#looking forward to seeing your art and theories

[theyaremycrocsyoudonut]

Not my usual content, this is not related to shameless at all, BUT I AM MAKING SOMETHING AND WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD

The reference pic and my first sketch/draft:

I AM VERY PROUD OF THISSSSS

[kissmefriendly]

On a slightly more serious note, I just wanna post this before the final entry, not counting the epilogue. I’m so, so thankful for Dracula Daily. It’s been an absolute blast beginning to end, reading discourse, seeing the jokes and memes and all the art, reading theories and reactions. And getting to be apart of that! Reading this book again in this format was a hell of an experience but the fact that I didn’t do it alone, I don’t know. We’ve all gotten to experience this book in a new way in real time together. I love that. And I hope that it won’t be just a one-off event, either. And even if it is? But this? It’s been wonderful. So, thank you to everyone for collectively going nuts over a 130 year old novel. Thank you for posting and making those artworks and memes and analyses. Reminds you you’re human and not stuck and alone.

[vetyr]

hi, i ireally love your work and i don't know if you've answered this before but, what kinds of studies do you do or how did you learn color theory? i wanna get better at rendering and anatomy but im having trouble TT TT

Hi! Long answer alert. Once a chatterbox, always a chatterbox.

When I started actively learning how to draw about 10 1/2 years ago, I exclusively did graphite studies in sketchbooks. Here's a few examples—I mostly stuck to doing line drawings to drill basic shapes/contours and proportions into my brain. The more rendered sketches helped me practice edge control & basic values, and they were REALLY good for learning the actual 3D structure behind what I was drawing.

I'd use reference images that I grabbed from fitness forums, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and some NSFW places, but you could find adequate ref material from figure drawing sites like Line of Action. LoA has refs for people (you can filter by clothed/unclothed, age, & gender), animals, expressions, hands/feet, and a few other useful things as well. Love them.

Learning how to render digitally was a similar story; it helped a lot that I had a pretty strong foundation for value/anatomy going in. I basically didn't touch color at all for ~2 years (except for a few attempts at bad digital or acrylic paint studies), which may not have been the best idea. I learned color from a lot of trial and error, honestly, and I'm pretty sure this process involved a lot of imitation—there were a number of digital/traditional painters whose styles I really wanted to emulate (notably their edge control, color choices, value distributions, and shape design), so I kiiind of did a mixture of that + my own experimentation.

For example, I really found Benjamin Björklund's style appealing, especially his softened/lost edges & vibrant pops of saturated color, so here's a study I did from some photograph that I'm *pretty* sure was painted with him in mind.

Learning how to detail was definitely a slow process, and like all the aforementioned things (anatomy/color/edge control/values/etc.) I'm still figuring it out. Focusing on edge control first (that is, deciding on where to place hard/soft edges for emphasizing/de-emphasizing certain areas of the image) is super useful, because you can honestly fool a viewer into thinking there's more detail in a piece than there actually is if you're very economical about where you place your hard edges.

The most important part, to me, is probably just doing this stuff over and over again. You're likely not going to see improvement in a few weeks or even a few months, so don't fret about not getting the exact results you want and just keep studying + making art. I like to think about learning art as a process where you *need* to fail and make crappy art/studies—there's literally no way around it—so you might as well fail right now. See, by making bad art you're actually moving forward—isn't that a fun prospect!!

It's useful to have a folder with art you admire, especially if you can dissect the pieces and understand why you like them so much. You can study those aspects (like, you can redraw or repaint that person's work) and break down whether this is art that you just like to look at, or if it's the kind of art that you want to *make.* There's a LOT of art out there that I love looking at, probably tens of thousands of styles/mediums, but there's a very narrow range that I want to make myself.

I've mentioned it in some ask reply in the past, but I really do think looking at other artist's work is such a cheat code for improving your own skills—the other artist does the work to filter reality/ideas for you, and this sort of allows you to contact the subject matter more directly. I can think of so many examples where an artist I admired exaggerated, like, the way sunlight rested on a face and created that orange fringe around its edge, or the greys/dull blues in a wheat field, or the bright indigo in a cast shadow, or the red along the outside of a person's eye, and it just clicked for me that this was a very available & observable aspect of reality, which had up until that point gone completely unnoticed! If you're really perceptive about the art you look at, it's shocking how much it can teach you about how to see the world (in this particular case I mean this literally, in that the art I looked at fully changed the way I visually processed the world, but of course it has had a strong effect on my worldviews/relationships/beliefs).

Thanks so much for sending in a question (& for reading, if you got this far)! I read every single ask I receive, including the kind words & compliments, which I genuinely always appreciate. Best of luck with learning, my friend :)

[ellstersmash]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one?

Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of?

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're NOT a fan of?

Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far?

What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)

Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

[littledigits]

Its hard to describe the complex emotions I'm having today, its a mixture of bittersweet sadness, feirce proudness, and everything deeper that comes from having put yourself and your emotions into a show for so many years. I'mm do the thank you thing below - but words dont really do it justice.

THANK YOU to my core Team, you know who you all are, for giving me trust, room to grow, patience and guidance when I made mistakes. All of the support you have given me I will pay forward, because it was only with your trust in me that I could leave this show as strong and confidant as I am. Within that core team there is a very smol team of 4 Special people. Andy Coyle, Chantal Ling, Johnny and Kathleen Mckinnon. I will never forget our nights in the editing room in season 1, grabbing some drinks and pizza as we go through the roughcuts. There were ups and downs but I'm glad to have gone through the chaos with ya'll <3 THANK YOU. To every single person who has touched this project, from the very first pitch to the very last file conform. Our crew has been world wide, and while I dont know everyone, I see and appreciate the work and heart you have put into your time with us. I dont care if you were on the show for a day or a decade, you're a part of it, and I dont take that for granted. THANK YOU to the team at Atomic Cartoons for your work in season 1, and the team at Lighthouse Studios for the animation team who came on season 1 and 3. You all rose to an immense challenge. The Hilda animation team is more then just Mercury, and i'm proud to have worked with you. There are people on the show who look back on it fondly, but counter to that there are people who were not supported how they should have been. I want those people to know that I will take these experiences and push to be better always, your experiences are as valid. THANK YOU to the fans! I see your hype and art and theorys and stories. I hope you will enjoy the wild ride of this last season, but I also hope you all ignore 'canon' and just create to your hearts content. The world lives on, there are still secrets and folklore and mystery - they are now yours to build <3 I could write more, I could write NOVELS, but I think people who know me know how I feel so I will refrain from rambling. Take a breath, and try not to sob at everyone writing beautiful things about what the show meant to them. ( spoiler alert, im going to fail )

Thank you all for being a part of this adventure - Where shall we go next ?

[heartlilith]

Moon Sign/2nd House - Use Your Abilities to Your Benefit

Aries Moon/2nd House: Having an Aries Moon or the sign Aries in your 2nd house of self worth, values, and financial income can help immensely with increasing your confidence. The gift of these natives is being assertive and bold, unapologetically. Say how you feel even if your voice shakes. Being assertive doesn't mean being rude or offensive - it means knowing what you want and simply asking for it. Or, it can mean setting boundaries with people who have no problem crossing them. Naturally with Aries Moon and 2nd house, there are going to be people that are threatened by your ambitious and forward presence, that's their problem. No matter who you are, with or without these placements, there are going to be people who want to bring you down - that's life. My Aries placement babies, this is the first sign of the zodiac, #1. Act like it. Be you, unapologetically*** that's the key word. UNAPOLOGETICALLY. Experiment with your looks, try a style that aligns with not who you are, but who you want TO BE. Forward thinking. Stay true to yourself and listen to what your heart is asking you to do. Maybe your heart says, "You know, I've had the same hairstyle for months, I need a change", change it. Or, "I really want to make more money because....", find another source of income or ask your boss what you can do to make that money. Ask yourself, what would make you happier? And do it.

Taurus Moon/2nd House: My Venusians, the blessed babies of the zodiac. Being in Taurus, you're all about the glamour, the finer things, the abundance. Even if you aren't "glamorous" or "rich", act that way. Because I'm telling you these Venusian placements can and will fool anybody into thinking that they are when they are not. You may not be rich but you can certainly look it. You may not feel confident but you can definitely act like it. Taurus Moons and 2nd house people, know what you bring to the table, because a fixed Earth sign ruled by Venus brings a lot. With this placement, increasing your self confidence can be done by investing in yourself through material, education, self-confidence podcasts, etc. Feed yourself confidence. Dress up to attract things to you and above all else KNOW YOUR WORTH. And when someone questions it, don't argue and "prove", simply let your actions prove them otherwise. When someone asks, "What do you bring to the table?", say "What do I look like? A waitress?", unshakable confidence is the name of that game here. When something gets you down, no matter what it is, remind yourself, "Yeah, my partner may have broken up with me but I'm loyal, loving, and someone worth fighting for", even if you don't believe it, feed yourself confidence. You want to be successful? Dress the part, act the part. You want to be more beautiful and sought after? Adorn yourself with jewelry, buy yourself a new outfit, do what makes you feel good. That's the number one thing with these Taurus placements, do what makes you feel good about yourself and feed yourself confidence.

Gemini Moon/2nd House: Increasing your self confidence with these Gemini placements screams education and self reliance to me. That doesn't mean go back to college or put yourself through Med school, although it can. What I mean is; read books on self confidence, master the art of seduction, master the laws of attraction, suggestion, etc. Knowledge is your power. Read about techniques/exercises to become confident and self reliant. Then, actually implement it into your everyday life. That is the first thing, whether you're learning through books, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. It could even be watching a YouTube video on how to achieve a new makeup look. It could be reading a book on self-love. It could be studying color theory to see what colors look best with your skin tone. LEARN. Another thing with Gemini Moon and 2nd house is being a naturally good communicator and using that to build confidence. Let's say you read the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, for example. Law #13: "When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interests, never to their mercy or gratitude." After reading that chapter, it's going to be easier for Gemini placements to actually implement it because they're skilled at communicating anyways. It's just learning how to communicate in a way that not only feeds your self-confidence but gets others to view you as confident as well.

Cancer Moon/2nd House: My lovely Cancer placements. Increasing your self confidence can look a lot like gaining control over your emotions, becoming emotionally intelligent. I believe that Cancer Moons/2nd house natives are naturally emotionally intelligent; being able to read your own emotions and the emotions of others. When you have control over your emotions, it's hard for other people to manipulate you. Let me say that again, when you have control over your own emotions, it's hard for other people to manipulate you. Reread it. See, your gift is being able to read others and also yourself. But it's just as important to recognize an emotion and then decide to either act on it or let it pass. For example, if someone says a sly comment to you or maybe they're straight up rude to you... you can be angry, actually anyone would be angry, hurt, or defensive. That's okay. It's not okay to start screaming, yelling, kicking because by doing that, you just gave them your power. Now they're laughing because they got a rise out of you. Instead, stay calm and laugh at them, seriously. Reverse psychology. Creating self confidence for Cancer Moon and 2nd house is knowing who you are, what you bring to the table, and becoming unshakable when people try to tear you down. Why would you listen to someone's insults when you wouldn't trade places for their hellhole life? You wouldn't. Reverse psychology is using your gift of emotional intelligence to your advantage. In relationships, Cancer Moons/2nd house have a reputation for being nurturing and being a caterer to their partner. This is not a bad thing, but it might be if you're doing it too soon and for someone that doesn't deserve it. Reverse psychology in this situation would be knowing you have strong feelings for a certain someone and acting like you don't. Therefore, attracting them to you even more. It's having your own back, being there and looking out for YOURSELF first and foremost.

Leo Moon/2nd House: My little rays of sunshine. Confidence is your strong suit, don't let it be your downfall. I'll be straight up with you, stop talking so much. I mean that in the most sincere way, there is power in shutting the f*** up. Boasting about accomplishments, looking in every reflective surface, letting everyone know your next move, etc. You, more or less, have the self confidence part down. If you don't then at least people don't know that you're insecure, okay? But they do when you try to make up for it by constantly talking about yourself and/or bragging about yourself in some way. You have the ability to hide your insecurities and put your best face on. Master the art of silence. Don't show all your cards to people, don't tell everyone about your accomplishments, don't boast and brag because people will pray on your downfall and people will try to tear you down. Instead, let your accomplishments, beauty, money, whatever, speak for itself. Walk into a room with your head held high, dress like you're successful, etc. Let your confidence speak for itself, and when it comes to talking about it, you won't have to. There is nothing wrong with going home to your family or loved ones and talking about your achievements or telling them your future plans. You just need to know your audience, that is KEY.

Virgo Moon/2nd House: I love you guys. I just want to say that I know you may struggle sometimes with being critical on yourself, I know that first hand. Being intelligent and (secretly) critical of others is your superpower. Like Gemini, your ability to learn and implement what is taught is going to help you tremendously. Art of Seduction, 48 Laws of Power, the law of suggestion, reverse psychology, etc. Learn these and practice them daily. Use your superpower to see how others behave. For example, in the workplace. You may have a coworker that is always talking, yapping, boasting, talking about others, spreading rumors. Watch that behavior and see how your environment, work place in this example, responds to them. Look at your boss or someone you admire in your workplace, how do they act and how does the environment respond to them? Use your analytical and critical superpower to dissect what behaviors are rewarded in the workplace or what behaviors are punished. Mirror the qualities that are rewarded. In love, you are selfless and have a tendency to put others before yourself. This is okay, it's actually a very admirable quality. But, people will take advantage of that. You need to put it in your head that the people who fight for you will be rewarded with your care, your selflessness. You aren't giving it out for free. In love, show others how you expect to be treated by treating yourself like a queen/king. When others treat you in a way that lets you know they value you, then reward them with being you - selfless, of service, reliable. See Virgo, these traits of yours, they can't be given out for free because they cost YOU a lot.

Libra Moon/2nd House: Venusian baby. Your superpower is your ability to get along with everyone and being polite/kind. People love you. You're easy to get along with. Use your charm to your benefit. If you're going on a date, dress up in a way that aligns with who you are, and then some. Wear something that is beautiful, classy, and a little suggestive too. I'm not saying that you have to dress like a hooker, although if you want to, go for it. I'm saying little things; instead of wearing a pastel colored dress or shirt, wear red or black. Instead of wearing your hair up in a bun, wear it down. Little things. Out in public, instead of wearing sweatpants to the store, dress up like you have somewhere to be after, even if you don't. What I'm trying to get at is your ability to be charming and well liked is solid, it's there, its achieved. You can also dress in a way or give off body language to support that superpower but to also give you more confidence therefore strengthening that superpower. At work, say you work in an office, instead of wearing what you normally wear, switch it up to get what you want. If you are a secretary but want to be a CEO, dress like a CEO. If you're single and want to find someone, dress the part. If you're a nurse and can't really "dress the part" because you have to wear a certain thing, switch up your make up look OR wait until the weekend. Look up color theory and how the color of your nails, outfit, makeup, etc. make others feel. Wearing red is seducing, wearing black is powerful and thinning. Wearing pink is more feminine. Wearing high heels vs sneakers. Dressing yourself up is a form of self expression. Again, you have the charm part down it's just embodying what you want to be in the future. Embody it now.

Scorpio Moon/2nd House: My Scorpio loves. This one is going to be harder because you already mastered being mysterious, seductive, and powerful. Those are your natural superpowers. I think for you mastering the art of detachment would really work in your benefit especially given that you're already fit to rule the world. Kind of like Cancer, you are emotionally intelligent and can read right through people. It's when you're obsessed with someone or something that you lose sight and become out of wack. Let's say you really want this promotion at work. You want your boss to recognize you and reward you, you want it SO bad and you know you deserve it too. You hold onto it so tight and somehow the promotion is rewarded to someone else. Now, you're bitter as hell. Therefore, you've lost your power. Detach. Don't chase, attract. Always have a plan B and always know that if you didn't get what you want it's because something better is on the way. Let me say that again, if you don't get what you want, it means something better is on the way. You have a crush, went out on a few dates, you're now catching feelings; completely normal. But until you're actually in a relationship with said person, until you're exclusive have a plan B. Even in a relationship you need to ask yourself, "Okay, well, what if it doesn't work out? What then?". Detach from the desired outcome.

Sagittarius Moon/2nd House: My little wanderers, your superpower is your popularity and your easygoing nature. It's being blunt and honest. Like Leo, you have the confidence and you know what you bring to the table and even if you don't you have the ability to fool people that you do. Learn to shut your mouth. Let your achievements, your beauty, your success, your money, talk for itself. You don't need to tell everyone your plans and your business because people WILL sabotage you. They will pray on your downfall. You don't need to boast and brag. And let me just say that it's fine to be confident, it's actually a great thing. Walk into the room with your head high, speak with confidence, but the less you talk about yourself the more people will want to know. Keep them guessing, work in private. Then when your boss grants you that promotion, people will know you're powerful and successful without you saying a word. Anything you say, can and WILL be used against you, babes. You know who you are, let others know through actions.

Capricorn Moon/2nd House: Now Capricorn, you scream success. You're like a secret weapon. If you read Leo and Sag, I'm basically telling them to embody you. Your secret power is your ambition and your need for success. Focus on your dreams, whatever that may be. Take all your energy and devote it to whatever you want it to be, whatever will grant you that success and watch how your life comes together while you're busy focusing on that. Watch how people treat you while you're putting all your energy into something that will give you financial freedom. They're going to flock to you. See Capricorn placements, you have the ability to get what you want because you work hard. That is your superpower. Hard work doesn't scare you, putting in the hours is your second nature. Do that. Do only that. Well, not only that, but invest completely in yourself. Take care of yourself and build that career. Master that skill. Get that degree. Open that business, whatever your dream is. Your life will come together in the process. If it doesn't, know that achieving your dream or at least being close to achieving it is going to give you the self confidence to then attract what you want in love and in life. Complete your goals, work on yourself, build that career. Focus completely on yourself and others will start to focus on you too.

Aquarius Moon/2nd House: Your superpower is the art of detachment. It's easy for you to not get obsessed with someone or something. Like Capricorn, you need to invest completely in yourself and focus completely on what you want to achieve. Forget the rest. Focus on you, your family, your skills, hobbies, career, mental and physical health. Better yourself. Everyday complete one of your goals. Detach from desired outcomes in all other areas of life. Watch how your life comes together when this happens, you'll have opportunities coming at you in all different directions because investing in yourself makes others want to invest in you as well. Plus being Aquarius, mastering different skills is going to open up different doors. You may have a job now and decide to work on your cooking skills just because you want to be better at it. Now, you might fall in love with cooking and start a new job. Or, maybe you've always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, do that. Become a jack of all trades so you never have to be stuck doing one thing. It's attractive to have invest in yourself and to have many different skills. Attractive in the sense that you'll attract different people, places, things, and opportunities.

Pisces Moon/2nd House: My mermaids and mermans, hahaha. Before I get into how to use your abilities to your benefit, I want to mention that your superpower is being divinely protected by the Universe, by the spiritual realm. The universe has your back. Now Pisces, you have a tendency to lead with emotion. You have depth and are emotionally intelligent but that can be your downfall. It's a downfall because people know this about you and when people know this, they know how to manipulate you. Like those sad commercials where they sing "Silent Night" and show these starving and abused animals, then at the end of the commercial, they're asking for money. The people that donate to them are Pisces! No, hahaha I'm kidding, kind of. But you get what I mean. Like Cancer, you need to read the Art of Seduction, the laws baby, the laws. You're emotionally intelligent and you can use this to get what you want out of people and also to protect yourself. Stay one step ahead. I'm not saying to manipulate others, unless you want to, I'm saying to learn when others are manipulating you.

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[crowleyholmes]

Hello friends, lovers, hereditary enemies, and fellow Good-Omens-brain-rot-afflicted!

Inspired by some lengthy conversations and the need for reassurance regarding a renewal for season 3, the lovely Eena @michaelsheens and I have decided to start a little Project!

(Sorry, Crowley, we had to…)

THE NICE AND ACCURATE PROPHECIES* WEEK

Running from SEPTEMBER 25TH to OCTOBER 1ST, it’s all themed around season 3 and the assumption we’re gonna get that renewal. (Manifesting, baby.)

✨ THE PLAN ✨

Every day will focus on a theme around which everyone who wants to participate is encouraged to create any kind of content they want to! Art, fanfic, edits, playlists, speculation, meta, go nuts!

(Also please don’t worry if something doesn’t fit neatly into a day’s theme; they’re only meant to give somewhat of a prompt and structure. Ultimately it’s not that strict and serious, we just wanna see your stuff :))

✨ HOW TO PARTICIPATE ✨

Share whatever your big heart and massive brain comes up with and use the tag #gomensnaap

(It’s like a long nap or something.)

You’re also welcome to give shoutouts to other people’s work you love and want to celebrate, but please make sure to link and credit properly (!!!)

Most importantly: have fun <3

✨ THEMES ✨

(under the cut)

DAY 1: “And there will be great lamentations.”

Let’s talk the Second Coming! We start off and warm up with everything plot-related. Theories, meta, crack ideas, let’s hear your thoughts on where you think the Big Main Plot is going to go!

DAY 2: “I can make a difference!”

For day two, let’s focus on Aziraphale’s arc in season 3. Did he go to Heaven with a plan? Or is he winging it? (Pun only somewhat intended.) Was he threatened or manipulated or both or neither? Will he tell Heaven just where they can stick it or can he actually succeed? What’s in store for our favorite angel?

DAY 3: “Hated by Heaven, loathed by Hell. How will our hero cope?”

Day three is all about Crowley and what we think he’s going to get up to. Is he going to go drink himself senseless and have a good cry? Go snek and hybernate for a bit? Hang out with Muriel and do some tempting? Does he have a plan and how will he cope being on his own?

DAY 4: “There was magic abroad in the air…”

Let’s talk Ineffable Husbands! How are Crowley and Aziraphale going to resolve things between them? Will there be a massive fight? Radio silence for days/weeks/months/years? Will they learn to Actually COmmunicate? Will there be grudges, grand gestures, secret meetings, a big rescue mission from either side?

DAY 5: “Extreme sanctions.”

On day six we wanna make ourselves anxious, sad and upset. (As one does.) What thing that may or may not happen in season 3 are you most worried about? Dark/depressed/evil/etc Crowley? Memory-wiped/brain-washed/archangel Aziraphale? Book of Life? How could Neil & Co hurt us the most?

DAY 6: “Do you…want a hot chocolate?”

After day 5’s spiral, it’s time for a metaphorical treat. What are you most looking forward to in season 3? What do you really want to see? Headcanons coming true? Scenes you wish for? Things that’ll make you wanna name your cat/dog/fish/insert other pet here Neil Richard Gaiman or Sir Terence David John Pratchett?

DAY 7: “It’s starts, as it will end, with a garden.”

Finally, to finish it all up, let’s speculate about the end of season 3. How do you think we’ll leave this story? Will things just go back to how they’ve always been? Will there be peace? Earth hidden from Heaven and Hell with a big 500 Lazarii miracle? Aziraphale and Crowley turned human? Or will they get their cottage in the South Downs for the rest of eternity?

[burnorgetburned]

okay. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO SAY.

NEW MUSIC STYLE. NEW ART STYLE. NEW MAGIC SYSTEM, NEW GIRLS, MORE CLARA DOLLS, MORE HOMURA OUTFITS, MORE EVERYONE OUTFITS, and AAHAHAHAHSGH.

Homura wins by style points alone.

Anyway. Choice screenshots and my thoughts on them. Plus a few wild theories. Replies, tags, and your own reactions are VERY welcome.

(You're doing great, sweetie!)

First of all, I’ve already said this, but Homura has usurped Kyubey. She is the contractor in this new system. She calls magical girls and asks them if they can bear the responsibility of fighting (LEAGUES better than Kyubey's misleading BE A HERO language), using a magical lizard phone. She knows better than anyone else how heavy this is.

And she looks amazing while doing it. Look at that outfit! Look at her steampunk-esque aesthetic! Her throne. Which, notably, has glowing magenta eyes and her wings as a backrest.

The moon is either actually, physically repurposed, or she’s made something that looks like it. Not only that, but the pins going into the moon are exactly like the pins that went into her soul gem when she was being experimented upon in Rebellion. Those pins, according to the artbook, are for draining her gem of grief to keep her just before the point of witching.

Well, here’s my first wild speculation: Homura has not only taken over Kyubey’s job as a contractor but also its job of disposing of grief. That moon steampunk device is maybe for collecting, concentrating, and distilling grief into energy - hence the strange tesla coils connected to red liquid in the second screenshot above. She's doing what Kyubey says it's doing - turning the grief of people into energy to prolong the universe's lifespan.

I for one support her reality-warping shenanigans.

Here are some voices over a phone, sometimes speaking over each other, sometimes together. They call Homura “Akuma-sama” (!!!) which is a distinct upgrade from calling her Good-For-Nothing. They say “Just bring hope” like a mission statement. Are these her contracted girls? Or her Clara Dolls? They seem to show her a lot of respect.

I’ve also said this, but I strongly feel that this and the girl shown later are some of Homura’s new contractees. Their magic is darker. It warps the world around them, even. Their outfits incorporate black a lot more, too, though that might be the lighting.

Look at the little sigil on the top left-middle! Looks a lot like Homura’s lizard sigil shown when she was consuming the universe, just with a longer lizard.

And, of course, the image of Madoka throwing herself off of a building. “Wraith” and “Legend of Bestie” (lmao) show up here. I’ve actually been really looking forward to seeing what they’ll do with Madoka’s… self-sacrificial tendencies, so this might be part of that. Or, because of “Wraith”, it’s… well, I’ll get to that later.

On the other hand, it might not be Madoka. It might be the girl who the speaker in the phone call calls her "best friend", jumping to her death because of a wraith, and Homura saving her to fulfill a wish.

So glad that the insane architecture from Rebellion is making a comeback. Love what you’ve done with the place, Homura. Look at all those cranes!

The outfit changes are very cool to me. I honestly don’t have speculation for why Sayaka is covered in bandages, but I do have speculation for the changes!: they’re older. Years have passed. Since they’ve changed and grown, their outfits have changed, too. I don't have proof of this - I just like the idea.

Light shines down on Madoka. Petals fall towards her as flowers bloom above. Behold, Homura's extremely subtle and inscrutable feelings. (Sorry for the blurry Madoka, but I am not going through the ordeal of uploading screenshots to my computer again because Tumblr does not like mobile users).

Homura is apparently waiting for Madoka here. She's standing right in the fountain's water and holding a Victorian umbrella like a vampire. Right now we can see that the visuals of this movie will not miss.

Is this a routine thing for them or is Homura just showing up to greet them this one time, for some reason? No clue. Madoka's expression as she notices Homura could indicate either.

Eagle-eyed people on Twitter noticed this, but in these shots, Sayaka already has her bandages.

Aside from the multiple and/or teleporting Homuras, there's also a Clara Doll in a ballerina dress and a cute Clara Doll peering over the side of the tower like a little kid.

The tower is interesting. It appears to be made of books or pages, and there's chains throughout it. More notably, it's in the shape of a helix - infinity symbols on top of each other.

Please appreciate these Clara Dolls. I'm sure they're working hard.

But seriously, those Clara Dolls' details. One has a witch's hat. One has an apple on its head. And the one with a teacup appears to have not only a lizard's tail but a replica of Homura's Devil outfit. Appreciate them!

Here is Homura(?), lounging or trapped on a chair filled with even more of those pins. Look at her closely. She's wearing a strange combination of her magical girl outfit and her Devil outfit - her shoulders are bare, and she has... feathers? She's sitting on a bunch of nails. But she also has two soul gems - one in her hand, and one hanging from her neck.

Is she cleansing them? Eating them? Holding people hostage? I don't know, but I support her completely.

She looks so tired.

So: here's some of what I think might be going on.

Homura is using wraiths to repress her worst memories. We know already that wraiths take memories and emotions from their victims. Well, there's no reason it can't be used as extremely terrible coping! Homura actually does this in the Wraith Arc, too - she lets a wraith take her feelings for Madoka.

If it is Madoka, it explains the shot with Madoka throwing herself off a builing - what if Homura has seen this happen in the loops, and out of pain lets a wraith pull it right out of her? The shot says "WRAITH" and billows with smoke. A wraith could have taken Madoka's form to act out this memory. And it doesn't need to be a memory - it could also represent Madoka's self-sacrifice and almost suicidal tendencies. This, too, would explain the multiple Homuras. All wraiths using her form.

This puts forward powerful enemies for the plot, as well as an interesting point of literally fighting Homura's demons. Most importantly, this lets everyone see Homura's pain.

Other wild dartboard speculations:

Homura will try and present herself as a villain. This is, honestly, kind of guaranteed, but it bears mentioning that her magical girls will be very likely to try to defend her.

Kyubey may appear to try and turn the girls against Homura.

Homura made the new magical girl who is drawing a bow. She has a lot of design choices from the Quintet, and people have already noticed how much she looks like Madoka. This new girl plays a role of the hero to Homura's pretend-villain, eliminating the risk that her friends will get seriously hurt.

The new magical girl is actually Madoka. Or the Law of Cycles. Or Kriemhild Gretchen.

The girl who jumps from the tower is a contractee being asked to take a leap of faith. She does so, and Homura rewards her with magic.

[bookhousestark]

"You are Arya of Winterfell, daughter of the north. You told me you could be strong. You have the wolf blood in you." — A Clash of Kings, Arya X

We’re incredibly happy to announce that from July 22nd to July 28th, we will be hosting ARYA STARK APPRECIATION WEEK! We’ll accept edits, metas, art, any other fan work or simply your favorite moments about Arya Stark in her book version to celebrate her character together 💚

Please, remember to use the tag #aryaweek2024 so we can find and reblog your posts. If you missed a day we’ll still accept your submission afterwards!

Here are the prompts:

Day 1: Favourite chapter | Book | Quote Day 2: Family | Her pack | Nymeria Day 3: Skills | Magic | Overlooked traits Day 4: House Stark | The North Day 5: Romantic Interests | Favourite outfits Day 6: Parallels and Foils with other characters | Historical/Mythological/Literary Parallels Day 7: Endgame theories | Foreshadowing

As you can see there are multiple prompts for each day. Please feel free to choose one to do, or a combination for each day! We look forward your creations!

[wnderkoo]

WATCH | JJK

୨୧ see what you want to see, but all i see is him right now

this is a part of my drabble series, read more here!

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

You're late.

For once in your college career, you're late.

Blame your friends for dragging you out on a school night and not letting you go home until almost midnight- it took two iced mochas to pump you with enough energy to make it pass your door.

Entering the classroom, you let out a sigh when the professor doesn't berate you in front of the entire class. Instead, he looks at you with passive indifference, silently beckoning you to find a seat.

The Visual Arts course required a more practical classroom rather than an auditorium, organised with high tables that sat two people- it had the messy kind of aesthetic you would expect in a K-Drama.

When you look to your usual table, you cry a little inside seeing blocks of clay and newspaper scattered on top of it. Though, given how late you were, you felt that it had been deserved.

Scanning the classroom, you're mortified to find that the only spare seat in the class is next to him.

Tattoos, piercings, the hint of muscles beneath his shirt- Jeon Jungkook is everything you should stay away from.

You had walked in on your first day, surprised to say the least when you saw him at a table. He was the last person you expected to take an arts course but Jungkook had surprised you, becoming one of the top students in the class with his unique art style which blew you away every time.

As if feeling you glaring into the side of his head, he lifts his eyes, meeting yours almost immediately. He gives you a smile that hits you right in the stomach- damn him.

You hear the professor cough awkwardly, signalling to you that you need to find a seat.

Reluctantly, you make your way to his table and sit down beside Jungkook, avoiding his curious gaze as you try to listen in to the rest of the lesson.

Today was theory, and since you'd done the pre-reading, there wasn't much to be missed.

Maybe it's your lack of sleep, or the certain distraction beside you, but you can't seem to find it in you to pay attention to the words of your professor.

No matter how straight you sit up and act like the principles of clay are the most interesting topic on the planet, your mind wanders off.

When you hear a chuckle from beside you, your head snaps towards Jungkook.

"What?" you ask in a whisper, not trying to get called on to answer a question for talking, knowing you wouldn't have the first clue to the answer.

"You're on the edge of your seat," he comments, grinning down at you like it's hilarious.

"If you sit anymore forward, you'll fall right off."

Rolling your eyes, you take in his own posture. Jungook was leaning back in his chair, looking more relaxed than you've been in your entire life. Yet, something told you he was still paying attention.

You knew he did well in school, no matter how shocking it was that the boy who partied and slacked off in class got straight As.

"C'mon babe, you can relax."

Your head snaps back to the front of the room, hoping Jungkook can only see the back of your head and not the heat creeping onto your cheeks.

It's five minutes later, with your professor still rambling on, that his words really win you over.

Scooting back, you let yourself relax into your seat.

From beside you, Jungkook gives you a smug smile.

"Better right?"

"Mhm."

Sitting beside Jungkook wasn't as bad as you had thought it would be. He didn't even flirt with you that much, although he did call you 'babe' a few times, each time bringing the same heat to rise on your cheeks.

He had even offered you his notes to help answer the questions from today's theory work.

The second part of the lesson was always practical, and today you were experimenting with sculpting. Discarding your chairs, you roll up your sleeves and get straight down to business.

While you're fighting hard not to break a sweat as you battle the stiff clay, Jungkook hardly blinks as he start kneading the clay and moulding it into shapes.

After some huffing and puffing, you suddenly feel his eyes on you.

"Need some help?" he asks.

"Nope. Doing. Just. Fine."

His laugh is the first thing you hear before you feel his presence unnervingly close to you.

You almost gasp when he slips one hand beneath each of yours, lacing your fingers together.

"There's your problem, your hands aren't warm enough. The clay won't be mouldable."

Throughout much of high-school and even some of college, guys overly mansplained things to you as if you couldn't comprehend them, but Jungkook's tone didn't belittle you or make you feel stupid. He was just telling you what you needed to know.

He squeezes your hands in his for a moment before pulling his hand away. He beckons toward the clay, urging you to try moulding it now, and unsurprisingly the clay is much easier to shape in just a few seconds.

You silently wonder why Jungkook didn't just warm the clay up for you, but you were thankful that he didn't try to peg you as the damsel in distress.

Before you know it, an hour and a half has passed and your clay elephant and Jungkook's mushroom are standing proudly on the desk.

The hallway is crowded as you make your way to your next class, the chatter almost too loud for you to hear your name being called. Looking over your shoulder, you see none other than Jungkook jogging to catch up to you.

"Hey."

"Hey?"

You almost look around wondering if he was calling someone with the same name as you, but you can't mistake the boyish grin he looks at you with.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" he asks, hooking an arm around your shoulders to usher you to keep walking.

You quickly realise that if you'd stay still just a moment longer, one of the football throwing jocks would have bulldozed right over you.

"Probably just reading class material, why?"

Your confusion must be funny since Jungkook laughs softly.

"Let's get dinner together," he suggests, making your eyes bulge out of your head.

Did Jeon Jungkook really just ask you to dinner?

"You want to go to dinner with me?" you ask, looking up at him.

"I mean yeah, that's why I asked..." his hand comes up to scratch the back of his head, and you realise it's the first time you've ever seen Jungkook look so timid.

Jeon Jungkook. Campus heart-crusher Jeon Jungkook. Has a new girl on his arm every party Jeon Jungkook.

Before you can voice your hesitation, someone calls Jungkook's name from across the hall, tearing both your attention and Jungkook's to a certain brown haired man.

You recognise Kim Taehyung's face through the crowd, waving at you and flashing you his box smile.

"Yo Kook! You still getting the beer for the party tonight?"

While the two communicate through loud shouts, you take the mention of a party as your cue to leave. Jungkook was probably only asking you to dinner because he had nothing better to do. He probably just forgot about the party he was clearly needed at.

You push past the doors and start down the footpath towards the other cluster of buildings across campus when Jungkook is once again calling your name.

"Sorry about that," he says with his boyish smile, falling into step beside you.

"So tonight? Dinner?"

His adamancy about this dinner is throwing you off, especially when you hadn't even interacted with Jungkook enough for him to be practically begging.

"Don't you need to get beer for the party?" you ask.

"I can get that done by 6:30 and still be in time to pick you up at 7," he replies smoothly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"You don't want to go to the party?"

You can't even mask your surprise, looking up at him to see if he's playing a joke on you.

"I'm sure you'd enjoy that way more than dinner with me," you laugh.

"Nah."

One word, so casually, so confident. You actually believe him.

"Okay, fine. Dinner tonight."

Jungkook all but leaps into the air with a fist up, his elation enough to make a passer-by believe he'd just won the lottery.

You finally reach the English department for your next class, but you stop before the door and turn to face Jungkook.

You stare at him fully, trying to grasp what he was playing at. Unable to read him, you sigh and start walking to the door and with one final look over your shoulder, your words are half a demand and a wish.

"Remember, 7 PM. Don't be late!"

He's late.

You'd felt bad earlier for letting his reputation and rumours make you question his intentions, but now he was just living up to them.

You'd spent an hour getting ready, and were horrified to find yourself smiling more than once as you imagined how the night would turn out. You couldn't help it, you were excited.

Every minute is a laugh in your face as you wait on the couch. Maybe he had found someone at the party worth staying for.

You felt stupid for believing you really could be different.

You're just about to give up and wallow in bed while cursing men when your doorbell rings.

You have half a mind to ignore him but you also can't help but be curious to see how he tries to save himself.

The door opens to a guilty looking Jungkook, whose eyes light up just seeing you, as if he had expected you to never talk to him again.

Arms crossed over your chest, you take him in.

His hair is a little disheveled like he run his hand through it one too many times on the drive over here. Wearing a simple white Nike t-shirt and black cargo pants, he was making it a lot harder to stay upset.

It also didn't help that he smelled so fucking good.

"Baby-"

You cut him off, pinning with a look that says 'try again'. He winces at your coldness, though he knows its deserved.

"Yn."

"You're late."

"I know, and I'm so fucking sorry. You don't know how fast I drove to get here," he says, looking genuinely distraught.

A part of you feels petty for not wanting to hear him out. Your pride was wounded and maybe it would be better to stay home.

"It's fine, you can just go back to the party."

You're about to close the door in his face when he steps into the doorway, a hurt expression on his face.

"Please, give me another chance. I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you," he practically begs, looking and sounding close to falling to his knees.

"Fuck, I even got you flowers because I didn't want you to be upset."

You had realised earlier that you never told Jungkook where you lived. You're not sure exactly how he managed to get your number, you think from one of your friends who share a course with him, but he had messaged you earlier and gotten it.

You'd made sure to tell him not to get you flowers (you felt pretentious assuming he would in the first place) because flowers were for dates and this definitely wasn't a date.

Except when he pulls out the bouquet, you almost just forget everything. He could have half assed it and bought supermarket owned flowers, but he went all out. You're not sure where he managed to get such a beautiful arrangement on short notice, but the longer you look at them, the less upset you feel.

"You think you can win me over with flowers?" you chide, except even Jungkook can tell your resolve is crumbling.

"Is it working?" he asks with a smile when he notices your expression is more lighthearted.

"Yes."

You're glad Jungkook took you to eat somewhere casual enough that you didn't feel like you couldn't talk, but fancy enough that you weren't just eating fast food. A good middle ground served for the conversation that came easy between you while you waited for your food to come.

Jungkook explains why he was late, which you assure him he is forgiven for, and he tells you that he'll still spend however long it takes to make it up to you.

After dinner you split the bill because it still definitely isn't a date, much to Jungkook's dismay.

You spend the rest of the night walking along the boardwalk, seeming to never run out of things to talk about.

You steal a photo of Jungkook being scammed into playing a carnival game. You also capture the moment he turns around, grinning at you after he managed to knock down all of the pins.

He snaps a photo of you holding the massive teddy bear that almost takes up half of the frame.

He tells you to keep it as an early birthday present because this definitely isn't a date, even though he says it as he winks at you.

When the end of the night draws near, Jungkook asks if you want to go on the ferris where which you immediately say yes to.

He leaves the teddy bear by the operator and you're too eager to get on that you miss the $10 he slips to the guy to make the wheel stop when you're at the top.

Jungkook gets in beside you, resting his arm along the back of your seat because it's 'more comfortable'.

The wheel starts moving, and your eyes dart every which way trying to capture all the sights as you rise higher and higher.

You point out buildings in the distance and Jungkook smiles

When you reach the top you almost burst out laughing when the ride comes to a stop.

Turning to Jungkook, you roll your eyes at his cheesy smile. You're aware your smile is just as big.

"Of course you did," you tease, even as you find yourself moving just a margin closer.

"What can I say? I'm a romantic," he says playfully.

You can't lie and say you had expected any of this to happen tonight. Some parts were cliche, sure, but some parts were also just so genuine, so Jungkook.

People can see what they want to see and say what they want to say about him, but in this moment all you see is Jungkook.

Jungkook who won you a giant teddy bear even after being scammed $15 for it. Jungkook who paid for your icecream even though this isn't a date. Jungkook who paid the operator of the ferris wheel to stop when you were at the top.

Maybe it's the kind of cliche where the smart girl does fall for the bad boy. He'll drive you home, walk you to your front step and kiss you goodnight.

Maybe it's the kind of cliche where you want him to.

"This still isn't a date."

The words are said as a joke but Jungkook doesn't have time to laugh before you're pressing your lips to his.

His hand immediately cups your cheek, holding you close as he reciprocates.

And boy does he reciprocate.

His lips are soft against yours and when you sigh softly Jungkook slides his tongue into your mouth.

It's the kind of kiss that takes your breath away and leaves you both panting afterwards. Jungkook smiles at you, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand from when the kiss had turned heated and sloppy.

"Definitely not a date."

wow look at me uploading again HAHAH please let me know if you're enjoying these drabbles! feedback and comments are always welcome :)

🏷️: @moonstar127 @royallyjjk

[noneorother]

The grand unified theory of Good Omens S2, Hangs on a double meaning - Answering why .5 + .5 = 25 lazerii *The end?*

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l The end?

Welcome to the end of the Bonkers Meta Series featuring your favourite Art Director/Clue detective. This is it! I'm going to wrap up this series as well as I can with what I think really happened, the final 15 and why Crowley says the things he says. Meta, Spoilers, Beware! All that. “Armageddon only happens once, you know. They don't let you go around again until you get it right.” 

If you've read my Metatron post you'll know that I thought there were *at least* two time loops with tweaks to achieve different outcomes, seeing as we seemed to be presented with two versions of events a lot of the time, two similar lines of dialogue, double meanings for lines etc etc. If you want a really good recap of a lot of the Clues that have already been compiled already you can go through them here. Yesterday I added my own : The columns in front of the bookshop get stained by a demon, and the stain stays and goes. But why do we care?

Here's my final thesis using the context I'll put together below :

The Metatron is changing the past and the present on earth using the book of life. He's forced a time loop of the last few days at least 50 times over a period of (realtime) months to get the outcome he wants : the separation of Aziraphale and Crowley to allow him to complete the second coming. It only worked once. Let me explain.

1) Not time skips, but stitched loops

My theory about the columns goes like this : a demon touches the right column in the attack on the bookshop, and dirties it. The problem is, in every episode we get multiple versions of the column that are dirtier or cleaner. Why? Because a demon has been touching that column in *more or less* the same place and getting it dirty over time, but the effects on the bookshop only layer every loop and reset, instead of being erased. The layering aspect is super important and I'll get back to it. For now, if we take it that the column gets dirtier over many loops, we now know what we are seeing : a bunch of different time loops stitched together to create a sense of time moving forward in a way that we can understand the story, but that skip forward and backward through the loops. Cleaner column = earlier loop. Here's discussion about clock hands if you want evidence, some even saying the hour hand seems to be going backwards in the first episode or the last, or even that the minute and hour hands must be backwards to make sense. If we think of time skipping ever forward and actions getting deleted (as some have said), then clocks going backwards makes no sense. But if we think about it as a time loop where things and actions are ever being tweaked and changed, then OF COURSE the times won't make sense anymore. People don't show up at the same time if they don't do the same thing they did before. The biggest time discrepancies I've seen in a single scene are A) Crowley's phone and watch being an hour apart in S2E1 and B) Inside the bookshop between Gabriel's fly flashback in S2E6 and him and Beez holding hands, there's an hour difference on the clock. I think that by the time we get to very late loops, some things are happening up to an hour later in the day. A simple example we are shown up top is the Eccles cakes. They are there in the first part of S2E1, but then they are no longer there somewhere along the way. In the first loop we see an ordering action/receiving Eccles cakes action, which takes *longer* than just not doing that and going straight to the shop, so that loop will be slightly later. It gets infinitely more complicated the more loops you are looking at, and we have at least 50 of them. How do I know that?

2) A 25 lazerii miracle

If we know that effects on the bookshop are cumulative and don't reset (because columns), then let's try this idea on for size : Aziraphale and Crowley have been performing the same half miracles on the same spot for 50+* loops, and each times they are layering and getting stronger. .5 demon + .5 angel = .5 angelic miracle x 50*ish loops = 25 lazerii miracle goes off in heaven on the latest loop. Shax then confronts Crowley in his car about a mighty miracle, so we're in a loop here where we've layered quite a lot, but not the last loop because he still has the original glasses/ *but also* Crowley's sideburns are long. Compare it to the scene directly after, and how sunny and bright it is. We're in a later loop and and earlier loop simultaneously.

3) Crowley's been testing So I've been searching for a *reason* that Crowley wears a turtleneck in S2E2 and thren new glasses and changes sideburns, and he seems to be up to some pretty crafty spy stuff, seeing as 1) he seems thrilled by it, and 2) he won't shut up about it (How will our hero cope? Jane Austen, nasty piece of work, master spy) There's also this Clue :

Crowley has a secret, as we know everyone with their hands deliberately in their pocket does in the series. I think Crowley knows before Aziraphale that something is wrong, because he's getting little snippets of memory and feeling, and so he's going off to try and change things about himself, the Bentley and the shop to remind himself in the next loop and leave himself clues or change outcomes if he fails to escape. In the early loops it seems like a fun spy mission, but by the end he's pretty tired and jaded that he doesn't seem to be making any headway on his own.

It *also* explains him throwing books and canapés on the floor in the bookshop to see if it changes in other versions. The problem being that Gabriel keeps cleaning everything up and reorganizing the titles to Crowley can't tell if it's his system or not. (lolsob)

It makes this line seem like he can't fit the loop pieces together anymore, and is trying to make headway without any information, rather than a pre-fall reference.

And this line probably much later in the loops (New sunglasses, long sideburns) :

Okay so! To recap : Everyone gets reset every time, and they make different choices because of past and present edits. But, most heavenly and hellish things don't obey earth laws, and therefore things like miracles start layering, and memories start seeping through the loops. (Point 4 is optional but absolutely hilarious, so I'd like to think it's worth speculating about)

4. The flaw in The Metatron's plan

There's a huge flaw in The Metatron's plan however, and it's that Heaven and Hell don't work like earth does. He's spent so many loops trying to get the result he wants, that he doesn't know that something crazy is *also* happening in hell. Every loop, Shax is emptying out the legions of demons until they barely have enough low level lackeys to go up at all. Hell is understaffed because no new people come into hell in the loop from earth, and they're sending all the demons that aren't subject to the reset into battle. This isn't a negotiation, it's a montage.

So the attack on the bookshop isn't one attack, but waves, and the waves get less powerful each loop. Stitched loops would also explain why Shax now hands Crowley his mail again in the last attack after *just* handing it to him on the park bench, like, 4 days ago in an earlier loop.

I don't have evidence for this directly, but if The Metatron put Maggie together with Nina successfully only in the last few loops, then she's fighting in the bookshop only a few times, and doesn't invite the demons in any other times, which might be why the only evidence is the column, and not books being ruined. But, it might also explain why the demon Eric gets discorporated a bunch of times in a row, he's doing it later and later in each loop. (These are kind of contradictory thoughts, I know.)

5. Aziraphale realizes too late. When I wrote part 4 of this series I was pretty awed by the fact that Aziraphale managed to figure out the Metatron was rewriting things after only hearing him say ONE LINE of dialogue. However after more thought, I think that he's been getting close to the truth a bunch of times by communicating with Crowley in previous loops. In each successive loop he tells Crowley later and later, and it's been getting them reset as punishment each time they figure it out together. By the end they barely communicate at all, because they can feel the danger. Watch his reaction here, in what we can assume is a *very late or last loop (because of the time on the clock)*

He stops himself from interrupting and telling Crowley something important he's just realized : that he's seen Gabriel and Beez get together before. "I know what this means..." 6. Saraqael is helping both sides without them knowing We see Saraquael helping Crowley immediately with the trial when she finds him in heaven. Why would she help Crowley without having ever met him before as a demon? The exchange of "Crowley I remember you, we worked on the Hosehead nebula together" and "I meet a lot of people, (*he doesn't say* I don't remember you)" is a code. They are both trying to communicate what they remember like spies on a bench in St.James park. Who recognizes who, who's trying to stop this madness. Maybe once Crowley gets to heaven this time he's seen multiple trials with multiple endings, and Saraquael has seen them too, I don't really know. BUT she's also communicating with Aziraphale at one point. Look at Saraqael in this scene again about the 25 lazerii miracle. She *remembers the book slap* and then the *looks* at Aziraphale in regards to Gabriel.

Yeah Gabriel, IT NEVER F*&?%ING WORKS IN ANY LOOP SO STOP DOING IT. - Saraquel, probably. Are Saraqael and Aziraphale testing later/earlier in the loops as well? Is this when the miracle was weaker? Who knows! 7. The Metatron job offer was many, many offers

It's really hard to tell with all the pieces of the puzzle moving around, but I think I can count 7 job refusal loops by Aziraphale in the last fifteen minutes. Here's a summary 1) Chinwag with Crowley in the room 2) We should go for a walk instead, here's a coffee 3) You don't have to answer immediately 4) Go tell you friend the good news (This is the important one), it's the last one where he tries to convince Crowley to come with him 5) I need to take care of my bookshop 6) The Metatron puts Muriel in charge of the bookshop, but Aziraphale wants to take something with him 7) Aziraphale straight up runs out to Crowley with "I think I-" 4, again) The Metatron takes him out of the bookshop. "Ready to start"?

Trying to screenshot all that would be insane, so just go rewatch it with all this in mind, and look at how the lighting changes inside of the bookshop and the jump cuts to different angles, and how his face resets every time. It's HEARTBREAKING. 8. The argument

I'm so blown away by the acting and writing (as well as the art direction) in this show, and it all comes to a head in the final argument. Many important lines have double meanings in series 2, because everyone is trying to speak in secret code to not get caught. Especially in the final loops.

In the last loops, we have an Aziraphale who is moving ever closer towards accepting the Metatron's offer, with the straw that broke the camel's back being he could restore Crowley as an angel**/save him; and Crowley who is moving ever farther away, by having to hide all of his Clue gathering, and confiding less and less to Aziraphale in each loop.

Check out the double meanings going on in this whole exchange if you consider that they are trying to save each other using secret codes neither one of them can hear. It's so shattering. Especially when you consider they've probably made it to this argument at least twice, and Crowley convinced him the first time. Why do I say that, you ask? 9. No Nightingales

Because I think Crowley remembers a loop where A Nightingale Sang was playing when they kissed, and Aziraphael didn't leave, but he knows they aren't in that version anymore. 10) I'm a demon, I lied. I'll probably post more abut the secondary characters because Shax, Furfur, Michael, Uriel and Nina etc all have roles to play, but for now, this is it.

----------------------------------------- Thanks so much for reading the gigantic post. If you disagree with my thoughts, or think this is terribly wrong, that's totally fine! I won't be offended. Without a real season 3, everything is just ether. Fingers crossed. I'd also like to thank The Ineffable Detective Agency, @embracing-the-ineffable, @cobragardens, @indigovigilance, @yowlthinks and more for inspiring me and feeding my brain with posts. *Loop numbers could actually be 25+ if you think that .5 demon mircales + .5 angelic miracles pour register as 1 whole miracle in heaven, I just didn't want to go into that in the main review. **The Metatron's meddling in the past seems to me trying very much to highlight to Aziraphale how *good* and righteous Crowley is, despite being a demon, in order to convince Aziraphale that joining him in heaven is a real possibility, and he should push for it.

[thuskindlyshescatters]

RWBY ask game!

I don't have any art to contribute to the Viz hype and SMMRofRWBY, but I do want to get people posting, so I'm making a RWBY ask game!

Favorite debunked fan theory?

Rank the soundtracks!

Favorite Ruby ship?

Pick a design choice for the new outfits!

Favorite redhead in the show?

What kind of Faunus would you be?

Favorite lines?

Any characters you wish had lived?

Any characters you wish had died?

Favorite soundtrack moments?

Pitch a new Grimm!

Favorite visuals/shots?

Best idea for a RWBY crossover?

Favorite background character design?

Most nostalgic part of Poser animation?

Favorite location?

Theory for the Relic of Choice?

Theory for the Relic of Destruction?

Favorite Weiss ship?

What are you looking forward to seeing in Vacuo?

Favorite RWBYxJL character design?

Characters you want to see redeemed?

Favorite Maidenbowl?

Which acre of the Ever After would you want to live in?

Favorite trans character headcanon?

What would be your Aura color/color theme?

Favorite voice performance?

Fairytale character you'd want to see RWBYified?

Favorite opening to sing along to?

Free space, ask me anything!

Reblog to receive questions, or just post your own answers by the end of the day! And remember to tag #greenlight volume 10, #smmrofrwby, and #fndmrtx2024!

@smmrofrwby @calmenergy @hadesisqueer @bmblboop @primordialpaper @short-wooloo @tumblezwei @arnieb95 @strqyr @greenteaandtattoos @greenbeany @squipedmew @definitelynotgayforqrow @actualbampot

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

Hello! I’m the Anon who sent you the questions I wanted answered before I sent in my HSR X Reader Idea. First though, I’d like to thank you for answering them and for talking about the difference between someone who is extremely muscular like a bodybuilder and someone who is extremely muscular like a fighter. It was an extremely interesting read.

Now, for my request.

Might I ask for Serval, Yukong, and Stelle with a reader who is a talented fighter who, while primarily being a boxer, is quite capable of using other martial arts and the environment to their advantage. Essentially, a professional street fighter.

I had a absolute BLAST writing this, especially Yukong's part which, yes, is an Oldboy reference. Not to mention, I tried out a lot of moves from different Martial Arts like Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Taekwondo, and a bit of Bajiquan.

Also, A Special Thanks To @snobwaffles and @tragedy-of-commons for the encouragement and kind words when looking over the fight scenes.

Now! Your Wish Is My Command!

“Sister? Why are you here?” Gepard asked as he walked up to her while she sat on a box and Oleg leaned on the railing next to her, both of them watching something going on below.

“Hey there Lil Geppie! I’m just watching the guys do some sparring to see if I can get some inspiration for my next song.” Serval said with a wave of her hand.

“And you?” Gepard asked Oleg.

“Making sure Miss Serval’s friend here doesn’t rough up the guards too much.” Oleg answered as Gepard walked to the railing to look at what was going on below.

The Garrison was standing around a makeshift ring that was essentially four poles in the ground with rope tied between them.

In the ring, there were eight people, seven of which were guards, though only four of the seven were standing, their hands all raised in the exact same way, that being the standard Close Quarters Combat style taught to all soldiers in Belobog, Gepard included. The other three guards were down for the count on the ground.

Standing opposite to them, was you, arms at your side and hands closed into fists.

The first of the guards advanced towards you, readying himself to throw a right straight.

However, the moment he did, you dodged under the blow, your right fist striking him in the chin with a powerful uppercut before grabbing him by the throat and closing your hand tight around it as you walked, dragging him with you as he tried to remove your grip on him in a dazed state.

You continued to walk forward, the second guard rushing in to help his compatriot.

In response to this you threw the guard you had by the throat at the comrade who was trying to help him. He was sent flailing and stumbling back and right into the arms of his fellow who stopped his advance to ensure his friend was okay.

This would soon turn out to be a bad decision as a powerful left cross struck him across the jaw and a right elbow slammed into his temple, sending his brain rattling around in his skull before both he and his friend were sent into the ropes by a powerful kick to the first guard's chest, leaving them both dazed and unable to continue the fight.

Nonetheless, the remaining two guards were undeterred and advanced upon you as one, hoping to overwhelm you by striking together.

It was, in theory, a good plan.

In theory.

The first of the two lashed out with a left hook, you attempted to stop him by firing off a right straight to his face. However, he blocked the blow and tried to catch you with a kick. In turn, you caught his leg before sweeping him off the ground and in the same movement, dodging under the punch and countering with a right uppercut before hitting him in the knee, bringing him down.

He attempted to hit you with a wild left, however, you caught him by the wrist and then pulled him into your right jab which struck him clean in the nose, dazing him further before he was punched in the throat, sending him to the ground completely and removing him from the fight.

That left only the Guard on the ground who was quickly dealt with via being pulled slightly off the ground by the collar of his coat and then having his head punched into the ground, ending the fight completely.

The second the bout ended, Oleg raised his left arm and shouted “SILVER KNIGHT GUARDS: NULL CHALLENGER: 7, THAT ENDS TODAY’S SPARRING MATCHES! ALL OF YOU, BACK TO YOUR POSTS, AND BRING THOSE SEVEN TO THE INFIRMARY!”

“You never told me your spouse could fight!” Gepard quietly exclaimed.

“Eh, it never came up! Besides, they aren’t exactly the type to play by the book.” Serval said as she stood up while stretching.

“That aside, I finally have an Idea for a song! Better go grab them before I start working on it, they like listening to me talk about my music and my work.” Serval stated as she began to walk away, waving back to her brother and saying “Be sure to stop by later! I bet they’d love to talk about fighting stuff with you Geppie!”

The Sanctus Medicus member stared you in the eyes, slack jawed.

In turn, you did the same before leaning into your Jade Abacus and saying “Yukong, love, I… am gonna have to put you on hold. I’ve got some-”

“GET THE INTRUDER!!!” The Sanctus Medicus member shouted as his form began to morph and grow, blades forming on his arms as he ran towards you.

“-Business to deal with. Alchemy Commission Warehouse 30, Dock 3. Sanctus Medicus. Would you be so kind as to send some back up!?” you exclaimed as you sidestepped the first one’s charge, kicking him into the wall as you hung up and grabbed the Sanctus Medicus member by the head before slamming it into the wall and then through it.

However, just as soon as you had done that, a second one, carrying a massive sword, charged you.

Reacting quickly you braced yourself and caught it by the shoulders, however the force behind the charge still pushed you back before it stopped. Capitalizing on this, you kneed in in the chest before striking it in the head with your right elbow and then, when it raised its left arm to block the left that it thought was coming, hit it what a right straight sending it to its knees where you kicked it in the face with a spinning heel kick and in the process, narrowly avoiding the beam of energy that another of the Sanctus Medicus fired at you as it floated in the air.

Thinking quickly, you grabbed the member of the Sanctus Medicus that charged you by the collar and used it as a shield, ensuring that none of the beams struck you as you used the Sanctus Medicus member in your hand as a battering ram to send it, and the one in your hands through the wall and outside.

Unfortunately, this move left you in between two halls not counting the one you had just come from, both of them filled to bursting with Sanctus Medicus monstrosities.

Instantly beams of energy were fired at you and the monsters began to charge, thinking quickly you ducked under the beams and dodged back, striking the first one on the right with a right cross and the first on the left with a uppercut before stepping back once more as the hall flooded with enemies, all of them wanting to tear you apart.

“I really hope you're gonna get here soon, Yukong.” you muttered as you raised your hands and readied yourself for a fight.

This was gonna hurt.

The one at the head of the group charged you alongside two more behind it, in response you struck the first one with a left then a backhand before dodging under the seconds strike and punching it in the liver, sending it to the ground as you caught the third’s strike and punched the elbow, breaking it before you hit it in the head, using your hand as a hammer to spike it into the ground.

Three down, a lot to go.

The fourth one carried a spear and a shield, a hard combination to get over in a tight corridor like this, but not impossible.

Thinking fast, you dodged past the strike of the spear before kicking it into the wall, lodging it into it for a brief moment which was all you needed to strike the spear, snapping it and then, while the spearman was in shock, ducked under hs still outstretched hand to slip past his shield and grab him by the back of the neck and throwing him onto the broken weapon, impaling him by the throat.

Unfortunately, this left you with your back to the crowd which they were quite aware of and capitalized on when one of their number blasted you in the back with a beam of energy sending you stumbling forward and almost toppling over as another barrage went overhead and another charge was mounted.

However, you weren’t dead yet, and, using the position you were in to your advantage, trusted your elbow into the center of the first attackers charge, making a sickening crunch echo throughout the hall as the monster fell to the ground, gasping for breath whilst its fellows continued the charge, slicing and stabbing and shooting at you pushing you back, trying to corner you.

They were succeeding at.

Every attack you dodged, two more managed to strike or nick you.

Soon, you were almost at the wall.

It was do or die time.

The new head of the charge lashed out, trying to impale you on its blade.

For a moment, everything slowed, the adrenaline pumping through your body running wild.

Then, at the last moment, you stepped out of the way, and sent a punch directly into the side of its head, the armor that had become a part of its body shattering off as it was sent careening into the wall as you readied your next blow, punching into the chest of another monster, turning its ribs to powder and its insides to jelly as it went flying back, forcing a not insignificant amount of the horde you were facing back.

You briefly noted the cracking sound your hands made from those two blows.

That was the sound of your index, pointer and ring finger breaking, your wrist fracturing, alongside several of the small bones in your hand.

You were going to need to get those set back in place when you got out of this.

Until then, you raise your hands once more as you advance, fists closed tight and adrenaline dulling the pain.

The next attacker attempted to cut you down with an overhead strike which you stopped with a punch to the elbow, breaking it and following that up with a right hook to the face and then a left hook to the liver with a right uppercut and then a kick that sent it flying back and sending several of its fellows through the whole in the wall, giving a clear view of what was floating outside.

A Starskiff, loaded with Cloud Knights and standing front and center, the love of your life, Yukong, bow at the ready.

After that, things got a lot easier.

On one side, was you.

Punching, kicking, and fighting the monsters one by one. A one person battering ram that was tearing through them like a bat out of hell.

On the other, was Yukong and the Cloud Knights, shooting and cutting the enemy down.

They were caught between a rock and a hard place.

And one by one, they all fell.

Soon, you and Yukong stood before each other once more.

Worry and concern was etched on Yukong’s face as she looked at you.

“Helm Master Yukong, it's a pleasure to see you as always.” you muttered with a slight bit of flirtation in your voice, the Adrenaline in you still dulling the pain you were in and keeping your body from realizing the full extent of your injuries.

However, it did not keep you from falling into Yukong’s arms, your body unable to keep itself upright.

“Y’know, it's a shame, you cleared your day for tomorrow so we could have a day off, but it looks like I’m gonna be cooped up in the infirmary for a while.” you muttered as your consciousness began to fade, your body beginning to force you to take a break.

One that Yukong was going to ensure that she shared with you.

When the fight with the IPC in the mine began under Belobog, Stelle expected many things.

What she didn’t expect was to see her significant other fighting off an entire squad of IPC goons with their fists.

And winning.

You faced them down, fists raised as you stood on the edge of one of the many deep crags that cut through the mine.

They had you against the wall, and there was only one way out.

Through the IPC.

You bent your knees, lowering yourself close to the ground and held your fists close to your face as they began to slowly advance towards you, wary of what you were planning due to the fact half of their number had already been knocked out of the fight and into the infirmary.

Then, you exploded forward, running towards them at full speed, shifting your weight with every step to bob and weave through their attacks.

The first one, who carried a halberd of some sort, attempted to cut you down with a slash.

With ease you weaved under and through his strike before countering with a vicious left cross, sending him to the ground while you dodged another attack from one of his compatriots and countered with an uppercut before sweeping him off his feet with a swift kick to the legs.

Next, one holding a gun attempted to shoot you, luckily, you were able to slip past the barrel before the trigger was pulled, allowing you to rip it from his hands and using it as a impromptu bat, slamming it into the side of his head with such force that the gun shattered to pieces and sending your attacker flying.

Trying to avenge his fallen comrades, one of the ones carrying a halberd attempted to impale you, however before he got far you stepped to the right of his rush and countered with a right straight to the side of his jaw, a left uppercut, a knee to the chest and then a kick to his legs sending him tumbling to the ground.

All that left was one holding a gun, shaking in his boots as he aimed his gun at you and readied to fire.

In an instant you had torn the gun from his hands and tossed it away as you struck him across the jaw with a hook, his mask shattering and bones snapping like twigs before you grabbed him by the collar and continued to wail on him, raining blow upon blow upon blow down on him, his bones fracturing and shattering as you beat him within an inch of his life.

This was your home.

Was it freezing cold?

Yes.

Was the food atrocious?

Yes.

Did you go hungry from supply shortages?

Yes.

But that was changing.

You could feel it getting warmer.

You could taste the food getting better.

You could see that people were no longer going hungry.

And while you didn’t know where these black clad buffoons came from.

You did know one thing.

They were going to make things worse.

A different type of cold would freeze people to the bone.

A different type of terrible food would form.

A different type of starvation would occur.

Not to mention, all of the hard work she went through, all of the blood, sweat, and tears, she spilled to stop the Stellaron.

It would all go to waste.

You couldn’t let that happen.

You couldn’t let everything she had done become useless.

You couldn’t let her come back to Belobog and see it turn into something worse then when it was under Cocolia.

You couldn’t.

But right now, all you could do was throw a punch.

So that was what you did.

At least, until you were pulled off the man.

To begin with, you fought it.

Then, you saw her gray and silver hair.

She had returned.

Maybe things were going to be okay after all.

[spaceyaceface]

A Black Walnut Wand

Ominis Gaunt x Reader/MC

Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: A wand made of Black Walnut can be a finicky thing---if the wielder isn't truthful, whether with themselves or with others, it's power diminishes.

So it's just absolutely perfect when her wand starts acting up right before N.E.W.T.S., isn't it?

Warnings: Little angst I guess

A/N: I was researching wand lore and came across this info and couldn't stop thinking about it's potential to be used in the classic "suddenly she realized she was in love this whole time" so here you go :)

At first she thought it was just stress making her magic go awry. That would have made sense—N.E.W.T.s were fast approaching, and what seventh year wouldn’t be going through hell with exams that would literally define their lives in the not-so-far-off future. But even when she went to Nurse Blainey and got a Calming Draught to try to get a little spellwork practiced, she was still getting nothing. 

It was then she came to the conclusion that something must be wrong with her wand. It had served her perfectly well for over two years—never had she had a single issue with it. Something had changed, and she had no idea what. She couldn’t remember dropping it or damaging it in any way, and a close inspection revealed it looked as good as new. But it had to be her wand—there was no other explanation. 

She tried to hide it for a bit, but it was hard with all of her friends constantly asking to study together. Poppy wanted help with Charms. Sebastian with Transfiguration. And Ominis simply insisted he couldn’t do any studying on Defense Against the Dark Arts without her. Spells she had mastered years ago were suddenly nothing but a sad shower of sparks, shocking each of her friends when they saw it. 

“What on earth was that?” Sebastian said. She had just tried to transform a rat into a tea kettle, but nothing happened besides a small red flash. She buried her face in her hands. 

Ominis sat across from her, his face set in a deep frown. “I still hear squeaking… You said the incantation right, perhaps the wand movement?”

“It’s my wand,” she bemoaned. “I think there’s something wrong with it.”

Sebastian lunged forward, taking the wand from her hand and performing the same inspections she had at least a dozen times over. “It looks just fine,” he concluded. 

She groaned. “I know it does. But I’ve tried everything else I can think of. I must have hit it or something, or… I don’t know.”

“Have you taken it in to Ollivander’s?” Ominis asked. 

“No, I haven’t. What if he tells me I need a new wand?” She frowned at the idea. “I don’t want a new one. I like this one. Or at least I did when it was working.” 

“I don’t really see how you have much of a choice,” Ominis said, resting his hand on her arm. “Not with N.E.W.T.s coming up.” 

Her heart skipped a beat at his reminder. “Don’t say that. It’s just going to make me feel worse.”

Ominis chuckled a bit. “I’m not trying to make you feel worse. I’m trying to talk some sense into you.”

“I hate it when you’re logical.” 

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the two of them. “Get a room, would you?”

She shot him a glare. “I’ll get it figured out soon enough. In the meantime, we can brush up on some theory.”

The three of them kept studying together, and she couldn’t help but notice that Ominis kept his attention at least partially on her the whole time. He kept tilting his head toward her, brows furrowing. She tried not to let it get to her. 

By the time they decided to call it quits, the common room was mostly cleared out. Her head was spinning with all the terms and definitions she was struggling to memorize as she packed up her books. Before she left for her dorm, Ominis caught her arm. 

“Wait,” he said as she turned back to him. 

“What is it?” she asked. 

“Go to Ollivander’s tomorrow, will you?” he said. “I know how much you love your wand. I completely understand the feeling. But… but I wouldn’t want you to fail your exams because of it.” 

She let out a sigh, hearing his concern in his voice. “I know,” she said softly. “It’s silly. He might even be able to fix it. I’ll go tomorrow.”

His shoulders lost a bit of their tension. “Good. If I can help at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Her stomach flipped at his kindness. “I’ll let you know.”

He nodded a bit. “Goodnight, then.” 

“Goodnight.” 

They parted ways, and soon she flopped down on her bed with a sigh, the place where he’d held her arm still burning like fire. 

-

She bit her lip as she stood outside the shop, holding her wand and tapping it against her other palm. After a moment, she walked inside, bell dinging as the door opened. 

It was cluttered in there, as usual. Wand boxes filled the cubbies in the walls from floor to ceiling. The front desk was vacant for only a moment before Mr. Ollivander came from the back. 

“Hello, Miss,” he greeted, glancing between her nervous face and the wand in her hands. “I take someone is having some troubles with their wand?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. N.E.W.T.S. are coming up, and it’s just not working like usual. It’s hardly working at all, I’m afraid.”

“Care to give me a quick demonstration?”

She lifted her wand, pointing it to one of the wand boxes on his desk. “Wingardium Leviosa!” 

The box did not levitate. All that happened was a small trail of smoke leaving the tip of her wand. She sighed. 

“I see,” Mr. Ollivander said, reaching out a hand toward her. “May I?” 

She handed him her wand, and soon he was carefully looking it over. 

“Dragon heartstring,” he said softly. “Nine and a quarter inches, brittle, and… ah.”

She frowned. Was there some crack or something she had missed?

He met her eyes. “The wood is Black Walnut.” 

“Yes,” she said slowly, not understanding why this should have been significant to her. 

“Black Walnut wands are a little picky,” Mr. Ollivander said. “They are very careful about who they choose to align themselves with. They are very attuned to inner conflict.”

A small sense of dread started trickling down her spine. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means the power of the wand diminishes when its wielder practices any form of self-deception,” he continued. “And if the owner is not honest with themself—or others—for an extended period of time, it may not work at all.” 

Her heart dropped. “I didn’t—I’m not trying to—there’s… there’s nothing I’m lying about.” 

“Perhaps you simply don’t recognize it as such yet.” 

She frowned, not able to meet his eyes. “Does that mean I need a new wand?”

“Not yet, at least,” he answered. “I sense this wand’s allegiance still lies with you. But be careful—much longer and it might not favor you anymore.” 

He held my wand back out to her, and she took it with a moment of hesitation. All he said had left her head spinning all the way back to the castle. What on earth had she been lying about? A thought nagged at the back of her mind, but she pushed it away out of habit. No. Not that. It couldn’t be that. 

She felt like she had no more of a solution than she had left with as she sat down in the library, pulling out her books. Might as well study some of the material that didn’t use wandwork, she figured. But she couldn’t concentrate on the words, thoughts still back in the wand shop. Well, they were until a figure plopped down in the seat across from her. 

“Have you gone to Hogsmeade yet?” Sebastian asked. 

She nodded, closing her textbook with a sigh. 

Her friend waited for a moment, expecting her to explain. “...Well?” 

She gave a frustrated shrug. “He told me it’s my wand. It’s made of Black Walnut, apparently, which is a tricky sort of wood I guess.” She frowned. “He said… well he said it doesn’t like to work if someone is… not being truthful.”

Sebastian leaned forward on the table, brows furrowed. “Are you saying your lying about something?”

“Not exactly. I mean, maybe not to you. Or maybe it is. I haven’t got a clue.” She laid her head down on the desk in defeat. “I could be lying to myself. I haven’t got the faintest idea.” 

Sebastian couldn’t help but chuckle at her frustration. “Are you sure you haven’t got any idea?”

“Yes,” she answered. She peeked up a bit, looking at him. “Why? Do you think you know something?” 

“I have some… suspicions,” he said slowly. 

“What are they?” she asked, sitting up fully once more. “Come on, if you think you might know something, you’ve got to help me!”

“I’m not so sure you’ll like my answer,” he said, a smirk on his face. 

“I don’t care if I like it or not. My entire future sort of depends on this.”

“Promise you won’t be mad at me?” he asked.

“I promise,” she said quickly. 

He leaned back in his chair, arms folded. “I think it has something to do with you being in love with Ominis.” 

Her jaw dropped. “I’m not—”

“Don’t you lie now,” Sebastian said teasingly. “That hasn’t really worked out well for you so far, has it?” He nodded down to your wand sitting on the table.

“I’m not lying!” she fired back. “I don’t know why you would say that, I’m not…” 

But even then, she couldn’t force the denial out of her mouth. 

“Right,” Sebastian said, grinning. “Seems like you’re lying to all of us. Yourself most of all.” 

She stood up quickly, the chair she was on making a loud noise as it fell back. “You’re delusional.” 

“Am not.” 

Her hands rushed to pack up her books, shoving them angrily into her bag, glaring at Sebastian all the while. “Yes you are. Whatever you think you see, you don’t. So shut up about it.” She threw the bag over her shoulder, walking away. 

“Good luck with your wand,” he called after her, a slight taunt in his voice. 

She couldn’t get out of there soon enough. 

-

“Confringo!” 

No flames leapt from her wand. Just a couple pathetic sparks, and she let out a frustrated grown. The brazier on the far side of the Undercroft remained stubbornly unlit, despite her repeated attempts to set it ablaze. 

“I take it your trip wasn’t as successful as we hoped?”

She whirled around, seeing Ominis entering the space. After the initial shock, sighed. “No,” she said softly. 

He hummed softly in disappointment, sitting down on one of the crates against the wall. He patted the spot beside him, and she hesitated for only a moment before taking the spot. Her mind was still racing from the conversation she’d just had with Sebastian. It made her feel strange sitting next to Ominis. Which was ridiculous, because she wasn’t…

“I’m sorry you haven’t figured it out yet,” he said softly. She was confused for a moment, wondering if he had read her thoughts, then realized he was talking about her wand.

“It’ll be fine, I’m sure,” she said softly. The tone of her voice gave her nerves away. 

“It will be,” he said, his tone much more reassuring than her own. He tilted his head toward her, and offered a small smile. “You’ve gotten through much worse.” 

“Only because you’ve been there for me,” she said. And she realized it was true. Each time things came crumbling down, he’d been there to lift her back up, even if he did it with sarcastic words and exasperated sighs. It was even better that way, she thought. 

His smile widened a bit. “You’d be helpless without me, wouldn’t you?” 

She could only chuckle, because it was true. 

His expression softened a bit. “I’ll always be there for you.”

And as he said those words, as her eyes traced over the lines of his face she had long since memorized, it hit her. 

She loved him. 

She wanted to look away from him, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything but stare into those blue eyes, wanting nothing more to drown in them—realizing that she’d wanted that for a while now. She wanted to be wrapped in his arms. To feel his lips brush over hers. To spill every last bit of her heart out to him, to fall apart and let her broken pieces get tangled with his. 

“Thank you, Ominis,” was all she could say, voice softer than she had ever heard it. If he thought it was odd, he made no comment.

He changed the topic, bringing up Herbology studies, and she listened to him with a hazy mind. She’d lied for herself long enough. But now the truth might eat her alive. 

-

Sebastian was leaning back in his chair the next morning when she found him in the library. 

“You were right,” she said. 

He nearly fell back, just barely catching himself. “And you’re admitting that? Freely?”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it or I’ll hex you.” 

He grinned. “So is your wand working again?” 

“Not quite,” she admitted. “But I’ll steal yours off of you and use that instead if I’ll have to.” 

He chuckled lightly. “I get it, I’m threatened. See? You and Ominis are a perfect match.”

She blushed, but continued frowning down at him. “Shut up.”

“You need to tell him.” 

Her eyes widened, her stomach churning at the thought. “What?”

“You said your wand still isn’t working,” he pointed out. “If you tell him, it’ll probably fix it.” 

“I–I can’t do that,” she said quickly, panic building up inside her chest. “I’m not going to ruin our friendship over my stupid wand.”

“I don’t think it’ll ruin it,” Sebastian said, smirking a bit. 

“You don’t know that,” she said. 

“I was right about you being in love with him, wasn’t I?” 

“And wrong about just about everything else in life.” 

He crossed his arms, smug look on his face. “Trust me, I’m right this time.”

Her mind raced. Did that mean Ominis would understand? That’d these feelings would ruin what they had? Or was it even possible that he felt… that he felt the same…

She snapped out of it. She couldn’t entertain that thought. It would hurt too much when it was proven untrue. But she knew Sebastian was right. If she wanted even a chance of passing a single one of her exams…

“I’ll tell him,” she said softly, defeated. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

The next few days passed in a blur. Suddenly, exams weren’t a couple weeks away—they were days away. And she was still trying to prepare with a bum wand. 

Because every time she found herself alone with Ominis, her breath caught in her throat. Everytime she opened her mouth to finally say the words, they fled, leaving her mouth empty and her heart aching. 

It didn’t help that Ominis had seemed to want to spend more time with her. He worried more and more about her wand, having absolutely no clue he was the cause of its malfunction. 

It was now five days before the first exam, and Ominis was pacing in the Undercroft as she sat on the ground watching him. She felt horrible having him worry like this when she held the solution on the tip of her tongue, but the task given to her felt impossible. 

“Maybe we should just go get you a new wand,” he said. “There might be a bit of a learning curve, but you’ll be able to overcome it.”

She had to tell him. It was driving both of them mad. “Ominis.”

“It’s pretty late tonight, I’m not sure Ollivander’s is open at this hour. We’ll have to go in the morning.”

“Ominis.”

“I’m sure there’ll be another wand there for you, I’ve never heard of anyone not finding one, but—”

“Ominis.”

He finally stopped his pacing, head tilting to the side as he stood in place. 

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Could… could you come over here? I need to talk to you.”

He tensed up immediately, but did as she asked, coming down to the floor beside her. “What is it?” 

Her knees came up to tuck against her chest. “I haven’t been completely honest with you,” she started. “I… I think I know how to fix my wand.”

His brows furrowed. “You… what?” 

“I know how to fix it. I just don’t know how to do it.”

He frowned. “You know how, but you don’t know how?”

“No! I mean—Merlin, why is this so hard—I know what I need to do to fix it, I just don’t know how I’m supposed to do the thing that fixes it.” 

“I’m lost.” 

She let out a loud groan, burying her face in her hands. “Just… let me start over.”

Ominis sat beside her, patiently waiting for her to gather her thoughts. 

“I went to Ollivander’s a while back, right?” she started.

“Right,” Ominis said slowly. “But he didn’t have much to say, didn’t he?”

“That’s… not entirely true,” she admitted. “He told me my wand is Black Walnut. That it doesn’t work if the wielder is lying, to themselves or others. He couldn’t tell me what I was being untruthful about, of course, which made it pretty useless seeing as I didn’t have a clue what it was about at the time.”

“But you know now?” Ominis asked. 

She was quiet for a moment. “Yes. I figured it out.” 

She looked at him, taking him in in case this was the last time she got to do it. She took in the slight unevenness of his nose, the curve of his full bottom lip. The beauty marks laid out on his cheeks. The one strand of hair that fell away from the rest, begging her to brush it back. 

“I need to tell you,” she said softly. “I can’t lie about it anymore. To myself. To you.” 

He was clearly nervous, no doubt having a million thoughts of what it could be running through his head. She wondered if any came close to the truth. 

“I love you, Ominis.” 

Just like that, she saw all those racing thoughts cease. Her heart pounded in her chest, trying to read every part of his expression, waiting for anger, disgust, betrayal. But it morphed into the last thing she expected—a grin, one of his rare ones that stretched across his whole face. 

And even more surprising, he began to laugh. 

She couldn’t help but be hurt, deciding she rather have had him yell at her instead of laugh at her. She got to her feet, starting toward the door. 

“Wait!” he called out, standing and grabbing her wrist with frightening precision for a blind man. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at what you said. It’s just I’ve been worried sick about your wand this whole time, and the problem happened to be the thing I’ve wanted the most.”

“The thing you wanted the most,” she echoed, turning back to him. He was still smiling, but it had softened. “You… you wanted me to love you?”

“Of course,” he said, stepping closer. His grip on her wrist slipped down to take her hand. “Seeing how I love you, too.”

Her stomach flipped as she took in his face, closer to hers than it had ever been. Ominis brought up his other hand, letting it rest on her cheek. “I’ve loved you for some time now,” he said softly. 

“Me, too,” she said, voice no more than a whisper. “Though I was a bit of an idiot in realizing it.”

“Good thing I love idiots. You and Sebastian prove that plenty.”

She chuckled a bit, but it died on her lips as he leaned his face toward hers. He was only a breath away. 

“May I…”

She didn’t let him finish his question, cutting him off by pressing her lips to his. He’d been caught off guard, but it didn’t stop him from returning the kiss immediately. The hand on her face brought her closer, and his fingers tangled themselves in her hair. Her hands rested on his shoulders, trying to remind herself how to stand properly. Each brush of his lips felt like coming undone. Every touch of his fingertips set her world aflame. 

And when they pulled away, trying in vain to catch their breath, she felt alive for the first time. 

Then a thought crossed her mind, and she groaned, burying her head in Ominis’s shoulder. “What’s that about, love?”

“I’m going to have to tell Sebastian he was right. Again.”

She felt his chuckle rise up from his chest. “A hefty price to pay. But I think it was worth it.” 

He lifted her face to kiss her once again, and she couldn’t help but agree.

[chloesolace]

I Can See You - Stephen Strange x Reader [Christmas Special]

summary: You are a student of the mystic arts, studying at the Sanctum Sanctorum under Doctor Strange's and Wong's guidance. You are nearing the end of your apprenticeship, and ready to celebrate at the Kamar-Taj Christmas party, yet your growing attraction to Stephen makes it hard to focus on much else (not even those delicious roasted almonds you love so much). When you sprain your ankle, and Stephen is there to offer his aid, you realize that his cold demeanor towards you might not be because of negative feelings after all.

pairing: Stephen Strange x Apprentice!Reader

word count: 3k

warnings: age gap

a/n: Merry Christmas everyone! This is another contribution to my Swift series <3 and a Christmas special. My next one shots will be accepted requests.

Masterlist - Discord Server - Request Info - Taylor Swift Series

And we kept everything professional But something's changed, it's something I like They keep watchful eyes on us So it's best that we move fast and keep quiet

You were standing in the hallway of the Sanctum Sanctorum, a book in your hand. Quietly humming the tune you were listening to through your earbuds, you browsed the pages. The Sanctum was quiet, with Wong away on some business and Stephen having barricaded himself in his study. Most days were like this, so you had to find ways to entertain yourself when Stephen or Wong did not bother you with magical training. 

You were in the last year of your apprenticeship and could call yourself a master of the mystic arts as soon as next year was only one week away. You had been looking forward to spending this month with Christmas activities, but had been met with extra work given to you by your fellow sorcerers. Although you were their apprentice, you had become more of a friend who was magically similarly powerful to them already, just in a different way.

As a natural witch, you had a certain affinity towards magic, yet the mystic arts were not the type of magic that was inherited and so you had had to work your way up the ladder just like any other student of Kamar-Taj had. 

You hadn't been to Kamar-Taj in ages, so you were very excited about the Christmas party that would take place later today. You would see your friends from your first year at the temple again. It was extremely exciting to properly socialize since Stephen barely paid attention to you outside of his lectures and assignments, and you barely knew anyone from this city; you had grown up in a remote town far away from New York.

You put the book back where it belonged and left the living area to climb the large staircase that dominated the foyer. Its railing had been decorated with lights that glowed in even intervals. 

“(y/n)!” You heard someone shout your name behind you, so you stopped in your tracks and turned around, tapping on your left earbud once so the music would stop. 

Stephen stood in front of you with his arms crossed in front of his chest and an annoyed expression on his face.

“Have you finished your paper on interdimensional threat elimination yet? Wong said he’s still waiting for your email.”

“Of course,” you replied, taking the earbuds out and dropping them into your pocket. “I wanted to send it to him just now.” You wanted to say how unnecessary it was to give you one last assignment that was due on Christmas, and a theory one at that, but you bit your tongue and swallowed the thought.

He hummed a response, cold gaze lingering on you while he seemed to think about your answer. Without another word, Stephen then turned on his heel and left for the kitchen, leaving you standing on the staircase. 

You sighed and continued towards your room. The way he spoke with you lately was getting on your nerves, and you realized how he could sometimes not even look at you. It stung, wondering how his opinion of you could have dropped this much, especially in regards to the secret feelings you harbored for the sorcerer.

You closed the door behind you when you reached your room, trying to forget the encounter you had just had. Your room was moderately sized, with antique furniture and a large golden mirror next to your king-sized bed, neatly made with green velvet bedding. 

To get into the Christmas spirit, you had decorated your room a little with some lights and a wreath, whose four thick candles were each lit, enchanted so they wouldn't extinguish or transfer the flame to any flammable object. 

You approached your desk in front of your window, letting yourself sink into the office chair in front of it. You had a good view of the business of Bleecker Street, so you observed for just a moment longer. There were many cars today, and people dressed in thick jackets that kept them safe from the falling snow, carrying presents in large bags or underneath their arms.

You smiled softly as you opened your laptop and quickly sent Wong and Stephen the PDF document. Normally, you would have gone over it again but today you really did not have the nerve or the motivation to do so. Besides, you had been done with it for almost a week already. 

After placing your earbuds back inside their case and leaving them on your nightstand, you exited your room, heading down the hall to Stephen's study. It was the first room next to the stairs, and its door was typically closed. Today was no exception. You knocked carefully and pushed it open a bit.

“Yes?” Stephen said without looking up, keeping his eyes firmly on the book he held in his hands.

You opened the door further and leaned against the doorframe, studying your mentor with a raised eyebrow. Sometimes, you wondered if he used his excessive research as a coping mechanism, as there was no way a single person could be so intertwined with their work.

“I sent you the email,” you informed him, your eyes resting on the book in his hands. “And I was wondering when you would want to meet downstairs for the Christmas party at Kamar-Taj.”

Stephen sighed, placing the book back onto the shelf. He turned to face you, his expression unreadable.

"Right, the Christmas party," he said. "Wong mentioned it.”

You narrowed your eyes slightly, trying to read him, realizing that he had forgotten all about it until now. You sighed, averting your gaze for a moment.

“You don't plan to attend?”

“I do not. It would be irresponsible of me to leave the Sanctum unattended on Christmas.” He walked around his desk and let himself fall into his chair, turning his PC on with a click of his mouse.

“The last time you went to a party was the full moon one two years ago,” you reminded him, crossing your arms in front of your chest.

He was about to reply when he stopped for a second, looking at you perplexed. “You remember that?”

“Either way,” you continued, ignoring his question as you placed one hand on his mahogany desk, “Wong said he'd make sure someone would be there to take care of the Sanctum. So if you want to come along, he and I will meet in the foyer at seven.”

Stephen looked up at you while his fingers ghosted over the keyboard of his PC, but you didn't give him time to answer as you turned and left his study, closing the door behind you.

It took you some time to get ready, and music could be heard coming from your room throughout it all. You had opted for a short red dress that sparkled in the light of your room. It was dark outside when you were done, and you were very thankful for the time spell put on Kamar-Taj today so that time zones did not matter. You couldn't imagine getting ready like this at eight in the morning.

You put on your heels, and grabbed your coat and a clutch before you left your room, locking it with your magic. The cold New York air caused goosebumps to appear on your legs; a window must have been opened somewhere. 

You descended the stairs, gripping the railing to steady yourself in the heels you wore, careful not to trip. A smile appeared on your face as you spotted Wong standing at the foot of the stairs. He was dressed elegantly, yet not overly so for a simple Christmas party.

“Will Stephen not be joining us?” he asked, blinking at you while scanning the stairs behind you in search of the other man. You merely shrugged your shoulders in response.

Before you could reply, Stephen emerged from the Sanctum library to your right and joined the two of you. He wore a white shirt and a tie, his hands hidden inside the pockets of his black trousers. A red scarf hung around his shoulders, and you immediately recognized the cloak of levitation’s pattern in the fabric.

“And here I thought you'd be spending most of the evening studying a tome,” you teased, looking up at him to meet his eye.

“Well, this party can also be seen as a celebration of you becoming a master of the mystic arts. What kind of mentor would I be if I didn't celebrate that?”

Wong shook his head, extending his arms to create a portal in the middle of the Sanctum’s foyer. It came alive in a frame of sparks, glistening yellow and bright, reflecting in the gemstone you were wearing around your neck. It had no magic, yet it complemented your eyes.

“(y/n) is more of a friend than an apprentice, Stephen. To both of us. You should not see this as an obligation.”

You pursed your lips as the awkward silence that followed, but Wong had only said the words out loud that you had been thinking the entire past weeks.

Stephen did not reply and you could not bring yourself to meet his eye, so you only offered Wong a faint smile before stepping through the portal. 

All three of you exited the portal in the heart of Kamar-Taj, where ancient buildings adorned with mystical symbols rose against the darkening sky. A warm, magical glow enveloped the surroundings as you entered the main building, greeted by practitioners of the mystic arts who were adorned in elaborate robes, mingled beneath enchanted decorations that turned the air into a cascade of glittering snowflakes. The aroma of exotic spices drifted through the air, and you immediately felt your mouth water. 

You navigated through the lively crowd, and your face lit up when you spotted old friends and mentors from your time at the temple. You immediately engaged in conversation with them, Stephen and Wong joining you. Each of you took a drink from a nearby floating tray, clinking your glasses. Wong seemed to be feeling particularly sociable, but Stephen did not say much, his gaze occasionally landing on you or his wine glass.

“Please excuse me,” Stephen said after a while, leaning towards your little group so he could be heard better against the loud music and vibrant chatter around you.

When he turned to leave, he accidentally brushed his hand against yours in the process, causing you to freeze for a second and meet his gaze. His bright blue eyes held you captive, and you swore you could hear the music fade in the background. Before you could react in any way, however, Stephen had already cleared his throat and maneuvered around you, downing his drink.

You looked after him, lips slightly parted, before Roslyn, a girl who had started her magical studies around the same time as you, snapped you back into reality. “You good, (y/n)?”

“Um, yeah,” you replied, smiling a little awkwardly when you looked at Wong, who had a faint grin on his lips. “What?” you asked, almost snapped, but Wong only raised his arms in defense.

“I didn’t say anything.”

You cleared your throat again, offering the gathered a smile before excusing yourself as well. You found your way to the buffet outside with flushed cheeks, set up in a place usually used for training. The air was cool but not cold enough to make you shiver. You smiled at the faces that were familiar to you and muttered a few greetings when people approached you.

The buffet was large, but your focus lay on a bowl with roasted almonds, which you had always loved since you were a little child. You took a smaller bowl and a spoon and put some almonds in yours before leaving the training area, popping one deliciously sweet almond into your mouth. As you were about to climb the flight of stairs leading back up to the main building, a drunk boy, who couldn't have been older than sixteen, bumped into you.

You tried to regain your balance, but you stepped onto the stone floor wrong, causing your ankle to twist at an awkward angle. Hissing, you held your ankle as a sharp pain shot through your leg. Your bowl of almonds had shattered on the ground next to you, and you stoically twirled your hand, using witchcraft to make the pieces disappear. The mystic arts required too much concentration and handwork at times, and your innate magic often came in handy.

“Watch where you’re going, dude!” you shouted, but the boy had already left. He probably did not even realize what happened.

You attempted to walk, but each step hurt more than the other, so you took your heels off and limped into the building. Shoes dangling from your right hand, you used the other to hold onto pillars and walls to stabilize yourself, trying to find a quiet spot. At this time, the library would be empty, and it was not far either.

With the aid of magic, you opened the heavy library door and let it fall shut behind you, exhaling deeply as the loud noises were muffled by the door. Cursing, you slowly walked over to an armchair nearby and sat down on it. Your heels landed on the floor, your hands both massaging the hurting ankle. You barely even registered the books that surrounded you, some of which were bound by chains. Back when you were studying in Kamar-Taj, you had always wondered about their contents, but now you could only focus on the pain.

“(y/n)?” You heard Stephen ask, lifting your head to see him appear from behind a bookshelf, brow raised. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“Some drunkard ran into me, and I think I sprained my ankle.” You leaned back in your seat, sighing as you cursed yourself for never having shown much interest in healing magic.

Stephen put the book in his hands aside and approached you. “Let me see,” he said calmly as he crouched down in front of you and lifted your ankle with his hands. You hissed at the sudden contact, the pain intensifying for a second. You sometimes forgot that he had been a surgeon before a sorcerer, so you watched as his skillful hands felt for any severe injury, occasionally causing you to wince in pain.

“It’s sprained,” he agreed, not waiting for a response. His hands began to glow in a faint yellow light, the healing warmth instantly relieving your stressed joint. As Stephen slowly worked on your ankle, your eyes locked. His hand traced gentle circles on your skin, and you weren’t sure whether this was required for the spell, but you did not protest, even finding yourself closing your eyes in response to his touch.

“You have a knack for finding trouble. I don’t think that’s ever going to change, is it?” He asked, a smile playing on his lips as you opened your eyes to meet his.

“A sprained ankle is hardly trouble, compared to the other things you had to keep up with these past two years,” you said, chuckling softly. He did not reply.

The pain ceased, and Stephen let go of your ankle. He rested his arm on his knee as you studied the injury, realizing that he had healed it completely.

“Thanks,” you said a little shyly, which even surprised you.

Not wanting the situation to turn into an awkward silence, you stood from your seat, causing him to do the same.

You were about to turn and leave, lips parted to say goodbye, when you noticed him staring at something above you. You followed his eyes and blushed deeply as you saw mistletoe floating in the air between you, surrounded by a golden shimmer.

Swallowing, you looked back at him, blushing deeper as you asked, “Are you doing this?”

You felt stupid because of how hopeful your voice sounded; it was hard to deny you liked him, but he had always been rather cold towards you, which was why you were so glad that Wong had always been so nice to you. If he only knew the way you saw him, you were sure he’d never speak to you again.

Stephen looked from the mistletoe to you, shaking his head slowly. “No, I'm not.”

Realizing that this must be some joke one of the other sorcerers was playing on you, you quickly excused yourself and apologized, turning to leave when his hand on your wrist stopped you.

You turned to look at him, your eyes wide in surprise.

“I didn't say you have to leave,” he whispered, his eyes briefly dropping to your lips. It was hard to breathe when you watched him inch closer towards you, giving you enough time to back away if you wanted to.

He raised his hand to touch your cheek gently, brushing some strands of hair out of your face before burying his fingers in your waves. Something had changed in the way he looked at you, and now that you thought about it, it had changed a while ago already. Precisely around the time he had started acting colder towards you.

Stephen was so close now that you could see the small dark speckle in his blue eyes, something you had never really noticed before. You held your breath as you saw him pull away, conflict written all over his face.

It was your turn to hold onto his wrist, making him look at you. You didn’t know what encouraged you to press your lips against his, but as it happened, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders to pull him close. You felt him tense against you; he had not anticipated your boldness, but soon he melted into the kiss, holding you by the small of your back.

As you pulled away, you smiled up at him, only to realize that the mistletoe had disappeared, but Stephen placed a hand on your cheek and directed your gaze back to him.

“Merry Christmas, (y/n),” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. You saw how your red lipstick had stained his own lips. With a small smile, Stephen leaned in again, capturing your lips in another lingering kiss. The soft glow of your magic enveloped you both, creating an aura of enchantment in the quiet corner of the mystical library. It was in involuntary response to his touch; emotions guiding sorcery. As he pulled away, he met your gaze, and there was a newfound warmth in his eyes, a spark of something unspoken yet profound. 

I can see you in your suit and your necktie Passed me a note saying, "Meet me tonight" Then we kissed and you know I won't ever tell

[jadeee]

Golden Frame

After your date at the art museum, Nanami shows you how much you mean to him.

Word count: 2.6k

Dividers by @cafekitsune

Author's Note: We can call this a self-insert...

Music played softly in the background as Nanami drove towards your date destination. You looked beautiful, as always. He was enjoying your company, as always ... but something felt different. His eyes were still on the road but every now and then they glanced over to your bare legs in the passenger seat. It was the first time you wore a skirt. A soft crease formed between his brows while he crafted theories in his mind. When you were looking out the window, he glanced at your lips... no lipstick. He faced forward with knitted brows but the crease softened at the sound of your voice.

"Do you have a favorite art piece?"

"... actually, I'm not sure ..." he answered half shocked, "I haven't been to an art museum in a while so I look forward to going."

"Really?! This is one of my favorite places."

"That makes it all the more special." 

He wanted to reach over and take your hand in his but he recalled how nervous you were the last time you two were together. Alone and on his couch. More importantly, how you seemed to shrink into yourself when his hands reached for your hips and how you kept repeating "I'm sorry, I can't,". He prided himself on being patient, when it mattered, and you mattered to him; so, he simply smiled at you instead.

 Your eyes scanned the room and took in the large golden frames, various sculptures, and prints on the wall. Nanami happily followed you to the first thing that caught your eye. The two of you spent the next few minutes walking near each other, only to lean over then whisper about the artwork you were studying.

"How do you think they do it?"

"With patience and practice." he silently repeated the words to himself.

"I have an idea,"

The golden haired man faced you. Oddly enough, he looked like one of the men in the paintings in that moment. Strong and stern with a hidden softness that only the artist could capture.

"Why don't we split up and meet back here in thirty minutes? We can show each other our favorite piece."

"Okay," he nodded then watched you start to walk off. 

You walked along a glass pane which held a large painting toward the center. He followed your every step on the opposite side and a smile blossomed on his face whenever you glanced back at him. When you reached the end and saw he wasn't there, your smile shrunk. However, our love drunken fool was standing in the center of the painting, watching the scene unfold. When he thought about it, he felt light like a Monet painting. As his eyes scanned the artwork on the walls, he couldn't help but see your face.

You were standing in front of a sculpture when he approached you from behind.

"Has it been thirty minutes already?"

"No," he slid his hands in his pockets "I just couldn't resist."

The soft laugh that came from you filled his heart. He read the title card of the sculpture, Psyche Revived By Cupid's Kiss.

"Are you familiar with their story?"

"I am. You kind of remind me of him."

The corner of his lip turned up, "How?"

"You hide yourself sometimes ... at least until you trust others."

He looked forward and tried not to smirk at your well thought analysis.

As you two stood side by side once again, you felt his fingertips brush against your hand. Without hesitation, you took them in yours.

Your heart beat faster as you crossed the threshold. He helped you out of your jacket then set aside your purse while you took off your shoes. The wheels turned and creaked in your mind as he offered you a drink. You responded with your choice of poison before making your way to the couch - where it always started and ended. Kento's shoulders dropped slightly when his eyes landed on you sitting on the couch. He studied your frame as he handed you your glass. Grateful for the liquid courage, you quietly thanked him and hoped it would ease your anxieties.

Too nervous to stay still, you rose to your feet and studied what little art Nanami did have on the wall. 

"Do these mean anything?"

He stayed in his seat "No, not really. It's just for decoration."

"Hm ... If you did have art with meaning though, what would you have?" you faced him with a playful smirk.

He sipped his drink to hide the effect you were having on him. "Well," he stood then walked toward you "Psyche revived by Cupid's kiss."

"Oh, you're just saying that because we saw it earlier."

"No, I'm saying that because it means something to me."

When you felt his hands hold your face, you backed into the table behind you.

"What's that?" you held his gaze.

He pressed his lips against yours in a soft and tender kiss in response. His body felt warm as your hands finally held him for the first time that night. Within minutes, you ended up where you always do on nights like this: the couch, his couch, with him hovering over you and your fingers starting to comb through his hair when you say,

"I cant, I'm sorry." you cover your face.

His hands pressed into the couch cushion. 

"What's wrong?" his hands gently pull yours away from your face, "You can talk to me."

Your eyes dart to the wall then back up at him "I'm just a bit ... embarrassed. I try to control myself around you but I can't."

A soft smile showed on his face "You don't have to."

"I know but ... I don't want to get my hopes up and it doesn't last." your eyes flicked up at him "Us, I mean. Not the sex." You chuckled nervously from the simple misunderstanding and covered your face again.

He smiled to himself as he pulled your hands down again.

"Hi."

You grinned, "Hi."

He cupped your cheek in his hand, "Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"

Your heart skipped a beat when he continued to caress your skin as you tried to find the words.

"Because I don't know who I am around you. It's like I become this whole other person..."

His hazel eyes noticed the softness and slight fear in your eyes paired with the small sound of your voice. The softness coupled with the ounce of fear and the hope that he'd understand. When he placed a gentle kiss on your lips and felt you grip the sides of his shirt, he suppressed a moan.

"You're my girlfriend," and possibly my wife, he thought to himself "and there's nowhere else I'd rather be than by your side."

Your lips faltered when you tried to respond but he saw the tears form in your eyes and only saw fit to wipe them away.

"I'm your what?"

"You're my girlfriend," and Mrs. Kento - in - waiting, he planted a kiss on your forehead.

His thumb brushed the corner of your mouth which was stuck in a shocked grin, "What?"

"Nothing... it's... we haven't had that talk yet and I didn't know..." you ended the sentence with a chuckle.

"I should've made it more obvious," Nanami gave you another gentle kiss then got up from the couch. He grabbed your glasses and headed toward the kitchen "We can talk if that's what you wa--"

It took everything he had to not drop the glass cups when you tugged on his shirt and pulled him toward you in a kiss. The two of you held onto each other as he walked backwards to the nearest counter top and set the glasses down. You let out a loud laugh when he picked you up unexpectedly and carried you to his room.

His kisses started out sweet and innocent but with each second he spent holding you, gripping your skin, you felt his hunger. It'd been a while so you couldn't blame him. Plus you were wearing that skirt. Not to mention, the way you purposely left those top buttons undone on your blouse. He was hovering over you again, leaving a trail of kisses down your neck when he confessed "I lied earlier when I was talking about my favorite art piece. It wasn't that painting I pointed out. It's you."

Despite the compliment and the sincerity behind it, he saw the slight doubt in your eyes.

"You're gorgeous and no picture can ever fully capture that."

You smirked and laughed.

"You don't believe me?"

"I didn't say that," you sat up slightly and he moved to give you some space.

"What is it then?"

You tilted your head as you mulled it over then nodded "Okay, maybe I don't believe it." 

Although you tried to play it off, Nanami still had that aura of stern softness on his face.

"Would it help if I show you?"

A smirk showed then and you felt something you'd only felt on lonely nights; yet this time you weren't alone or lonely. Your nod gave Nanami the permission he needed and so desperately craved. Despite his seemingly insatiable appetite for you, he moved with a slow, passionate deliberateness. His tongue pushed into your mouth as his hands wrapped around your torso, with his legs straddling you so you didn't have anywhere to go. He wanted you all to himself. He wanted to cherish you. He wanted to treat you like art, a masterpiece. Careful, slow and steady, meticulous.

His mouth worked down your neck and made a short visit to your chest. Your breath picked up as his kisses continued downward, slowly peeling away the layers that were between you two. His eyes looked up at you when he slipped off your skirt. A small smirk rested on his face when he saw your brows go up and mouth part slightly in anticipation.

The soft kisses on your inner thigh elicited a moan from you. The sound alone was enough for him then but he wouldn't stop. Not because he wasn't satisfied but because he wasn't done worshipping you yet. Your noises filled the room as he licked, nipped, and sucked on you. When your hands gripped at his hair, he moaned and you felt the hum move throughout your body. He pushed his tongue deeper to get more of your taste.

"Na- Ken-," your thighs started to close in on him but he didn't budge. When you started to push him away, he felt conflicted. He decided to pull back slightly, "Do you want me to stop?"

"I-" you moaned at your ongoing orgasm and he gently rubbed at your bud.

"Fuck, Nanami." you whined softly as you pressed your head deeper into the pillows.

His fingers moved in a slow circular motion as he inched closer to your face "Do you want me stop?" he asked again softly then put his mouth on your nipple. The feeling of his tongue going over your flesh gave you goosebumps. 

"N-no," you stammered with eyes shut.

"Are you sure?" his fingers moved a bit faster at your bud.

You started to pant and nodded helplessly. He smiled at the scene then kissed your cheek, "I won't go easy on you." His fingers slipped inside of you effortlessly as his mouth attached itself to your bud once more. You cried out and gripped his hair which made him grunt... which made you cum... which only made him push his tongue deeper into you.

You moaned then moved against his mouth. He wouldn't admit it but he was already thinking about wedding bands in his head then. When you came on his fingers, he pulled them out and replaced them with his tongue.

"I can't take it!" you clutched onto his sheets which you perfectly ruined as soon as you two started this little dance. He pulled back for a short moment only to say "Yes, you can," he kissed your bud "you're doing so good."

"Nanami," you whimpered as he continued to make out with your cunt. He wasn't satisfied until you started to climax and even then he wasn't done.

Moments later, he was pounding into you, gripping the headboard in one hand and holding yours in the other. At one point, you both heard a crack but didn't pay it any mind. He was kissing your face and neck until he started to reach his own climax; when he buried his head in the crook of your shoulder and grunted repeatedly. You were already on your umpteenth wave of ecstasy by then. All you could do was clutch onto him and that was enough.

This must be what it's like to feel at peace, Nanami held you in a warm embrace. The last few minutes consisted of you two being like this. Holding each other, drawing imaginary lines on skin, and smiling whenever you looked into the other person's eyes. The only difference was that his smile remained even when his eyes weren't locked on yours. He couldn't look away and he didn't want to, even if it did seem creepy.

You noticed the soft look on his face, "What?"

"I'm just admiring you, that's all."

He didn't expect you to say anything back but he was grateful for your small smile.

"I was going to wait but I think now is a good time."

You watched him with raised brows as he reached for something. He handed you a postcard which had your favorite piece of artwork on the cover. You took it in your hands then flipped it over and read his handwriting on the back:

Truly beautiful but I can think of something better.

When you looked at him, you saw the sparkle in his eyes.

"Thank you."

He held your face in his hands and kissed your forehead.

Normally, he'd be making coffee by now but he decided to indulge himself. Besides, how could he leave you in bed alone? He didn't want you to wake up and think the worst. You could talk a good game but you were the nervous type. He traced the curve of your brow lightly with his fingertip and chuckled when you crinkled your nose.

When you did wake up, he was there, ready to greet you with a soft smile. You were half awake and only heard the word 'breakfast' to which you just nodded. He chuckled to himself when you held onto his hand as he tried to get out of bed. A gentle blush spread across his cheeks as he sat down by your side again.

"Take all the time you need." he rested his lips against your forehead for a brief moment then caressed your cheek, which would become a daily habit. With your eyes still shut, you took his hand in yours and kissed it, tucking it under your chin as if it were for safe keeping. Nanami found himself moving closer to you so you could rest your head in his lap.

After a few minutes, he reluctantly left the room to cook breakfast and so you could get more rest if need be. Soon the smell of whatever he was making woke you from your dreams. You held your hands behind your back as you stepped into the kitchen. When he faced you, he felt the blood rush to his cheeks at the sight of you in his shirt and boxers.

"Do you have to work today?"

He leaned against the counter as he took in the view of his favorite artwork "I can be a few minutes late."

Later, when his colleague asked why he was late, Nanami simply responded "I had some important business to tend to."

Author's Note: Just when I thought I was done writing for Kento, I come up with this. He really does smthn to me 🤧anyway, thanks for reading! As always, reblogs, likes, and comments are appreciated 💓

p.s.: i think the painting he would've picked as his favorite would've been something like a house on a hill. he yearns for tranquility {and domesticity} so a simple painting like that would tug at his heart strings.