#love speaking the same language but having to translate things for each other

[callisteios]

i appreciate and adore your messages, i have however a little bit been murdered by this.

would you like to be a god? take this uquiz to find out what sort of god you'd be

[qangelbluebird]

Going from dead/non-updating media to technically-updating-but-games-take-years-to-make media to qsmp is wild. From nothing to “the link is still missing where is missing link<-(it’s been a year)” to “do you remember,,,, QSMP,,,, it’s been decades<-(it has been five days. It is coming back in another five days. You people are fascinating(pos))”

[satellite-evans]

my little girl

Pairing: Lando Norris x reader

Summary: Lando and you welcome your baby boy, but Sophie struggles with jealousy. As she adjusts, she learns her place in the family is just as important.

Word count: 5.6k+

Warnings: fluff, little angst

Request: can you do a continuation of “my lando” ? reader and lando’s baby has finally arrived and little sophie is jealous all the attention is not on her anymore but she’s obviously reassured, love your writing 💌💌

or

The second part to best friends was soooo cute 🥺🥺 if you’re still taking requests would you be willing to write about when the baby is born and maybe their new dynamic with the new baby and how Sophie is adjusting maybe her having a moment of jealously

A/N:

I recommend for you to read part 1 and part 2 first xxx

English is not my first language, so I apologize if I made any (grammar) mistakes. Feedback, requests, talks, vents, recommendations or just simple questions are always welcome.

Happy reading xxx

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site.

One of the things you had always loved about hospitals was the stillness, the quiet that seemed to wrap the entire building in a soft cocoon of serenity. The absence of loud, unnecessary noise, the only sounds being the faint, comforting whispers of nurses moving about their duties, and the occasional soft murmur of visitors exchanging words.

But now, that same silence was suffocating. What once brought you comfort now felt oppressive, a cruel reminder of the pain you were enduring. The quiet made every breath you took feel louder, every sensation sharper. It was as if the stillness in the room amplified your suffering, making each contraction feel more intense, more unbearable. The world outside seemed so far away, and inside, all you could focus on was the agony that seemed to pulse through your body, relentlessly, without end.

The only sound that broke the silence was the rhythm of your own breathing, steady but shallow, as you tried desperately to stay in control. You focused on each inhale and exhale, trying to calm the storm inside you, but with each contraction, the pain grew. Your mind raced with each passing second, but you kept your eyes closed, holding on to the one constant in the room: Lando.

He was there, as always, your unwavering support. He hadn’t left your side for hours, holding your hand firmly, his presence a steady anchor in the sea of pain. His voice, soft and soothing, whispered words of reassurance in your ear, grounding you in the chaos. His touch was like a lifeline, pulling you back from the edge, reminding you that you were not alone.

“Lando…” you gasped between breaths, the pain surging again, a new wave of contractions hitting. Your eyes fluttered open, the world around you still spinning. “Is Sophie okay? Is she with Cisca?”

Lando’s face softened, his gaze steady and comforting as he brushed a loose strand of hair from your forehead. “She’s fine, baby,” he replied in a calm, quiet voice, squeezing your hand. “She’s with my mum, playing with her toys. She’s so excited to meet her little brother. You don’t have to worry about her.”

You took in a shaky breath, nodding slightly, but the worry didn’t leave your heart. “I just… I don’t want her to be scared, Lando. She’s still so young…”

“She’s not scared, honey,” he reassured you. “She’s fine. You focus on yourself now, okay? You’ve got this.”

Your eyes searched his face, desperate for something to hold onto, and though the pain felt like it was going to swallow you whole, the certainty in his voice gave you something to latch onto. His words, like a balm, calmed your racing heart just enough for you to focus.

But as the intensity of the moment deepened, Lando gently released your hand and stepped away, just for a moment, to speak with the nurses. You barely noticed as he moved, consumed by the fire burning within you, but the slight absence of his presence felt like a gap in the world. He’d been with you every step of the way, and now, with him gone even for a few seconds, it felt like the room grew colder.

And then, the door creaked open, the sound breaking the stillness as the doctor entered. Everything shifted in that instant. The air felt heavier, more charged. The time had come. The moment you had been waiting for, dreading, and anticipating in equal measure was finally here. The baby was almost here. The contractions that had seemed endless now had a purpose, the pain now a sign that the end of this chapter was near. And in that moment, you realized you were about to cross into something completely new.

Lando returned to your side in a heartbeat, his hand back in yours, steady and sure. His thumb gently rubbed over your knuckles, his eyes never leaving yours.

“You’re doing amazing,” he murmured, his voice full of love and encouragement. “This is it, baby. We’re almost there.”

You nodded, focusing on his voice, on his hand in yours, as the world outside melted away. He was right. You were almost there. The baby was almost here.

In the hospital’s waiting room, Sophie sat quietly beside Lando’s mom, her tiny fingers fidgeting with the edges of her dress. She had been waiting for what felt like hours, her excitement growing with every passing minute. At first, she had been bouncing around, full of nervous energy, asking every few minutes if the baby had arrived yet. But now, with time dragging on, she was growing restless. The energy she had once radiated was fading into quiet fidgets and soft sighs, her eyes flicking toward the hallway every few seconds as if hoping for some sort of sign that something was happening.

Cisca, ever the doting grandmother, tried her best to keep Sophie distracted. She handed her a coloring book, hoping the bright pictures would capture her attention. "Here, sweetie, why don't you color this one? It’s a picture of a bunny with a little baby in her arms. Maybe that’ll make you feel better."

Sophie glanced at the book briefly but then set it aside, her eyes once again darting to the hallway. "Nana," she said softly, a small crease forming between her brows, "when's the baby coming? Is he here yet?"

Cisca smiled gently, though she could see the concern in Sophie’s eyes. "Soon, sweetheart. Your mommy and daddy are taking care of everything right now. It’s almost time."

"But why is it taking so long?" Sophie asked, her voice tinged with frustration and a bit of anxiety. "I thought babies just come out. Why is it so… so slow?"

Lando’s mom chuckled, her heart swelling with affection for the little girl. "Well, sweetie, babies don’t always come when we expect them to. Sometimes, they take their time and do things at their own pace. But don’t worry, your mommy is strong. She’s doing a great job."

Sophie gave a small nod but didn’t seem entirely convinced. She could hear the reassurance in her grandmother’s voice, but it didn’t quiet the flutter of unease in her stomach. Something was different now. As much as she had been looking forward to this day, she couldn’t help but feel a bit scared. What if everything changed once the baby was here? What if her parents didn’t have as much time for her anymore?

She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, staring at the door as if willing it to open. "Nana… what if things are different now? What if Mommy and Daddy don’t have time for me anymore? What if they love the baby more than me?"

Cisca’s smile softened, and she gently placed a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. "Oh, honey, I know you’re feeling nervous. But your mommy and daddy love you so, so much. That will never change, not even when your little brother gets here. You’re their big girl, and they need you just as much as ever. You’ll be a big sister, and that’s a very important job."

"But I don’t want to share them," Sophie whispered, her voice barely audible. "I like being the only one."

Her grandmother squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "I know, sweetie. It’s okay to feel that way. It’s a big change, and it’s okay to be a little scared. But you’ll see — you’re going to be the best big sister. And you’re going to have so much fun teaching your little brother all the things you know. You’ll always have special moments with your mommy and daddy, just like before."

Sophie chewed on her bottom lip, still uncertain. "I guess so," she murmured, though the anxiety still lingered in her chest. Her mind drifted to memories of playing with her mom and dad, all the little moments when it had just been the three of them. It felt like a world that might slip away.

Before Lando’s mom could offer more comforting words, Sophie’s eyes widened, and she straightened in her seat, her heart skipping a beat. She stared at the hallway door, as if she could sense something was about to happen. "Nana, I think I heard something! Do you think it’s time?"

Lando’s mom chuckled softly and nodded. "Maybe it is. Let’s wait and see, sweetheart."

Sophie shifted in her seat, her legs shaking with a mix of excitement and nerves. "I just want to meet him," she said quietly, her voice filled with wonder and a hint of fear. "I hope he’s really cute. What if he cries all the time? What if I don’t know what to do?"

Her grandmother’s gentle laugh filled the room. "You’ll know what to do. You’re a smart, kind girl, and you’ll know just how to help. And as for crying — well, that’s just part of being a baby. But you’ll get used to it, I promise."

Sophie’s brow furrowed for a moment before she nodded slowly, trying to convince herself that it would be okay. She was excited, really. Deep down, she knew she would love her little brother. But the unknown was always the hardest part. As much as she had wanted this day to come, it was suddenly here, and with it came the realization that things would be different from now on. The whole world was about to shift, and she wasn’t sure what that would mean for her.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to the waiting room swung open. Lando stood in the doorway, his face glowing with a mixture of excitement and relief. His usual calm demeanor was replaced with an undeniable energy, and his eyes immediately found Sophie. A smile tugged at his lips, softening the tension that had been building in his chest for hours.

"Sophie," he said, his voice warm but with an edge of nervous energy, "It’s time, Soph." He paused, his gaze filled with emotion as he stepped into the room, his footsteps quiet but purposeful. "Are you ready to meet your baby brother?"

Sophie’s heart leaped in her chest, and she jumped to her feet, her wide eyes never leaving her father. All the restlessness, the worry, and the nervousness she'd been holding onto for hours seemed to melt away in that moment. Her legs felt shaky, but her excitement made her move with purpose. “Is he here? Is it really time to see him?”

Lando nodded, his face breaking into a proud, loving grin. “Yeah, he’s finally here.” He took a step closer, his voice lowering slightly, though there was still a hint of excitement behind it. "Come with me, sweetie. You get to meet him first."

Sophie’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t believe it. She had been waiting for this moment for so long, her anticipation building with each passing second, and now, it was finally here. She had spent hours imagining what this day would be like, and now it was unfolding in front of her. The baby, her little brother, was real. He was finally here.

“Is he okay?” Sophie asked, her voice small but filled with concern. She had to know. There had been so many questions bouncing around in her head during the long hours in the waiting room, and now that the moment had come, it seemed like there was one more important thing she needed to ask. “Mommy’s okay, too, right?”

Lando’s smile softened as he knelt down to her level, taking her hands in his. “Mommy’s doing great, honey,” he assured her, his voice soothing. “She’s a real trooper. And your baby brother, he’s healthy and perfect. You’re going to love him, Soph.”

Sophie clutched Lando’s hand tightly as he guided her toward the room, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. Every step felt like a small eternity, and with each passing second, her nerves grew. What if her brother didn’t like her? What if he didn’t want her to hold him? What if everything changed, and she wasn’t ready for it?

Lando, sensing her tension, glanced down at her with a warm smile, squeezing her hand gently. “I know it’s a big moment, but I’m so proud of you, Soph,” he said, his voice calm but filled with pride. “You’re going to be such a great big sister. I know it.”

Sophie gave a small nod, trying her best to hide her nerves, but her eyes betrayed her. Her excitement was there, but so was the fear of the unknown. She didn’t know what it would feel like to be the big sister. But she was about to find out, and it felt like a lot to take in all at once.

Lando reached out and gently opened the door to your room. The room felt calm and serene, but it was also filled with an undeniable sense of change. And there you were, sitting on the bed, your face a mixture of exhaustion and joy, holding a tiny baby in your arms. Your eyes were fixed on your son, filled with love, a love so deep it was almost palpable. his little hands grasped at the soft blanket, his tiny features so delicate and perfect, like a new world all on his own.

Sophie froze in the doorway, her small body stiffening as her eyes locked onto the tiny bundle in your arms. her little brother's eyes were closed, his body curled up in peaceful slumber, but to Sophie, it was all so overwhelming. She had imagined this moment for so long, built it up in her mind, but now that it was here, now that he was real and in your arms, it felt like the world had shifted in ways she didn’t know how to handle. She couldn’t look away from the tiny form, but it was almost too much to take in.

You smiled softly at Sophie, your heart overflowing with love, and opened your arms to her. "Come here, baby girl," you said gently, your voice soothing and full of warmth. "I want you to meet your little brother, River."

Sophie hesitated, her eyes still fixed on River in your arms. Every part of her wanted to move forward, but the unknown was a heavy weight in her chest. She was afraid of how her world would change, afraid of River, afraid of not knowing what to do. But then, Lando crouched down beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder, his voice quiet and steady. "He’s pretty amazing, huh?"

Sophie nodded slowly, her eyes wide in awe, her heart full of emotion she couldn’t quite put into words. She didn’t say anything at first; she just stared down at River, watching him sleep peacefully. She reached out tentatively, a small finger brushing the baby’s tiny hand, feeling the warmth and softness of his skin. A wave of wonder and love washed over her, the weight of the moment settling in.

"He’s so little," Sophie whispered, her voice barely above a breath, filled with awe. She held her other hand over her chest, as if trying to contain the rush of emotions that surged through her — wonder, excitement, and something else too, something she couldn’t quite name.

Lando smiled gently, watching his daughter with a quiet tenderness. "He is. And now… you’re his big sister." His voice was full of pride, his eyes filled with love as he looked at Sophie.

Sophie’s eyes remained on River, a soft smile creeping onto her face as she slowly sank to her knees beside you. She was still unsure of what it all meant, still trying to process the whirlwind of emotions inside her, but as she gently touched her baby brother’s hand again, a feeling of protectiveness began to blossom in her chest.

“Hi, little brother,” she whispered softly, her voice full of wonder, as if speaking to him for the first time. “I’m Sophie. I’m your big sister.”

Lando stood beside her, his arm resting around her shoulders, as he looked down at his children — one so small, so new, and one growing up right before his eyes. This was the moment they had been waiting for. The moment everything changed.

Sophie’s smile grew a little wider, and she turned to look up at her dad. "I think I’m going to like being a big sister."

Lando’s heart swelled with pride and love as he bent down to kiss the top of her head. "I know you will, sweetheart. You’re going to be amazing."

The day you were finally discharged from the hospital felt like a whirlwind. You packed up the baby’s things, bundled River carefully in his tiny car seat, and, with a little help from Lando, you all made your way to the car. Sophie was bouncing with excitement, eager to finally be home and start this new chapter of their lives together. She had been waiting for this moment, but as the reality of it all sank in, she couldn’t shake the nervous flutter in her stomach. What would life be like once they were home? What if everything felt different?

As you all settled into the car, Sophie sat quietly beside River, gazing at him in his car seat, her fingers gently brushing the edge of the blanket covering him. “He’s so small,” Sophie said softly, her voice filled with a mix of wonder and concern. “What if I mess something up?”

Lando reached over, squeezing her hand reassuringly. “You’re doing great, Soph. We’re all in this together. He’s going to need both of us. You’re going to be a great big sister.”

Sophie smiled, but the doubt lingered in her eyes. She was still processing everything, still figuring out how to share the love and attention she had always gotten, and now River needed it all too.

When you arrived home, the house felt different, but in a good way. There were new baby things everywhere, and the familiar routine that had once seemed so normal now felt strange. You laid River down in his bassinet for the first time, the soft sound of his little breaths filling the air. Sophie stood by, watching as you gently rocked him to sleep, her arms crossed over her chest, her face a mix of curiosity and uncertainty.

Later that night, after a long day of adjusting, River began to cry. The sound echoed through the house, loud and persistent. You rushed to his side, trying to soothe him with gentle words and soft touches. But the crying didn’t stop. Sophie, who had been sitting quietly in her room, flinched at the sound, her hands clutched tightly around the edge of her blanket. The noise was unsettling to her — she wasn’t used to hearing River cry, and the way he cried felt like a new presence in the house. She had imagined it would be a joyful sound, but it was overwhelming.

Lando came in, sensing her discomfort. “Hey, Soph, you okay?” he asked softly, sitting beside her on the bed. “I know the crying is tough, but we just have to be patient. He’s still getting used to everything too.”

Sophie nodded, her lip trembling slightly. “I don’t like it,” she admitted in a small voice. “It’s so loud. It makes it feel like he needs all the attention.”

Lando hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I know, honey. But remember, this is new for all of us. River’s going to cry sometimes, but it doesn’t mean he loves you any less. We all have to learn how to share the attention, but that doesn’t change how important you are.”

Still, that didn't change how Sophie felt.

When you fed River, or when he cried and you rushed to pick him up, Sophie’s lips would tremble, and she would retreat to her corner of the room, watching from a distance. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling — part of her wanted to be the center of attention again, to be the one you focused on, the one you cared for. But another part of her, deep down, felt a sense of protectiveness over the baby, just like you did. She didn’t understand how she could balance both feelings. She wanted to be the big sister, but she wasn’t sure how to fit into this new dynamic, especially when it seemed like River needed so much of your time.

Later, when Lando found her sitting on the couch in the living room, clutching her stuffed bunny tightly against her chest, he could immediately tell something was off. Her eyes were distant, sad. Her little hands gripped the bunny as though it was the only thing grounding her, and Lando's heart ached when he saw the sadness in her eyes.

He sat down beside her, careful not to startle her, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Soph,” he said softly, his voice filled with concern. “What’s going on, sweetheart? You’ve been quiet for a few days now.”

Sophie sniffled, her face full of uncertainty, her big, vulnerable eyes searching her father’s face for reassurance. "I’m still your little girl, right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, trembling with raw emotion. Her words hung in the air, heavy with the fear that she might be losing something irreplaceable. "I don’t want him to take you away from me."

Lando’s heart shattered as he saw the pain in her eyes, the way her little voice quivered, the tremor of her insecurity. Without thinking, he scooped her up onto his lap, pulling her into the safest place he knew — his arms. His chest rose and fell with each steady breath, a silent promise to always protect her. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, his voice thick with love. “Oh, sweetheart,” he whispered his words a soft balm to her wounded heart. “You’ll always be my little girl. Nothing, nothing will ever change that.”

Sophie buried her face into his chest, her small hands fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, as if trying to hold on to the familiar comfort of him. She could feel his warmth surrounding her, the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear, but her worries were still there, gnawing at her. “But you’re always with him now,” she murmured, the words coming out in a rush, full of quiet hurt. “You’re always with River… and I’m not the only one anymore.”

Lando’s heart ached with a tenderness he couldn’t quite put into words. His hand gently cupped her cheek, lifting her face so she could meet his gaze. His eyes were filled with a depth of love only a father could know, the kind that transcended everything else. “You know, Sophie,” he said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, “when I’m with him, I’m always thinking of you too. You’re my first little girl. You made me a dad. You taught me how to love in a way I never knew was possible. Just because I’m taking care of him, it doesn’t mean I love you any less. It doesn’t mean anything has changed. You will always, always be special to me. You are my heart, Soph.”

Sophie’s small body relaxed against him, and she closed her eyes, as if she could finally allow herself to believe his words. She nodded slowly, but deep down, there was a flicker of uncertainty still lingering. This new chapter of their lives was still so fresh, so overwhelming. Her heart wanted to believe him, but it was hard to share the love she had always had all to herself with River. She didn’t know how to navigate this new balance, how to accept that the love she had for her parents wasn’t being spread thinner, but instead multiplied in ways she was still learning to understand.

Lando could feel her tension, the subtle shift in her breathing, and he tightened his hold on her. “I’m not going anywhere, Sophie,” he whispered, his voice full of conviction, steady like a rock. “You’ll always be my girl. I’m here for you, and I always will be.”

Sophie buried her face deeper into his chest, seeking the comfort of his embrace, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat as a reminder that, no matter what, she was loved. She felt the warmth of his words, the reassurance in his arms, and for the first time in days, a sense of peace began to wash over her. “I love you, Daddy,” she whispered, her voice muffled by his shirt but full of the pure, unconditional love only a child could give.

“I love you too, baby,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion, holding her just a little tighter. “And that will never, ever change.”

As they sat together in the quiet of the night, the weight of Sophie’s worries slowly beginning to fade, she knew deep down that she was still their girl. She always would be. There was no space between them, no shift in the love they had for her. River would never take her place. She was the first, the one who made Lando a father, the one who had opened his heart in ways he didn’t know were possible. Nothing — not time, not change, not new additions to their family — could take away her special place in their hearts.

Sophie looked up at her dad, her eyes still filled with a little bit of doubt, but there was a glimmer of hope now. “You promise?” she asked softly, her voice small but filled with the trust only a child could have.

Lando pressed a kiss to her forehead, his arms around her so tight that she could feel the warmth of his love seep into her very soul. “I promise, sweetheart. I promise, no matter what comes, you’ll always be my girl. And I’ll always be here for you.”

And as Sophie leaned into her father’s chest, the gentle rise and fall of his heartbeat lulling her into comfort, she believed him. Deep in her heart, she knew that even though things were changing, their bond was unbreakable. It was stronger than anything else — a love that would always hold her, no matter what.

In the days that followed, Sophie began to find her place as the big sister, slowly but surely. She still had moments of uncertainty, moments where she felt unsure about how much space River would take up in the family. But with each passing day, her love for him grew. She began to bond with him in small ways that were becoming so meaningful. Every time she sang him a lullaby, her soft voice would fill the room, and she would giggle whenever River cooed in response, a spark of joy lighting up her face. There was something magical about those moments for Sophie, something that made her feel proud of her role as his sister, even when it wasn’t always easy.

One afternoon, you were sitting in the living room with River in your arms. He was peacefully nestled against your chest, his tiny hands twitching every so often, and you were soaking in the quiet bliss of motherhood, when Sophie came running into the room, her feet light with excitement. Her face was bright, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. She clutched a piece of paper in her small hands, almost as if it were the most precious thing in the world. She stopped in front of you and held it up proudly, her smile wide and full of purpose.

“Look, Mommy! I made this for him!” Sophie said, her voice soft but filled with quiet pride, the effort she’d put into the drawing evident in her flushed cheeks.

You reached out, taking the paper from her hands as she held it up, your heart swelling. The drawing was simple — a picture of your family, each of you surrounded by hearts, but there was something so pure and sincere about it. Sophie had drawn you, Lando, herself, and the baby. When she got to River, however, she had added a much larger heart around him, almost as if she was already claiming him, already protecting him in her own way.

“This is so beautiful, sweetheart,” you said, your voice thick with emotion as you gazed at the drawing. “He’s going to love it when he’s big enough to see it.”

Sophie’s eyes shone with pride, her small fingers tugging at the hem of her shirt, but there was a nervousness beneath it all, a vulnerability she hadn’t yet learned to hide. “I wanted him to know he’s special,” she explained softly, as if there was no doubt in her mind that her brother would be able to feel the love she had for him, even if he couldn’t understand it just yet.

Lando, who had been sitting beside you, looked over at you with a soft, affectionate smile. His heart seemed to swell with pride as he watched Sophie, the love he felt for both her and River so evident in his eyes. The uncertainty that had once clouded Sophie’s face had been replaced with something much more familiar — a deep sense of belonging. “You’re doing an amazing job, baby girl,” he said softly, his hand brushing a strand of hair from Sophie’s face. “River’s lucky to have you as his big sister.”

Sophie beamed, her face glowing with the pride of someone who was beginning to truly understand the weight and beauty of her new role. But there was still a small thread of self-doubt that lingered, something you could see behind her sparkling eyes. “I know he is,” she said, a little shy but with a fierce determination in her voice. “I’m gonna protect him. I’ll always keep him safe.”

The tenderness in Sophie’s words made your heart ache with love, and you shared a glance with Lando, a quiet understanding passing between the two of you. The uncertainty that had once filled Sophie’s days — the doubt that had come with becoming a big sister — was starting to fade, replaced by a bond that was growing stronger with each day. She wasn’t just protecting River; she was embracing him with all her heart.

You gently hugged Sophie to you, holding her close as you glanced down at River in your arms. He was blissfully unaware of the drawing, of Sophie’s promises, but you knew that someday, he would understand. He would see how much his big sister already loved him. “I’m so proud of you, Soph,” you said, your voice thick with emotion. “You’re doing such a good job, sweetheart. You’re making this so easy for all of us.”

Sophie’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her baby brother, who was just beginning to stir in your arms. Her voice was soft, but there was a quiet resolve in it. “I’ll always be there for him,” she said, her small hand reaching out to gently touch River’s tiny fingers, as if to reinforce her promise to him. “Even when he’s older, I’ll be there.”

You kissed the top of her head, overwhelmed by the depth of her love, the way she was already stepping into this new role with grace and affection. The bond between Sophie and River was growing every day, even if it wasn’t always easy to see. It was a slow process, but it was happening, one small gesture at a time. And no matter what challenges lay ahead, Sophie was proving that she was ready. She was the big sister, and her love for River was unconditional.

As the days turned into weeks, Sophie continued to help with River’s care — handing you diapers, fetching clean clothes, and sometimes even trying to soothe him when he cried. One morning, you were in the kitchen, and River began to fuss. Before you could get to him, Sophie was already there, sitting beside his bassinet, softly cooing at him as she tried to calm him down. It wasn’t always perfect, but she was trying, and the tenderness with which she held him made your heart swell.

She looked up at you with a smile, a little unsure of herself. “He’s okay, right? I’m doing it right?”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly, walking over to her and resting a hand on her shoulder. “You’re doing more than right, sweetheart. You’re doing amazing.”

Sophie’s smile widened, her cheeks flushed with happiness, as she looked down at River, who had finally quieted, his small hands resting gently against his blanket. “I’m his big sister now,” she whispered, as if the weight of the words was just beginning to sink in.

Lando, who had been standing in the doorway, leaned in and kissed the top of her head. “And you’ll always be his protector. You’re doing great, Soph.”

Sophie looked back at her little brother, her heart full of love and pride. It wasn’t always easy. There were still moments when she would feel a little lost or a little jealous, moments when River’s cries felt like a reminder of how things had changed. But in this moment, as she sat beside him, the bond they shared — that invisible thread of love between siblings — was stronger than ever. And Sophie, no matter what, would always be your girl — the one who had made you a mom, the one who had given you hope in the midst of chaos, and the one who would always, always love her baby brother.

[parisoonic]

How the hell do you manage to superimpose the hilariously exagerated proportions of the tf2 mercs into a cohesive 2d style? I always struggle SO much with like, the way the mercs' models have huge hands, the way they have relatively low-poly definition on things like arms, shoulders, and legs... and Especially the way like, the models are kinda janky when you pose them for art purposes- when using movement tools, things like armpits and seams between body parts get all deformed... Which makes the study of form and silhouette rather difficult.

I assume that a lot of your ability to translate the concept of the mercs from their original mediums into your own works of art comes to you quite naturally- through experience you have with drawing and art style stuff, as well as through intuition. I was simply wondering if I could poke at your mind and get some insight into your process, any thoughts you have about the proportions and silhouettes of the mercs, any quirks you've found while drawing the mercs, or simply what you enjoy drawing about them. Like, don't be afraid to infodump about something just because you think people wouldn't find it interesting- I am here, I am sitting, and I am listening- if you so choose to speak.

I am utterly fascinated and enraptured by the more behind-the-scenes aspect of art. The mundane things that come second nature to great artists yet seem so revolutionary to less experienced artists.

I love your work, I look forward to seeing more of it, and I hope you have a nice day :]

Sorry for the late reply! I've been a little…stuck on how to answer this but that's mainly because to me, drawing is composed of SO many different little skills - you have form, anatomy, shape language, silhouette, appeal, rhythm, acting and posing…not to mention everything AFTER your raw draughtmanship like line style, rendering and colour theory. Trying to distill a multiude of small skills into some pithy advice is overwhelming to my brain. So I'll take the invitation to ramble instead :))

I don't think I have any new or revolutionary insight into the tf2 guys specifically - more I'm using them as work horses to excercise general silhouette/posing/shape-language and further my skills when it comes to drawing characters!

I do agree though the proportions are rather silly when you stop and think about them realistically…they can be kinda tricky if you follow their 'actual' proportions. what looks great individually was maybe never meant to be directly compared (ie: Heavy's hand size against Spy's lol). It would've been funny if the TV show exsisted and we had more content to review…would the animators have had rules like Spy and Heavy can never shake hands? Would they cheated the proportions for shots? Or would they have said WHATVER it's gonna look weird and embraced it? (Like Kingpin in Spiderverse lol)

Paul Lasaine for 'Into the Spiderverse' This is AWESOME. But it's also one of the silliest designs I've ever seen comitted to screen. The varied scales of the characters work because of the unifying treatment (lighting, rendering, consistant hand anatomy, consistant clothing fold treatment etc) and because they are sort of proportional within themselves. A common mantra is that hands should be about as large as a characters face....which they all are here!

Human brains are very flexible and forgiving though. It's totally fine for you to put a character with huge hands and head next to a teeny tiny character! Vanellope and Ralph from Wreck-It Ralph look grand next to each other! And in that film you even have varying levels of stylisation sitting against each other (unified by the look dev treatment of the shaders and lighting). I think as long as the chracter is proportional within themselves it sort of works out. IE: a general rule is that a hand should be as large as the face so…you can have some large arse hands as long as their placed on a body with a big arse head. Unifying characters with the same treatment (ie: lineart brush, colouring style will also help them look cohesive next to each other :) )

I don't actually reference the 3D models/animations very much at all and instead draw their proportions based on my tastes for stylisation following their general vibes/silhouette profiles. I don't stick THAT close to their in-game looks and there are artists who do that are so so so much better than me (Creedei and Flapjack come to mind). I'm not amazing at body-type differentation and TBH they're all wearing chunky clothes all the time so I usually draw the guys as one-of-three body shapes: Heavy is the uniquely wide guy; Sniper/Scout/Spy are all tall and slim and Demo/Soldier/Medic/Engie have a little more of the generic 'hero' bodytype with varying tallness and broadness of the shoulders

Something like this! You can vary all these individual elements in terms of size, thickness, taper amount etc to create different characters. If you ARE going to reference the 3d works though you'll need to apply some anatomy knowledge to overcome the weird shoulders, armpits and knees which desperately need blendshapes to correct the 3D volumes and approach it a little more like an animation supervisor. There's a reason why you see in making-ofs and art-ofs character designers, character leads or animation supes doing drawovers of the models. These are character models that have had great effort put into their 'base' silhouette but it still needs to be reinforced in every frame for maximum appeal.

Shiyoon Kim for 'Raya' This sort of thing will occur at multiple stages during the animation process. Shiyoon Kim's notes are post final model but pre-animation. Most likely for internal rig tests, exploring what blend shapes and alt shapes are needed for the rigs etc. If your production has time, this will continue all the way to final anim. IF! But it's interesting to see how he emphasises the shapes and enhances the character acting of the 3d model.

As for 'mundane things' - I wouldn't say they're second nature! (If that makes you feel better!) I have to actively really persue certain advice and try to figure out how to best apply it. This can sometimes involve redrawing and redrawing an element of the drawing until I've grasped the nettle of whatever I'm after or…..until I get frustrated and either delete the drawing or just call it done lol

Here, I'm looking for a really specific flow of the head that sells both the acting and a subtle head tilt. I'm also trying to apply the general mantra regarding faces that converging lines (set by the eyebrows and mouth) are more appealing than parallel. It's tough! I also tend to use a drawing I've already done as a template/reference on the page too. Oh! This page is an amazing example of why I'm not an animator or storyboarder…consistancy? Who is she? 💅

Converging lines (that form tapered shapes) are always more appealing than parallel. Using this logic you can loft the facial features across converging lines to create dynamic appealing espressions. Combining this with anatomy, perspective and rotation is the tough part though. I'm still learning o7

The things I probably think about MOST are always flats vs curves, simple vs complex and general line of action/flow...and then eliminting tangents. Each of these can be a dedicated visual-essay on their own - hence my stumbling as to answer your question. Anyhow, not sure if it's ever come up on this blog but I looove dinosaurs :)) so i'm using a wee piece to demostrate these ideas! (but also to demostrate these concepts apply to everything from humans characters to animals, props and background design)

Okay, I'm getting self-aware that this is getting really long :') I have a wee tutorial tag for my blog if anyone wants to comb through my garbled art-thoughts. Learning, studying, repetition and practice will always be the greatest teachers! I'm glad you like my art- thank you so much for the lovely comments - I feel like such a noob still and not qualified to give people advice but we're in it together learning! High-five! 🙌

[studioeisa]

unknown / nth ⭐ minghao x reader.

your boyfriend gives you a language lesson before bed.

★ minghao x translator/interpreter!reader a.k.a the lost in translation couple ★ word count: 1.9k ★ genre/warnings: established relationship, fluff, conversation about mandarin (my reference). takes place post-lost in translation! not entirely necessary to have read the fic prior to this. title is from hozier's song of the same name. not proofread. ★ footnotes: minghao did a brief weibo live and i've been missing lost in translation for quite some time now, so i jammed this out really quick 🚬🦆 may write more for/about this couple in the near future, so take this as the first of many! ♡

“I think Cold Love really represents me well. It’s probably because I’m an INFJ.”

You press your palm to your mouth to stifle your laugh. Minghao doesn’t react visibly, but his hand waves at you off-camera. A wordless reminder of Be nice. 

The two of you are across the room from each other— him, perched on the couch of his hotel room, while you’re already tucked in bed. Minghao had promised his fans a quick Weibo live to discuss his most recent EP, leaving you to your own devices for the next hour or so. 

You didn’t mind. It was one of life’s simple joys, listening to your boyfriend talk. 

He spends the next thirty minutes or so discussing his creative process and answering fans’ questions. You don’t bother him, knowing you’ll have all the time in the world later to tease him for some of his remarks. Like his indignance at growing taller or his jabs at his age. 

As you busy yourself with mindlessly scrolling through your phone, you relish in the familiar sound of Minghao’s Mandarin. It’s probably your favorite version of white noise, really. The mellow tone of his voice contrasts the rapid, sharp way that he speaks. Despite being well-acquainted with the language, there are still some words that elude you. You make a mental note to ask Minghao about them later. 

Less than an hour has passed before you hear Minghao beginning to wind down. “Good luck on all of your exams. To the people working, keep working hard! Make lots of money,” he says hurriedly. “And good luck with love, too. I hope you all find someone who loves you back so you can experience all sorts of feelings.” 

He’s never been the type to drag out his goodbyes, so you’re not surprised when— after a final heart sign and wave to the camera— Minghao is finally clocking out of his live. 

Immediately, he slumps back onto the couch like the whole thing had drained him. Sure, lives weren’t necessarily one-sided, but he did have to hard carry when it came to the talking part of the affair. You flash him a sympathetic smile as you sit up in bed. 

“Done, xīngān?” you call out. 

Minghao doesn’t respond right away. You don’t hold it against him. He sometimes needed a moment, needed a minute or two to pull himself together. 

After staring at the ceiling for what feels like forever, Minghao lets out a shuddering exhale. “Done,” he responds, and he’s moving before you can register it. 

He gets to his feet and crosses the room in a few, quick strides. Once he gets to the bed, he wastes no time in reaching for you. His knees sink in the mattress; his hands dart out. 

You let out a slight squeal when Minghao tugs you into him. 

“Sorry,” he says, not sounding very sorry at all. This had been a premeditated act. You can tell in the way his arms immediately snake around your waist. 

You let out a defeated sigh against his chest, but make no move to pull away. “Tired?” you ask, your hands resting on the small of his back as you return his embrace. 

He hums a quiet ‘mhm’. “I’m not built for this anymore, xīngān,” he whines. 

The two of you know that’s a bold-faced lie. Still, you indulge your sulking boyfriend lest he begin to pout even harder. “My poor baby,” you coo, running your hands up and down Minghao’s back in a show of comforting him. “Gonna blame it on being an introvert?” 

“Shut up.” 

You let out a small laugh. You can’t see it, but you swear you can feel the curve of Minghao’s smile as he presses a chaste kiss to the top of your head. 

“Thank you for being here,” he says after a moment of comfortable silence. “It means a lot.” 

A part of you wants to insist that it’s nothing. It’s not every day that you can steal away to his hotel room, though. In between your own work of interpreting for the boys and working on subtitles for videos, there’s also the added layer of keeping your relationship on the down low. 

Tonight, Minghao had just tried to asked. Texted a couple of hours ago that he wanted to see you. And you could never really deny him anything, not even on your best days. 

“Anything for you,” you respond as you stroke the short hair at his nape. 

Minghao buries his face in the crook of your neck, his smiling mouth warm as he mumbles against your skin. “Don’t give me that much power,” he warns. “I’ll abuse it.” 

You chuckle. “I don’t doubt that.” 

The two of you lapse into another bout of quiet. This had always been your way, even back when the two of you were friends: Comfortable silences, unspoken agreements. Your new relationship had only given you two the carte blanche to be a little more touchy during your shared moments of peace. 

You’re fairly sure that Minghao has fallen asleep when he speaks up again. “How do you think I did?”

“With the live?” 

“No, with cuddling. Yes, with the live.” 

“Ask nicely.”

“Please?” 

You put Minghao out of his misery by returning his earlier gesture— leaving a quick kiss, this time to the line of his jaw. “Stellar as usual,” you reassure him. “I didn’t pick up on everything, though.” 

“That’s new.” Minghao shifts around on the bed until he can prop himself up on one elbow. He rests his chin in his hand but doesn’t stray too far. He stays hovering over you, his free arm remaining around your waist. 

He goes on to goad, “Your Mandarin must be getting rusty.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes, shooting him a half-hearted glare. “How can it be rusty,” you retort, slipping into the language as if to prove a point. “When you’re always insisting that we use it?” 

No matter how many times that you speak to him in his mother tongue, Minghao always seems momentarily startled. The surprise always fades into affection, evident in the fond way that he gazes down at you. 

He matches your code switch without missing a beat. “I’ve told you, haven’t I? I love it when you speak Mandarin,” he says, punctuating his words with a quick pinch to your side. 

You swat his hand; he giggles down at you.

“Which parts did you miss out on?” he asks. 

It takes you a moment to recall the terms and phrases you’d wanted to question him about. “撒娇?” you ask, the unfamiliar word sounding almost hesitant on your tongue. Sājiāo.

A thoughtful ‘ahhh’ escapes Minghao. “Think of it like aegyo,” he offers delicately. “It’s— often in the setting of a relationship. Acting cute to be endearing.” 

“Like when you gripe about me not responding fast enough.” 

“Examples aren’t necessary,” he says wryly. “But, yes. Like that.” 

You flash Minghao a grin before snuggling a little closer to him, entangling your legs. The added touch makes his expression softens in the way it only ever does when it’s you. 

“Anything else?” he prompts. 

It’s not everyday that Minghao gets to play the ‘teacher’ role in your relationship. In the beginning, you had been his Korean tutor. In the longer run, you had helped him translate and transpose words that he couldn’t reach. Every so often, you would run to him for some Mandarin help, and you could tell that he relished in the shift in dynamic. 

The thought pushes you to keep asking, even though the words are inconsequential. “You used the term 暖男,” you note. “What was that one?” 

“Nuǎnnán,” he echoes, correcting your intonation. You repeat the word as he said it, and he gives a small smile of approval.

“It’s our version of ‘nice guy’,” he explains. “But it’s rooted a lot in culture. A nuǎnnán is a man who can be considered inherently warm-hearted in an otherwise patriarchal society. And no—” Minghao’s tone takes on a more chiding quality when he sees you about to interrupt. “Do not try to call me a nuǎnnán.” 

You jut out your lower lip slightly. “Why not?” 

The arm that Minghao had around your waist rises, just enough so he can tap the tip of your scrunched nose. “Don’t pull out sājiāo on me,” he scolds. 

It’s not necessary for you to act cute. Your boyfriend would be endeared by you either way. 

You chuckle at being caught, and Minghao’s sternness mellows. “One last.” You hold up a finger as you try to nail the phrase that had first caught your attention. “裸婚?” 

There’s a flicker of surprise on Minghao’s expression. “That was from a fan making a joke,” he warns before repeating the word himself. “Luǒhūn translates to— hear me out, okay?— ‘naked marriage’.” 

The sight of your raised eyebrow draws a sharp laugh from Minghao. “It’s another one of those cultural things,” he says. 

When he doesn’t add onto his words, you shoot him an incredulous look. 

“What?” he asks with feigned innocence.

“That’s it?” you prod. “You’re not going to explain what ‘naked marriage’ means?” 

“You have access to the internet, don’t you?” 

“Xīngān.” 

“That’s me.” 

At Minghao’s continued evasion, you merely huff and give up. It’s getting late, anyway, and he has to be up early in the morning for sound check. Come tomorrow, you’ll have to slip away before anyone can come looking for either of you. The boys aren’t privy to your relationship yet, and God forbid any of the other staff find out.

“Fine,” you say, unable to resist the urge to just be a little haughty. “Let’s go to sleep.” 

Minghao is undeterred by your contempt. If anything, it only makes him smile a little wider, gives him an excuse to pull you into his chest. He goes to cradle the back of your head, his fingers playing with the strands of your hair. 

You lean into his touch, burying your face into the front of his shirt. There it is again. Those few, precious moments where the two of you can just bask in each other’s presence. 

The silence stretches on this time. You’re properly drowsy by the time Minghao speaks up, his words quiet as he mumbles them against your shoulder. 

“No house, no car, no fancy ring,” he murmurs, his tone contemplative and sleepy. “Luǒhūn.” 

“A naked marriage,” you respond mid-yawn. 

“Mhm.”

“Nothing but love.” 

“You got it.” 

The conversation feels like it’s teetering on the verge of something consequential, something of value. But with the two of you already halfway asleep in each other's arms, there’s not much you can do besides exchange some light pecks and mumbled words.

“I think I’d want at least a house before getting married,” you say. “Or, like, an apartment.”

“What, you wouldn’t live out on the streets with me?” he teases lowly. 

Your eyes flutter close. “You would have to convince me,” you shoot back. 

Minghao responds with a lingering kiss to your forehead. 

“How long will it take to convince you?” 

It’s a little too early in your relationship for the topic of marriage to be seriously brought up. It’s fun to dream about, though. To talk about in hushed tones, to toy with in Minghao’s mother tongue. 

To imagine a time where this might be your every night— falling asleep in each other’s arms. 

“Might take you years and years,” you answer, a giggle rising from the back of your throat. 

Minghao’s arms shake as he laughs. His lips stay on your head, almost like he can’t bear to peel away from you for a minute too long. 

“I don’t mind,” he says as the two of you begin to succumb to sleep. 

The last thing you hear is his affectionate, soft promise of, “I’ll start working on convincing you, xīngān.” 

[gh0stly-mp3]

Hear me out... Lavinho hcs.... Jwudjs just anything lavinho pls I'll take it

Hii! I finally had time to do your suggestion, classes started so I didn't have time for anything. I loveeee Lavinho with all my heart, thank u! I have soo much things in mind

in the brazilian style -> hcs

aka: no jeitinho brazuca de ser

lavinho x gn!reader / lavinho hcs

synopsis: things i imagine lavinho doing as a brazilian in japan + other fun things he'd do in bllk

tags: lavinho hcs, crack/funny, brazilian memes, lavinho having the ultimate brazilian spirit

warnings: words in pt-br (w translation), mature language, don't take anything said personally

a/n: i had so much funny doing this! sending love to all my brazilians out there (i'm from sp, what about ya'll?)

masterlist.

Lavinho would definitely be stared at a lot because he speaks and laughs to loudly, but he seem to don't notice it at all. He'd look at you and go like:

- "Hey, xuxu [cutie]! This city lights are fucking awesome! Those match my hairstyle!"

- "Yeah, they do, but can you be a little quieter, people are staring" - You'd respond

- "Opa [opss], sorry! I forgot that you gringos are too quiet"

He'd get as much souvenirs he could put in his suitcase so he could put all of them in his collection when he got home. He has fridge magnets, keychains, trinkets, etc

He'd complain all the time about the lack of beaches, sun, bars and noise. It pisses him of when he's in Brazil, but he often misses it

Lavinho would also complain about the japanese dress code, where people look at him weirdly for wearing shorts, a t-shirt stuck to the body, chains and rings and a juliet (a type of glasses)

He loves to discover new places in the countries he visits, so he'd beg you to show him the most unusual places in Japan, places where the majority of tourists wouldn't go

He'd go to a bar and start discussing politics with some random people, more specifically, brazilian politics

- "You know, our last election was very fierced, Lula against Bolsonaro. Do you know Bolsonaro?"

- "Uh? Bolsonaro?"

- "Yeah! Say "Foda-se o Bolsonaro [screw/fuck bolsonaro]!"

- "Foda-se Bolsonaro?"

- "YEAH! JUST LIKE THAT!"

Lavinho would talk shit about São Paulo to whoever he could, saying that Rio de Janeiro is way better. And he'd get so angry in the process he'd start speaking in portuguese

- "Lá o céu é cinza, porra! Cinza! Eles não tem praia! Eles são uns fodidos! São Paulo é uma merda! [The sky there is gray! Fucking gray! They don't have beaches! They're arrogant fuckers! São Paulo sucks!]"

Lavinho would occasionally bring up some brazilian thing that no one knows like its the most normal thing ever. Some examples are:

- "Oh, so he's just like Virginia with social midia, got it"

- "This boy Shidou looks like he'd go on Rin just like Datena did to Marçal with that chair. Bam!" - He'd say while immitating Datena

- "Bachira, your friend Isagi looks just like Nazaré Tedesco in that meme"

- "Menó [bro], that goalkeeper looks just like et bilu. That dude is like a folclore creature"

- "You know, I grew up in favela Santa Maria, close to the laje do [slab of] Michael Jackson"

When Barcha starts loosing he yells: "C'mon! Brasileiro não desiste não [brazilians don't give up]!

He constantly mocks the way Ego speaks, doing a poor japanese accent and posing just like him. He'd do the same to Noa, but with a mocking french accent instead

Lavinho would teach each Barcha player how to celebrate their goal in brazilian style, showing them videos of Neymars, Ronaldinhos, Vini Jrs and Gabigol poses

He'd teach his whole team how to sing and dance to his favorite brazilian songs (mostly funk) and would let Bachira wear one of his juliets and take a lot of pics

He wouldn't believe that other countries don't use whatsapp, like, where do you guys even talk? He finds that really weird {i do too}

[loredrinker]

Inflection, Context, and Elven: Lavellan’s Veilguard Ending (romance state)

Lately, I’ve seen quite a bit of criticism directed at a romanced Lavellan on my dash - particularly in the Veilguard ending, interpreting her as needy, egotistical, or entitled.

And I am wondering: Did we watch the same ending? (I find it fascinating how differently people interpret the same moments - such a reflection of the human experience.) And I couldn't help myself! I felt compelled to share my interpretations so I punched this out the last few days.

The sticking point seems to be Lavellan’s words, especially the ones spoken in Elven.

It seems like a common interpretation of Lavellan’s words here are: 

“It won’t be terrible if you’re with me.” (Implying possessiveness or entitlement - and that she alone will make it better.)

The game’s delivery offers no inflection on any word though. For me, it’s always been: 

“It won’t be terrible if you’re with me.” 

It’s subtle, but very different. This is just one micro-example of how much nuance is packed into the dialogue in the Veilguard ending. These lines shouldn’t be taken in isolation - especially not the Elven ones. They should be understood in the context of what Solas says to Lavellan in Elven just before, and beyond that, within the history established in Inquisition and Trespasser.

Indulgent Solas x Lavellan post ahead.

Still here? Excellent. (And sorry, it's another long post.)

"Elven is often a game of intents, not direct mapping of phonetic meaning." The language doesn’t rely on straightforward translations of sounds or words into specific meanings. Instead, it operates on a deeper level, where intent and context carry as much weight.

Earlier in the game, when Solas confronts Elgar’nan, he says: “I must speak to you in this tongue. It seems Elven is beyond your grasp.” This insult implies that Elgar’nan has lost the ability to understand the nuanced, metaphorical nature of the language. Elven relies on shared understanding, rhythm, intent, to convey its full meaning. By Lavellan and Solas choosing to speak Elven to each other it's an acknowledgement of their shared understanding - a connection rooted in their history going back to Inquisition.

Which is why I embrace it in my interpretations.

This is personal and expansive. On one level, she’s speaking as someone Solas has wronged, reminding him of the pain he’s caused her directly. But on another, she’s channeling the voices of countless others whose lives were affected by him and who will be shattered by his actions. It’s a challenge that blends her role as both an individual and the Inquisitor.

It’s also not a condemnation. Lavellan doesn’t lash out or accuse him of being irredeemable. Instead, she questions him, cutting through to reach the man beneath. She’s speaking to Solas (wisdom).

"Vhenan" is acknowledging his love for her but it’s also symbolic of his heart, the part of himself he’s buried and tried to ignore, suddenly reappearing. Solas has spent much of his journey detached and isolated, removing his heart metaphorically to push forward with his plans without the weight of emotional ties. Lavellan’s presence makes it impossible for him to keep it hidden. His heart is right there, exposed and speaking. And the ellipsis - so many words unsaid.

Immediately Solas looks down (I read it as shame). It’s a reaction back to what he said in Trespasser: that he would not have her see what he becomes. And yet, here she is. She sees him, the terrible path he has chosen, the blood on his hands, the awful things he has done, and what he’s about to do. In that moment, his shame is palpable - because Lavellan is one person he couldn’t bear to face in this state. 

And Lavellan doesn’t hesitate. Her next words are as much about holding him accountable as they are about reminding him that there is still another path. 

This isn’t some starry-eyed, naïve Inquisitor we’re dealing with (at least mine isn’t). Lavellan is fully aware at this point. But her stance is clear: no one is beyond redemption, not even the Dread Wolf himself. And she wasn’t the only one – this message is repeated throughout the game by others. 

Her words challenge the belief that has kept Solas shackled to his path. He’s convinced himself that his guilt and mistakes are too great, that there’s no turning back.

She doesn’t beg or demand or frame it in a way that’s grand and sweeping – she simply says “you’re wrong.”  

She’s not trying to erase his mistakes or pretend they don’t exist. She's saying, Yes, you’ve done terrible things, but that doesn’t mean you’re beyond the reach of change.

Lavellan’s journey as Inquisitor began with the Anchor - a mark born of Solas’s mistakes and choices. From the moment she touched his orb (yes, it sounds dirty), her path became entwined with his. This isn’t Lavellan selfishly claiming Solas’s path; it’s an acknowledgment that their journeys have run parallel.

Lavellan’s work to stabilize Southern Thedas mirrors Solas’s aim to restore a broken world, including the burdens of being forced to take on titles and labels. She is revealing her own struggles with devastating, blood-soaked choices - choices that, like his, have carried profound consequences.

Solas believes he’s been walking this path alone, but Lavellan shows him she's been walking alongside him this whole time. Now, as their paths converge again, this is a reminder of the power of connection and the burdens they’ve both borne. He's actually not alone.

Her words also carry an unspoken promise: she is ready to continue to bear the consequences with him. She knows the road ahead is painful and fraught with difficulty, but she is steadfast.

Why do I feel that people sometimes forget Lavellan’s role as Inquisitor? She wasn’t defined by Solas; she was the leader of a powerful military and political organization, forced to make horrible decisions. Whether you choose the mages or templars in Inquisition, you doom thousands to torment and death. The Empress of Orlais can live or die based on the Inquisitor’s choices. And if you’re like me and made the wrong calls on the Dalish clan war table operation, her own clan can be murdered and wiped out.  (Yes, I’m still haunted by that moment.) Her hands have blood on them too. This makes me wonder: does some criticism of the Solas/Lavellan romance stem from failing to see Lavellan as her own person? I love Lavellan for who she is as the Inquisitor - not because of Solas. Likewise, Solas is fascinating on his own. Their romance is one layer of the story, not the foundation of either character. Sometimes it feels like there are even some Solas/Lavellan lovers who have a tendency to overlook the depth and individuality of both characters outside of their romance.

Solas’s statement is a raw admission of all the guilt he carries for his deceptions and the pain he has caused her - lying to her about his identity, betraying her trust - not just as the Inquisitor, but as a person he loves.

His words are not an attempt to seek forgiveness but an acknowledgment of the truth - no matter how painful it is for them both. He knows his choices have caused devastation to the world and to her specifically. He's exposing the full weight of his dual burden: the grand, world-altering consequences of his plans and the personal betrayal of the woman he loves, who trusted him. 

Perhaps, on some level, he hopes that reminding Lavellan of his lies and treachery will convince her to abandon him, sparing her further pain. His guilt and self-loathing are so entrenched that the idea of being forgiven - or even supported – either confounds him or terrifies him.

But Solas’s confession is not just a shield to push her away. It’s also an invitation for her to see him - not the wise, compassionate companion she knew, but the flawed, broken man beneath.

This moment to me shows that Solas still values Lavellan’s understanding (we also saw it in his letter to her). He doesn’t diminish the weight of his actions but wants her to see the cost of his deception - not just for her, but for himself. To Solas, his betrayal is unforgivable. 

And yet - this "selfish" woman dares to forgive him anyway. 

Forgiveness is an act of wisdom because it requires understanding - and she reflects that wisdom right back at him.

"All you have to do is stop" is heavy with meaning. Yes, on the surface, it’s a plea to stop tearing down the Veil, to reconsider the destruction. But it’s also a plea for him to stop running, to stop isolating himself, and to stop punishing himself for his failures. She’s asking him to step out of the shadow of his self-loathing and see that there’s another way forward, not by demanding or commanding, but by offering him compassion (forgiveness). (Cole, I miss you.) 

But Solas’s guilt and self-loathing run deep.

With these words, Solas apologizes to his heart - hardening it once more. For a moment, it had softened, cracked open. But he shuts the door.

The bow that accompanies his words is loaded. A bow carries layers of meaning depending on context - reverence, respect, gratitude, apology, greeting or farewell, a spiritual act, acknowledgment, loyalty, mourning, or even a romantic gesture. Solas’s bow can mean all of these. 

He is physically reinforcing the gravity of his apology. It’s a solemn moment. He is bowing to her strength, to all she has endured because of him. And when he calls her "vhenan," it is personal. It's an apology to her and to his own heart for not choosing the life he wanted to have with her.  “...to stay by your side as Solas...as I wanted.”  

The bow also carries guilt. He is acknowledging the pain he’s caused and humbling himself before her. And his eyes in the animation during this moment – I saw haunted, tormented, tired eyes – the eyes of a man grappling with the weight of his choices and the thought that he cannot accept redemption, even if it’s offered freely.

But, as I’ve said before, it takes a village to stop a Solas. Cue Morrigan and Mythal - but I’m not diving into that dialogue rabbit hole in this post.  

But this scene with Mythal is important. Lavellan has just watched the man she loves completely crumble in front of Mythal. He’s bent over in grief/pain, utterly vulnerable. She hears him say, in anguish, “The things that I have done.” She sees him lift the dagger - perhaps to surrender it, to shield himself from Mythal, or even as a plea to Mythal to end his torment. Whatever the intent, Lavellan is witnessing the rawest, most broken Solas. His guilt is overwhelming, and this is the first time she’s truly seeing the full weight of it laid bare (as is Rook). It’s a moment of heavy sadness for her – and for us as players. 

Solas is bent over with the emotional collapse of centuries of obligation and guilt coming to the surface. Mythal’s departure leaves Solas vulnerable, stripped of the purpose that has guided him for so long. He is alone in his pain.

For Lavellan, can you imagine the helplessness? All she can do is offer her presence, understanding, and faith in him afterward. That might feel like so little in the face of such immense pain, but it’s all she has to give. 

Where Mythal’s words, spoken in the common tongue, are authoritative and final, Lavellan’s are intimate and personal. Her choice to speak Elven reflects her desire to meet Solas where he is - connecting with him on an intimate level.

Only after Mythal has left him exposed - that Lavellan uses the Elven language. In this moment, stripped of his defenses, he is finally open to hearing and feeling the full significance of the words and their intent.

Lavellan’s words challenge the notion that fate is immutable or inevitable. When she says, “there is no fate...,” she isn’t diminishing everything else in favor of her love; she’s rejecting the tyranny of inevitability. Her words assert that choices - rooted in love, connection, and shared purpose - have the power to shape their path forward. She reframes love as a force just as powerful as fate, capable of creating meaning and direction where there once seemed to be none.

Atonement

And at this point? Lavellan has no idea what Solas will do next. None of them do. But the combined efforts of Rook, Lavellan and Morrigan get through to him. Because Solas makes a choice - a monumental choice. He binds himself to the veil, committing to atonement. Atonement is a powerful, active word. It evokes the gravity of recognizing wrongdoing and the courage to address it. His decision to seek restoration with the Titans, to deal with the Blight, to return to where it all began, reflects the depth of his remorse and his willingness to rebuild the balance he disrupted – from the beginning. 

Solas equates atonement with isolation, believing that his punishment must be borne alone. To him, atonement requires severing ties, including the possibility of love. He doesn’t ask Lavellan to join him because he cannot conceive of burdening her with the weight of his choices and the path he must walk.

But Lavellan’s words - once again - challenge that. She offers him the possibility that his actions, no matter how devastating, do not erase the love and faith others still have in him. This is an invitation.

She's also being vulnerable here. She’s offering herself to him, knowing full well that he still might say no. A risk she’s willing to take. 

He doesn’t try to shut her out or push her away this time. Instead, he shifts the focus - he needs her to understand the gravity of the path they are about to walk. His response reflects his own vulnerability as well, he wants her to know what she’s choosing, but he can’t bring himself to reject her offer outright. 

Solas responds in Elven - his acknowledgment of their shared understanding and their entire relationship and journey that has shaped them.

His words also mark a turning point: for the first time, Solas allows Lavellan her agency. Throughout their relationship, he has taken her choices away. He broke off their relationship in Inquisition. He vanished after Corypheus’s defeat, leaving her no say in it all.

Lavellan is asserting her choice. And this time, Solas doesn’t take it from her.

By framing his destination in such stark, "terrible" terms, Solas isn’t pushing her away out of cruelty. He’s laying bare the enormity of what lies ahead, warning her of the peril while giving her the freedom to choose for herself. It’s his way of ensuring she understands the stakes.

Solas is doing what she requested long ago - trusting her - and what a choice to place that trust in. He’s entrusting her to make an informed decision about stepping onto a path that could shape the future of Thedas. He is trusting Lavellan’s strength and resiliency. And in trusting her, Solas reveals a quiet, unspoken truth: he doesn’t want to face this journey alone. By even presenting the choice, he reveals a quiet hope that she might go with him, despite everything.

To me, what makes this moment so achingly beautiful is the duality in his expression. His eyes seem to plead two things at once: “I don’t want to put you in harm’s way,” and “I can’t deny wanting to be with you.” There’s a raw vulnerability in the way he looks at her.

“It won’t be terrible if you’re with me.” 

Lavellan’s response is a direct challenge to Solas’s warning. He tells her the path ahead will be awful - because of him. But she counters, saying that it’s because of him that it won’t be. This isn’t her forcing herself into his journey or suggesting that she alone will make it better. Instead, it’s her way of expressing that his presence will give her the strength to face whatever lies ahead - he's fucking worried about her! She’s trying to ease his mind, while also signaling her willingness to trust him again.

At the same time, her words acknowledge the weight of Solas’s suffering, offering herself as a partner to bear that burden together. She isn’t dismissing the risks or downplaying the severity of what’s to come - she’s choosing to stand beside him, fully aware of the challenges ahead.

It’s not about personal gain; it’s about shared resilience. Lavellan’s focus is on what they can endure together, not on what she might receive from the journey.

And since the Fade reflects emotions, as many have pointed out, their combined trust and love could manifest in ways neither of them can predict. Their bond has the power to shape not just their path but the very world around them.

This declaration is past, present and future; it’s a reaffirmation of their bond, a recognition that they’ve been walking the path of the dinan’shiral together all along. It’s future focused - she is offering to shoulder the burden with him going forward.  

She’s also telling him that she won't abandon him, no matter how hard the road ahead may be. 

And at the end of the day, she's a woman who still loves him. What does Prince Lir say in The Last Unicorn? "I love whom I love."

I've never interpreted Lavellan as someone sitting by a window for ten years, writing sad poetry and sighing into the wind, longing for Solas. She’s been busy - rebuilding a fractured world, navigating political fallout, and seeking understanding. Lavellan’s love for Solas isn’t blind devotion; she’s holding onto the possibility of redemption and the deep impact he had on her life. In my world state, Lavellan’s clan is wiped out. The people of the Inquisition have become her family, the ones she fights for and protects. And indirectly, Solas gave her that family. Despite the pain he’s caused, her love for him reflects the complexity of her journey - one defined not by a single relationship, but by hope, resilience, and the connections she’s forged along the way.

Lavellan then leans in to kiss him, and Solas allows himself to be drawn in. This moment is acceptance - a silent vow, a promise sealed in their shared vulnerability. It’s an intimate connection forged in front of those who have just witnessed the emotional storm that brought them to this point, as if to say, “This is where we stand, together.”

And then Solas turns to Rook and says, “Thank you.”

Solas doesn’t thank Rook when he hands them the dagger, nor when he’s preparing to walk into the Fade. He says it after the kiss.

In thanking Rook, Solas acknowledges not only their actions but also their understanding of the connection he shares with Lavellan. Rook, transformed by their own relationships and the bonds they’ve formed throughout their journey, embodies the themes that have always defined Dragon Age to me: connection, fellowship, community, love, and redemption. These games (again, for me) have always been about how people, despite their flaws and struggles, can come together to make the impossible possible.

Rook’s symbolism in the redemption ending feels like the culmination of this ethos. They represent how even those who begin on the periphery of great events can become central to forging bonds and creating change. Solas’s gratitude is for Rook's empathy, their recognition of the importance of connection, and their role in bringing these threads of love and redemption together. I'll go cry now.

And off they go into the Fade.

The Final Translation 

"With Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain dead, and the Inquisitor finally reunited with her true love, it looked like one of the biggest stories the world had ever seen was finally drawing to a close."  

Varric’s narration ties the ending image back to the connection between Inquisition and Veilguard. Inquisition is the Inquisitor’s story; Veilguard is Rook’s. Solas serves as the thread linking them. Varric frames this moment through Lavellan’s perspective, narrating the story like one of his novels - not to diminish Solas, but to highlight the Inquisitor’s journey. After all, Veilguard wouldn’t exist without Inquisition. Rook wouldn’t be working with Varric or searching for Solas if not for the Inquisitor.

As much as I would have loved a deeper focus on Solas, Veilguard wasn’t his story. If Inquisition is the Inquisitor’s story and Veilguard is Rook’s, this ending is a shared culmination: for a romanced Lavellan, it’s the personal resolution of her journey; for Rook, it’s recognition of their critical role in saving Thedas.

Okay, indulgence over - whew, that was long! I really need to practice shorter posts.

In the end, those who dislike this romance or this ending probably always will. That’s fine; I just wanted to share my interpretations because I genuinely love this story for all its complexity.

To everyone who made it to the end of this post - thank you for joining me in my indulgence. May your own Solas ships continue to bring you joy and inspiration.

[learnastrowallura]

🕯Mercury in Astrology

Information is from Chris Brennan's video on The Astrology Podcast YouTube channel on the topic of Mercury significations <3

Mercury: writing, speech, words, message, reign, translation, conveying, transmitting, information, interpretations, numbers, analysis, reasoning, details, dialogue, exchange, money, businesses, contracts, commerce, negotiating, indecision, disputation, questioning, doubts, distractions, speed, variety, irregularity, verstatility, changing, adaptability, flexibility, instability, inconsistency, knowledge, philosophy, service, teaching, mind, intelligence, intellect, language, communication, learning, poetry, voice acting, narration, acting, sharing, masculine, neutrality

Sun and Mercury:

Sun and Mercury are both centered around intelligence but in different ways; they complete each other. Sun is about divine knowledge and Mercury is about conveying, transmitting or communicating that knowledge or even perhaps analyzing it and extracting more wisdom as well as detail from it so I found this point particularly interesting. Sun illuminates with its rays and gives clarity by providing us with the truth and then Mercury expands on that truth and shares it with others in its charming versatile way as well

Sun vs Mercury sign:

Mercury does not move further than 28 degrees from the Sun meaning that the Mercury sign will always be the sign before or after the Sun sign (zodiacal signs are divided into 30 degrees) and so there is a bit of a differentiation (for lack of a better word) between who we are and the way we communicate and exchange information with other people if the Mercury and Sun signs are not one of the same. First example that comes to mind is having an Aries Sun Taurus Mercury and two people who are quite close to me have these placements; you would not know they were Aries Suns unless u asked hahaha even though one of them is an Aries rising too so that is something I wanted to note as well. Another example would be Sagittarius sun with Scorpio Mercury adding a lot of intensity to the person's communication style as well (which is something I relate to as you will see later on)

Domicile and exaltation:

Sooo Mercury rules over Gemini and Virgo so those are its domicile signs, it is how Mercury can manifest itself most comfortably whilst embodying its true essence. And then Mercury has its exaltation in Virgo as well which is pretty unique might I say and this gives me the vibes of (this my own way of seeing it so take it with a grain of salt) Mercury being more constructive in the sign of Virgo versus in Gemini just because of this particular distinction

But speaking of these two signs I do think they embody their Mercurial energies quite differently and shoutout to my friend @saturnianoracle for giving me the key words to describe this. First of all they are both analytic but Virgo is more of a skeptic I feel while Gemini tends to have more of an open mind. Virgo wants to see the evidence behind certain things to determine the merit or validity, to a certain extent, of the topics at hand to then decides if it wants to invest energy into looking into it more. It is very grounded as well as organized. With Gemini there is a certain sense of childlike curiosity that takes hold of this sign making it want to explore deep topics and of course stimulate its mind; it dives in without thinking and is more disorganized, inconsistent and chaotic I would say, and it loves conversing about its findings as well. I saw a tiktok video ancient astrology based describing Virgo and Gemini as the most intuitive signs which was fascinating to be honest u can watch it here

Detriment and Fall:

Mercury has its detriment in Sagittarius/Pisces and its fall in the sign of Pisces as well and the interesting thing noted in the video I watched (mentioned at the start) is that Sagittarius and Pisces are ruled by Jupiter, the biggest planet ruling over expansion and abundance, and with Mercury being on the smaller side you can really see that distinction of the Mercurial signs really often looking at the detail of things and well in contrast the Jupiter signs seeing the bigger picture. Also Jupiter being a benefic and ruling over luck makes me think that having these two placements is honestly not so bad tbh

Mercury in first house:

Mercury has its planetary joy in the first house of the self, highlighting the utmost importance of the curious, inquisitive and messenger qualities of the planet. What is interesting is the neutrality of Mercury and how we can link that with its joy being in the 1st house; a house that can be above or below the horizon, so even in this regard it stays neutral and does not "pick a side" if that makes sense; "acting as a bridge between the upper and lower hemispheres of the chart, a bridge between the celestial and terrestial realms which are united in the degree of the ascendant".

Source for the planetery joy information is Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan

I have made a more detailed post on planetary joys so check it out <3

Neutrality:

Mercury is not seen as a benefic or a malefic; it is considered a neutral planet. Of course, its manifestation and expression can be positive, negative or stay neutral depending on a few factors, such as:

Being in its domicile (Gemini/Virgo) or its exaltation (Virgo) sign is gonna lead it to manifest in a more constructive/beneficial way

Being in its detriment (Sagittarius/Pisces) or its fall (Pisces) sign would generally lead it to manifest in a less constructive way

Aspecting a benefic planet (Jupiter/Venus) would lead Mercury in this instance to manifest in a more constructive way as it is said to adopt the traits of benefic planet it is associated with

Being in a benefic ruled sign; meaning a Jupiter ruled sign as mentioned beforehand (Sagittarius Mercury, Pisces Mercury) or a Venus ruled sign (Taurus Mercury, Libra Mercury) would manifest in the same manner mentioned above

Aspecting a malefic planet (Mars/Saturn) leads Mercury to take on the traits of that malefic planet as well

Being in a malefic ruled sign so either Mars ruled (Aries Mercury, Scorpio Mercury) or Saturn ruled (Capricorn Mercury, Aquarius Mercury) leads us to Mercury adapting to that malefic's traits again

Triplicity also matters and I will make a detailed post on it soon but for now all I can say is that having Mercury in an air sign (Gemini, Aquarius, or Libra) adds on to the "power" that the Mercury placement has within the chart and the support that it gives to the native; if we are dealing with a day chart then Mercury has moderate support in the air sign in question (Saturn being its triplicity lord), and if it is a night chart then it maintains a powerful position within the chart, being its own triplicity ruler. (Source for triplicity rulership intormation is Ancient Astrology: in Theory and Practice: A manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume One: Assessing Planetary Condition by Demetra George)

That is all!! I wanted to go into more detail tbh but time simply does not allow it these days as I have my internship going on as well but I hope this was informative haha

Thank you for reading <3

Masterlist

Paid readings open

[eternalbuckley]

Risked Reputation. — lorenzo berkshire

SUMMARY: You and Lord Berkshire have found yourselves in a rather improper and intimate situation while trying not to get to caught because it could ruin your reputations.

word count: 2,197

genre: smut | fem!/afab!reader, queer!reader, bipoc!reader and plus-size!reader friendly

warnings/tropes: 18+ MDNI, a part of my lady!reader au, might contain slight dubcon elements (i guess), fingering, kissing, you're outside at a ball (in public but alone), it‘s probably not completely time accurate but who cares!, english is not my first language, briefly proofread — if I forgot something, please let me know!

a/n: i‘m so happy to publish my first work for this reader au and for enzo!! enjoy reading my loves 💓 reblogs, feedback and comments are highly appreciated and welcomed! ♡

disclaimer: please do not repost or try and take ownership of my work or post this anywhere without my consent. i don’t give you my permission to use my writing for any ai related things, don’t do it. do not translate my work and post it anywhere — i give you no permission to do that. i only post my stories here, so if you find my work anywhere else please let me know!

divider by cafekitsune

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“Lord Berkshire, are you truly implying that I lack the courage to take such a risk?” You raised your eyebrows with a gasp while walking beside your companion. Your hands were clasped over your chest as you scoffed playfully.

He hummed and nodded, “I speak solely in truth, my Lady. Am I not?” A grin appeared on his lips as he continued to walk next to you. His hand brushed against your arm for a short moment – which gave both of you slight goosebumps but neither of you commented on it.

You turned your head towards him and stopped in your tracks, which caused him to stand still as well and look you up and down for a brief moment. This did not go unnoticed by you. A smile graced Lord Berkshire’s lips, prompting you to look down with a small smile of your own. The pearls of your gown sparkled in the moonlight, while a gentle breeze rustled through the trees.

You playfully rolled your eyes and continued to walk on the path of the gardens you walked together. “Well, I do recall that it would be quite improper if we were to be discovered alone in these gardens. Or am I wrong? Should we be seen in this moment, it might already be presumed that we are acting inappropriately. Is that not risk enough, my Lord?” You stepped closer and raised your chin while you let your hands drop to the side of your body. “If I take one more step closer and someone happens to watch us from the wrong perspective…”

“It might be assumed that our lips have touched, though, in truth, they have not,” Lord Berkshire finished your sentence with a sudden hoarse voice, but his confidence and cockiness were still present. His gaze dropped down to your lips before it found your piercing eyes again. “What a scandal it would be.”

“Indeed, it would,” you whispered and parted your lips. A familiar ache between your legs made its presence known. Whenever you were in his presence your thoughts weren’t proper.

With a shaky breath, you stepped away from him, but you wished you could just feel his lips on yours for once. You wished to feel his hands on your body while they caressed your skin. Or to feel his lips travelling down to your jaw and neck. A fantasy that filled your mind too many times, especially at night while you lie wide awake in your bed and hands between your thighs. As you imagined him with you.

Your cheeks grew hot as your mind travelled to those thoughts. With a clearing of your throat, you turned around to continue your walk with the Lord and he immediately followed you. Only if you knew that he had the same thoughts as you.

The music from the ball inside the building became quieter as you continued to walk further away. Your hands brushed against each other as you walked closer to each other the more you walked away. In privacy, you were able to be closer, even if you were still in public. It was still a risk, even more so now that you were completely alone as you walked between the trees at the lake's edge. It may be less likely to get caught by someone else, but the risk was still there.

With every step you took and every brushed hand, your breath caught in your throat even more. Your breaths became deeper as you tried to listen to his words. But the moment you stopped at a gazebo and stood close to each other; all you could focus on was the way his lips moved as he talked. Lord Berkshire looked even more handsome in the mixed light of the moonlight and lanterns of the gazebo. His voice was soft as always, but you wished he’d stop talking and kiss you. He may just be courting you, but you wished for nothing else at that very moment.

“My Lady? Is there any matter that troubles your mind?” His question brought you back to your senses.

You cleared your throat and blinked quickly. “Y-yeah, uhm... No everything is well, my Lord.” You looked away from him for a moment to calm yourself down, but the same thoughts troubled your mind again as soon as your eyes met his.

“What are you thinking about?” Lord Berkshire asked you and stepped closer. He noticed how your breath hitched and how your eyes had been focused on his lips rather than anything else. He tried to bite back a smirk as you shook your head. “I should not tell you, my Lord.”

You gasped lightly when you suddenly felt the pillar at your back. You felt the warmth of his body as he stepped closer – one more step and you would feel his body against yours. You knew you should stop him right away, but you couldn’t.

“My Lord… We…” You shook your head and closed your eyes when he leaned down to your ear. “You may call me Lorenzo, my Lady.”

You inhaled shakily and slowly nodded. “If someone sees us, we…” You placed your gloved hand on his chest and pushed him slightly away from you – unsure if you should let it happen or not.

“I know of the possible consequences, my dear. But would you take the risk?” His question caught you off guard. “Do you wish that we stop or that we continue? The decision is yours. However, I do not believe you would be so bold to take such a risk.”

Lorenzo exactly knew what he was doing, and it seemed to work. Over the time he courted you, he got to know how to get you worked up through little allusions and every time it worked. He may have been already planning to propose but he wanted to feel the thrill. The thrill of possibly getting caught in such an improper situation between two unmarried people who shared such affection.

You narrowed your eyes and looked up to him, you stopped pushing him away and scoffed. “I already told you, I do not shy away from risks, my Lord.” The use of his title rather than his first name was intentional by you.

“Are you speaking the truth, my Lady?” He raised one eyebrow and brushed his hand over your arm.

You had each other where you wanted, but would you truly take the risk to possibly get caught?

Without thinking you pulled him in and kissed his lips. Both of you hummed in sync as you explored each other’s mouths and hands travelled over your bodies. A light moan escaped your lips when he pulled you closer by your waist and deepened the kiss. His lips travelled to your jaw and placed tiny kisses up to your ear. The feelings you felt in that moment were much more exciting than your fantasies.

“Have you ever thought about this? How my lips would feel on your skin?” Lorenzo whispered in your ear and traced his fingers down your arm — leaving you in shivers. Your breath hitched when you felt his hot breath against your skin and kept eye contact with him while he spoke. “How my hands would feel on your exposed skin? Did you ever think about these fantasies?”

You slowly nodded as you let him continue and your mind began to blur slightly – you wanted this. He continued to place kisses on your jaw, and a few landed on the side of your neck. You closed your eyes and wished for more. You slowly grew impatient but appreciated that he took his time. All you wished for was that nobody would see you in the dim light of the gazebo – your life would be over otherwise. Seen with another person? A gentleman? Alone? In such an intimate moment? Yeah, your life would be over immediately. But the thrill only heightened your excitement.

“Do you want me to continue?” Although he may have done it intentionally to provoke you, he didn’t wish to act against your will.

You were unsure if you should continue, as you were still in public, but your mind grew hazier with each kiss and the closer you were to each other. As soon as you nodded slowly, he let one hand glide down your gown and gently pushed up the layers of fabrics of your gown and underclothes. You raised your left leg and shivered at the contrast between the fresh air and his bare hand against the heated skin of your thigh. He gently brushed his fingers over it, teased the hem of your stockings and eventually drew small patterns on your skin that gave you goosebumps.

A soft gasp left your lips when his hand cupped your heat – your arousal coated his palm. You steadied yourself and grabbed one of his arms with one hand and with your other hand, you grabbed the railing of the gazebo while he explored your wet folds and teased your entrance – you only got wetter the more he continued.

Your gaze found his – you shared your breath and dilated pupils met each other while his fingers circled over your clit and brought you close to your climax. You were already familiar with the feeling from past explorations with yourself but feeling this because of him felt even better and you didn’t want him to stop. Even if you weren’t completely sure for how long you should continue. Your gasps grew louder and turned into soft moans and whimpers as he eventually pushed a finger slowly into you. Your head fell back as he started to move his finger inside you – your grip on his arm and railing got tighter. He enjoyed the view of you way too much.

“Oh god,” you gasped softly and quickly removed your hand from the railing to put it over your mouth to quieten yourself. His grip on your waist was tight while he held you close against him. The feeling of his lips against your neck brought you almost over the edge – it was an overwhelming but beautiful feeling.

Lorenzo felt his trousers getting tighter around his cock, he gulped and tried not to moan at your sight and sounds, but you looked and sounded so heavenly. But a moan escaped his lips, nevertheless. You were like an angel brought to him while he pleasured you with his hand. He already loved to hear your voice and even more, to hear you laugh but your gasps and moans were just as beautiful, and he wanted to hear them again all his life. He could only imagine how you would sound like if he could feel your walls around his cock.

“You sound so beautiful, my dear,” he whispered with a hoarse voice in your ear. His breath was hot on your skin.

Lorenzo increased the movements of his hand after he added another finger – stretching you slowly. Your grip on his arm tightened with the increased movements and a soft gasp left your lips while you moved your hips against his hand. Which caused you to whimper as the added friction unknowingly gave you more pleasure.

Lorenzo gently removed your hand from your mouth and placed a kiss on your lips while he circled his thumb over your clit and curled his fingers inside you – hitting the sweet spot inside you that made you arch your back against him. Eventually, his movements made you come around his fingers and moan into his mouth – your legs shook slightly from the intense pleasure. You felt like you were floating while he fingered you through your orgasm. Lorenzo licked his lips as he watched you coming down from it and how your chest moved quickly with every shaky breath you took. The risk was worth any price.

“That was...” You whispered with a shy smile, “Amazing.” Your chest was still heaving from the moment you just shared with Lorenzo.

He smiled in return and placed another small kiss on your lips before he eventually slowly pulled his fingers out of you, which caused another whimper to leave your lips. In the dim light of the moon and lantern, you could see your arousal coating his fingers – the skin of your cheeks heated up again with the sight of it.

“My Lady… You’re indeed full of surprises,” he chuckled, which caused you to playfully hit his chest. “There are many things left to discover. And… You may call me by my first name as well, Lorenzo.”

“As you wish Y/N, it’s an honour for me to call you by your first name,” he smirked before he looked around for a brief moment. “We should head back to the ball,” Lorenzo whispered with a soft voice while he helped to fix your clothes, “Not that anyone misses us,” he grinned mischievously.

Lorenzo was careful not to use his hand which he used to pleasure you. He didn’t want to ruin your gown, although he slightly did wish someone would notice what you and he had done. But what if you both weren’t careful enough and someone had seen everything you did?

[unintentionalseductress]

Ok another small vent...

I'm lowkey a little sad that the Asian countries all got the 'gege' version of Caleb's myth and we had to get a more watered down version of him, and I get it, I'm aware of the whole "older brother" controversy etc etc...

BUT

Let me speak my piece. Because I read this whole post on Reddit about how the version of Caleb's myth released in China, the entire myth revolves around Caleb being referred to specifically as gege and it made me feel a little bittersweet and his myth became more impactful when looking at it from that perspective.

So, in that version (paraphrasing from the post), when Caleb is trying to explain why he's doing all these things to make her happy, he actually says, "because I'm your gege." He chose this term for himself because in that culture, the term transcends familial definition. It's literally an older male who's been privy to your life for so long that there's almost a sense of duty to looking after this younger person's well-being.

He's implying that even though they're not related, they have common roots so him loving her is so ingrained into him that there's no way he can express it beyond that term. He's her caretaker, her shield, her mirror, her shelter. And it hits so much more deeply than the watered down EN version of "I'm your friend."

And when the gege controversy sparked, I admit I didn't really understand it because in my native tongue (also an Asian language), we have a similar term for an older male we're familiar with. We say unna, or ಅಣ್ಣ for those who can read the language. So I didn't immediately see an issue because lots of girls develop crushes on these older boys but still call them unna, myself included, because my mom's friends all had older sons and I grew up calling them that.

My mom was also in a similar situation as MC when she was a kid because her dad's friend, who lived in a more rural part of the country, asked if he was willing to take in his son so that he could get a proper education in the city. He lived under the same roof as my mom, and she called him unna for years before, ultimately, they realized they have feelings for each other. Because growing up under the same roof does not automatically make you relational siblings. Sound familiar?

So to think that the western world needed this massive translational change to avoid MC and Caleb sounding like siblings was a little...saddening.

As usual, my disclaimer is that these are my opinions; if you don't like it, scroll on by, there will be no hate on my blog.

[caineinthecorner]

Language (The Demon Brothers)

★ Based on my language general hcs. Part 2 is here.

Hi. Today we have the demon brothers language hcs, brought to you by a single dumbass bilingual. :D

I include mentions of bilingual/multilingual MC, but I use the term MC and you interchangeably in the bullet points. It's the same thing who cares (you can also add whatever languages you think fit I am just going off vibes tbh)

★ Lucifer.

Since he was the strongest and highest ranked out of the brothers, his innate abilities were muddled the least.

This is to say that he remembers a lot from his innate knowledge as an angel, and can actually fare incredibly well on his own if you leave him in the human realm.

(the language he preferred back in his angel days was Archaic Latin, which is also Simeon's preferred language)

When Diavolo brought up the idea of the human exchange program he was like "(: ok" and binged human language for like two months straight like a total psychopath

He's like one of those fancy 10+ languages fluent polyglots (how)

Despite his fluency, it is rare to ever see him speak them. He has better things to do and prefers demon tongue.

Or if he does, the Loquar Ad Vos that was applied to you once you arrived in Devildom doesn't allow you to hear it.

You try to swear in your native language around him and oh boy it backfires

That is how you learn he's fluent in everything under the sun (exaggeration)

Frustrated, you grumble that you will learn demon tongue just to one up him

He takes it like a challenge. Enjoy reading a million books on the demonic language and having double the homework for your little joke.

(he gives you hard material to learn on purpose to see you fail. Enjoy hell buckoo. Double hell? Hell²)

You kept misspelling good morning in demon tongue as a demonic death threat and that somehow turned into an inside joke between the two of you.

He has to keep himself from chuckling whenever MC screws up words

Your accent is lovely though. Keep it up

★ Mammon.

Spanish and English.

Ok I actually can't justify myself further than "Mams would absolutely fucking go to Vegas" and the fact that USA has a large Latino population but hear me out

You cannot tell me that he would not watch telenovelas. Like. C'mon.

he has the vibes of a Spanish speaker is what I am saying

he was SO frustrated about having to learn human languages you have no idea

In fact he probably still struggles a bit and that makes him really mad

Why is it so complicated all of the sudden?! It wasn't complicated Before!

He unconsciously associates human languages with the trauma of the fall, and the stress and hurt and turbulent emotions it conveys

So learning new languages besides the two he knows is a touchy subject for him

(but like, he will learn MC's native language despite this. Whining to hell about it, but he will. Everything for MC)

You are actually very lucky that you have Loquar Ad Vos with you, bcs he actually switches from demon tongue to either English or Spanish mid sentence sometimes.

Not that you notice with your crusty translator (Loquar also works for human languages it supports), of course.

"Ayo can you [Spanish phrase], oh and give me a [English word], for a [spanglish nonsense]" <- Mammon's dumbass not functioning in trilingual

Also he has an accent but he's trying

The others are used to it so they don't question it anymore, but they deadass could not understand Mammon at some point because trilingual was not computing

It was frustrating to say the least

You two play charades with each other when the other forgets a word in your respective languages

"MC WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE ANIMAL FUCK THAT CHANGES HOME" "... Hermit crab?" "THATS THE BITCH"

★ Leviathan.

Japanese (very decent) and English (bad) are musts.

You cannot tell me for a second this fuck watches anime subbed OR dubbed. He's too weeb for that. He will watch the original dub version for the full emotional impact

He wanted to know what happens in the weeb world of the west (and internet discourse), so he learned English through shitty 2000s anime forums and Duolingo

Probably plays Duolingo competitively and/or cries if he loses his streak

His hearing and speaking English is okay, his writing is literally so so shit

Tried to learn a romantic language to be corny but failed miserably.

(He steered clear of languages his brothers know so he isn't self conscious)

It was probably Portuguese or something since Mammon kept talking about being good at figuring it out as a Spanish speaker (due to it being a romantic language)

The diacritical marks killed him on the spot

Meu português não é bom... (crying)

Victim of the you're* corrections

Runs his several-paragraphs-long rants about weeb stuff through Satan so the grammar is legit

Actually thinking about it would be absolutely fucking hilarious if he knew russian just for funsies. Yeah add Russian to the list

He sends you crusty Russian memes at unholy hours in the morning. Calls that bonding

Would absolutely swear in loud ass Russian while playing Valorant or smt

"ПИЗДЕЦ" "LEVI IT'S 2AM SHUT THE FUCK UP"

Ah + he knows Morse code (obviously). He was really excited when he discovered it and proceeded to obsess over it for like three weeks straight.

Although by the time he learned about it humans had already moved on from its wide-spead use at sea (post-1999), the Devildom Navy adapted Morse code for their own use as per Levi's command.

He teaches MC how to use Morse code (bashfully) and they send lil' messages to each other for fun

★ Satan.

He inherited a good chunk of Lucifer’s angel-knows-all-languages innate talents.

He doesn't have the angel knowledge of every language, of course, but he definitely has a really high count since birth; Unlike his brothers who had to relearn their languages of interest.

However, he can tell™ that the topic of languages is kinda taboo-y, as it signifies the traumatic fall he himself was not there to witness, and kept quiet about it.

The others (mostly) think he just learned languages in his free time.

He is the designated google translate person. When the other brothers need translations, they ask him.

He gets very frustrated when he has to translate something on the spot

Absolutely knows Chinese and Latin just to read fancy old human books and be a menace about it

He has a copy of the Art Of War in Chinese I will fight you on that

Actually he probably owns every important human book in its native language

Culprit of the you're* corrections

If he has to read another thesis-length essay abt weeb shit by leviathan he will actually lose his shit

You know the Voynich manuscript? He's probably trying to decode it for funsies.

If you and him (unfortunately) share a language, he will absolutely correct the living shit out of you when you speak it

Look me in the eyes and tell me he wouldn't "erm ACtuAllY" MC. You can't.

His ass does not understand slang. At all. You tell him See You Later Alligator and he'll be like "tf you smoking ಠಿ⁠_⁠ಠ?"

★ Asmodeus.

French. And Korean. Maybe very mid English.

Ok so french is the language of lOVe and whatever + Korea is known for their heavy beauty-focused culture

I can see Asmo definitely picking up Korean just for makeup and self care brands purposes.

Like it is easier to browse for products he wants if he can actually browse the original places/websites himself

It's just more convenient and he's actually very good at language learning

+ Korean it is a "cutesy" language so it fits his vibe.

Like he absolutely would go "안녕 teehee (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)" to look disarming is what I am saying

He flirts to hell with Solomon in French. It is a language they both know and isn't supported by Loquar for translation so nobody can snoop their conversations

If you have the misfortune of knowing French I am so sorry for you bcs they are NASTY

Solomon is teaching him English. Asmo fakes being bad at it on purpose

★ Beelzebub.

He knows a decent amount of English.

What does he use it for? Order food. Obviously.

In fact everyone kinda assumes he just knows a few food orders and that's it but no he's actually very decent at English (borderline fluent)

He learned through clunky conversation with small restaurant owners

Beel actually makes a great effort to enunciate every word clearly, so he doesn't like speaking long sentences

"Would you like Salsa with that, sweetheart?" "... Yes," <- Beel has no fucking clue wtf salsa is but it tastes good so who is he to defy food gods (a nice Mexican grandma with a killer Pozole) whom have blessed him

I also think he would probably know some kind of sign language

Fingerspelling maybe, solely because it allows him to talk while having his mouth full or bcs his games are loud and he can't hear words very well

That and, like, the Devildom equivalent of sign language. DSL or something.

Look at him. Absolute sweetheart. He would absolutely want to include deaf or hard of hearing ppl.

★ Belphegor.

Ok so

I am going to be very fr with you

I believe Belphie would be the only monolingual (demon tongue "native") of the brothers

at most he would remember a few phrases of a few languages from back when he was an angel, but not any specifics

Like this dude has ZERO interest in human culture I cannot think he would sit down to (re)learn anything

he would fall asleep trying to learn human verbs actually

He only knows how to tell you to fuck off on 4 languages (/hj)

None which you speak. So that's kinda awkward

He doesn't know how to cast Loquar (nor has any interest in learning how)

Beel casts it for him if he needs it

He can and will deadass just remove the translator spell from you if you try to annoy/interact with him (except if Beel is who casts it on you).

(so Beel now also casts Loquar for you)

Begone >:(

[nightwingsgypsyrep]

Every time I make a post about Romani (specifically growing up travelling with the circus) Dick Grayson, I am always so scared someone’s gonna take offence to something I say, or disagree (which is fine - everyone’s experiences are different and I am not American), or be racist or some shit. So far this has not been the case and everyone’s been so lovely, but I do feel the need to clarify for the sake of transparency:

I am from the UK - aka not American.

As with every culture, there are often differences - things like public perception, how the community operates, how we view ourselves etc. for example, anti GRT discrimination is rife in the UK, and as such, things which might be common for us (eg growing up fighting) might be different abroad. The other thing is how the GRT community is defined: this is a whole argument with no satisfactory argument given how easily each group overlaps and how a lot of us trace our families back.

The Romani that I speak is (unsurprisingly, since I am British) Angloromani. Speaking to other Romani-speakers in Europe, we have found that there are some differences. However, whenever I make a Romani Dick Grayson post, I am doing my best to make sure that I am using the most universally accepted form of the language, but I can’t guarantee other Romani speakers/people on this site won’t translate things differently. And that’s ok! Romani is a purely spoken language and has many forms. Two things can be correct at once, and I’m the first to admit that I am not a one-woman book of all knowledge - I can only give the information that I know and grew up with!

Just to really drive that point home: there are gypsies all over the world, none of us have the same experiences! Please be respectful of everyone’s experiences/interpretations! Just because they’re different, doesn’t mean either is wrong!

Also, because of the nature of the Romani language in the 21st century, I would not say that I am fluent. I know a comfortable amount which I grew up using as a first language (alongside English) in the home, but my grandparents definitely know more! To be honest, we mostly use Romani when we don’t want to be overheard (read: gossiping) or in emergency situations, and that usage is reflected in my vocab.

If you are looking for a Romani vocab book, there are a lot of resources online. From my experience, Dawson’s 2002 book is the most accurate! (Yes I go looking for vocab books in my own language. I am a linguistics nerd, ok?)

At least in my experience, it’s a big thing with gypsies ‘not to educate the gorjas/gadjas (non gypsies)’ particularly with regards to language. This is for the sake of preserving the Romani language as something only for the Romani-speaking GRT community, as opposed to being a bandwagon for people to jump on. It is a cultural thing, and though I’m happy to see people use it in their writing, I am going to be selective with what/how much I share, if only for a) cultural preservation, b) safety reasons - there is a reason gypsies developed a language separate from that of the country in which they reside: sometimes we need to have conversations in private, and I’m not going to let my big mouth cause problems there.

I call myself a gypsy. I am aware that this is a slur abroad, but it is not treated as such in the UK. A lot of us use it as a general term for easiness’ sake. In other words, gypsy genealogy is bloody complicated and it’s not worth explaining over the internet (also I don’t fancy being doxxed).

If you have any questions, I am always happy to answer to the best of my ability, but I thought it worth explaining now before the ‘my Romani friend said it’s actually X’ comments start rolling in😂

Anyway, peace and love xox

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I'm sort of confused on Silver's personality. I know the game typically portrays him as someone who is empathic/kindhearted/etc., but after looking through his battle lines and the Glorious Masquerade tower scene (where he's joshing with Sebek before they go to fight the flowers), it seems like he lets out a different part of his personality? Battle lines were sourced from the wiki.

I initially thought it was exclusive to when he's fighting, but in his dorm uniform vignette, he's just praising Sebek's skills during their sparring (unless sparring vs. real fights prompt different reactions from him, but he doesn't seem to have the same cocky dialogue in book 7 either).

For reference, I'm EN only.

To those he considers his allies, yes, Silver is generally cordial (if not blunt) and empathetic. If it’s a situation where he has to protect his loved ones? Then Silver has to get serious and take down those threats. At the end of the day, he’s a knight and he has duties to tend to. However, it’s not so much of a confusingly merciless aspect to his character, erasing his empathy, or showing a hidden dark side to him 8as it is just another facet of who he is and an extension of his preexisting traits.

Given the opportunity, Silver tends to opt for discussion first before attacking or deceiving. Notable examples of this include Fairy Gala: If (where he expresses guilt for tricking the fairies and suggests just talking with them instead) and Endless Halloween Night (where he attempts to speak with the ghosts… until his peers ruin it by preemptively attacking them). In the cases where he does have to resort to violence, it usually comes with this air of reluctance, he’s almost never the instigator (but instead follows someone else’s lead, like Jamil in Endless Halloween Night), and/or he apologizes to those he beats down (book 7). When listening to the audio for the battle lines (I’m not sure if you did this too or if you just read them), I don’t really get a sense of arrogance from how Silver speaks. They’re mostly pretty neutral and soft. Because of this, I don’t think he takes any genuine joy or pride in striking others down. It’s just… something that comes with the territory and the nature of what he does. A “necessary evil”, you might say.

I cross referenced fan translations and native Japanese speakers in my own life about Silver’s battle lines. They seem to be pretty accurate, so the explanation for the can come down to a few things.

One idea is that the Diasomnia students just speak melodramatically; this is something that Azul and Idia remark on in Glorious Masquerade:

Having others misinterpret the meaning bc behind their words and body language is a detail that may ring especially true for Silver, as his Dorm Uniform vignettes center around a misunderstanding between him and some mob student peers. Lilia notes that while it may be easy for him, Silver’s father, to read and to understand Silver’s emotions and the intention behind them, this may not be true for others.

Let’s circle back around to Silver and his identity. Being a knight is a Big Deal for him, who wants to have the power to protect the people he loves and to “pay back” what he feels is owes to his father. He even references the fruits of his training and physical prowess in various battle lines. The pride Silver has in his own power, then, comes from that selfless desire to fiercely defend the things he cherishes—but as his Dorm Uniform vignettes show us, it’s so easy to misinterpret his aloofness as something else. Due to this + the dramatic flair of the Diasomnia students, maybe some players misunderstood Silver’s battle lines as being more arrogant than he intended for them to be.

Another idea that I think also makes a lot of sense is just how Silver perceives the situations he’s in. He’s able to be a lot more amicable when he’s fighting alongside Sebek, his childhood friend, fellow knight, and pseudo-little brother figure. They have known each other for so long that they can read each other’s true feelings and can perfectly coordinate their attacks with one another. Silver understands that Sebek lashes out because he’s embarrassed and this is how he shows affection; Sebek knows that Silver is empathetic and kind but that others fail to see if because of Silver’s stoicism, etc. They can afford to poke fun of each other while they train or do a practice sparring match—and Silver, being the older one, naturally feels a sense of pride seeing Sebek make improvements.

In Glorious Masquerade, Silver and Sebek are panting and starting to get tired from fighting the fire lotuses… and yet they’re still able to lightly tease each other, pointing out that the other is slightly faltering. This is how they communicate with each other, because they both have too much pride to show weakness in front of their fellow knight.

It is Sebek who suggests having a competition to see who can cut down the most flowers, NOT Silver. Knowing that Sebek is the type who conceals his emotions with fake bravado, it’s very likely that the competition was Sebek’s roundabout way of encouraging Silver and giving him motivation to keep fighting.

Alright, now pay attention to Silver’s face between the first and second screenshots here:

At first, Silver seems surprised. Almost immediately after, he’s doing that soft, lopsided grin while seemingly saying a really arrogant line about how he’s going to essentially mop the floor with Sebek and secure the victory. Looking at this scene from an outsider’s perspective, Silver’s weirdly being stuck-up to his friend in these dangerous circumstances… and that’s the thing, it’s the OUTSIDER’s perspective.

Given how well the two know each other and their respective communication styles, I’d wager this scene isn’t how it appears on the surface level. Again, it is Sebek who suggests the competition… after he notices that the chips are down. Silver knows that Sebek is brash in his efforts to cheer others up. That is most likely what Sebek is doing now, and that’s why Silver so quickly rebounds from shock to smiling. When he says, “I was just worried about how I’d calm you down when you inevitably lost”, it doesn’t necessarily have to read as an ill-timed taunt. It could also read as Silver joking back to try and ease Sebek’s weariness and grant him some motivation too.

Lastly, here’s the boring meta answer (booooooooo): things that are said or happen in battles/gameplay don’t always match up or make 100% sense in the context of the narrative. For example, playable characters don’t always have the same stats as when we battle them as mini-bosses, somehow you can have a whole team of the same character, etc. For Silver, the battle voice lines he has do not make sense for every battle he takes place in for the main story, and thus he may not truly be telling Silver Owls “Know your place” (which does, in fact, sound a little hostile OOC) when you deploy him to fight. You have to also consider that we have like… zero explanation for any battle lines other than they’re battle lines. This is completely unlike the main story which has tons of context and set-up.

Thinking of it like this, we can clearly separate battle lines from lines of extended dialogue shown in the main story, vignettes, etc. It doesn’t mean the Silver we see in battles isn’t “real”, it just means the Silver we see in battle segments won’t accurately reflect his current state of being at that point in the story because he doesn’t have specialized voice lines to suit each scenario. Silver has always consistently been kind-hearted and willing to hear others out; this was not changed even in book 7. It only appears that he has oddly stuck-up and out of character voice lines because our brains want to stitch everything together into a single narrative even when the gameplay meta and the story meta don’t want to align.

[vinelark]

Congrats on the conclusion of bbts!! I read it the whole way through in like two days and loved it! I'm so here for the Drama, but I appreciate that the conflict came more from the situation they found themselves in over questionable choices that they made. They were honest with each other and it's a nice take, and the cards still would have fallen the way they did if things were a little different, and they still had the strong connection needed to make everything right in the end.

Question: is there a translation for the Portuguese attached anywhere to the fic? I was hoping it would be in the end notes for the chapter and sadly my meager Spanish is not doing enough heavy lifting to make it, haha. Love your writing!

thank you! i’m so glad you enjoyed and that the flavor of misunderstanding worked for you. they’re so smart and young and trying their best and they got there in the end.

re: translation: i did not attach a translation to the fic! happy to share it here though. the bolded dialogue below is what i shared with @tigerjpg, who not only translated it but also guest stars in this scene as the unimpressed churro truck vendor.

◇

The smell of cinnamon and fried dough hangs in the air, warming it, and when they reach the window the employee is loading churros into a paper bag.

“The usual, right?” they ask. They’re young, short-haired, cheeks and neck flushed from the heat of the fryer inside the truck. Kon recognizes them from the last time he was here with Clark; they’d spoken rapid-fire Portuguese to Kon like they were testing to see if Superman being a polyglot was just a fluke, and seemed pleased when Kon answered in kind. (He didn’t tell them that he wasn’t actually like Superman in this regard—that Clark mastered language by learning at high speed, but he still learned, while Kon had his language settings pre-loaded before he opened his eyes. That Kon had overused certain phrases he picked up from TV his first few months, English still shaped strangely on his tongue as he tried to make the words feel like his. But at least having a few thousand Duolingo owls in his brain made for a good party trick sometimes.)

“Yes, please,” Kon says now as they set the bag on the counter. “Sorry if we kept you late.”

“Barely,” they tell him, waving away his concern with one hand and shaking open a second bag with the other. “Anyway, we get bonus overtime if one of you shows up, so you’re basically doing me a favor.”

Well, nice to know eating churros can count toward his good deed tally, if they really get a bonus when a super swings by. Speaking of— “Oh,” Kon says, rummaging through his thigh pouch. Clark always leaves a little tip in the jar. Kon usually carries an assortment of currencies—Robin’s idea for standard mission ancillary supplies—but, damn, he left that billfold at the Tower a few nights ago. All he has are a few US $20s and the Titans emergency card. He holds up the bills. “Can I give you these?”

The employee raises an eyebrow. “Your boyfriend already tipped.”

Kon blinks. He hadn’t seen Tim move, but there is indeed a fresh hundred-euro note in the tip jar. Kon and the employee both turn to Tim, who is very intently studying the chalkboard menu on the side of the truck.

“Did you just—have a hundred Euros on you?” Kon asks.

Tim shrugs. “Just in case.”

“In case what?”

Now Tim does look sideways at him. “In case a teenage superhero decides to take me on a spontaneous trans-Atlantic churro run, obviously.”

Kon feels like he should be boggling over the rich people-ness of it all, but he’s a bit distracted by the deepening flush on Tim’s cheeks. Also distracted by boyfriend, and hoping Tim doesn’t know a word of Portuguese, while at the same time kind of hoping he does.

“What’s his deal?” the employee asks Kon.

“He’s, uh, American,” Kon says.

They raise their other eyebrow.

“And rich,” Kon adds.

“Ah.”

[lebowskismoney]

yuu is EXTREMELY undocumented immigrant coded

For starters, they’re not just similar to undocumented immigrants. They’re best comparable to undocumented immigrant children. When their parents bring them across the border, there’s usually an unknown possibility of returning. They don’t have a say in whether they come along, that decision is made for them without their knowledge. All they know is “this is for their greater good”.

Now compare that to Yuu’s entry to twst. They literally don’t remember anything other than entering the world via horse-drawn hearse. They wake up in a coffin, symbolizing the death of their previous life and the start of a new one in TWST. They weren’t even aware of their transmigration until the deed was done. Upon transmigrating, they were told to make a choice and stick to it for everyone’s sake, not being given an out.

They’ve been transmigrated with literally nothing of use. They don’t have a valid ID nor currency. Their world is inaccessible. They are told “it is up to you to find a way back.” And the job they’re given to support themselves while they search for a way home? Custodian, one of the occupations most often associated with immigrant workers.

People are anchored to their new countries in different ways. That tends to be via each other. If someone marries a citizen, they have a pathway to obtaining citizenship, and someone has an anchor if they have a child during their stay. In Yuu’s situation, they’re anchored by Grim. Grim and Yuu both attend NRC as one student. They don’t have the means to attend individually, and Yuu has the risk of being cast out onto the streets if they don’t cooperate.

Speaking of cooperating, Yuu has more obligations than “attend NRC” and “find your way back” (supposed to be Crowley’s task but yk what he does). They are often tasked with things that are not their responsibility. Things like investigating/dismantling attempts at sport event sabotage, blackmail, overblots, that’s not supposed to be their priority. But if they don’t do that, they risk going without room and board, literal homelessness and no chance of finding a way back.

This is similar to another experience migrant children go through: having to support their families in order to remain afloat. Often times this includes translating documents with elementary levels of the language they're learning or working alongside their parents to bring food to the table. They have no other choice, these are things that must be done in order to survive.

Imma go into another tangent that is a bit of theory crafting but honestly really worth delving into:

There’s also the problem of whether they can even go back home. Asylum-seeking immigrants and those with similar situations don’t always have a place to go back to in their home country. Their countries are not safe anymore; they wouldn’t have left if they had the ability to form a safe and stable life in their homeland. However, children aren’t always aware of that. They are taken to the destination country without the possibility of return. How does Yuu know they’ll be able to go back to their world? They’re in the same situation: they made the journey, but their return is unknown. It could’ve been a one-way ticket to TWST, leaving them stranded and with a new objective: establish an actual identity or find a way to become a citizen from square one.

On a final note, this is another reason why I love their friendship with Ace and Deuce, especially after book four. Those two received ONE ping from their friend indicating they were in danger and dropped EVERYTHING to help them. They know better than everyone how hard Yuu has it and went out of their way to make sure they were safe and sound. They look after Yuu time after time just as Yuu gets them out of dicey situations.

[marsstyles]

Love Language

Zilla Fatu + Serene Savage (OC)

Synopsis: Serene is starting to make her ground in the NXT roster as she is going to be competing for the Women’s North American Championship title. Then, someone from her past debuts in NXT and its none other than Zilla Fatu. There’s unresolved issues between the two that hasn’t been settled prior to her move to NXT. Will they be able to resolve the past issues to work together in the same space or will it cause even more friction between the two wrestlers?

CW: Mature Language, 18+, Cursing, Friends with Benefits.

Author’s note: Hi! I hope you enjoy reading the first chapter of my first fanfic! I created the character of Serene as a fun way to develop a wrestling persona for myself. Serene is Latina (as am I) so I will have her speak Spanish. I have put numbers next to each Spanish dialogue and will leave the English translations at the bottom for the page.

Blue highlight: Serene’s thoughts.

Happy reading!💜

Chapter 1

NXT: Orlando, Florida -10:30am

Serene is driving in her rental car, listening to SZA’s new album, “LANA”, on her way to the performance center for tonight’s show. It’s a big night for her as she is the Number One Contender for the Women’s North American Championship title against Fallon Henley, who is currently reigning with the title. She had a Fatal Four way match against Shotzi, Sol Ruca, and Zaria, the week prior and she ended up winning the match by pinning Shotzi. It was an exhilarating moment for her because she worked hard and waited for this moment to compete for a title since she came to NXT a year and half ago.

She is nervous, but also excited for the match because this win will be a major boost to her career. Listening to SZA brought a calmer, chill vibe that was needed to ease her nerves as she pulls into the parking lot of the performance center. After parking her rental car, she takes out her headphones and connects the bluetooth to her phone to listen to the music as she gets out of the car and heads for the trunk to pull out her suitcase and bags.

Serene walks towards the entrance of the center and enters to see Shawn directing the crew on how things he would like to happen for the show. She makes her rounds saying “good morning” to the crew and heads backstage to put her belongings away. She makes her way to the girl’s locker room and sees that a few of the girls made it before her, who were also settling into their spaces and started doing their routines.

Among those that were present in the locker room were: Stephanie Vaquer, Sol Ruca, Tatum Paxley, Kelani Jordan, Guilia, Wren Sinclair and Shotzi. They all see Serene enter, some said “good morning” and others waved at her. “Good morning, ladies!”, Serene greeted back to them. She sets her stuff next to Sol who was stretching her legs on the floor.

“Hello miss number one contender, how are you feeling?”, Sol asked her, as Serene was putting her stuff down. Serene gave her a look and signed, “Well, are you asking in general or are you asking about tonight?”, she asked, sarcastically.

Sol chuckled. “Well, since you brought it up, then both.”, Sol said. Serene closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “As much I want to say I’m fine and not feeling nervous at all, you know I would be lying to myself when in reality, I’m feeling anxious as hell.”, she said. “I know what you mean. Even though I lost last week, I’m happy that you are finally getting this opportunity that you rightfully deserve.”, Sol said, putting her hand on Serene’s arm.

Serene gives her a small smile and puts her hand over hers. “Thanks. It really sucked that we had to go against each other because I would have loved to see you get that Number One spot. I know how hard you’ve worked for to get a championship title.”, she said. Sol waved her off. “Nah, don’t worry. My time will come. I mean we all deserve a chance, it’s only a matter of who got that chance first. Since it was you, I was really happy that you got the spot.”, she said.

Serene smiled fondly at Sol. She is grateful of her friendship that she has built with Sol since she came to NXT. Sol helped her settle into the new environment since it was different from the indies, became someone she confided in whenever she was feeling anxious and knowing what to say to help her calm the nerves. She appreciates everything Sol has done for her and they have been close ever since.

She looks to her side and makes a mischievous grin, “Now, if it was Zaria that had gotten the spot, then we both would’ve been fucked. Luckily, it was you that pulled through.”, she said as she gets swatted by someone that Serene didn’t see come in. “I fucking heard that, Sol.”, a female voice with an Australian accent said, in annoyance.

Serene sees Zaria put her stuff down next to where her and Sol were seated at. Sol started laughing, “That was the whole point, I wanted you to hear that. Especially, since I know I’m right for pointing out the obvious.”, she said, shrugging her shoulders and smiling at Zaria. Zaria rolled her eyes and flipped off at Sol, then turned her attention to Serene. “So, big night for you. How are you feeling?”, she asked with her arms crossed over her chest.

“As I was telling Sol, I’m feeling a bit anxious, not gonna lie. It’s been something I have been looking forward to all week since it’s my first major match to compete for a championship title.”, Serene said, as she started rolling her legs on her foam roller.

“You’ll be fine, mate. Don’t sell yourself short and doubt your potential. We’ve all seen your work and how much you’ve earned this spot. Besides, it wasn’t gonna be me who was gonna get the spot, that’s for sure.”, Zaria said, matter of factly.

“What? Why do you say that?”, Serene asked, giving her a confused look.

Zaria gave her a serious look. “Mate, it’s obvious that it was not going to be me because I had just got here, hell, it wasn’t even going to be Shotzi since she recently just got back from an injury.,” she said, pointing at the green haired female who was talking to Tatum as they were walking out of the room. “As much I appreciate the compliment of my in ring ability, the reality of it is, it was either gonna be one of you two who was gonna get the spot. Unfortunately for Sol, you got the spot.”, she said, pointing out the obvious to both Sol and Serene.

After hearing what Zaria had said, Serene knew that she had a point. It was going to be either herself or Sol getting that Number One contender spot since they have been in the company longer than both Zaria and Shotzi combined. Zaria recently debuted here to NXT back in October and Shotzi was in the main roster before getting injured earlier in the year and had just returned to help out Tatum and her friend, Gigi Dolan.

Sol gave Zaria a friendly push on her legs. “Hey, the wound is still fresh. That night was rough for me.”, she said, dramatically with putting her hand over her heart as if what Zaria said hurt her.

Zaria rolled her eyes and shook her head at Sol’s dramatic self. “Yeah, yeah, you’ll be fine. You’ll get your chance.”, she said, smirking and waving her off. Both Serene and Sol laughed as Serene had finished off rolling her legs and started rolling her back. The three continued talking to one another and took turns guessing who will win in tonight’s match card other than Serene’s match with Fallon.

As they were finished making their predictions and Serene was finishing up rolling up her back, Shotzi came over to tell them that Shawn wanted everyone around the ring immediately.

When Sol asked her why, she replied, “He just said that he has an announcement to make and he told me to get whoever is in the locker room and bring them there. He didn’t tell me anything else.” She shrugged and left the locker room.

All three women looked at each other for a moment before making their way to the door and leaving the locker room. As they enter the room where the ring is, a crew member told them to find a seat on the stands. They made their way onto the stands and Serene sees Stephanie and went to go sit with her with Sol sitting next to her. “Stephanie, sabes que esta pasando?”(1), she asked Stephanie. Stephanie shrugged and shook her head. “No, no lo se. No dijeron nada. Solamente Shotzi me dijo que Shawn quería vernos porque iba anunciar algo. Nada mas.”(2), she said. Serene nodded as they wait for everyone to enter and be seated.

When everyone had entered and was seated, Shawn went onto the ring and was handed a microphone. “Good afternoon everyone!”, he greeted. “Sorry to interrupt your training and warm up, but I wanted bring you all together because I have an announcement to make.”, he said. We all looked at each other as we anticipating what he will announce.

“Before I tell you the announcement, I wanna go over tonight’s match card so those who have their matches tonight, will know which order each match will be placed.”, he stated. He explained the order of the following matches:

Opener: Lola Vice vs Kelani Jordan

2nd: Men’s Tag Team title matcha- Fraxiom vs No Quarter Catch crew

3rd: Women’s Triple Threat Tag Team Match- Meta Four girls, Shotzi and Gigi, and special guests: Kayden Carter and Katana Chance from Raw.

4th: Wes Lee vs. Jevon Evans

Main event: Women’s North American Championship title match- Serene Savage vs Fallon Henley.

After explaining what segments will be happening for backstage and in the ring throughout the show, Shawn continued, “Now that’s all done and settled,” pausing for dramatic effect and smiled, “it’s time for my announcement.” Everyone applauded and cheered as they were all waiting for what the announcement is going to be about.

“Now, the announcement I wanted to share with all of you today is something that me and the team have been working hard to get this to happen and luckily for us this past week, it finally did.”, Shawn said, smiling with pride. “I am announcing that we have someone new coming to NXT and will be added to the roster as of tonight.,” he stated, as he hears the wrestlers whispering to one another. He chuckles. “Now, settle down. I know that you are all eager to know who will be added to the roster and you will find out soon…”, he pauses and takes a moment to think before continuing, “You know what? Let’s bring him out here! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our newest member in NXT, Zilla Fatu!,” he announces.

Serene freezes and felt her eyes widen when Shawn announced that name. A name that she hasn’t heard from for a while, a name that she only sees and hears about all over social media, a name of a person she thought she wouldn’t have to see again until this moment. No. Fucking. Way. What is he doing here? Distracted with her own thoughts, they were interrupted by Sol nudging her as she was applauding at the arrival of the one and only, Zilla Fatu. Serene shook herself out of her shock and started applauding with the others as she sees Zilla making his way into the ring and shake hands with Shawn, then facing towards them.

Zilla was wearing a black hoodie that had picture of his late father, Umaga, black shorts with red and black shoes. Damn, I forgot how good he looked. He’s still fine as hell., she thought, I wander if he still remembers me. Zilla nodded at everyone and scans the audience to see who he could recognize from the stands. He looks at the direction where Serene is sitting and does a double take. Serene notices him smirking at her as he looks at her direction and she looks away, putting her head down to hide her blushing. Crap. Not him seeing me. Serene couldn’t pay attention to what Shawn is saying and will ask either Sol or Stephanie to recount what he said because she is too distracted with her feelings about Zilla, feelings she thought she had moved on from after the last time she saw him.

“Serene, are you okay? Por que tienes la cabeza agachada?”(3), Stephanie asked her as she noticed Serene not paying attention to Shawn. Serene, embarrassed about what’s happening, whispered to her, “Te lo cuento después.”(4) Stephanie nodded, understandingly.

Serene zoned out for the rest of the meeting as she feels her anxiety internally brewing until Shawn said, “Alright, that’s enough for now. Thank you everyone and give your best welcome to Zilla into the roster.,” Shawn announced as he concluded the meeting and everyone applauds.

Serene is eager to get the fuck out of this room to run to the bathroom because she feels sick and she can’t breathe. As everyone goes down towards the ring to welcome Zilla, Serene storms out of the stands and runs into the hallway to find the bathroom.

She is on autopilot and is not aware of Sol, Stephanie, Zaria and Shotzi running after her and calling her name. Once she was able to find the bathroom, she runs inside to one of the stalls and falls onto the floor in front of the toilet. She feels like she’s about to the throw up, but the feeling won’t come out and instead, she’s just staring at the toilet as she was trying to control her breathing.

Why now? Why all of the sudden, he decides to sign with WWE? A company that has been wanting, as well as the fans, to get him signed to when he would always dread answering any questions that involved the company. She feels tears coming down her face that she was trying to prevent from coming out. As she was trying take deep breaths, she hears the door burst open and hears voices calling her name. “I’m in here.”, Serene shakingly calls out to them to lead them to the stall she’s in.

As Sol opens the door and sees Serene on the floor panicking and crying, she sits down in the floor with her and puts her hands on her arms, rubbing them. “Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay. Close your eyes and just focus on your breathing. In and out. In and out.”, she said, helping her ease her anxiety and wiping the tears off of her face. “Shotzi, go to the locker room and get her water. Her stuff is next to mine. Quickly, please.”, Sol pleaded. Shotzi nodded and ran out of the bathroom.

This wasn’t the first time that Sol helped Serene with her anxiety attacks. She has helped her deal with them whenever she was feeling stressed and anxious, whether it was about a match or anything personal. Serene had trusted her ever since she knew what to do to help her recover from her episodes. As she is trying to control her breathing, Shotzi came into the bathroom with her water, Serene thanked her and took a sip of the water. The rest of the girls waited for Serene to regain control of her emotions and her breathing before they start questioning her.

After she felt her anxiety ease, she wipes her tears off of her cheek then looks at them, embarrassed, “Sorry, ya’ll had to see that. Anyways, go on ahead. Ask away.”, she said, knowing the girls are curious about her behavior and the reason behind it. The girls looked at each other with concern because they unsure where to begin with their questioning.

After a moment of silence, Stephanie was the first break it. “Por que tenias tu cabeza agachada cuando entro Zilla? Lo conoces?”(5), she asked. Serene paused for a moment to think about how to tell them about her past with Zilla Fatu, a past that she didn’t know she would have to relive again. She took a deep breath and said, “Yeah. Yeah, I do know him. We had a…a thing together in the past.”, she said, looking down at her tumbler and playing with the cap. “What kind of thing you both had previously? Was it serious?”, Zaria asked.

Serene shook her head and shrugged. “It wasn’t supposed to be at first. It was supposed to be something that we would be both emotionally detached from. Until later on, we didn’t know it would turn into an emotional attachment, at least on my end.”, she said that last part quietly to herself that only Sol was able to hear. “We had a…friends with benefits type of thing, which at first, I did agree to having with him because why the fuck not, he’s hot as hell and he was interested in me. So, we agreed to just fuck. Nothing more, nothing less.,” she confessed, to make it clear to them the intentions they both had in the beginning.

“I’m sensing there’s a ‘but’ coming up.”, Sol said. Serene let out a little chuckle, “Yeah there is. But, as things went on, I started developing feelings for him. It was only because he started doing things that you would do if we were in a relationship.”, she said, looking away from the girls. “It started to confuse me because I thought we were just having causal sex and nothing else. We agreed on having no strings attached, but then suddenly, he just started making things complicated.”, she said, putting her hands over her face in embarrassment.

“So, what happened next? Did you confront him about his intentions?”, Shotzi asked. Serene nodded as she dropped her hands off her face. “Yeah, i did. I was sick of him playing in my face when I saw things weren’t going anywhere. I asked him how he really felt about me and if he wanted to commit to a relationship.”, she said. “He tried to deny that he was having any feelings for me and was downplaying the gestures he did whenever we were together because it was all part of getting me ‘horny’ since we were just ‘fucking’.”, she said, rolling her eyes as she was air quoting what he said.

“Is that the reason you looked away when he came in?”, Sol asked. “Yeah. I haven’t seen him since the last time we had a conversation together. I told him that I never wanted to see him again.,” she said, coldly. “Before confronting him, I had gotten the call that I was accepted to come here to NXT. I wanted to tell him at first, but with the back and forth, I decided not to tell him and just leave.”, she explained, “I looked down because he saw me when he got into the ring and smirked at me. Fucking asshole.”, she muttered, in annoyance.

“Well, we got your back if anything. And besides, you can’t let that stop you from focusing on getting the Championship title, tonight.”, Sol softly said, holding her hands and squeezing them. That’s right. God damnit. After seeing this asshole again, it has distracted me from focusing on the Championship title match. She’s mentally kicking herself for even letting his arrival affect her that way and distract her. “You’re right. I should be focusing on tonight’s match. This might’ve been a minor setback, but I’m not letting it stop me from achieving my goal.”, Serene said confidently.

“That’s right, girl! That’s the spirit!”, Shotzi exclaimed excitedly. “Now, we’ll leave you to fix yourself for a bit. We’ll wait for you outside.”, she explained as the other girls nodded in agreement. Sol and Stephanie help Serene up to her feet, she gave them a hug and thanked them for helping her. They smiled and left the bathroom so she could have her alone time.

After they left, Serene goes to the sink to wash her face, then looks up to look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and splashed more water onto her face. She paused and looks up to the mirror saying, “No matter what, don’t let him distract you. You’ve worked hard to get this match and by the end of tonight, that title will be yours and you will be the new Women’s North American champion.” She affirmed herself, giving her a boost of positive energy she needed to feel.

After fixing herself and gave one last look to the mirror, she grabs her tumbler and heads for the door. She opens the door to find all three women outside of the bathroom, chatting with one another. They stopped their chatter as they saw Serene step out of the bathroom, “Are you good now?”, Sol asked. Serene nodded her head. “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s head back to the locker room. I wanna find Fallon and ask her if she is down to practice before tonight’s match.”, she said. They all agreed and started walking down the hallway to the locker room.

Author’s Note: I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of my first fanfic! This is my first time ever writing a fanfic so I hope did good lol. I have already written 2 more chapters that I will be uploading each week. I don’t know how many chapters this fic will have as I am working on the 4th chapter right now, but I will give an update! Let me know what you think of the chapter. 💜

Shoutout to my friend, @usoinked! She had helped me out during this process and I appreciate you so much!

Dividers: @diviniyae and @dailyramona

Here are the Spanish-English translations:

1. Stephanie, do you know what’s going on?

2. No, I don't know. They didn't say anything. Shotzi just told me that Shawn wanted to see us because he was going to announce something. Nothing more.

3. Why is your head down?

4. I'll tell you later.

5. Why did you have your head down when Zilla came in? Do you know him?