. otome dictates that protagonist kisa must be malleable to the player (who can choose to focus on a variety of relationships in her stead), and the plot dictates that actor kisa must be malleable to her stage roles (jack or jeanne, maiden or hero, flower or vessel), and novel kisa dictates that kisa must malleable to pretending to be other people because it's more preferable to being herself.

every thought she has about herself must be tied to acting, somehow. kisa's personhood is defined through stagecraft. she is the maiden, and mukai, and charles, and chicchi, and sissia. she can romance anyone in the school, of the player's choosing. she can be jack, and jeanne, and jack jeanne. don't get me wrong; kisa is her own character and has a strongly defined personality, but the story also demands for her to be malleable. a painting and a blank canvass at the same time.

neji externalizes where kisa internalizes. where kisa Must Perform™ to function and to avoid herself, neji Must Create™ to function and to avoid himself. scriptwriter neji dictates that neji must use everything at his disposal — his memories, his classmates, his obscure knowledge — as inspiration for stories. director neji dictates that he must use everything he knows about his actors — their complexes, their relationships, their weaknesses and strengths — as inspiration for stories. from the cook (mitsuki) needing apricots for a recipe and wanting to harvest honey from a beehive, to mary jane (fumi) being good at sewing and wanting an equal in jacob. suzu and sou fighting and developing a rivalry leads to jire and fugio fighting over chicchi. kai limits himself as a vessel in hasekura, and kai learns to embrace his desires as the priest. from the water/ocean/drowning themes, to rukiora being based on neji's younger self, and her family life and relationship with domina.

every thought neji has must be tied to stories, somehow. neji's personhood is scattered through stagecraft. the more you read his plays and lyrics, the more you get a glimpse of who he is. it is to the point that neji himself doesn't... really see how his stories reflect himself. ms robin being a "random" song the jazz lounge singer sings thay hasekura and ando can dance to, oh rama havenna being a so-so throwaway play that neji doesn't understand why it's entertaining. lmao. neji, please.

and this is why when problems arise, neji becomes a demanding director and kisa becomes a chameleon actor with a shaky sense of self (we don't really see this a lot because jack jeanne is not that dark of a story and kisa is still an otome heroine of an uplifting game, but it's a reasonable conclusion if you push hard on the kisa from neji's "good morning" exercise, or kisa going ham on method acting as charles. kinda wish the game explored more of that. I think a very stressed kisa can get lost in method acting, just as a very stressed neji is almost paralyzed by the fear of the death of talent).

idk where I was going with this. just. them. they have the same issues, just in different fonts. and I think that's actually what first attracts neji to kisa. kisa "steals" (to borrow neji's own words) just like him. kisa is a fountain of inspiration, an ever changing muse. and neji provides kisa with an endless amount of prompts and characters for her to inhabit. kisa does like to play pretend a lot. that's why she's in theater!

kisa and neji: Art Imitates Life people stuck in a Life Imitates Art video game

ANYWAY usual disclaimer that I'm jotting down livebloghing thoughts and I know some spoilers to neji's route but I'm only just about to actualy start his playthrough so. yeah. this was drafted all the way back in may lol, opinions may change and all that

[couldbebetterforsure]

Winter Performance completed!!!!! And....WOW......Oh Rama Havenna might be my favorite play yet! For something that was supposed to be a throwaway play, it really turned out soooo beautiful!

Chicchi is such an interesting character and man when her secret came out and her life fell apart around her it broke my heart! Kisa did such a beautiful job with the emotions of that character, especially in the crying scenes. Rukiora was also incredibly endearing in how sympathetic I was to all she was going through, really Mitsuki's best work in a Jeanne role to date! Miguel was a perfect cool guy, I knew Fumi could pull off a Jack role well, I wanna see him do more!!! Fugio was such a fascinating character in how I swerved back and forth on finding him genuine or sketchy, Sou really and truly has grown as an actor. Neji was exactly as enjoyably detestable as I wanted in his evil role as Domina, like wow Domina is such a piece of shit I wanted to strangle her myself for what she's putting everyone, especially Chicchi and Rukiora, through. The priest may not have many lines but he certainly made an impression, I'm glad Kai didn't give up and made the role his own. And then...Suzu as Jire....Good grief Jire is such a pitiable man. It's so clear he loves Chicchi so much but it doesn't change the fact that he decided what was best for Chicchi FOR her and hurt her so badly. Chicchi is well within her rights not to forgive him, and I'm glad at Jire seems to accept that. But yeah, Suzu did a wonderful job with this role, I am so so SO proud of him for being able to get Jire to work at last. Also, while I didn't fully get the villain Suzu role I wanted, I got some version of that and a hot CG of Jire with a weapon, so I'll take what I can get!!! 😍😍😍 The play itself was so emotional and I was soooo wrapped up in Chicchi and Rukiora's relationship and so utterly happy when they became close again at the end. You know when Neji brought up a scene between the priest and Chicchi at the end I was like "??? what's with everyone's reactions? what kind of scene could it be???" Then I get to the end of Oh Rama Havenna and "....ohhhh...Chicchi and the priest are gonna do the do now...now I get the earlier reactions..."

For the music this time around, it was so damn hard for me to pick which one was my favorite! All three songs were simply spectacular! Oh Rama Havenna, Oh Beloved Havenna was so jazzy and had such a great tune to it, I couldn't help but shimmy while playing the rhythm game. Faded Color was an absolutely beautiful duet between Kisa and Mitsuki and truly wrapped up all the emotions and love of Chicchi and Rukiora's relationship in wonderful fashion. But Intense Confessions at the Confessional...was sheer perfection from start to finish for me...Seeing everyone's outfits was perfect, Kai and Neji's singing was perfect, the freaking choreography was perfect!!! The song just gets wrapped around your brain so tight and refuses to let go, it was so good and catchy and while it was hard to pick between the three at first, I am satisfied naming it my favorite from the Winter Performance!

I came out of the Winter Performance arc feeling so damn proud of Mitsuki. Because when he was suddenly assigned the Al Jeanne role, I understood what Neji was trying to do. Neji, Fumi, and Kai were all gonna graduate. Mitsuki is a second year, the only prominent one of Quartz in the story. So he would naturally become the next leader after the current third years are gone. So Neji basically threw Mitsuki into training for the position by putting him a lead role so suddenly. And of course Mitsuki couldn't take the pressure at first...But he broke through, and acted like such a damn good leader throughout the training. Helping Kisa with her struggle for her role and talking things out with her, helping Suzu realize why Jire is such a tough role for him and what he needs to do to perform, helping Sou get more comfortable with the parts in the play where Kisa and Sou's characters are more physically intimate. And not just the underclassmen, Mitsuki managed to be such a help to the upperclassmen too! Helping Neji realize he could take Domina more seriously as a character and helping Kai realize he still has so much more to give as a Jack Ace and not to give up. And the way he comforted Kisa during the play by telling her that it doesn't matter to him what her secret is, he accepts her and forgives her. And man, the sheer relief in Kisa's voice when that happens....She nearly drove me to tears! I loved Mitsuki's growth from someone who was just going through the motions to someone who is genuinely invested in the class performances! I'm sure he'll be a wonderful leader for Quartz next year!

Suzu's own development regarding acting was wonderful too. Seeing him having to face his frustration at falling behind Kisa and Sou as a result of his injury in the Fall Performance and also acknowledging his trouble with acting in roles so unlike who he is. For Suzu, he has trouble acting as those he can't connect with. And Suzu himself is someone who tends to be straightforward, so more complicated ones like Jire who feels such conflicting thoughts and Jean Jose who is manipulative and cunning are difficult for him. But I liked that Suzu didn't wallow in his frustration and sadness over not performing at the level he wanted. He accepted the fact that who he currently is cannot give such roles the true life they deserve, but he'll use the skills he DOES have to still make such roles shine until he is able to fully develop into the type of actor who can perform outside of the range he is stuck in. And I truly believe he's not so far off from such a dream anyways! I mean the king from The Sleepless King wasn't too much like Suzu as a person and yet my boy KILLED it! I think so long as Suzu can find that one part of the role that he connects with, he'll be able to do anything. He just needs to grow as a performer and reach that point, and sine he's still a first year he has plenty of time to make that growth happen!

So yeah, now I am officially done with the common route of Jack Jeanne! Christmas in the game is the start of the route splits. So I can finally have Kisa go after Suzu!!!! 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 My sweet earnest puppy of a boy, I cannot WAIT to see what your route has in store! I hope I can at least start it today...If not I gotta wait for tomorrow...

....Also, semi aside, how on earth did the costuming department manage to make Neji's chest look like that for Domina? 😂😂😂

[magistralucis]

@absolut--kurant!

1183959455331

[mahayanapilgrim]

**The Parable of the Mustard Seed**

Once, there was a woman named Kisa Gotami who lived in the time of the Buddha. She was a young mother, and her only son had suddenly fallen ill and passed away.

Overcome with grief, she could not accept his death. She carried her son's lifeless body from house to house, asking if anyone could give her medicine to bring her child back to life.

The villagers, seeing her desperation, advised her to go to the Buddha, who was known for his wisdom and compassion.

Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha, laid her son's body before him, and begged for a cure. The Buddha looked at her with deep compassion and said, "I can help you, but first, you must bring me a single mustard seed from a household that has never known death."

With a glimmer of hope, Kisa Gotami set out to find such a household. She knocked on many doors and asked the same question: "Have you ever lost a loved one?" But in every house, she visited, the answer was the same. Every family had experienced the loss of someone dear.

Gradually, the truth dawned on her. Death is a part of life; no one is exempt from it. She returned to the Buddha and told him what she had learned.

The Buddha gently said, "The mustard seed could not bring back your son, but it has shown you the truth. Grief comes from attachment and clinging. To find peace, one must accept the impermanence of life."

Kisa Gotami, now understanding the nature of life and death, found solace in the Buddha's teaching and became one of his devoted followers.

---

This story teaches us about the impermanence of life and the importance of accepting this truth to find peace and liberation from suffering.

[duck-n-clover]

redesigned some Old™ ocs, old in the fact that these are very early early ocs and also. they are middleage hotties. meet Kei, Kisa, and Xavier! they're actually parents to some of my current generation ocs (Sammy, Kyri, Emma, to name a couple..!), they really started it all.. they are so dear to me and i'm obsessed again 🥰🥰🥰

edit: i gave them tattoos and actually drew em out thats how you know how Real this grip they have on me is

[unladielike]

    "But you'll play it eventually, right?" Vivian eagerly protests with that same unfazed grin lacing her lips. Honestly, when it came to sharing her special interests with someone else, she was no stranger to being pushy and overly enthusiastic... and as it so happened, Reanne was someone she unfortunately saw a lot of potential in, to the point where she was hellbent on turning her into a fellow yumejoshi like her.

    Still, recognition was quick to seep through her gaze when next her friend pointed out she had yet to get through a game she was very much familiar with. "Oh, are you talking about Code: Realize? Man, that sure takes me back!" Vivian then exclaims before flashing her a quick thumbs up with the hand not currently clasping the charms.

    "Still, there's no rush, Riri - I'll wait for however long is necessary, so we can one day chat at length about those games together!" she soon goes on to reassure her... and within seconds, a chipper nod rolls off her head. "Mmhm, I'm sure! Not only did I accidentally order two versions of the same keychains online, I always wanted to have someone who would match with me; besides, I know deep in my heart you're destined to be a yumejoshi!" came Vivian's subsequent insistence.

    "And for the uninitiated members of the otome genre like you, I detect much potential as well as greatness from you, so of course, I want you have it! Honestly, you should consider this a gift, commemorating our newfound friendship."

seeing as how i’m feeling generous, i’ll give you this one for free! [ for modern verse reanne, from this meme! maybe she ended up giving her one of the even if tempest acrylic keychains she bought -- ]

MEME┊accepting.

To think she'd run into this girl again so soon. Reanne wasn't expecting it, but to see her most decent customer when she wasn't working was a surprise. They had run into each other while browsing the game section, and apparently Vivian was keen on dragging her into the world of 2D boys along with her via a genre of games she said were... otome(?). Well, she didn't mind, but she still had to get through the first set of recommendations that her newfound acquaintance had given her (it wouldn't be right to call her a friend yet; most people would be disillusioned after a bit and want to cut ties).

Reanne had come to grab another set of joycons for her console and leave pronto before someone thought she was actually working, but she wouldn't say no to spending a quick minute with a potential new friend. It didn't take long for them to enter a long discussion over the genre and for Reanne to keep reassuring the dark-haired girl that she would eventually get to playing those recommended titles.

❝ I haven't played this one yet, Vivian, ❞ Reanne bluntly remarked as she looked at the character keychain. Still, this dark haired guy with the bangs covering one eye seemed kinda cute. His eyes kind of reminded her of someone she knew. So, she graciously took the offered keychain carefully into her hands. While the auburn-haired girl wasn't one to really collect merchandise like this, she would treat this carefully as it was clearly something that the other girl valued, ❝ I have to work through that one with the girl who poisons people via touch and... what was the other one? The one where... ❞

She ran a hand through her hair as she tried to recall it, ❝ Agh, I can't remember but I will give those games back to you once I'm done. I did start the first one! I got the glasses guy who shoots salt at people route. ❞ Could she really say she wasn't a fan of the heroine hence her stalling on playing more of it?

Lowering her hand and clasping the charm in her hands, she grew visibly nervous, ❝ but are you really sure you want to give me this? This kind of stuff means a lot to you right? I'd feel bad to take it from you when I don't particularly care for this sort of thing. ❞

[braveclementine]

Undercover Sex Slave Masterlist

Soulmate Tattoos Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Face Claims Main Character OCs The Call Master Weeding out the spy Indoctrination Excuses and Planning Here Comes the Sun. . . Plane Escapades Gags and Limes, maybe they're the same thing? Things went a little sideways. But it was all part of the plan Getaway Dear Father, Let's Chat Really, Really Embarrassing Conversations Joining In A. . . Family? The Start of a family The Hunt Bullsh!t Backgrounds Sharons' Secret Preparing for the Mission Loved Detroit The Café Violated Freedom Navy Asgard Dresses Part 1 Part 2 The Ball Night Love Whip Cream and Peanut Butter Trying Halloween Halloween Costumes Part 1 Part 2 Interlude Cambodia Rue, Mateo, Kisa After Mission December Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Part 2 Christmas Morning Christmas Party Christmas Night Secrets Are Out Australia Attempts The Return Dream Come True?

[nohr-and-thirst]

Mood. I was also semi guilty of doing it but. Luocha doesn't seem bad. He may be sus. But I love them both. Ironically Luocha seems to favor healing Welt more then the ladies in the team. But that's cause Welt is a bit squish. It's like I always feel guilty putting characters that don't get along together. For example Hu Tao and Baizhu. Hu Tao doesn't care for him. Baizhu puts up with her. Hu Tao and Qiqi are also iffy. But Hu Tao needs someone to keep her from going into her own coffin.

Kisa

I just wanna think he is sus but the end of his quest to get the “Coffin Dance” achievement made me feel like a clown!

[ourlittleforever]

Meet Me By Moonlight

Words: 1563

Ship: Millie/Lazav

The scent of fresh roses wafted through the air, and Millie sighed softly. They were sitting on a marble bench in the middle of a gorgeous sunlit park; birds sang, leaves rustled, and they were all alone in this perfect world. 

Except for him.

The mysterious stranger, wearing a leather cloak and smelling of sandalwood and geraniums, manifested from behind a bush. Millie couldn’t ever see his eyes, though sometimes, they swore they caught a cryptic glimmer shining from under the shadow of his hood. His shaggy blond hair hung loose around his scarred chin. The half-elf had wanted so badly to ask if they could remove his hood, just once – but for some reason, their throat closed up whenever they went to ask.

The stranger came closer, and even in a dream, Millie could feel the power reverberating off of him. “My dear girl,” he purred, extending a hand to them. “Walk with me.”

Millie stood, their teacup-length dark blue skirt swishing around their knees. The stranger’s hands were calloused and warm to the touch, and he squeezed their dainty little hand in his as he led them down a pathway lined with pink and white roses. 

The stranger plucked a white rose from one of the bushes and turned to Millie, placing it behind their ear. “There.” His lips curled into a sly smile beneath the shadows, and Millie couldn’t stop themself from leaning against him slightly. He was a blazing fire, and they were a fledgling moth, completely drawn into him. 

“How come I never get to see you outside of dreams?” Millie asked as he led them further down the path.

“I’m a busy person,” he replied nonchalantly.

“But you make time to see me in dreams,” the half-elf said, glancing up at him curiously. “What are you doing right now? Are you awake?”

“Hard to say.”

“You could be a little more forthright.” 

“That’s beyond my nature, kisa.”

Millie tried not to roll their eyes. This stranger, charming as he was, disliked when Millie behaved impolitely, or like a brat. And being an impolite brat included pressing him too hard for information, or outwardly disapproving of his mercurial, whimsical speech. 

“Though…” the stranger began, stopping in his tracks. A clearing had opened before the two, with a white fountain in the middle. He tugged Millie’s hand slightly, urging them forward. The sky had begun to darken. Even in dreams, the stranger distorted all sense of reality. 

“Though what?” Millie asked, trying to keep their tone even, mild.

“I want to see you. I want you to see me.”

Millie’s heart nearly leapt from their chest. “Really? Where? When?”

“Patience,” he chided, and Millie deflated a bit. “In the Tenth District, in Precinct Five – where the light of the full moon first hits Ravnica – that’s where you’ll find me.”

Another riddle. Still, Millie tried to be cheerful. He wanted to meet them – really meet them! And if they were being honest, someone putting in the effort to court them in their dream was more than could be said for any past crush or failed fling. The half-elf grinned in spite of themself. “I’ll find you,” they said.

“I know you will.” The stranger tipped their chin up with one finger, and Millie saw that mystical glimmer under his good once more.

Then, they awoke.

—

Days of research at the Ismeri Library had led Millie to this place: Dinrova Heights. The half-elf pulled their plaid overcoat tighter around their body. The night was clear and chilly; the full moon cast deep shadows over the streets. Millie knew they were in Dimir territory, but they hoped their mysterious paramour was watching out for them.

Still, the Dimir weren’t all bad – during the Invasion, Millie had helped a few agents out with healing spells, fresh food, and a bed to sleep in, and in turn, the agent had kept the Phyrexians at bay. Perhaps they were safe here, regardless of the stranger’s influence. 

The sign at the front of the building came into sharp focus.

WELCOME TO THE DIMIR PUBLIC OFFICES. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATH OR LOSS OF PROPERTY. BASEMENT OFF-LIMITS.

That was inviting.

The Dimir were thought to be destroyed during the invasion, but anyone with half a brain knew better. Some of the lights in the Dinrova building were still on; the building itself was in decent shape, all things considered. A few windows had been boarded up, but the majority just had the blinds tightly shut, save for a few busybodies working furiously in the upper echelons.

Millie stepped inside the building, where a soft buzz marked their entrance. The lobby was seemingly empty, but the half-elf got the feeling that they were being watched. Suddenly, they were acutely aware they may have walked right into a trap – all in the name of romance, like an idiot. 

The door swung shut behind them, and the Selesnya cleric swallowed hard. Nowhere to go but forward, they thought, setting their shoulders and marching to the elevator.

The elevator creaked open at their approach, and it seemed the entirety of Dinrova was inviting them further in. Millie stepped onto the rickety elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. The elevator dinged, the sound slightly distorted. The lift began its ascent, and Millie mentally prepared themself for whatever was going to happen next.

After a few moments, the elevator stopped moving, and the doors opened to a penthouse suite. It was lavishly furnished, if a bit dusty. Still, Millie knew this wasn’t what the stranger meant in his riddle, so they pressed forward, cautiously stepping into the apartment. 

Through the kitchen, Millie could see a lush balcony, where moonlit danced on silver brick. The cleric tiptoed over to the door and exited to the terrace.

The terrace’s edges were surrounded by rose bushes adorned with pink and white flowers. This was the place, then! Millie felt a surge of pride as they walked forward. They tried to take a thorough survey of their surroundings, but even with the bright moonlight, it was difficult to make out much. Curse their mother for giving them her human eyes.

Millie was pulled from their thoughts by a soft hum, and they glanced around, their heart picking up speed. They took a cautious step further into the terrace, and then, they felt it: that aura of undeniable, absolute power, followed by the scent of sandalwood and geraniums. At the edge of the balcony, the stranger revealed himself, his leather cloak blown by the breeze.

Somewhere, deep within Millie, a name echoed: Lazav. It was as if his name had been inside them all along, hidden in their bones. 

Beneath the shadows on his face, the stranger smiled.

“Millie,” he said pleasantly, extending his arms. “Come here. My clever girl.”

They obeyed – as if they could do anything else! – and tiptoed over to him, as if they were afraid to shatter this moment. Lazav took their hands in his, and they were just as warm and rough as Millie remembered. It was nearly overwhelming to stand this close to him; he radiated power, more power than Millie had ever witnessed. And he had taken interest in a lowly Selesnyan cleric, nearly abandoned by their own guild for their perceived ineptitude? This was a dream. It had to be. Right?

“I knew you would find me,” Lazav murmured. He tilted their chin up with the side of his pointer finger.

“Can I…” the half-elf’s throat felt dry, but they pressed forward. “Can I see your face?”

Lazav smiled gently. “You have earned it, haven’t you?”

Millie reached up and took his hood off, and they gasped. He was quite handsome, especially now that they could see his entire face. His blond hair had a lovely sheen in the moonlight, and his irises were like pure black ink. Crows’ feet crinkled up beside his eyes, and deep laugh lines framed his lips. The half-elf’s face warmed. This was their stranger? How had they gotten so lucky?

Lazav leaned closed, and Millie closed their eyes, allowing him to fill their senses completely. When he kissed them, it felt like they were falling through a starlit void, all other sensations melting away, replaced by him and him alone. Briefly, Millie wondered if they were dying; how else could they feel so close to heaven?

Millie followed Lazav’s lips as he pulled away, and the cloaked man chuckled. When Millie stood on their tiptoes to try and kiss him again, Lazav grabbed their cheeks in one hand, his thumb and fingers squishing the soft skin. 

The half-elf couldn't help but pout, to which Lazav laughed, and Millie couldn't tell if they were more furious at or desperate for him. “Oh, poor thing,” Lazav cooed, his voice soft yet mocking. He pulled Millie's face a little closer but refused to kiss them again, and smirked at their neediness. “Am I breaking your heart?”

When Millie didn't reply, he finally leaned close again, allowing his lips to grace theirs. “There,” he said when he pulled back. “That's better, isn't it?”

The half-elf nodded dreamily. “I found you,” they mumbled, more to themself than him, still dazed by his kiss. 

“You did. Now, you have me…” Lazav held them flush against his chest. “And I have you.”

What a wonderful thing, to be his.

[deceptivemorals]

Positivity anon here! Could I ask you to shout out to your five fave blogs? Just to make someone smile today and let them know you love their blog! Maybe even say a little about why!

limiting myself to five is difficult, but fortunately, i also received this message on my other blog :D

@lordofthestrix: i can only say again and again that i am incredibly impressed by your choice of words/vocabulary because all your replies/interactions with tristan are very eloquent. i definitely learn new words by reading our/your interactions.^^ i also love the special relationship my elijah has with your tristan, and the fact that you have interesting (and sometimes unexpected) plot ideas. ♥

@fbiartist: i miss you so much. your muse was the first muse outside the tvd-universe my elijah interacted with and somehow we matched. to my knowledge, you aren't currently here anymore (at least not on this blog) but i still hold dear that dynamic between our muses ♥

@foundationbuilt: i missed you so much during your absence and as i already said countless times, i'm overjoyed that you're back. <3 i love the universe we built together even if the au appears unusual. i especially loved that it grew out of an answered meme and a following 'but what if'. plus elijah also missed bickering with his brother even if he wouldn't admit it xD

@elenaes/ @klaeus: i've been admiring you from afar for some time before i thought perhaps i should actually follow you (i rarely follow someone first because of insecurities asfasdf). i love your writing on both elena and klaus and you're also so talented when it comes to the graphics/layouts you create ♥

@ladicsa: i often find it very difficult to interact with characters that come from shows i don’t know because i rarely go into (to me) unknown territory. but you were very welcoming and made it easy for me to interact with kisa. we matched, developed chemistry, and our dynamics got a direction i didn’t expect at first. i’m really curious about where kisa and elijah will end up ♥

bonus to @weavecalled: i know you for years (back when you still had your elijah on your noblcbrother url). your knowledge of elijah is amazing and you're such a great help whenever i have a question. your interactions with tina are chefkiss and one of my favorite things to read on the dash. i also love the dynamic my elijah has with your jeremy although we haven't interacted in a while ♥

[onetoomanyfandomfixations]

Younger Somas w Reader Who Uses Petnames

**NOT INCLUDING KISA AND HIRO, THOSE ARE WHOLE ASS CHILDREN**

YUKI

Takes him a hot second to figure out what’s going on

“Did you,, mean me?”

yes i meant u bb 💕

Takes a while to adjust to it, but loves it sm

Makes him feel so loved and wanted

Gets to the point where if you use his given name, he thinks you’re mad

Doesn’t matter if ur relationship is platonic or romantic

Mans just craves that little bit of constant validation that he is as dear to you as you are to him

KYO

“who the Fuck do you think you’re talking to???”

Uhh, you?

H A T E S. IT.

“Stop treating me like a damn kid!”

i mean,, he secretly loves it

But that’s a secret he’ll take to his grave

Probably tries to do it too, but panics and it comes out a lil mean

Ends up sticking to dumbass (affectionate)

He’s gotta be Real sappy to use an actual pet name, so it’s not very often it happens

KAGURA

Thinks you are the best thing on this goddamned Earth

“hey honey?”

“YES LOVE OF MY LIFE AND THE NEXT”

She is giggling and blushing and kicking her feet

Gets upset if you call others “her” petnames

^^ this usually incites violence

Watch ur words if you wanna keep your head

MOMIJI

Finds it adorable

“AHHH DOES THIS MEAN YOU LOVE ME??”

“I LOVE YOU TOO MEINE SONNE”

The type to come up with the stupidest, most embarrassing pet names for you

Also the type to tease you whenever you use any petnames

Fake pouts whenever you use them for anyone else

“Does this mean i’m not your favourite anymore 🥺🥺”

HATSUHARU

Honestly??

Doesn’t even register to him

Just,,, responds without hesitation nor thought

“Baby?”

“Ya?”

“Ohmigodimsosorry-”

“What, am I not baby?”

Does it in return without thinking as well

It’s just kinda,,, A Thing

ISUZU (RIN)

“who the Fuck do you think you’re talking to” part 2

“do you want me to stop?”

“,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, no”

Peak validation for my girl here

Sometimes uses pet names back

But its so rare that when she does it’ll K.O you

The most often you’ll hear them is when she’s talking to you while you’re (supposed to be) asleep

Don’t ever tell her though, because she’ll stop in an instant

RITSU

Embarrassment 100

Thinks she’s not worthy of such high praise

Tries to compliment you, or use pet names back but is so overwhelmed that it’s difficult

“No!! You are a peasweet!! WAIT NO IM SO SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME”

Please give her gender affirming pet names

She’ll cry

She’s so grateful for you 💕

[mahayanapilgrim]

**The Parable of the Mustard Seed**

Once, there was a woman named Kisa Gotami who lived in the time of the Buddha. She was a young mother, and her only son had suddenly fallen ill and passed away.

Overcome with grief, she could not accept his death. She carried her son's lifeless body from house to house, asking if anyone could give her medicine to bring her child back to life.

The villagers, seeing her desperation, advised her to go to the Buddha, who was known for his wisdom and compassion.

Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha, laid her son's body before him, and begged for a cure. The Buddha looked at her with deep compassion and said, "I can help you, but first, you must bring me a single mustard seed from a household that has never known death."

With a glimmer of hope, Kisa Gotami set out to find such a household. She knocked on many doors and asked the same question: "Have you ever lost a loved one?" But in every house, she visited, the answer was the same. Every family had experienced the loss of someone dear.

Gradually, the truth dawned on her. Death is a part of life; no one is exempt from it. She returned to the Buddha and told him what she had learned.

The Buddha gently said, "The mustard seed could not bring back your son, but it has shown you the truth. Grief comes from attachment and clinging. To find peace, one must accept the impermanence of life."

Kisa Gotami, now understanding the nature of life and death, found solace in the Buddha's teaching and became one of his devoted followers.

---

This story teaches us about the impermanence of life and the importance of accepting this truth to find peace and liberation from suffering.

[ultravioalex]

O dear Alex, I do feel terrible for leaving thou for so long. I have been busy with like other things. Oh, how forgetful I am. If thou could find it in thy heart to forgive me. Id hope your malenky dama is doing horrorshow? I do feel guilty for not checking up and the like.

-YOUR ORDINARY FRIEND AND LISTENER

O my sladky malenky droog, I forgive thou. Don't worry.

As for my dear kisa, she's been like, blubbering for what seems like more and more each nochy. Perhaps Daddy Alex ought to like, teach her, wouldn't thou agree?

[sandalaris]

Back on Bridgerton-based AUs with my OTPs from other fandoms; Seth and Kate!

It took me a minute to see it, but Simon and Daphane! I think what tripped me up is the Gecko's don't strike me as "of the ton" type but if I completely nix the whole wanted criminal aspect all together (except possibly now and again for the thrill?) then they fit.

Seth and Simon are surprisingly similar, in no small part because Daddy Issues.

Seth has decided he will never marry and pass on the family name to spite his old man. If the Gecko name is going to go on, than it'll be through Richie, whom dear old dad always claimed was a bastard anyways, so double whammy. It's probably not true, although Seth wouldn't blame his mom for sleeping around on her drunken, abusive, sad excuse of a husband, and Seth looks nothing like the former Lord Gecko himself (and quite a bit like one of the old stable masters,) but its the principal of the thing. Seth also had one disastrous marriage to a commoner, which was dissolved before the ink dried, because while they slept together plenty before and after getting married they didn't actually share a bed during the extremely short time they were legally bound. It was really more of an f-you to his father mixed with the thrill of the chase, but either way, Seth's sworn off the whole marriage and kids thing. But his reputation only does so much against a handsome pedigy and a promise of a wealthy life, and he's getting increasingly tired of the ton's mothers throwing their daughters at him. Or even the occasional daughter's dirty tricks to catch herself a husband.

Its Kate's debut season. (Side note: I don't know enough about titles and such outside of novels set in those times, but I see Jacob as a Vicar. I think that would make Kate eligible for the ton...at the very least she would be considered the daughter of a gentleman.) Kate is lovely and polite and well-bred, but her friendly nature and girl-next-door vibes have left her seen by most of the ton's eligible bachelors as just a friend. It's not that she doesn't have any suitors, but the ones who see her as more than just a friend or little sister type are rather... mature (Lord Oculto), inappropriate (Lord Madrigal's blatant offer to make her his mistress coupled with a scathing insult to her lower station and Lord Brasa's downright creepy comparisons of her to his dead wife Amaru), or the gentleman's reputation proceeds him (everyone knows Lord Malvado lusts after Lady Kisa and is prone violent tempers and ungentlemanly actions towards women, and Lord Tanner has made it clear he only likes the barely of age girls and sees no reason to honor his vows, plus he's a horrible gambler and there's a certain question to his remaining funds.) Her childhood friend Kyle has made his offer to her clear, and if the worst should happen she will consider him, but what she wants above all else is options.

It doesn't take long for her and Seth come to an agreement; he will be seen courting her, thus making her appear more eligible to the younger men of the ton, and he will get a reprieve from the meddling match-making mothers for one damn season! Possibly two if he can nurse the broken heart look the following year.

I'm 100% skipping the whole consent-issue, baby making bit and leaving all the drama in the "pretend courtship starts to seem all to real" mixed with her father not exactly approving of Seth due to his crass language that he didn't bother to hide when he fist called on her and his rather tarnished reputation. Things still grow complicated though, when Seth and Kate do finally confess to the other that there are real feelings behind their actions, stumbling through the "what to do now," Seth having a rather drunken conversation with Richie about the vow he made to their father followed by Richard's oh so helpful "if you don't marry her I will" with a pointed look. Richie is perfectly happy living in sin with his own lover, so he probably wouldn't go through with it.... then again, he can be an annoyingly stubborn little shit, and Seth decides he can't risk it. Now to win over her father.

Kate may threaten to be caught in a compromising position with Seth if Jacob doesn't budge.

[ridiasfangirlings]

An AU where Homra are a group of thieves (like Robin Hood steal from the evil rich and give to the poor and all) and their next target is the Fushimi's who had just come to the city for business stuff. Saruhiko is had left his family long ago and joined the special forces in a different city and is annoyed that his job right now requires him to protect his family's riches while they're there. He wishes he could help the thieves rob the place instead but it'd be trouble for his group. Unless...?

Fushimi being like oh no you’re stealing all my mother’s money how terrible do you need some bags to carry it in XD Imagine Homra as vigilantes stealing from the indolent rich and giving to the needy, they’re wanted all around the country but the normal people support them. They focus not just on the rich but specifically those who got their money through illicit means, like the types who exploit their workers or war profiteering or just general corruption, and they have like a whole information network to help choose their next target. One day second in command Kusanagi says they have a new job, Fushimi Kisa is transferring a large amount of physical cash from one of her businesses to her personal vaults and the money will be stored briefly at a fortified house in a nearby town. They won’t have a lot of time but it will be easiest to steal the money then, so they begin planning to rob the house.

Meanwhile Fushimi works for the government special forces group and has been put in charge of guarding Kisa’s money. Kisa’s wealthy enough that she knows who to bribe — er, influence to get special treatment. Of course special forces leader Munakata wasn’t too pleased about it, he didn’t even want to send Fushimi (suspecting from the same family name and Fushimi’s reaction that they’re related and that Fushimi doesn’t have much contact with his mother) but Kisa insisted, assuming that even if she doesn’t care for her son he should at least have enough sense to want to protect his inheritance. Fushimi of course hates this, as soon as his shitty dad died he left the family and he’s never asked for a cent from them, and having to guard Kisa’s money makes him feel sick.

He’s still doing his job but imagine he’s kinda half-assing it, if he wanted to he could make this the most secure place in the country but he doesn’t even care. As he’s sitting there bored out of his skull he finds himself thinking that wouldn’t it be great if someone just came and stole all this money right now, which is when he suddenly senses that he’s about to be attacked. Fushimi dodges and Yata’s fist passes right over his head. Fushimi moves into a defensive position as Homra approaches, Totsuka noting that oh dear it looks like we lost our element of surprise. Kusanagi considers what they should do next, if they all attack at once they can take this single soldier down but it’ll cause a fuss. Yata complains that he doesn’t even know how this guy saw him coming and Fushimi snorts like what a moron it was so obvious I was about to get hit.

Mikoto strides forward and Kusanagi asks if he wants to solve this quickly so they can get the money. Fushimi’s all ‘so you want to steal all this money, huh’ and Yata’s like that’s right we’re the great Homra, we steal from the rich and give to the poor. Fushimi’s like how stupid but then imagine he shrugs and starts to walk away. Yata’s like wait what’s going on and Fushimi says he’ll disable the security system and make it look like a glitch, you idiots have ten minutes until I’m back from my break and everything starts working again, by the way my back-up’s sleeping two doors down if you could just knock him out lightly for me and drag him over this way. 

The Homra guys all exchange looks and Yata’s like this is a trap right, Fushimi shrugs and says it’s up to you if you want to believe it. He moves out of sight and after a few minutes Homra can see the security system shutting down, Kusanagi’s like well this was unexpected but they decide not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Meanwhile Fushimi is so very sorry about the place being robbed, maybe if Kisa hadn’t hired a shitty private firm to work as his backup the guy would have been able to guard the door while Fushimi was on lunch break. And there’s nothing he could have done about the incredible coincidence that the power for the security system went on the fritz right as those awful criminals showed up, what a shame that’s what you get for hiring amateurs, nothing he could have done really.