#legend begins to know you truly and love you as a person & as yourself. to the point that reconciling you as the same myth becomes a cruel

[rhymaes]

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) // Anne Carson

[raymantogether]

Rayman Together Community Spotlight #3 - Clairiphi

Rayman Together Community Spotlight #3 - Clairiphi

Introduction:

Have you ever made your own Rayman comic book series? Growing up, I spent thousands of hours outside of playing the Rayman series creating comics and drawings, making my own adventures for Rayman and his friends. However, I never could create something as captivating and truly unique as the Rayman Nightmarish Series. Rayman Nightmarish stole my heart and is something that I have followed since 2020. Every few weeks to months, I eagerly anticipate the next chapter. There is something so personal about the art style and original characters, which I fell in love with. Every strip is full of personality and charm. I had the pleasure of meeting Clairiphi, AKA Chiara, during my visit to Ubisoft Milan. In person, Chiara is just as amazing as her series. So when I decided to make this Community Spotlight Series, I just had to make a segment on Chiara and her Rayman Nightmarish series.

1. Please introduce yourself.

"My name is Chiara; I go by Clairiphi on the web, and I'm a storyteller from Sardinia (Italy) who dabbles into drawing to accompany her stories. I hope one day, not too far from now, to become a professional comic writer if the comic industry in Europe gives me the chance. For now, I sadly remain an enthusiastic hobbyist."

2. What are you currently working on in the Rayman Community? 

"I’ve been publishing my fan comic Rayman Nightmarish for a few years with the frequent help of my partner Francesco (@thepinna on Instagram and Cara), who is a professional illustrator and studied as a comic artist as well. Without his teaching, I would be nowhere near where I am with my skill level. He taught me how to storyboard, how to efficiently use a drawing tablet, and helped me train my writing skills. He also offers his direct artistic input from time to time, when work hours permit him (for example, while I did the storyboards and pencil sketches for chapter 11, he did inks and colors)."

3. What is your inspiration behind Rayman Nightmarish?

"One December evening I was particularly bored and haven’t been writing since the beginning of high school, but that evening I was coming from a long period of frustration regarding the school path I chose, and coincidentally, I was also back on my Rayman obsession because I was playing Legends and Origins. I had this fairy character (Waaty) and a horrific, almost lovecraftian villain (The Lighteater) in mind for a while, and all of a sudden I said, “You know what? Let’s stop daydreaming and write an actual story!” I took a huge empty notebook from my desk drawer, and a bunch of years later, here we are!"

4. For any newcomers, what is the story of Rayman Nightmarish about?

"With Rayman Nightmarish, I aimed to narrate a classic Rayman adventure, with the humor, the combats, the voyage across fantastical places... And zombies! Yeah, I love horror, and of course there was going to be a twist. But no worries! This is still a story for all ages, like Rayman always was after all.  An ancient evil called The Lighteater is rising from the depths of the sea and is going to bring a dark plague that will soon turn The Glade of Dreams into The Glade of Nightmares. Of course it is Rayman's job to save the day once again, with the help of Globox and a few unexpected friends, like Waaty, the livid dead fairy with strange clairvoyant abilities...and many others along the way! Will he be able to do it this time? Very likely knowing his records, but this could actually be more challenging than he thought."

5. Is there anything new or unreleased you can share?

"I’ve actually been working on a new original fantasy series for a while. The story is already all planned, I'm in love with the characters and every process I came across during the planning of the plot. I hope with all my heart that I'll be able to bring it to life, not as a webcomic but as a fool-blown series for comic stores’ shelves."

6. What made you fall in love with the Rayman series?

"When I was a little girl, I didn’t have much social skills, and my first ever playmate, before my brother was born, was my dear cousin, who one day came to me with a copy of Rayman 3; his parents got him somewhere during a trip. That game changed my brain chemistry because as soon as I saw the fairy council level, I was hypnotized, and I wasn’t even the one playing! The music, the scenery, the jokes—I don’t know, but every time we played it, I came home wishing I was still in that world. Then a few years later, my cousin got a PS3 and gave me and my brother his PS2, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and Rayman 3. I was so happy! My first ever “comic” was a very cringy Rayman fanfiction I wrote in middle school, kind of an ancestor of Rayman Nightmarish in a way, haha! I thank my cousin every day for showing me that game that evening, and if he were still here today, I bet he would think Rayman Nightmarish looks pretty sick (especially in comparison to his middle school predecessor)."

7. What is your favorite Rayman game?

"I think it’s pretty clear by now that it’s Rayman 3 since it comes with so many dear memories, but I really liked playing both Origins and Legends in co-op with my brother when they came out. They were really fun to play with others! While I’ve always considered Rayman 3 like an intimate journey to take alone in a fantasy world, as silly as it sounds. Haha!"

8. Who is your favorite Rayman character?

"I’m going to be very unoriginal and say it’s Rayman because it’s true."

9. Tell us about your time at Ubisoft Milan.

"It was better than Disneyland! I felt like a kid again being able to hang out with a team of professionals behind a whole videogame. Not only was I happy, I felt seen, like, “Woah! These guys know I exist and even asked me to come here, hello???” Pretty surreal experience!"

10. Other than playing Rayman, what are your favorite things to do?

"I’m going to be completely honest; I haven’t been playing a Rayman game since the dawn of time. Haha! Back when I was a little girl, I wasn't much of a gamer and only played Rayman games because I didn’t care for the others. Now I love my switch, and I found many more games I love to spend time with. Rayman still has a special place in my heart, because it’s thanks to it that I found out I was actually meant for writing stories. Two of my other favorite things to do (besides writing and drawing, which are obvious) are reading books and watching movies, and in both cases, my favorite genre is horror. I also like to play fantasy TTRPG games like D&D or Pathfinder from time to time; they are very stimulating for the imagination."

11. Tell us something interesting or funny about yourself that we might not already know. 

"I’ve actually graduated (both bachelor’s and master’s degree) from a music conservatory in classical piano and never taken a single class in any art school. Sometimes I feel stupid about my past choices, and sometimes I’m glad because learning to play an instrument on a professional level has helped me build discipline and time management skills that helped me greatly in the writing process."

12. Do you have any hidden talents?

"I don’t know much about "talent,” but I do love to sing in my car, and I can memorize the entire script of a movie if I like it a lot. Haha! I remember when I was in elementary school, I used to recite Madagascar to myself when it was past bedtime, but I didn’t want to sleep."

13. What is one thing you can’t live without?

"Besides my air conditioner, I think I would go insane if something happened to any of my writing devices. I keep all my notes scattered between my computer, my iPad, and many physical journals. While clouds are essential, sometimes I just need an actual piece of paper and a pencil to figure out a scene or a plot point."

Want to discover more about the Rayman Nightmarish series? This is my link tree where new readers can find the best social media platforms to either catch up with the story or stay tuned for any exciting news:

[h2llish]

for your event: gn!reader x idia

prompt: black calla lily + "i honestly don’t even know who you could possibly be referring to.”

sorry if it's a bit vague and let me know if i forgot anything. i like this event, though! remember to take breaks '^'

✉ ─── 200 follower event ♡ idia shroud

prompt ─── black calla lily: reincarnation ─ to live again and again, to go through the motions of wanting and needing from the very beginning, it was exhausting. but it was easier when you had them in your life every new breath. it's unfortunate you're only the one who remembers the before. + "i honestly don't even know who you could possibly be referring to."

warnings ─ angst, romantic, pining, gender neutral, lowercase intended, open ending

reincarnation has always been seen as nothing more than myth. the idea of living life after life was quite ridiculous. there are people who choose to believe, the idea of living again comforting in it's own way. but then there were those who truly thought it nothing more than a story told in books and legends. ─ and you'd agree with them, if you hadn't experienced a new breath every moment you took your last.

you no longer remember a number to put down for the centuries you've lived ─ for the many times you've been reborn to a new family. you have experiened death a thousand times and you'd experience it a thousand more. you have fought wars not in history books and witnessed the birth of people who would go on to change the lives of many. you have bled out on the roots of a thriving tree, and suffered from plagues that broke your skin. you have lived and you have died for so long that you no longer had much to experience. you have lived through it all, and you will live through it again.

you once thought it to be a blessing ─ to try again at another life and remember it all. but after so many lives, the excitement of it wore off, and you wondered if it was perhaps a curse. if you had angered the universe in one of your lives ─ perhaps your first ─ and it cursed you to have to live all over again, to remember things that often tore you apart from the inside.

many would think such an experience ─ to be born again and again ─ would be exhausting. and it was, the moment you could remember the memories from old lives in every new birth, you would find yourself with the same feeling ─ the feeling of anguish to have to live through it all again.

but although you often loathed to be born anew ─ to have to relieve moments in which you'd find yourself at the receiving end of hard feelings ─ you also had fond memories of your past lives. memories that filled you with warmth even after so many years. memories you always hoped, and intended, to relive again and again.

the universe worked in odd ways ─ and the universe did not leave you to suffer its gift (blessing or curse) alone.

you don't quite remember your first lives, you've lived too many after all, but you know you've never been alone. your dear lover has always been there, you have searched for him again and again, in every life. you have been drawn to him since the moment you took your first breath as every new person. you have loved him in every life, and in every in between.

but you've always thought the universe cursed you ─ despite gifting you the only person who has lived as many lives as you ─ it has forced you to live through the same heartbreak of knowing he will never remember you from the life before.

you don't know why it has only ever been you, you who is the only who remembers every life that has come before the one you live now. you have loved him since your first life, but every new life you can only seek him out, grasp at him and hope he falls in love with you again, as you always have been. ─ he always has, the universe was cruel you deemed, but it did not leave you to pine for your lover for too long. and you hoped it would only continue ─ to live a life where he was not beside you would be the last of your joy in continuing again.

and you can only wish again that the universe will not choose to be cruel come next life, as you grasp the hand of your aging lover, fingers intertwined and holding him close to you. ─ death did not bother you, you have died too many times, but you grieved the loss of your lover, as you have done come every end. you will find him again, you have promised that same promise every life, and you've no intention of breaking it. you will find him, again and again.

"[name]?" you blinked, snapping your head to face the confused eyes of your peer, a clover near his eye and concern on his face.

"you were zoning out again." cater said, phone in his hand and looking at you with the same concern to match the clover beside him.

"sorry." you said, repitive, as you do it much too often ─ apologize for your thoughts running off from you, and taking you away from your present company.

trey smiled at you, that awkward smile he always seemed to have, "you're always zoning out. even in class."

"yeah," cater agreed, "makes you wonder how your grades are still so good."

if only they knew, that everything the college put in front of you, was everything you knew. you lived the history they taught you, and you've mastered the spells and potions they've introduced. you knew it all and more.

you forced a chuckle, "perhaps i'm just lucky."

your new person was fortunate to end up in night raven college, a prestigious maic academy, where you were now a freshman. ─ but lucky was not a word you'd use to describe yourself ─ you didn't much believe in luck, even if you had, it wouldn't be of much help. if luck truly had an effect, you must lack any for it to do anything, unlucky was most fitting.

and unlucky you were ─ after all, you found yourself pining for the reincarnation of your lover all over again. you knew where he was, you knew who he was, and yet, you found yourself unable to grow closer than a screen to look at and the sound of his voice. he was in a new body, but you knew it was him, you'd always know ─ but he did not.

the universe was cruel ─ but you still pleaded with it silently to help you reconnect with your lover all over again. it had been only a year since your new life has brought you to night raven college, since the pull of your soul has led you back to your lover who did not remember you. but you have only found yourself with so many glimpses of him, he was a closed off individual this life. you believe it to be what this reincarnation has done to him ─ you aren't sure what, but you can see it when you catch sight of him in the rare moments he leaves his room. he was withered and hurt, something has scarred him, and you can only wish to be there for him, to compensate for all the time that you were not before.

it was not easy, loving someone ─ it was a pain you had been through for far too many lifetimes. but you made a promise to always find him, and you intended to keep that promise for as many lifetimes as the universe puts you through.

─ even when it seemed as if he wanted nothing to do with you in your current lifetime.

"hi, [name]!"

you smiled at the boy who waited for you on the other side of the mirror to ignihyde's dorm, "hello, ortho." ─ the technomatic humanoid, ortho, you had come to know as idia's brother in his new life, had become a friend. he was quite different from idia ─ other than being made of technology ─ he was a lot more energetic and extroverted. he didn't hide away in his room and avoid people like your reincarnated lover.

"my brother is in his room! come with me!"

you had been paired with idia for a project nearing freshmen year, and you had come over to start and plan. ─ you did agree with idia the day before about it in class. (but you're not all that sure he was actively listening to anything you said.)

as ortho ledyou down ignihyde's halls and towards his brother's room, you followed ─ it had been many lifetimes, yet you always felt the same feelings of nerves that came with seeing your lover again.

"wait here!" ortho said, just before he called out to his brother through the door. "idia! [name] is here!"

you could just manage to hear his muffled response of, "who?" ─ and your chest tightened.

"[name]." ortho repeated, almost pouting now.

you should be used to it, after so many lives where he has forgotten, where you are the only one who remembers your past lives where you two would reunite and love again. but it is never easier to listen to him express his confusion about who you are. much like now ─

"i honestly don't even know who you could possibly be referring to."

─ you believe you could very well hear a crack in your never-dying soul, one of many after so many lifetimes of the same response.

you don't quite remember much of ortho's response, other than reminding idia that you were his partner on the end of freshman year project.

it always hurt more; despite so many times you've been through this. it always did, the pain of being forgotten by the only person who you had by your side every life, it was always worse every new beginning. and it was more unbearable the longer you stood at his door, listening to your lover express uninterest and confusion in who you are.

"they're waiting, idia! you agreed to work with them here!"

"ortho," you said, cutting him off before he could further try to push his brother into coming out of his room. you smiled at the robotic boy, "it's alright. i should've checked in beforehand. i don't wish to make him anymore uncomfortable. you have my number, don't you?" ─ a nod from ortho, and you continued, "give it to him and we can figure out another way to work on the project on his terms."

"are you sure?" ortho pouted; you have no doubt the boy could manage to convince idia to come out of his room, or at least send out his tablet, but you weren't sure you could handle that right now after experiencing the familiar feeling of rejection from him.

"of course." you nodded.

it was never easy to reunite with him every life ─ but you always had your promise you made to him many lives ago that kept you going.

idia didn't contact you until the next morning, and you only seen it after breakfast. he told you to meet him in the library after classes, where you'll work on the project together ─ you knew it would just be the tablet he sent everywhere so he didn't have to go in person, but that did nothing to stop your heart from beating quickly. even after so many years of loving him, he still had that effect on you.

you were the first to the library once classes ended, sitting somewhere in a corner near the entrance with your head down as you pulled out the supplies you needed for the project. you eventually stood to wander the aisles of the library, looking for books you think might help the project ─ although it was mostly for idia, who did not remember the topic of the project like you did.

you expected to return to the table to find idia's tablet looking for you ─ only to be caught by surprise as that wasn't the case at all.

with books in your hands, you stopped before you could completely leave the cover of the towering shelves. your body felt heavy as you stared at the entrance of the library with wide eyes. ─ it was not his tablet that waited in the library's doorway, but rather the reincarnation of your lover himself. blue hair flickering and eyes glancing around with such obvious anxiety, you felt terrible for being the reason he stood in a public space where other students loitered about.

you swallowed thickly, pushing the books up in your grip and approached, fighting back whatever nerves you had that came with seeing your lover (or, at least, his reincarnation) so closely. as you approached, he seemed to finally notice you, tensing up in a way that made you frown.

"hello, idia." you greeted upon reaching him, and nodded your head politely. ─ because while he was your lover in many lives before, right now, he was only a reincarnation who did not know such a thing about himself. and you've no intention of ever telling him ─ there was no guarantee he would ever believe you even if you did find yourself holding him as you have done in your past lives, and neither would he remember such a conversation. ─ you'd learn your lesson long ago, there was no point.

"uh, yeah, um, hey." anxious as he was, you found yourself fighting back a fond smile; you'd hate to scare him off the first time you actually managed to exchange conversation with him.

you gestured down at the books in your arms, "i found topics i believe would help us with our project, follow me and we can get started." you turned away, and began toward the table you'd taken in a corner, only sending a glance back at him to make sure he followed you.

perhaps you were getting ahead of yourself, but you surely hoped this gave way to a start of another life where you could have him by your side. ─ but for now, you suppose you should get through this school project.

"so this our tenth reincarnation?"

you hummed, running a hand through his hair that felt smooth against your fingers as you stared up at the stars from where you lay together against an old tree, "that's correct." he shifted in your grip, and you finally turned your attention towards him, meeting his eyes that held obvious confusion. you made an attempt not to get distracted and doze off into your thoughts as you stared at him ─ you had a habit of doing that.

"why can't i remember?"

you paused, "i don't know." you sighed, "it's been this way for all our past lives, including this one. i'd hoped telling you now might do something to help you remember me when we reincarnate again."

"and if it doesn't?" he asked again, and you found yourself at another pause.

if it didn't? well, you suppose you'd just have to keep loving him.

you smiled, "even if you don't remember, i promise i'll always find you."

notes ─── first request done! hope you like it ferris, mwah mwah.

do not repost, translate, copy or run my writing through an ai

[midnightsun-if]

Are the angst romance asks you reblogged something you actually take for RO scenarios? Because if yes, I would love "I'm not giving up on you, ever"! Mainly asking for Sloane, but if you feel like it, you can also do it for everyone!

You're not sure how the argument started; nor are you aware how it had escalated to such a degree -- how such a sweet night could have shifted so drastically into one where you're standing across the room from the one person you always wished to be closest to.

Everything, up until this point, had been a blur, wherein you couldn't distinguish one thing from another, and, even if you aren't aware of what had truly caused this, you are firmly knowledgeable of that fact that nothing could ever make you abandon what you had just found.

Nothing.

"I'm not giving up on you!" The words explode from your lips, exasperated rage etched across your face, as you try to contain the extent of the emotions warring within your chest; a unique feeling of desperation coming to the forefront as you stare into the conflicted gaze before you. "Ever!"

Koda: All the fight seems to leave him in that moment, the unusually stiff lines across his face smoothing over into a gentle smile. His eyes shimmering with an almost golden hue as they take you in, even as guilt swims within them. "I think things took a bit of a turn for the worse, huh?" Koda shakes his head, looking down at the abandoned food that had no-doubt gone cold due to the length of the argument. "I'm not sure if this'll make it better, but I'll make you some dinner from my nana's recipe book." He looks thoughtful for a moment, a large hand rubbing the back of his neck. "And, just so you know, I won't ever give up on you either." His expression softens even further. "You have been by my side, dealing with my own brand of thoughts, without complaint, without making me feel like I'm just an obligation to you. You mean more to me than I ever thought could be possible, and I know I'm not the best at coming up with things to say, or the proper ways to showcase them, but you make me happy, you make me feel cared for. I don't think I could ever want to be anywhere else but by your side."

Scarlett: Viridescent eyes, if possible, narrow even further, agitation creasing an elegant brow, drawing a sharp distinction from the softness that typically settled upon her face when seeing you. "I don't believe that you would, but that's not the main issue we're having." Auburn locks shift across delicate shoulders, lithe muscles tense as Scarlett begins to pace back-and-forth like a caged panther; the current expression across her face not far off from how you'd imagine a big cat would look. "Our problem is that we're both not even sure what the other wants. We can make vows and promises until our final days, but they mean absolutely nothing if we don't have a common goal in mind. You may not wish to give up on me, as I wish to do for you as well, but that's a sentiment that can also be shared with family or close friends." She turns to finally look at you, an almost tortured expression taking over the earlier agitation. "What do you want? Do you want to be with me? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me? Because, if you do, if you wish to share everything I wish to with you, then I’ll make this vow to you now: I will cherish and love you like no one has, or ever will, and I will ensure you never doubt the truth of what's inside my heart. For you found the pieces of myself I believed to be dead long ago and, because of you, because of what you've given me by simply being yourself, I found a love I no longer believed could ever be real." Scarlett tilts her head. "So, I ask you once more, what is it that you want?"

Cyrus/Cyra: "Phoenixes represent various things through mythos and legends; from rebirth to hope to courage to a number of other things. I've never truly taken stock in any of them. Not because I don't care about what has been said, or what has given people a glimmer of something light when they're surrounded by the dark, but I've always had a hard time in attaching myself to what a phoenix could potentially mean to others and what I am every day. I've never felt like I live up to any of the legends that surround what so many have created." Golden eyes glint like twin suns, warmth exuding from them that reminds you of standing underneath the gentle rays of a summer sky. "I've always tried to figure out what it all meant. Why I could potentially feel so disconnected, why I couldn't uncover what seemed to separate me from my kin, and I didn't uncover the truth until I met a vampire that seemed to turn everything on its head." A soft chuckle escapes them, as if they still couldn't believe the impact you had inflicted upon their life. "For, you see, a phoenix isn't a phoenix without the thing that makes rising from the ashes possible, that makes shining a light into the never-ending darkness to offer a hope an actuality, that seems to burn within every courageous heart with unparalleled zeal. A phoenix isn't a phoenix without fire, without the flame that burns within their heart and soul to ignite their being." The royal heir steps closer to you, softness etched across their serene features. "I never realized that I was so cold, that I was lost within my own self-inflicted darkness, until you lit my way, offering me a warmth I had long accepted would never come. You are my flame, my eternal light, and I will never leave you, never give up on you, because, to do so, would mean casting myself back into isolation, back into the abyss, which is all I would deserve if I did such a thing to you."

Quinn: "I knew from the instant my wolf felt a connection with you that I wouldn't be able to leave your side. That I would do anything to ensure that you were safe and taken care of." Sapphire eyes glint with their typical intelligence, a tinge of calmness added a softening edge, and the typical smile they always seemed to direct towards you. "I don't think I've ever met a single person that has perplexed me in the way that you have managed. I don't think I've ever met someone that intrigues my wolf in the manner that you've been able to do so. Giving up on you has never, and will never, cross my mind. To do so would be giving up a part of myself I never knew I needed. It would be something I'd never be able to rationalize, and something I'd always live to regret, and I don't like having regrets in my life. I've already had my fair share of regrets, my own heart breaks, and set backs, but I know with absolute clarity--" Quinn steps closer to you, their gaze imploring to you listen, and truly hear, what they're about to say next. "--that I never wish for you to be either of the first two because I know that you'd never be the last one. There's not many people in my life that I can say I was supposed to meet, that I was supposed to find them, either to make me better in some intrinsic way, or because they needed to set me on the path I was meant to be on." They shake their head, a rueful smile appearing. "It's kind of silly but, since I met you, I've started to believe that their entire purpose had been to lead me to you."

Caden: Silver eyes shimmer with the promise of tears, casting a shimmering hue over pale argent that brings out the depth of their adoration for you. "I never wish to give up on you either," they affirm, clearly wanting you to understand that the thought to do so had never crossed their mind. "You are the first person, in quite a long time, that I feel like I can be my actual self with. That makes it easier for me to look back at my life, at the memories I try to bury, and see the beauty within each one. A fog has always held itself over my mind, obscuring things from view and making it hard to know one thing from another." A bashful smile curls their lips, head ducking down, causing raven curls to fall across their forehead haphazardly. Slender fingers tugging at the delicate fabric of their onyx button-down as they clearly tried to figure out the words to what they wished to say. "But, even on my worse days, even when I can't see anything through the grey-hued air around me, I could never, and would never, misplace you from my memories, from my thoughts, and from my heart. I would never give up on you, I would never forsake you, because your face is the clearest I have ever recalled, and I know that it'd haunt me forever if I were to hurt you. I could never give up on you because, to do so, would partially be allowing me to give up on myself and the happier future I can see myself having with you by my side."

Sloane: "I've heard that load of bullshit before," they hiss, anger etched across their face, shoulders hunched as they seemed to sink into themself in protective stance. "You won't ever give up on me, really? You won't suddenly find out that the grass is just a bit greener on the other side? That you've been wasting your time trying to fix something that wants to stay broken? Spare me that line and the empty promises that come with it. My own family couldn't even hold up their end of it. Why the hell should I believe that you'll be any different? Because you say so?" Hazel eyes seem almost luminescent due to the fire burning within their depths, lips pulled back into a snarl as Sloane obviously tried to rein themself back in. "I've gone down that road one too many times and I'm a bit tired of realizing it's been a one-way street the entire time. I think it's about time I say no, right? That enough is enough. To show that I'm tired of sticking my neck out and getting burned. Every. Single. Time." They finally turn away from you, the air lightening away from their almost accusatory glare, and the tension, as well as the fight, seems to leech from their body in one fell swoop. "I'm tired of believing that I finally deserve to be loved, to have someone stay, only to discover that I had just fooled myself into seeing what I wanted to. If I couldn't make my own family stay, the people I thought were my home, how the hell am I supposed to make you? How am I supposed to trust that you won't leave me either? How am I supposed to believe that I'm worthy if you do?" Sloane meets your gaze, sadness etched within every part of them. "And, how the hell am I supposed to deal with the fact that I'd rather let that all happen, give you a free shot to completely shatter me, then to see you go?"

Blake: Guilt flashes across their face at the fervor behind your words, the clear certainty within your tone, and they seem to shrink underneath the intensity of your gaze; as if they were trying to hide behind the last little piece of themself, of the persona that they carry, before everything comes tumbling down around them like a house of cards. "I have never doubted that, as I hope you have never questioned my own commitment to you, but that's not the crux of our issue, is it? We've been toying a line that neither of us has either been willing to, or strong enough, to cross, and now we're at an impasse and this little crossing is about to be flooded, and one of us is about to go down." A hint of their typical smirk plays at the corner of their lips, violet eyes flashing briefly. "Which isn't something I'd typically mind when it comes to you, angel… but--" Blake's brow furrows, an uncharacteristic level of seriousness transforming their typically jovial disposition into one you could barely recognize; not even giving you a chance to fully react to the innuendo they had managed to slip into the conversation. "We both know this particular storm has been brewing for some time. Have heard it rumbling its warning well before things started to get muddled. And, because of that, I don't think it's going to be one we can simply bunker down and wait until it passes. It's something we're going to have to face, and I'm worried about what that landscape is going to be once everything is over and done with." They shake their head, expression twisting into something you don't even have a name for. "Or, even worse, I'm worried that one of us is going to get caught in the current of the flood we created and be lost to the other forever. It's not about whether we'll stand by the other, angel, it's about whether we'll have the choice to even do so."

Reginald/Regina: "Do you really mean that?" A gentle effect takes hold within their eyes in that moment, turning the turbulent storm of blue green into a soothing expanse reminding you of a cloudless summer sky. "I-I'm aware that I can be difficult at times. That's not something I've ever truly minded. I know that I talk too much, that I can become fixated on the smallest things, and that I have an almost unhealthy obsession with science fiction and space, but I've never wanted to let any of that go, because that's what makes me… Well, me." They meet your gaze, a gentle smile playing at the corner of their lips. "For the first time, when it doesn't come to my family, I finally feel like I'm not just being dealt with. That I'm not simply being handled until I'm able to pass on to the next available person. When I talk, even if it's about the most random things, I actually feel like you're listening to me, even if you don't understand, and that means more to me than you could ever know. I hope you know that I, or at least try to, do the same thing for you. I know what it's like to feel like you're being ignored, or when you're having a conversation with someone it feels like talking to a brick wall, and I never want you to feel like that with me." They take a hesitant step closer, ensuring that you understood their wish to be closer to you, but allowing you the chance to take the reins. "I will listen no matter what. Even if it's midnight and you simply want an ear to listen to something you just thought of. I won't ever give up on you either, I promise."

[monsterkin-culture-is]

10 Epic Songs for the Divine & Otherworldly💫🪽

It's a deity & divine kin songlist so I've focused on epic covers & originals as a focal genre to link to the 'species.' For those who haven't encountered "epic" music before, it's often orchestral music made to mimic stuff found in trailers & movies. The maladaptive daydreaming playlists were let loose on this one! I'll probably do a less specific deitykin playlist in the future but see what you think. All song names link to Spotify. 10. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Tommee Profitt & Fleurie. Society forces me to be normal about Fleurie's music but I'm genuinely so in love with everything she makes or is featured on. This is an amazing cover of Nirvana's original. The choir at the end pulls everything together. A 2nd epic cover that y'all might also like is by Malia J and was the opening song to the Black Widow movie. The opening to that movie still haunts me to this day and I love it.

9. Beyond by Tommee Profitt & MILCK. This song is exactly how I imagine the freedom of flight. It's that feeling of watching the sunset above the clouds on an aeroplane. The song feels like something luring you into the world of fantasy.

8. Losing My Religion by BELLSAINT. I suppose this is more the antithesis of deitykin but I'd still consider it fitting in a more ironic way. I really can't decide if I prefer this to the original. It's more my style but it lacks a lot of the gritty and grounded tone of REM.

7. Dream On by Cinematic Pop & Cosette. The ways this song has changed me. Personally, I'm an Aerosmith fan, but this cover just adds a whole new level. In relation to deitykin, it makes me picture a deity stuck in a mortal body, waiting to be free again.

6. Immigrant Song by SOAK. When hearing this song, some think of Thor Ragnarok, some think of Shrek and some will think of the actual Vikings. Which are you? I'm unfortunately all 3. On an actual serious commentary note, if the original version is a battle cry, this is a warning growl. It's so sinister and says so much with so little.

5. House of the Rising Sun by Lauren O'Connell. Second day in a row I've featured a cover of this song, though this one is honestly my favourite. I can't disguise I might have just snuck this one in here because I love it but I still think it could apply to the right deity out there.

4. It Had To Be You (Dark Version) by Tommee Profitt & Tiffany Ashton. Wrathful deity of love anyone? Ashton's vocals are so sinister and truly captivating. Profitt's choppy violin is the finishing touch. Gives me shivers every time.

3. Genesis by Ruelle. Biblical references in a song about transformation and rebirth. What more do you want from me on a deitykin songlist? This is an enormous fave of mine and I hope some of you can have the same connection.

2. The Call by 2WEI, Louis Leibfried & Edda Hayes. No one does epic music quite like 2WEI and their collaborations with League of Legends has produced some masterpieces. The way the army of vocals build at the beginning with the marching beat only to erupt into the animalistic pounding of drums has me gagged every single time. If you do like this one, my second choice would be Still Here.

1. LABOUR - the cacophony by Paris Paloma. This was already such a powerful song when it first came out. This new version is utterly breath-taking. I distinctly remember showing my mother the original on a roadtrip home from visiting relatives. I had to find her phone in her bag to add it to her Spotify whilst she was driving! For those who don't know, labour is a song about feminism and the burden of being a woman and/or afab. Really a listen for yourself moment.

Would recommend listening to these in a dark room... or maybe on a long roadtrip...

[mermaidsirennikita]

I’ve started watching The Artful Dodger and loving it, it’s far better than Bridgerton at actually capturing the essence of a romance novel (my first thought upon seeing Jack and Belle interact was that it could’ve been ripped straight from a romance novel). Do you have any recs for tv shows or movies that have the vibes of a romance novel?

Ooh yes!

Oldie but a goodie and if anyone hasn't seen it they should (and really, the whole trilogy--the second movie gets a bad rap, but I personally so enjoy it, and I love the third movie for a lot of reasons but the "REIGNITE. OUR. LOVE." sequence is absolutely one of them, the "we are gonna FUCK THIS SHIT OUT" vibes are sooo romance novel for me). Bridget Jones's Diary. Mark Darcy is just an amazing hero. Bridget is a legend. Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver is PEAK Hugh Grant, and his introduction in that film is one of the greatest character intros I have ever. Seen in cinema. I see some people knock on it because of things that have aged--Bridget worrying over her weight because it's the early 2000s and super skinny was the trend, the workplace harassment. I don't give a fuck. If you haven't seen Bridget Jones's Diary, you are doing yourself a disservice.

(It is based on a book, but that book is not a romance novel. The movies are.)

Ummm speaking of Hugh Grant, Music & Lyrics is an underrated BANGER and absolutely fucking reads as a romance novel. A washed up has-been pop star begins a creative partnership with the messy neurotic woman who waters his plants? He does a flop attempt at defending her honor to do the guy who did her wrong. There's a grand gesture/grovel moment ffs. It's GREAT. The music is AMAZING. POP! Goes My Heart!

This one is borderline because it is more of a girls trip comedy, but the romance is truly centered so well and is a swoony romance and it features peak Richard Madden and it is again, so underrated. Netflix's Ibiza, dude. Buttoned up marketing girl goes on a business trip to Spain, her two best friends (who are both much wilder than her) accompany her and they go to the club one night and see DJ Richard Madden (LEOOOOO WESSSSST) and he and the main girl have this amazing meet cute that involves someone drawing a dick on her face in glow in the dark marker and him coming to the rescue, but then he has to go to a gig in Ibiza and she and her friends decide to track him down because some people are destined to go to the moon, but her destiny is to FUCK. THAT. DJ. But Harper and Leo's connection is more like love at first sight than pure horniness? I just miss movies that like, unabashedly capture zany happiness and the flutters of first love (and the sex scene is so good???). This movie is amazing and I adore it.

Bros. Look dude. I know Billy Eichner fucked up the marketing for this one. I know he's annoying as hell. Bros is objectively a romance novel movie lol. It's not as inclusive as it could/should be, I will agree with that always--but the romance arc is so good, and it is legit funny, and it has a FAILED GROVEL which we all know is one of my favorite things. And I do think it has a deeply true heart and soul and is really amazing.

Brown Sugar. PEAK Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan. It's a slow burn friends to lovers movie in which there is sooooo much sexual tension and so much angst and so much follow the fuck through. Also, Taye Diggs has one of the most magnificent line deliveries of all time with "riCHARD LAWson".

Imagine Me and You. The sapphic romcom we deserve. A bride falls in love at first sight with hot florist Lena Headey while walking down the aisle to marry her groom, as you do. What follows is a woman desperately trying not to cheat on her husband while experiencing extreme sexual tension with Lena Headey. Surprisingly soft and super romantic.

Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022). Required viewing for historical romance novel fans. Obviously based on a book, but again, that book is not a romance lol. The movie is. And it's one of the hottest movies in recent memory. Jack and Emma did the WORK. The kiss right before he goes down on her is maybe my favorite movie kiss of all time.

Obviously. Pride and Prejudice (2005). I shouldn't have to include this, but to be fucking clear lol. I will always maintain that while P&P (the novel) is a predecessor and a shaper of romance novels, it is not a romance novel. It is a contemporary novel with a lot of social commentary and a good love story. This movie? Makes it a full, sweeping romance with some of the best tension ever committed to screen.

Faraway. Omg, an amazing slept-on movie that is a rare romcom featuring a middle-aged woman! Basically, right when her mom dies she finds out her husband is having at min an emotional affair with his younger employee, and she also discovers her mom had a secret property on a Croatian island. She goes there, and is immediately courted by this younger real estate developer guy, but why is she constantly butting heads with the gruff guy who's been living in her mom's house????

Far and Away. Hate to recommend a Tom Cruise film, BUT it is is very romance novel, and it does star Nicole Kidman as well, and I hate to say it but those two did have bomb chemistry when they were married. The Irish accents are rough, but the plot is delightful because he's a poor guy who ends up getting roped into her scheme to leave for America (after his harebrained revenge scheme against her dad fails lol) and they live in a boarding house together pretending to be brother and sister... But like, everyone can tell they aren't because of their extremely obvious sexual tension lol.

When Harry Met Sally. Cliche, but it is a classic every romance lover should see. I'm not a big Billy Crystal fan, but his chemistry with Meg Ryan is MAGIC in this, and you really do get the sense of two people slooowly falling in love without even realizing it until suddenly they do all at once.

[bluedevilsrpg]

QUEEN OF PLAGUE

GUNNER. W. ( 30-34 ) Jasmine Daniels.

HISTORY

YOUR RUINATION BEGINS THE DAY YOU ARE BORN. The history of your family begins with the patriarchal legacy of madmen. Your father was no different with his relentless pursuits for strength and subjugation. In those stark, cold eyes, you with your delicate bones and quiet disposition could never compete with the legends of your forebears. Your father convinced himself of your incompetence when in truth, he desired a male progeny. There was no violence in his disregard but you never dared to meet his gaze; that was his cruelty - for a daughter, you must know your place. Was it mercy or was it malice that you were cast from paradise from your very first breath? 

You realize your place could only be made by your hand, that your life was yours to live. You buried yourself in a makeshift grave the day you chose to die. It was the last act of grace for your self-preservation. The silks that adorned you, the flowers that decorated your tresses remained in memory of the beautiful girl who sacrificed herself for fruitless piety. Girlhood is like godhood is what you learn. It awakens your potential. You are reborn anew in a baptismal of blood, finding new meaning in tearing things apart. Carnage calls to you as your new Goddess and you swathe yourself in your newfound worship of me, myself and I. You will anoint yourself into the palace of Saints where myth remembers you as the one who died for your place among Gods. Father, aren't you proud? Look at what I have become. 

CONNECTIONS

KING OF DROUGHT ⌱ THE WORLD WAS CREATED BY A GODDESS AND DESTROYED BY MAN

The throne was almost yours to claim. A future Queen that would rule nations, you never dreamt of becoming a damsel in distress. You were a reflection of your father’s ruthless nature, his stubborn ambition and his talent for conquest. But due to centuries of tradition and your brother, it was you that was thrown away like a disposable pawn. You loved your brother at first but this love festered into twisted hatred. He who was kind, sweet and gentle in disposition was given all that you had ever wanted. You saw the privileges that came as heir as you were forced to stand aside with your head bowed. You seethed and plotted for a place of your own. There shall be a day where all others regret that you weren’t the one to lead. You left on your own accord and when you see him again, you see a newfound torment that replaced the child prince. You can’t help but grin, so this is the weapon your father has made him. Your hostility remains and his face reminds you of a world that should have been yours. You bide your time to see what he’s worth, you won’t hesitate to show him how it feels to bleed. The world is a cruel place brother so I must teach you how it works. 

BELLS OF HELL & SUNKEN WITCH ⌱ WE DREAM, WE DEVOUR, WE BECOME MURDERESSES

You became the woman you are now with the help of a captain who found you and taught you how to sail the seas and become something beautiful and something equally terrible. You weren’t the only one who she saved and your days were spent with BELLS OF HELL and SUNKEN WITCH who were as carefully selected as you were. You never truly liked BELLS OF HELL, with her crude personality and her starvation for attention. Where you utilized all you had been taught to shift the turning tides of a country, she abandoned herself completely and became akin to scum. Her strength was in the brutality of her tongue and the piercing nature of her voice; both which never ceased to grate upon your nerves. SUNKEN WITCH, who had nothing to her name or history, became enthralled with riches and all things beautiful. At one point, even you were infatuated with her loveliness but you refused to trust a woman whose only interest was in making profit. Beyond a lingering kiss, you desired nothing more. The bond that connected the three of you was fragile and it instantly vanished the moment you were left to fend for yourselves.

CURSED SOLDIER ⌱ SOMEDAY YOUR SWORD WILL MELT AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE CUT

A heartless soldier who only cared about his own desires, he refused every proposition you offered. You remember the day he detained you with his cold, apathetic nature. You attempted to bribe him with the thought of a coup and when that didn’t unravel in your favor, you chose more violent means. Yet despite your attempt on his life, he carried out his duties with little care. His arrogance and strategy was something you considered promising once upon a time but his refusal to bow to your status and power was a big enough bruise to your hubris that it marked him an enemy. You’ll never forgive him for what he has done. You lived your life so gloriously free from the place you were discarded that to be dragged back into the hell of your royal cage only stirred carnage in your heart. Your several attempts to run resulted in severe consequences that will forever be imprinted upon your memory. One day, he will taste the very same suffering he has caused you and you will relish it when you are the one seated on the throne. 

MOON BLADE ⌱ A PRETTY TRINKET MADE DISPOSABLE

Her devotion to you was blindly granted and if there was anything more satisfying than submission, it was narcissistic devotion. At first you saw little use for her beyond the pleasures of shared companionship between the sheets. But slowly, you began to fan the flames of her twinkling greed. You could see how badly she desired to be more than what she was born into, and you dangled it all before her. She was a prized tool that would be an extension of your own political agenda. Despite your fondness for her, your own ambitions and dreams stood above every living being. When a pawn was no longer useful to you, you made no hesitation to toss them aside and she was no different. Your last act of grace was permitting her to live, a favor for old time’s sake.

QUEEN OF PLAGUE IS OPEN & THEIR SPECIAL STAT IS INTELLIGENCE.

[juraianlantern]

Knowing you aren't doing anything wrong, that you are doing your best to be healthy and now have the hardest time finding a date... sucks.

I've tried sites, only to be met with nothing. Oh, try Bumble or Hinge- it takes all the pressure off! Only then...nothing happens. No one messages you, hell the only likes you get are bots. But its not even that many bots, because even the automated fake profiles don't like you. And why would they? You don't drink or smoke. And apparently goth/hiker/DnD-er/otaku/Trekker of questionable gender doesn't test well.

You try in person, hoping that whatever g-ds are watching make you come off better in person than online. Nothing. The closest you get to meaningful connection doesn't even want to know you, let alone be something like a friend. The other closest ends so terribly, it becomes a in joke that you can't help but chuckle at.

Maybe you're just too horny, try Grindr or Tinder. That'll help. At least you get more bots.

So your friends ressasure you. "Gotta love yourself", "be patient, the right person will come along", "don't worry, you're great"...hell you even have one friend joke they'll have a party of single friends, but oops! Why would they invite you? You don't drink.

Ironically? You feel healthier than you have in over a decade. Good job you like? Check. Afford rent? Mostly, but thats life. Good hobbies? Hell yeah, thriving even. Friends? The stuff legends are written of and I mean that. Family? More good than bad, plus several I adore. Properly medicated to boot, which makes all the above possible to begin with. I read, I consume poetry, hike more. Loving every minute.

Yet I burn. I yearn. I feel complete, but lacking. Is it so wrong to be a hopeless romantic and want another person? Moreover, the pain is from not feeling wanted in that way. It'd be one thing if I occassionally felt desired romantically, but the abject absence piles up in a truly crushing way. Sure I may be content with where my life is headed, even hopeful, but no one else likes the look of the ride?????

:(

[thenextdoorneighbour]

Life. What is life? No one wouldn't exactly call it a miracle cause miracles happen for a reason and life just is. What you need to learn is realize your worth. Yes life gets tough but who cares? Ofc it's gonna be hard. All you need to do is learn to overcome this. And also, what you need to learn is why it happened? Everything happens for a reason right? Then why did this happen to you? Why were you given the life you never asked for? Why this suffering and pain? A very simple answer to this. It's to make you stronger. These experiences only build you better and stronger for the tomorrow. These will rip you apart, destroy and torture you but the more you learn the better. See, when an arrow is to be shot very far away, it's need to be pulled down to the ground for maximum range coverage. That's what is life.

Right now it's pulling you down. But once it let's go, you'll only go upwards. Everything is gonna fall in place. You lost yourself for a moment. Who cares? It's alright. Get back up and begin the domination. Everyone's special but the people who fail to realize it are what people call "failures". But failing isn't bad. Failing is a very necessary event in life to happen cause it helps you for your ultimate purpose.

Heartbreak is hard, really hard

Especially if you still love the person truly.

But the thing is, We need to experience every emotion fully, so that we can appreciate The Good when it happens.

Take your time, it’s ok to cry

It’s ok to feel the pain but once you’re done, never look back. We are but weak creatures.

Yes we go down, Yes we get sad but what really matters is how you get up and fight it. Love yourself no matter what. You're not lazy. You're just tired. It's alright take your time but not too long. You have a full, long happy life to live. The emptiness you feel is absolutely Normal. Don't be afraid that you're different from the society. You're not alone you absolute legend. We all fight our demons in the dark but keep a smile on the outside. You're nice. You have a good heart. Keep it that way. You're loved. If no one then God fucking dammit I love you.

Don't ever feel alone and you have to overcome this alone. That's when most of us lose. Everyone needs help and support and I'm always here for you. Now dry those tears, fuck that feeling and get up. Keep your head high. Go out for a walk. Do anything that makes you happy.

Tell that girl you like her. Everything that has happened in the past, every moment has led up to exact this. Where you are now. We all lose motivation. But overcome this shit. You're not this weak you fool. The loneliest people are the kindest. The saddest people have the brightest laugh, the most damaged people give the best advice. Don't ever fake your feelings cause you're a human and you have to share them. If you don't heal what hurt you, you're gonna bleed on people who didn't cut you. Please don't ever get tired of being a good person with a good heart. Yes i know it sucks being taken advantage of and feeling like it's better to be cold hearted but people like YOU matter and you're the most important to this world. Always remember that everything heals. Your body heals. Your heart heals. The mind heals and so do the wounds.

Your happiness is gonna come back to you. Bad times don't last forever don't worry. Those who died yesterday had plans for today's morning, those who died this morning had plans for the night. Don't take life for granted. In the blink of an eye everything can change. So forgive often, love with your whole heart and live life to the fullest. You may never get the chance again. If your absence doesn't affect them, that means your presence never mattered to them In the first place. Life is so ironic. It takes sadness to know what happiness is. It takes noise to appreciate the silence and absence to value presence. If you're reading this, relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw and remove the tongue from the roof of your head and stop frowning. We physically tend to hold stress in the least noticeable ways ever. Just relax hmm? :)

Take a shower. Wash off the day. Drink some water and make the room dark, lie down and close your eyes. Notice your heart beating. Still beating. Still fighting. You made it after all. You made it another day. You made it another year and you can keep making it. You're doing absolutely fine. I love you <3

Take care. You matter. Remember it. You matter ♥

[playermagic23]

Trending Original Series exclusively on Hungama featuring intriguing and captivating plotlines.

Discover the Hidden Desires in “Hasratein”!

Dive into the riveting anthology where five women defy societal norms to explore their deepest passions. Witness their journey as they break free from male chauvinistic taboos, facing every obstacle to experience moments of true desire. To experience just a few moments true passion, they are willing to face head-on all odds and challenges posed by the society, family and other factors affecting their lives.

Watch “Hasratein” now only on Hungama to experience the essence of true passion.

Embark on a thrilling journey with “Rabindranath Yahan Kabhi Nahi Aayein”.

Get ready to be captivated by the mysterious allure of Mushkan Zuberi and her mouth-watering cuisine that has everyone spellbound. Journalist Nirupam Chanda arrives in Sundarpur to uncover the secrets of Mushkan’s famous eatery. Ator Ali helps Nirupam piece together Mushkan’s connection to Sundarpur but Ator faces a deadly attack.

Will Nirupam Unveil the Hidden Truths? What Secrets Are Lurking Beneath the Surface? Is Nirupam not what he is seems to be? Will the clock run out on Ator Ali’s life?

Can you piece together the puzzle before they do?

Tune in “Rabindranath Yahan Kabhi Nahi Aayein” now to uncover the secrets that could lead to a shocking revelation!

Dive into the drama of ‘Ratri Ke Yatri 2’, where neon lights unveil realities.

Behind every neon light lies a story waiting to be told. Step into the shadows and uncover the untold stories of the red-light area.

This gripping show intertwines five compelling narratives, each revealing the harsh realities and hidden lives behind the glimmer of neon lights. Five stories that exposes the raw, unvarnished truths of this hidden world. Don’t miss this raw, unflinching look at a world few truly know.

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Check out “Hello!” packed with a thrilling plot and dynamic characters.

Experience the gripping tale of Nandita, who is thrown into turmoil when she starts receiving mysterious MMS messages depicting her husband’s secret affair with a woman named Nina. Determined to uncover the sender’s identity, she finds herself in a maze of deceit and intrigue.

Who is the mysterious, unknown person who keeps sending Nandita these MMS? Is this whole thing much more than what she ever imagined?

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Discover “Kaamini” now for an enthralling ride that you won’t want to miss.

In the village of Nishutipur, whispers abound of an enchantress named Kamini, said to lure men into the night, never to be seen again.

When Samya and Arnab of a detective agency begin investigating a case, they come across the legend of Kamini. As they delve deeper, they uncover startling truths and face unforeseen dangers.

What lies behind the vanishings of the village men? Can Samya and Arnab unravel the mystery, or will they fall in her trap themselves?

Prepare for an enthralling journey with “Kaamini” to uncover the truth!

Get Ready for an edge-of-the-seat murder mystery thriller in “Mauka Ya Dhokha”.

Beware what you wish for! If some dreams come true, they can topple your life, forever. Set in scenic Goa, driven by love, greed & betrayal.

A frustrated Amit accidentally meets Shalini and in an emotional moment expresses a dark wish. When Monica is found dead and Amit is considered the prime suspect, he must escape to prove his innocence but stumbles upon a captive Shalini and an even bigger problem. Amit and Shalini both soon realise they have been played. But by whom? Can they survive this? Will Amit put his life in danger to save Shalini’s life?

Watch “Mauka Ya Dhokha” now to discover the mystery.

[riverwclker]

❛ oh ,  i  see.  you're  a  skeptic. ❜  river  grins ,  looking up at levi brashly. ❛ and  an  accountant !  that  checks  out.  you're  all  about  numbers ,  facts ,  data ? ❜  river  wasn't  a  spiritual  person ,  by which that the universe is made of material stuff , and only material stuff , and that stuff is governed by a very small number of fundamental laws.  she  understands  that  are  things  in  this  universe  that  she  will  never  understand.  that's  what  made  life  exciting ,  in  her  opinion.  ❛ anyway.  don't  sell  yourself  so  short , accountants  are  important. i bet you can track this organizations financial health and reliability like a motherfucker ! ❜

❛ that's  exactly  it ! ❜  oh , this was definitely a topic river could talk about for way too long. it truly felt like humanity as a whole doesn't care much for what's below the surface. ❛ we  still  know  very  little  about  whats  in  our  oceans ,  yet  billionaires  are  blasting  off  into  space ?  what  are  you  gonna  find  out  there ,  huh ?  space ,  space ,  and.  more.  space.  don't  get  me  wrong ,  our  universe  deserves  to  be  explored  ─  but  , why  don't  we  try  to  figure  out  what's  going  on  on  our  earth  first  and  figure  out  how  to  fix  it  before  going  elsewhere ? ❜ she makes a face as if it were the easiest thing in the world. because in her eyes , it was. if she had the type of money jeff bazos had marine life would look a lot different.

❛ not  yet.  i  think  i'm  gonna  keep  my  feet  on  land  for  the  next  little  bit.  i've  got  to  build  my  foundation  here  before  going  forward. ❜ she chews the inside of her lip , thinking about it for a moment before clicking in on a familiar name that levi gives. ❛ shut  up ,  yeah !  i  know  cali.  i  love  that  girl.  i'm  actually  seeing  her  this  week. i'll pass on the reminder ! ❜

spotting  her  location ,  a  few  people  in  sharpe  business  attire  file  into  the  room  ;  most  likely  the  individuals  she  will  be  presenting  in  front  of.  river  stops  in  her  tracks  without  a  word  which  is  rather  unfortunate  for  the  long - legged  man.  ❛ well.  alright , ❜  she  huffs ,  shoulders  tensing  slightly  as  she  begins  to  steel  her  nerves.  ❛ i  believe  i've  found  my  spot.  ─  with  your  help ,  of  course. ❜  river  looks  up  at  the  gentleman  with  an  appreciative  smile ,  ❛ it's  been  nice  chatting  with  you , thanks  again  for  the  help. ❜ with a small wave , river turns around to head off on her way. ❛ oh ,  and  levi ! ❜  she  calls  and  waits  for  him  to  look  back  at  her.  ❛ thanks  for  be  a  legend. ❜  saluting  him  off ,  river  slips  into  the  office ,  greeting  the  suits  with  a  loud ,  jovial  tone.

END OF THREAD.

“Not that I readily know of..” It sounded like something anyone would agree to if they had one too many drinks. Then again, there were people who actually believed and were actually into that sort of thing, which sounded far-fetched in his opinion. “I don’t think you’d have to be too concerned if you did ask, most of them I’d guess are probably scams.” Not that he had much of an idea of the actual validity of them. “Yes, I’m an accountant here. Hardly exciting compared to what I’m sure you marine biologists do on a daily basis.” It got him by. 

“Who knows? Maybe that outlook will rub off on them.” Didn’t seem like much phased her with the abundant positivity she gave off. If only he knew the secret of how she did it. “Oh. Just from all the different things you end up finding down in the ocean? Some of the things that come out that are in the depths are insane.” But definitely interesting at the same time. “So, you’re off to find the next discovery, then?” Levi proceeded to nod, as he figured the connection may even eventually help her out with a further in. “Sure. Her name’s Cali. Cali Cabrera. She’s been a friend of mine for well, pretty much as long as I’ve been around here.” 

[intretimp]

Myths and legends

What happened to you? What happened to us? Weren’t we all just little kids yesterday? When did we grow to be like this?

               How did a seemingly happy boy go on to become a barely functioning addict? Or has he always been a functioning one that managed to hide till he hit the breaking point? Was it the death of his brother? Was that the damn that broke and flooded the entire village, our little dysfunctional village? When I asked him this question, he wasn’t sure, he said he had always been drowning, he couldn’t remember a time when his head hasn’t been underwater. The worst part to his unfortune was that he managed to pull us all under as we tried to help him. He wanted to drown and there wasn’t anything more to be done about it. In the beginning he tried out some laps in a bottle, burning his throat, as his mind numbed. I still beat you to it, I took the first shot and looked everyone in the eyes expecting more. My first terrible choice in long line of more. Still, not my story yet, now it’s about you, about all of us. You wanted to prove something more than us, you could finally prove it to him that you weren’t just a clueless little boy anymore, you were all grown up, old enough to mingle with everything that came in existence through his stories. People looked at you and saw a carbon copy of him, so that’s what you tried to become. The myth and the legend, the creation of words. No longer a meagre little boy, but a legend in the making. No longer human, but the Frankenstein of stories and expectations.

But what happens to the creation when the scientist dies? What happens to a person when the first human to show him love and care perishes? It becomes a perversion of dishonest expectations. A monsters of wants, who doesn’t know its core needs anymore.

You lost yourself and while on the search to help you refind yourself, we lost ourselves. When he died, it wasn’t just you that got lost through the myths and the legends, it was all of us. We all tried to emulate his legend, all the monsters of Frankenstein in one room sharing a pack of cigarettes. You started skiing , someone disappeared behind a canvas, while me and someone else discovered that our bodies could bring us more validation than our parents did. All the monsters of Frankenstein and their vices. We managed to find a vice in each other, we both knew the expectations of the other, so we assumed that was the person we were loving. It wasn’t. We loved the idea of each other, of not being alone, of someone that could see the ugliness underneath the white fence we created, and maybe, love it. At a second thought, a second creation of myths and legends.

Still, you broke the cycle first. You went so down that you discovered there was nothing more. Someone tried to pull you out, but you ended up pulling him in more. A brother is a brother, be it blood or shared drunken nights. When you returned back in our astral plane, the first thing you told the boys was: can I smoke a cigarette with Saint Peter now? Fortunately, not your time yet. That’s when we started healing. When you left, we all remained alone, no longer talking to each other afraid that we might follow soon. The lack of the others became a moment to flourish, the fear shaking our cores so strongly that we started to realise we had to heal. All the monsters of Frankenstein dispersed, no longer little kids, but adults that needed to live. No longer a sum of legends and myths, now we had been put face to face with ourselves. We lost the coat of expectations and ideas, a ratty coat that had barely managed to keep us warm through the long winter, through the piles of snow and vices.

Months later, years mentally, we finally got to meet each other. Funny how what we used to call a normal outing, became the first moment when we all truly met each other. We met the people behind the monsters. No longer the myths and legends, but the meagre humans. I was calmer, no longer trying to fill the emptiness of the quiet, happy to simply exist at the same time as others. You opened bottles of water and cigarettes in front us. Someone introduced us to his boyfriend, while another made us laugh when we used to think he was mute. Everyone was so different from the legend we first met. Seven people we thought we knew, in reality, were just strangers that finally got introduced. We healed.

The monsters of Frankenstein, the myths and the legends, underneath one roof sharing their last pack of cigarettes. I guess some vices stick more than others. Now, after the years, we finally said goodbye and wished the best to the people we thought were forever. Maybe that’s what we needed, the distance to finally know each other. The distance to allow one another to finally heal.

[alissacorreadelrosario]

2022 Highlights and Message

My life is like a movie. I know that I will be telling a different story very soon. A story filled with success and inspiration about how I overcame every battle and still came out on reaching my dreams.

Happy New Year everyone. 2023 is fast approaching. Thank You Lord for this year 2022. I am so thankful Lord for the gift of life and the gift to serve my dear patients. Thank You Lord for reminding me that this is the life that I’ve prayed for when I was in college. Let me enjoy this season by serving other people through my chosen career path. Lord please use my hand to alleviate the pain of people in their oral cavity, restore their smiles and help them to build their self-esteem through dental treatments that I can offer. Thank You Lord for letting me see the world in my naked eyes. The world is such a beautiful place to experience and I want to create so many memories all over the world.

Meanwhile, I’ve read this post while I was just scrolling in my facebook newsfeed. I think this is God’s message of affirmation to everyone, I would like to share this to you my dear readers: “God is so good to give us new days and years, since He knows we need so many times to start over”.  Indeed, we all need a fresh start and a new beginning.

Dear readers, let us TRUST the Lord in the next chapter of our life. Turn the page and don’t ever look back in the bad chapter. Always remember that the PAST DOESN’T DEFINE OUR FUTURE. It’s just like driving a four wheel vehicle: Kapag papunta sa lugar na pupuntahan natin, ang driver ay dapat sa harap nakatingin at hindi sa likuran, kasi kung sa likod nakatingin ang driver, mababangga at maaksidente tayo.    Focus in the present and just trust the Lord in our future. There are times that we will look in the rear view mirror of the car while driving but those times are just to remember the lesson that it taught us. We will never reach the destination God wants us if we will keep on going BACKWARDS.  

Allow God to write the story of our year 2023. Love yourself more because you cannot share the love if you don’t truly love yourself so I think first love is always the first step. I have so much realizations this year and I have no regrets with all of my experiences and decisions this year 2022

For now, let’s look back in my wonderful year of 2022. I’m welcoming 2023 with a grateful heart and just pure intentions.  

Dear reader, just click the keep reading link below if you want to continue reading because it’s gonna be a loooooooooooooooooong ride. Haha!

January

Almost everyday of duty in the  clinic is boring so I planned an out of town trip with my Uncle Edwin and his girlfriend. I’m the driver. We've visited the Highland Bali around Nueva Ecija.

Maybe, someday, I can also visit Bali, Indonesia.

February

This month goes to another adventure . It was a very loooong journey and a lot of zigzag roads upon reaching Buscalan. Nakakahilo 'yung byahe! Ayoko na bumalik dun! Haha. It was actually nice to finally meet the living legend, Apo Whang Od. I don’t want to have a tattoo in my body. I just want to meet Apo Whang Od in person and have a photo opportunity with her.

I've joined the group tour named Juan Explorer together with my Uncle Edwin, Ate Honey and Ate Ann and we've gained new friends in this trip.

To be honest, climbing the top of Buscalan needs a lot of patience. I am not into climbing mountains. I got so tired during the trip and I need to stop for a bit a little while because I feel shortness of breath during the climb. Thank you to all who gave me moral support that I can reach the top.

We spent our night in Buscalan Homestay. Sabi ko ayoko na umulit haha. The trip was so memorable and it was indeed fulfilling but I have to admit that I need to have a good stamina in my next mountain climb. Sabi beginners lang daw 'yun Buscalan, e bakit ganun hirap na hirap ako haha. Pagbaba nga ng bundok nagbayad na lang ako sa magdadala ng bag ko haha

Actually, I want to climb Mt. Pulag. E paano ako aakyat ng Mt. Pulag kung sa Buscalan pa lang na beginners pasuko na ako?! ahaha

I want to reach the summit of Mt. Pulag. I added that already in my bucket list but I have fear of heights.

March

This month is when I have a scheduled removal of Torus Palatinus under intravenous sedation in the clinic! I am the oral surgeon in the said case. I have to schedule an appointment with Nurse Jeff and the anesthesiologist, Dr. Tecson. If the patient wants to have an anesthesiologist so that he or she will feel more relax during the oral surgery, I usually suggest it but the patient will pay additional fee for that.

Thank you to my dear patient for trusting my hands in doing the procedure. Still, God is the best surgeon and I always ask for the Lord's guidance everytime I do complicated surgical cases.

After 1 week, I've asked the patient to visit the clinic again for suture removal and recall. Thankful that my patient is satisfied with the oral surgery procedure that I've done when I asked her and I've also asked her consent if we can take pictures for some documentations

Next, I went to Dingalan Aurora with my friends: Jasmine and Daniella. It was fun to get some Vitamin Sea after all the stressful work.

Dingalan is so beautiful. It was like a paradise on earth.

April

It was just a month full of clinic duty. I need to work hard to save for my future trips next month. I will be out of the country for the month of May for two reasons: my birthday celebration and I need to study abroad. It was self-funded so I really need to work hard. I have to pay all the bills--- my tuition fee, my allowance, plane tickets and hotel bookings for the Advance Course in Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry (ACARD) at Phomn Penh, Cambodia. All of the countries in South East Asia are already advanced when it comes to dental technology. Napag iiwanan na ang Pinas! According to my colleagues, dental practice in Cambodia is rising because of the advanced technologies.

May

It’s my birth month and my only wish is to be able to travel internationally again. I am so glad that the travel and aviation industry is back after almost two years. To be honest, I really want to fly internationally since the pandemic started but there are so many restrictions so I am so glad that SIngapore is open for international travel with no hassle.  There’s no quarantine and it is very convenient for a travel for leisure. I’ve celebrated my birthday in Singapore with my dentist friend, Doc Kathreen and it was fun!

As I grow older, I also learned to invest in those that will increase value in the future like land properties and gold investments. So, here's a little gift for myself during my SG trip.

First time flying business class! A gift for myself for working so hard, a business class flight from SG to Cambodia via Singapore Airlines.

I need to fly to Cambodia for my further studies in dentistry. I believe that an investment in knowledge so that I could treat my patients BETTER is a good investment.

I've stayed in Sunway Hotel Phomn Penh together with Doc Stephanie as my roommate. I have a roommate so that I could save a little money from the trip. I would join someone in a room as long as she is female. :) I am so conservative and old fashioned by the way. I don't regret it at all.

After studying the intensive course, I am so lucky that I got my certificate. It was my first international studies certificate to be honest. Looking forward for more international post graduate studies in the future that was sponsored by myself or maybe if I am lucky, somebody will sponsor my tuition fee. Haha!

After the program, my dear colleagues stayed for more days in Cambodia so that we could travel and explore the city. Doc Stephanie and I booked a night sleeper bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. It was actually 5 hour long drive. I just sleep the whole trip and thankful that we are safe.

Siem Reap is where we can visit the famous Angkor Wat. Ang init! Kumbaga natusta ako dun! haha

Sawadee Ka, Thailand! From Cambodia, I took a solo flight to Bangkok, Thailand. I need to unwind and pray because there are so many things that are happening in my life despite the fact that it is my birth month. My mom is a little worried because I don't have a companion in Bangkok, Thailand. I told her that it was just a very very short trip and I am very adventurous, I don't think that I will get lost.

I love the airplane's window seat and I always request that seat as much as possible. The world is a beautiful place to explore and see and I can't help falling in love with the view in the airplane window seat.

June

This is a month of full of life learnings and life realization, plus a month of discovering more of myself and life's purpose.

July

This is a month of moving forward, never digging and looking back in the past. I went to Pampanga and booked a solo room for myself in Hilton Clark. After all, solo adventure sounds fun right! Haha

On the last week of July, my brother and I visited Qatar and UAE.  It was my brother’s vacation and we only have a very little time before his class resume on the first week of August 2022. Thankful that we got to travel internationally after all. It was siblings bonding time.

Welcome to Doha, Qatar! So I've learned that the Qatar is the host for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Thank You Lord for this breakthrough moment of my life.

Then, my brother and I catch a flight from Qatar to UAE. Hello, Dubai after more than an one hour travel time.

Dubai, UAE is so underrated. Thank You so much Dubai for helping me to become a better person. I release all my stress in this Dubai trip by taking once in a lifetime adventures like:

HeliDubai (First time riding a helicopter. I saw how beautiful is Dubai aloft!)

Desert Safari (It was so hot in the desert but I am glad to experience dune buggy and camel ride with my brother.) P.S. Ang mahal ng binayaran ko sa DUNE BUGGY, request kasi ng magaling kong kapatid na magdrive daw sya sa Sharjah. Haha. Super enjoy pero butas bulsa. Haha

Flyboard Experience (Another adventure! I've rented Jet Ski and Flyboard in Nemo Water Sports Complex during our Dubai vacay. My Ethiopian instructor is so patient to teach me. Haha, puro ako failed 'di ko naman maperform ng mabuti yun flyboard.)

Ski Dubai (One of the best experiences because I got to see actual penguins in person. They are so cute. I want to take them home. Too bad, the Philippines is a tropical country so the penguins will die here in my country. I love the penguins. Also, I love the thrilling adventure that I've experience in Ski Dubai. Who would have thought that we could experience a touch of frost even in the desert, right?!)

I drink a girly drink during my Dubai trip. I've ordered one mojito because I think I need to change my lifestyle and try new activities to forget. I honestly want to have amnesia during this trip. I promise to myself that I will never look back.

August

From Dubai, my brother and I took a flight to Turkey. We've visited Istanbul, Turkey this month. Actually, it was only a glimpse of Turkey.

Loving also the quote that I saw in Istanbul, it says that "Behind every cloud, there is happiness".

I hope and I pray I will visit Cappadocia in God’s time. (Or, maybe if it is God’s will, I want to visit Cappadocia and ride the hot air balloon there with my future man after our wedding… hehehe)

I am full of dreams!!!

September

This is the first time in our parish to celebrate the Feast Day of the blessed Mary Untier of Knots that I've owned and being taken care of. Thank You so much Mama Mary. After I’ve finished the blessed image of Mary Untier of Knots this year, it seems that God use the image to remove all my problems and my stress. September 28 is the Feast Day of Mary Untier of Knots.

Alam nyo pangarap ko lang dati noong college na magkaroon ako ng isang malaking blessed image na pwedeng pangprusisyon na Mama Mary since Marian Devotee ako. Kaya naman sobrang laking pasasalamat ko sa Panginoon dahil eto na 'yun katuparan ng pangarap ko na iyon.

Looking back this is one of God's answered prayer in my life.

Meanwhile, I also got the result of my Schengen visa application during the last week of this month. Truly, the Divine providence is easing all my worries and fears away. I got a short term Multiple Entry Visa from the German Embassy.

Did you know that the original image or painting of Mary Untier of Knots is in Augsburg, Germany? I truly believe that this was God's answer to my prayers. For me, it seems that all my stress are gone when I saw my visa. Salamat po Panginoon. Napakabuti po Ninyo. Nakakaiyak sa tuwa!

October

I've booked a tri-country trip and the last week of October 2022 is the departure date. This month, I will be back in UAE not to forget but to celebrate because I am stress free and happy. My friends saw how I am glowing when I visited UAE again together with the two Eurasia countries: Georgia and Armenia. Sairah is my travel buddy in this trip and we enjoyed it so much.

We've visited so many beautiful place around Georgia like Gudauri and Tbilisi. If I were to choose between Gudauri or Tbilisi, I would pick Gudauri. Gudauri is truly a food for the soul. It has breathtaking view and the people are so nice like Japan. Tbilisi is also good but I feel safer and I find Guduari much more peaceful than Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The only thing that I don't like about Gudauri is the sheep, cows and other animals are causing too much traffic around the paradise called Gudauri.

November

New month and I am not physically present to celebrate the All Souls and Saint's day in the Philippines but I offer a lot of prayers during my trip. Traveling is my therapy.

Sairah and I were still in Eurasia during the first week of the month. To be honest, it was a very long drive from Georgia to the Armenia border but it was worth it. After immigration and passport control, welcome to the beautiful country of Armenia. I like Yerevan the most and the Tumanyan's crepe is one of the best crepes that I've ever tasted. We also visited provinces in Armenia like Ararat, Dilijan, Goght, Tsaghkadzor and so much more.

I am also very fond of eating ice cream despite the cold weather.

I'll try to blog in detail my Eurasia experience in the future once I have time.

I also have 11 hours layover around Dubai on November 6 before going back to my country. I got 30 days multiple entry UAE visa because I want to try doing skydive during my layover but the Klook cancelled my booking because they want me to be in the skydiving area around 8am. I showed them my tickets that I will be arriving 10 am from my Tbilisi flight. Good thing is I got my money back since the Klook team was the one who cancelled the said activity. Maybe, someday I can experience skydiving.

I've spent those long layover hours by taking a trip outside the airport and by doing food trip around UAE. I love kebabs and shawarma. I have to admit I love the dates flavored gelato in the Gold Souk area. Dubai is known to have good deals when it comes to gold and they have also rare and unique piece so I bought some because I truly believe in the value of fine jewelries. I think buying gold jewelries is better than buying a latest gadget. Likewise, there's a discount there and tax refund for tourist if you are planning to buy gold. Good deal, right? :)

November 18 to 29, 2022 is truly remarkable for me because I got to achieve my European dream. I wanted to visit this beautiful continent. I look back at my life and know that I am living a manifestation of God's unconditional love and faithfulness. 

Back then, I always had plans and I got disappointed everytime my plans did not take place.  After my Japan trip on 2019, I want to go to Europe on 2020. My original plan is to visit Europe during autumn season on 2020 but this European dream did not happen because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are so many restrictions and I don't think that it is a good idea to travel that year. 

 The year 2022 is the year God answered one of my prayer requests ---my EUROPEAN DREAM since there are no more restrictions  for leisure travel. When I was in Europe on November 2022, I have a simple prayer in my heart that I can go back to the Philippines safely after this trip. Truly everything is God's grace. 

Thankful also that I've meet this wonderful people.

I am the only solo traveler but I've gained so many new friends. We've visited 7 countries to be exact in the Schengen region:

Italy

Switzerland

Germany

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Belgium

France

I'll try to summarize my Europe experience.

I love Italy because of its Milan Cathedral. It was my first time visiting there and as usual I light a candle and pray there. One euro is the price for one candle. Can you imagine the price difference of the candle in Italy and the candle in the Philippines? Haha. Another thing is I've read in blog that when you are in Italy, you should try their gelato, so I just ticked off that bucket list---to be able to eat a genuine Italian gelato.

Next, Switzerland, my fave place here on earth. For me, there is no place like Switzerland.

Freiburg, Germany is a must see place. I got 30 percent off in Drubba. It seems that I just went to Germany just for a shopping experience. LOL

I love the Christmas market of Luxembourg. Someday, in God's time, maybe I can also visit European Christmas market together with my family.

So much fun and once in a lifetime experience during the night life in Amsterdam. You should try this when you visit Netherlands.

In Belguim, I got to try eating authentic Belgian waffles and it was so tasty.

I cannot described that wonderful feeling the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower. It was really magical and surreal feeling. I love you so much Eiffel Tower! You were just a dream that I once knew... Ooopsss sorry naLSS lang sa kanta.

I want to be back. I want to visit Vatican City, the heart of the Catholic church. I have so many plans to be honest. I will blog and tell you in detail my European experience once I have a time in the future. Haha.

December

Oh, I love attending weddings. I've attended 2 weddings this month and I am so happy for the couple. My prayer is a long and lasting love for them that the couple will be strong enough to fight for their love inspite of difficult times. I think that’s important when it comes to marriage. I pray that God will be the center of their relationship. I hope that respect, trust, love and faithfulness will always be present in their relationship.

Someday, I will also experience the joy of finding my genuine love like my friends. I just want to love ONE man for the rest of my life ---through the good and bad times. Simple lang pangarap ko. Gusto kong maabot mga pangarap naming dalawa ng magkasama at gusto ko syang makasamang tumanda.

For now, I am definitely investing in self-love and never ending spiritual, and emotional maturity for myself.  I think if I love myself, I could love my future partner and bring the BEST in our future relationship. To my future love, hang in there, because I am trying my best to be the BEST version of myself so when God will collide our paths, I could offer you a LOVE THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. I can’t wait to see you whoever you are because I’ve been praying for you since I was a kid.

Trust that everything that is happening and all the people that are entering and exiting our life is a part of God’s plan. Give thanks to the Lord. Thank you for reading. I wish and I pray you all a peaceful heart and mind this 2023.

Hello 2023! Off to more adventures pleaseee!

Love lots, A 💞

[latte-to-go]

the art of loving you [alcina dimitrescu]

summary ━━━ sometimes, it was difficult for you to tell if what you and lady dimitrescu, or alcina as she has allowed you to call her, had was love. it remained a lingering thought in your mind as her daughters continued to call you their mother’s ‘human play-thing’ and most days, you let it not get to you. but, it was difficult to ignore that fateful night and the lady of the house had easily noticed something was upsetting her little pet.

pairing ━━━ alcina dimitrescu x reader.

words ━━━ 1612

fandom ━━━ resident evil.

warnings ━━━ pure fluff, honestly. but, it has some hints of nsfw vibes but it doesn't go into them.

author's note ━━━ lady dimitrescu owns my heart and I have spent so much time reading fanfics about her that I just needed to write one of my own. who knew a tall sexy vampire lady would be what broke my hiatus and brought me back to tumblr? but, I am here to stay and I am so excited to write more reader inserts! and to continue to fill requests! for now, my requests are open! but, I will probably write a lot more for alcina as well! so, I haven't finished resident evil village yet because of how busy I am with work and that might make the characters a little out of character! but I couldn't wait to write about alcina! hopefully, I will have the game finished soon! some things have been spoiled for me already, but a lot of the game is still unknown because I am still in the very beginning of the game where ethan just gets to the village. but, I still hope you all enjoy this one-shot! it's just fluff between the reader and our lady!

DARK CLOUDS LOOMED AGAINST THE HORIZON, matching the catastrophic thoughts that lingered in the back of your mind as you numbly flipped the pages to the book you had tried so hard to distract yourself with. But, your mind had not retained any of the words written on the yellowed pages as your mind stayed on the woman that held every inch of your heart. With a sigh, you turned your gaze out the window instead. The window pane was cold to the touch, courtesy of the snow that remained a constant of the land.

It had only been two years since you had arrived at Castle Dimitrescu ━━ a mistake, truly. At least, at first, it had been as you stumbled across the maidens that the grandiose home belonged to. It should have been the last night of your life, but the lady of the house had taken a keen interest in you. You had not understood it at first, but you had grown attached to Alcina Dimitrescu and her… mysterious ways. Perhaps, you would even go as far as to call it love at first sight. And, you had thought she had felt the same way with her sweet words and burning touches. But, then doubt had become to creep into the dark crevices of your relationship with the woman.

It was often her daughters teased you, complaining about how they couldn’t stand to hear the beat of your heart. But, their mother had explicitly forbidden them from touching you. Though, you did not feel unsafe around them and had grown to trust and like each of them. But, their words tended to hurt whenever they referred to you as their mother’s play-thing. It was as if there was a timer on your life and it wouldn’t be long till Alcina grew bored of your presence and decided it was your time to join the dead.

“The day has come and gone and you have yet to leave our bedroom,” the regal voice belonging to Alcina echoed throughout the room, startling you at your spot in the window sill. She stood tall with her golden eyes watching your every move, making you hold your breath as you waited for her to speak. With long strides, she quickly reached the window as she looked down at you with an unreadable expression. Regardless of your height, you always dwarfed in comparison to her as she stood taller than most she came across. But, she looked even taller whilst you sat. She leaned down, placing a gentle kiss against your lips. When she pulled back, her gaze met yours. “Has something happened?”

“No,” the word quickly left your lips as your felt your cheeks burn at the sudden closeness. Her scent of her old vintage lavender perfume with hints of blood filled your nose ━━ the old mixture had become a comfort for you. With a clear of your throat, you continued to speak. “Everything is fine.”

A hum left her red lips, seemingly vibrating every sense of your being. With two fingers, she trailed against your jaw as she continued to stare at your parted lips. “You should know better than to lie to me, my darling.”

“I do not wish to bother you with my human problems,” you muttered bitterly, pushing her fingers off your skin. For a moment, her eyes flashed with an unknown emotion but she did not utter a word as she took a step back to create space between the two of you.

“So, something has happened,” Alcina commented, standing to her feet as she towered over you again. It made you feel small in every sense as a wave of tears made their presence known. Hiding them from her was futile as she continued to watch, making you sniffle as you tried to wipe them away. “Tell me, who has hurt you?”

“No one.” It wasn’t like you to throw her daughters underneath the bus because of some harsh words. After all, you needed to be stronger than that.

Her hand reached forward, wiping away the stray tear with her thumb before she caressed your cheek. It took everything in you to not lean into her touch, refusing to place a kiss against her tender skin. Despite your lack of reaction, Alcina moved closer as she took a seat on the window sill. It was difficult due to her size, but she made it work as she continued to run her thumb against your cheek. “Then, why the tears?”

She waited for you to speak, listening to the shaky breaths that left your lips as you tried to gather your thoughts. “I’ve been having doubts,” you confessed, biting the inside of your cheek as you met the woman’s eyes. “About… us.”

“What do you doubt about us?” She asked softly. And, for the first time, you could hear worry in her tone as she slowed her movements. Her sharp gaze had softened, lingering on your saddened expression.

With a deep breath, you took her hand off your cheek as you held it close. Her hands were larger than an average person’s, but you still fit perfectly in them. “I fear that you do not love me the way that I love you,” you whispered, keeping your eyes on your interlocked hands. “I feel as if I am something that you use to pass the time. Someone to warm your bed at night for the time being before you get bored and move to the next.”

“People say I’m heartless,” she started off slowly, taking your words deep into her heart as her gaze flickering to your hands as well. “They call me a monster ━━ a frightening legend that mothers tell their misbehaving children. And, for a long time, I believed in those legends that painted me as a cruel vicious beast. That is, until I met you, my darling.”

Her words made you look up, daring to meet her eyes as she stared at you unblinking. Her beauty had always taken your breath away, making her perfect to you at anything that matters. Still, you remained quiet.

“Perhaps, I did not love you at first,” Alcina confessed, ever so slightly tightening her grip on your hand as she let out a heavy sigh. “But, you came into my life like a storm and I had learned how to dance in the rain. Regardless of what you think, my love for you is true. My darling, you make me feel whole ━━ the missing piece I had unknowingly been searching for.”

“Do you really mean that?” you asked softly, barely finding your voice as you faced the woman. Her words were like honey, dripping sweetness onto your tongue as you tried your hardest to believe her.

Her free hand caressed your cheek, moving closer to you before she left a chaste kiss against your forehead. “Have I ever lied to you before?”

“No, but…”

“Cease your doubts, my love,” Alcina said, staying inches away from your lips as her breath fanned against your cheeks. She whispered your name, letting out a deep sigh as she took in your scent. “What can I do to convince you that my love for you is true? To convince you that I want to spend the rest of our days together? To convince you that my heart yearns for you and only you?”

"Alcina…” you whispered softly, closing your eyes as her lips hovered over the skin of your neck. She didn’t move, waiting for some indication from you. “I love you more than anything in this world and… I wish to spend the rest of my life with you. If you would have me, that is.”

The soft words caused Alcina to open her eyes as she faced you, showing no emotion as usual. It made it hard for you to predict her next move as you waited for her to say anything. But, then a soft smile presented itself to you as she leaned in close. “Of course I would have you, my darling,” she whispered, meeting your eyes. “I would do anything for you.”

Her words brought a smile to your lips, pushing you forward as you engulfed her lips with your own. She was quick to pull you into her lap as she held you close, kissing back with the same intensity that you gave her. It made you feel warm with her love as any doubts you had begun to vanish as she held you. There was no doubt that Alcina Dimitrescu was hopelessly in love with you as you were with her. Yet, the sweet moment had ended too soon.

There was a knock at the door, causing a deep growl to leave Alcina’s lips as she pulled away from yours. It left you breathless as the two of you looked to the door to see Cassandra. She wore a sadistic grin, moving deeper into the room as she regarded the two of you. “Forgive me for interrupting,” she cooed, stealing a glance at your flushed expression with playful vice. “But, he’s back.”

A frown marred your features, causing you to glance back at Alcina and see the irritation blooming. “Who is back?”

With a sigh, Alcina looked to you as she forced a smile to her lips. She moved forward, leaving a chaste kiss against your lips that had become stained the same color as hers. “Only a nuisance that you needn’t worry about,” she whispered softly, moving to stand to her feet. “I shall be back soon, my love.”

At her words, you smiled. “I will be here waiting for your return.”

[alexskarsgardnet]

New Interview & Photo Shoot!  Alex photographed by Johan Sandberg and interviewed by Timothy Small for L’Uomo Vogue (October 2020)!

Alexander Skarsgård: the photo shoot and interview for L'Uomo

BY TIMOTHY SMALL, JOHAN SANDBERG 25 SEPTEMBER 2020

Alexander Skarsgård is a really, really nice man. A Swede through and through, Alexander, or Alex, is a very down-to-earth gentleman who could definitely act as more of a big shot, considering he is also one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood right now, a town that, in true Swedish style, he once defined as “kind of silly”. After getting his first big break as the lead in David Simon's excellent Iraq War mini-series for HBO, Generation Kill, Skarsgård exploded in our collective imaginations as Eric Northman in True Blood, while also acting for Lars von Trier in the wonderful Melancholia. 

Since then, he has been a very buff Tarzan in The Legend of Tarzan, a mute bartender in future Berlin in Mute, a very dark killer in Hold the Dark, and a hilarious Canadian Prime Minister in Long Shot, as well as giving an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning turn in HBO's Big Little Lies. The self-defined “restless” 43-year-old is set to star in The Northman, Robert Eggers's highly anticipated third film, a “Viking revenge story” that Skarsgård himself was crucial in bringing to production – and, by all accounts, it seems like it could have all the right pieces to become a future cult classic. It certainly has that kind of hype.

L'Uomo Vogue:  The Northman is such an interesting project. I know it's important to you. It's also part of a growing resurgence of interest in the Viking era and Norse mythology and that sort of epic Scandinavian adventure. How did it all begin?

Alex:  It all started seven or eight years ago. As a Swede living in America, I realised there was a certain level of fascination with the Viking era and Viking culture – and this was before any of the Viking shows that have since happened. It made me realise that there basically had never been a real great epic Viking movie made, and I thought that that's what I wanted to do.

LV:  So how did the project kick off?

Alex:  I started having conversations with a studio back then, trying to crack the best story. All I knew at the time is that I wanted to make a big Viking movie. We had a couple of potential different starting points: we had a story about two brothers, and then one about the Viking travels down to Constantinople with the Viking siege of the city. We were looking for the right story, but I never really felt we were there. I knew the scope I wanted it to exist in. But what was the story?

LV:  And that's when you met Robert Eggers.

Alex:  Yes, like three or four years ago. We met about something else. I can't remember how, but we started talking about Vikings. And he was, like me, a huge fan of Viking culture and of that historical era, and I immediately felt he would be the perfect guy to direct this movie. And then we found an author and poet in Iceland, Sjón, who came onboard to write the screenplay – and they did a fantastic job, just cracking the story and the essence of it.

LV:  Sounds great.

Alex:  It's a real adventure movie, but it's much more. It taps into the culture, and the mysticism of the Vikings, it becomes more intimate and more personal. I didn't want it to be a generic “swords-and-sandals” movie. Robert is one of the best filmmakers out there. And the whole process is so much more gratifying than when you're quote-unquote “just an actor”. It's been truly extraordinary.

LV:  But then you had to halt production.

Alex:  Yeah. I was in Belfast, Northern Ireland, three months into prep on The Northman about seven days away from principal photography. Just gearing up, you know, getting ready to start a very long, very intense shoot -- a shoot that we were scheduled to wrap in July – and that's when the virus hit.

LV:  What did you do then?

Alex:  I normally live in New York, while my family lives in Stockholm. When the first wave came, I was on the fence: nobody really knew how long it would be, or what precisely was going on. So we shut down production for six weeks. The idea was to then see what would happen. I basically moved to Stockholm for four months.

LV:  How do you feel about this forced break from work?

Alex:  I had not been home for this long in... more than 20 years. It was strange. We were in a bubble; we were all healthy and safe. In a lot of ways, I had moments when I felt being surrounded by my loving family, feeling safe and loved, and taking a break from work, but then also feeling very guilty because I was, for the lack of a better term, being spared.

LV:  In the past, you've described yourself as being a nomad. Did you miss Sweden and the North?

Alex:  I realised how much I have been missing it. I go to Sweden regularly, but usually only for three or four days, maybe a week, tops. My father and two of my brothers are actors, so we're used to never being in the same city. We all travel all over the world. Maybe we'd get back together for Christmas. And I can really say that I had missed spring in Sweden.

LV:  Do you think we will change the way movies are produced?

Alex:  We're going to have to figure out how to shoot movies with dozens of crew members and hundreds of extras while still respecting social distancing rules. It's an unprecedented situation and everyone is scrambling to figure out the best approach. My brother was one of the first people who worked in our industry during the pandemic. He shot a movie in Iceland in the middle of the lockdown. The way they solved it is they split the crew into colour sections. So, hair and make-up had yellow armbands and the camera department had blue, and they had a “Corona appointee” on set who would call out, “Now blue go in!” and then “Blue, out! And yellow, in!” And then they would all do their job in turns. It was very military-like. Productions are already complicated, so we'll just have to add another layer.

LV:  How did you become an ambassador to the Clarks brand?

Alex:  To me, authenticity is very important. I don't want to endorse products I don't genuinely like. That's why I was excited when Clarks reached out. I've been wearing Desert Boots for 25 years. Also, I like to travel a lot. I like to explore new cities by foot. I want to be able to walk around comfortably in a classic, iconic shoe. I travel from movie set to movie set, and I often live out of a suitcase. And this teaches you to be frugal. Whatever fits in that suitcase, that's all I can bring.

LV:  Is that the Swede in you?

Alex:  Maybe. But we consume way too many things in this society. Also, you give things more meaning when you live with them, and when you go on adventures with them. Like, these are my boots. I've been places with them. And when they fall apart, I'll buy a new pair. If you have the right stuff to begin with, you don't need more.

LV:  Going back to The Northman, that really sounds like a dream project.

Alex:  It is. It will be a rollercoaster ride. I can't wait to get back to Northern Ireland and get back to the production. It's also a very physically demanding project, so I have been training for, well, since a few months before production stopped.

LV: In a way, getting into a role, getting on a movie set, acting through it, the whole process of making a movie is a bit like a little adventure. You have to prep, you have to travel, often with people you don't know, and you have to push boundaries.

Alex:  Absolutely! A huge part of the appeal of this profession is you get to travel, and you meet amazing, interesting people from all over. And the uncertainty, you know? What was it, 12 years ago, I was in New York, and I'd never heard of Generation Kill. And then two days later I was on a plane to the Kalahari Desert to be out there for seven months to shoot the series. And I'll never forget the feeling, sitting on that plane, thinking, “Two days ago I didn't even know about this project, and here I am on my way to Southern Africa to spend seven months in the desert with 200 strangers.” It's very exciting.

LV:  What a feeling that must be!

Alex:  And every single job is like that. Every movie is different. Your part, the tone, the energy, the people – it's always different. And for someone like myself, who has that kind of wanderlust, who's always looking on the horizon, it's very attractive to never know just what the next adventure might be.

October 14, 2020:  Updated with the full interview courtesy of our friends at the ASkarsLibrary (x).

Fashion credits:

Photographs by Johan Sandberg Styling by Martin Persson Grooming Karin Westerlund @ Lundlund Hair Amanda Lund @ Lundlund Stylist’s assistant Isabelle Larsson Digital Daniel Lindgren Production Madeleine Mårtensson and Olle Öman @ Lundlund

Read the full interview by Timothy Small and see the photo shoot by Johan Sandberg in the October issue of L'Uomo, on newsstands from September 22nd.

Sources/Thanks:  Interview:  Timothy Small for L’Uomo Vogue (x), Photos:  Johan Sandberg for L’Uomo Vogue (x), artlistparis.com (x) via artlistparisnewyork instagram (x),  luomovogue instagram (x) &  atomomanagement.com (x) via atomomanagement instagram (x), our caps from artlistparisnewyork’s September 23, 2020 insta story (x, x)

[im-poe-dameron]

DIN DJARIN MASTERLIST

All of the Din Djarin fics I will write and have written can be found below! Read the warnings beforehand please! Enjoy!

Under no circumstances may you steal my work, say it's yours, or post it somewhere else. The writings I put on here are mine unless stated otherwise.

smut =🔥| angst =💫| fluff =🌙

Aliit |💫

Summary: They took his son, all he had left, and was going to war to get him back. Except now he had the help of you, a Jedi who was answering the call.

Prey | 18+🔥| ao3

Summary: There was a power play between you and Din. One that always happened, but this time it was his turn to hold command.

I Wanna Be Yours | 18+🔥

Summary: Between you not getting a break from taking care of his son and him chasing one bounty after the next. The stress was bound to make you snap.

Black Velvet (series) | 18+🔥| 1980s!Din Djarin | ao3 | ONGOING

Summary: Din Djarin wasn’t someone who took kindly to people walking in, shitting on his bar, and sticking around. But he’d make an exception for you.

Breaking Point | 18+🔥| ao3

Summary: There was a game between you and him that had begun. Of course, you never expected him to take it that far.

Enough |💫 | King!Din

Summary: An argument ensues as you fight Din on his decision.

Serenity |🌙 | King!Din

Summary: A soft morning with Din.

The Flames of Fate (series) | 18+🔥| ao3 | indefinite hiatus

Summary: When fate ties two people together, what happens? What determines that those two people are meant to be in each other's lives? Perhaps it's luck, or maybe it truly is the entity that is fate.

Sweet Smiles |🌙

Summary: If there’s one thing he can’t handle. It’s your smile.

Distractions | 18+🔥| part two

Summary: Things turn out for the better once he realizes you have a fixation on one thing… (thighs)

The End of Love | 18+🔥| Witch au | ao3

Summary: Beware the witch that lives in the woods. a warning that he did not heed for himself.

Stardust Chords | part one | part two | 18+🔥

Summary: Hatred is quite a thing to speculate from a man who doesn’t know how to yet determine his feelings.

Strength Among Stars (series) | 18+🔥| ONGOING

Summary: When traveling in search of Jedi, Din unknowingly makes a deal with one for transport.

Moondust (series) | 18+🔥| UPCOMING

Summary: Old friend reunite right as things begin to change.

Love is a fire that burns unseen | 18+🔥

Summary: On your list of things that could possibly happen while bounty hunting with din, dying from hypothermia wasn’t included. Nor was finally admitting the truth to yourself about your feelings.

Ghost of a Father | 💫

Summary: There’s a legend told about a Mandalorian who chose to protect his child.

Touch | 18+🔥| kinktober 2022

Summary: This was about him trusting you enough to feel that which he was deprived of his whole life. Touch.

Never Break The Chain | 18+🔥| Jurassic Park AU | ONGOING

Summary: Years after you lost contact and parted ways, he comes back into your life. In the most drastic way possible.

Still of Your Hands | 18+🔥| Kinktober 2023

Summary: “Din was always scared he would hurt you. Always tentative to give into your desires of being taken apart roughly, because he was a gentle person when it came to you. His life revolved around violence, yet when it came to this—you—he was anything but that.”