#myth bursting

[sheshapespectrum]

The Science of Women's Bodies : Debunking Common Myths.

[restlesskeychains]

Love this headcannon lmao

[player-1]

Oh boy, I sure can't wait for Intervallo 7.5, where the bus goes on yet another wacky roadtrip while the gang goes to Hong Lu's home district and learn about his extremely complex family dynamic and the many many references to the original novel, it's multiple remakes, and/or the series adaptation.

The next Walpurgis is most likely the Safety Team with Netzach as the next Announcer; and the next LobCorp IDs might connect to Abnormalities of denial, blissful ignorance, or the constricting force of family (Queen of Hatred, Queen Bee, Void Dream).

Even if the Sinners adjust to the fact that one of their members is a Second Kindred Bloodfiend, everyone keeps eyeing Outis just in case she tries to kill Don mentally or physically. She's still salty about the "betrayal" of having a definite threat in their ranks and were possibly waiting to backstab them at any moment (...Did something happen with Eurylochus, Outis?).

And even if she's also adjusting to a modernish life without the fanatic belief in Fixers, Don Sancho Quixote the Second reads them the riot act on their multiple attempts to prove she's a "real vampire" and committing elder abuse: shining light in her eyes or putting her in direct sunlight, putting garlic in her food, Dead Butterfly's coffin and Hundred Sins cross mace in her face cause Christian symbol or possible vamp bed, chasing her with a water bottle or spray bottle, so much water, so much water...

[sapphoismymuse]

only the most serious annotations of my readings for class

[peyoso]

i keep getting Matt Damon and Matt Dillon so i see news on Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey and go "👀‼️" before i realize 😔

[ova-kakyoin]

its so gurover

[shugthedug]

and here’s the cracked: I sent the Barthes wrestling essay to my partner to read before we watched all the mission impossibles before mi7 came out so that he would understand the role I think Tom Cruise The Movie Star has as their thematic and emotional centre. The escalation of physical stunts and their prominence in the MI movies and the leaning into the narrative of ‘the audience and me against the world’ is a change in Tom Cruises career that was intentional (if forced) and his method of filmmaking evolved to account for it. It has led to a type of performance that is incredibly self aware and effective (culminating at its most powerful, I think, in top gun maverick) where his presence is the signifier of an entire body of meaning and myth onscreen. His recent films have built themselves around this understanding and the audience is a part of this construction. We trust him to embody the characteristics of the myth we have built with him, the stunts hold emotional weight because we need him to do the impossible: he is the reconciling element of the spectacle as well as being the spectacle itself. At its most simple and reductive: there’s something of wile e. coyote in Ethan Hunt (you cannot believe how complimentary I mean that to be) and the movies work because they know this is implicit in our understanding of them and tom cruise never creates a discord by chafing against it. We access the deepest human experiences through actors because they make them manageable for us, and I think tom cruise performs this in a very classic sense that has been drifted from since the 70s - in that way he is the last true movie star. His recent performances certainly align themselves closer to silent film and the golden age of Hollywood, where constructing a ‘realistic’ character was less important than an audience being able to rely on an actor to fulfil the unspoken code of their presence. I love that he embraces this and works with it, because in doing that he’s building something separate and new, and he might be the only figure who can.

[pokimoko]

The House of Astarion - A Baldur's Gate Fic

Written by pokimoko

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: ~12K

Fandom: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Relationships: Astarion & Karlach (Baldur's Gate), Astarion & Gale (Baldur's Gate), Astarion & Wyll (Baldur's Gate), Astarion & Gale & Karlach & Lae'zel & Shadowheart & Wyll (Baldur's Gate)

Characters: Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Karlach (Baldur's Gate), Gale (Baldur's Gate), Wyll (Baldur's Gate), Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate), Lae'zel (Baldur's Gate), Cazador Szarr

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Inspired by Theseus and the Minotaur (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, (but only partially), Location: Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons), Dungeons & Dragons Game Mechanics, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Canon-Typical Violence, Vampire Spawn Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Astarion Needs a Hug (Baldur's Gate), Karlach is the Best (Baldur's Gate), Gale as Player Character (Baldur's Gate), POV Astarion (Baldur's Gate), Astarion-centric (Baldur's Gate), Fluff and Angst, During Canon, Labyrinth - Freeform, Astarion & Karlach Friendship (Baldur's Gate), (in which they speedrun becoming besties via a 5v1 battle and a good chat), All the World's A Stage And I'm the Star (or: how to deal with being the monster of the story), Astarion living his best Rogue Subclass Arcane Trickster Life, Epiphets. So many Epiphets, Angst with a Happy Ending, TLDR: hey. so you know how the Minotaur's name is Asterion? yeah...yeah

Summary: Within a secluded valley alongside the River Chionthar, there is a great labyrinth, and within that great labyrinth there is an even greater monster. At least, that is what the stories say, and we all know how those are supposed to go, with heroes always coming to save the day. In stories like that, there is only one ending that exists for monsters.

But this is not that kind of story.

[nep2unee]

A fourteen thousand year old fairy tale

[x-v4mp3y3lin3r-x]

I agree that we should put a stop to Greek Mythology retellings but only because I want the Greek Mythology girlies to shut the fuck up. You're 26 from Utah, no one cares what you think the "real myth" is. We can all tell you had a Percy Jackson phase.

[bacon-neko]

Nano 2023 Day 19

The boys start hatching a plan

“Unless I tell Father what you’re planning,” said Hermes, gears turning, a plan forming.

Apollo froze, bright eyes hard and sharp. “You wouldn’t.”

Hermes shrugged. “I might. What’s stopping me?” The archer’s hand flexed and Hermes rolled his eyes, waving him off. “None of that. I’m looking for a deal, not a fight.”

The messenger floated in a circle around him, laid back, arms crossed beneath his head, while Apollo’s eyes trailed after him, appraising him with a thin frown. “What kind of deal?”

“One that gets us both what we want,” Hermes supplied. “Athena was gonna send the boy to Tartaros.”

Apollo’s brows shot up. “What?”

“On Father’s orders but still,” Hermes said. “I wanted to go against it, but Athena reasoned that he’d be bound to notice. I mean, his top general and head messenger trying to hide something he wants very dearly to get rid of? The odds weren’t exactly stacked in our favor.”

The realization dawned across Apollo’s face. “But Ares is different.”

Hermes grinned. “Bingo.”

“Father doesn’t want Ares around on the best of days,” Apollo said, excited now, waving his hands as he spoke. “There’s no way he’d notice he’s gone now. We’d just need to keep Father from noticing while we track the two of them down.”

“And between us, we’d have no trouble,” Hermes finished, delighted to be on the same page.

But then Apollo paused. “Us?”

Hermes clicked his tongue. “Well, that’s where the deal comes in: I want you on Olympus with me.”

“Why?”

“I want you help.”

“Wouldn’t that raise suspicions?” Apollo argued. “God of prophecy and all hanging around, making people wonder why I’m there?”

“More than you roaming across the countryside?” Hermes gestured to his everything. “You’re not exactly subtle.”

“I can be subtle,” he said, a mite defensive, chin upturned.

“You could be a distraction. Look, I can lie through my teeth all day, but Father is.” Hermes sighed and scrubbed his hands down his face. “He snapped at Athena yesterday. We’re on thin ice up there and I don’t wanna see what happens when it cracks. I’d feel better if you were there.”

[sillimancer]

this character design block I've been dealing with for the past few years is actually so annoying and I wish I could set it on fire

[brent-emery-pieczynski]

If You Accelerate a Human Body to Supersonic Speed, You Can Pass Through...

[veiledfox]

Echoes of the past~

"Echoes of the past" for one of my muses memories

"Have I told you about how I once met another Kitsune, Kyuushi?" The soft, warm, lively face of her Mother framed by long, soft, bright scarlet red hair. Beaming with a wide, loving smile as periwinkle eyes settle on her. Feeling her own lips curl in a bright smile just from the presence of the older Kitsune's expression alone, it was impossible not to smile whenever her Mother did.

A shake of the head, causing rosewood hair to swing in front of her eyes. The sight of which seems to prompt a small chuckle from the Woman, reaching over across the small table between them to move the hair aside behind an ear. Her touch warm, delicate, as if she were her greatest treasure, as it briefly cups her cheek after.

"Well, when I was much younger, a little shy of my first century, my Father and I came across another Kitsune while we were at the market one day. We were all in our Human forms, mind you, but similar to how you can notice another Mythos, there's just a unique... buzz of sorts you feel when you meet an unknown Kitsune."

Her hand, after brushing over her cheekbone with her thumb, finally pulls back. Lowering to the table top, alongside the bright eyes turning down, they return to work at writing up a letter. Brush being dragged gracefully across parchment, marking it with pitch black oil as the various characters are put down to piece together words.

"When my Father and I neared them, I was the first to react, in almost a childish way too. I immediately turned to look at them, a man of similar height to myself, deep brown hair with a hint of it's natural orange to it's color, soft green eyes. I felt a big ol' smile cross my face, and grabbed my Father's sleeve to tug on it to get his attention, and was practically bouncing on my heels even. The stranger was the next to notice, before finally my Father did, and invited the Man to join us for lunch.

Thankfully he agreed, and we found a small little tavern we'd been frequenting that was friendly to Mythos. We sat down, began talking, and quickly things were rather friendly. We learned his name was Chikao, he told us the tale of how his parents had chosen the name because of how aware of things he had been so soon after being born. Told of how he'd been spending his life living up to the meaning of his name, to honor his parents.

Chikao had been Traveling across all of Japan to meet all the different individual Mythos communities in the far reaches and most hidden nooks. He told stories of all kinds of Yokai he met across the land, of Draconic beings, of hidden cities of Elves and Dwarves. A small circle of Minotaurs and Fawns that lived on the northern coast, a village hidden away in a forest of Lycanthropes, and even of a couple that consisted of a Devil and Angel. I was utterly enthralled, and I could tell my Father was interested as well, even if he was better at hiding it."

The elder Kitsune finished writing the letter as she spoke, taking a pause once it was complete to set the brush aside and close the bottle of oil she had been using. Taking a breath, her hand comes to settle a few inches above the parchment as gentle wind begins to whistle from her palm. Utilizing a bit of magic to aid in the drying process to ensure she can send off the letter sooner.

"We were at the tavern with Chikao for hours, and by the time my Father decided it was time to get home, it was already an hour past sunset. Being the wise man he was, he made sure to ask if he was comfortable with sharing where he called home. Imagine our surprise when he told us he had a home within a cave on the other side of the mountain from us!"

Having leaned forward to emphasize the glee from such a revelation, her Mother leans back as she takes another breath. In the process gently testing the writing with her finger, giving a satisfied nod finding it dry. Hands gently beginning to roll up the letter and bind it as she starts to speak again.

"For a few months, we would meet up with Chikao rather frequently. Here, in his home, in town or at the tavern. He became a close friend to our family quite quickly, and being just a decade or two older than I was, we became fairly close ourselves. We would spend time exploring some cave systems together, he took me to visit the Lycanthrope village, he even introduced me to the Devil and Angel pair. It was one of the happiest times of my earlier life, getting to find, meet, and know so many other Mythos like us."

Another brief pause, this time gently moving the letter aside to begin drawing a small magic-circle with her finger atop the table. A line of softly glowing magic being left behind wherever her fingertip was moved across. It was a familiar circle, having seen it already a few times in the past decade and a half, meant to send a letter to a recipient elsewhere in the world.

"As we spent more and more time together..." her voice softening to a whisper as she leans closer "we even dated for a few weeks." The soft gasp the information earned was mimicked by the Mother, who giggled briefly while easing back to continue. "Though while things were certainly pleasant, we sadly found that we felt better merely as friends. Something we were still plenty satisfied with, of course, and it was a strong friendship for a few years."

With the circle complete, the soft glow brightens as the magic within it readies to send the provided letter. Watching as the Woman picks it up and holds it over the circle, eyes briefly meet with a small smirk in anticipation. Something that had become a regular occurance whenever she sent such messages, as the sending itself would always be a rather briliant display.

Being dropped into the circle, the very lines that made up the circuitry that dictated the purpose shoots up from the table top to catch it. Wrapping rappidly around the letter and spinning with it before, suddenly, the shape changes into the form of a Humming Bird. The hum of it's wings as it circles the room and weaves between the two Kitsune a few times before it suddenly dives at the table top, practically phasing into the wood itself to vanish off to the recipient.

"Though a time came where Chikao informed my Father and I that he was to set out across the ocean. To wander the rest of the world, both to meet all the other vast and wonderful Mythos species of our beautiful world, and for his safety. Apparently a small mercenary group had been hired by a Lord of a land nearby had been hired to watch him for a while, on suspicion that he was something Inhuman."

Her periwinkle eyes are focused on the table, where the magic Humming Bird had flown into it a moment earlier. Smile still present, though it was clear it was softened. A little sad, a little nostalgic, but still rather happy with the recollection of such past events. Taking a breath as her gaze lifts to meet her Daughter's again.

"We were sad to see him off, of course, but we thankfully kept in contact for a good century or so. Letters sent back and forth, via magic circle, updates here and there of how things were going on both sides. I even told Chikao of how I met your Father in one such letter, and the one I received in return was rather packed with joy and well wishes for our future together. Even received a letter a few months later that told of how he had met a Lycanthrope of an Avian nature, an Owl if I recall correctly.

Sadly the letters began to slow, becoming rarer and rarer, through the next decade afterward. None of them bore any ill tidings, thankfully, so I have confidence he's still alive somwhere in the world. Things simply just became busier and busier. An... unfortunate situation, losing contact. But as I said, I believe he's happy and healthy somewhere. Maybe one day you can even meet your uncle Chikao~"

Smile brightening again, hand reaching over to settle atop the head and ruffle hair a bit which earns laughter. Watching as her eyes close and she begins to laugh heartily as well herself.

[househrt]

I honestly think House could burst into the cafeteria frantically and march up to Wilson and say, out of breath, "don't ask questions, just kiss me" and then Wilson would go along with it, assuming there's some legitimate reason why that's happening

turns out it's just the only way House could think of to get Wilson to kiss him without doing that yuck "communication" myth

[cyofii]

⩩﹕IN WHICH Phainon finally works up the courage to confess his feelings for you. He’s prepared for the worst, but his overly enthusiastic and hilariously awkward confession turns out to be the very thing that melts your heart.

wc: 2.7k 𐔌 ᯓ fluff + crack, reader is a member of the astral express, english is NOT my first language, probably ooc, i might disappear again after this helpp

It all started with a simple glance. The moment you, Caelus, and Dan Heng arrived at Amphoreus and were saved by him, something shifted. He couldn’t help but take notice of you the instant your eyes met. Was it the way you stood your ground against the Strife Titan’s soldier minions? The steady strength in how you cared for your comrades? Or perhaps it was just you, intriguing in a way he couldn’t quite place.

The first time Phainon spoke to you, he found himself trying his best to impress you with his words. Were you the type to be drawn to intelligent people? The kind who could be charmed by facts, theories, or well-timed historical references? He wasn’t sure, but he wanted to find out. So he made it his mission to impress you with what he knew, slipping little details into conversation about Amphoreus’s ancient architecture, the myths behind its sky, or the lesser-known mechanics. His voice would drop to soft, thoughtful tones whenever you were near, as if every word he spoke was carefully chosen just for you.

Tribbie noticed it too. There was a subtle difference in Phainon’s voice whenever he spoke to you. It carried a softness, something warmer, something more genuine than the way he spoke to anyone else. On the way to Okhema, Tribbie couldn’t help but sneak glances at the two of you, quietly cheering for Phainon in her head. Even Dan Heng, ever observant, seemed to sense the way Phainon’s attention lingered on you a little longer than it should.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Phainon asked, his gaze settling on you.

Fate must have been on his side when he asked if you wanted to ride the dromas with him, and you agreed, especially since Caelus and Dan Heng were already sharing one.

"I haven't, actually," you replied, your eyes drifting over the unfamiliar surroundings, taking everything in.

"Then once we reach the city gates, we can go eat. My treat, of course!" he said, his voice laced with excitement.

You could almost imagine a pair of puppy ears and a wagging tail behind him as he spoke, the image bringing a chuckle out of you.

"Sure, I'd like that," you replied, accepting his offer with a warm smile.

Because of the battle against Nikador, the little ‘date’ Phainon had planned was postponed. A week had already passed.

Now, Phainon stood outside the room you shared with Caelus and Dan Heng, quietly muttering to himself as he worked up the courage to knock. He kept rehearsing the words in his head, wondering how he should invite you to eat. Was he always this nervous? Or was it only like this when it came to you?

Trying to steady his nerves, Phainon took a deep breath and knocked on the door, his hand hesitating for just a second.

There was a long pause before a voice called out, "I’ll get it."

The door creaked open, slow and unhurried, and Phainon felt his heart climb all the way to his throat. For a moment, he was sure it would burst out of his chest.

But when the door finally opened, it wasn’t you standing there — it was Dan Heng, his expression calm but curious. The sight brought Phainon a small wave of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. If it had been you, he swore he might have collapsed right then and there.

Dan Heng raised an eyebrow, studying him for a second longer than usual. "Looking for someone?" he asked, though the knowing tone in his voice suggested he already had the answer.

Phainon cleared his throat, trying to piece together his scattered thoughts. "Are they here?"

Dan Heng glanced over his shoulder toward the room before stepping aside. "They’re inside. I’ll call them."

As Dan Heng turned to call your name, Phainon felt his heart pick up speed all over again. No matter how much he tried to prepare himself, it seemed that just the thought of seeing you was enough to stir something deep in his chest.

You heard Dan Heng call your name from inside the room, his tone as calm as ever. At that moment, you and Caelus were in the middle of teasing each other over some silly in-joke, the kind that only the two of you seemed to find funny. He nudged your shoulder with a grin, and you rolled your eyes playfully before excusing yourself.

As you stepped toward the door, still smiling faintly from the banter, Phainon felt his breath catch in his throat. Even though he had spent a whole week trying to find the right words, now that you were standing in front of him, his mind went completely blank.

You tilted your head slightly, noticing the way his gaze flickered away for just a moment. "Hey," you greeted, your voice light and easy, unaware of how much weight the simple word carried for him.

Phainon rubbed the back of his neck, forcing out the words he had practiced so many times. "About the meal... I was wondering if you're still up for it. I mean, if you're free, of course."

There was a pause, short but enough for Phainon’s heart to hammer against his chest all over again as he waited for your reply.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” you said, a small spark of realization flickering across your face. You looked at him with an apologetic smile, your tone light but warm. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Phainon felt the tension in his chest ease, his lips pulling into a bright, genuine smile. Without wasting another second, you turned your head back toward the room.

“I’m heading out with Phainon,” you called out, making sure both Caelus and Dan Heng could hear. Caelus gave you a playful wave from where he sat, and Dan Heng gave a small nod, his usual calm expression softening just a little.

Once you had said your goodbyes, you stepped out of the room and walked alongside Phainon. His steps felt lighter, and the shy glance he gave you couldn’t quite hide the excitement flickering behind his eyes.

“Snowy!” Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon all called out in unison.

There stood Phainon, his face redder than Mydei’s robe.

“What happened, Lord Phainon?” Castorice asked, a polite smile resting on her face.

Before Phainon could even try to answer, the sound of armor echoed through the bathhouse as Mydei strolled in, adjusting his gloves. His expression held the usual sharp edge of someone who knew far more than he let on.

“Oh, I can answer that,” Mydei said, his tone light and teasing. He stopped just a few steps away from the group, crossing his arms. “Deliverer here is fresh from a little outing, aren’t you?”

Phainon’s shoulders stiffened as Mydei glanced his way, that playful glint dancing in his eyes.

“Such an adorable sight too. Sharing a meal, walking side by side, and that little moment where he almost looked like he could steal the whole sky with one smile.” Mydei paused, clearly savoring the attention of the room. “Who knew the Deliverer had it in him?”

The room went silent for a moment, all eyes on Phainon, whose face somehow managed to burn even hotter.

Phainon opened his mouth to speak, maybe to deny it or maybe to change the subject, but all that came out was a strangled, “I—”

“Didn’t expect that, huh?” Trianne whispered to Tribbie.

Phainon turned away, covering his mouth with one hand in a poor attempt to hide the shade his cheeks had turned. He could still hear Mydei humming behind him, clearly enjoying himself.

His thoughts flickered back to just a short while ago. After their meal, the walk back had been warm, soft, and a little awkward, but in a good way.

“You didn’t have to walk me back, you know,” you had said, glancing at him from the corner of your eye as the two of you walked along the path leading to your room. The sky above Amphoreus was still the same as ever.

“I wanted to,” Phainon replied, not quite looking at you. “It’s only right to make sure you got back safely.”

You had chuckled at that, a quiet, content sound.

When you reached the door, he lingered for just a second longer than necessary, and you noticed.

“I’ll see you soon?” you asked.

Phainon nodded quickly, trying to look composed even as he backed away. “Y-yeah. Definitely.”

The memory dissolved the moment Mydei spoke.

“Speaking of,” Mydei said with a smirk, glancing toward the lift. “Look who decided to join us.”

Phainon turned around and froze.

There you were, walking in alongside Dan Heng and Caelus, your eyes scanning the room. Dan Heng gave a polite nod to the group, while Caelus stretched his arms up with a dramatic sigh.

“Apologies, we’re late,” Dan Heng said. “Aglaea asked us to come too.”

Phainon blinked, his mind short-circuiting. “Oh. You’re... here too?”

You tilted your head slightly, amused. “Didn’t expect us?”

“I, uh, well, I just—” He rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously. “I thought you’d be resting. After, y’know, earlier.”

Caelus narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion. “Why does that sound suspicious?”

Mydei let out a low hum. “It was suspicious.”

Tribbie giggled behind her hand, and Trianne barely suppressed a laugh.

You glanced at Phainon, your expression unreadable for just a moment, then a small smile tugged at the corners of your lips. “You didn’t tell anyone about the part where you almost tripped over a bench, right?”

Phainon let out a groan, covering his face as the others erupted into laughter. “Please don’t.”

The market was buzzing with chatter, and the air smelled faintly of roasted nuts and fresh bread. Tribbie was holding a small pouch of star-shaped candies, but her focus was far from the snacks.

“So…” she began, tugging lightly at your sleeve as you walked. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Phainon lately.”

You glanced down at her, amused. “Have I?”

Tribbie grinned up at you, swinging her arm slightly. “Don’t pretend! He’s always sticking close to you — and I’ve seen the way you smile at him too.”

You paused, pretending to study one of the stall’s trinkets, though the question sat warmly in your chest. After a short moment, you finally answered.

“I guess he is interesting,” you admitted. “He’s smart, funny... and honestly, kind of charming when he isn’t trying so hard.”

Tribbie’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, clearly delighted by your answer. “And handsome?” she asked, her voice full of playful innocence.

A soft laugh escaped you. “Yeah, that too.”

Tribbie let out a happy little giggle, skipping beside you as the two of you continued walking. “I knew it! I knew you thought so.”

Tribbie, still beaming from your little confession, skipped ahead a few steps before turning on her heel to face you, walking backward with the confidence only a child could manage.

“You should tell him, you know!” she chirped, her voice light as the breeze. “I bet he’d be super happy.”

You shook your head, amused at her boldness. “It’s not that easy, Tribbie.”

She tilted her head, puzzled. “Why not? Grown-ups always make things more complicated.”

Before you could answer, your phone buzzed softly in your pocket. You pulled it out and saw a message from Dan Heng:

Dan Heng: Caelus is getting hungry. You heading back soon?

You smiled to yourself, typing a quick reply.

You: On my way! Tribbie was stalling me.

Sliding your phone back into your pocket, you turned to Tribbie. “Come on,” you said, gently taking her hand to guide her away from the crowd. “I need to head back before Caelus starts eating my secret snacks.”

Tribbie skipped along beside you, humming happily under her breath. But even as you walked, your thoughts lingered on Phainon — the way his voice softened whenever he spoke to you, the way his nervous smiles felt so genuine, and how his whole demeanor seemed to ease the moment you were near.

Unspoken feelings hung in the air, light but impossible to ignore, and you couldn’t help but wonder if, somewhere, Phainon was thinking about you too.

The sun hung high in the sky as you and Phainon found yourselves standing by a quiet corner of the bustling marketplace, far from the noise of the crowd. The moment felt like it was meant to be, but Phainon looked a bit too tense for it to be anything “casual.”

He shifted on his feet, clearly unsure how to start. You raised an eyebrow at him. “You alright?”

Phainon’s face turned a little pink, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh… so... you know how we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately?”

You nodded, trying to keep a straight face as you could already sense where this was going. “Yeah, I think I’ve noticed.”

“I’ve been thinking... a lot.” Phainon scratched his head nervously. “And I just... I need to say this before my brain explodes. It’s important.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at his serious tone, though you kept it to a smile so as not to interrupt his flow. “Alright, lay it on me.”

He took a deep breath, staring at you like you were the most important thing in the world, even if his face was all sorts of red. “Okay, here goes... I like you. Like, a lot. And I’m not talking about, like, ‘Oh, I like you as a friend’ type of liking you. I mean, I like you like you. Like, if liking you was a sport, I’d be the world champion. That’s how much I like you.”

You blinked, trying to suppress your laughter. “Phainon, are you... are you trying to tell me you have a crush on me?”

He nodded vigorously, still rambling. “Yes! But it’s not just a regular crush, okay? It’s like... the kind where I’d write you a song if I knew how to play an instrument. Or maybe I’d bake you cookies, but only if I had a recipe. Which I don’t. But, you know, the point is — I like you. A lot. And I can’t keep pretending that I don’t. So there, I said it.”

There was a brief silence, and you stared at him, blinking slowly, trying to make sense of his very enthusiastic confession. Then, you burst out laughing.

Phainon’s eyes widened, his face going even redder. “Wait, wait! Is that—was that bad? Did I mess it up? I can try again—”

You waved your hands, still chuckling. “No, no! It’s just... I wasn’t expecting you to be this nervous about it!”

Phainon gave a weak laugh, scratching his head again. “Well, it’s not every day I tell someone I like them, you know? I mean, this is serious stuff. It’s like, ‘here’s my heart, don’t drop it’ kind of serious.”

You put a hand on your chest dramatically. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not gonna drop your heart. I mean, you’re not that bad. You did make me laugh.”

Phainon sighed in relief, a little grin appearing on his face. “Okay, so... you’re not running away screaming, right?”

You grinned. “Nah. But only because you said it in such a funny way. You’re lucky I find that charming.”

Phainon blinked. “Really? You find me charming?”

“Sure,” you said with a teasing smile. “For a world champion overthinker.”

His grin grew even wider as he nudged you playfully. “Well, if you ever need a partner in crime for overthinking things, you know where to find me.”

You laughed again, shaking your head. “I think you’ve already got me.”

Phainon blinked, then broke into a big smile. “Wait, did you just say yes?”

You gave him a wink. “Maybe I did. But you still owe me those cookies.”

“Deal!” he said, a little too enthusiastically. “I’ll start baking immediately... once I find a recipe.”