#not an even distribution of letters LOL

[thatdeadaquarius]

Hi Aquarius!

I had an idea I wanted to share with you: SAGU creator reader who likes to make little bits and bobs for their acolytes. For example, Childe vaguely mentions that his gloves are starting to wear out? The creator crochets or knits him a new pair-Can’t have his fingers getting chilled in the Snezneyan snow now can we?

(I just wanna give my skrunklis lil gifts and make them happy is all :3)

(Also, could I possibly be 💌anon?)

WHOFOHNJDFjhkbfsgddf Genuine keyboard slam i just kinda slammed my hands down in excitement ahem-

That would be a lovely idea anon, yes very much so indeed,

so im like hella into giving ppl useful but still aesthetic/pretty gifts, like i dont want the things i give ppl to be things that get donated/thrown away (when i genuinely care abt a person)

Also IF I DIDNT RUN U OFF FOR BEING SO LATE YES HELLO U CAN DEFINITELY BE 💌 ANON THATS SO CUTE I LOVE THAT EMOJI-

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Sun: Gender Neutral Reader (they/them only)

Planet: General SAGAU / Isekai Stuff, Platonic Cutenss

Orbit: Headcanons-ish, a couple sentences for each

Stars: Everybody from elements Pyro, Electro and Anemo! Plus Aether/Lumine/Dainsleif!

Please understand that some characters are more “foreground” characters and have more screen time so I may have written some more for them because I knew them better!

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: weapons for gifts?? 16+ Older Teen + Up Audiences Advised, light cussing

& Trigger Warnings: None Known.

SO U KNOW WHAT THAT MEANSSSS

THIS IS MY JAMMMMM, MY PB&J BITCHEESSSS GET REKTT

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AHAHAHAHA- YOU’RE ALL GETTIN SPAMMED WITH JUST GIFT IDEAS I HAVE FOR WHAT TO GIVE THEM- YOU DO NOT HAVE CHOICE. YOU WILL BE GIVING GIFTS TO THE TEYVATIANS, THEY DESERVE GOOD THINGS. SUCK IT.

EDIT 9/19/23: WTF HELLO??!!! 1000+ NOTES??!?! THANK YOU SO MUCH?!!!!!! <3

PART 1 (you're here!) / PART 2

ELEMENTS HERE: Babygirls, Pyro, Electro, Anemo

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Babygirls:

Aether = The most beautiful, amazing, sleek, and functional pretty hairpin that is also a knife! So he can have that badass moment of unsheathing it from his hair and having a surprise weapon and showing off his long hair, acted all shy when you gave it to him, he doesn’t get gifts often, all the birthday letters were for you afterall, i feel like you deffo have walked in on him miming taking it out all badass for practice lol

Lumine = bless her, you handed her this gift and she just looked up at you and u swear didnt blink or look away for a full minute. Then she nearly crushed you to death squeezing you, god she’s muscular, as you made a sort of self-care kit, including her favorite scents you added to like blank soaps/face masks, and towels you initialed with “Lumi”, she deserves a break afterall (and she thinks you deserve it too, and subtly tries to get you to join like *“*oh this is so sweet, something for us to do together”)

Dainsleif = sad little man deserves happy little things, you make him a weighted blanket, in these blankets it’s usually like sand or something that is put into little like quilt squares so it evenly distributes weight, but you used that water from the fountain that soothes Khaenri’ah people’s curse instead. He literally went speechless when you gave it to him. He has not had a single night of insomnia since. He would literally do anything for you, and literally stole you off to the side after a few nights of good sleep to tell you this lmao

Pyro Allogenes:

Diluc = Another bitch who just needs a break, you steal him off one evening and tell him you need a hilichurl camp wiped out, and there’s a cryo mage so you need him, bc thats the only way this workaholic is actually gonna drop everything and actually take care of himself, you have to deceive him, and then surprise him by showing him a hot spring you found. Teyvat has a lot more things to it now that it’s in real life, and that includes natural hot springs apparantly, and you’ve already prepped the place too, with his favorite non-alcoholic drinks, some indulgent foods like chocolate and fruits, and a soft robe. Man’s went wide eyed and nearly fell in LMAO, and then, looking away all pink, said he couldn’t accept this… unless you joined him.

Amber = a pair of comfy shoes, with baron bunny decorated all over them, like you sewed patches over them to personalize it, and the insoles are GODLY good, so she can run to Sumeru at this rate and her feet will feel like she went for a light jog! Some Mondstadt citizens, and knights tbh, are honestly a little afraid of Amber now bc her feet aching was sometimes the only thing stopping her from going 100% all the time lol

Bennett = a lucky charm, yes, yes, I know, basic, but it’s different coming from you! You’ve given him a bandana to wear as a neckerchief around his throat (it’s unprotected and he’s that unlucky?!) and it fits great, you’ve made it from Liyue materials, and imbued it with geo energy, so it actually makes a small shield/barrier around his head lmao, he’s practically thanking you every week and telling you how it helped him that week 💀

Klee = a treasure hunt map you made! every little stop/treasure gives her some candy or a snack, plus the next instructions, and she insists you go with her, and drags you along lol, and you planted them within range of the Mondstadt so she’s not too far off, and the final treasure (bc u planned it so she was supposed to start at a certain time/get to the end in a few hours) she finds at late sunset, and it’s a type of challenge that u were able to make, (bc apparently being the “highest god” means u get dev access, like the teapot functions but more OP). It makes a rainbow of glowing fish appear as targets to better Klee’s bomb throwing skills, and to entertain her, she gives the most dramatic gasp ever, and is just vibrating telling you “The fishes! They’re so pretty! ‘Bedo said that you give the greatest gifts, and he was so, so, so SO right!! Thank you very much!!!” :D in her cute little voice and then proceeds to speedrun you a hug and then starts throwing bombs lmao

Xiangling = HOO BOY- she has nearly every cooking utensil known to man, thanks to her being a young famous chef, and bc her family’s restaurant makes good money bc of it, so it was hard to think of something for her, but you eventually made her a handwritten and sewn together recipe book (look up “how to make zine”, its very easy actually, theres one with sewing the paper and a smaller one with just folding). It’s full of all of your favorites from Earth and what you think could substitute here, and how it should taste. Xiangling literally took your hands and spun you bc she hates luxury stuff, and really loves and appreciates homemade gifts, it’s the first anyone’s heard of your homeworld’s food so it makes her feel special <3 (she will be constantly harassing you with a spoonful of food to try and see if it’s close)

Hu Tao = You remembered one of Shakespeare’s plays and wrote a rough screenplay for Yunjin to adapt, then took Hu Tao with you to see it! She loves poetry and singing, so she loves to see Yunjin play usually, but she hadn’t had the time lately bc of funeral spirit work, (u also brought Zhongli so she could have fun embarrassing him lol), and she literally made a whole bit/joke about getting down on one knee to marry you, which was promptly interrupted by said embarrassed adepti, people even clapped lmao

Xinyan = You made her an aweinspiring outfit to wear onstage, modeled after classic rockstars from your world, she nearly teared up at the sight of it, and then nearly took ur ear out bc she was getting so loud and excited, u try to convince her otherwise, but Xinyan refuses to wear it outside of big occasions like Lantern Rite or performances with Yunjin (looks like this, I tried very hard ok, check it: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/76631631152377154/)

Yanfei = Once again, a written book, or at least 20 rap songs for her to look through. This sounds weird, but she eventually hopes to see a future where people are just better at obeying laws and considers then she’d be out of a job. So, after seeing some of Xinyan’s performances, she decided her back up career would be a rapper. She will literally stop you every time she sees you and lowkey force you to hear her latest rap she’s made, partially inspired from the Earth ones you gave her a lot of the time! She literally talked your ear off for hours, and didnt realize that she linked arms with you at one point and made you both walk at least 3 miles around the port lol, very embarrassed but grateful for the gift, another person who really adores homemade stuff

Thoma = you sewed him a cute plushie of Taromaru, along with a little plushie tea cup set. He literally covered his mouth in shock, and turned away, were those tears?? Very carefully took his gift and nearly bent in half bowing and thanking you for the gift, and was cutely touchy all day, linking arms, guiding you by gently nudging your back in crowds, etc. You once woke him up out a day nap on accident trying to find him, and he walked out half-asleep clutching the plushie Taromaru and nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sight of you lol, all like “HIGH EMPEROR?! OH MY- Oh my gods- Uh- sorry, so sorry about that!” and then proceeds to immediately hide Taro behind his back all red in the face lmao, refuses to acknowledge it, will get even redder if you keep pressing him about it lol

Yoimiya = so Yoimiya canonically really loves to go out into nature and explore, and go for that sunset hike type of person! so you, once again assume all these thru tutorial or teyvat craftsmen help, made her a hammock! She’s apparently really bad about falling asleep outside, and since hammocks can be really lightweight and good for temperate weather (ive tried it, sleepin in a hammock for camping its kinda nice, as long as you dont fall out/toss and turn a lot in ur sleep), and you even added some extra ropes on the sides so she can tie it down and not upend herself while she’s sleeping (keeps the hammock from tilting). She literally squealed and dragged u all over Inazuma trying it out with you, and because she chats with her neighbors/community a lot, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU GOT HER A HAMMOCK, YOU PAINTED IT AND EVERYTHING, DID YOU KNOW YOIMIYA IS ONE OF THE ALLOGENES THAT GOT BLESS WITH A PERSONAL GIFT FROM THE ALL-GOD??!! - everyone in Inazuma near her house, including yoimiya

Dehya = so Dehya likes to upkeep personal hygiene as much as she can between her mercenary job roughness and the general battery of the desert. She also is known to stop by the market place to pick up makeup and other personal hygiene products! So you figured if she’s collected so many of those over time, she might just have a practical bag to carry them in, and you offer her a multi-pocket cloth bag (like for taking makeup when you travel bags) and also attach a mirror inside! She literally covered her face with her hands and Dunyazard lightly teased her for weeekkssss lmao, and the other guys in her mercenary group like “wowww, someone managed to tame the Flame Mane?” which just makes her more shy bc the God of ALL decided to HANDMAKE her a gift, and not just a frilly thing, an ACTUAL USEFUL PRETTY GIFT- she accidentally set her claymore alight when you finished explaining what it was and handed to her (it’s fireproof too)

Electro Allogenes:

Lisa = a decorated tea set! Specifically, you painted it her favorite color, with some of her favorite book quotes across the saucers and her favorite flowers across the teapot. She gave you the prettiest smile, and just “Oh cutie! For little old me? You’re a bit above a librarian like me, but I’ll still accept this with all the grace of a lady courted, haha!” insists on “trying them out” with you all the time, especially when you get too busy from the other allogenes <3

Fischl (they/them Fischl supremacy) = You made a book cover (like how some books will have the paper sleeve and the actual hardcover is just colored? like that) of Prinzessin der Verteilung, but looking a lot more like them rather then the old protagonist! They collectively lost their mind over it for literal weeks, and did the same for you for your most relatable protagonist! :D They insist you two start a fantasy book club now- NO they don’t care if you’re the All Fürst! That makes you all the more qualified for joining the elite literature society they’re starting!

Razor = a bunch of hair ties! You’ve made scrunchies, bows, clips, etc. for him to try and decorate his hair with, all of things he likes, like little wolf puppies, or Andrius’ but cuteified, little symbols of all his friends like little bomb design hairclips for Klee, a red four leaf clover for Benny, a purple rose for Lisa, a golden star for the traveler, and an eight pointed star, like the four-pointed one but with some flare in between its points. A prominent symbol apparently associated with you u found out :0, Razor is giving Barbara and Klee a run for their money bc of how cute he looks walking into town for Lisa’s lessons with all this cute little clips and hair ties and braids in his hair now <3

Keqing = you know. you know EXACTLY what to give her. Plushies of cute animals or creatures in or around Liyue, like the little snow foxes from Dragonspire, a tiny oceanid, the small geovishaps, etc. Keqing doesn’t care if you’re a god, remember! So you better swear to never tell a soul you made her these!! …she sleeps with them too.

Raiden Shogun (puppet) = what to give a cold hard b*tch? …a break. you talk to Ei and make her give the puppet some off days, and you also may or may not have bullied Ei for being a hermit, so she can explore and learn more about herself, instead of being forced into the image, literally, of her god. She tries to write you months in advance for making plans on her days off so you can join her!

Ei (god) = an open window bc she’s a hermit, i mean of course you bring her out on “updates” (she weirdly choked a little over tea when you presented this idea to her, “Ahem- cough- a date? Oh, as in getting more familiar with the world, yes of course,” you basically pull out a map and take her to other countries so she can see how the other gods are doing these days and finally do something new, she is overwhelmed but in a good way? And she's especially willing to do it if you keep calling them that, these “up-dates”

Yae Miko = you were honestly kind of intimidated by giving Yae Miko a handmade gift, it just seemed like she would like something of high quality, which your gifts weren’t always guaranteed to be. So instead, you didn’t. You made a cool little picnic, and in remembering her love of stories from her lore as a kid, you brought some of your world’s stories to show her, the classics, then any favorites of yours, and some you thought she might like, and read them all to her about once a week. You both talk about and discuss the book and let Yae nitpick it and try to give her more context for books like Shakespeare in hope to answer all her detailed questions about the stories. Yae was so fucking smug (and secretly so in love) that she wrote a story for Yae Publishing House about it… “Joining a Book Club with the Akitsu Mikami, a Romance Novel” 💀

Sara = damn another busy woman, you steal her away with the promise of “needing a body guard” and she immediately answers and drops everything (u made sure to choose a slow day, dw ur not a rude god) andddd you’ve got her! Sara literally just stood there in shock when you showed up at your meeting place with homecooked food, specifically new recipes from your world, and some recipes from Xiangling! She would not stop stuttering out thanks yous the entire time, and fumbled with her chopsticks constantly, and she ate a lot, and even shyly asked if she could take some of it with her for later, now anytime you mention food around her she unintentionally starts looking at you with puppy dog eyes, (baby crow eyes??) even if the rest of her posture is perfect/gives nothing away lol

Beidou = A hand woven wine cask holder! a bit more solid so you can paint some designs on it, and you painted the whole crew, with Kazuha in the crow’s nest and Beidou is the biggest figure on it (stylized, u arent trying to paint a renaissance artwork here) and you even put her name on it “Captain Beidou” :) You were rewarded with a tall muscular woman squeezing you with her muscular arms, Beidou only puts her best wine/sake bottle in it, and only uses it for special occasions! she may or may not have had to make sure and hide it in her Captain’s quarters so other pirates won’t steal it, since everybody on the seas heard about the All Mighty giving her a personalized gift, but dont worry! She’s a pirate captain, she’s used to defending her most prized treasures from others <3

Shinobu = a spa day for another overworking woman, you made her another mask and hair tie! They still match her of course, but they also subtly have that eight point star symbol you’ve had associated with yourself before (like the four point but with a little flare), and she literally went so red, she hid behind Itto for a second. who helped morally support her enough to try it on, and it’s definitely her most comfortable mask!

Cyno = you were a little… embarrassed to make this one, but Cyno mentioned wanting it so… You made a TCG card of yourself. With the world in your hands as you hover in the middle of a solar system, you paint yourself giving a small smile down at Teyvat’s world cupped in your hands. One of the symbols they associate with you, the eight pointed star, not equal points, but rather a four pointed star with embellishments, said symbol glows and dangles from a necklace you wear, above it all. You swear he stared at it for a solid minute without blinking, and when you initially offered it, Cyno held it like it was spun glass. He gently laid it on a table nearby, his eyes never leaving it as he got out his deck, and put the card of you, on the very top. The mahamatra then gently set it down, and then gently hugged you and picked you up off your feet a bit (when you said maybe you were too heavy for this, he just raised an eyebrow, and that’s when you remembered that trailer of him throwing a body-builder man, one-armed, over his shoulder. He easily lifted you and set you back down. 💀)

Dori = A herb garden. Strange, but Dori’s sister has a lot of medical issues, and the herbs can be hard to come by, even for Dori, you didn’t tell her that you read some parts of her life, but when she saw the planter box, she knew. You had ventured far and wide, all over Teyvat, and the stuff you had came with you! so you put one of every herb you had or went out and got some because you’ve been exploring Teyvat anyway. And for once… you made sure no one was around, Dori teared up. She carefully set the box full of lively plants aside, and you were in the middle of explaining how to take care of them when she just, wrapped her smaller frame around your lower legs. You squatted down to hug her back :’)

Anemo Allogenes:

Venti = another book you made (look up “how to make a zine” on youtube it’s actually kinda easy) that you filled with all the lyrics to all your favorite songs, and some classics! The bard was ecstatic because he technically had vague knowledge or recognition of most of Teyvat’s songs, but songs from another world didn’t count, hehe! …he may or may not have lightly guilt-tripped you into trying to sing or hum some of the tunes or melodies of the songs, “I need to hear the melody so I may play it for you for eternity, your highness!” That’s his gift back, is that now you can get a Venti medieval sounding cover version of any song you like lmao

Sucrose = you’ve made another book (bought in Teyvat or made, check out “how to make a zine” on youtube it’s easy so I think you could feasibly handmake it!) and filled it with as much information as you can on how things like electricity works, luckily you can still retrieve information from Earth thanks to Albedo managing to somehow get you a signal?? You don’t wanna know, but point is, she’s literally spiraling. It’s been days, Albedo had to be the one to drag her out of the lab and eat, while you are starting to doubt if your gift did more harm then help… as soon as you voice these thoughts to Sucrose she nearly shook your head off from shaking your shoulders so hard while she ranted about phones, telephone poles, paved roads and she actually offered books back in exchange, for leveling allogenes up, as long as you told her more about “Those ships that go underwater again?? Please, Your Highness???” cute puppy dog eyes but worse bc she’s got cute glasses on too, oh no-

Jean = another workaholic woman who just needs a break, god why are there so many of them?? Your first thought was a spa day, but you like to think you can do better than that. In fact, she’s had a pretty heavy load since she was a kid trying to uphold the Gunnhildr clan’s name/knighthood, so you decide that instead of spa day, you should have a fun day! So you decide to take her out some days for some fun around Mondstadt (and recruit Venti to help do things like boost the winds for extra fun), like shield surfing! (look up Breath of the Wild shield surfing video if you dont know what i mean), it's something a lot of young knights do, and it’s perfect for Mondstadt’s hilly landscape! Other things like flying kites, or even rerouting all her work for part of the Windblume festival so she could enjoy it more! THEN you kidnap her all over again, and Barbara, to go to Fontaine! What better way for her to have genuine fun than getting a break to see and have fun with her younger sister and go see a colorful circus/fair? Jean was literally just a constant stream of “thank you your majesty! my gracious god, thank you- this is too much-, All-Fürst I am forever indebted to you for this!” and ur just like :/ Jean that’s the whole point of a gift is that you aren’t indebted to somebody-

Xiao = a friendship bracelet :) since he likes jewelry, and he likes you, it's perfect! and u made it match his necklace. you’ve also put that same water from the fountain that soothes the Khaenri’ah’s curse, and put it in there, and it actually lessens his karma, so for the first time in about 2 centuries, Xiao the Yaksha, can actually sleep through the night. You weren’t looking, but when you turned away to show him your sketches or plans for how to craft it, he sort of, reached out. You felt his hand warm on your wrist before it retreated, you could already feel the callouses, as the small weight of a bracelet was wrapped around your hand, his return gift, so u guys could match 👉👈 Xiao breathes out what sounds like all those years of pain in one shaky, relieved, “…thank you” (he did all that while you were turned around in your bag too, he was too shy to look at you when he put it on lmao)

Kazuha = “So this is what you’ve been up to lately, hm?” Kazuha’s been kind and laidback enough that he’s one of the allogenes who quickly dropped the formal titles luckily. He’s been seeing you sneak around and present your gifts to the others… and he came prepared in case you came to give him something too! Before you can even get out, “Hey, Kazuha, do you have a minute? I’ve got something for y-” boom. He’s beat you to it, he’s saying the same damn thing, and pulling out his gift for you. It’s a lovely Inazuman outfit, decked out in your favorite color, it’s like if you were an Inazuman character yourself- You just accept it half in shock, while Kazuha gives this small smile, but u can see the smug little look in his eyes, that little shit he really prepared a countermove- HE EVEN WROTE YOU REALLY SWEET POETRY AND EMBROIDERED IT INTO SOME OF THE INSIDE HEM LINES LIKE THE COLLAR -//////- ← you rn as Kazu’s all fucking smug, you end up just being like “take ur crummy gift u little shit” and nearly throw it at him lol, sweet asshole that he is, catches it anyway, and you’ve made him new hair ties, some minimal clips that look like maple leaves (like felt fabric stuck onto the clip bit) and the new hairtie is more like a scrunchie with a pretty red knot on top, your own symbol of an eight-pointed star, like an extra four-pointed star not the star of david lmao, sits in the center of the traditional japanese knot. He wears it nearly all the time, and mentions making you one to match (>:/ sweet considerate little shit he is)

Sayu = you’ve made her a quilt! stitched together from all sorts of cute fabrics, so it still matches her color scheme, she wraps up in it now before going into that balled up tanuki form lol, she insists you break it in with her and take a nap with her constantly lmao, and you give in even if you dont always sleep because of her tiny half-asleep smile (sayu knows the grip she has on you lol💔)

Heizou = a mystery novel a friendship necklace! you knew him and his friend had once had something similar, (they were more like matching river rocks or pebbles not jewelry you think) so you desperately hoped it wouldn’t be too offensive. The little shit who saw it coming #2, whereas Kazuha suspected you might offer him something, he didn’t have quite the same intution that Heizou did, so the detective knew you were going to give him something >:/ little snitch- he was so smug and teasing about it right up until he actually saw the necklace, it draped lower so it didnt look weird with his choker, and it was a pretty crystal you’d gotten from a riverbed (you didnt tell Heizou bc of the similarity w/his old friend, but he knew anyway) and he immediately looked the most serious you’ve ever seen him. His grin was less of a smirk and more of a smile when he processed what you gave him, and he wears it all the time :) Calls it his "God blessed good luck charm"

Scara/Wanderer = It was very hard, and you had to learn how from a blacksmith, but you finally got it! You made a small addon that latches onto the outside frame of his Vision, so instead of the sort of teardrop shape it has, you’ve made a heart shape. Since he sees the vision as his heart, you thought it’d be cute to actually see it that way! He was all like “I don’t wear jewelry, I already have some metal holding my Vision, are you trying to embarrass me?” You: “okay, well you don’t have to keep it, I’ll take it back-” Scara: “No? Shut up it’s mine now.” He went pink the first time he put it on, and he only wears it when it’s just you two, or you both and Nahida (bless her, she only lightly teased him, just enough to have him yell a little, not enough to discourage him)

Faruzan = a compass that points towards ruins/magical places, so she can explore all the ruins the desert has to give, and also, more importantly, guides her out, you deffo relied on a blacksmith for this one, and got Nahida to help you add the magic to it. She just got this, soft and bittersweet? look on her face, and redirected the nostalgic look towards you, bowed gently and thanked you, … you offered her a hug. Faruzan accepted, and you could feel the way she exhaled, relieved.

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(Throws this garbage at you really late and runs away to my bed)

Hope u liked literally any of that! ;-;

Also im not done as you can see! Im doing all the elements bc i love these skrunklies-

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Safe Travels Anon,

💀♒️

♡my beloved♡

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist / @thedevioussmirk / @the-dumber-scaramouche

[sinisteredgirl]

I just need to rant about my favorite chapter in the entire series so far: The Meeting (Chapter 9, Vol. 11 of the Light Novel).

As a preface, I love political schemes and intrigues. It's the same reason why I love shrewd and cunning characters.

And holy shit, this chapter had me grinning from ear to ear. And by the end of it, I was just as stunned as the Western Capital bureaucrats who watched this nerve-wracking dance between Jinshi and Gyoku-ou.

Heavy spoilers ahead!

At the beginning of the chapter, we see Jinshi and his entourage (Gaoshun and Chue) make their way to a meeting place after being summoned by Gyoku-ou—then leader of the Western Capital and Empress Gyokuyou's brother. During the carriage ride, we are treated with Jinshi's thoughts on the ongoing Locust plague relief efforts.

It's by no means an exaggeration to say that he has done so fucking much to prepare for the plague. A short laundry list of his accomplishments would include the following:

As early as Vol. 5, he raised taxes on grains to accommodate the expected shortfall from the devastation. He also banned sparrow-hunting to increase the insects' natural predators.

He brought tons and tons of provisions and supplies (e.g. potatoes).

Help from the Capital came quickly because he sent a post-horse as soon as the swarm came—also taking into consideration the time it took for the request to pass through the Capital's committees.

He sent messengers to assess the damage to nearby villages and calculated the needed food per location.

He wrote close to 200 letters soliciting for more aid to the Western Capital.

He tapped his team to research on fast-growing crops and medicine.

But given how limited his reach is within the Western Capital and how much faster it would be if Gyoku-ou handles the distribution, he lets him distribute what he has prepared. The downside of course is that Gyoku-ou gets all the credit, but Jinshi would rather throw away pride than not help people. I love how we get a glimpse of his psyche:

Even his thoughts on his name is revealing. So very human, as Ah-Duo mentioned in Vol. 15.

Soon after, they arrive at the meeting place with Gyoku-ou and Lakan already present. As usual, Lakan is busy working on his Go problems.

Gyoku-ou thanks Jinshi for all his efforts but now asks for help in getting more soldiers. He reveals his true goal: to start a war against Shaoh, with the Imperial Brother leading the army. He defends this by saying that resources would come faster to the Western Capital by annexing Shaoh’s ports, but we know that Gyoku-ou's deep seated hatred for all foreigners is behind all this. Gyoku-ou even uses the previous Shaoh Shrine Maiden incident to goad Jinshi into going to war.

Jinshi is of course appalled by the idea. This would make them no different than bandits. Lakan, however, is not interested in the 'why'; all he knows is how to win a war. What follows is a pretty accurate and telling description of Lakan:

I really like this depiction of Lakan: he possesses no malice or virtue. At his core, he is a true and frightening neutral piece.

What follows then is one of my favorite exchanges in the series: Jinshi's verbal smackdown with Gyoku-ou. He first punctures Gyoku-ou's scheme by mentioning his merchant father, Gyoku-en:

Jinshi hits him where it hurts the most as this is a man who is almost obsessed with being Gyoku-en's eldest son. It’s part of Gyoku-ou’s complicated complex; he will do whatever it takes to maintain his position as Gyoku-en's eldest.

Jinshi then follows it up with plain rejection of the plan as well as an insult exchange with Gyoku-ou:

(LOL Chue with her thumbs-up! I imagine Gaoshun breaking into cold sweat during the whole exchange though.)

Finally, Jinshi masterfully maneuvers his way out of war by manipulating Lakan:

It took me a minute to pick up my own jaw from the floor because hot damn, that is one hell of a way to squash a brewing war. I adore moments like this when Jinshi fully manifests his shrewd side—the "Imperial Brother" mode, which Maomao described as "a man who could and would use people as pawns".

(And while later on, Gyoku-ou does effectively corner Jinshi into going to war, it isn't so much as Jinshi's lack of political skill as it is Gyoku-ou being really that good of a politician.)

I know we only get snippets of powerplays like this as we are in Maomao's POV 99% of the time, but I absolutely love this chapter and the whole Western Capital 2 arc for dialing the stakes up to a 10. Truly the best arc through and through.

[remy2fang]

ENGLISH STREET FIGHTER ACCOUNT:

A.K.I. Outfit 3 Designer Comments:

We designed this while imagining A.K.I. wanting to stand next to F.A.N.G. wearing an outfit with the same materials and silhouette.

She isn't simply imitating F.A.N.G's outfit, but is attempting to be close to him in her own stylish way.

JAPANESE STREET FIGHTER ACCOUNT:

/📢 5/22 Year 1 character Outfit 3 distribution

AKI Outfit3 concept art released 👏＼

▼ Designer's comment: I came up with the theme of creating a new standard costume for her.

Imagine yourself in a situation where you are working with your master, FANG, and think, "I want to look good enough to stand next to my teacher..."

While considering AKl's sincerity towards her master, such as the feeling that it would be disrespectful to copy him exactly and her small attachment to the material that she normally wears and is used to moving in, I tried to directly convey AKl's stylish and cool motions by eliminating anything that sways outward as much as possible and incorporating decorations such as embroidery and accessories as much as possible without spoiling the appearance.

I hope that this design conveys that she is not simply imitating FANG, but is instead an attempt to get closer to her master in her own way.

A fire design with an even deeper intent and purpose behind it 💜💜. A.K.I.’s outfit is a love letter to F.A.N.G 💜💜. I relate to AKI so much. Her having this outfit is like me making fanart, mods, and other things because of F.A.N.G 💜💜. Best outfit in the game 💜💯💜💯🔥🔥

Also I love the fact that the designer wouldn’t want A.K.I. to downright copy F.A.N.G’s clothes because that would be disrespectful towards her Master. I agree with that notion. AKI having her own style is a better approach to show her love 💜💜. And honestly, I don’t want F.A.N.G to be “totally replaced” quite yet lol.

A.K.I.’s love for F.A.N.G is what compels her to do and make incredible things, just like this outfit right here. This is a very deep costume with a lot of thought put into it.

And don’t forget:

F.A.N.G taught A.K.I. how to dress too. Stylish apprentice comes from stylish master 💜😘💜😘🥰🥰😍😍

[warden-melli]

I remember how excited I was for X and Y to come out. I’d dreamed of a 3d pokemon game for as long as I could remember, and the hype leading up to those games being released was some of the best of any pokemon game ever. Fairy type, sylveon, character customisation and we all got to play it together for the first time. My favourite Pokémon of all time, Mewtwo, got TWO new forms via the most exciting feature I’d seen a Pokémon game add at that point, mega evolution! I couldn’t have been more excited

I saved for months and bought my 3ds (which I still have and use to this day. It’s pink a colour chosen specifically to be Sylveon themed) and went to the midnight launch. I picked my starter (A chespin I named Rook. Yes, I still have him too) and set off. X and Y was the game that got me into shiny hunting (chain fishing and the friend safari lol), and the meta. It was the first game I ever found pokerus, and it was so much fun relearning Pokémon types after the fairy shake up. Pokemon amie, the ghost girl, and whatever Sycamore and Lysandre had going on, I loved these games so much. They were even the first Pokemon games I got to use my new name in after coming out.

I played the game together with my friend, and as embarrassing as it is I actually cried at the end when Az was reunited with Floette. I remember feeling so overwhelmed (in a good way) during the end credits. I swear I’m the only pokemon fan who was glad that they never distributed Az’s Floette (even though it was found in the code) because I couldn’t stand the thought of the two being separated again

Tbh I even wonder if I’d have gotten so attached to Melli if not for X an Y and my fondness for Az. When I first saw him Melli’s hair reminded me a bit of Az’s, and with his height and flower theme I couldn’t help but think of Az more, and then I just kept finding more connections between the two. I may never have really paid much attention to him if not for Az, and that’s so funny to think about

I always felt like X and Y’s story wasn’t finished, and for years I’ve hoped they’d someday finish or expand on its story. There was so much left unexplained (ghost girl, letter, Zygarde) and I’ve spent a ton of time thinking about it over the years. I really hope that some of these questions finally get answers, and that just maybe we’ll get to spend some more time with King Az again. Up until now I thought it was me reaching or wishful thinking, but Kalos legends is real and it’s really happening and I’m so excited I haven’t stopped shaking since the announcement

[sipsandfables]

Unfiltered Thoughts While Reading: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

⚠️⚠️⚠️ BEWARE! SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️⚠️⚠️

Chapter 1

If I were Violet, I’d be like “Forget these biscuits and EXPLAIN YOURSELF SIR” 😂

If Brennan survived, then why did Tairn’s old rider die? 

“Stop bringing logic into an emotional argument.” Hahaha love Violet

I will say though that if she’s going to be mad at Xaden, she can be mad at Brennan for the same thing

Chapter 2

is this foreshadowing? Will Violet or someone else learn the art of ward building to save them all?

“Weapons are the only things that can win this war” for someone so intelligent, I’ve never heard Brennan say anything more foolish than that 

Andarna is a teen 😂

will she go through an emo phase? Hahaha

At least it sounds like her mom wasn’t in on this murder plot 

“Fucking Dain.”

Lol agreed

Chapter 4

I love how Dain acts like nothing happened. Like, wtf? Why are you surprised Violet hates you?!

Unless he didn’t know about the plan somehow and we all just assumed he did.

Also, maybe another mind reader read his mind and he didn’t actually tattle? But even if that’s the case, he still read Violet’s memories without her permission this whole school year

Chapter 5

“I’m pleasantly fuddled but not entirely sloshed.”

Lol I’m using that the next time I get drunk

Chapter 6

Violet has more self-control than me. She should have let Xaden stay the night lol

Chapter 7

I knew it! So, less dragons are bonding because of the war and the venin. I wonder if they are bonding with the rebels or just staying out of it completely 

Chapter 8

so Aaric is the kings son?! Bold move 

And now Liam’s little sister?! This series is going to kill me 😭😭😭

oh shes angry lol 

“What in the angry-Mairi was that about?”

Lol I love Rhiannon

“I've danced with Malek more than my fair share over this last year and told him to fuck right off every single time. ”

LOL

Fuck this dragon and fuck Varrish. What. The. Hell.

I’d be so pissed if someone ran after that because that stupid dragon is killing people in the way anyways. Hide ya kids, hide ya wife, they’re flaming everyone up in here.

“If Solas comes near you again, he knows I will devour his human whole and let him rot within me while his heart still beats, and then I'll take the eye I so graciously left him." "That's...graphic."

Tairn has the best threats lol he and Violet were made for each other

Chapter 9

I knew Imogen would grow on me!

Omg I bet the person they’re interrogating is Xaden. He never made it out to his post and it’s why he hasn’t come to see Violet. I just don’t know how they can keep the dragons from each other 

“"I can take her," Sloane fires back, white-knuckling her knife, "From what your letter said last year, her joints pop right out. How hard can it be?" "Seriously?" I shoot a reproachful look at Imogen. "I can explain." Imogen puts her hand over her heart, "You see, I didn't like you last year, remember? You're kind of an acquired taste."”

hahahaha I love the banter in this series

OMG!!! Nadine!!! I am NOT okay with how fast characters be dying in this damn series!! 😭😭😭

Chapter 10

I knew this dude was sent by Aetos. So freaking sloppy! And the more this book goes on, the more I think Dain didn’t know about the War Games thing. He’s an annoying prick but I don’t see him being malicious enough to let Violet walk to her death. Plus, I actually don’t recall him shitting on people with a relic. He just seems to hate Xaden lol 

Welp, there goes my theory about Xaden being tortured lol

I find it hilarious that Xaden is so obsessed with Violet’s hair lol

Chapter 11

“Coconspirators with a vested interest in keeping each other alive.”

Lol love Imogen. She’s giving me Ron Swanson vibes here with his “work proximity associates” speech 😂😂😂

Banning people from knowledge in order to keep their corrupt secrets from the public is not sustainable. Sure, it drastically slows the distribution of information but the truth always comes out - it’s just a matter of when!

I wonder if the Scribes are translating everything from the old language in order to hide more lies

 Varrish grinning at Violet saying “dragons don’t take orders from humans” does not bode well. Has he found a way to control dragons? Or at least influence them with blackmail or something else?

Varrish is such a dick. Like, get a life dude. 

Chapter 12

That comment about a blade of grass sticking to Violet was so random. 

Chapter 13

This Varrish guy is the worst. He’s like Miss Umbridge from the Harry Potter series

“You wish you were my type. I’m phenomenal in bed.”

Hahahaha I love Imogen. SHE BETTER NOT DIE

Oh no, I bet it’s that freaking survival class test! They’re getting kidnapped!

Chapter 14

Tairn is so sassy and I love it

Obviously, the water is drugged! Have they never read a fantasy novel?! 

I adore Ridoc 😍

HE BETTER NOT DIE

You would think there would be more crossover activities and exercises between riders and infantry if they have to work together so much and infantry are expected to work alongside dragons

Chapter 15

Rhiannon is responding to Violet keeping secrets way better than Violet is to Xaden lol She’s like “hey, you’re hiding something and that’s fine but don’t lie about lying” with Violet. And Xaden is like “Honestly, I have secrets I can’t tell but here are all of the intimate details of my life.” Come on Violet! Quit trippin' and get back with Xaden lol

I don’t like the rift going on between Rhiannon and Violet this book. They need each other and it’s annoying lol

Alright 2 things that annoy me about this book so far:

1. The lack of Xaden and Violet scenes  2. Violet being mad at Xaden for keeping secrets from her in order to protect others

��Chapter 16

Yesssss, Imogen is spitting facts!!! Hopefully this will convince Violet to let him back in

“I’m still speaking.”

Okay Imogen 👀 She could get it 😏

Oh man, I really hope nothing happens to Rhi’s family and she blames Violet for keeping her in the dark

Of course she misses the interrogation technique class!!! Bad move man

Chapter 18

Theory time: Omg is death what’s powering the wards??? Is that why so many more people are dying at an alarming rate? They need more students to die to power up the wards? And maybe daggers work because they are an instrument for causing death?

“I want you.” All day. Every day.

LOLLL

Omg I love how ride or die Rhiannon is about Violet lol 

Who’s soul is Nolon mending?!

Chapter 19

Theory time: Solas’ orange is off and Dain’s dragon's breath stinks because they’re giving the dragons some concoction. Maybe it’s to control them? 

“Humans have the memories of gnats. Dragons hold grudges.”

Pearls of wisdom from Tairn lol

Damn it Tairn lol while I love that he put Varrish and Solas in their place, things just got a whole lot worse for Violet 😬

Chapter 20

“Ugh. Let’s go throw knives at shit.”

😂

Has Mira met Imogen? They’d be two peas in a pod lol

I’m also shook that they kill civilians. Wowwwww

Chapter 21

Man, this is starting to feel like Final Destination since all the Resson survivors are dying one by one

“History and current events are tied because one influences the other.”

Interesting foreshadowing 

I like Devera and I feel like she’s trying to do the right thing while the rest of leadership goes to shit. Like Professor McGonagall does when Dumbledore is no longer headmaster 

“That’s what we’re not going to do.”

You tell em, Devera!

I bet Varrish will be in charge of the torture lessons given his background and he’s going to try to kill Violet 

I was JUST wondering where Dain has been. Haven’t heard his holier than thou whining in a while lol

omg I called it in the last book! Her mom gave Xaden those scars! I also still think I’m right about Dain being guilty of being a prick but not of sending his best friend to get murdered 

Rhiannon is so smart! She reminds me of Bree from Legendborn 😍

I knew I liked Aaroc/Cam for a reason! Hope he doesn’t die….

Chapter 22

It’s strange that Violet is so bad at remembering names when she studied to be a Scribe her whole life lol

Chapter 23

For some reason, book 2 reads a little more like a YA novel than the first book

HAVE THEY LEARNED NOTHING?! Don’t  eat or drink anything!!!

Okay, you didn’t drink but did you eat the jam?!

Ridoc and his snake confession had me cackling

lol I totally thought Ridoc broke first but he was lying haha

I knew fucking Varrish would somehow weasel himself into this training

They’re using Dain? Well hell.

Also, isn’t his signet supposed to be a secret???

Chapter 24

Wait, they’re practicing on civilians?!?! At what point do people wake up and think “hmmm, we’re the bad guys”?

"We should consider quitting the quadrant." Ridoc jokes as we walk over the door and out of the chamber, "We'd be kickass thieves." "With dragons," Sawyer agrees. "Unstoppable," Ridoc says with a grin.

This is giving Six of Crows and I. Am. Here. For. It.

Unlocking doors? hmmmm interesting 

Chapter 25

I know exactly who did this! A scribe! It was the person walking in the hood earlier that Violet noticed. I wonder if it’s her friend or someone else

Those statements have to be true - Markham is acting too squirrelly about them

FUCKING JACK IS BACK?!

Idk how I feel about this book now lol like really? 

Hundreds of cadets die every year and they spent valuable resources and time to mend him?! What happened to “we let the weak die”?! This is utter bull

Also, Nolon mentioned how hard mending a soul is….it doesn’t sound like Jack has a soul 

Chapter 26

I love the nonchalant way Sawyer and Ridoc are ready to murder Jack lol

Chapter 27

Territorial Xaden is the best lollll he’s like who the hell's jacket is that and why isn’t it mine?! 😂

Well, that escalated quickly 👀🔥

Chapter 28

Oh that has to be his ex. The one that Bodhi mentioned

I knew it!

Chapter 29

“Pull yourself together”

Tairn with the tough love 😂😂😂

“I will already know, as I am continuously with you,” he grumbles. “Forced to bear witness to the awkwardness that is twenty one year old humans.”

💀💀💀

I forgot who Professor Kaori is but I love them!!

Chapter 30

FINALLY Violet realizes how hypocritical she was being about Xaden when she tells her friends part of the truth

I bet Andarna is sleeping longer than expected because she’s going to be powerful as hell lol

Holy shit. Too many people die too often in this series. I don’t even remember who Eya is!

Ridoc better not die

Chapter 31

Freaking JACK saved her?!?! What is this rouse?!

I 👏🏾 don’t 👏🏾 trust 👏🏾 him 👏🏾 

Let’s go Aaric! Sidebar, I need a novella about him. He sounds hot

Chapter 32

I thought Aaric ‘s brother died in Threshing! Well I guess Xaden could have killed him then lol

There’s no way Nasya sleeps through his post every time. I bet he’s spying on them

Oh Imogen has it taken care of lol good. Also, that’s a badass signet!

Chapter 34

“The birth of iron rain” !?

That sounds ominous

OMG LADY STOP DRINKING THINGS FROM OTHER PEOPLE

Fucking hell. I honestly can’t even feel anger for Nolon’s betrayal because I’m too annoyed with Violet rn lol

Chapter 36

So Dain is finally choosing the right side!

I’m so glad Varrish is dead! He’s the worst lol. Violet will definitely have to watch her back from Solas

Yay! Devera came through!

The secret is out! Finally!

Chapter 37

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Chapter 38

Andarna is back!!! Yayyy!

I bet this “blood magic” means sacrifice! they have to kill people to build a new ward

I knew Mira would punch Brennan after seeing him for the first time haha

Chapter 39

The 6 strongest riders: Caden, Felix, suri, bodhi, violet, Brennan - I’m surprised Mira isn’t one

Chapter 40

I do think Violet is a little slow on the uptake when it comes to understanding her power which is surprising since she’s so smart

I’m excited about this sibling trip lol

Chapter 41

“Fuck it. We don’t need a luminary.”

Mira is a whole vibe lol

Cat is the worst and Violet is annoying me by listening to her lol Xaden is obsessed with you girl - ignore this jelly belly lady

Well that explains why Violet was trippin' hahaha wasn’t her fault

Chapter 43

yeah I agree - allowing people to die on the parapet is unnecessary lol

Holy shit ! This entire hike is stressful as fuck!

RIDOC!!!

Chapter 45

“The problem with mankind is we too often find our souls to be a fair price for power.”

Chapter 47

I hope Violet kicks Cat’s ass and makes it embarrassing for her lol

Chapter 48

Well that was hawt lol

Xaden talking shit about Dain will never get old lol

The way Xaden feels about Violet reminds me of Rowan to Aelin because his love isn’t conditional and based on if she’s “good” - “If you’re a monster, I’m a monster” (Queen of Shadows)

Xaden is very swoon-worthy lol

Chapter 49

I feel like it’s always Sawyer pitching the idea to just kill an annoying enemy (Cat, Jack, Varrish) and I’m here for it 😂

HE BETTER NOT DIE

oh no….am I starting to find Dain not so bad? Lollll

Chapter 52

Theory time: I really think these nightmares are real - somehow the Sage is communicating with Violet through her dreams Theory Time: I bet she gets captured or agrees to go to the head Sage by the end of this book to set up the next book

Oh god, I really hope an attack doesn’t occur while they’re on this training mission and then Violet feels responsible for not putting up the wards sooner 😬

Chapter 53

Violet must be thinking of Xaden and how he might go mad since his dragon was previously bonded with someone in his direct line

Fucking Solas. I almost forgot about this enemy!

Chapter 54

Honestly I’m surprised she doesn’t have more enemies since if you kill her, you essentially kill 4 beings in one swoop

Andarna is a badass

Chapter 55

No lie, this fight between Xaden and Violet is a little silly and getting exhausting

Ah, I came to the wrong conclusion about Xaden and his bond with Sgaeyl 

Chapter 56

Omg is Xadens second signet mind reading? That would explain a lot. It would also explain why he’s scared to share since they execute people with that signet

Called it!!! I’m glad her response was not immediately “I don’t love you anymore”

Now I need to reread these books to see when he reads her mind. Oh man, I hate to say it but it kind of sounds like what Dain did to her last year

hmmmm, that was too easy lol

Ugh, we’ve been here before - Violet discovers a big secret about Xaden right before some war conflict and they’re fighting in the midst of chaos. Not sure I’m a fan that it’s a repeat of the last book lol

Chapter 57

well I’m glad Cat has stopped being a twat and decided that focusing on saving the continent is the way to go over petty squabbles over an ex lol She reminds me of Lysandra but in a good way lol 

I think the trouble with the writing of their relationship is that Xaden is so amazing and their relationship is so magnetic that their conflicts feel forced. The obstacles they face within their relationship are hard to develop when Xaden is always saying the right things after they fight lol Not that I’d want it any other way - but I think that’s why I’m struggling with not rolling my eyes when they get into arguments. Violet deserves to be angry about the betrayal but then it just feels like her decision on what she’ll do next about them takes FOREVER and it feels like it’s dragged out across a whole ass book.

Omg did Brennan come?! Is he announcing his “undeadness”?!

Violet immediately wants Xaden to use his secret signet on the others? I don’t disapprove at all but that better mean she will forgive him swiftly lol

It isn’t in Violet to NOT help innocent civilians if she can.

“I love you enough to bear the weight of your disappointment.”

Total mom sacrifice right there!

I need a novella of their mom and dad and how they got together lol

Chapter 58

If I were with the Rebellion, I’d agree to help Navarre on the condition that they make it public knowledge that Venin are real and they’ve been lying to citizens for centuries in order to keep a specific amount of citizens safe - that way, they’re not leaving innocents to die AND if they all survive the battle at Solstice, the rebels will walk away with an additional win (the entire continent knowing the truth)

am I the only one who visualize white walkers from GOT when I read about the venin in this book? Lol

Alright let’s go!!! Way to not turn into the enemies! 

Chapter 59

What is with Andarna’s scale colors?! Their changing colors have been mentioned all book - I wonder what’s the significance? Is she a rainbow dragon?! That would be dope lol

Jack's dragon's eyes are weird? Another reference to dragons seeming off! I bet they’re controlling it! But who would want the wards to fail? Who is Jack in league with if Varish is dead? IS Varish even dead?! Did freaking Nolon bring him back to life like he did with Jack?!

What the heck?! Did Jack become venin?! Why did he slaughter his own dragon?!?

Chapter 60

I knew he became venin! But didn’t realize it was for SO LONG!

Well, everything is going to hell in a hand basket 

“Fucking Jack.”

Ain’t that the truth lol

There’s no way this battle is in this book, there’s not enough pages left!!!!

Chapter 61

Can Andarna turn invisible??!

I’m so stressed lol

Chapter 62

Omg is Andarna a chameleon?!

Chapter 63

Theory time: Andarna is head of the seventh den of dragons! This is why she’s so unique. She’s not actually black like Tairn . I bet she’s one of one making her the head of her den. It would make sense since she’s an orphan 

Add-on to the theory: I think both journals are right but describe it differently. Warrick says six AND the one that combines all which must be what Andarna is since she’s always changing colors. Lyra’s journal says seven because it combines the six and the one

Good thing Andarna can make fire now!

Chapter 64

Not a Liam letter 😭😭😭

This heartfelt moment between Andarna and Violet is everything. 

The way that Andarna looks up to Tairn gives me all the feels

What about Sloane?! Can she somehow reverse her power and GIVE instead of siphon?

Ah yep, apparently she can.

Her mom is going to sacrifice herself! 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Chapter 65

I’m honestly surprised Xaden killed the main sage. I figured he’d be a bigger part of the storyline 

Don’t tell me Xaden is also now Venin?! 😭

NOOOOO 😭😭😭

Sgaeyl is pissedddd

Chapter 66

OMG WERE THOSE XADENS DREAMS THE WHOLE TIME?! 

I can’t recall if Violet only had the nightmares when she slept near Xaden 😭😭😭😭😭😭

I am unwell.

[kleftiko]

Hii. I'm not the anon who asked for it, but I just want to say Sorry with Hawks was soooo good. Please tell me there'll be a second angsty part with a happy ending. 😭

❦ SORRY PT. 2

cw: none, this is fluff

PART 1

okay i didn’t intend to make the first part so angsty—it was one line !!!! but now i’m a little drunk on the power that i have over your emotions so i’ll be nice. i’m a benevolent dictator lol

there’s a knock on your door that you ignore. you’re in the middle of writing a cover letter and you’d rather not have your train of thought disturbed, but after a couple more knocks and a finished sentence, you finally go up to the door.

“h-hi!” hawks cough awkwardly and holds up a takeout bag. “I brought ramen! soup always helps the body feel better.”

you blink. “sorry?”

“well, you haven’t been to work in a couple days so i brought some soup to help you feel better!” his smile was blinding.

“im not sick.” you say. his innocently beautiful grin drops a bit in confusion. “i quit.”

his face fully frowns. you see the wheels turning in his head as he puts the pieces together.

“im so sorry.” he says. “i shouldn’t have kissed you without your permission—i just, you looked so nice and i just-“

“-hawks, i kissed you.” you interrupted him, you see his feathers perk up for a second before you continue, “and it was a mistake.”

keigo’s face mimics the look of a kicked puppy. “o-oh. did you still want the ramen?”

“can i ask you something?” you take the ramen and place it down on the floor. he nods simply. “why’d you try so hard?”

“what d’you mean?”

“to get me to go on a date with you?”

he furrows his eyebrows for a couple seconds, “i don’t understand. i wanted to go out with you, so i asked.”

you can’t sense anything but sincerity in his words. and in the moment, your mind takes a step back to look at the situation. keigo showed up at your place under the assumption that you were sick and brought you food. you think back to the months you worked at hawk’s agency, and his harmless and sweet demeanour towards you. for the first time, you think about the possibility that it wasn’t all an act, and that he genuinely did want to get to know you and not just dump you after he got bored.

“you…you really did?”

he nods.

your eyes trail down to the takeout bag. you don’t recognize the logo on the front, but knowing keigo, it’s probably a good place. you don’t have much of an appetite, so you say, “you wanna come in for some ramen?”

his eyebrows raise a bit before his face breaks out into that fun loving grin of his.

and after the takeout has been opened and distributed, and you both are lounging on the couch with your own bowl of ramen, you feel like an idiot. even if you did agree to a date with keigo, it didn’t mean investing your emotions into something that would break your heart. you two could have been having a light hearted and good time like you are now.

instead you closed yourself off and in the process hurt someone.

“this is fun.” you tell him as he slurps the noodles. “next time we should get drinks.”

keigo chokes on the ramen, clearly taken back by your sudden forwardness, but he quickly recovers, placing his bowl down now that both of you are finished eating.

“really?” he smiles.

“really.” you confirm. “let’s go on a date.”

[celestialspiritbabe]

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest episode 16: thoughts + opinions

Tired Touka

look at Makarov's pose lol

how does Juvia manage to look so beautiful even when she's knocked out cold??

it's still so funny to me that Cana got super drunk to the point of passing out and then just went along with everyone who was under the White Mage/Faris' control lmao

how the fuck was Faris able to drag out both Jellal and Max without getting herself a hernia? I KNOW I WOULD'VE CERTAINLY GOTTEN ONE IF I WERE IN HER SHOES AND DIDN'T HAVE FLOATING MAGIC AT MY DISPOSAL!

I love how she just gets progressively more upset the heavier members of Fairy Tail get when she attempts to drag them out

I might hate her guts for all the shitstorm she's caused so far, but Faris was actually smart for utilizing her magic and making Elfman carry both Laxus and Nab

I love Natsu using his big bro's curse as a way to take down one of Aldoron's God Seeds, with that being an actually smart move from him for once! also, him calling Zeref his big brother is so sweet and wholesome🥹🥹🥹

these two 💙 // eeek, I'm so hyped up for the next episode (my fellow Gruvia and Jerza shippers, iykyk!)

cannot wait for Jellal and Erza's conversation about what happened between them when he was under the White Mage's control lmao

''Who could've done this?'' // WELL GUESS WHAT JELLAL? THE GUY RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU DID THIS TO THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE! (albeit under the White Mage's control, but still lol)

Jellal, sweetie, I'm pretty sure being restrained is child's play compared to what Laxus had to endure in his fight against Erza

well, God Seed Aldoron sure is one ugly-looking motherfucker

oof, Natsu looks so hot here❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

why does blood in Fairy Tail always look more like chocolate than real blood?

GODDAMMIT, THIS WAS SUCH A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR GRAY AND JUVIA TO DO A UNISON RAID!

''Are you the one who hurt Erza?'' // well, looks like Jellal's getting ready to be a bad boy again, and for Erza only😏😏😏

THIS GOD SEED DOOM IS SUCH A GOOFY GOOBER

Cobra would be so proud of Kinana for using a similar type of magic to his! 💜

I really loved the fight between Doom and ''less important'' Fairy Tail members! Great to see them shine for once, instead of being useless background characters they unfortunately seem to be most of the time. 🙌🏻

Look, I really loved this episode, but please tell me I'm not the only who noticed Gajeel's voice sounding really off in this episode? I really, really hope they didn't axe David Wald (Gajeel's English VA) because he aired Crunchyroll's dirty laundry on Twitter a couple of weeks ago (tldr: they took care packages and fan letters addressed to voice actors and distributed them amongst the employees instead of giving them to VA's, and they also allegedly committed a federal crime by opening mail).

My fellow Gruvia and Jerza shippers, we should be well fed in the next episode, because Gray & Juvia vs. Metro and Jellal vs. Gears are both shaping up to be amazing fights + WE SHOULD GET SO MUCH GRUVIA AND JERZA CONTENT, SO I'M BEYOND PUMPED FOR IT!

[illusivesoul]

A Letter of the Divine

Summary: A letter found in the office of Divine Victoria shortly after her disappearance. Relationship: Leliana/Female Brosca Words: 671 Read on AO3 Lots of angst ahead lol

.

The following letter was found amongst the few possessions left behind by Divine Victoria following her sudden disappearance. Due to the nature of the letter, its existence shall not be revealed to the general public for the foreseeable future. In the unlikely event of a movement developing to support the Divine or if the Inquisition tries to make a political move, the contents of this letter, after being made even more unpalatable to the common people, shall be revealed and distributed as far and wide as we are able.

Serena Brosca

My Queen of Stone

You warned me about how going down this route would only bring me pain, and I ignored you, for even as much as you made my heart beam with joy from every smile you gave me, I couldn't let you dictate what my faith commanded me to do, just as I couldn't dictate what you did with yours.

I wish I had stayed at your side to help you handle the treacherous waters of Orzammar's politics, politics that you shook to the core by becoming a Paragon and allowing the casteless into your House. House Brosca. How proud I was for you when it happened. How blind I was to not see the dread and pain you felt when hearing those words. "I got my house by standing on top the corpses of my people, Leliana. A House for the Casteless earned by drenching my hands in their blood". But how could you not enjoy the power? How could you not see you had the world at your feet? How very naïve of me.

I've kept count of the time passed since we last wrote to each other. I've tracked every second since I last saw your face, since I last saw your lips curving into a smile when I sang for you. How much I have longed for the feeling of your hands of mine, your breasts on my back, your mouth on my skin, our bodies joined in perfect harmony as they sang promises to each other that my excess of pride and the pride you lacked never let us have. I held the world in my hands whenever I held you in them, and I let you go. To serve the faith, to serve the Maker. Well, Justinia is dead, the Maker laughs at me and all the grieving people in this broken word as always. Some god he turned out to be. At least your Paragons are there for you to feel and touch, the solid stone more real than my endless prayers to the dark. Thought that I had what it took to set things right. The blank slate. And in the end all I did was drown myself in a sea of blood and a world of lies, and Thedas quakes in chaos, the Chantry and the faith more broken by my actions than by anything Corypheus or Tevinter ever did. At long last I finally understand the meaning of your words. I also got my own House by drenching my hands in blood.

I've been drinking so much as of late, giving way to base desires to try to find something to make me feel alive, something to make me forget of all the damage I've done and keep doing... and every time I always end up thinking of you.

Perhaps my absent Maker or your Paragons will let us see each other again one day, and maybe then will you be able to forgive me for all I did and for how much I failed you, but life has taught me better than to hope for the impossible. I just hope that wherever you are, that you have found the peace, happiness and love you deserve and that I tried but failed to give you. I now dream of the cliff of my dreams, and I hear the rocks and waves of distant lands calling my name. One last song remains to be sung.

Forever yours, Your Leli

[herbgroom]

arctic monkeys concert review time, for anyone who cares

so I was under the impression that the concert would start at 5:30pm, so I thought, great! I get there at 12 and I only have to wait 5 hours! WRONG.

the headliners would start at 9:40 PM. I WAITED 10 FUCKING HOURS.

when I got there, there were already so many people. the venue was huge and impossible to navigate, I had to go back and forth a couple of times to understand where I was supposed to go. the one highlight was a security guard who saw the books I was carrying (sartre, lol) and the pins (one was of dark side of the moon) and commented on them. that was nice

so, I arrive at my entry, and I still have a couple of hours to kill, since the gates open at 3pm. WELL. SOME DOUCHEBAG decided to cram up at the front of the gates and everyone followed, I was stuck in the crowd for the remaining hours with no water or food, just a cap, and the scorching sun above me (thankfully I had put on sunscreen beforehand)

the staff was also in a panic as well, it took them a while to check tickets and bags.

but I get inside! and the position I get it's great! just a dozen of meters from the stage, meanwhile people keep coming... and coming...

my friend also manages to get inside and we're finally reunited, we're both a sweaty mess. it is 3:30pm.

the bar is expensive and the water is scarce, it is really difficult to sit down given the amount of people (at max capacity, I heard there were 70-90k people inside)

the waiting game starts, but at about 5pm the first opening act (gli OMINI) comes on stage. they're neat 👍 they played covers of boys don't cry and my generation

another half an hour hour passes, it is getting so fucking hot, but some saint starts distributing water, you have to be extremely lucky to catch a bottle, tho.

second opening act (willie j healey) at about 6pm, they have strong dire straits and 70s soft rock vibes, one of their amps busted, but the crowd was supportive

some more waiting, the venue sponsors come on stage (a national radio) and they start randomly djing and chanting, they throw t shirts and gadgets. I didn't get one.

finally, at 7:40 pm the final warm up act, the hives. they even get a personalised stage with big letters and everything. they're absolutely insane, we didn't catch one breath while they were playing. special shoutout to the guitarist who was dying on stage, you're a true champ 👍

one hour left. and that hour feels like 10. at least the sun has gone down, but the heat remains, given how cramped up everyone is. I'm starting to feel very sick, nauseous and with a headache. I try to sit down the best way I can.

BUT FINALLY!! ARCTIC MONKEYS TIME!!! they come on stage and everyone loses their fucking minds, there's a huge mirrorball on the ceiling and a big circular projector behind them

here's the setlist

I had to literally block my ears a few time cuz the screaming was so so strong

alex speaks some italian and that also causes people to lose their minds, the audience mainly cares only for him. sad! I was cheering you on nick, matt and jamie! you were amazing! also the guys responsible for the moog synthesiser and additional guitars, awesome indeed

funny how everyone sang the most popular songs while barely anyone knew the songs from the car, well I sang those the loudest! mirrorball was fucking awesome, the highlight for me, cuz at the end the real mirrorball started spinning and shining. so so cool

I also screamed REALLY LOUD when they played sculptures, I lost my mind. I had waited for it FOR SEVEN MONTHS.

so, was it worth it?

arctic monkeys were amazing, but all the waiting made it unbearable, I couldn't wait to go home afterwards- and that too took a while because the subway was really far away.

so, there you have it, great concert, terrible experience. an overall 4/10, while the band was 10/10 (I wish I heard them more clearly, it was impossible to hear alex through the screaming)

[richmond-rex]

Hi! I'm reading Susan Higginbotham's book on the Woodvilles - which I have some issues with but that's irrelevant - and during the description of the wedding festivities of Richard Duke of York (son of Edward IV) and Anne Mowbray in 1478, it's mentioned that in the royal jousts that concluded the wedding, Elizabeth of York was the one to distribute the prizes "in the form of golden letters set with precious gems" to the winners.

I don't know if that's standard for royal princesses or indulgent parenting (probably both, although Edward openly dancing with his 8 year old daughter + his instructions for his son's upbringing does suggest that he was a very affectionate father lol) but whatever the case, the idea of 11/12 year old Elizabeth of York handing out prizes after glamorous celebrations is so sweet and endearing to me

Hi! It's certainly a very endearing moment! And it's even more endearing to me because Elizabeth's daughter Margaret also distributed tournament prizes in her own time. She did it at the tournaments in celebration of her brother Henry's elevation as Duke of York when she was only five, and then again, if I'm not mistaken, at the celebrations of her brother Arthur's wedding when she was eleven/twelve. In 1506 there was a May tournament in celebration of Princess Mary where she probably distributed the prizes too. I don't know if it was conventional for the king's daughters to do that — my guess is it was, irrc one of Henry IV's daughters also did it during her own time — but it's nevertheless very cute that those occasions happened! 🌹x

[waitingforeddyneddy]

Is Florence Pugh a zionist? She signed pretty early on the ceasefire letter https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy3xlmJCwW-/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Not that other letter signed by known zionists like Gal Gadot where they thanked Biden lol.

Anyway, I find it in poor taste to make a humanitarian crisis that costs the lives of innocent people every day about stans wars. As a fan of Simone, do I wish she had used her small but still significant platform? Sure, but it doesn't seem to be the way she uses her IG at all (I remember when Chinenye Ezeudu from Sex Ed had a GoFundMe to pay for her mom's medical expenses https://www.gofundme.com/f/sv8bu-medical-cost and Simone never posted about it even tho she donated.)

If anything, that JB trip shows how heavily Israel leans onto their PR and their need to be perceived as the one and only democracy in the Middle East. Pinkwashing is exactly part of that or that weird campaign calling for all the feminists they did recently 🙄. That's also why they tweet like a teenager from stan Twitter, I'm glad that people aren't buying into it and call out how actually cringe it is.

I'm not trying to make what is happening about stan wars, everything started two weeks ago or so when someone asked me about FT and then it began a conversation about how JB fans should boycott the show since it's one of those produced, acted and distributed by proud zionists. I'm not even tagging Israel/Palestine cause I know that would be out of touch of me.

Simone seems such a private person who only uses instagram for work, I noticed she only posts about herself when she goes on vacation in the summer or during winter. Given how close she is with Roxy I bet she is supporting her friend's incredible initiative

[otakween]

I’m Standing on a Million Lives - Volume 13

Woah, it's been almost an entire year since I read volume 12...oopsies. Luckily, volume 14 comes out at the end of this month, so at least I can get two volumes without a giant hiatus.

Also, heck yeah! Fatina's on the cover :D

Ch. 60

-This was a politics and battle strategy chapter. The explanation of how the 1% ruin everything for everyone sounded verrry familiar.

-Malita's arc is very weird. Also, she low-key high-key feels like an Attack on rip-off with her design. Kinda expecting her to either go out in a blaze of glory (self-sacrifice) or be mercy killed by the end of this arc.

-Yuusuke shows back up at the end of this chapter, because god forbid we go any longer without the main character! This series actually feels pretty different when you take the teens out of it. Less isekai nonsense and more just straight fantasy (well duh)

Ch. 61

-I've probably already complained about this at some point, but I really don't like the naming sense of this series. "Jangani," "Cathean," "Vikie." I don't know how to explain it but some fake fantasy names just work and these don't. They feel very "scrabble letters thrown at the wall."

-Yuusuke comes back to life and immediately goes on an edgy rant about how smart he is and how that's going to be his downfall. Ignoring the humble brag, I do kinda get what he was going for. He was basically saying that a lot of book smart people don't feel the need to rely on others so they isolate themselves and "die out" (like the Neanderthals apparently). The idea that Homo Sapiens survived due to their social nature and reliance on others was interesting, I've never heard it put that way before. His rant seemed to boil down to being frustrated with not having any street/social-emotional smarts, which I can definitely relate to.

-Not sure what Yuusuke's goal is at this point. It kinda seems like he's growing away from his "I want to kill humanity" aspirations, but it's not super clear...

-It was pretty brief, but I enjoyed the Fatina vs. Oku battle. It was nice that Oku got to die as his true self and Fatina got to inherit his battle to fight the dragons. That's kind of like revenge for Oku in a way.

Ch. 62

-Oop. I was wrong. Yuusuke is still very much into his "kill humanity" plan lol.

-Yuusuke pretending to be nice to Futashige was pretty brutal lol. At least it gave Futashige some tiny inkling of joy in his miserable life.

-And suddenly we're in a court case. It's kinda a fun idea to have a real battle and a legal battle going on at the same time. Really shows how the work is distributed amongst the players too.

-Fatina's owl is adorable in sleep-mode

Ch. 63

-I thought this chapter was really good. 100% politics + economics mode with some real world stuff tossed in for good measure. I was thinking "why does this feel so American??" when they were like "this is based on America btw lol" in an aside. Basically all about the wealth hoarding of the 1%. I didn't expect them to throw in the bit about the internet destroying everyone's mental health and Idiocracy-style eugenics.

-Basma literally reminds me of Elon Musk with his "lol you should just try not being poor" attitude. It almost hits too close to home, but it's also cathartic cuz I know the good guys will win. Futashige is the perfect hero for this arc since he's repping the downtrodden working class.

-Mangaka is based for anti-capitalist sentiments. Makes me curious to know more about him. I feel like you don't hear takes like this too often in anime/manga

-There were parts of the trial that I unfortunately think would have hit harder had I not read the last volume a whole year ago lol. I've definitely forgotten some things. (Like what the decree even is)

Ch. 64

-I always appreciate it when the mangaka goes into a lengthy description of the strategy used to defeat the boss. This is a very brains-over-brawns series. Although straight up action has its place, it can get pretty boring after awhile.

-I'm a bit skeptical about the "if you remove the stomach lining the acid will disintegrate everything!" logic. I mean sure, it would do damage, but I dunno if stomach acid is really that OP. (Well, it is a fantasy creature, so whatever).

-We get that Ace Attorney moment where the perpetrator finally snaps and the gang clears the mission (what was that again? lol)

This volume felt super short for some reason! I guess because it was pretty fast paced. Guess we'll wrap up this arc in the next volume, so it will be interesting to see where things go next. Hope we get more real world time in-between.

[ikuzeminna]

First Update!

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this experiment so far. Here's a first look for at the results I have been able to gather at this point in time.

Since I don't have enough data from non-Latin alphabet users yet, the following shows the distribution of only the Latin alphabet users.

The side of the bar represents how many people of a group opted for the handle on the left or right side.

We can see that the overwhelming majority of right-handed people choose to draw the handle on the right side. With left-handed and ambidextrous people the distribution is more even, though the low number of them compared to the right-handed group is too small yet to draw any real conclusions.

The exact numbers are:

Meaning:

20 out of 126 right-handed people (15.9%) drew the handle on the left side

106 out of 126 right-handed people (84.1%) drew the handle on the right side

14 out of 23 left-handed people (60.9%) drew the handle on the left side

9 out of 23 left-handed people (39.1%) drew the handle on the right side

I have seen some people in the comments and reblogs kindly voice concern over Tumblr not being ideal for reaching non-English speaking and therefore non-Latin alphabet using people, but that's absolutely fine! Because Latin alphabet or not, left-handed people are very valuable to both hypotheses in relation to their right-handed counterparts.

If my professor is right, then left-handed people should be much more likely to draw the handle on the left. So far, we're only at slightly more likely (61% isn't that much).

As far as my own hypothesis goes, many people have pointed this out already, and I, too, have discarded the notion that the presence of single letters within an alphabet is the reason for the handle choice and am instead now focusing on how the letters/characters are written. Latin letters are strictly left to right, Japanese, for example, also has a predominantly left to right stroke order (with exceptions, of course). Since most people draw the cup first and then add the handle, it could feel more natural for them to "continue" on the right, as that is what we usually do when writing.

(When our professor did the experiment with us, the person next to me drew the handle first, then the cup, and so ended up with the handle facing left.)

I have taken to various Discord servers to hopefully get some data from Arabic users, as I was told they favor the left side regardless of their dominant hand, as well as other groups, but so far all I've gotten are threats by mods to not self-promote when I asked them for permission to ask people to participate. lol

I'm allowed to throw money in return for promo at one though, so let's see how that works out.

Oh, and as a last note. I'm very sorry about the cup = no handle confusion because of paper cups. A "cup" in both my native tongues always has a handle because it's specifically the one made out of porcelain.

I had hoped having to specify "paper cup" would have prevented the confusion, alas. Sorry again.

I need your help with a hypothesis!

For context: My linguistics professor and I got into a discussion after a test she did with us, and I was of the opinion that the reason for the results was different from the one she offered, so she encouraged me to test my theory.

What I need

All you need to do is draw a coffee cup (with a handle, not the disposable stuff) and then answer three questions.

I don't need to see the coffee cup. You can draw it wherever you like; on a piece of paper, digitally, in the sand, on a foggy window. Anything works. It does not have to be good. A doodle is fine.

You have to draw the coffee cup before you see the questions. This is very important. If you decide to help me with this, please doodle the coffee cup before you keep reading.

Assuming you have drawn the coffee cup, I now need you to answer these three questions:

On which side did you draw the handle?

Are you right-handed or left-handed?

Do you primarily write using the Latin alphabet or a different one? (please specify which)

More context

Most people will draw the handle on the right side. My professor says it's because most people are right-handed, so they draw the handle in the direction that would be comfortable for them to pick up.

I said drawing it on the right side just felt more comfortable to my hand and argued it's probably because we write a bunch of letters like that. B, b, D, P, p, R all look like a tiny "handle on the right side" and are all a straight line followed by a round one (so "cup first, handle second," like most people draw cups). The Latin alphabet doesn't have letters like that that face the other way, except maybe d, depending on how you write it, so it makes sense to me that people writing mostly Latin letters would go with the handle on the right side.

Which means that I need to know what Asians, Arabs and Greeks do and if the distribution of left and right sides of handles differs from the Latin alphabet group. Cyrillic seems to favor right, too, though it'd be interesting to see if there are differences.

If there are, my theory is right. Doubly so if there is a sizeable increase in a group whose alphabet has letters that benefit the left side choice.

So feel free to spread this to as many people as you like and put the answers in the comments or the tags of a reblog. The more answers I get, the better I can assess whose theory is better.

Thank you for your help!

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

476 of 2023

Blank Survey #5

What’s the last item you bought from a hardware store?

A powerbank. I was in emergency because my phone's battery died when I was away from home.

When’s the last time you got a ticket, and what for?

I don't drive.

What’s the last piece of mail you’ve sent, snail-mail style?

Documents for the government lol.

Is marijuana legal where you live?

Yes, but no. You can have some for personal use, but distributing is illegal.

Have you ever failed a sobriety test?

Never been tested for that.

Do you keep all of your receipts?

Yes, I do. It helps me keep track our budget.

Have you done your taxes yet?

I don't have to do it, the labour union does it for me. I already know the result, too, because the government sent me an official letter.

What’s the last board game that you played?

I don't play games.

Do you drink enough water every day?

I don't drink water at all, I hate the taste and nothing helps.

Who is the last person that you disappointed?

I don't know, people don't talk about their feelings here in my country.

How many hours of sleep do you need per night in order to be a functioning member of society?

At least 7, plus lack of sleep is dangerous to my brain.

Who is the last person you text messaged? What were the two of you chatting about?

My dad, about something in the US.

If you run out of toilet paper, what’s your next resort?

We never really run out of toilet paper. We buy it in bulk and always buy new one when there's three last rolls left.

Have you ever gotten an unexpected gift from a neighbor during a windstorm?

I don't understand this question.

Is it time for an oil change in your vehicle yet?

No, it's been done already.

Do you remember the subject of the last test you took?

Probably some personality test over the internet, not that I even believe in that crap.

Why did your last cell phone have to be replaced?

It didn't have to be replaced as it still works, but my current one has better camera.

How often do you feel as though you’re left out of the loop?

Way too often haha. It's just so me.

What should you be doing instead of this survey?

Nothing, I just did what I was supposed to do today.

When’s the last time you trimmed your fingernails & toenails?

Two days ago.

made by: @swanky-surveys

[daandori]

tag meme ~ spell out your url with your fav songs then tag 3 friends

tagged by @brokuro thanks maddy! ♡

t / the barber of seville - gioachino rossini

e / every night - EXID

t / tabi no tochuu - natsumi kiyoura

e / ego - big bang 

t / thank goodness - wicked cast

s / sit next to me - foster the people

u / umi to sanshouo - kenshi yonezu 

some of these are a bit of a reach but i was working with what i had hahaha 

i tag: @farfetch---d @ennpathy @aishitetsuro no pressure!

[whumpbby]

Lol, I am thinking that with the series gaining popularity and steam around the third volume, the prints were distributed far and wide. The author was praised for their descriptive and flowing style, just flowery enough to be dramatic, but concise enough to leave little to imagination. The characters gained fans, and as the cast grew with each new addition, everyone could find someone to stan. Either the main protagonist struggling between duty and love, or his lover with his tragic past, or the protagonist's best friend who struggled with his place in the world and attractions towards the beautiful Wen heiress. Maybe the young archer from a lowly sect undergoing his coming of age story, or the noble warrior searching far and wide for a sister kidnapped as a baby? Or even the advisor of the bad guy, who needed to decide whether to follow his master or leave and chase fter the man he loved, the cold Immortal from the Ice Peak? The plot quickly left the factual Sunshot War on the account of an imaginary retelling with the actual sects and people far in the background - doing vague political things, the threat of Yiling Laozu a distant and vague thing. All that generously sprinkled with sex and feelings, and dramatic reveals and cliffhangers, everyone getting in the way of the main couple.

The sex was still the main driving force of the story, but the breadth of relationships gave Jiang Cheng an opportunity to include more and more practices brought up by the jiejies and Su, even if some of them were enough to make him blush. Slowly, however, he learned to consider them in an academic way and easily write about things that would make Wei Wuxian gasp. Hell, in volume two he even introduced a character of a courtesan, an older Madame the protagonists kept crossing paths with, that often served as a mouthpiece for the more educational sections (she might have been a Meishan Yu spy, if one was to read into certain things) and explanations to the - somehow - still fairly inocent and naive main hero.

And it was - fun.

It was actually fun to make up these little stories and keep track of all the characters and subplots and positions. It was engaging and at the same time relaxing, to spend an evening away from the letters and reports, focusing on this imaginary world where a happy ending was possible. It was amusing to write the scenes including real people he knew, and imaging their reactions if they were ever confronted with them (not that he'd ever expect Lan Xichen to put his hands on a spring book, but being portrayed as a melancholic beauty of Gusu Lan that the cultivation world had an uniform crush on would probably drive him to distraction!)

Jiang Cheng didn't even notice how much of his life was consumed by taking care of Jin Ling until the boy was gone and he was left with nothing to do for the first time in his life. His sect also breathed a sigh of relief when their Leader stopped micromanaging every little thing and found a hobby - they assumed he was journaling or reading, or painting. He seemed calmer nowadays, happier. Even if he visited the nice brothel a lot recently. Good for him.

Jiang Cheng didn't even suspect how accomplished one could feel after creating something that people liked. It was such a silly thing, but it was his and it was good and it made him happy.

On the other side of the world, Wei Wuxian was slowly completing his collection of the Books of Spring, the whole seven volumes stacked in the place of honour on his bookshelf. Another seven stored in his pouch, if he wanted to read on the road - or needed some ideas to spice up their Everyday. Not that before was bad, but ever since Nie Huaisang has given Lan Zhan the first two volumes of the newest literary hit, their sex life became absolutely amazing. Who would have thought there was so many adventurous sex positions that were still good for one's back? And that oil made such a difference? And that something as easy as peeing after sex would save them so much trouble? And that whole chapter with the Wen heiress and the ropes...! Lan Zhan was blushing for a week afterwards! Who would have thought that following the rules would make sex so much better? Lan Zhan was particularly taken by the care the dashing rogue cultivator showed to his young lover even during their most daring escapades and strived to emulate it - and thought Wei Wuxian didn't see himself as particularly delicate and wasn't nearly as naive as the protagonist, he appreciated the thought. And lack of backpain in the morning.

If he could, he'd personally thank the author for shining a light the world of cutsleeve sex and for fun adventures he enjoyed alongside the characters. His favourite, amusingly, was the little side-character, a young cultivator from a distant branch of the Jiang sect. He wasn't very amusing, to be honest, his plot was a bit of a downer when compared to the rest - he just wandered the world, searching for the sect siblings the Wen took to their indoctrination camp and never gave back. His path crossed with the protagonists every so often - serving as a source of information or a helping hand when needed. Wei Wuxian knew that the story needed this sort of a side-body for the plot to run smoothly, but somehow he felt sympathy for the poor kid, just him and his spirit dog on a doomed quest to find his lost home...

Yeah, he kinda wanted to talk to the author - ask them what was the plan for the kid? Could they be convinced to give him a happy ending? Things being as they were, the poor boy had all the markings of tragic death written all over him! That would be awful! He needed to be saved!

Thus, Wei Wuxian decided to write to the author of the books - first of many letters addressed to the Wisteria House and the ever mysterious Author.

I love the pics where JC/wangxian get sex-pollened and dual cultivation is the only way out. Love every single of these.

However, an idea struck today xD

Say, the thing happens, sex pollen threatens their lives and they have to fuck and JC agrees to it reluctantly. He doesn't want to die so may as well let the Second Jade fuck him - it's a marginally better option than ungraceful death-_-

Except, the sex is so bad.

So. Bad.

Jiang Cheng lays there, forced to take it, gritting his teeth and questioning his choices. It can be, can it? Lan Zhan has been very openly in a physical relationship with Wei Wuxian for five years now. They apparently fuck all the time, if Lan Xichen's stilted complaints are anything to go by. So how is Wangji so bad at it??? Is it because he hates Jiang Cheng and doesn't care to make it good? Well, fuck him then-_-

But no. Because when Wei Wuxian's turn comes, it's still... not good.

Jiang Cheng sits there, aching and exhausted, and cannot stop looking, because he's concerned. They are going at it like a pair of blind monkeys. Is this what they think sex is??? It looks painful (and it is).

He leaves, full of concern and frustration.

When his father left him in a care of the expensive courtesan right after JC's sixteen birthday, it was completely different. He was nervous and embarrassed, but the jiejie was very patient and inviting, and they've spent a very nice afternoon as she taught him what to do on his wedding night. To his initial mortification, the lesson included *gulp* anal sex.

"In case future Jiang-Furen wishes to take a ride on your pillar without being distracted by possible consequences." She told him with a sneaky wink.

She seemed satisfied with his performance and, well, pleased, throughout. And he found the act quite pleasurable, if a bit scandalous (and doubly exciting because of that).

It cannot be that different when it's men, can it?

Can it?

Wei Wuxian, at least, was an avid reader of Huaisang's spring books, he should know the basics at least!

Except... well, father never took him to the Wisteria House - mother would openly murder both of them if that happened. And, as much as he flirted and chased girls, Jiang Cheng knew his shixiong was too busy with training and pranks, and never actually had a girl.

And Lan Wangji had the personality and charm of a tree stump, and he was famously in love with Wei Wuxian since they were boys.

Could it be that they were both goddamn virgins when they came together? Could it be they didn't know that sex was supposed to be better? Was this as far as their imagination went???

Jiang Cheng himself wasn't a regular customer of brothels and his libido was quite low, but even he knew your ass shouldn't ache for days after (and wasn't that a fun and humiliating experience in trying to heal that part of his body?). Lady Li very patiently explained to him how to ensure his future wife will leave their bed sated and relaxed.

He shouldn't care, really, what business of his was how Wei Wuxian and his husband fucked? He'd rather not think about it.

...But he was thinking about it. And it wasn't giving him peace!

Thus, after two weeks with very little sleep and a lot of punching things, Jiang Cheng found himself in the Wisteria House, asking to see their best male courtesan with the intention of asking some very embarrassing questions.