#might put it in my own lore hehe

[cr1ms0n4nd-ac3]

Now that I think about it, the more I think about the stage improvement. The more I describe how it goes.

In my opinion, the post-old and new ST stage we've seen is like a Bridge Portal of the

Past and Future.

Here is why!

To me, it all started with a simple stage back in pre-2023. It's like a human stage where Vessel and the others will perform for their fans.

But for post-2023, aka the new improvement that we first discovered.

I realized that it was like a light crystal cave that will always be held in ceremonies. I mean, the ones around the ceilings and around the stage? And when it lights up in each color? That, is exactly how I describe it. It seems to me that Vessel is interested in colors and crystals, he thought to improve this stage, just to represent the crystals synchronizing rhythm. Which is why I like about it.

And THEN!!! THESE IMAGES WE'VE SEEN IN 2024 NOW!!! I HAD THIS IDEA QUICK RIGHT IN ME!

The new stage improvement is like the portal for the future, and also the bridge for the future.

Because the light things are there, it was like one of each crystals is expanding. But the past still lingers, but the runwalk tho? It was like a bridge, in each songs, the lights will light up the runwalk. Even the light things!! But the piano improvement and the espera's mics, it was like when you reached the end of the portal. You are now back to Eden.

Yep, you heard me. This is like Vessel's comfort place, a place where he can enjoy music and to sing forever. The past may be gone, but we shall move towards the future.

Welcome back to Eden.

[14dayswithyou]

no way you dropped the biggest river lore in the tags and moved on like it was nothing 😭 can i ask if this is still your intentions with him? bc it sounds like you changed your mind halfway 🤔

im ngl though i really enjoy how ren and river are similar and different to each other, but does that mean river would hurt his angel but leave our friends alone the same way ren would never hurt his angel but would unalive all of our friends? since they're suppose to be each other opposites. i really hope this makes sense 😬 my final question is what is ren doing on thursday? i want to go on a cute pier date again 🩷🌸

@secretkoa asked: and can i hear more about what unsent memory is suppose to be about or is that off limits? idk if i asked this in my previous question so ignore me if i did! thank yuo and remember to drink lots of water 🐸🌱

⌞♥⌝ For those who haven't seen the original post, I want to quickly clarify once more that while River was originally my OC, he's since been picked up and revamped by my friend Jesse/@unsentmemory!!

However, now that Jesse has stepped away from the yandere community, River's fate (and da fate of Unsent Memories) has kinda been put on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.

‼️ Massive Unsent Memories and River spoilers under the cut ‼️ CW for: mentions of gore, torture, mutilation, self-harm, etc.

With all of that being said, yes, Jesse's original intention for River was for him to be your standard "serial killer-turned-yandere once he accidentally catches feelings for his latest victim (Bunny)". The only main difference is that I originally planned for River to be a generic murderer first, whereas Jesse had him become a yandere right off the bat.

You also asked to know more about Unsent Memories, and I think giving a general synopsis(?) would be fine?? ^^ But basically... After getting involved in a car accident, Bunny wakes up with amnesia and gets tricked into thinking that this random guy — whom they've never met before — is their loving, supportive boyfriend named River. In turn, he convinces Bunny that staying in their shared home would be more beneficial than staying in the hospital as it might rekindle some old memories, he'd be able to take care of them, and it would be easier for them to recover at their own pace. But surprise!! River is actually a frequent patron at the Murderer Motel™ and now has trapped Bunny in his Torture Basement®!!! <3 He also maaaay or may not've been the one who hit them with Ren's car as well... ^^ Oopsie daisy hehe

And yeah!! Similar to what you've said, River was also supposed to share (somewhat of) a narrative foil with Ren!! I personally wanted them both to have similar, complimenting vibes with each other — all while having completely different/separate motives and incentives when it comes to the object of their affection. I'm glad to see it was conveyed well enough; even after Jesse's additions to River's characterisation :3 I know I already shared some examples in the previous tags, but I can share a few more:

Where Ren puts Angel's feelings and opinions above his own, River purposefully ignores Bunny's and does everything for his own personal benefit. Essentially, "I'm doing this for you" vs "I'm doing this for me".

While Ren would never dream about harming Angel in any capacity, he's perfectly happy to kidnap, extort, torture, and kill everyone else... In contrast to River, who's accustomed to torturing and brutalising others for his own twisted enjoyment and sees it as a way to show his interest in Bunny.

Kinda silly how Ren claims to be a freelance programmer (but is actually a hacker) and how River claims to work at a music shop (it's a coverup for his second torture chamber lmaoooo).

[CW: implications of SH] Ren is willing to go as far as mentally and physically hurting himself if Angel asks him to, whereas River is willing to physically mutilate Bunny if it means keeping them by his side. [end CW]

With that being said, you can assume that Ren is easily swayed by Angel's words, opinions, and emotions, whereas River can easily sway and manipulate Bunny due to his own feelings and emotions.

This is something I've actually mentioned before, but Ren always prefers things to be tidy, so he often cleans himself up after disposing of his victims. Compared to River, who casually wears the bloodstains with pride and blames it on getting a bit rough with someone else during a boxing match.

It's no secret that Ren is willing to change every aspect of himself to earn Angel's love, and River is willing to change his serial killer ways to return Bunny's love. Da power of friendship and repressed childhood memories gksdgjh T_T /silly

Ren pretends to be a Normal Guy© with tons of empathy to spare, whereas River pretends to be a Regular Person℗ with the heart of a himbo.

I could go on but you get da point lol

So, yeah!! This is essentially the vibes we had planned for River (and Unsent Memories) before Jesse stepped down /pos ^^ I feel like talking vaguely about UM is fine since River only has a small cameo in 14DWY — and I'm sure that if Jesse ever returns from war (/silly), they'll give River muuuuch more justice than I possibly can :3c

[redr0sewrites]

HI HI!!!! if you do ever decide to write for the archangels i would LOVE sum michael hcs.!!.!!.! i would gobble him up yum yum

jumped skipped and hopped over all my other requests to get to this one LMAO- considering he's non-canon i just went off my own hcs soo yea!!!!

🥀Cw: fluff, smut, bible lore™️, possible religious trauma?

🥀minors dni with the nsfw portion

Sfw:

Michael has lived a long, long time, he's been alive since before earth was even created and has definitely seen some things

he knows that many mortals experience love, yet he never really felt such a strong connection until he met you. of course he loved his "family", but michael was a stranger to true love

HES SUCH A GENTLEMAN! michael definitely puts your needs before his, and i hc his love languages to be quality time and acts of service. he loves having you by his side more than anything, and is always spending time with you.

he's the type to give you lots and lots of flowers! you two probably have a garden that he goes to get flowers from, because he just loves how happy you get at such a seemingly simple gesture

michael is very protective, but not in a limiting way, he just wants to make sure your safe. after lucifer fell from heaven and created original sin, michael had to step up and take on even more heavenly duties. he knows how important it is to keep you safe and he loves you a lot, so he worries about you a lot

he honestly misses lucifer a lot, but he would never admit it. he talks to you a lot about his other siblings and family, and tells you stories about the beginning of earth and heaven's creation. he definitely introduces you to the other archangels, seraphims, and heavenly virtues, and loves that you get along with them. i definitely think you'd become buddies with azrael or gabriel, and y'all would cause shenanigans together (much to michaels dismay)

michael is literally so patient with you, and it's genuinely so sweet. everyone can tell he's WHIPPED, and he honestly doesn't mind. he'll listen to you ramble for hours on end, he'll try more modern food for you, he'll even adopt your music taste once he starts dating you! michael loves you as a whole and wants to enjoy everything you're interested in

HUSBAND MATERIAL. he definitely takes it upon himself to cook for you, he helps you clean, anything you need help with he volunteers to assist you.

michael is SUCH a morning person you can not tell me im wrong. he wakes up really early, and loves watching you sleep peacefully. he makes you breakfast in the morning and when its time for you to wake up, he always wakes you up with kisses or tickles or both! he loves holding you in the morning, but he's a little strict about getting up on time, he does have heavenly duties to attend to after all. if you do manage to wake up before him, you might manage to convince him to stay in bed with you for just a few more minutes. he honestly has such a soft spot for you

you are one of the few people allowed to touch his wings, which is a HUGE sign of trust on michael's part. he usually keeps his wings hidden, but there comes a time when they get so irritating that they just need to be preened. he gets all huffy about it because its "such an inconvenience", and you get to laugh at his pouty face while you gently preen his wings!

i think all the archangels have 6 wings, so it definitely takes a while. michael probably falls asleep halfway through, the feeling of your soft, smaller hands on his wings just makes him feel soft and drowsy. preening often transitions to.... other activities if yk what i mean bc of how sensitive angels' wings are. because michael keeps his wings hidden so often, his wings are especially sensitive and its one of the few times you'lll ever see him blush hehe

he has a really soft, smooth voice, and you LOVE listening to him speak. michael will definitely read to you if you ask, and you can't help but nod off to the sound of his melodic voice. i definitely think most abgels are very musical or at least enjoy music, and if you beg, you may get him to sing for you. his voice is lovely, and he'll sing you soft lullabies in old languages that you can't understand but know are loving

you two very rarely argue, and whenever you do come to a disagreement, michael adamantly refuses to raise his voice at you. he would never yell at you or say anything harsh, and is more likely to opt to just spend some time apart to think on the disagreement. he never lets you two go to bed upset, and will always sit down to have a conversation with you about any clashes you two have. i dont see him as too stubborn and i think he's willing to compromise on most accounts, but its very rare that you two argue anyway because he's so sweet all the time

Nsfw:

michael is 100% a giver in bed. he loves giving you oral and always prioritizes your pleasure over his own. he's always focused on making you cum first and really enjoys pleasing you

i see him as a switch, he could definitely be a pleasure dom but i also see him as a bit of a sub as well. sometimes all of his work and overall stress gets to his head, and he trusts you enough to let you take the reins and get him out of his own head. when he subs, he's definitely much louder and a lot whinier. he's definitely not a brat and would probably do anything you ask him to

he has a praise kink both ways, and loves showering you in praise. michael definitely likes mirror sex, and will tell you to call yourself beautiful of pretty or handsome as he fucks you.

"darling, look at how pretty you are. c'mon, i want to hear you say it. look in the mirror, don't you see how pretty you are?"

eye contact is important to him, and he enjoys a lot of basic positions like missionary and things like that, but i also see him being into lotus position because he loves being so close to you.

michael isn't very loud when it comes to sex, but he is big on talking to you. he loves whispering sweet nothings to you as you cum, and praising you in how well you took him

he isn't ridiculously vanilla, but he hasn't been very adventurous either. while i don't think he's had any official relationships before you, i dont see him as a virgin. he's probably slept with a few people, so he has some experience, but he's still learning as well. i think he's down to try most things as long as you're into them, but he wouldn't want to hurt you too much

michael may feel a bit awkward about sex, sure he knows its not a big deal, but a part of him doesn't want to overstep any of your boundaries either. he wants you to know that he's with you because he loves you, not just for sex and will make that abundantly clear. y'all definitely have a serious conversation about it before the first time you have sex, and you definitely have a safeword

GUYS HEAR ME OUT but i think he'd have a bit of a corruption kink. he'd never admit it but the thought of him being your first is SUCH a turn on, and he really loves when you get so fucked-put that you're incoherent. i think he'd be down for a bit of role play, but only if you're into it and it would definitely relate to some sort of corruption or religious corruption

i don't think he'd degrade you too much, but i do think he might mock you a bit. "oh, you were such a devout little thing, i wonder what the others would think of you now darling. sucking in my cock like a vice, you really aren't so innocent after all, aren't you dear?"

he loves overstimulating you until you're incoherent, but i don't think he's big on orgasm denial. he loves pleasuring you and he loves rewarding you more than anything. the only time i see him really denying your orgasms is if you've been a major brat and have pushed him over the edge, or if you ask him to. either way he's gonna mock you a bit on how filthy you are, but will still praise you for taking it so well

he has definitely bought you a lot of pretty little necklaces and loves seeing you in nothing but the gifts he bought you. the way the charm bounces against your chest as he fucks you, it drives him crazy! especially if theyre gold or if theyre cross necklaces, bc its so similar to his color scheme

he likes holding your hand during sex. its very intimate, and he always gives your hand a little squeeze as he's coming

i think one of the few things he's against during sex is hurting you. sure, he'll mock you here and there, but hurting you? no, its just a turnoff for him. your the most precious thing in his life, he'd never want to hurt you even in jest. if you really, really wanted him to you might get him to tie you down or maybe hold your throat/face while he fucks you, but he would never go as far as to hurt you

when it comes to you fucking him, he loves to be praised and pampered. its a bit embarrassing, but he's often so overworked and pent up that he really loves being treated sweetly. he might cry a bit during sex, trust me he's ok, he just gets overstimulated really easily. michael definitely enjoys it tho!

speaking of overstimulation, PLEASE touch his wings during sex! you'll get the sweetest moans and whimpers from him, and he'll get so whiny. its one of the few times he'll beg, and he both loves and hates when you make him cum untouched by only stroking his wings

aftercare is very important to michael, and he always takes time to clean you both up. it's an unspoken agreement that whoever tops cleans up the other first and starts the bath while the person who subbed takes a minute to catch their breath. he always wipes down your thighs and cleans you off, and when it comes to baths, he'll always make sure everything is ready before carrying you to the tub. when he's subbing, he'll probably try his best to help you but may push himself a bit too hard because he's so tired. PLEASE kiss him and pamper him in the tub, tell him how much you love him!!!!

hes genuinely just so sweet in bed and during aftercare, and overall cares about you a lot

PLSSS THE HYPWRFIXATION IS INSANE. I LOVE ALL THE ARCHANGELS AND HEAVEN AUS SM!!!!!!!!! CRYING BEGGING PLEEEADING FOR YALL TO SEND IN REQUESTS FOR ANYONE FROM THE HEAVEN AUS. the one im most familiar with is @esbellesantos au and my fav is azrael so PLSSS feel free to send in azrael reqs 😇 anyways hope yall enjoyed!!! i loved writing this sm!!!!

[axolotlbottle]

❝Like father, like son❞

Art done by my bestie @jester0jpeg !! We both made our own versions / lore of the postal dudes & postal series!!

Postal dude 1 with his son (little kid-postal dude 2! Who we call "the postal kid!").

We actually gave them names, too! (Sorry, they're not P names, but I could care less. Feel free to call them Postal dude and Postal kid if it bothers you that much).

PD1's name is Michael Toddhunter, and his son's (PD2) name is Aster Toddhunter (hehe get it? As in "disaster").

Preface: This takes place AFTER the first postal game. This is an AU of sorts, so just erase the ending of the game + a bunch of other things, and have Michael fuck off somewhere, nobody ever knowing his identity so he gets away with everything. That was a "TLDR" explanation of it. We could maybe explain this better on a different post in the future.

Anyways! Here's some lore we have about them:

Michael is the Command Sergeant Major for U.S army's RI Arsenal. Yes, he did serve in the army before going postal in the first game. Don't ask how he got up to that rank because god knows I don't know either.

He and Aster live in the Quad cities, Illinois, aka some fuck ass midwestern region of cities that only gets some attention from the John deere company that hogs the area. Fuck john deere.

Michael is a single dad. He somehow managed to win all custody over Aster. He doesn't talk about his ex-gf.

They live in a house that's next to a trailer park, so they're not exactly dirt fuckin' poor but they ain't buying branded food either. They're still trailer park trash without living directly in the trailer park though.

Michael has tried to give Aster some sense of normality (sorta) but Aster clearly is not cut out to be a normal child. He's very rowdy, violent, and bullies the neighborhood kids (if you get the reference, you're cool).

Michael calls Aster "My little wild thing" (reference to Aster's favorite book; where the wild things are).

When Aster was 5, for Christmas, Michael gifted him a black cat he bought for $10 at the pet store ( he didn't question it). Michael cruelly didn't think the cat would last long, but that cat might as well outlive him. Aster named the cat "Kostroma" and has shoved his dad's guns up it's ass and used it as a silencer to shoot at beer bottles in their backyard. Kostroma hasn't died (nor appears to be scarred or traumatized), no matter what Aster has put him through. He's like some weird immortal cat (who surprisedly loves Aster as much as Aster loves him). Michael and Aster don't question it.

Aster loves uncrustables. His addiction literaly is grape jelly uncrustables. He has to have one once a day or else he'll start wreaking havoc in the neighborhood.

Michael brings Aster to work sometimes (usually when Aster gets kicked out of school or is being too insufferable for the neighborhood). He can't help it, and it's not like anybody can give him shit for it.

That's all we'll share for now!! Hopefully we'll post more in the future!! Me and my bestie have been working on this since like late May, and we plan to continue to work on it >;). I'll leave ya'll with this doodle I did of Kostroma cat.

[kepler-station]

౨ৎ.𖥔˚ idiosyncrasy wilted the lily — white lily cookie x elusive potion maker reader oneshot

— 𝜗𝜚 or the mysterious lily-scented hero experiences a love potion accident with a supposed urban legend-phenomena. a mere flower that was never supposed to bloom, and yet it did with just a sprinkle of determination. you can say curiosity killed the cat or rather, idiosyncrasy wilted the lily.

— based on my oc meloco's lore ; she was a well known potion and aphrodisiac maker in a blvck market, but her career and life went downhill when someone used her love potion against her via spray. canonically, this drove meloco crazy and it caused her to grow love-obsessive but you probably aren't crazy or obsessive, so lily is the one who gets contaminated by accident 🥲 (she doesn't go crazy either, she just falls in love with you).

— honestly i just wanted to find an excuse to make lily content 💀 oh and credits to @i06nerdii for giving me the "white lily lives in a greenhouse" idea w/ their uhm i think the y/n cookie thief writing one !! i luv ur writing sm frankie crk or not plus ur so sweet and fun hehe 🙌🏻

𔓕 ⸝⸝ ꒱ sumi radio ; love dive by IVE

ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚ heads up ! — takes place before the dark enchantress fiasco bcuz the ancients are still good friends here.

around the vanilla kingdom roamed a phenomena-turned-urban-legend of an elusive and mysterious cookie who lurked in the nearby woods. for a while everycookie considered it to be a mere rumor, something a child or a young teen would make up for fun... up until someone actually found you.

white lily cookie was out with her four friends in the vanilla kingdom in their usual meet up spot. for a few months, her friends were separated due to their respective duties as queens and kings of their own kingdom (sans white lily). vaguely, she could piece together... some conversation the four were having, and they didn't question white lily's silence. of course, they knew her, they know she's usually the quiet and observant one. well, her and dark cacao. hollyberry and golden cheese were usually the loudest ones, not that the others minded. pure vanilla was right in the middle of the two duos of moons and suns.

but today, white lily was different. she wasn't focusing in the conversation at hand like she usually was. usually, she would be listening to the conversation and ask necessary questions when she got to speak for herself. usually, white lily wasn't absentminded and inattentive... but she is now. pure vanilla noticed it first, how white lily seemed to block out the entire conversation and stare down at the dark forest below. by knowing her since they were in blueberry academy, he'd memorized the signs.

he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her a little, finally snapping white lily out with a mildly shocked "huh?", "white lily cookie, are you quite alright? you seem to be... quite out of it today. has something been bothering you?" the conversation that was happening seemed to blur in the background a bit, the pure healer and the lily maiden talking quietly for a moment before white lily brushed it off, "..don't worry about me. i'm alright." but he knew that tone. the tone that meant something was on her mind, something that can't just be taken off her mind easily. something that might just convince her to take action.

later that night, white lily returned to her greenhouse, pouring over some documents and research papers she had put together. earlier those few days, she had been interviewing vanillians about the elusive potion maker in the woods, gathering as much "evidence" as she can. looking through books about urban legends and unidentified phenomena in the vanilla kingdom, wandering into those very woods late into the night, using her lily staff as a sort of lamp, in search of something that could help her. right now, her biggest piece of evidence is residue of a love potion she found when she saw the sillhouette of a cookie deep into the forest, wandering around just like her. they didn't hear when she called out to them, nor did her vines catch them when she'd see them again a few days after, but she managed to snag a piece of their clothing, proving they were a real cookie. after looking through many many many observations she had seen of you and from other cookies, she finally pinpointed where your approximate area would be. later that night, she decided she would go out and find them.

lighting up her lily staff as a lamp using her soul jam, she left her greenhouse and waved goodbye to the solemn patch of lilies. it was dark out, probably around midnight, but she didn't have a clock so she wasn't sure, but she made sure there would be no one around to stop her. she even considered spraying a sleeping spell on the entire vanilla kingdom to really make sure no one would catch her, but she decided against it. she waltzed out of her chambers in her usual green lily dress and darker, off-shoulder cape and into the forest, results of the documents she had worked onand poured over for days and the overall location pinpointed on a map she conjured up by magic.

by now, white lily had lost track of time as she continued walking into the forest, using lilies she had planted prior as a sort-of guide for where she'd be going. what seemed like hours went by before white lily began feeling like something promising would appear. some long duration of time passed before that she detected residue of a potion again. this time, it wasn't a love potion, it was something different. she knew better than to taste it, but she kept it just in case her little expedition came fruitless. hours and hours passed when the maiden finally noticed the rising sun amidst the dark trees and ominous atmosphere. behind her drooping eyes, she could make out a sillhouette of a cookie that seemed to be getting closer. almost by instinct, her vines grew and broke out from the ground and shot towards them, before they were sprayed by some colored, glowing liquid that made them petrified and sleepy. in turn, the lily maiden fell into the temptations of sleep and collapsed into grass below her, her soul jam lucid enough to grow a soft bed of lilies under her as a bed, with a protection of vines over her to protect her as she slept. nearly a week went by by the time white lily concluded her expedition as fruitless, having looked through almost every crevice and piece of land the forest offered, with nothing other than potion residues to gain from it. the now sleepy lily maiden waltzed to where she thought was the exit, but now had found herself in the middle of the forest. collectively, it took a number of days for her to find her way out before she had collapsed in the middle of the vanilla kingdom purely out of exhaustion, the light that had once came from her staff was now dim and the documents she held were now scattered across the waffle roads of the vanilla kingdom.

when white lily had woken up, she awoke in a guest bedroom in the vanilla castle, a servant running errands outside with the voice of the four ancients seemingly outside, talking about... something. "what...? what happened to me..?", she spoke with a husky and irregular voice, groggy with sleep but audible enough for the ancients to pick up on it. they burst into the room and surrounded the lily maiden, all having a concerned look on their face.

"white lily cookie, what happened!? us and a number of cookies had found you collapsed in the middle of the road just last night!" hollyberry inquired, her voice laced with concern. pure vanilla added that he knew something was going through her mind, but she hasn't been this adamant about something since those school days (he didn't tell the other three that last part). they could tell the poor friend was still sleepy and exhausted, holding a cup of tea in her hands weakly. looking down, she had found herself without her cape (she later saw it on a chair nearby when she was awake enough to look around) and with her braid beautifully undone, her hair accessories ; namely the lily in her hair which was held in a small vase and her vine headband. her long and fluffy white hair bunched up messily around her, on the bed and pillows behind her and falling and spreading down onto the floor. she felt pure vanilla brush her hair with a comb he had found suitable for her hair type, and questioned about what had happened to get her so exhausted as to pass out in the middle of the street.

reluctantly, she explained the situation. her determination and just how curious she was about the elusive potion maker that she had to find more. that she had practically been haunted by glimpses of your sillhouette and left over residue of your potions that you've made. and now that she can prove that you aren't just a mere phenomena or urban legend, she wants to actually see you. she's interested in you and she wants to learn more, but perhaps her friends see it in a different light, especially her long time best friend, pure vanilla cookie.

"aha, are you sure it's just curiosity, white lily cookie?" hollyberry gaily inquired, her hands on her hips as she attempted to lighten up the mood a little. white lily blushed a shade of magenta, brushing her hair out of her face as she blurted out excuses after excuses that "proved" that it wasn't love at all. no, that's impossible. that's not love, just curiosity. she's just curious about you, that's all... yes, that's it. she just wants to know more about them. "you're as red as the redberry juice of my kingdom, white lily!" hollyberry snickered, the mood lightening up a bit, evident by the small but noticeable smile on white lily's face.

she spent a few days resting in the vanilla kingdom, her home on the floating island. three days she spent in the same guest room she had awoken in, and the remaining four she spent in her lily greenhouse. when she had finally stepped back into her abode. the lilies looked so sorrowful when she had peered in before she actually went in, they only bloomed and lived once more when the lily maiden stepped into the greenhouse. however it was short-lived when the lily maiden broke down to her patch of lilies, about her failure, about not being able to find you, about her fruitless expedition. wiping tears out of her face, her messy braid she had rushed a bit to cry to go home and her lilies lying on the floor, spiralling around her as if to give her a hug, some comfort. after a good few minutes to half an hour of crying and sobbing silently, she stood up and decided to... not think about it for a bit. maybe that would help her, and so she tried to distract herself. researching about the nature of cookies, looking into a batch of new flowers she had seen in the forest... no, no, no, no. no... don't think about the forest, not right now... focus, lily... focus!

her vision stinged with pink as tears filled her eyes. she doesn't even know if she's crying over the fruitless expedition or if she's crying over not being able to find you, almkst ever... it's as if you can see hearts appear in her eyes as she fumbles over the fruitless expedition. no, not that. you.

so maybe she was in love. but she doesn't even know who you are. she can't love you, she doesn't fall in love at first sight, not like this. unless... her eyes graze slowly to the documents slowly before she almost ran towards the pile of papers she had just piled together and thrown to one corner of her greenhouse. frantically throwing them around and maybe ripping one or three, she found the paper detailing the potion residue she had first found weeks ago. the love potion residue. she didn't taste it, she never did. she's too cautious for that, but there's no other explanation. you turned the tables on her, and she had lost the game you tricked her into playing with you. she was affected by the love potion, almost crying over the situation but also crying because she can't find you, no matter how much her heart now yearns for you.

now, maybe you played god too much. dear elusive potion maker, you better fix your mistakes soon or the lily might wilt out of just unbridled and sorrowful love. love for you. but be for real, none of that is even real.... right, or is that what you just tell yourself?

[politemenacephd]

Question: So, if Miguel knows spider!reader in Arachnophilia, and spider!mig is mentioned in AFM, does reader know her own spider variant (personally or from Miguel/other spiders mentioning them) ??

I love both stories, and obvi the idea of Miguel & Reader being tied in several universes, but I was just curious on the idea of reader knowing.

oh im SO GLAD I get to talk about this THANK YOU SM cos its been on my mind for days!! I will use this chance to actually drop the dante fic cinematic universe timeline, which is: easing tensions - arachnophilia - a fortunate mistake - a fortunate mistake II There's certain things I gotta keep vague because I know how arachnophilia ends (and how it might tie into AFM II) and I don't want to spoil, but I'll talk about a bit because I'm rabid rn.

I wanna add for the sake of my lore on multiverse stuff, Miguel's who are turned into Spider-men are quite rare? I think this gets mentioned in AFM but Miguel's in general are rare, Spider Miguel's even more so. I took him saying Gabi's universe was the one where he was happy to heart, along with the fact we see zero variants of him in the society. That shit was always the most interesting thing to flesh out. I also don't know if I've ever talked about nena's multiverse story properly either, but its pretty tragic. She largely only exists in universes where Miguels' exist, and in all the ones where she comes into contact with him she dies. Our Miguel's universe is the only one where she doesn't, and Miguel blames this inititally on his canon but, as we know, canon isn't real, in reality it's because our Miguel was the only one with multi-verse experiences that humbled his apathy and violent tendencies. It's sort of like how meeting Miles put Peter B. on a better course, Peter's influence on Miguel is something no other Miguel had and it changed him in a way that made him capable of growing. Vig is the only other one we've met and it's obviously implied he was a poor partner who became a good dad after nena's death. Nena is like, universal collatoral damage, and it's only in the universe where she wasn't 'meant' to love him that she got to be loved. It's fucked up and she deserved better fr.

BUT I will say, to actually answer the question (sorry lol) the reader in arachnophilia is actually not a variant of the reader from AFM. I am sticking with the rule that AFM reader is never a spider, because its important later hehe.

BUT! But this makes Spider!Mig and readers relationship equally interesting to me anyway. I am a sucker for starcrossed lovers, excellent trope, and while it was meant to be a one-off I wanna use it to explore the idea of fully abandoning ones canon and exploring a relationship beyond the bounds of ones universe. I will be going more into Spider!Migs backstory for this, but I think the films never properly addressed the potential dangers/tragedy of love between people from different universes. I used it a bit with OG Miguel with my explanation for what happened with Gabi, E.g him trying to combine their universes, but this is especially spicy. So, again, actual question (I'm so sorry I swear this is all I think about, rip my PhD) as of AFM II reader also doesn't know about Miguel's variants beyond Vig, YET. Miguel is aware of Spider!Mig and reader as of AFM, and if you go back you can see a lot of his mindset in there, especially when he talks about not wanting kids because of his genetic mess and feeling like he's too dangerous.

Miguel as a character is great, I can't say that enough, he's harboring so much self loathing and unaddressed trauma that while he wants to do the right thing he imposes very strict rules that always end in hypocricy. In the same way I think he's awful to Miles because he see's Miles making the same mistake he did (e.g destroying the universe for a loved one) and a lot of his violence is like, imposed, he's awful to his variants because he knows he's fucked up his own moral compass and takes it out on them.

But yes Miguel knows where they are, he has not told reader though, but I do want to have them cross paths.

[khloecanread]

one more thing about being a barista

summary - there are many things Nico loves about being a barista.

cw: mostly none, use of Y/N, grammar errors, might be a little silly or cringey

barista x gn!reader, 1.8k words

a/n: hi everyone!! this is my first time posting on tumblr of something that is my own, so i am very excited and a little nervous hehe. this also may or may not be based off of my friend, but i'd never tell you that... anyways, i hope you enjoy!!

ू♡ ࿔ ۪ू♡ ࿔ ۪ू♡ ࿔ ۪

Since becoming a barista 2 years ago, Nico has found many things he loves about his job.  

It was a learning curve at first, but once he got the hang of it, he started to see the joy that being a barista brought to his life. There’s the familiarity of what each drink needs and the satisfaction of completing every order with his best efforts, or the routine of preparing drinks that makes it easy to get into a steady rhythm of work. Then there is also the other end of the spectrum, where someone will come in with something unique that he’s never made before, ready to take on the challenge of creating their order exactly to the customer’s liking.   

Nico has also found that a drink can often tell a lot about the person who is ordering. Caramel frappes are usually ordered by young, pre-teen girls, cold brew dudes are like the cool uncles/cousins we all wish we had, iced chai lattes are down to earth people, and anything with matcha are immediate green flags. But no matter the order, Nico puts his all into creating his drinks because that’s just how he is. Ask any of his coworkers and they’ll praise him for his work ethic, for always doing his job with his best efforts. Nico also likes to think that he pours a little bit of his own love into every drink that he makes, crafting each one meticulously. It’s one more thing he enjoys about being a barista – if a single drink can brighten someone’s day, he’ll make sure it’s perfect for them.  

So that’s what Nico found himself doing, like any other day at his job. It was getting close to rush hour, so he was relishing the lack of chaos in the cafe while he could. He was cleaning up around his station when the bell rang, notifying that someone walked in. His coworker was already making a drink, so he said over his shoulder, “I’ll be with you in just a minute.”  

He finished up and walked over to the register, preparing the kiosk to take the next order. He greeted the customer, saying the usual, “Hello, welcome to Starbucks. What can I get started for you today?” At “today,” he finally looked up at you and suddenly found his eyes going a little wide.  

- 

You started looking for a job a couple of months ago, trying to make money while you were finishing college and not be so greatly indebted before you graduated. You applied everywhere you thought you were fit to work – only for you to be turned down in almost every store.  

Right when you were coming to terms with spending your entire life trying to pay off your loans, one manager called you back saying that you might get a chance to work at their store. You went back to interview with them, and you were hired on the spot! You do think they were a little bit desperate because they had to let one of their employees go on short notice. Apparently, it was something about how workers within the mall should never meddle with each other (Isa, your coworker, said the previous employee slept with another worker from a different store and they got caught. Yikers!).  

Nevertheless, you secured a job that you thought was enjoyable. It paid well and you had a schedule that worked around your classes. Your coworkers were kind to you, and they never failed to keep you entertained with the mall lore that was around before you arrived. You quickly warmed up to them and now consider them to be people you’re quite close with. And though retail can be draining sometimes, you thought that you were sufficient when it came to dealing with customers and providing them with your service. Overall, you were grateful that you got the job and even more grateful that you’ve met new people you could call friends.  

It’s been about a month and a half since you first started, and you finally felt comfortable enough to go outside of the store and explore the mall. Your manager was keen on not letting some form of “meddling” happen again, but everyone believed that enough time has passed for you guys to leave during your break and go grab some food or a quick drink.  

You decided to go for a drink, preferably coffee. It’s always right before when school ends do professors decided to dump hellfire on you and keep you up late at night to complete all their projects and assignments! You never appreciated that fact but it’s something you couldn’t change. 

 So you walked to Starbucks, the cafe not being as busy as you usually see it. You were happy it wasn’t very full because ordering already gave you enough anxiety by itself. Add a full line of people behind you that were desperate to get caffeine in their veins, and you were a complete stuttering mess. 

The bell rang as you opened the door, and you were immediately greeted with soft conversation and the smell of coffee beans. The soft lightning made the environment even better, giving off a cozy and safe atmosphere within the cafe. Maybe Starbucks isn’t so bad when there aren’t people trying to kill each other for a drink, you thought to yourself. 

You heard the barista say that he’ll be with you in a moment, and you took that extra time to yourself to look at the menu and memorize your order. You found it a little funny how you were able to work in a retail store and interact with all sorts of people but get so nervous when having to order a drink. You just don’t want to inconvenience anyone, and you never know what to say when they ask you what kind of milk you wa- 

“Hello, welcome to Starbucks, what can I get started for you today?” the barista asked, interrupting your thoughts.   

“Oh, uh- hi. I’ll take a Brown Sugar Iced Shaken Espresso,” you replied a little too quietly for your liking. “Please,” you added with a smile.  

You waited for some response, but the barista just looked back at you with wide eyes. 

- 

Nico likes to think that he’s seen his fair share of beautiful people in his life. Not that he goes around claiming so, but many people stop by the cafe, and he’s certainly found some of them attractive.  

But he was sure you took that title out of all of them.  

Beautiful wasn’t a fair word for him, you looked to be much more than that. It was like someone knocked him in a stupor and left him in need to find his wits again. He doesn’t know what it was, call it his allergies or his lack of sleep, but Nico was confident that you had stolen the air right out of his lungs. 

He looked at you some more and he saw the way your smile made your eyes crinkle around the corners, or the way your hair just seems to lay perfectly around your face. How your voice seems to sound like a soft melody he could listen to forever, only drawing him further in his trance. He wishes to hear your voice again and-  

Wait. He heard your voice?  

Oh.  

That’s when he realizes that you’ve spoken. And that he was staring.  

How embarrassing.  

“I- I’m sorry, could you repeat that for me?” Nico let out a nervous chuckle.  

“Oh no, don’t be sorry, that’s completely my fault,” you replied, reciprocating the energy back with an awkward laugh. “I’m not very good at this y’know, I usually just get whatever I see first on the menu, haha. But don’t worry, I know what I want this time. Uhm, I’d like a Brown Sugar Iced Shaken Espresso, please.” You smiled at him again and Nico somehow felt his knees go a little weak, but he was sure to not lose his senses this time and entered the order into the kiosk.  

“And what kind of milk would you like to add to that?” Nico made sure to smile too because he was pretty sure he’s been looking a little stupid these past couple of minutes. 

That’s when he noticed your smile faltering a bit. You looked down at your fidgeting hands, then you looked back up at the menu, trying to figure what goddamn milk you should put in your drink. You were hoping he wasn’t going to ask, but that was a silly wish because they always ask. It was then that Nico decided to step in to help, taking note how you seemed a little nervous to be ordering. 

“Oat milk is a popular choice amongst customers! It’s good for making coffee creamier and it’s vegan friendly as well,” he offered. 

You felt a grateful smile grow on your face as you replied, “Yes, I’ll take that. Thank you.”  

Nico asked you if you would like anything else and when he completed your order, he was sure to make your drink with extra care. More care than he already does. And it wasn’t because you were insanely attractive (although he did think you were and he wasn’t afraid to admit it), but because of how you seemed a little timid while ordering. Nico’s heart goes out to those kinds of people because he used to be a shy person himself when he was younger. He knows how it can feel when asking for something, let alone to a stranger, and he felt proud of you for going up and doing something that might’ve been out of your comfort zone.  

Maybe he should’ve felt more concerned about his feelings for you when you’re literally a stranger he’s likely to never see again, but he’s just going to ignore that and call it his compassion. You can never go wrong with a little compassion for others, especially when it comes to being a barista.  

“Brown Sugar Iced Espresso for Y/N!” Nico called out. He had to look for you a little in the cafe because rush hour was just starting. He felt a little protective of you for some reason and wanted to make sure you were okay, when he saw you out of the corner of his eyes. 

As you went up to grab your drink, you replied, “Thanks Jericho, I really appreciate it!” You thought you saw a little blush creep up on the barista’s face, but you didn’t think anything more of it as you walked back to the store.  

Nico was a little confused as to how you knew his name, but he then realized that he decided to wear his nametag this morning. He was glad that he did because if he didn’t, he may have never known how his name sounded on your lips. And as Nico watched you leave; he was once again filled with pride to have the title of his job. It’s just one more thing he enjoys about being a barista – the beautiful customers and the way they leave him blushing. 

ू♡ ࿔ ۪ू♡ ࿔ ۪ू♡ ࿔ ۪

[naffeclipse]

Haunting your inbox again with another question about a sleuthing jesters series :)

In No Small Favor, I’ve always been curious about a few things. How quickly did word spread in the underworld about Moon getting shot? I’ve been thinking about that one mini drabble you wrote about how Eclipse would patch up Sun if someone nearly destroyed him to earn the mob boss’ favor. So did he plan to intervene before Moon’s condition became irreversible? (Though that begs the question of what really would be considered irreversible, and Sun did go for awhile without a working celestial wire at the end of the series.)

Also, what was Eclipse’s reaction when his goons passed on word that the vigilante was asking for him? Did he actually think they were considering joining him, or had he already put two and two together that they were looking for him on behalf of Moon? If it’s that latter, I could see how he might view that as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: save Moon and get the vigilante in his debt.

One more thing! Is Balloon World considered his domain, or is it just a general seedy area where mobsters can use the back rooms as they want?

Never mind, I just thought of one more question djjflskdkd XD Did you ever have any lore/ideas about DJ Music Man’s role/character in the series? I know he doesn’t show up in it, but I wondered if you had some notes or thoughts about his interactions and relations/dealings with the underworld.

Hope you don’t mind the question(s) haha <3

Lumi, you are welcome to haunt my inbox anytime you feel, my ghostly friend ♥

Eclipse was aware that Moon had been injured—what he wasn't aware of was the extent of his injuries. He knew Sun would tend to their brother, but as the days passed, Eclipse would have grown more aware of their absence and would have investigated himself if the vigilante hadn't intervened. (Celestial wires ceasing to function for long periods of can lead to permanent damage even after being fixed/replaced. Much like falling into a coma, it can be very difficult for an animatronic to power back on after a long period of inactivity.)

Eclipse was certain the vigilante had finally begun to see things his way (it was inevitable, and this is the easy way for them) so that's why he's a bit, ah, displeased when he realizes the vigilante is asking about a celestial wire. At the same time, he understood that Moon is not actually okay, but Eclipse did not miss the opportunity sitting in his lap trying their best to look pretty and not afraid. He's more than willing to kill two birds with one stone, and he did.

Balloon World is a personal favorite hangout of his, and more or less somewhere you don't want to go if you don't want to run into the mob boss himself. He doesn't own it in the traditional sense, but it is his place that's kept under wraps.

Ah! I never did touch on Music Man but he's got a little story! He's the head of a rather lucrative underground operation, though less powerful than Eclipse, but he handles his gang wisely and is able to successfully and discretely laundry money via his club and a separate recording studio as fronts for his illegal business of trafficking weapons. He's on pretty good terms with a lot of gangs and knows to not cross wires as a supplier. My design for him is that he's humanoid but fairly large, on par with Eclipse's height except that he has six arms instead of the regular two. Music Man is mistaken for a simple-minded weapons dealer but he is very strategic in all aspects of his work; he will effectively remove the problem of your existence if you happen to interfere with his smoothly running operations. (He can also play a mean guitar.)

The vigilante found out his real name through some bribes and, uh, more persuasive violent means and would have liked to have gone after him, but other events took up their attention.

I don't mind the questions at all so long as you don't mind me rambling hehe ♥

[bluberimufim]

Writer Q&A Tag Game

Hello. I got tagged for this by @squarebracket-trick on this post and I thought it sounded super fun. So, here we are!

1. What motivates you to write?

I started out as an artist, but I began writing once I realized that visual art as a medium wasn't enough to tell the stories I wanted to tell - it had no way of codifying lore, defining character traits, or even just easily telling a long story. I think it's still largely that, in a way. I come up with all these stories and I "get them out" through writing because I sure as hell can't keep them inside my brain for eternity.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

This one is pretty recent, from a few chapters ago in DoS, but I'm really proud of it. I just feel like it emphasizes how much Seth's experience with souls connects with the body, which is the Goddess of Time's domain. A lot of metaphors in this story centre around bodies and physicality because of this. Here's the snippet:

And yet, there was Theo, with her soul so unwound there was no fixing it anymore. The most she could do was keep healing and healing, covering the cracks of the bowl with her own hands in the hope that they'd go back to normal. Keep filling the ocean so that, no matter how many holes lined its bed, it would never be empty. [...] She held her so tight she thought her hands would fuse to her skin. As if she could cover the cracks of her soul with her own body.

Idk, I just vibe with it.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

(what happened to 3 and 4? where did they go?)

I'd say back-and-forth banter, probably because of my time in theatre, but also horror description. It creeps up on me. I keep writing horror on accident. And I always really like it. Just something about describing something weird and spooky.

6. What do you enjoy most about the Writeblr community?

Mostly the fact that there's all these other writers who have cool stuff and also wanna see my cool stuff. I already loved writing on my own, but knowing that there are people Out There who also care about my stories just feels amazing.

And also, the casual friendship between people. You interact with someone's blog, they interact with yours, and you suddenly feel like you're friends, kinda. I can only compare it to making quick friends with someone on the playground as a kid. I like it <3

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech-to-text, a writing program etc)

I am a very ✨analogue✨ person, so my best writing advice in this scenario is always: put that shit on paper.

Feel unsure about a scene? Put that shit on paper. It's like a 0.5th (hehe "halfth") draft that you will copy onto your document and you will always improve it with that second look.

Worried about perfectionism? Put that shit on paper. Even pencil, at least to me, feels hard to erase. It's mostly about living with the stuff you've written and not looking back - erasing is such a pain in the ass that you might as well just keep going forward.

Wanna write secretly during class/lectures/whatever where you're not allowed to have a device? Wadda ya know, the answer is also paper.

Wanna edit? Printing stuff out helps you get some distance from your own writing and it also makes you see it more as a book than as just something you've made.

It also generally makes you feel less bad about changing stuff later in the document, because you have a solid, physical record of what you've written before.

Put that shit on paper. It works well.

(sorry for the rant sbdhagjk)

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I once made a post about the art movements in the world of the dystopia WIP (yes, seriously) but I can't find it anymore. I'm not gonna explain it again, it was stupidly long the first time around.

I guess, outside the dystopia WIP, I'm pretty proud of the whole Three Sister Goddesses thing from DoS. I have drawn designs, but I'll make another post sometime. I'm also proud of the relationship between the Goddesses tho.

They're at war with each other, but they're just doing it for entertainment. They kiiiinda hate each other but not as much as their desire to have fun. Like, they will send their daughters to decimate each other's armies, but they'll also hang out together in the Plane of the Gods. The war is kind of like a decades-long game of Monopoly they're having at the family function. And I just think it's cool. Goes into that whole thing about mortals being like ants to uncaring gods that I like.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

Kinda cliché, but I'd say this: it happens to everyone, dude (gender neutral). Everyone has periods of time when they feel bad and can't write. Or where they feel like their writing is terrible. Doesn't make you less of a writer.

Even if you're not as productive as other people: who cares, honestly? As long as you're having a good time and doing something you love, it doesn't matter how much time you need or don't need to finish something. Even if you never finish anything. And if you feel like you're not as good as other people: who cares either, you know? Everybody starts somewhere. And everybody has different strengths. You'll get better. You always do.

At the end of the day, we're all just doing this because we love it. Don't force yourself. The time will pass anyway.

Ooooookay that last one was a bit more serious than the rest. Anyway, I wanna tag, no pressure, @fleurtygurl @stesierra @cheeto-flavoured-pasta and @sarandipitywrites

[barbatos-sama]

thoughts after one watch:

i was actually nervous for this episode bc you could tell from the season preview it was a court episode but we didn't know who was being put on trial. me and some other ppl in the fandom were afraid that we'd get an episode where royals were punished for mingling with the lower class (like stollas and oz) but it was actually specifically about bliitz's use of the grimoire.

we got to see all seven sins IN THE SAME ROOM (except for luci since the shows aren't allowed to cross over, he was referenced though).

we actually also got a huge lore drop that satan actually ruled hell before luci even fell from heaven??? i would love to know what happened that made the rulership pass over like that, although considering how absent luci is, satan might as well still be the ruler anyway because he acts like it. luci couldn't even attend the trial, and i highly doubt that's Just because of the whole shows not being able to cross over thing, luci in general even in his own show is very absent and doesn't do his job. satan is confirmed to have created imp kind himself, which confirms my theory that he created them in his image hehe. also he's HUGE. MASSIVE.

these two were serving cunt together and i'm happy to know that they're friends like people assumed they would be. they were trying to defend bliitz for his actions, which is really sweet since bee had only met bliitz once at a party before but she could tell he was a good person.

mammmon's "you're going to regret saying that" comment doesn't seem to have meant shit because it doesn't look like oz can get in trouble with the other sins for being with fiizz, apparently everyone there knows he and bee "like mingling with the lower class" and it's not like, illegal or anything. good for them. mammmon bee and oz were all flying insults at each other left and right lol

we got to see leviatthan and belphaggor! i was right about leviathan being a woman! or, women i guess? the two heads seem to have distinct personalities. we didn't hear them speak though.

bel is the one we got to see the least of unfortunately, not many clear shots of her. she didn't have any lines and was sleeping through most of the trial

for the gist of the episode, basically they were going to have bliitz executed at first and everyone was super afraid. but stollas intervened and his punishment wasn't death, because he's a royal and as satan put it "your life actually has value" so instead he will be stripped of his powers for 100 years. which honestly turned out way better than i thought it would. the worst thing right now is that his brother in law, anddrealphus, will be taking over his everything. and it leaves his daughter in the custody of his ex wife, who already seems to be in the process of manipulating her to be against her dad, which is kinda heartbreaking because his daughter is really all he has, the only thing he truly cares about, and she's gonna be turned against him.

anddrealphus is probably my least favorite character in the show right now he is.... weird. he keeps calling his sister hot and attractive and the first time it was like "okay he's just being supportive in a weird way" but he's called her hot like three or four times now, but it's also weird bc he's gay so i don't think it's supposed to be an incest thing (he just in general acts gay and then a pride month post confirmed it) so i don't know if it's supposed to be a "gay man is overly comfortable amongst women" joke or if the joke is supposed to be incest or what. definitely weird and i don't like it, want it to stop lol. he did grant me this great screenshot though

also look at these twos reactions when they saw death sentence read out on tv ;A;

the way it ended is kinda bittersweet bc hooray nobody died but also stollas lost everything and he's too numb to speak mostly. there was a wholesome scene where bliitz helped him take a bath which you know i love that kinda stuff lol

basically uhhhhh i feel like if this show is ever gonna make me actually invested in the main ship i suppose it would be now that mr princey is at a commoners level. i feel like that ship has sailed though like i feel like if i haven't rly cared about them this whole time nothing is gonna make me suddenly have brainrot for them lol. more thoughts upon subsequent rewatches probably

[crystallinestars]

-same anon here ✨

Nah you’re all good! I was genuinely just curious to know your thoughts hehe. I’m also a biologist so I can see the argument for Foxian behavior going either way. There’s a lot of room for headcanons to add onto HSR’s pre-existing lore.

I’d like to think they only have some kind of instinctual behaviors but not many? If that makes sense. In a reproductive sense I feel it’s much less important: I can see the median average of Foxians having only 1 kid… very rarely 2. But for the sake of their species as you said, it’s not really an important thing to procreate or have those animalistic traits.

Red foxes supposedly have behaviors that can indicate monogamy in males but it can be iffy and isn’t always an exception the rule of irl foxes. Though, it’s been observed that some male foxes never have/refuse to have another mate if their original dies. Also, good point about Yukong’s dead friend that I didn’t think of!

Jiaoqiu is a very complex character that I can see being very attached if he allowed himself to meet someone who broke down his walls and “mend his broke heart” I.e. someone who brings out positive emotions in him in a romantic way. As an “old fox” (as he’s described himself) I don’t see that as being something he’s too concerned with, but it’s just an added plus for fanfic writers to give some happiness to the grumpy, cunning, traumatized guy :( lord knows he needs it, even if just a platonic “found family” sort of way— (I’m not over 2.5 and his backstory as you might be able to tell)

Anyways, sorry for popping in so randomly and rambling here. I do appreciate you taking the time to respond and give your thoughts! It’s always a pleasure to chat with fellow writers and brainstorm some stuff with fandoms! ^.^

Oh my gosh, a fellow biologist! Hello! 😄

Much like you, I can see foxians having some instinctual behaviours. Even if we weren't shown or told about any in the game, I recon some exist, though not to the extreme that we might observe in wild foxes in real life. Plus, as you pointed out, HSR's world building leaves plenty of room for players to insert their headcanons into the world, so anything is possible.

I bet some employees at Mihoyo have ideas about foxian physiology and reproductive behaviours that they can't include in the game. Considering how they made Ganyu's horns canonically sensitive, I wouldn't put it past them...

Nature has a way of always creating exceptions to whatever rule we as humans develop about a species. I didn't know that some male foxes are monogamous, but it sounds like they're similar to humans in that way. Some stay with a single partner for life, and some do not. It comes down to the individual.

Speaking of, I do think Jiaoqiu might have had a partner in the past since I believe he experimented with relationships when he was younger, but it wasn't anything serious. However, the war changed him a lot. The war left him numb inside (I actually saw a cool theory on twitter about Jiaoqiu potentially being a Self-Annihilator), so he eats spicy food because the pain makes him feel alive, and by extension I think his emotions have become dulled, including love. It could just be that he grew jaded and bitter after the war, lost about his own worth as a healer, or perhaps he's fearful of growing attached and having his heart broken again. Regardless, I completely agree that he would grow attached to someone who helped heal his trauma, gave him a purpose again, made him feel alive and appreciated, etc (much like Feixiao does for him right now), and he would bind himself to them for life. Again, just look at Jiaoqiu's loyalty toward Feixiao and the lengths he's willing to go for those he truly cares about.

That 2.5 quest was uncalled for. All my favorite Hoyo men have self-sacrificing tendencies, and I am tired of constantly worrying about them aahh

I'm certain post-war Jiaoqiu would devote himself to a single romantic partner. It would take a special person to breach his barriers and mend his heart, and not just anyone would fit that bill. Just the fact someone cared that much and put in the effort for his sake would touch Jiaoqiu deeply and leave a strong impression, that I don't think he would be able to take on another partner after, nor would he want to because nobody can replace them. I think this applies to any of us in real life, too. If someone is there for us in our lowest moments, shows us care and affection, then we'll feel an attachment to them.

Jiaoqiu is on the older side, but I don't think he's as old as Yukong (who has a silvery tail compared to Jiaoqiu), so he still has lots of years left to live. Even if he's not concerned about finding healing, I still hope he does manage to overcome his heartbreak and find purpose in life again beyond just healing Feixiao.

No need for apologies, I'm happy to receive character analysis asks! Thank you for taking the time to send them in and for indulging in this discussion with me, it's a lot of fun hearing others' ideas.

If you also write for Jiaoqiu, I'll be very happy. He's so underrated and deserves a lot more love than he gets from fandom. Majority of my faves end up being unpopular, which is why I took to making my own content about them. The more Jiaoqiu fics that exist in the world, the better 😤

[aeonophagic]

New honkai impact 3rder here hehe, I come to you with question, I am so unbearably confused on how I’m supposed to consume this media, I know about like the chronological and recommended orders for the manga and all but… I don’t know what to do… how do I consume this… what do you recommend… please beseech your wisdom upon me oh great one… tell me what to do… if you want to or whatever… please and thank you…

My sweet child… I am so sorry. I will do my best.

I know everyone suggests the comics. My friend did when I started playing too.

HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, reading all of them one after another before playing the story makes for a lot of different, disjointed information to take in at once, some of it isn’t even relevant until later, some of it is even a bit of a spoiler for the main story. Which is overwhelming, I understand. It also makes a very different first impression of some of the characters.

So let me explain how I’d do it to help digest it all better:

Play the story in the game, in its order that’s already put together (remember to read the supplying CGs and Collections outside the story stages! edit: this is what i mean) and read the comics when they’re relevant to the chapter you’re at.

I’m doing this off of memory, so it might not be accurate, but I’d do something like this. Take it at your own pace, don’t rush through it:

Read Second Eruption before anything. It adds context to many of the earlier events of the story. It’s the longest manga but it’s very much worth it.

After reading Second Eruption, go to the Chronicles section in the game, and play through Theresa’s. After that, get to the main story! You can play the story normally until -

- When you get to the chapter where Bronya is hijacked by Cocolia, or the Sea of Quanta arc, you should read Azure Waters, as it gives context to both Bronya and Seele’s stories.

When you get to the Arc city and/or Nagazora arc, you should read World Serpent. You will notice one of the scenes of chapter 13 is almost word for word a scene from that comic.

When you get to Fu Hua & Senti arc, you can read Shattered Swords. It’s relevant for Thus Spoke Apocalypse arc too. It’s unfinished so you don’t have to read it but I still recommend it as it’s a huge part of Fu Hua’s past as well as good insight into Otto. It also explains who and what the very first scene in chapter 26 is. If you’d also like to refresh your memory as to why Senti is acting like that towards Otto, chapter 9 stage 9.

When you get to Immortal Blades (25 EX) I recommend reading London Holiday as well as Second Key.

If you want to, you can also read the Durandal Visual novel, but I personally actually don’t recommend it. It is relevant to the story, yes, Durandal brings up those past events in Thus Spoke Apocalypse too, but I personally didn’t like the visual novel.

When you get to Thus Spoke Apocalypse I recommend reading Elan Palatinus. I also not only recommend but highly suggest, perhaps even request reading the Anti Entropy visual novel. I know it might be long but it explains 75% of events the character talk about in the chapter.

I also suggest Shattered Swords, again, as it gives insight into his character but also explains the very first scene of the arc as well as some others.

Both of these suggestions apply to Thus Spoke Apocalypse arc, until the end of chapter 28. After that, you have to redirect yourself to the Elysian Realm until its 3rd chapter.

In ER you also unlock conversations, lore, etc as you progress through the Elysian Realm, clearing any difficulty, unlocking Hero’s Memories (the eggs) and whatnot. Hero’s Memories and Recollections are essential to their stories, sometimes even apply context to the current story for characters like Kevin that are present in it, but you can take all the time you need to unlock the interactions in the lobby that aren’t part of the storyline.

also, for supplemental ER stuff, there’s a comic that’s not on the official site called Secret of The God Keys. I am unable to link it, but you’ll find it if you look the title + Honkai up. Some information is outdated, I think, but it’s a nice read.

Once you finish the 3rd chapter of ER, you have to go back to the main story at chapter 29.

After chapter 29, all story is found in the main story tab without supplements.

for the finality arc, I suggest Second Key again, for some insight into Kevin. when you get there, you can ask me to refresh your memory about Kevin, I’m normal. I promise. Lots of insight into him in Nagazora arc.

…I don’t exactly know where to place the Open Worlds.

I think they make you play through Sakura Samsara at the beginning so progress that- I recommend trying to finish it before chapter 9 as the characters there are the early story versions of the valks.

I don’t remember Schicksal HQ having any story relevant to the main plot. But I also recommend it before chapter 9 for immersion reasons (same as above).

APHO takes place 8 years after the main story. You can play this once you’re done with it, or even leave it be for a while until the 3rd part of it finally comes out, unless you’re interested in Void Archives or any character exclusive to it.

When you’re done with APHO, or If you plan to play HSR, you can read Alien Space.

Do I know when you should play the Chronicles also? No I have no idea. I forgot about most of them cause they’re old. I only know you should play Theresa’s before the main story (if it’s even possible as Ai Chan forces you to play thru some of it. After she stops forcing you, hop to Chronicles)

Most Chronicles are supplemental or lighthearted or… old, old story, but also not really. Play these when you want, or ask me about specific ones- I already said when you should play Theresa’s, so let me say that you should play Fu Hua’s when her and Senti’s arc in the main story starts. You will know when it does as the first story stage is in a first person POV, talking about the EGO and whatnot.

And about the other comics…

Things like Moon Shadow, AE invasion, other comics I didn’t name etc…

I don’t know man. They’re so old they give a really bad first impression with some of their scenes. Read them when or if you want to.

NB: first few chapters have some outdated information and are kinda ass. You have to be strong. I believe in you. I have to use a VPN to access the site so I have no link at hand but you can read the comics in much higher quality on mangadex

Good luck! Enjoy! Sorry about my mental illness

[mickmundy]

To celebrate the ending of Malus and as we gear up to go into part 6 of my bushmedicine series, Thou Giveth Fever this Friday, I wanted to take a minute and make a post dedicated to the titles of my fics and the symbolism of the posters I make for them! ^_^ Like the fics themselves, I put a lot of thought into the symbolism of these covers and what they foreshadow and/or symbolize! :-) This obviously does contain spoilers for my fics but I think it could be a fun read even if you don’t read them (but perhaps this will Entice You… hehe)! Hopefully this will shed some light on some things that my amazing readers have already taken notice of, but it might also make you look at the wips I've posted with a different view...! Let’s get started!

Wasserballon is obviously first... and for the plant choice... coffee! But of course! Wasserballon sets up for the rest of my fics by starting it all... with Sniper's cup of coffee! Sniper’s love for his favorite drink (and not having any brewed in his camper at the time… lucky him!) is what wound up getting him caught by Medic, who insists that he comes to the infirmary. Medic offers Sniper to bring his coffee with him, trying to make the visit seem less… formal. Both of them are very stubborn people by nature, but I think Sniper also knows when he’s better off listening to others. For some reason, it puts him at ease that he can bring his drink. As you are no doubt aware I cannot stand the fanon take of Sniper fearing Medic or fearing the infirmary. I think you can prefer to avoid something without being afraid of it! He just likes to solve his own problems, and doesn’t like asking for help. Plus, I think Medic and Sniper would both have a strange like… funk around their relationship after the comics; they don’t hate each other and they aren’t Magically Inclined to be best friends all of a sudden… and they never really spoke about what happened at Gray Gravel again…. Until my fics! Heh!

The title choice is pretty straight forward; Medic explains to Sniper about how a heart that goes under too much strain from the medigun (lore which is elaborated on later in Soft Break) can quite literally explode like a water balloon, or a wasserballon! He leaves his #1 SNIPER cup in the infirmary after he walks out in a bit of a flustered panic. I think Sniper's someone who could appreciate an attractive person regardless how he feels about them, but this is also the first time he and Medic had really talked since his revival. And it's very small talk! Work-related, very simple. But their boots touch, and... Sniper feels... something.

I don't like to dwell on the zing itself since I feel like a lot of fics/stories in general spend a lot of time trying to track the precise moment the characters fall in love… and for me that's just not how I see Medic and Sniper's romance. It sneaks up on you, just like it did on them! Hehe! Maybe it was listening to Medic talk about the medigun function, maybe it was the touching of the boots, or the insistence that Medic heal him and Sniper's acceptance of that help... maybe it was the revival operation itself and things are just starting to bubble up now... maybe it was everything and nothing! Who knows! You decide (and let me know what you think... hehe)! I like leaving some things like this up to reader interpretation; it’s fun to hear everyone’s different takeaways!

Birdsong is the second fic in my series… There's nothing like the singing of birds! Especially to Medic and Sniper, whose birds bring them together again, giving Medic the opportunity to return Sniper's precious mug. Both are a bit apprehensive about the interaction; Medic hasn't so much as stepped within five feet of Sniper's van the entire time he’s known him, so it feels... personal to stand atop it with him and share some drinks while they watch their pets play.

Medic finds out that Sniper has been feeding Archimedes little treats when he flies about Teufort and finds it very endearing; nobody ever even tried to get to know Medic's best friend, and here Sniper was, of all people, doting on him like he doted on his own pets. People love making Medic devoid of sentiment in fanon but i think he is very much the opposite; he's quite emotional and just because he might value things a little unconventionally doesn't mean he doesn't value anything at all, and his doves are (I think) something he cherishes above all else. Thanks, Archimedes and Sniper's mug!

The choice for the poster is an olive branch, or, two of them. Medic and Sniper "extend the olive branch" to each other by spending time together as... teamfriends? Friendmates? Something! Their talk is a little rough at first, both of them kind of going into it with preconceived perceptions of each other; Sniper thinks Medic is cold and/or would be mad at him for feeding Archimedes (when the opposite is true), and Medic expects Sniper to tell him to go away, that he prefers to be alone (or at least that he doesn't enjoy the doctor's company), and that's not true either! They're both realizing they've known each other for so long but they know... nothing about one another… and the things they thought they knew, well, were completely wrong!

Medic treads a delicate line with bringing up Sniper's revival, and is made aware of just how deep Sniper's professional principles run; while it was easy for Sniper to brush off the fact that he was alive again, I think it would also weigh heavily on him to be deemed worthy of the revival itself. And, well, being dead meant he didn't have to think about all of the emotional hang-ups he had when he was alive... but now he has to deal with them again! And more besides! Both expect the conversation to absolutely tank their "relationship", but are mutually surprised that they emerge from the conversation feeling... better. 

Medic is much more direct than Sniper is and never feels any need to censor himself for any reason; if people don't like him, he doesn't care! But now he starts to think that he does care if Sniper likes him, and that perhaps he has to remind himself to be a little more sensitive, even if his "direct" way of speaking isn't always meant to be insulting, it's just how he is! And Sniper works through the same; he learns he doesn't need to be on the defensive, that conversations don't all have to be nosy personal attacks.

By this point, Medic has been entertaining the idea that Sniper's "last words" (that were to his parents; I think he was dreaming/hallucinating, I don't think he Literally went to heaven. But I digress) were calling out to him and asking him for heals. You know, the "meet the Medic choir" playing and Sniper saying Medic! I need ya, doctor! Because it strokes Medic's ego! “Of course these dummkopfs need me, I'm glad this stubborn one is finally realizing it!” But no, actually, it has nothing to do with Medic. LOL. Dents his ego a little bit! They both have kind of a vulnerable moment where some of that Emotionally-Guarded Shield is stripped a bit. 

Sniper apologizes for lashing out at him back then and Medic apologizes for misinterpreting his words (which is, I think, a massive deal for someone like Medic, who fancies himself a bit of a know-it-all!). An apology for an apology, and they feel better for it. As Medic departs for the night, Sniper begins to realize that that was probably one of the most productive "emotional conversations" he's ever had in his life, and it was with Medic of all people. What does that mean? Why did he feel that way, and why now? Medic feels similarly and finds he can't keep his eyes off of Sniper, who he finds staring up at his window with... perhaps equal yearning?

Muhelos begins with Sniper tossing out compliments on Medic’s battle style and, after the rough talk they had, Medic definitely didn't see it coming! Sniper waxes poetic in his tower about Medic and is relieved to be able to safely observe him from afar; his preferred method of viewing the world, given his profession! After a hard-earned victory, Heavy and Spy notice the… chemistry change between their friends and pull each of them aside to speak to them about what they’re feeling. Heavy and Spy give each of them anecdotes about their own relationship and about how love is subjective, defined by those who are brave enough to feel it and act upon it. Nothing has to be conventional or traditional!

Medic states that once he and Sniper both relax, their dynamic is muhelos, which means effortless. But getting to that point is still perhaps a little bumpy! Heavy stresses the importance of strong foundations with Medic and Spy advises Sniper to not be so wrapped up in conventionality. This weighs heavily on Medic and Sniper both and opens their minds up to allowing themselves to feel more complicated about one another and that this shouldn’t be something that feels bad, it should be freeing! Medic nearly instantly allows himself to feel this way (as is his nature), whereas Sniper, well, remains a bit more… hung up on it!

The white camellias on the cover can be symbolic of respect (something that is growing steadily between Medic and Sniper as the story progresses), and/or everlasting love. While Medic and Sniper certainly aren’t at that point quite yet, Spy and Heavy certainly are, and they’re definitely the people who can give Medic and Sniper the heart-to-hearts they need! They’ve been together for a while, and Heavy tells Medic that even though he and Spy got off to quite the rocky start as friends, they are happier than ever now that they’re together. 

Of course, the mourning dove pair is because, well, Medic has a litany of doves, and in this fic Sniper also helps the doctor find and take care of one of his mourning doves after it escaped. And Sniper gives Medic a name to match Medic’s Spatz for him… Dovey! Ah! So sweet, so fitting! He invites Sniper to the infirmary to aid him in his beloved creature’s care and Sniper quickly agrees, which surprises both of them. Sniper wants to spend time in the infirmary?! Unheard of! Medic picks Sniper’s brain about animal care and finds out that Sniper actually has quite the gentle heart (something he’d been learning about him recently) when he tells him about Hootsalot and his relationship with his bird-best-friend. 

Their conversation drifts back to their work and Medic lets Sniper know that his efforts are greatly appreciated, something that Sniper never even though Medic noticed or cared about. Medic insists the contrary and toys with him a little bit, asks him to consider asking Medic if healing him really would be such a chore, to which the doctor cheekily replies that he’d love to help Sniper, any time, always, and the pair joke about Medic coming to see Sniper in his tower on the field. Another instance of clear communication, once they find out how to do so. The fic ends with Sniper considering that complex feelings aren't actually bad and that exploring why and how he feels the way he does is just as important as feeling the feelings themselves! Be kind to yourself, and give yourself time to feel and process those feelings!

Soft Break lets us see Medic and Sniper together in combat, and together off-base, for the first time. This is a huge test of their slowly-budding feelings for one another! After a tense battle with an enemy BLU Spy (who Medic ends up finishing off with the assassin’s own ambassador), Medic rushes to heal Sniper and they talk about the science of the medigun’s technology (you can read a summarized breakdown of this lore here!), noting that healing Sniper is a fun new challenge for him because he doesn’t know Sniper’s heart like he knows the mercs’ whom he heals regularly. Medic is quite excited that Sniper is curious, since nobody else really is… and wants to go further in-depth until… they are interrupted. Sad!

But not to worry… they both find themselves at the local bar with their teammates later that night, and Sniper finds himself yearning to play a game of billiards to get away from the slowly-rising commotion his friends are creating. He wants to talk to Medic but swiftly gives up before he even tries, noting how it’s probably best that everything sticks to the status quo (you can see some of my thoughts on the merc cliques in this post). However, Medic has other plans! To the stunned silence of the mercenaries, Medic approaches Sniper and asks him to play some pool with him. Sniper eagerly obliges and the two begin their dance around the table. Both are studying one another and how they play; Medic is simply matching Sniper shot for shot, and Sniper is drawing the game out in hopes that Medic isn’t getting bored with him. Imagine that! Ha! 

While the title of this fic can be interpreted to mean there is something like a “gentle breakthrough” in their relationship, it’s actually a billiards term! (I happen to be a lover of the game myself so this was a fun little addition for me heh) A “soft break” is roughly defined as “A break shot in which the rack is disturbed as little as possible in order to force the opponent to have to break it up further.” Medic and Sniper are tiptoeing around each other on the table and in real life, flirting and lightly pushing one another to keep flirting. Medic of course is much more abrasive, but even he is cautious and wants to be respectful of Sniper’s boundaries. Sniper wants to flirt back and is jealous of Medic’s ability to be so brazen about his feelings, but can’t seem to get himself to act. 

This is how I personally deal/t with my own internalized homophobia while trying to process my very not-heterosexual feelings with my delayed processing issues (<- autism trait)… Sniper wants to tell Medic how he feels and how he’s making him feel, but there’s a voice inside of him that says No, don’t do it. It’s not safe to tell him this. Should be obvious, but that’s internalized fear of being recognized as What you are as well as What you’re feeling. Medic’s starting to realize that Sniper’s struggle with his feelings runs much deeper than his own and remains sympathetic and patient, trying to learn Sniper’s communication language and interpret his signs and signals… coincidentally, just like learning to tune the medigun to him! Hoo! What convenient symbolism! It’s a gentle push-and-pull, relying on each other to bring more advances forward and to act on those feelings in a way that’s genuine… but not overpowering. Soft break! 

Sniper encourages Medic to talk about his medigun science from earlier and they reach an understanding that perhaps they aren’t as incompatible as they always thought, off the field or on it. They get interrupted once again and Sniper ends up having to take Medic back to the base in his van… which begins in complete and total awkward silence. Medic is fascinated by the inside of Sniper’s van’s cab and Sniper is completely wrapped up in having no idea what to say to start a conversation, until he brings up music! Yet another thing they have in common! They both daydream about making music together, both literally and as a euphemism for sex.. Which will come up later in my next fic! ;-)

The most important, though, as seen on the poster, is yarrow, and their mutual connection to Medicine and botany. Their ship name is bush medicine, of course! Sniper hastily pulls over to harvest some yarrow and Medic is all too enthusiastic to help. He loves getting his hands dirty! Their knees touch and Sniper admits that he loves hearing Medic talk, and prefers to be the listener than the talker (a nod to Heavy’s previous allusion that this would be precisely their dynamic!) and both of them express that they had fun with each other tonight, something that they were both perhaps a little mutually surprised about! So it is possible for them to enjoy each other outside of work/off-base… hmm…!

Yarrow is a plant that has a wide number of medical uses and something that both Sniper and Medic could certainly find use for on and off the field! I do think it’s interesting that both of them having this as a talking point doesn’t come up more in ship dynamics with them since Sniper is a survivalist and surely has had to patch himself up billions of times since coming to Teufort! And they both kind of have an oh duh! moment about it because I think that’s something that happens in real relationships/friendships too. Like an innocent overlooking of the people right in front of you this whole time! But now that they’re starting to fall for one another, they start seeing things they previously never even thought to ask about…!

Malus is fic lucky number five!! Even more time has passed and Medic and Sniper are now much more comfortable with each other; we’ve seen their bond getting stronger and stronger over time, to the point where Sniper feels comfortable giving Medic gifts! Gifts! Good for you, Sniper! They also have become more comfortable touching one another, letting their bodies brush against each other’s on the bush ride home… Sniper tries to discreetly leave Medic some of the herbs and fruits he gathered, but gets caught by the doctor himself! Medic offers him to come back to his infirmary to bake a pie with the apples he’s harvested, and Sniper hesitantly agrees.

At this point in their journey together, it feels like such a slow burn. Total agony! When are they just going to get together for God’s sake?! But when you read over the story as a whole, it actually kind of flies by! And that’s a weird thing about love; just like how you can’t really tell when Medic and Sniper felt their “zing”, you also feel like it’s somehow both dragging and moving really fast! My fics can be experienced totally differently depending on how you read them, which I wanted to figure out how to do because I think it’s interesting that so many different people can read into it so differently! And being told that people can relate to my fics really is immensely flattering to me ;__;!!

That said, Medic and Sniper both kind of feel this now, too. Things are moving so fast and also so slowly, and their feelings for one another are really starting to become... Un-ignorable. Both of them were previously pondering these feelings in spare moments between work and personal hobbies, etc but now they’re starting to bleed into each other… to Medic, Sniper is his work, and someone he now shares hobbies with and also feels connected to him through them (medicine, their birds bonding together)... and while Sniper doesn’t feel like Medic is his work in the same sense, he does feel like Medic is quite literally a part of him. Anytime he looks at the scars on his chest and arms, he thinks of him, thinks of how he feels about him… they’re both in each other’s minds nearly all the time now! 

While they’re baking, Sniper shares an anecdote about hunger and how he’s always kind of felt like he’s doing something he’s not supposed to be doing, like he’s yearning for things he shouldn’t be… in Sniper’s story, it’s very literal, but he’s also kind of testing the waters with Medic to see if he’s going to judge him for that or not (the obvious answer is why the hell would Medic judge him for that when he’s the king of self-indulgence?! And you’d be correct, but this is also a metaphor for coming out… testing the waters before you divulge something about yourself that people could potentially take issue with. Very scary feeling! Don’t worry Sniper, Medic would never )... and Medic not only sympathizes with Sniper but he wants to encourage that behavior and nurture it. It’s not a sin to want or to feel, after all.

I delve into Sniper’s relationship with wanting in the companion analysis post I made so I won’t talk about it as in-depth here. I want to use this time to turn some attention onto Medic and how he’s faring in all of this! Throughout my fics, you’ll notice that we don’t spend nearly as much time in Medic’s head as we do in Sniper’s. That’s intentional! I think Medic is someone who is truly unpredictable, and in order for him to be a wildcard, sometimes not even we the readers know what’s going on in his head, and he likes it that way! He’s much more assured than Sniper is, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t complicated for him, too. While this entire time he’s been miraculously calm about his budding feelings for Sniper, things are starting to set in as much more real to him. The cut and dry professional relationship they’ve both always favored is beginning to slip as they both find themselves wanting more (and are coming to terms with and acknowledging their sexual desire for one another as well)... 

And something very important, of course, is the sharing of the names (which i’ve elaborated on here) so i’ll keep it short; it’s a very euphoric experience, being known as the person you want to be known as; incorrect perceptions of us can make us feel so small! They’ve both acknowledged that they had misconceptions about one another, but Medic is now taking it further by asking Sniper what he wants to be known as. Wanting to know him as more than just the RED Sniper, but as Michael (or, Michel! Hoo!), his friend… someone more than just an experiment or a coworker. The power of a chosen name… ;-) Very big deal!

And of course, the apples on the cover! Literally, apples are involved because they bake a pie with apples Sniper harvested for them (which is of course also a nod to all of the cute apple cosmetics we get in game!), but… apples also represent temptation, desire… hunger. This is the first time that they both admit they enjoy one another’s company (both too afraid to say anything more, but for different reasons), and they are both much more unabashed about checking each other out (even if it’s mostly when the other isn’t looking!). I think Medic and Sniper are two people who would have always (albeit passively) considered each other attractive, but now there’s both romantic and sexual feelings in the mix. They’re both being forced to realize that they don’t want just a one night stand and they don’t want to be just friends, and that middle ground is vast… and very overwhelming!! 

The word malus is nothing more than the scientific word for apples, but its use here unifies the art of the apple (baking the pie) and the science of it (the title)... obviously we know Medic happens to enjoy both art and science (and often conflates the two!) but so does Sniper. And the two of them are very much a merging of those two concepts that are famously so different… and yet… so compatible! Art and science, speaking with the heart or the mind, etc… A lot like Medic and Sniper! This fic (and the ones before them) focus a lot on how different they are, because, well, Medic and Sniper themselves focus a lot on that! But this fic also emphasizes how good they are together, how two completely different people can come together and make (and be) something truly marvelous!

I love using fruit as literary devices in my writing and we are just getting started! Closing out this fic has Medic requesting some apricot preserves from Sniper and touching on their shared enjoyment of the symbolism the apricot shares between them; for Sniper, it’s the spot that one aims for to get the ideal headshot, and for Medic, it’s the connection of the skull and the spine, the physical and the mental… interesting! Apricots become a much more prominent symbol in my next fic, and I am so excited to share it with you all!! 

Medic also expresses some of his own insecurities, wondering if things are still moving too fast or too slow (or if it’s simply too late) between him and Sniper and reflects on his own childhood for only a moment-! As I’ve said, it’s intentional that we haven’t seen a lot of Medic’s own monologues like we have of Sniper’s. He likes being unpredictable, after all! But things are starting to bleed and slip into one another.,., neatly defined categories for human interactions are starting to become very messy…! Which puts Ludwig at war with himself; he loves chaos when he’s the one creating it, but if it’s not chaos curated by his hand, well… maybe even he can get a little emotionally twisted up! And keep an eye on that pomegranate symbolism… we surely won’t be seeing the last of it!

ALRIGHT EVERYONE WHEW THAT WAS SO LONG!! THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME THIS LONG ILYYYY and I hope you enjoyed it!! ^v^ This Friday I will begin posting Fever, the newest fic in my bushmed series, with a two-chapter upload to start it off with a bang! Thou Giveth Fever has been a huge emotional journey for me and I’m so so so elated that so many wonderful readers are along for the ride! I’m excited (and nervous!) to bare my soul to you with these next coming fics, kind strangers and friends alike, and thank you endlessly for all of your support!! <333 

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Heyo, Mousy! I just came by to say again that I really appreciate and love the whole Farmer/OC interactions you made with our OCs! The memes and stories you made long ago are something I still love! 🥰♥️ I still remember them!!! 😍😍 Sadly, I lost them when my blog was deleted 🥲 So, I might hunt for them again in your blog. I really need to reread the short stories 🥺👉🏼👈🏼

I'd love to come up with some silly ideas for our Farmers/OCs, too! (If we put aside their lore for this to happen, hehe). But I'm afraid of getting characters being OOC 😅 maybe if I do have some ideas, I'll share! 😁

Though I had a very, VERY silly thought (based on a friend's idea), and I have to ask you so randomly 😅 Can you imagine the idea of our Farmers all meeting and along with their spouses, too? For example, Julian's spouse is Lance, and so is Ziana's! Can you imagine the situation? TWO LANCES?! Or am I too silly/weird with this?? 😭😅 Like, they messed with magic so badly that they could visit each other's universe kinda situation but not really ruining anything 😂 We can ignore the whole seriousness with the sitiation, haha. Honestly, just... if the question is too weird, please ignore 😅😅 I just wanted to share the rambling, KASJJSJJS-

Have a good start to the day, Mousy!! ✨️✨️ (I want to run, but I'm fasting, so I'll just... walk fast from the scene 🚶🏻‍♀️💨)

😂😂

Hewwo again Nim :3

Thanks so much for the kind words, and I'm glad you and others like my OC stories! I've had a lot of fun imagining these situations myself, where our chaotic farmers start their adventures together ☺️💕

I have a links to Ziana and Aelfden's stories in the masterlist for sure, by the way (or you can find them by tags on my blog, I usually put a tag on each OC farmers).

Phah, I like your idea so much 😄 To be honest, I've been thinking about this kind of situation for a long time. But usually never voiced it, because my original idea was that Lance is only one. And the thoughts that half of our farmers would fight for Lance's attention (while the other half fights for the right to be called Isaac's simp) is a little sad. I don't want our OCs to be enemies of each other! (Even though it is very comical).

The situation with the two Lances, on the other hand.... Good alternative, everyone got their own Lance! 😃 (we'll set aside considerations of alternate reality, breaking the fourth wall and the very logical possibility of this event). Lance will definitely start to have a philosophical musing about why in all alternate realities he is always there, but Farmer is always unique? And while he's puzzling over the question, in the background a whole bunch of Isaacs will be running away from our other Farmers with flowers chasing them.

Man, this scenarios itself is so silly, and I love it! Thanks again to Nim for this one ☺️💕💕💕

[sillygoofyqueer]

The Untamed review: episode six!!!!!!

Literally have to skip the intro at this point

The Cloud Recesses looks so peaceful hehe

The goofy music, what the hell is going on

Nie Huaisang, you look so sketchy what the hell

"I brought peanuts!! ☺️" You are such a guy, Huaisang.

HE JUST GOT SNATCHED

Oh, it's fine, they're just drinking lmao

I love that even Jiang Cheng is getting involved

It also answers my question of who bought the alcohol

Fuck me, Huaisang is absolutely pissseeeddd

"I'll be fine, as long as I have wine" Wei Wuxian, you have a problem.

"I don't know how the Lan Clan puts up with you" "Hey, I'm adorable 🤭" Wei Wuxian, you little geek. Yes you are.

Don't insult Cheng's standards hahahaha

HHAHAHA THEY'RE SO PISSED

LITERALLY CALLING OUT HIS STANDARDS

AAAAAAHHHHH WANGJI

Eyo, the fuck was that position?!?!????

You know, I was wondering who would notice their literal yelling

Hahahaha, Wei Wuxian adjusting his hair and acting so casual for his boyfriend

Wangji just wants to be involved :(

They're all super none suspicious at all lmaooo

WUXIAN, WILL YOU STOP OFFERING HIM ALCOHOL???

"join us.." bro might as well have said 'kiss me now' with the pouty tone and the tug of the sleeve

I like how Wangji didn't pull back, just gay glared

"go to the punishment chamber" "what chamber??"

HUAISANG AND CHENG JUST FUCKING PASSING OUT HAHAHA

"too drunk to walk" you just want to flirt with Wangji for longer, you whore

HE'S TRYING TO STOP THEM FROM GETTING UP, THE LITTLE WAVES OF 'stay down stay down!!!'

NO WAY ARE THEY VOMITING

What's that talisman???

BRO NO WAY

I'd be furious

He looks so proud of himself hahahahaha

Why's he closing the doors??? Gay. Suspicious.

Don't you dare, WUXIAN, YOU MONSTER

Peer pressure to the extreme 😔

Wuxian looks so excited

I love how Wangji just fucking dies

Wuxian's look of absolute shock and concern

"go back to your room please" bro is so worried about him

Wangji is literally just dead, okay

Awwww, putting him to bed, what a good guy

Did he take the talisman off him?

Alcoholic, get help

YOU ARE LITERALLY A FREAK

"your headband is tilted" "TILTED?!?!"

Wangji is so drunk

Hahaha, just slapping him away

What a gay guy

Okay, what the fuck "you're gonna be alone forever" JUST YOU WAIT WUXIAN

Does Wuxian just find pleasure in bringing up parentless trauma to deal with his own parentless existence???

Stoooop, he's sobbing

I'm sobbing now

I like how Wuxian realises what he said and just starts trauma dumping. Awwwww. He's making Wangji feel better methinks.

THEY LOOK SO HAPPY!!!! STOOOOOP 🥺🥺🥺

Toasting together 😔

I wonder how Wangji's feeling with a hangover

TEA BREAK WITH THE LAN LADS

Bros are literally gossiping at this point.

Xichen has the info and looks so pretty giving it

How is Qiren more bothered about Wuxian being there

THEY'RE SLEEPING, LEAVE THEM ALONE

Shit.

HAHAHAHA WANGJI IS JUST FUCKING GOOOONE.

Wuxian trying not to laugh.

How does Qiren sound so offended, get your shit together

SNITCH!!!!!!

Kill the snitch.

They're so worried about Wangji being involved, I'm cackling

"MY BROTHER??? You sure you don't mean a different Wangji?"

I like that Wangji is so fucking ready to repent and the others are terrified

WUXIAN TRYING TO STAND UP FOR WANGJI, I'M SOBBING

He is a very troublesome young lad

DO NOT BRING HIS DEAD MOTHER INTO THIS, QIREN. I WILL SQUARE UP. I AM NOT AFRAID TO BEAT AN OLD MAN DOWN.

Back off. Don't drop lore and not be willing to speak.

OWNING UP FOR HIS MISTAKES I'M SOBBING.

Not wanting Wangji to be hurt 🥺

I'm sorry, three Hundred Vs FIFTY???

Wuxian is so scared

WHY IS WANGJI BEING PUNISHED SO MUCH, YOU BITCH.

Nah, bro is dead

Wangji takes it upright, WHAT A MANNNN

Bros already fighting.

Quit your whining, is what Yanli is saying

I love that they all freeze at the sight of Xichen, bros are terrified

Wuxian sounds so pathetic, bro can't even bow haha

Xichen coming in to save the day

XICHEN YOU'RE SUCH A SWEETHEART. IT'S BECAUSE WUXIAN STOOD UP FOR WANGJI, ISN'T IT!!!

Awww, Wuxian just wants to know about his mother

QIREN WAS CLASSMATES WITH CANGSE SANREN????

He's saying they were alike, I'm crying

Wuxian has never looked more attentive

Cheng laughing at the thought of Sanren being like Wuxian

"let's just say it was difficult for him to keep his beard looking good back then" HAHAAHAHAAAA SANREN WAS A MONSTER I LOVE HER

WEN QING!!! babes, you plot so much

Wen whatever the fuck??? That's a big power pose but you look awful

Corpses be vibing hard, me fr

QING YOU'RE SO SMART

It's so peaceful, and Wuxian looks so happy

Awe, the way Wangji is immediately stirred by Wuxian's voice!!!

And how Wuxian calls for him instantly

Bro goes right for his robes - so neat

Fit WHO SAID THAT

He literally runs to see Wangji, not being inconspicuous at all

Zewu Jun is literally shipping them, even less inconspicuous

Wangji doesn't even look surprised, he knows what Xichen is doing

AT LEAST BE NEAT, WUXIAN

He's so fucking happy, how could someone not be in love with him

Bro is just weak

LET HIM HUDDLE FOR WARMTH

Okay, you are just slandering him at this point

Love at first fight

Bro is trying to be friendly and Wangji is just not having it

THE FEAR WHEN WUXIAN STARTED UNDRESSING

Why else would he be undressing

"please don't leave me here" and Wangji just stops. Dude ain't fooling no one

"I will stop undressing" Wuxian...

Inviting him to Yunmeng and offering to pick things for him 🥺🥺 baby's first date

Wangji has never been more stoic and stubborn

Watching him waddle is so cute in the water

THE FUCK'S IN THE WATER

WEI WUXIAN GOT SNATCHED FOR REAL THIS TIME

"Where'd he go?? FUCK-"

Oooh, a caveee

I like how Wuxian is spluttering and Wangji is so calm

They're so pretty together

Wangji actually looks concerned for once, the world must be ending for him to show such emotion

Wuxian trembling in the background like a little bitch /aff

A GUQIN??? WHAT THE FUUUCKKK

Wuxian is literally just being fucking thrown around

Wangji, what the fuck is going on

Wuxian flailing in the background

PROTECTING HIS HUBBY FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! THE START OF SOMETHING GAY

The way Wuxian looks at Wangji with such gayness in his eyes

BUNNIES!!! IT'S A METAPHOR. SYMBOLISM. SOMETHING

Hahaha they have the headbands

Are these rabbits boutta attack

STOP TRYING TO GET HIS FUCKING HEADBAND. YOU SIMP.

The literal music is telling us that this is gay

Wangji flying to his boyfriend to share the headband.

Tying them together 🤭☺️

Wuxian looks so impressed (and in love)

Wuxian's giggle

Wangji doesn't want Wuxian to get hurt

RESPECT THE HEIRLOOM, WUXIAN

What is it with Wangji and dragging Wuxian around

The slutty sitting from Wuxian, respect it

WANGJI ENTERING ANOTHER STATE OF BEING.

Wuxian is sooo smart.

The fact that Wangji just stares at Wuxian until he understands what Wangji wants

Dusting off the seat lmaoo

Why is Wangji so shocked??? Bet it was his mother

WHAT'S GOING ON??? IS IT THE FUCKING BUNNIES??

Standing side by side awwww

WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?????

L-Lan Yi????? She's so pretty I'm in love

Qiren standing at the door like a worried parent and Xichen trying to soothe him 😔

THEY'RE MISSING

Don't slander Wuxian, watch it

A storm??? Looks pretty clear to me

Everyone's fucking looking now

Cheng and Yanli are so worried awhhhh

Yanli is counting on you, Cheng, don't you dare disappoint her

"I will find him and break his legs" he cares so much

Yanli my baby, BE CAREFUL

JIN ZIXUAN YOU BETTER WATCH YOURSELF. YOU EVEN SO MUCH AS TOUCH HER WRONG AND I'LL GUT YOU

Nice catch though, props to that

(DON'T YOU FREEZE ON ME)

Yanli you can do better, Qing is right there

I literally love Lan Yi, she's so awesome

HAHA Wangji just hitting him to make him bow. The little smile afterwards as well

SHE'S A BUNNY LOVER!!!

Noo, Lan Yi can't goooo, she's so badass

Wuxian is a little blunt

SHE MADE IT???? DAMN, I'M IN LOVE

Eat it. I dare you. It'd be so funny

Literally what is going on

Destiny?? For these homosexuals????

BURIAL MOUNDS LET'S GOOOOO

Xue Chonghai?? Is he related to Xue Yang??

This is so cool, LIVING PEOPLE????

Man, people are so power hungry. Greedy bastards

THE TORTOISE OF SLAUGHTER??? HAHAHAHAHA I PREFER THE DANMEI VERSION

Oh, lives taken, she's dropping lore

Evil laugh, suspicious.

She called Wuxian smart, he really is teehee

Wuxian looks so pleased, and THE SIDE EYE FROM WANGJI HAHAHAHA

Put down??? Damn

BURIAL GROUNDS WHOOP WHOOP

So they broke it into pieces.

Bro should not have overfed the Yin Iron

Such evil laughter- HOLY SHIT, BRO HAS FUCKING LOST IT. He needs to brush his damn teeth.

He wasn't wrong to be fair

I like his fucking mood swings "HAAHAHAHAHA- 😐"

Alliances whoop whoop

Ah, burying the past, that's never gone wrong

Wuxian getting told off by Wangji

Wuxian and Lan Yi are so on the same wavelength

Wuxian gasping because they are

FUCKING SEXISM BOOOOO

SHE WAS FRIENDS WITH SANREN AAAAGGHHHH

He looks so hopeful, I am sobbing. And Wangji's look towards him and the music and ehhhh I'm sobbing

LAN YI, YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO FAIL HER

Ah, she started reading. Always a bad start.

SHE FOUND IT, wasn't very well hidden then

Freezing cold. Good lore though, poetic

Wuxian slowly turning towards Wangji

She was blindsided by her naivety I'm sobbing

So fucking poetic

NO way. There's two badasses??? And Lan Yi fought Sanren?????

She just wanted to protect herrrr....lesbians

Bro flew over her, it was impossible to break her

NOOOO, HER HUBRIS

Ew blood

She can't die, she just wanted what was best for the clan!!!

She looks ill, I'm so upset right now

It still sounds so pretty, even if she's struggling

KILL IT WITH FIRE

She sacrificed herself to keep it safe 😔

THAT'S THE END OF THE EPISODE?!??!?? WHAT THE HELL????

[yinyuedijun]

mao, hi! i feel like my tags under “translation” weren’t enough hehe so i’m sliding into your inbox rn with some bonus thoughts and compliments <3

you’re the “wise” mutual in my eyes and adore reading your posts — i feel like i can gain a better perspective on so many things (putting aside omegaverse /j !!! the lore bits were intriguing). english isn’t my first language so i was surprised that you use many specific phrases that only someone deeply interested in some topics would use, so it’s like +++extra wise because i’ve never used these words (i know the meaning, but that’s all).

and it’s so visible in your fic with aventurine. to write about certain situations with such detail, i don’t think i could come up with ideas like that. after reading “translation” my brain expanded lol especially since your take on cultural loss isn’t something i can relate to or find in my daily life, so it’s really interesting to learn more about it.

i hope you don’t mind me being so attentive to your blog lately — i’m here to absorb knowledge and appreciate your (online) persona <3

OH MANU!!!! T_T you are so sweet i cannot describe how this ask makes me feel. it's very funny that i am the wise mutual to you because i just feel like a silly little guy yapping into the void haha. but! i am also very happy to hear that i am able to provide some interesting perspectives for you, that you might not otherwise think about! thank you for engaging with my thoughts !!

i do have to say though, as one writer to another - i think the secret trick to writing very specific narratives has a lot to do with reflecting on your own experiences or perhaps special interests, and coming up with a story that is thematically shaped by those self-reflections. (at least for me it works like that idk i do feel like a very uncreative person....catfishing everyone into thinking i'm creative when really i am just writing stuff that is familiar to me LMFAO.) there will always be narratives that you can write that no one else will be able to, because the only person with your specific set of lived experiences is you!

and omg please don't apologize for all the interaction - i love being able to vibe with you and chat with you!!!! i am looking forward to chatting more with you in the future beloved <333