#my dearest is my favourite drama of all time

[jupteur]

lovely runner (2024) / my dearest (2023)

[dangermousie]

Honestly I think you're one of my favourite kdrama bloggers on here and I'm curious: what are the kdramas you consider to be perfect? Like top to bottom not a single flaw seen. What's the best of dramaland for you?

Awww thank you! I love this type of ask too!

Any list of mine is gonna be of course vvv subjective (I am not a romcom lover for example) and I can guarantee you that the moment I hit post, I am gonna lose my mind because I will remember I forgot something.

Also, no flaw by definition excludes some of my faves where there are a few minor flaws but the rest is so amazing it doesn't matter (The Legend First King's Four Gods comes to mind - the first ep ie prologue set 1k years before the main story - is a lil cheesy. But the rest is so good I don't even care and same for My Dearest where I'd perhaps remove the final amnesia bit but it's a perfect drama otherwise with the rest so good I don't even care. So perhaps they should be listed.)

But anyway here are are some dramas where I have not seen a single flaw, perfect dramas.

Mawang (also known as The Devil or Lucifer) - probably the best kdrama dealing with revenge ever made - the damage, the driving need, the destruction of self and yet destruction of self without it. To really explain anything about it would be spoilery so all I am going to say is it revolves around an icy lawyer with a secret, a hot headed cop chasing a string of murders, and a librarian who can read past events by touching objects or people. The way I cried. The way I stared in shock as it ended. The sheer perfection of it all - the acting, the relationships, the writing. I get emotional just thinking of it.

IRIS - yup, an action drama. I am not much of a fan of various sequels/spin-offs (involving different characters, you do not need to watch anything else if you watched IRIS or to watch IRIS to watch the others) but the original is amazing. Sure, it's an actioner. It's also an amazing character study of a person taken apart and trying to put himself together, of past tangling, of people passing or failing tests set by life. It's just - AAAAAAAAA also yet another drama I bawled for hours over.

Train - Yoon Si Yoon is a cop slipping between alternate universes in search of a killer seems like a procedural with a side of scifi but it's more of a meditation on love and loss and what drives us to keep living (or not.)

Someday - hands down the most obscure kdrama on this list, this is a tale of four people whose lives intersect - a mangaka seeking inspiration, a sort of private detective hiding unimaginable trauma under his sunny demeanor, a manipulative yet childlike psychologist and a business minded friend of the last one, the sanest of them all. When people discuss healing dramas, this is the one that comes to mind. My favorite is the detective's arc because it's one of those trauma sunshine things where he's coping, coping, coping and then...stops.

Empress Ki and 6 Flying Dragons - if you watch only two long sageuks, make it these ones. They are smart (esp 6FD), and they are such amazing complex character studies of people being hollowed out by power. The OTPs are amazing and what I love but the character study is even better. And both are epic in all senses of the world.

Speaking of sageuks, Slave Hunters (also known as Chuno) about a former nobleman who's a slave hunter now, an escape slave who used to be a general, and a slave woman masquerading as an aristocrat is my favorite sageuk of all time - a love story, a character story, and a story of the dispossessed, this is smart and grim and hopeful and just - if there was ever a perfect sageuk, this is it.

The Princess' Man and Flower of Evil - ie Moon Chae Won loves a feral mess and goes MINE! TPM is a smart emotional sageuk, one of the best out there and FoE is a study of love and trauma.

Something Happened in Bali, Padam Padam, A Love to Kill, Spring Waltz, Thank You, Snow Queen, That Winter the Wind Blows - old school melodramas (perhaps not TY so much, it's more complicated in genre) that push people to the limits to expose their deepest selves.

My Country the New Age, Hong Gil Dong, Rebel the Thief Who Stole the People, The Crowned Clown, Return of Iljimae - they focus on class in period setting (just as Chuno did) and make me care and think.

Worlds Within - seemingly about lives of studio workers, this is a rare drama where you feel you are peeking at real people.

Gloria and Family Honor - 50 ep drama where I'd remove nothing and that feels so intimate.

W Two Worlds, Extraordinary You, The Moon in the Day, Live Up to Your Name, Queen In Hyun's Man - high concepts that improbably work and make you think and feel.

Secret Garden, City Hunter, Healer, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Faith, Tale of the Nine Tailed, I Hear Your Voice - just a wonderful good time.

Gaksital - take a bad guy, make him your protag, slowly redeem him and put him through hell.

Bad Guys - a bleak take on revenge and truth but also a damn good time at the same time somehow.

Beyond Evil and Cruel City - about cops but not really. About forgiveness, love and limits.

Come and Hug Me - brought me back to kdramas. A love story and trauma story and a bit of a thriller. It's everything.

Beauty Inside, Last Scandal, City Hall, My Girl, Delightful Girl Chunhyang and Hometown Cha Cha Cha - it is very rare for me to love romcoms. These few make the list. They also made me cry so make of it what you will.

Shut Up Flower Boy Band - the only time I liked a teen drama.

Capital Scandal and Chicago Typewriter - masterpieces dealing with the 1930s revolutionaries.

Que Sera Sera - if you love dysfunction and intense shipping, oh boy!

I am sure the moment I hit post, I will remember something else, but this will do for now.

ETA: aaaaaa Damo!!! My very first sageuk and what a way to start!!! Perfection.

ETA2: Arang and the Magistrate! OK Shin Min Ah is in an awful lot of these...

[frances-and-the-moon]

So!

Since there is a Spotify Wrapped and a Youtube Wrapped I thought it a good idea to make a personal K-drama Wrapped a.k.a. a list of all K-dramas & J-dramas I watched this year!

I had a lot of time this year to watch lots (and lots) of TV Shows. So, without farther ado, here's a list of all TV Shows I watched in 2023, ranked by my very personal vote (I'm probably forgetting some but it's ok lol. Favourite ones are in bold + bromance ones are pink, BLs are purple)

1. Beyond Evil (10/10)

2. The Devil Judge (9/10)

3. Weak Hero Class (9/10)

4. The Glory (10/10)

5. Strangers from Hell (8/10)

6. The Worst of Evil (10/10)

7. The Guest OCN (8/10)

8. Revenant (7/10)

9. Sky Castle (7/10)

10. All of Us are Dead (8/10)

11. Little Women (7/10)

12. Lies Hodden in My Garden (7/10)

13. Sweet Home (9/10)

14. Duty After School (7/10)

15. KinnPorsche (8/10)

16. The Eighth Sense (7/10)

17. Girl From Nowhere (8/10) (Thai Drama)

18. The Good Bad Mother (7/10)

19. D.P. (8/10)

20. Black Knight (7/10)

21. My Mister (9/10)

22. Bloodhounds (7/10)

23. Atelier (Jdrama) (8/10)

24. Moving (10/10)

25. Evilive (8/10)

26. Flower of Evil (8/10)

27. My Dearest (8/10)

28. The Deal (8/10)

29. Duty After School (6/10)

30. Vigilante (9/10)

31. The Killing Vote (7/10)

32. One Room Angel (8/10) (JDrama)

33. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (8/10)

34. Reborn Rich (8/10)

35. Taxi Driver (8/10)

36. Only Friends (7/10)

37. Home School (7/10) (Thai Drama)

38. Castaway Diva (8/10)

39. Celebrity (7/10)

40. Last Twilight (8/10) (Thai Drama)

41. My Personal Weatherman (8/10) (Jdrama)

42. Black Knight (7/10)

43. Perfect Marriage Revenge (8/10)

[eratoswords]

I finished The Red Sleeve, after so long wanting to watch this drama. What took me so long? I don't know, but now it's done, I've got so much to say. I experienced this drama intensely, going through every possible emotion. I shared so strongly in the experiences and feelings of the characters, who were all so interesting. And the drama aims to faithfully illustrate the hard life of concubines, queens and all the women of the court. I was so invested in Yi San and Deok-Im's relationship, their choices, their pain and their resignation. Once again, I want to salute the bravery of Sung Deok-Im, whom I admire more than anything. 

At first, I didn't understand why she didn't want to admit her feelings. But now I understand, and I admire her. I understand and celebrate her determination to remain dignified, to retain her integrity and her feelings, because that's all she had power over. She was courageous, because she preferred to suffer in silence rather than lose who she was, and the daily life she cherished. And she was right, because the life of a concubine was hard, and this life changed her completely and distanced her from everything she loved and what made her who she was. In the end, she chose Yi San, and gave him everything. Yi San, without necessarily wanting to, took everything from her. But that's where the drama aims to be historically reliable. Unfortunately, these characters' choices were in line with what they could have been at the time, and above all with their status. 

But they loved each other so much, so tenderly and passionately, so intensely, that their pain and the tragic end of their love broke my heart. I knew the drama was going to end tragically, but I still wasn't prepared for it. I wasn't prepared for the unhappiness of Deok-Im and Yi San, but also for the loss of Deok-Im's friends. The loss of Young-Hee, who was bullied for also wanting to be free for a few moments. In the end, Gyeong-Hee was alone, because she had lost them all. The scenes where the four of them came together, the depth and power of the friendship that bound them together, were some of the best for me. I liked how the drama showed how important friendship is, and how much you should cherish your friends. The friendship they had was so beautiful and real.

Just one last thing, concerning the character of the queen dowager, who I found exceptional, as well as Yi San's mother, the concubine Hyebin, whose harshness of their respective lives was illustrated.

I salute the beauty of the sets, the scenes, the costumes and the marvellous performance of each actor. I must say that I was fascinated by Lee Junho's acting, which I found remarkable. And Lee Se-Young, who I found touching, and whose performance was sincere and fair. 

I really wanted to express my love for this drama. I'm glad I finally watched it. I now have a trio of favourite historical dramas! The Red Sleeve joins Mr.Sunshine and My Dearest in my list of favourite dramas. 

[buldakdrama]

Upcoming Dramas in August 2023 that are a must watch!

It is never too early to get your calenders decorated with what will really keep you busy in the upcoming month and honestly, I am a huge procrastinator in almost every other subject except one... can you guess it? Yep, it's kdramas. I need to get that mental preparation running so I can be thrilled, haunted, humoured and of course, romanticised to the point of desperation. And if you are like me, then I can guarantee: August is going to be your month!

The First Responders 2

Starting with this sensational thriller that took us by storm with its first season, The First Responders is finally back with its sequel. We are finally going to be off that cliffhanger that made us lose our minds. As a fan of crime thrillers and *ahm-ahm* drool-able people in uniforms, can you imagine the sequences with firefighters and cops at play, together?! I am excited to see how their combined efforts will continue on the restless path of justice. Well, if somebody looks for me in August, you all have a clue now for where I would be.

This season will follow on the tracks of its prequel and air on Disney+ for all audiences and will take over the slot occupied previously by SBS' Revenant on Fridays and Saturdays.

Moving

Moving is a webtoon adaptation from Writer Kang Pool's webcomic. The story captures three high schoolers, who have superpowers that they want to hide from people. They, however, have inherited these powers from their parents who struggle to protect them from letting their powers be misused.

I'm not too empathetic about the latest inclination of kdramas towards webtoon adaptations but as an avid viewer, I cannot deny the crazy amount of interesting tales that have come to life from toons, all of which are a sight for sore eyes. But Moving really grabbed my attention from the distinct plot. I am expecting a lot of parent-child dynamic and a lot of (hopefully credible) action scenes.

Moving will be airing on Disney+ for all audiences.

My Dearest

Yet another period drama that will tug at your heartstrings. Set in the Joseon era during the Qing invasion, there is a great suffering of people from all works of life. In an unforeseen storytelling, love blooms in the ruckus between a man of complex character and dark secrets and an almost-too-confident noble lady. Will their journey be a smooth sailing or will it be overturned by storms? We'll have to see.

With the serene covers and the bright, picturesque snippets, I do feel a very strange conviction that we'll be dragged through the darkest angst in this series. I am praying that they won't pull a Scarlet Heart Ryeo with this one *cries in sad endings*.

My Dearest will be airing on the slot previously occupied by MBC's Numbers on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Killing Vote

Do the loosely tied law bindings sometimes call for extreme measures by the anonymous greater masses? Such happens in The Killing Vote when all citizens over 18 years old begin to get a polling message that makes them choose whether a person should receive the death penalty or not. If the majority votes in favour of the death penalty, the offender is then taken out by an anonymous masked persona. This stirs up the authorities and hence begins a blind pursue of a murderer in the facade of a lawless justice lender and the real national safeguards.

And we are at my favourite genre! This one is based on a webcomic too written by Eom Se-yoon. Ah, the way I am already jittery awaiting this drama. I feel like this has the potential to be one of the biggest dramas of 2023 or it could be a massive disappointment and a mess of plot holes. Either way, strap up your seat belts because this will be a ride for sure!

The Killing Vote will occupy the airing time of SBS Thursday's 21:00.

My Lovely Boxer

A story of a coerced bonding between a professionally ruthless Sports Agent and a lost boxer, who was previously undefeated in all her matches. Sports agent, Kim Tae-young begrudgingly takes the duty of bringing back the lost boxer, Lee Kwon-sook. Will he, whose strongest suit is extracting the most from his players, succeed in convincing someone who has no intention to return?

A sports drama with what I expect to be a painful back drops awaits us in My Lovely Boxer. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the developments that the two visibly hard headed characters will have. The action will be added bonus!

My Lovely Boxer will take over the slot previously occupied by Heartbeat on Mondays and Tuesdays.

How many of these are you going to watch? Or do you have already more dramas scheduled in your itineraries? Do let us know! I'll get the spicy chicken ready and you set up the dramas, okay? I'll see you next time.

- Admin Kiara

[littlemisssquiggles]

With the recent episode having been released many shippers are saying this was the proof that Nuts and Dolts was canonized. Via through Ruby’s actions towards Penny’s sword and her speech about her. What are your thoughts on it?

Personally I never saw their relationship as romantic. Their interactions to me have always been things that friends just do. Now if they acted like Blake and Yang I would be more convinced but I just don’t see the romance shippers claim is there with them.

But then again I am aroace so romance is lost on me sometimes, maybe I just don’t understand that aspect but I always valued their friendship more.

Hello there anon-chan.

Speaking for myself here--- while I’ve been fond of the close dynamic between Ruby and Penny in the past, I too share in your opinions of never once perceiving their relationship to be anything more than simply platonic.

Similar to Whiterose, I’ve never one gotten romantic vibes from neither Penny nor Ruby. That’s just never been the nature of their relationship as portrayed in the show.

Penny and Ruby are friends. Heck, I’ll even go as far as to say that Penny was more of a best friend to Ruby than Weiss who was supposed to fit that role.

There is no doubt that Ruby cared deeply about Penny. Ruby was literally the first friend that Penny ever made. Even Penny’s theme that was featured for the first time at the end of V8 was titled “Friend” and was clearly about her friendship with Ruby.

Ruby and Penny are friends and always will be.

Ruby’s expression of her from today’s episode doesn’t change that; at least in my opinion. Penny was someone important to Ruby. Not as a lover or even a crush. Just a very dear friend she clearly loved and has now lost.

And the reason why Penny’s death is deeply affecting Ruby right now in the story is because, for the second time, Penny has been killed while Ruby was far away completely powerless to prevent it from happening.

We already saw how much Penny’s death deeply impacted Ruby the first time based off of what she told Oscar back in V5 and how the imagery of Penny’s murder at the Vytal Festival acted as a mental block to Ruby using her silver eyes on the Leviathan back in V6.

Now it’s happened all over again and unlike the last time, Penny is gone for good this time.

Ruby failed to protect her friend AGAIN! So it’s no surprise that it would eat at her both emotionally and psychologically.

But like with everything else that has happened, Ruby will attempt to bottle her emotions up for the sake of not giving into her unhappiness. Her negative emotions.

What Ruby is feeling right now for Penny is grief. The pain of losing someone who meant something to you.

Yes, Ruby cared a lot for Penny. I’ll go as far as to say that Ruby may have even loved Penny. But that doesn’t signify that Ruby was ever in love with Penny and vice versa. There’s a difference.

Basically what I’m saying in a nutshell is not all forms of love and incredibly deep connections are romantic only. Platonic love exists and that’s what I believe we’re seeing with Nuts and Dolts. Penny was one of Ruby’s most dearest friends so it makes sense for her death to hit her. Doesn’t mean there’s any romantic intentions behind it.

Anyone who thinks otherwise…well, that’s their opinion. And this is mine.

As someone who has become completely exasperated by the nonsensical nature of the shipping wars that go down in the RWBY community, I am sincerely not interested in digging up any dead horses and having debates/arguments with any shippers about the probability of their ship being canon or not. Despite being a romantic and have a gigantic shipping heart myself, I’m just so tired of shipping drama when it comes to RWBY. It’s not fun. It’s just so tiresome to listen to which is why I’ve disconnected myself from it entirely.

That being said, if the Nuts and Dolt shippers wish to claim today’s episode as a so-called “win” for their favourite pairing as they  attempt to cling to any tiny remnants of it, then let them have their fun, I guess.

Bottomline, I don’t see Ruby’s speech about Penny confirming anything. Once more, I think the shippers are merely overexaggerating things to help rationalize their push behind their favourite ship while completely ignoring the actual context of the scene in the show.

To me, Nuts and Dolts is, was and always will be just a really good FRIEND-ship that ended in tragedy.  

Nothing was confirmed (except Penny being the catalyst to Ruby’s eventual emotional breakdown to come later in the season).

Ruby and Penny’s “romance” isn’t canonized at all because their romance never existed to begin with.

Today’s episode does not change that. Ruby’s speech about Penny from today was not a proclamation of romantic love.

Just a girl clearly in pain sharing nothing but sincere words of admiration for her deceased friend while trying to keep things together and not crumble under the weight of how sad and angry she is about that.

It was like listening to Ruby give a eulogy for Penny at the funeral she never got to have rather than a love confession. What about that is romantic?

At least that's how this squiggle meister sees it.

In order to change my stance on this, I would actually need to hear Ruby Rose say in the show that she loved Penny Polendina as more than just a friend and not like family either.

And that’s NOT what happened in today’s episode.

Those are my thoughts on that. Hope I answered your question anon-chan.

~LMS (2023)

[faceglitchsworld]

It's the 31st of October, happy Halloween everyone!

Hope you'll celebrate this day happily with your ghosts friends and you'll watch your favourite horror movie tonight.

But this is not the important stuff today.

Today it's Seunghyub Day! 🥳

Happy birthday! 🥳

Please, look at the collage I made for him 🥹

I can't believe this month I've ended two birthday letters series, I'm still shocked about it 😭

And it's kinda ironic that I'm ending my N.Flying birthday letters with HIM. The man himself, the leader, Seunghyub 😭

Oh boy, what a rollercoaster writing these letters has been. Honestly, I thought about the format too this time because I wanted to make a very very special letter to him BUT since he's doing well and he's not in the military (thank god) I'll just give you the classic format BUT I've made sure to make it very long this time.

Sorry, you'll read much more this time.

My relationship with Seunghyub is kinda complicated. If you've followed me for a while you already know that I've reblogged many, and I say MANY, Seunghyub posts: photos, GIFs, videos, I think Seunghyub is the N.Flying member with so many posts about it on my blog. He has even more posts than my actual N.Flying bias, it's kinda crazy. But despite this mass posting, Seunghyub still didn't take a place in my bias line.

But despite this, Seunghyub is still important to me. I've met my dearest moots thanks to him and I think I've learned a lot about him thanks to them too.

Like, I think I know all the freaking times he made something risky like making a shirtless photoshoot or that time he starred in a drama and...well, he went randomly shirtless and did some work out too. And every time he does something I consider risky I always make sure to tag my moots on it because he truly makes them cry and scream.

And not only these moments, mind you. There are the silly moments too. Like, I can't believe that this tall man had a boomer moment when he joined Fromm and he couldn't change his propic properly. Or when he went at 2idiots and he almost failed the game and went shirtless. Or when he didn't know how to wear a shirt the right way. This man is silly, very, very silly.

And of course all the silly moments are always connected to what is his second family to him, N.Flying as a whole. And N.Fias too. I think that these days he has been more active than ever (I mean knowing the period ofc he's much more active now). It's honestly good that he wants to spend much time with us and keeping us company while waiting for N.Flying coming back as a whole. Sure, that means more boyfie moments but the company, the company you all. That is more important right now.

And of course I should talk about his music side too. And confess that at first I didn't believe he had a deep talking voice. I believed he had his singing voice and not that one. But still, it's not the most important thing to notice. The important thing to notice is his song writing, both as Seunghyub and as J.DON. because I'll never believe that someone isn't capable of vibing with Clicker, like no, that song is a banger. But there's one song in particular that deserves the spotlight today.

There's one song in N.Flying that I don't listen to too much. Not because it's a bad song or something, but only because I get so emotional when I listen to it that I should listen to it only for some occasions. That song is Starlight.

I don't think this song needs any introduction. If you've followed N.Flying for more than five minutes, you probably already know the meaning behind it, the cute yet sad MV and how it wasn't one of the most played songs live until recently apparently. Maybe Seunghyub went through some emotional struggle and decided to make everyone, especially me, teary and emotional during these recent N.Flying concerts, who knows. Jokes apart, I sincerely think that this song is so powerful to me that you don't need to search the translation to understand its feelings. Heck, I barely remember the translation myself and I still cry when I hear the words.

All this introduction just for telling you that this song, apart for tearing me apart all the time that I hear it, helped me a lot this year. I don't want to enter too much in detail because that would completely ruin the letter's vibe and, well, this is a birthday letter after all, but, at the beginning of this year I lost an important person in my life. The night I received the news I was so devastated that I didn't want to cry about it in front of my parents. It happened only once in my life and I didn't want to do it. I wanted some time alone, you know?

So I went into my room, put on my earphones and searched for a song to listen to. And my mind went towards Starlight. I searched the song, pressed play and let the song ring in my ears. I cried a lot. I think I've put the song on loop a couple of times while I was letting out all the tears. I was tired after a while. But I wanted to listen to the song one last time. And the song turned from a catalyst to a comfort blanket.

Dear Seunghyub, I don't want to reduce your songwriting to just one song but I want to tell you that, thanks to your music, I made a good bunch of friends and I went well when I had some terrible moments during my life. You caught a young fan's heart and you'll keep doing it as time will pass.

That's why my birthday wish for you is that you'll be able to wrap up all the songs from your SoundCloud and that you'll give us the next J.Don comeback from those. The world needs more of your music, your creativity, more of you in general.

Since you already did your birthday live, I can only wish for you the best day ever today. Spend it brightly.

Happy birthday, Seunghyub ❤️

[esteemed-excellency]

@eddie-dearest I had to add your tags because that's exactly what I asked myself when I started thinking about the character. I didn't plan a backstory or characterisation, I started playing because the alternative history concept of the game seemed intriguing and I wanted to explore what it had to offer in terms of writing. I played a lot of storylines just to see how the plot would proceed and I was immediately hooked by the mystery (this was around 2013). Hiram's characterisation is mainly based on the choices I made in game, and he turned out to be quite a mess, but in a fun chaotic way.

The rest of the post is under the cut because it got a little long.

After some years I started thinking about what kind of character would have made those choices and I elaborated a first concept for an oc, but I never thought that much about it. Around 2017 I deleted my old mail, completely forgetting it was linked to my game account so I had to start everything again, which was kind of a relief given all the new game dynamics that were added to the early game, and this time I had the character ready. I got some of my friends into the game too and we made a group chat (The Paramount Polycule started as the chat name lol) and that was the starting point for headcanons and characterisation development.

I love history and the 19th century is particularly interesting to me in terms of societal changes, a hyphen between the ancient regime and the contemporary 20th century ideologies (with all the good and bad implications that this entails), and technological advances. The process of change and how people react and adapt to it is what really intrigues me, and it's what got me into the game in the first place, and what prompted the background for the character. Hiram is fascinated by change and he loves to keep up with the times, I don't think he ever felt left behind by history. If he feels there's something he can't understand he dives head first into it until he figures it out. He approaches challenges like puzzles or games and he's still capable of wonder, even after a good dose of corruption arc.

Speaking of corruption arcs, I'm a tragedy enjoyer, other than a chaotic shenanigans appreciator, and I like when the narrative borders on horror. Gothic fiction with its specific motifs is one of my favourite genres, and another reason I started playing the game. I especially appreciate the theme of a place being haunted by itself and its history and/or moving through history haunted by what it was/what it is/what it could be, so you can see why Fallen London is so compelling to me. I also like themes of faustian bargains and that's why my character is Like That.

In terms of general vibes and aesthetic I love late 19th and early 20th century fashion, and I wanted Hiram to have the look of some actor from the 20s/30s interpreting a late 19th century character as an excuse to mix up multiple decades of fashion. The devils are anachronistic and fashion in Fallen London is so interesting to speculate. Pre code Hollywood and and pre nazi european cinema have the perfect aesthetic for me, and I got particularly inspired by the drama of austrian operetta films, hence the Anton Walbrook and Ronal Colman faceclaims. On a more personal note, I just projected some gender as I always do when I design a character. I like earlier 19th century fashion too, and that's why I made him so dandyish.

To end the post, here's a non-comprehensive list of medias that inspired Hiram's vibes and aesthetic:

the general concept of penny dreadfuls

À Rebours by Joris-Karl Huysmans: not the protagonist, but the circling pointlessness of the plot, the aesthetic of the house, and the spiralling

whatever happens when you mix the late wave of english Romanticism with the Decadent movement

Doctor Faustus by Thomas Marlowe: that's like, thee bluebrint, and Hiram appreciates the irony

Tales from the Vienna Woods by Johann Strauss II

Delirium Waltz by Josef Strauss

Enemies to Lovers by Joshua Kyan Aalampour

Mr. Malum by The Dear Hunter: mandatory dramatic song, this is Hiram's playlist if anyone wants more music

Maskerade (1933): main faceclaim movie, the promo pics with Paula Wessely and Anton Walbrook dancing are inspo for the Quiet Deviless and Hiram (plot is extremely melodramatic if anyone is interested)

Gaslight (1940) and The Red Shoes (1948): Anton Walbrook goes insane with expressions

The Devil to Pay (1930): Ronald Colman is the other faceclaim actor, he has a funny dog in this movies, inspo for Sugarplum

The man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo (1935): just the general fancy vibes, a suitcase full of money, and the iconic moustache look

[searchingforserendipity25]

has anyone sent star-people for the wip titles asks yet?

Thank you @thalion71, @theworldisquietheretooquiet and @emyn-arnens for asking about Star-People!

This is a WIP I've talked about a bit on tumblr already, based on the idea that Amarie and Elenwe are the same people. Turgon/Elenwe/Finrod established relationship turned to widowhood/separation, with a focus on Elenwe post-reembodiment. It's been left a bit to the way-side, but I do intend to finish it eventually, even if it never becomes the gigantic thing it is in the vibes that dwell in my heart.

The reason this hasn't been a very serious operation is because the way I have ended up writing Elenwe, which is, it turns out, not very serious. I didn't expect her to be this irreverent! But she's an outsider to the royal drama, and part of it for her own connections and ambitions, far removed from the events of Beleriand and engrossed in her own psycho-sexual relationship with the Grinding Ice, so this draft has become the thing I write when feeling funny and forget about most of the time.

Have a wholesome romantic reunion (not very):

It was no surprise, of course. Some people were extroverted enough to keep politics afloat after slaughter, language-weregild and awful family feasting on opposite sides with a kingdom out of it; and some people took their ten thousand closest friends and hid away in a secret city without warning, which had ever been Turukáno's favourite daydream during excruciating holiday dinners. It was just as well she was dead by then, because she really had had no inclinations to move South of Araman's latitudinal equivalent point upon Beleriand. 

Elenwë got turned around for a bit, died for a few centuries, and naturally Túrukano went and built a hidden city to challenge and spite the Enemy and shelter their people.

"Typical," said she. "Oh, what an ass my husband is! A mountain city works no worse as a trap than as a safe. Well, he ought not to think he is getting this one over me, merely because of a short absense - I will have this island done decently."

“Will you,” said Finrod, not unpleaseantly. 

“Why,” said Elenwe, very unpleaseantly. “Do you mean to dispute for it, dearest? Point a few of your thatched roofs my way, perhaps?”

“They are very excellent material.”

“Do go on.” Elenwe of the riverside Vanyar, who had dwelled in her youth in floating islands of river-reeds built in the way of Cuivénnen, and had built her first house at twenty. 

They had been academic competitors before they were friends, and had remained competitors in the craft of raising buildings after they wed. It was not often that Noldor of the same craft joined their lives together, for a good reason; but that, they both agreed, was a matter for more foolhardy and reckless people. Competitiveness was something of a set feature, a foundational part of the material upon which their affection was raised, and so they had always liked it to be.

Tol Eressea was right there. Elenwë was very sorry about all the people she had murdered, to be sure, but not enough to feel any compunctions on building a city to rival Alqualonde for the market-power they had lost in isolosiotanism.

"Why are you like this," Finderáto asked, pretending quite badly he did not find her business acumen very charming.

[survey--s]

612.

Were you awake before 9am today?  I was, but I didn't get out of bed until almost 9am.

Do you have an alarm clock, or just use your phone to set an alarm?  I use my phone.

Do you own any shirts with wording on them?  Sure, quite a few.

^ If so, what does your favourite one look like?  It's grey and says EAT. SLEEP. WALK BEAGLE. Sums up my life, hahah.

What beverage do you prefer to drink in the mornings?  I have coffee and a glass of juice.

Tell me what some of your nearest & dearest like to eat for breakfast.  Mike doesn't eat breakfast really - normally just coffee. My mum has tea at home, but if she's out she'll have Eggs Benedict normally. My dad likes porridge with loads of fruit/nuts.

What colour was the last car you travelled in?  Metallic dark grey.

Have you added any books to your shelves lately?  No, I don't think I've bought any books since last year, actually. I don't really read much nowadays.

Have you bought any new cosmetics or toiletries lately? Which?  I've just replaced stuff that's ran out.

When was the last time you bought a new pair of shoes?  Ages ago but I need to get new trainers and new wellies ready for going back to work next month.

^ What did they look like?  I think they were just my blue and pink Skechers.

Do you own any sparkly accessories?  Ha. No. I am not a sparkle sort of person.

Do your pets have a specific type of food that they prefer?  We're actually very lucky as all four of them are very easy to feed. The adult cats eat Felix AGAIL in jelly, Simba has Whiskas kitten food in jelly and Archie gets Harringtons wet food/biscuits mixed up together. We just have everything on repeat subscription.

When was the last time you ate one of your favourite foods for dinner?  I had pizza on...Tuesday, I think it was?

What’s your favourite variety of apple?  Pink Lady.

Does anything you own have an image of a cat on it?  I have cat socks somewhere.

Are you looking forward to anything within the next few days?  Yeah, the local county show on Sunday, my mum coming for the day on Wednesday and hopefully going to the beach and for lunch with Susie one day. I'm also planning to meet up with Suzanne and Charlie at some point but it depends on the weather.

How have you mostly been feeling today?  Hungry. We're getting takeaway for dinner so I need to hold out until then, hahah.

Does anyone you know own a pocketwatch?  I went to school with someone who wore a pocketwatch lol.

Do you know what you’re going to have for breakfast tomorrow?  Probably toast as that's what I have for breakfast 99% of the time.

How did you meet the last person you sent a message to on social media? She gave birth to me.

When you woke up today, did you have unread messages on any social platform?  No, I don't think so.

Do you watch any costume dramas? How about medical dramas?  I don't really watch either of those genres.

Which of your physical features do you receive the most compliments about?  I don't really think I get many compliments about any of them, if I'm being quite honest.

Look around the room and name 5 random items.  A leopard print cat toy/flirt pole thing, an empty glass from my iced coffee earlier, a hairbrush, a cloth to clean my glasses and a lighter.

[hxlda-hxlda]

Okay so I have just finished reading the last chapter that u just uploaded and if u dont mind im gonna rant about It .

First of all Remus and Sirius being paired Up was soo unexpected but im totally here for It . And the pure silence is seriously making me suffer I totally understand why Sirius was being dramatic cause i cant handle awkward silence , It will be the death of me i swear.

Secondly I loved the dorcas and Sirius interactions , well the whole slytherin skittles dynamic tbh .

And the way that Sirius and James hate each other more than Remus and Sirius ...

Thats soo weird and different but for some reason I really like It and am pretty interested in seeing more interactions between them .

Welpp thats all , to lazy to write more .

THANKS FOR THE UPDATE

Cant wait for the next one

thanks for reading dearest!!!!! i do not mind at ALL nothing is more fun than ppl talking to me abt my own self-induced brainrot, so rant away (as i’m now going to)!!!!!

it’s shocking to me it was a surprising turn of events. but then again it was one of the first things i KNEW was going to happen in this fic when i came up with the idea over two months ago, so it’s been rattling around my brain for a while. a lot of this fic is going to be based around those prefect rounds, which i am so thrilled to have play out.

and YES, the awkward looks and silences are everything to me!!! for me high school drama was a lot of just,,, i don’t want to talk to you,,, so i’m gonna sit here in bitter silence,,,, and it will be so fuckin weird,,,, and i love forcing that onto sirius and rem (and all of you) bc ugh. it truly is PAINFUL.

cas and sirius have become one of my favourite dynamics so unexpectedly, but i actually adore them with my whole soul - writing them is so easy and fun.

same with all our skittles. rejoining the marauders fandom after years of absence as i did, the concept of the skittles is something i’ve been discovering slowly (as it fully was not around when i was) and i was in no way expecting to write something so them-centric, but i’m enjoying how my characterisations are turning out (even if they’re a bit different from fanon)!!!!

good god i have so much to say abt sirius, james and remus in this fic. at the end of the day i’m going for this kind of mirror to fanon/canon where sirius and james are THE relationship (obvs they hate each other rn, but it is still a defining duo) and remus feels kind of on the outs as a result, seeing himself as something seperate and perhaps less of a priority as a result.

i could write a whole character study on james just for this fic. one of my main writing considerations is a sirius without a james who has shown him unconditional love. sirius in gryffindor is so different bc of JAMES, the first person to love him so overtly. when he doesn’t have that (even in his skittles in this fic, not in a way that isn’t attached to his family identity (at least in his own mind)), where does that leave sirius? bc then it also means, how do james and sirius develop a relationship when it doesn’t start with a foundation of ‘i chose you as my best mate in yr 1’, yk??? they hate each other already, where do they go from there in the future??? just. ugh. platonic prongsfoot. kills me every fucking time.

cannot wait for the next one as well, she’s a big one!!!! i’ll tell you that.

xx

[jennablackmorebooks]

Hello! I'm published! On the internet :D I write mostly fantasy novels, and my most recent one released in early 2022. It's called Regards, and it's an urban fantasy vampire drama novel. Here's the blurb:

Blood, fraud, lies, and letters. Adrienne Passer never expected to find herself in the strange affairs of vampires. Searching for a home, she moves in with two creatures of the night: one runs from his past while the other attempts to reconnect with his. Adrienne risks losing more than blood as she protects Sol Ryding from the consequences of his broken bargain and unites Kenneth Mond with his daughter. As she grows closer to her vampiric companions and gains information about her missing brother, Adrienne loses the most important remaining piece of her old life: herself. Determined to cast off her unwanted vampirism, she must rely on a scorned figure from Sol’s past. Seeking the removal of her condition costs the safety of her dearest friends, and potentially her own life. Can Adrienne reverse her transformation despite the danger, or will vampirism change her permanently?

Regards is my favourite of my novels! But I also recommend Rainbow (urban fantasy about people with wings and magical amnesia and inner psychic torment) and The Curse of Rhiannon (fantasy adventure where the protagonist tries to break the curse that keeps her trapped in her small hometown).

These books are available in hardcover, ebook, and paperback formats, as well as a couple of my other books; the rest are all ebook and paperback for now while I take my time considering designing hardcover edition covers for them.

They're available on the am of the zon, if that's not a dealbreaker for you. I don't really know what region you're in, so I'm going to try my best not to paste in my default Canadian Website Links and put in the dot coms instead =)

Regards: https://www.amazon.com/Regards-Jenna-Blackmore/dp/B09RG64H9J/

My author page with my books, in case any of them sound interesting to you: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jenna-Blackmore/author/B07TYX6VN2

I've probably possibly maybe got a book coming out in 2024, a science fiction novel called The Mind Game Machine, but I only recently finished the first draft so that's probably going to be a while, and I don't have a month lined up for its release yet (ah the perks and detriments of working on my own casual publishing schedule...)

Thank you so much for providing me the opportunity to ramble about my books, and I hope you enjoy them if you decide to read them! :D

Published Writeblr Call

I'm going to go ahead and get this started for next year, but I think for 2024 I'd like to start reading 1 book a month. And I'd really like to support writers in the community! I know I follow some of you who have or are about to be published

✨But please interact if you're published/going to be soon!✨

If you can reply/reblog with info about your book and the best place to purchase that benefits you, I'd greatly appreciate it! (I also want to get on here and gush about it after I've read it too) Up for just about any genre! I'll probably reblog this a few more times.

Tagging people already on my TBR list just to help get the word out: @abalonetea, @ashen-crest, @artdecosupernova-writing, @emelkae, @winterandwords

[eratoswords]

it's been a long time since i've been so obsessed with a drama, until my dearest. this drama is exceptional. the beauty of the story, the settings, the images, the dialogue, the characters and the acting. yu gil chae is probably one of my favourite female characters of all time, and lee jang hyun! i love them both so much.

[day-yonniee]

Can you do please wooin or owen!!!! I really like your stories!! And you are the only one i find who write for owen and wooin!!

𝖨 𝖫𝖮𝖵𝖤 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖠𝖯𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖢𝖨𝖠𝖳𝖤 𝖸𝖮𝖴 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖸𝖮𝖴𝖱 𝖲𝖶𝖤𝖤𝖳 𝖶𝖮𝖱𝖣𝖲 😣💞 AND SORRY FOR TAKING FOREVER. I DID MY BEST TO MAKE IT SWEET FOR YOU.

𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬 - 𝖮𝗐𝖾𝗇 𝖫𝗈𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗉 𝖧𝗂𝗌 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗒 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅.

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚(𝗦) - 𝖥𝖾𝗆!𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋, 𝖮𝗈𝖼!𝖮𝗐𝖾𝗇, 𝖡𝖺𝖽 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀

It was 1:26 a.m and most of the people in Seoul were resting in their beds. Well, everyone except a certain (colour) hair individual. Who sat in front of their vanity, the lights fully bright and shining onto them. Creating a perfect lighting for her to apply her makeup. Not caring about the time that was shown on her phone screen. Too engrossed in her reflection — her hands working on applying her makeup.

It felt calming, there was no rush or pressure that made her mess up. It was just her and her reflection — no annoying friends, No grouchy people and No drama of whatsoever. It brought great sense of peace to her and she mentally wished for these types of moments to happen more often.

Sigh

But like always, moments like these don’t last forever when you have a very clingy partner.

“Babyyyyy!”

The sound of Owen’s groggy voice made you let out a soft sigh. Returning your attention back to your eyeliner. Though it seems your silence response made your big baby jump out of bed. The sound of footsteps thumping their way towards your room gave you a warning before your door was ripped open. Revealing Owen’s sleepy face and wild bed head, but you were too focus on making sure your eyeliner looked nice. You didn’t want to mess up your eye makeup that you worked so hard on.

But it seems someone else didn’t like the lack of attention he was receiving. Pouting his way towards you, resting his chin on your shoulder while his arms sneak around your waist. Though he made sure he didn’t move you too much, since he knew how much you focus on your makeup. But that doesn’t mean he was gonna sleep away in the lonely living room while you stayed up by yourself.

“Hey pretty baby, what you doing up?”

You question him, the nickname sending butterflies inside his chest. Especially when you met his eyes through your mirror, the beauty of your face glowing from the lights. But to Owen, it was like a Angel blessing him from the cruel, dark world. He would happily lose his beauty sleep for you if you continue to look at him like that.

“Can’t sleep without ya.”

He mumbled, watching his dearest put on the last finishing touches of her eyeliner. Smiling when he saw how you compared the two wings, making sure they were both even before finally putting your full attention on him.

“Sorry hun, didn’t think you were awake.”

You answered with honesty, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Making his heart jump around in his chest, why must you be so sweet? He’s so close to locking you up in his home and keeping you there forever as his wife.

But thank god he has self-control and a healthy mind (and he knew Shelly would kick his ass if she found out that he kidnapped her best friend.)

“I’ll accept your apology if you come cuddle me.”

He bargained, his lips already finding your neck. His nose getting a whiff of your favourite perfume. It made him internally groan from how perfect you are. Maybe he needed more than cuddles.

You responded with a sweet smile before lightly pushing your boyfriend away from you. The sound a him whining and trying to push his head back where it was. Though you didn’t back down and held your ground.

“I didn’t even get to take some pictures.”

You frown, giving him your own pout. Glossy lips distracting the blonde from his little tantrum. The strong urge to ravish you overwhelmed the poor cyclist. You look so pretty, from your makeup to your favourite outfit. He never understood why you stayed up and get all dolled up just to take pictures. But right now, he tossed the questions to the side and focused on your pretty self.

“I could take them for you, but my payment is getting some shots of you in that new lingerie set I bought you.”

He winked, sliding his hands to your waist and giving them a squeeze. Making you bite your bottom lips in a mischievous matter, your arms coming up to wrap around his neck and bringing him down close to your face. Though you made sure he didn’t try to steal a quick kiss from you. Wanting to tease him a little bit more longer.

“Deal, but no touching.”

You challenge him, smirking when you seen his face fall in disbelief.

“Huh!? That’s practically impossible!!”

[beels-burger-babe]

Obey Me Pet Names

SO!

I saw an Obey Me post earlier today that was "cancelling" certain pet names that are given to MC and it got me really fired up for a number of reasons.

Now, I don't like to start drama and I like to keep my account happy and positive, so I'm not calling them or tagging them or doing anything like that, BUT I will share the pet names I have associated to MC from the different Obey Me characters in my fics and defend them.

Also, so long as it's not offensive, people can imagine them or their OC's being called what ever they want and people shouldn't restrict or shame that.

Lucifer: Beloved

Lucifer portrays an image of elegance and in full honesty reminds me of a Victorian vampire. Because of this, I thought something timeless, that held the poise while also giving you the respect and affection that you deserve would be nice. Therefore, I have Lucifer call MC, Beloved.

Mammon: Treasure

Yes. I have Mammon call MC treasure. "But B, isn't that cliche and little uncreative?" Honestly? Yeah. It is, a little bit. But Mammon values and adores his wealth and his valued possessions tremendously. His "treasure" is everything to him. So for him to call you Treasure, is for him to say that you are the most important thing in his life. That your love drives him just as crazy with greed as all the riches and gems in the world. AND THAT is why I use it and always will.

Leviathan: My Henry

Look, I honestly haven't really come up with a specific pet name from Levi yet, but at the same time, I feel like he'd be too nervous to use any of the typical romantic pet names in public because he'd get too flustered. Calling you his Henry is different though. It comes more naturally to him as he's called you it for as long as he's considered you a friend. Not to mention it's also a nod to the strong bond of trust, loyalty and honesty that the two of you share, just like Henry and the Lord of Shadows. (I headcanon MC teasingly calling Levi "My Lord" in retaliation on occasion to make him blush)

Satan: Darling/Dear/Dearest

Again, Satan is one of the ones that I haven't really come up with a solid nickname for, so as default, he gets stuck with the typical Darling/Dear/Dearest. (I'm just not personally comfortable with him calling MC kitten). At the same time though, these sort of fit him as these are common pet names seen in romance novels and texts. I think it'd make him happy that he could finally call you that himself.

Asmodeus: Lovebug

So I chose this for Asmo because I think having that very obvious and clear distinction that your relationship with him is one beyond lust, one of true and genuine love would make him so happy and touched that he finally got to have a relationship like this. He'd love calling you Love, Lover, or (my favourite) Lovebug, because it reminds him that he has your heart just as much you have his.

Beelzebub: Honey Bun/ Honey

I usually am the first person to advocate that not everything about Beel has to be associated with food, and yet here I am. I LOVE the idea of him calling you his Honey or Honey Bun. There's no denying that Beel loves food, and one thing I've noticed is he seems to have a sweet tooth (when getting snacks, he usually goes for custard, pudding, or Luke's baking). That's really all it is. I just love it and Beel loves food and he loves you so combine the two and it's a recipe for cuteness.

Belphegor: Angel

Yes. I have Belphie use the stereotypical Angel pet name, BUT HEAR ME OUT! You are the person who saved Belphie from the attic. You are the person who helped reform and strengthen his bond with his brothers. You are the person who gave him closure from Lilith's death and released him from years of anger, resentment, and grief. In all senses of the word, you saved Belphegor, and for that he sees you as his Angel.

(I haven't really used any for the Dateables yet, nor have I put much thought into it besides Simeon's canonical use of "Little Lamb", so yeah.)

[strwberri-milk]

Passing Hands: Ch. 1 - Prologue

AO3 || Bridgerton!AU || Diluc x Fem!Reader || Drama, Falling in Love, Slow Burn || 2,201 words || Masterlist

a/n - welcome to ch.1!! ignore the fact that i nmbred the prologue its literally bc i if i dont then i will post my chapters in the wrong order/miss some and that is Not Fun - also ofc my favourite girl has her moments in this fic bc 1) kaeya simp 2) rin simp anyway i'm very excited to let yall read this!!!

The stack of letters sits on the desk, unopened as per usual. From them wafts the distinct smell of perfumes. Of course, even in the sanctuary of the Duke’s office they are not safe, his younger brother quickly skimming through the addresses. None of them catch his intrigue at first glance and his heart sighs, yearning for something of note to happen. 

Cream parchment dances between lithe fingers and they begin to repeat as his eye continues to scrutinise the well written lines, hoping that perhaps, somehow, he missed something of interest. His wishes are granted when finds that the address to one of the admissions of love is not from one of the more affluent neighbourhoods. It’s almost familiar to him, or at least a him that was much younger. A brow raises as he turns the envelope over in his hand, curiosity almost besting him as he considers opening the letter when a hand reaches over his shoulder to remove it from his grasp. 

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” a voice comes from behind him, putting the envelope back on the stack. 

“Perhaps I do, but I’d much rather investigate the contents of that envelope.” 

He reaches over for the envelope again but the stack is quickly whisked away from him, causing him to pout. 

“How cold of you Duke Ragnvindr. I’d hoped you would have warmed up to me by now,” he chuckles, turning to face the rather stoic redhead.

“It is not a matter of whether or not I have warmed up to you as it is a matter of you having a proposal to act on. You do not need to go and covet one of my admirers,” Diluc scoffs, going to sit at his desk. 

“The proposal? If it’s the proposal you are worried about you need not be. She has received permission from her Valet* on my behalf; it's simply a matter of time. Not that she needs his permission. Regardless dear brother, that puts me in a position much different than yours.”

Kaeya, ever incorrigible, sits across from him. He crosses his legs at the knee and places his clasped hands on it, smiling brightly at his older brother. Diluc ignores his presence as best he can to do his work, frowning lightly at the feeling of Kaeya staring at him. 

“If you are to be engaged Kaeya you should go and take care of yourself instead of worrying about me. You don’t want as good a suitress as her to slip through the cracks, do you?” 

Diluc’s words of concern for his brother are only partially honest. Of course he is mildly worried about Kaeya and the state of his engagement but to say that is his only concern would be a lie. Kaeya, in addition to the other staff, have always been worried about Diluc’s lack of interest in the eligible debutantes of the city. Therefore, they made it their collective mission to see to it that Diluc end up happy with someone. 

Of course, this was not something he felt was necessary. In fact, he had believed that the staff would be much better off attempting to fit Kaeya with a suitable match. After all, he was known for flirting and entertaining whoever it was he saw fit when fit. Unfortunately, that seems to have been only a temporary endeavour for he found himself courting a match that Diluc begrudgingly accepted. 

“You can’t tell me brother dearest that this letter does not intrigue you?” 

Before Diluc can protect the letters from Kaeya’s sly hands the other man has jumped forward and stolen off his newfound toy, clutching it tightly to his chest and twirling out of Diluc’s range of reach, grinning madly. 

“Why are you so worried about me reading this letter then? Don’t tell me - you’ve already fallen madly in love with the mysterious damsel who’s written to you? Mayhaps you’ve just been keeping this secret away from all of us for fear that we’d shame your match?” Kaeya taunts, thumbing the wax seal. 

“Kaeya, drop it,” Diluc threatens, dangerously close to actually punching his brother. Seeing just how serious Diluc is, Kaeya returns the letter to him, sighing heavily at the action. 

“How disappointing. And here I thought I might be able to find something interesting to do for once.” 

Kaeya all but collapses into the chair, heaving yet another very dramatic sigh. Diluc ignores it, very well adapted to doing so with just how much attention the other man demands on a daily basis. He taps his heels against the wooden floor, eyes falling onto the small calendar Diluc leaves on the desk. 

“Don’t you think you should start planning some sort of gala? It has been a while since we’ve hosted one here and just merely having your presence at the others, while sought after for some reason, it would do you good to begin inviting people to show that you aren’t just some  decrepit old man. After all, the next season is beginning soon is it not?” 

“Why must I look for a partner during the Season? These are people, not objects.” 

Kaeya rolls his eyes at Diluc’s reductionist argument. 

“It’s not as though I’m saying they’ve ripened Your Grace, I’m simply suggesting that you partake in the festivities as the mothers shepherd around their hopeful daughters that are all vying for your attention. So much so to the point where you have love letters pouring in despite not officially announcing that you are looking for a match, if I could remind you.”

Diluc’s eyes go back over to the stack of letters with a roll of his eyes. 

“And how can you be certain that all of these people are interested in something outside of the fortune and land Father left me?” he grumbles, not wanting to play with Kaeya any further.

“To find a saint like that would be near impossible. Your name precedes you after all. Not to mention that unruly mop you call hair that practically glows at the remembrance that you are a Ragnvindr.” 

Kaeya reaches over to ruffle said hair with a grin, ignoring how dangerously close to biting off his hand Diluc looks. He returns to his seat and crosses his arms, watching in silence while Diluc works. It quickly becomes stifling as Diluc’s quill dances over the mass of work and soon enough a sound of frustration leaves the redhead’s lips. The other man’s lips quirk up in a smirk, knowing he’s won this round. 

“What will it take for you to leave me alone?” 

Kaeya makes a noise of approval, humming happily at his victory. 

“Now this is something I can get behind. Will you really be willing to let me have a hand in your affairs now?” 

Diluc groans at the words, leaning back in his hair and pinching the bridge of his nose. He knows that staving off Kaeya will only bring temporary respite. The staff have been on his case for a while now, only able to be quieted by the fact that he is head of the household, and not them. However, that did not stop the eldest of the staff to continue pestering him lightly, making offhand comments that only got worse as Kaeya so elegantly removed himself from the market. He feels his ache getting worse at the reminder of how the absolutely desperate please for his attention from hopeful debutantes got worse once there was only one heir of the Ragnvindr clan left to attempt to swoop up. 

“If I were to task you to find me a match would that keep you aptly preoccupied?”

Immediately Kaeya’s eyes light up, standing up to rest his hands on the desk. 

“Are you serious Diluc? Or just messing with me? You wouldn’t let Adeline, Elzer, hell, none of the older staff do it when you seem to prefer them so much more than my own company and now I’m being given the chance to do the only thing I’ve ever wanted?” he gasps, so excited it looks like he’s about to do some sort of dance. 

Diluc scribbles something down on a piece of paper and hands it to Kaeya. His eye scans the list, raising a brow. 

“And this is?”

“My request. If you’re going to find me a match then I expect it to be the best of the best. She should match all of the traits I’ve put down here, not one more not one less. If you manage to acquire someone of such disposition, I will marry them no questions asked,” he says with a bit of a smirk, knowing that he’s made it increasingly difficult for his brother.  

“And the reason you put “uninterested in the Ragnvindr fortune” and “capable of making me believe in the notion of love” is to mock me? You do realise that even though you are a Duke you must still live here in reality with the rest of us,” Kaeya says with a touch of condescension. 

The look on Kaeya’s face tells Diluc all he needs to know. He’s presented him with a challenge that should be near impossible to win. Of course statistically there has to be at the very least one person that fits the bill. However, that doesn’t mean that Kaeya will be able to find them. It is Dluc’s hope that Kaeya will tire himself out in trying to find someone to fit Diluc’s very high standards and then leave him and this seemingly pointless endeavour alone. 

“I’d much rather try and strike my luck with this dear lass,” Kaeya says after a minute of deliberation, taking the letter he’s been coveting from the start and tucking it into a pocket. 

“And what do you think I’ll gain from marrying someone who’s not even from the nearby estates?” Diluc scoffs, the neighbourhood on the postmarking also having caught his attention the first time he took it from Kaeya. 

“Would it not be fun to bring in a commoner? After all, you did bring me in,” Kaeya muses, putting a hand on his hip. 

“Besides. Take another look at the address. Perhaps she and I will have something in common,” he continues, putting the letter in front of Diluc. 

The redhead looks down at it, eyes widening just the slightest bit as he recognises it before shaking his head. 

“That neighbourhood is just near there, and if I recall correctly you were slightly worse off than these people were. Besides, I did not make that decision. Father did. Thanks to that decision it has put us where we have ended up today. At an impasse,” he sighs, throwing his hands up in defeat. 

“Fine. Play with the woman who sent that letter. Charm her and see if you can win her over on my behalf. Perhaps if she hasn’t debuted you could even go to the debut and join the audience with all the others as they present themselves to the Queen. I’m sure I could pull a couple strings to grant you entry despite none of us having sisters to chaperone. Whatever you need, I will do so long as it keeps you out of my hair.” 

Kaeya opens his mouth as though to speak and Diluc puts his hand up, shushing him. 

“No, you will not scandalise the house by showing your face to look at hopefuls. If anything, it perfectly aligns with your eccentricities. I’m sure nobody will bat an eye at your arrival, despite knowing you are courting someone. After all, it is just a courtship right now.” 

“Wow, you must really want me out of your hair that bad don’t you?” Kaeya chuckles.

“Of course. It’ll be fun to watch you flounder after all.” At this, the other man raises his brow. 

“You think I can’t find you someone like this?” he questions, frowning. 

“It’ll be practically impossible. After all, as you said my name precedes me which will hinder a great many of the requests I’m demanding of you. Not only that, but I have no time for something as trivial as love. To find me someone to love well, I think it impossible,” Diluc smirks. 

“Come now you can’t be serious, Diluc. You’ve written here that you just want to believe in the notion of it, not that I have to find you someone you’ll love.” 

“Is that so?” he responds airily, taking the sheet from Kaeya and adding yet another stipulation. 

“There we are. Find me a love match that also fits all these standards. Should you do that there is a high chance both Ragnvindrs will be married by the end of the season.” 

“Now you’re just taking the piss aren’t you?” Kaeya groans. 

Despite his words, Kaeya can feel himself getting excited at the prospect. Of course a noble with far too much time on his hands would find this endeavour more than intriguing, The thought of filling his days with such a fun little expedition has him antsy to begin drafting out the beginnings of the first response letter to this little enigma, bidding his farewell to Diluc to return to his own study.