#mini novel

[iyunniee]

Do I have a chance, Rihe?

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A post shared by Nurul Inzana Filail—Iyun Na | 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 & 𝖶𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗋 (@iyunniee_)

Mini novel, by Iyun Na.

Yg kepo cuzz, lah klik linknya wkwk.

Thank u!

[lord-ofthe-frogs]

LOVING the idea of a sci-fi space travel story meets like ancient forest horror type trope.

Like. This is a routine scouting mission, you are flying closer into this planet because it was detected on scanners as being life supporting (obviously- you could have told that from a picture, the whole place is covered in green) but the foliage is so dense that from standard distance, the scanners couldn’t get a full read of the land (weird, that usually isn’t a problem, but some places flora do have weird ways of incorporating materials that really shouldn’t be in a plant, it isn’t entirely unprecedented). Could also be- like, lead in the atmosphere or something. Well- almost definitely not. Stuff doesn’t really grow that big in an environment that’s anything other than right in the golden zone, so it’s probably nothing like that. Still- this isn’t one you’d want to risk going no-suit for.

You’re swooping in closer for some recon- because, Dagnabit, you still aren’t getting clear readings- and- with what this place seems to be so far, the chances of intelligent life (intelligent enough to interfere with your ship, at least) are incredibly low. Only- suddenly, your scanner is detecting things. But- it’s totally on and off, like these leaves are completely blocking your signal somehow. Heat maps show nothing too special- heat seems to get trapped under the foliage somewhat, magnetism mapping seem to show signs of metals nearby, but nothing too out of place- perhaps a ridge.

But there’s some movement, which doesn’t seem to match wind direction. You’re too focused on checking your side panels to catch what happens as suddenly you’re being dragged off course- the carriage of the ship scraping against the plant matter as you careen into the undergrowth below. Which each layer of leaves and vines you clear, less and less light penetrates through. By the time your ship hits the ground, you’ve pretty much lost all trace of sunlight, despite the sun having been pretty much directly above you. Instead- the grove you’ve dropped into is lit only by bioluminescent fungi and the like- which stretch outward from what you realize are impossibly thick plant roots.

As your engine sputters and stops, you go into damage control mode. Okay- you have the materials to last you, you shouldn’t have to forage around for food or water any time soon- but you’re now underneath the foliage that had been blocking your scanner and, frankly, unless you find some way to get your communication gear back up there- or get this ship back up and running- you’re pretty much just gonna be stranded here until you die. Not great- but, you probably have the tools to get into it. I mean. How tall could these plants even be?

So, you check all your systems- try fixing up the systems and engine- and.. well, even if you did get her back up into the sky- there’s no way she’d make it through the kind of hyperdrive it would take to get you back to the nearest settlement. And, well… you’d rather die here than in the empty void of space, really.

With that set- you secure the ship, double check with all your crew-mates to make sure nobody was harmed- status reports, full medical checks- suit checks- luckily, nobody seems all to worse for wear. All that foliage must have slowed you down somewhat, thankfully. At least- in the upper levels. There are no real branches or anything down here- just.. fungi, really. From- what you can see from the ship. Not that you expect to find anything else. Smaller life forms, at the most- you don’t know of much else that could subsist on the sort of materials available down here. But- still, always to err on the side of caution. Evolution is a wild thing, after all- people were always finding new crazy things about it.

After about a day of just making sure everything inside the ship is secure, and planning out your next steps- you and a few of the crew take a venture out, to test your surroundings. It seems like your ship ended up nestled between to giant roots- and as you step off from them, you find that most of the ground underfoot is really just a mix of root, mushroom, and dirt. Rich dirt, at least.

This place could be a real fantasy looking environment if the trees (well- they seem to be trees, at least. You’d been taught not to be too quick to categorize foreign planet organisms.. but if the shoe fits,) were more.. reasonably sized. You start setting up your plans for scaling these giants- an organized system, checkpointing along the way. It’s practically like rock climbing, with the size and hardiness of these things. Eventually you climb up to a chunk where the bark has been carved through, exposing softer, young material (ignoring the question of how it had been dug through like that- might have been hit by your ship on the way down- or maybe there’s some type of creature here that eats this stuff, and had been chowing on it for a while.

The idea that some single creature had left it there in passing is quickly barred from your mind- nothing is that big). When you dig your climbing pick into this softer ‘wood’- it sort of sticks. So much so that you nearly fall off attempting to pull it back out. Sliding your gloved hand along the surface of the tool, though, it doesn’t seem to have any sort of residue or stickiness- so you brush it off as maybe just the tool sinking a little too far into wood that was clearly softer than you expected it to be. You try once more, determined to make some good progress on this task tonight- only for it to get stuck again. This time, you actually can’t manage to yank it out. You try again- and again, but it’s totally sunk in there. One climbing tool shorter, pretty exhausted by now, and starting to get very hungry- you decide it’s time to call it a day for this task. You begin the grueling task of making it back down- and join back with those still at the ship. The other two you set out with originally are still back at the ‘tree’- but the two of them happen to be a species more hardy than you, and they had been working on a system to create an accessible way up- rather than just scouting to see how high they could climb as you had been. It would certainly take longer- much longer- but it may help in the long run.

Anyway. You touch back in at the ship and take some rest, assuring yourself you’ll continue working to figure things out in the morning. Not that ‘morning’ was really a relevant term right now, considering the constant dark. The ship lights were still functional, at least- as well as those built into your suit. Things seem to be going fine. Nothing immediately dire- the only prospective issue so far seems to be how to get up high enough to deliver a signal quickly enough that you might be retrieved before supplies run out. Not that that should be an issue- after all, all fleet ships keep highly stocked at all times, and, as long as nothing changes too much- you should be set to survive for a good long while yet. At least a few hundred cycles.

Waking in the ‘morning’ to the same darkness as you’d fallen asleep to makes you a bit jealous of those few crew members which were nocturnal by nature- they must feel right at home here.

—

About a week in- crewmates are complaining of feeling like they’re ‘being watched’. A front of fog had set in around the third day, making further exploration difficult. You honestly almost write it off as the effects of stress and being in the dark and stuck in the same place when a few people start complaining about noises- that is, until you get so spooked you have to turn your team around after you all swore you heard something like a voice coming from the fog beyond (nothing you could decipher. The wind through the foliage, maybe? Is that a reasonable explanation? You can’t really think about the science of it right now.. but .. that was probably it.)

Still, you forge on, and the next day you set out again. It’s all standard, really. You haven’t even run into any fauna yet, why would you let a little whistling of the winds disuade you? (Not that you would really see anything, if there was something to be seen. This fog is too thick, now, you’ve had to set up a line from the ship to your place on this tree just to prevent you getting lost.)

You’re a traveler of space. What could one little forest planet really have against you, who’s toured tens of barely documented other planets?

You decide to start keeping a journal.

—

About two months in, things start going wrong. You’re starting out another climb, when your pick slips and you’re suddenly falling. You get tangled up in your rope- and you end up getting your suit ripped one of your pick blades- breaking the seal on your air. Thankfully- it seems… breathable. In fact, when you run another check to make sure you aren’t secretly gonna get horrible sickness after a while of breathing this stuff- you find that it’s actually pretty similar to that of your desirable conditions. In fact, it seems to actually be more suitable for you than the ‘universally breathable’ air they usually have on multi-species ships.

People continue to complain of weird feelings- like eyes on them, or this deep instinct that they ‘shouldn’t be here’ or whatever- you keep brushing it off the best you can- these sort of conditions for so long can really impact someone, especially those who are adapted for more sunny conditions. Nothings gone so wrong that you worry about losing anyone, at least. So far, everyone has been hanging on.

One day when you come back from some recon, everyone is agreeing that they heard something in the distance.

You find a couple smaller creatures, bugs, you’ve been logging them as you go along. Not too much fauna to go off, just yet.

Then- the ship starts deteriorating. The fuels somehow been sapped- you swear that root didn’t wrap so closely around the ship when you first arrived- some branch debris fell down a couple days ago, and now half the chasis has been wrecked- the backup universal air got hit, which is seriously going to impact how long you’ll last if the air doesn’t prove breathable for the others- and the lights in the operational parts of the ship have begun flickering on occasion.

Along the next few weeks, around half of the crew stops replenishing their air tanks and just resorts to braving the air around them- just hoping that no airborne contaminants come around. For a planet so dominated by flora, there’s actually a pretty reasonable balance of C02 to 02. The fungus, you reason.

After about month more in these straits- heating becomes an issue to face. You’ve run out of fuel to keep going on as you were- and some energy needs to be saved in case- so, ensured by the oxygen ratio in the air that it won’t result in anything too catastrophic- you and the crew decide that testing for flammable materials is in order. You find that the bark of the ‘trees’ works alright enough- though, you don’t have enough smaller foliage to make any sort of easy burning. Still- it works somewhat. So, you set up for wood-chopping shifts, setting out to collect bark and flammables. You’re not sure how well it’ll do if that fog rolls back in.. but it works for now.

Then, one day.. the person set out doesn’t come back.

Weeks pass. The paranoia amongst the crew worsens. Someone swears they saw something moving in the distance- one claims they heard distant footsteps, loud and booming, when they were out scouting.

You’re climbing again, when you see the faint imprint of glowing fungi parallel with you in the distance. Passing. Something this tall, moving along-

You don’t mention it to the crew.

Eventually- people start encountering things.

You lose a few more crew-mates.

Slowly but surely, you’ve begun to realize that there are things in these woods that you just don’t understand.

These things are much older than you.

This place is much older than your science.

No planet should survive long enough for this sort of evolution to come to fruition- but, for whatever reason, this one did.

And you are here, now- disturbing things which predate you by millennia, realizing-

That all you consider to be the standards of probability- these standards you’ve been so sure of- simply don’t extend to a place like this.

All this time, you’ve been operating on averages- and this place… this place is different.

[junesfool]

close enough, welcome back headcanons

(guys send me your original svsss designs in the askbox I wanna try smth 💛🐛)

Transparent versions:

[evaapriless]

Hello loves <3

Surprise - I didn’t stop at making Charlie Spring’s room! As of earlier today, here is my miniature version of Nick Nelson’s room!!!

Had the perfect box (no space on the shelf yet) and with a few minor adjustments (namely the vaulted ceiling) I had convinced myself that I needed this in my life XD

About 5 hours, some cardboard and LOTS of fabric scraps later, I now have Nick’s room as a little nook to match my earlier one of Charlie’s room!

There was a LOT of hand sewing in this one, but I got the beanbag right on my 2nd try (the first attempt was more a hackey sack lmao) and managed to match as much as I could to the illustrations AND Nick’s room in the tv show.

psst! look at the computer on the beanbag!!

Anyway I just figured I’d continue posting these on here since it’s where I originally put Charlie’s room on, so I hope y’all like it :D

really want @aliceoseman [ @chronicintrovert ] to see this 😭

Unrelated but check out this thing I made while reading The Reappearance of Rachel Price

[circussheep]

a little comic about the human soul.

[zahri-melitor]

I’m tired of boring samey suggestions for comics runs to start people on. Here are 6 comic stories I bet plenty of you have never read, require very little context, and that I rate highly as far too much fun:-

Batman/Wildcat: are you in the mood for Bruce Wayne and Ted Grant tracking down an gambling ring over illegal cage fights and ending up in one with a bunch of villains, set in late 90s DC comics? Do you want it to be charming, silly, and full of people getting punched? Have I got the story for you.

Black Canary & Zatanna: Bloodspell: There’s a curse on a group of women Dinah knows that were hired to knock over a casino. Dinah investigates and gets Zatanna to help her sort out what’s happened. It’s a heist story meets magic.

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death: Ivy gets a job at a scientific lab and attempts to give up crime, while also growing a gaggle of fast-aging plant!Sim babies in her giant flowers. Yes. Really.

Arsenal 1998: Vandal Savage, the ultimate ancestor of Roy Harper, tries to kidnap Lian Harper for scientific experimentation. Roy and Dinah STRONGLY object. Famous for being the first time Lian Harper is actually a character not just a poppet in arms.

Arkham Manor: Wayne Manor gets turned over to Arkham Asylum to hold the patients. Bruce goes undercover as a patient to solve a murder mystery. Goofy plots involving various villains ensue.

Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia: okay this one is cheating, but if you haven’t read the Hiketeia you really should. A young woman in trouble uses an ancient Greek ritual to bind Diana to be her teacher and protector. Bruce comes to hunt her down for her crimes. Diana is sworn to intervene. Bruce ends up eating a lot of dirt.

[leoneliterary]

Honor Amongst Thieves (WIP) — UPDATED 4/13/2024

The demo has been updated! Play it HERE!

This demo is short and I'll probably update it in a few weeks. (Although it didn't feel short to write. It was honestly confusing to write, but anyway, that has to do with branching stuff.)

Hope y'all are doing alright so far this week!

Let me know if it breaks and I hope y'all enjoy!

FORUM ~ KOFI ~ PATREON

[murasaki-cha]

Tcf novel spoilers

Raon: it's ok I won't have to fight alone, we have lots of companions

Cale: Yes

Raon: I can just run away

Cale: correct

Raon: and come and hit them in back of the head later

Cale: .... Sure

Raon: and scam them!

Cale: wait-

Raon: AND STEAL ALL THEIR MATERIAL POSSESSIONS!

Cale: hold on

Choi Han, Choi Jung Soo and Sui Khan: *trying their damn hardest not to laugh*

[3storyofmylife3]

A problem I find in fiction nowadays is that female main characters don’t seem real.

They’re too perfect, too untouchable.

Even their flaws aren’t really flaws.

They’re insecure, they don’t believe in themselves, but they are perfect in every other way.

The main character will be pretty but she wouldn’t know it. She’s fit a perfect aesthetic that little girls who read the books try to attain and it just wouldn’t work.

They’re badasses because they have a few “witty” one liners, but they’re mean and rude to everyone else. They judge other girls and mean to guys because girls are better than guys obviously (yay girl power).

They’re have a ridiculous amount of trauma but it doesn’t affect their health in anyway.

Writers are often too focused on making badass female characters that they forget to actually write a character.

Their are exceptions to this of course.

Like Lucy Carlyle in Lockwood and Co, despite being written by a man (Jonathan Stroud) she’s probably the most realistic female main character i’ve ever read about.

She gets jealous and petty sometimes, she gets insecure, she’s mean, she makes dumb mistakes, but she LEARNS and she GROWS.

She doesn’t just repeat the same mistakes bcuz there are no consequences to them and the male love interest will back her up no matter what 💅.

And she has friends and crushes and enemies and she’s just…normal. No incredible beauty, and amazing personality. Just a girl who tries her best with what’s been given to her. She’s a hard worker and is very talented (and she knows it, she just doesn’t really understand the reality of it).

Or Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place. An arizona trash bag, the worst person you will ever meet, but she tries to change no matter how long it takes her and tries to do good. And you have love her because she’s smart and relatable and even though she’s selfish sometimes she cares about her friends and is willing to do anything for them by the time the series is over, and it’s not like she goes all perfect of a sudden, she still makes mistakes and learns from them. Because the most important thing is to try.

Anne from Anne with an E. You will never get more second-hand embarrassment from a character besides Anne and still love her, because she’s just a teenage girl who has hopes and dreams and a big imagination.

Alex and Red from The Land Of Stories.

Cress from TLC.

Mabel from Gravity Falls.

Inej and Nina from SOC.

And there are so many more, i wish we’d give characters like this more times than characters like SJM heroines 🥲.

[ivoreene]

“Because I want to leave him in the care of an adult who understands other people’s pain. Someone like you.”

“…You came here just to say such sugary-sweet words?”

“You know that I have a sweet-tooth, don’t you?”

“I’m not good with sweets, though.”

----------------

happy nanago day!! it still 7/5 where i live so it counts :] go read the jjk light novel (where the quotes come from) ! its very cute !

my fav translation here -> right here! (i used quotes from this translation, please go check it out it has footnotes and everything! :] )

[maowbean]

Lan Zhan catch me!

I finally got my Wei Wuxian mini doll! The wait is over Lan Wangji. They are so cute! Still debating on how to display them

[childrenofcain-if]

how would the ROs react to an mc who gives surprise kisses? 🥺

C LACROIX

C was never one for surprises. their life was a series of meticulously planned moves, every detail calculated, every outcome anticipated. it was a matter of control, of ensuring that nothing—and no one—could catch them off guard. but then there was you, with your disarming smiles and your habit of doing the unexpected.

they’d just finished a particularly grueling conversation with one of their economics professors, their mind still running through the litany of critiques they’d received. their jaw was set, their shoulders tense, as they replayed the interaction in their head. and then you appeared, as you often did, without warning and with an energy that always seemed to unsettle them.

“hey,” you said, your voice light, as if the world wasn’t bearing down on you both. they barely had time to respond before you leaned in and pressed a kiss to their cheek, quick and soft, like the brush of a feather.

C froze, their breath catching in their throat. for a split second, they didn’t know how to react—should they push you away? demand to know what you thought you were doing? but before they could decide, they saw the look in your eyes, a mix of mischief and affection that made something inside them falter.

the kiss lingered in the space between you, not for its length but for the way it stole the air from the room, making everything else seem irrelevant. C’s carefully composed mask cracked, just a little, as their hand instinctively reached up to touch the spot where your lips had just been. their mind scrambled for something to say, something that would reassert their control over the situation.

“why do you always do that?” their voice was steadier than they felt, but the question came out more curious than reprimanding.

you shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. “because you looked like you needed a pleasant surprise.”

they wanted to argue, to tell you that surprises were childish, that they had no place in their life. but instead, they found themself staring at you, their mind spinning with the implications of such a simple act. the kiss was nothing, really, just a fleeting gesture—but it had upended them in a way that made them feel both irritated and captivated.

“you’re impossible,” C muttered, but the edge in their voice had softened. you laughed, a sound that felt like sunlight breaking through clouds.

“and you love it,” you teased, stepping back just enough to see their face, your eyes sparkling with amusement.

they wanted to deny it, to scoff at the idea that they could ever be so easily swayed by something as trivial as affection. but the truth was there, unspoken but undeniable, hanging in the air between you. instead of responding, they shook their head, a faint scowl tugging at their lips.

“don’t make a habit of it,” they grumbled, but the warning was hollow, and you both knew it. their voice dipped, quieter now, almost as if they didn’t want to acknowledge the vulnerability in their words. “i might start expecting it.”

you leaned in closer, just enough for your breath to graze their ear. “maybe that’s the point.”

you pulled back, leaving them standing there, caught between the urge to pull you closer and the instinct to retreat behind their walls.

C watched as you turned and walked away, the echo of your kiss still warm on their cheek. they knew that they should just let it go, chalk it up to your playful nature and move on. but as they stood there, alone in the hallway, they couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, you were the one thing in their life that didn’t need to be planned for. the one surprise they might actually look forward to.

V NÆSHOLM

V was always poised, always composed. their eyes, dark and steady, had a way of seeing through people, as if they could peel back the layers to find whatever truth lay beneath. they carried themselves with an air of quiet reverence, like someone who’d lived a thousand lives and learned to tread carefully in this one.

but in the quiet moments, when the world stilled and it was just the two of you, you liked to see how far you could push them, how close you could get before that composure faltered.

it was late afternoon, the golden hour casting a warm glow across the room, filling the space with the scent of old books and the faint trace of incense that clung to V’s clothes.

you were sitting close, closer than usual, with a book between you that neither of you was really reading. V was talking, their voice low and measured, saying something about a passage they’d found particularly interesting. but you weren’t listening, not really. you were too focused on the way their lips moved, the way the light caught in their curls of their hair, turning it to strands of roots in eden.

without warning, you leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of their mouth. V froze, the words dying on their lips, and for a split second, they looked at you like you’d just knocked the air out of their lungs. it was a rare sight, that flicker of surprise, and you savored it, knowing how precious it was to see V undone, even if only for a moment.

“what are you doing?” they asked, their voice softer now, almost breathless. their hand went to the small cross they wore around their neck, fingers curling around it as if it could anchor them.

“just wanted to kiss you,” you said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

V’s eyes fluttered shut, and for a heartbeat, you thought they might pull away, retreat behind the walls they’d carefully built. but then, they exhaled slowly, their shoulders relaxing as they opened their eyes and met your gaze.

“you can’t just—” V started, but their protest was weak, half-hearted at best. they were already leaning closer, as if drawn to you by some unseen force.

you grinned, and before they could say another word, you kissed them again, this time fully on the lips. V made a soft sound, something between a sigh and a hum, and you could feel them melting against you, their usual composure slipping away like sand through your fingers. when you finally pulled back, V’s eyes were bright, their cheeks flushed in a way that made them look almost otherworldly.

“surprises make life interesting,” you murmured, brushing your thumb along their jawline. V let out a shaky laugh, the sound so uncharacteristic it sent a thrill down your spine.

“you’re going to be the death of me,” they said, but there was no real malice in their words, only a kind of resigned fondness.

“maybe,” you replied, your voice teasing, but there was a warmth in your chest that belied the lightness of your tone. “but you’d miss me too much if i wasn’t around.”

V didn’t answer immediately. instead, they leaned in and kissed you, a soft, lingering touch that felt like a promise. when they pulled back, their eyes were dark and serious, and they said, “yes. yes, i would.” it wasn’t much, not really, but coming from V, it was everything.

W OSTENDORF

the day had been ordinary, in that way that only the most precious days were. the sun was a pale disk in the sky, caught between clouds, casting everything in a soft, diffused light. the kind of light that made the world feel quieter, like it was holding its breath.

W was absorbed in their work, their fingers smudged with ink as they hunched over the pages of an old book, translating each word with the kind of care that made them lose track of time.

you were beside them, as usual, a comforting presence that W had grown used to over the years. they liked the way you filled the spaces with your quiet energy, a contrast to their own more reserved nature. they’d gotten so used to your presence that they sometimes forgot how unpredictable you could be, how you had a knack for pulling them out of their thoughts with just a touch, a word.

that was why, when you leaned over and pressed a kiss to their temple, W nearly dropped the pen in their hand. the kiss was soft, unexpected, and it sent a shiver down their spine. for a moment, they just stared at the page in front of them, the letters blurring together as their mind scrambled to process what had just happened.

“what was that for?” W asked, their voice barely above a whisper. they turned to look at you, their cheeks turning red, their sapphire blue eyes wide with a kind of startled surprise that they couldn’t quite hide.

you smiled at them, that familiar, maddening smile that always seemed to hold a secret. “i just felt like it,” you said simply, as if kissing them out of the blue was the most natural thing in the world.

W blinked, their heart thudding in their chest in a way that made them feel unsteady, like the ground beneath them had shifted. they weren’t used to this, to the way you could so easily disrupt the careful balance they’d built around themselves. they were used to predictability, to the safety of routine. but with you, nothing ever felt predictable.

“do you—do you always do that?” W asked, their voice trembling slightly. they could feel the heat rising to their chest, embarrassment mingling with something else, something warmer, softer.

you tilted your head, considering them with a look that made their stomach flip. “only when i think you need it.”

W swallowed, their throat suddenly dry. they wanted to say something, anything, but the words were stuck, tangled up in the mess of emotions that your kiss had stirred up. they weren’t sure how to respond to this, to you.

“i—” W started, but the words faltered, trailing off into nothing. instead, they just looked at you, their eyes searching yours for some kind of reassurance, some sign that this was okay, that they weren’t making a fool of themselves.

you reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from their forehead. “you think too much,” you said softly, your voice like a balm to their frayed nerves. “just let it happen.”

W exhaled shakily, their shoulders relaxing as they let your words sink in. they weren’t used to this, to being so close to someone, to letting their guard down. but with you, it has always been different, isn’t it? it felt safe, in a way that made them want to lean into it, to trust that you wouldn’t push them too far, too fast.

“i’ll try,” W murmured, their voice barely audible, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of their lips.

“good,” you replied, and then you kissed them again, this time on the lips, soft and slow, giving them all the time in the world to respond.

W felt their heart flutter, a warmth spreading through their chest as they tentatively kissed you back, their hands hovering awkwardly at your sides before finally resting on your arms. it was familiar, this feeling, this closeness, but it was also… right, in a way that they’d always imagined it’d be.

when you finally pulled back, W’s eyes were half-lidded, their lips slightly parted as they tried to catch their breath. but there was something deeper in your gaze, something that made their heart skip a beat.

“i’d take good care of you,” you said, your words a simple promise to keep.

W didn’t doubt it. not for a second.

D DIACONU

D was used to getting what they wanted, and what they wanted was usually simple—distraction, pleasure, something to stave off the gnawing boredom that crept in when life was too predictable. they lived for the thrill, the chase, the game of seduction where they always had the upper hand. at least, they thought they did.

the day had been like any other, filled with fleeting moments of amusement and shallow conversations that left D feeling emptier than before. they leaned against the wall of the dimly lit room, their arms crossed, watching you from the corner of their eye. you were different, though. you always were. you didn’t fall for their charm as easily as others did, didn’t play along with their games in the way they expected. it intrigued them, frustrated them, made them want to unravel the mystery that was you.

so when you suddenly leaned in, pressing your lips to theirs without warning, D’s mind went blank. the kiss was quick, light, like a spark of electricity that left them buzzing, craving more. they weren’t used to being caught off guard, especially not like this.

“what’s gotten into you?” D asked, a smirk playing at the edges of their lips, though their voice betrayed a hint of surprise.

you shrugged, a mischievous glint in your eyes. “just felt like it.”

D stared at you, their usual confidence faltering for just a moment. they were supposed to be the one in control, the one who initiated, who called the shots. but you, with your infuriating unpredictability, had flipped the script, and they weren’t sure how to handle it.

“you know,” D began, their voice low, teasing, “most people wait for an invitation.”

“where’s the fun in that?” you shot back, a playful smile curling your lips.

D blinked, their heart pounding in a way that was unfamiliar, unsettling. they were used to lust, to desire, but this—this was something different. It was too raw, too real.

“well?” you prompted, your voice a soft challenge.

D swallowed, their bravado slipping away as they found themselves leaning in, their lips brushing yours again, this time slower, more deliberate. they weren’t sure if they were still playing a game or if they’d lost it entirely, but for once, they didn’t care. all they could focus on was the way you felt against them, the way your hands rested lightly on their shoulders, grounding them in the moment.

“you’re dangerous,” they murmured against your lips, more to themselves than to you. “but i think i like it.”

you grinned as you pulled away, that same maddening smile that had driven D crazy from the start.

“good,” you said, your voice light, but with an undercurrent of something deeper. “because i’m not planning on stopping.”

D’s heart skipped a beat, and for once, they didn’t have a witty comeback, no clever retort to mask the way their chest tightened at your words. all they could do was nod, a silent agreement to whatever this was between you, even if it scared them more than they’d ever admit.

as you turned to leave, D watched you go, their fingers brushing over their lips, still tingling from your kiss. they knew they were in trouble, but for the first time in a long while, they didn’t mind. not at all.

M WHITLOCK-SINGH

M’s reaction to an unexpected kiss from you unfolded like a series of rapid snapshots—vivid, disorienting, and all too intense. the room was quiet except for the distant hum of the town, the kind of stillness that amplified the subtle chaos of their emotions.

it happened one evening, their face illuminated by the soft glow of streetlights filtering through the curtains. M was deep in thought, their brow furrowed over a book they barely read. their mind was a swirl of dates and international treaties, the weight of their own responsibilities pressing on them. they felt the gentle brush of lips against their cheek—a fleeting, soft caress that jolted them from their reverie.

M’s head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise. they met your gaze, a flicker of something raw and unguarded dancing across their face. the air between you seemed to thrum with a new energy, charged and electric.

“what was that for?” they asked, their voice a mix of bewilderment and something else—a hint of vulnerability, perhaps.

you smiled, a secretive, almost mischievous smile.

“just felt like it,” you replied, your eyes twinkling with a blend of affection and playfulness.

M’s mouth curved into a half-smile, a reaction both hesitant and eager. they brushed their fingers over the spot where your lips had touched, as if trying to hold onto the sensation.

“you can’t just do that,” they said, their tone soft but edged with the intensity that always lingered beneath their calm façade. “it’s... distracting.”

“is that so?” you leaned closer, your breath warm against their skin. “do i distract you that much, baby?”

they met your gaze, and for a moment, the barriers they usually maintained seemed to falter.

“yes, in a way that makes me forget what i was thinking about,” they said, their voice low and almost reverent. “in a way that makes everything else seem irrelevant.”

you laughed softly, a sound that seemed to lighten the weight in the room.

“i suppose that’s the point,” you said, brushing your lips against theirs again—this time, a quick, light touch that left a lingering warmth.

M’s eyes followed your movement, a flicker of something like wonder in their expression.

“you know,” they said, their tone becoming more contemplative, “it’s not just the surprise of it. it’s the... the way it makes me feel. like there’s something more here than just words or plans.”

you tilted your head, studying them with an affectionate curiosity. “what does it make you feel?”

M hesitated, then shrugged, a gesture that seemed to be both an admission and a shield.

“like i’m not quite in control,” they admitted, their voice barely above a whisper. “and for once, i don’t want to be.”

the silence that followed was filled with a new, shared understanding, a moment of connection that was both delicate and profound. M’s gaze softened as they looked at you, their usual reserve melting away under the weight of their emotions.

“well, i suppose i’ll have to get used to being surprised,” they said finally, their smile widening. “though i’m not sure if i’m ready for it.”

your eyes sparkled with warmth. “you’ll manage. after all, sometimes the best things in life are the ones that take us by surprise.”

M nodded, their expression a blend of acceptance and anticipation. “i suppose you’re right,” they said, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from your face. “and maybe... that’s not such a bad thing after all.”

[junesfool]

everytime I show my nyy design to one certain friend she screams "HATSUNE MIKU" and I lowkey see it now

[dallasgallant]

Darry is a part of the gang in that he’s a part of the friend group. After all they’ve always been more of a friend group than a gang (to Pony’s own admission) they’re not organized or named etc.

What differentiates Darry is he doesn’t participate in the crime aspect. Now again they usually don’t do anything organized/together but almost all the guys apart from Johnny(early on), Darry and perhaps pony have a bit of a record forming.

Now mind you it’s typically non violent and minor issues but it’s still “law breaking”. Darry has even more of an incentive to be “good” and do things by the books since he’s taken custody of his younger brothers, he’s petrified they’ll be taken away so he steers clear.

But pony implies he’s sort of always been this way. He doesn’t do anything himself but he’s always been “the guy to come to”. He guides the guys away from blowing up or doing something stupid- or if they do something he’s the one to hide them and talk through next steps. He’s the one who keeps everyone safe and at least tries to keep them out of jail.

That’s what gets to me particularly about Dally calling him. Is that he’s been the guy to turn to, the guys have blown up before and it’s even implied robbed a place before. But never armed. Never with the … intent… dally had. It’s that he calls for help, like he would any other day of the week but you know in this instance he doesn’t really want it just someone there idk its ough-

[verycharismaticdragon]

Y'know I'm not going to go and argue with people but I'm. kinda weirded out by the "Shen Yuan's family was actually neglectful/awful/abusive" takes? Because we have a story where:

a point is made about cycles of violence and how abuse creates more abuse (with Qiu Jianluo - Shen Jiu - Bing-ge sequence).

a point is made about how the person can turn out very differently depending on their environment growing up (with differences between Bing-ge and Bing-mei).

And like... how does one look at those two points, then at Shen Yuan saying he had a loving family, and forgoes the obvious conclusion - that growing up in a stable home is what sets him apart in the world of PIDW (including from literal author of the world who is a lonely and embittered child of the divorce!) and allows him to change it with the power of love & kindness & bonding with people - in favor of deciding that his family was ~actually~ horrible?..

In that case, what makes him capable of breaking the cycle? Some kind of innate goodness or kindness? That, for some reason, no other character happened to possess? Right. Nice going completely devaluing Shen Jiu's tragedy.

To explain the last point: we get a lot of backstory for Shen Jiu, and the obvious takeaway from it is that he was not born a scum villain. That he did have a desire to do (and be) good, but it just couldn't flourish - because of a combination of terrible circumstances of his youth, his personal flaws, and the demands of the meta-narrative.

Thing is... two of those problems, he shares with Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan has his own personal flaws aplenty, even if they differ from Shen Jiu's, and a literal manifestation of the meta-narrative haunting him. But, unlike Shen Jiu, he happened to have a good family. That is their fundamental difference.

If one argues that Shen Yuan's family situation actually wasn't good, then what allows him to be so different from Shen Jiu? Isn't that saying that Shen Yuan was just a good person from the start... and Shen Jiu was just a bad person from the start? you know, the exact sentiment that made Shen Jiu give up on himself? And isn't it flattening Shen Jiu's story from a tragedy of a person who was broken out of his desire to do good by his terrible circumstances, into just 'a bad guy doing bad things because he's bad'? like, exactly what Airplane did to him in PIDW...

---

But, some of you may ask, don't we have evidence that Shen Yuan wasn't actually very happy in his past life?

Thing is, I don't disagree with that! I just think it didn't necessarily have anything to do with the quality of his home life.

For starters, having a loving family is not everything. Like, even if you just look at Maslow's pyramid, "love and belonging" is actually in the middle of the thing. Shen Yuan could have a perfectly fine, caring family and still be unfulfilled on "esteem" (recognition and respect from other ppl + personal feelings of accomplishment) and "self-actualization" (becoming the best possible version of himself) levels.

And that's before we factor in that he's a(n obviously if you read between the lines) queer dude who grew up in a country that criminalizes queerness which is something I don't see brought up a lot in discussions of the strength of his internalized homophobia, and the possibility that he is an undiagnosed neurodivergent person (i personally hc him as having adhd-I, i know there are also ppl with autistic headcanons, could be both, etc etc), and the influence of his social circle outside his family (cishet dudes on the forums, from what he know, so not the most positive and uplifting bunch)...

---

Lastly, while I think the thematic evidence from the first half of this meta is more telling, there are also a few small in-text details that prove Shen Yuan's words about how close-knit his family was.

First, the way he compares Yue Qingyuan to his older brothers in the very beginning, at the time he is still finding his footing and YQY is the one person looking out for him. (On the subject of SY!SQQ and YQY, just read this post, I won't be able to put it better.) Shen Yuan is explicitly "feeling at home in the atmosphere of brotherly love".

Second, the fact that we know he read his younger sister's danmei novels. On Shen Yuan's side, literally how committed he had to be to supporting his sister's interests, when we know from being in his head how determined he is about playing ostrich with anything and everything gay. No shit he spoiled her, I believe that one hundred percent. And on his sister's side, the level of trust she has towards her brother? Having full confidence that she could make him read gay bdsm and he wouldnt love her any less?..

---

So yeah, I think all signs point to Shen family being as close-knit and loving as Shen Yuan says.

[web-novel-polls]

Loosely a follow-up to this poll

*non-related characters that call each other brother, sister, uncle, aunt, etc. (anything that implies they're related when they're not) would be changed or left off while characters using titles like Mr, Mrs, Miss, etc. would be translated.