#okay actually posting this one for real this time

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

YOUR L*ONISMS IN THE MALLEUS POST BYE 😭😭 I tend to try to avoid talking about him precisely bc I fear I'll sound like Leona too lmao. or bc I'm scared ppl will say "ah you only dislike him bc you like Leona"- when that's not the case at all (although I also share some of his views about the lizard) Similarly to you, I just don't get the hype- basically everything you say. my feelings for him fluctuate from "🙄 ok." to "you're okay? I guess?"

which is weird, bc I really like dragons and non-human characters learning about humans. but that's what makes it worse for me bc man all the talk about him made me want to rlly like him and then I saw him in canon and I was like uh... okay? kind of disappointed + a bit annoyed at some stuff. I do like how he talks about gargoyles or things he finds interesting tho— I'll praise you that much, Draconia.

[Referencing this post!]

***PLEASE NOTE: Everything I express in this post is my own opinion and is in no way meant to disparage Malleus enjoyers.***

Leona and Rollo is right about Malleus and he should speak his truth 😔

To reflect a little on my own character arc with Malleus, I felt very neutral about him from the prologue to about book 2ish. This was simply because I hadn't interacted with the guy yet so I held off on judging him prematurely. The brief encounter we actually had with Malleus in book 2 wasn't meaty enough for me to get a sense for his character, so I brushed him off.

I thought it was interesting that book 2's narrative invites comparisons between Leona and Malleus, with Leona being a parallel to Scar, Malleus being a parallel to Mufasa, and the world holding Malleus up as the "superior" king. Lilia states as much in 2-26: "Would that the lion king of the savanna could witness this absolute farce. No, if you ask me, the collar suits you far better than a crown ever could. You may bemoan the fact that you're not higher in line to be king. But with that sensitive ego of yours? That so quickly directs all your petty anger at your retainers... Well, the idea of you ever contending with a REAL king like our Malleus—is absolutely laughable. Even if you COULD defeat Malleus, so long as that's how you choose to conduct yourself? You would never be fit to rule!"

And at the time, yeah, Lilia's right because Leona is very much losing his grip on his emotions and acts irrationally in an attempt to triumph over Malleus. HOWEVER... The longer the main story went on, the more I found myself disagreeing with Lilia's judgment of Malleus and his character. Now, that doesn't mean that I think Leona was in the right for the actions he took in book 2 (they are still and always will be wrong). Rather, I think Lilia gave a somewhat biased take on Malleus and his preparedness for the throne. Many of the things Lilia accuses Leona of also ended up being very true of his own liege. Malleus has a sensitive ego (he has attempted to strike down peers and faceless, magicless NPCs on more than one occasion; ie Halloween events). Malleus has directed his anger at his retainers (as a child, he froze many servants; in book 7, he attacks Sebek and Silver for attempting to wake up their peers and tries to return Lilia to sleep against his wishes). Malleus has scarcely led anyone in anything. Leona and Malleus are far more similar to one another than either of them would like to admit, but Lilia is just assuming that Malleus will be a great leader anyway because of... what? Because of birthright and lineage? Yeah, no wonder why Leona is pissed and has a bone to pick with the lizard (attempt to harm Malleus aside).

Book 3 and onwards is what I started to develop my current dislike for Malleus. (And to be clear, he has good points too! I'm not saying that he has nothing going for him at all; however, this post is focusing on my own critiques of his character so that is what I will be speaking about.) I started to notice things that annoyed me on a personal level: how he lacks consideration of others' perspectives and actively violates their autonomy, how he never gets any repercussions for his actions, how he's aware of his power and status and yet fails to avoid lording it over others, how he has been given so many opportunities to learn and change as a person but refuses those opportunities, etc. And yes, I understand that he acts in these ways for particular reasons. I'm not saying that his behaviors don't make sense, I am only stating that these are behaviors that I personally don't find appealing. (For more extensive explanations of why I don't like Malleus, please see the FAQ section in my pinned post.) All of this in spite of how little of him we actually get to see and interact with, especially in the main story. It baffled me that he was undoubtably the most popular character in EN circles. There's so much chatter about Malleus Draconia, you can't really get away from it. People are legitimately shocked when you tell them you actively dislike Malleus or when they learn that he's not even a top contender for best boy in the JP fandom. The default is assuming that you do like Malleus, which ironically happens to be the same thing that Draconians (Malleus stans in-universe) do. It feels like there's sometimes an unspoken pressure to like the guy. I also started to notice peculiar behaviors (?) which, in a vacuum, aren't necessarily bad--I would just like to comment on them because I find it interesting. With Malleus being as popular of a character as he is, there's of course going to be a lot of online discussion about him, especially from his fans. Now, I don't know if it's only me noticing this, but I've frequently observed Malleus fans going out of their way to "wring as much content" out of the least Malleus-related content possible. For example, there may be a screenshot of some other character posted and then a fan would come in and make a comment like, "I wonder how Malleus would feel about this". A more concrete example would be from the more recent JP Lost in the Book with Nightmare Before Christmas event; in it, the event character takes the back of all the characters' hands and kisses them (including Yuu). Automatically posts that showed this kissing were inundated with comments about how "Malleus would be so angry about this", even though Malleus himself shows no such reaction. Similar comments dropped when Yuu is kidnapped in the event even though, again, Malleus shows no such anger about the incident. Halloween events such as this contain half the main NRC cast, yet I saw no fans of the other 10 characters claiming those characters reacting jealously. This occurs VERY often in regards to Malleus; even in events or scenes where he doesn't react or doesn't even appear, zealous fans will insert him into the situation or make the situation suddenly about him, whether it's in someone's own posts or on other people's posts.

I wonder if this is a result of Malleus being kept so mysterious for two full years...? Without much of his character to go off of, it left a huge negative space for fans to headcanon, project, and hyperfixate on what he is like or what he could be. And maybe now those behaviors persist in an effort to fill in that void because honestly Malleus isn't getting much screen time within book 7 either 💀

I believe this has contributed to the discrepancy (that this asker brought up) between how the English-speaking Twst fandom speaks about Malleus versus what Malleus is actually like and how he is portrayed in game. The fandom version of him is pretty much always hyped up or sensationalized (sometimes simply for his mere existence), similar to how his own fans in-universe might put him on a pedestal. But then you play the game for yourself and you're exposed to so little of him and what little you do see of him is much more... reserved, somber, and sometimes even petulant, depending on the situation.

Anyway, my point is that anyone that dislikes Malleus (or any other character) should be allowed to dislike him, regardless of what anyone else says or if you feel pressured into silence🤷‍♀️

[goodboyaudios]

Hey guys! So I was going to post a Christmas video, but unfortunately, time got away from me with all my real life changes and of course, working on BvZ and some other collabs you'll hear about soon. So to make up for it, I'm making a post giving some lore about the Mistwood siblings! Again, I'm sorry this isn't a video. It was supposed to be.

Alphineas - Eldest son, pressured to be the best.

Brittarii - Eldest daughter, fell into the surrogate mother role even for Alphineas.

Chemicutio - Second daughter, jealous of Brittarii mainly because she looks like her but isn't as strong.

Dorsra-el - Second son, got himself trapped on a parallel earth.

Elim - Third son, child prankster, worked as a thief for Mazzul

Frennis - Third daughter, fell into the wrong crowd and became part of a cult.

Glenneth - Fourth daughter, loves her family, but can't stand them either.

Howpul - Fourth son, became a ship captain under Mazzul.

Igni - Fifth son, pyromancer, fortune teller, lady's man.

Jillaine - Fifth daughter, hardcore fighter, gets a cool face scar and fights harder because of it.

Kaiz - Sixth son, born of a captured prince, thinks he's hotter shit than Alphineas.

Lanquaille - Sixth daughter, became a pirate to take revenge for her mother.

Matteli - Seventh son, actual cult leader and got killed because of it.

Nyph - Seventh daughter, stole secrets, also got killed because of it.

Octara - Eighth daughter, tried to learn from her family's mistakes, ended up alone.

Perese - Eighth son, in constant pain, became a professional healer as a result.

Quasell - Ninth son, felt he didn't belong, came back with answer for world peace, lost everything.

Rashantia - Ninth daughter, likes elementals more than people so she left.

Secoya - Tenth daughter, studious and disciplined. Has a big tree house.

Trillsynthia - Eleventh daughter, weapons nerd, but also knows how to use them.

Utriolle - Twelfth daughter, absolute weirdo, but only because no one gets her.

Valum - Tenth son, cursed by a leviathan and taken by the Time Walker's Guild.

Waco - Eleventh son, loves Alphineas, hates Kaiz, might be a necromancer.

Xerec - Twelfth son, hates reading, but he's a cool sorcerer so that's okay.

Y'narri - Thirteenth daughter, hate's the family infighting, feels powerless to stop it.

Zedrathaw - Thirteenth son, loves his family, but wishes he got the chance to know them all better.

[urrockstar-xe]

This is life, merry christmas - j.p x fem!reader

posted 3:23 pm, christmas eve 2024

happy christmas harry :)) i've been meaning to write this one since last year, please enjoy.

not proofread!!!

masterlist

wc: 0.8

Sirius cringed as he watched Remus and James move the tree a third time trying to perfect its position, completely scratching up his brand-new carpet in the process.

“It has to be real, they said, we’ll be careful, they swore!” He threw his hands up in defeat slumping down on the leather couch with a huff. 

“We’ll fix it, love, don’t get your knickers in a twist” Remus grumbled back, equally unhappy with how much they had to mess with the oversized log. 

“Really feeling the Holiday Glee, cheers boys,” Peter remarked sarcastically as he untangled lights on the floor. 

“Hey, mate, have you checked if those work?”

Peter glared at James who quickly shook his head and looked away from the blonde. 

You swiftly plugged them in, only to find that none lit up. “Bloody hell!” Sirius groaned, “He’s been toying with those lights for half an hour!” 

Peter glared down at his string-covered lap with a defeated expression. 

“Okay, I’m gonna make some hot chocolate, how’s that sound boys?” You stood up, happy to leave this grumpy room. 

“Great, now we’ve pissed Y/n off!” Sirius grumbled, crossing his arms. 

“Maybe bring something for our pads to eat too, yeah?” James asked, looking at you hopefully.

“I’ll order Chinese.” You nodded, picking up the phone on the way to the kitchen. 

The sound of bickering hardly diminished as you hid away behind the counter, dialing the number on the refrigerator magnet. 

You tried to ignore the feeling of arms snaking around your waist as the phone rang in your ear. “Make sure to order extra orange chicken for Wormy, love,” James muttered against your shoulder. He smelt of cologne and fresh pine. 

“Hi! I’m alright. Thank you, how are you? Oh, I’m sure.” James smiled at how you politely laughed at whatever was said about how the other’s day was. “Yes, a delivery-” “Order some of those crab things!” Peter’s voice was followed by more bickers and a quick ”Please and thank you!’

“So, I’ll need two orders of orange chicken, one of kung pao- teriyaki?” You whispered the question to James, knowing his answer already. “Teriyaki” he nodded with a smile, “and chow mein” 

“Naturally” you moved the phone back to your ear,

“-oh and, a bunch of crab rangoons! Thank you so much, Happy holidays.” you hung up, earning immediate cheers from the boys. 

“Hello, darling” James murmured once you finally paid him the mind he was waiting for, turning to face him properly. “Hi, James.”

“Sorry about all of our fussing tonight. It's not very merry and bright of us, is it?” he chuckled, moving hair out of your face. “That’s alright; I thrive in your chaos.” You shrugged, smiling back before reaching up to fix his slightly crooked glasses. 

James thanked you with a soft kiss. 

“Oi! They’re tying me up with the lights!” Sirius yelled out in distress, “Kinky, mates!” James called back, smiling at how you laughed when he just went back to kissing you, setting one of his hands on your face.

Another anguished scream from Sirius, followed by nearly manic laughter from Remus and Peter ruined the moment between the two of you. “We should help him” You muttered against James' mouth, earning a dramatic sigh. “He’s quite the grinch tonight, love, maybe this is good for him” 

“James” 

now a dramatic groan. 

“Fiiine.”

With all of the reluctance in the world, James broke away from you, doing a little jog back into the living room to catch the two boys tying seemingly different lights around Sirius’ feet, his hands already tied up and glowing.

“Ah, found lights that worked did you, Wormy?” James smirked at Sirius, crossing his arms. “Remus did actually!” Peter nodded, smiling as he patted Sirius’ knee before standing up. “There, there, my love, those lights reflect beautifully off those curls of yours,” Remus said in his most charming voice, just to get a glare in response from Sirius. “Lovely, my boyfriend hates me and my friends are antagonizing me.” the rockstar grumbled, turning his attention to the tree in the corner. 

“James, I said to help him!” You sighed, shaking your head in an attempt to hide your smile from Sirius as you moved to untie his hands. 

“Glad somebody loves me,” Remus scoffed, “don’t be daft, Pads,” he muttered, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Sirius’ head, laughing when Sirius tilted his head back to catch the kiss with his lips instead. 

“This is just awful.” Peter cringed, “what is?” “Couples, and holidays, blegh.” 

“That’s, alright, Petey boy, you’ve got the lights.” Sirius pointed at the pile of dead lights, hands now free to run through his hair and fix his jacket. 

“Hardy har”

Peter said in an exaggerated american accent, earning a fit of giggles from his friends.

Sirius stood up, “Seriously though before we finish decorating, we need to vacuum now”

[wintfleur]

SANTA TELL ME

⊹ oh I wanna have him beside me like oh-woo-oh ⊹

🧦 ━━━ 𝓈tella 𝒽ughes and 𝓇utger 𝓂cgroarty enjoy a christmas trip in the snowy mountains

stellahughes just posted !

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🏷️ rutgermcgroarty

🎵: santa tell me - Ariana grande

stellahughes merry christmas from your favorite couple 🤍

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tyler__duke5 🏔️🎄❤️

stellahughes WORDS TY WORDS

mackie.samo merry christmas stell ❤️

stellahughes merry christmas mack 🫶🏻

ryan.leno_4 still crying about my present btw ☝️

stellahughes IN A GOOD WAY?? 😰

ryan.leno_4 YES 😭

Lilybaileys ur so cute :( merry christmas bby 🥹

stellahughes ily merry Xmas 🩷

carmenbarlowe HAVE FUNNNN ❤️

stellahughes MINS ❤️❤️❤️

LiamBarlowe I came to visit…AND YOU WEREN’T EVEN THERE?

stellahughes LIAM I TOLD YOU LIKE 2 WEEKS AGO 😭

jackhughes rutger my number one opp 😤

jackhughes not spending Christmas with you 2 years in a row is DISGRACEFUL.

stellahughes jack answer the phone I’m calling you rn 🫵

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stellahughes UHUH ☝️

elblue6 my lovely girl, merry christmas sweetie ❤️

stellahughes merry christmas mom!! ❤️

markestapa COME HOMEEE 😭

stellahughes MARK ILL SEE YOU IN A WEEK 😭

username AHHH STELLA POSTED ON HER MAIN WE MISSED YOU QUEEN

username and the crowd goes….silent 😐

username the actual puck bunny 🙄

username why would rutger want to be with her still 😒….

trevorzegras santa told me to tell you….to answer the freaking phone ☝️

stellahughes GETTING TO IT RN!

luca.fantilli CAPTION REAL 😍

stellahughes luca ily 💋

colecaufield MERRY CHRISTMAS STELLA ❤️

stellahughes MERRY CHRISTMAS COLEY ❄️❤️

_quinnhughes merry christmas stink ❤️

stellahughes merry christmas quinny 🤍

edwards.73 happy christmas stella, I’m so proud of you and I can’t wait to see all of the amazing things you do next year 🤍

stellahughes eth 🥹

jamie.drysdale merry Christmas stella!!!

stellahughes HAPPY XMAS JAMS ❤️❤️

nicohischier happy christmas estella ❤️

stellahughes HEHEHEH HAPPY CHRISTMAS NICO 🤭❤️❤️❤️

rutgermcgroarty the prettiest girl

rutgermcgroarty merry christmas baby 🤍

stellahughes merry christmas rut 🤍

rutgermcgroarty added to their close friends !

🎵: soaked - shy smith

[caption: 🤩🤩 ]

mollyannmcg replied to your story ‘WOW 🤩’

rutgermcgroarty MOLLY 😭

Lilybaileys replied to your story ‘5 minutes that’s all I need 😩’

carmenbarlowe replied to your story ‘MOMMY 😮‍💨’

markestapa replied to your story ‘this was not the content i subscribed for’

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rutgermcgroarty SHES SO PERFECT 😩

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lhughes_06 replied to your story ‘okay wtf 😐☝️’

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rutgermcgroarty you own the song baby 😍

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🎵: white christmas - Michael Bublé (ft. Shania Twain)

stellahughes my favorite time of the year 🤍

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bboeser i need that dog

stellahughes ISN’T HE THE CUTEST?? I wanna steal him :[

bboeser do it

_quinnhughes id appreciate it if you wouldn’t help convince my sister to commit CRIMES?

stellahughes HE WILL BE MINE 🏃🏻‍♀️💨

elblue6 love you guys! 🤍

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thekidlaroi THE DOG.

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Lilybaileys my pretty pretty princess please come home, love lily 💗

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markestapa skiing….without me? 🥺

stellahughes you were missed 😔

trevorzegras remember when you cried watching frozen and you couldn’t sleep alone for like 2 weeks

stellahughes STOP YOU ASS, I WAS LITERALLY PANICKING ABOUT US GETTING STUCK THE WHOLE TIME 😭

mollyannmcg oh I love you guys 🥹

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stellahughes I loved and hated it

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pshoon2002 how many times do you fall 🤣

stellahughes ur obsessed with me 🫶🏻

lhughes_06 glad your having fun ❤️

stellahughes YOU N JACK NEED TO STOP BEING SO PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE. GET A LIFE 😭🫵

_quinnhughes beautiful ❤️

stellahughes quinny 🥹🩷

_willsmith2 merry christmas stell!!!

stellahughes merry Xmas will 🩷

carmenbarlowe oh I need to adopt that dog, I wanna knit it a sweater

tyler__duke5 knit me a sweater :[

stellahughes KNITTING PARTY WHEN I GET HOME

rutgermcgroarty we need to get a dog NEOW

rutgermcgroarty an amazing trip with you pretty girl, ilysm 🤍

stellahughes Ilysm rut, already looking for dogs 🤭

𝓻oro’s note. I’ve missed stella n rut so much 😭 BUT MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, I hope you all have a lovely day mwah 💋 so sorry for how short this is, I wanted to get it out on time 🥹

𝓬heck it, 𝔀ishlist! m.list au m.list main m.list

˖ ་ taglist : @winterbarnesblog @toasttt11 @lesrflms @cixrosie @iceflwers @bunbunbl0gs @petite-potato4

©️WINTFLEUR ; you can't copy, translate, reproduce, repost my fic, use my plot or layout.

[defire]

As an abuse survivor, you are just fetishizing child abuse. Plain and simple. Call it a coping mechanism or a power take-back all you want, but it's just an excuse to write porn about child abuse. I pity people like you, truly, I do. I can only pray that you eventually see a therapist about your internalized pedo behavior.

Cw: RANCID ask ⬆️

I'm so glad you brought this up because I don't like to speak for people like you--I'd rather combat these opinions directly.

Since you're praying, I'll feel free to make biblical allusions. (Tw)

First, the word "fetish". My opinion: I don't find fetishes or porn too helpful for processing trauma--it's more like exposure therapy. At some point you do need to actually grieve and process what happened. I don't judge those who do that (you're not hurting anybody♥️), but that's not what Survivor Fiction is for.

When you're judging whether something is bad or good, you can use the "tree by its fruits" concept. Basically, if a tree produces good fruit, it's a good tree. If it produces bad fruit, it's a diseased/bad tree.

So let's look at what Survivor Fiction does for survivors specifically.

It brings healing. I (a new author!) have already received five testimonies that have said how much my writing helped them move through some of their trauma and see things in a different, calmer way.

Survivor Fiction brings peace. A surprising amount of the community--90.5% in a poll involving 1,543 voters--use whump stories to go to sleep at night. (Many trauma survivors have difficulty sleeping from flashbacks. Fiction along the same lines can offer an appropriate sense of distance from the fear.)

It helps disabled people. It appears that a strong majority of our community is autistic. Part of the diagnosis is emotional dysregulation. We need to be walked through how to do things in great detail. Survivor Fiction often walks the reader through the process of trauma, reaction, ptsd, and recovery.

It spreads awareness. Survivor fiction is often more accurate to real-life abusive situations instead of glossing it over--in other words, LYING--about what goes on. This can bring a 3rd party perspective to a current victim too, giving them the understanding that they are being abused and need to escape if possible.

For a more thorough explanation of why fiction about survivors is good and necessary, see this post.

Okay, so would "bad fruit" look like? Do you see any of the following from our community? ↙️

Doing these things in real life

Being generally hurtful of others

Hurting children in real life

Harming emotions by pushing unwanted content to people who would be triggered by it? (Quite the opposite, we tend to post exhaustive content warnings before the content.)

Something else that's actually wrong and not just a thought crime?

And here's the fruit of your words, which I'm sure we all heard the jist of many times before:

You encourage covering up evil. Trying to hide fiction that more accurately describes pain, abuse, and PTSD means hiding the truth. Stifling the exposure of just how evil it is to abuse someone like this. The righteous walk in the light, but the wicked hide their deeds in the darkness.

Your words are shaming. Shame causes pain to fester and act out in harmful ways, such as repeating abuse cycles, self-harm, and dangerous overreactions. Christian ideology here--shame is what caused Adam and Eve to hide from God.

You are lying. You implied that we harm people in real life without any reason to think so. And also implied that we want to be in the aggressor's position. Generally speaking we identify most with the victim.

Referencing Christianity here, if you're christian--Your words condemn the Bible. The bible is full of stories much darker than most of what is written here. You'll read about rape, and the cannibalism of one's own children in Lamentations, among other things.

You're hurting yourself. You will be judged with the measure you judge others with. This is because if you judge others harshly for their thoughts, you'll instinctively judge yourself just as harshly. You end up hurting yourself and others over something that wasn't even doing any harm in the first place.

Causing confusion. What you said was illogical. If it's fiction where the damage occurs, we should be blaming the fictional aggressor--not the writer reporting it. If it's reality where the damage occurs, we should be blaming real criminals--not the journalist. The truth is that writing about survivors isn't generally harmful.

In short, you're creating a lot of problems and not helping. Did this ask come from a loving place?

This answer I'm giving, does.

[clouds-of-wings]

Because Spotify doesn't really know that much about my listening habits and because I enjoyed writing this kind of post last year I'll once more make a post about my ACTUAL musical favourites this year. So here goes! Album time!

Grendels Sÿster: Abstieg in die Traumkammer (2024, heavy/folk metal) -- This was by far my favourite album of the year. It came out this August. First album by the band, and what a debut! The album has an English version too (which you can also find if you click the link), but I vastly prefer the German one. The lyrics are really excellent and they fit so, so well with the character of the German language. Musically I would say they sound like "early Týr with a female punk singer", the lyrics feature retellings and re-imaginings of various mythologies and mythological themes of the world, ranging from Norse to Greek to (on their EP) Hinduism or even Tolkien's Valar. They once called their genre NWONOEM (New Wave of Nerd-Oriented Epic Metal).

Other albums I liked, in no specific order:

Kornalyn: Intemporel III (2024, folk) -- Kornalyn has been at this for a few years. He's a French anarchist and folk musician who records modernized versions of traditional leftist & worker songs. He's versatile, he's talented, he's got spirit and a great voice. Worth checking out whether you're a comrade, a history enthusiast or a folk fan.

Alice Longyu Gao: Let's Hope Heteros Fail, Learn and Retire (2023, hyperpop) -- Okay, I'm versatile too. Or at least not so set in my ways that I can't appreciate different genres than I normally listen to. Alice's hyperpop songs have a chaotic artistic spirit that I find charming. In a way, some of her songs are pretty metal-ish too - they remind me a little of old SOAD songs. She's funny, she's innovative, she's a delight.

Stonefield: The Light of Lies (1990, prog rock) -- Some awesome prog rock from the 90s. The singer sounds like DIO. If you like the hammond organ, CLIK TEH LINK! If not, click it anyway, you may start to! When I tried to find out which year the album was from, I found their EP The Eyes of the Dawn (1989), which is also so fun.

Alvader: Hereniging (2024, folk metal) -- Hey you! Do you like Heidevolk? If you found this post through the folk metal tag I bet you do. In this case definitely listen to this band. It's made up of ex-members of Heidevolk and sounds a lot like the "original".

HammerFall: Avenge the Fallen (2024, power/heavy metal) -- What can I say about this one. It's HammerFall. It rules by default. It sounds like all their other albums. HammerFall are one of the few bands where that's a compliment.

molllust: In Deep Waters (2015, symphonic metal) -- There is no music I like better than symphonic metal that takes the "symphonic" part really, really seriously. molllust are one of the few bands that do. Between Janika Groß's gorgeous orchestrations and her operatic voice, this is one of the bands that give me hope for the genre. At first I actually found their older stuff too inaccessible, but after I listened to the newer and more straight-forward Mother Universe album a lot last year, In Deep Waters became a lot more approachable to me.

Wintersun: TIME II (2024, Extremely Delayed Technically Complete Symphonic Death Wish Metal) -- I still can't believe my eyes, or ears. Am I dreaming? Is this the real life? It's really out! And Nuclear Blast didn't even give it a digibook edition (I have the one of TIME I and thought I might have a matched set one day). Is this because their corporate overlords don't care about physical media or are they just so DONE with the album, and Jari in general, that they didn't make more of an effort out of spite?

Norrsinnt: Djupt inni skoga (2024, folk metal) -- Somewhere between heavy folk and very folky metal. A collection of songs the artist released individually over the past years, but the album only came out a short while ago. He fortunately seems to have decided against using an AI image as cover art in the end, so I don't feel bad listing this album here. Oh, there are albums that I found this year and liked musically which I'm not listing for this reason, definitely! I'm glad this one isn't among them, because I've known all these songs for years and I'm quite fond of them, and of the power and originality of the vision behind this project.

Nightwish: Yesterwynde (2024, symphonic metal) -- I didn't expect too much from this album, but ended up really liking it! My favourite parts are, of course, the orchestral passages. I like how Nightwish are still capable of evolution, new paths, instead of being stuck in the 2000s. And, after all, what could be a more fitting topic for music that's as larger than life as symphonic metal than just the totality of existence, the universe, the human equation, the meaning of it all?

Romuvos: Spirits (2024, folk) -- Pagan Folk, immersive, meditative, dark. I don't have much to say about this, other than that I have listened to it a lot this year.

KAMIJO: ??? (????, symphonic power metal) -- I usually only have albums on this list because I'm old-fashioned like that, but that's really unfair to Kamijo, who's my top artist of the year on Spotify and whose greatest songs are spread out across a multitude of single bonus tracks and short EPs. So I will link his song TEMPLE and say doumo arigato gozaimasu, vampire prince rockstar-san, nay, -sama!

---

I also continued my exploration of the world of opera. Since I think I'm beginning to know my taste, there were a lot of works I started and didn't finish, but some I liked very much. My favourite was L'elisir d'amore (1832), which I watched in two different versions and listened to all summer. It's a rather light-hearted one, but the music is nevertheless dramatic, it's fast, it's powerful and... somehow rich. And it's just pretty, I'm not immune to the charms of the easily lovable Italian opera, or of Rolando Villazon and his musical and comedic talent. I'd definitely recommend this recording even to people who have never watched an opera before.

I also really liked Eugene Onegin (1879, can't find the recording now) - much more tragic than the one above, few operas I've watched had a better plot, I read the novel it's based on afterwards - as well as a whimsical 1979 recording of L'incoronazione di Poppea (1643) and a gorgeous staging of Atys (1676, only French subs here, sry). Baroque opera is superior to the later stuff according to me. The beautiful music, the melancholic observations on life in the libretto, the way the operas always seem to reach for the divine, beyond the limits of mundane human existence - it strives for perfection, and my ears think it comes close.

And that's my musical breakdown of the year :)

[starrysturnz]

where the love light gleams

pairing. vampire!matt sturniolo x human!reader

summary. matt hasn’t celebrated a holiday in decades. a lonely, unfulfilling existence is nothing to be cheerful about, in his book. but there’s something different about this particular christmas— he’s not quite so lonely anymore.

warnings. mention of the death of a parent, an unserious joke about domestic violence, somewhat sensual toward the end?? angst if you smear this fic on a glass slide and look at it through a microscope.

word count. 1k

author’s note. OKAY SO i apologize for the fact that the only fic from this countdown that was posted on time was the first one… 20% success rate :D basically i’ve learned to pre-write anything i plan to release on a specific date lol. anyways i was traveling and then i got sick sooo not ideal conditions to focus on writing. thanks for sticking with me on this tho! i hope u like this one as much as i do!! kisses :3

masterlist | taglist | starrysturnz’s christmas countdown

© starrysturnz. all rights reserved. dividers by @cafekitsune.

it was the perfect evening. firewood crackling in its hearth, the smell of half-baked cookies wafting in from the kitchen, and polar express playing on the tv as y/n lay cuddled up under her favorite fuzzy blanket with her boyfriend, matt.

his fingers toyed lazily with her (admittedly, ugly) sweater as she laid her temple against his shoulder. tilting her head up to admire his face— his strong jaw, his striking eyes— she said, “i can’t believe you’ve never seen this movie before. it’s a classic.”

his head turned slowly to face her, eyes lagging behind on the screen for a second before speaking, “just never really been into christmas movies, i guess.”

there was a hint of something hidden in his voice… amusement, maybe? like he knew something she didn’t. y/n got that vibe from him occasionally— like she was on the receiving end of an inside joke that she wasn’t a part of— but she mostly chose to ignore it. today, however, the urge to pry won her over.

“how come? your family didn’t celebrate holidays growing up or something?”

it was an innocent question, matt knew. he’d expected she might be intrigued by his utter lack of knowledge regarding common christmas traditions. this was their first big holiday together, and she was entitled to some curiosity. but he couldn’t tell her the truth… yet. it wasn’t exactly the time.

besides, the honest answer was a real mood killer— how could he tell her he’d spent the better part of the last century avoiding holiday festivities at all costs? that he didn’t see any reason to celebrate his miserable, cursed existence? way too much explaining, so not enough time. plus, it made him seem all dark and self-loathing, and while yeah, that might’ve been the case, he felt it was far too accurate to edward from the twilight franchise… and being compared to that idiot in any capacity made him want to stake himself.

so instead, he offered her his prepared answer: “no, no, it’s not that. just, i dunno… my mom passed around the holidays when i was young, and it sort of overshadowed the magic of it all, y’know?”

it was the perfect fib— just dark enough to be believable without leaving room for any follow-up questions. and it’s not like it was a total lie; matt’s mother really had died around christmas when he was a boy, and it did put a damper on his holiday spirit.

y/n’s expression softened into one of genuine empathy, and she mustered her best comforting smile. “’m sorry. that must’ve been really difficult.”

“’s okay, that was a long time ago. besides, now i get to experience all your creepy CGI movies for the first time right next to you, so it all worked ou— hey!”

matt rubbed the assaulted spot on his arm as if her little swat had actually hurt at all. (truthfully, he suspected that not even a human would’ve been bothered by her attack.)

“i’ll have you know this movie is a staple from my childhood,” she stated matter-of-factly. “so be nice, or else next halloween i’m making you watch monster house.”

⁺⁎˚

“the cookies should be ready by now, don’t y’think, love?” matt asked, nudging his girlfriend ever so gently in the ribs, making her giggle. “i might not be a christmas expert, but santa can’t visit if the place has burned down, can he?”

“yeah, yeah. i’ll go get them, you stay here,” she ordered.

moments later, y/n was padding back into the living room on her bare tiptoes— the only part her leg warmers didn’t cover— with a decorative reindeer plate full of warm strawberry jam cookies, lightly dusted with powdered sugar. she situated herself back under the blanket, setting the plate on her lap.

matt, eager to try one of the delicacies, reached for the one on the top, only to have his hand smacked away by an irritated y/n.

“ah! do i need to call the cops on you for domestic violence? because you just love hitting me today, hm?”

“only when you do stupid stuff. hands to yourself, silly.”

“but then how am i supposed to…”

his words trailed off as she lifted a cookie between two fingers, raising a brow at him expectantly.

“oh,” he grinned cutely, opening his mouth. his eyes fell shut of their own accord as the treat pushed past his lips, and he found himself savoring the taste. matt never really believed in love as an ingredient in baked goods, but he had to admit, he could taste it in y/n’s food every time.

“so?”

“they’re incredible, darling. really delicious, seriously.” his smile widened at her pleased expression, clearly happy with herself for having impressed him. not that she had to try very hard. “if i grab one of these, are you gonna hit me again?”

“mm. i guess not.”

matt’s hands reached into her lap, snagging the plate from her entirely, setting it atop his own legs.

“hey, wha—”

“sh,” he quieted her protests with a whisper, grabbing a cookie and admiring the adorable heart-shaped design for a second before his eyes flitted up to her face. the corners of his lips quirked up just barely, and then his free hand was softly gripping her jaw. “open up.”

y/n obeyed almost immediately, save for the half-second she spent processing what had just happened. then, she was chewing on the warm pastry, practically melting in matt’s grasp as his thumb swiped at the edge of her mouth to clean the powdered sugar there.

“good?” he asked after a beat. she swallowed.

“mhm.”

“told you,” he teased, now setting the plate on the coffee table and pulling the girl into his lap instead. he heard her heartbeat pick up in her chest, and he placed a soft kiss against her cheek just to hear it skip once. the movie on the tv had been long forgotten.

y/n’s arms wrapped around his shoulders securely, a happy sigh escaping her lips.

“merry christmas, matt.”

for the first time in many years, matt found himself smiling at those words. he held her tightly against his chest.

“merry christmas, darling.”

taglist: @toslayy @stylessuperwhore @sofieeeeex

[sunnysidesevenup]

I am having Arlo/Neige thoughts again so. Here is some rambling and headcanons about their relationship!!!

tagging!! @jadelover69 @kirexa @lallopsyou @miriaocs @jovieinramshackle

- Arlo is originally only interested in photography but after talking with Neige so often, he ends up getting into film making. However all of his films end up weirdly sad at first and make Neige cry so he has to ban him from watching them lmao. Eventually he starts making happier things!!

- once they’re adults Neige ends up getting Arlo to do most of his photo shoots, mostly because Arlo prioritizes him being comfortable and happy and other people tend to not really care about his opinions as much.

- they go to the movies literally so often. so many movie nights. Neige is the BIGGEST fan and it’s infectious. they watch stuff and then talk about it for hours afterwards.

- when they first start dating Arlo is initially really nervous about coming off as too intense, and Neige IMMEDIATELY dispels that fear by buying him a bouquet of flowers for three dates in a row.

- they share clothes a lot, and Vil is SO MAD every time he has to see Neige’s sweater 😭

- previously thought to be incapable of hating anyone, Neige hates Arlo’s entire immediate family lmao

- following up on Neige thinking it would be fun to play a villain, he expresses this to Arlo once who says he can’t really picture him like that and would be interested to see if he could pull it off. Cue Neige jokingly acting out a villain character and Arlo immediately becoming so flustered he can’t speak. (He likes every version of Neige, but this one was just unexpected, okay?!)

- Arlo only takes photos of his own volition if he thinks things are beautiful, which usually means he never takes photos of people unless he’s asked to for a job. He doesn’t try to hide this, either.

- Neige invites him out to see cherry blossom trees at some point, and while he’s looking at them he hears a click and turns to see Arlo taking a picture of him. “Sorry, I just wanted to.” Arlo doesn’t realize it’s actually a big deal at first until Neige gets really flustered and happy about it.

- Neige gets asked in an interview once who his ideal partner would be, to which he answers “someone charming, sweet, and passionate!” Arlo immediately breaks a vase in pomefiore and then picks a fight with a third year lmao

- while NRC students tend to get pretty angry and chase out RSA students when they visit, Neige can visit all he wants because he’s with Arlo (who has a reputation similar to the Leech twins, just with a different vibe)

- Occasionally, when Vil is particularly annoyed, he’ll drag along Arlo to his joint shoots in hope that it will distract Neige. This works but also frequently backfires, because Neige then puts in extra effort.

- Neige is VERY public and vocal about how much he loves his boyfriend once they start dating (with Arlo’s permission, of course). He posts a ridiculous amount of pictures with the two of them, and nearly every time he has to talk in an interview he somehow manages to mention how much he loves Arlo 😭

- Arlo definitely cried over this a few times. He goes from never believing anyone at all will love him to having a partner who literally tells every single person at any opportunity how much he cares for him. It takes him a while to process it’s real.

- Despite no one thinking he would be, Arlo is a very, VERY supportive partner. Neige tells him about a charity or cause he’s trying to raise funds for and you KNOW he’s going to stand menacingly behind his boyfriend and glare at anyone who thinks the charity is pointless or stupid. You WILL donate.

- Neige now has scary dog privilege but the scary dog is actually the tiniest piranha merman ever. rip my boy for being 5’2. (He can still bite with razor sharp teeth with force 30 times his body weight though, so like. run?)

[luneemeritus]

Fans created this realm of purity around Octavia where no one can criticize a single one of her actions or just be frustrated with her without being insulted and accused of "babying Stolas". But I'm not afraid of being honest or making hot takes that will upset a lot of I'm Literally OctaviaTM fan accounts.

Octavia is not flawless. Octavia can be criticized and can be in the wrong, and you are allowed to be frustrated with her. Damn, even Brandon dislikes her (which caused several fans to harrass him for it, yall so fucking insane). She is a 17yo girl, she is a young woman, not child. She can (and does) make mistakes, she can be cruel, she can be unfair.

Fans call Stolas selfish, a "bad father" and a lot of worse shit for ONCE IN HIS LIFE standing up to himself and choosing the smallest bit of happiness he was capable of (escaping his abuser and getting involved with someone he actually likes, and truly embracing his sexuality for the first time which seems to be a real trigger point to some fans, me thinks some of yall just dont like the gays), but are mad if anyone make the simplest complain about "hey maybe Via should've hear him out and try to think about his side of the story, use some critical thinking to realize Stella was never a good person to her father and etc etc". Like if not treating Via as a flawless angel and Stolas as the mean father is the same as wishing Via to be beheaded. Like grow the fuck up. All of you judging Stolas would do THE SAME if you were in his situation. Imagine living your whole life to others, for others, forced to live in a masquerade while being brutally abused every day and still be judged the worst personTM because your teenage child (again, traumatized AND affected by the same abuse you've been through) misundertood your intentions.

As amazingly pointed in this post, Via is 17 years old. She knows what is right or wrong, oh boy she knows, if she didnt know she wouldnt even be angry at her father. She said to his face that she is upset that he saved Blitz's life. Okay, you don't want to understand Stolas because boohoo daddy issues evil owl, but at least think of Blitz's side. Imagine seeing your lover's daughter angry that your life was saved. Your life, that is systematically treated as worthless by the same class Via is part of. Just think for a moment. And Blitz still sees Via as his future daughter! If you sympathize with Blitz for being unfairly hated by his sister, why can't you do the same with Stolas and Via's situation?

Literally I've seen so many people saying in one post: "i hope millie aborts her baby because no woman should be forced to have an unwanted child", and then in the next post "how dare stolas save blitz's life, he chose him over Via (a child that he was forced to have! btw!), he's a bad father" like how fucking dare you. Why are you so shamelessly hypocritical. I AM pro-choice btw, and yes Stolas did wrong things towards Via, but like, be fucking serious. No one's life should be limitated to their relationships. Stolas never chose Blitz over Via. Suddenly Blitz's life doesn't matter anymore, when it comes to shit about Stolas, now Blitz is not the flawless victim anymore and should have died. Fuck off.

Ugh. So fucking exhausting.

As much as i can understand where Via is coming from, and her feelings are valid, she doesn’t see her dad as a living person outside of just being her father. And that isn’t right. It’s especially not right seeing just how many people feel absolutely no empathy for him.

“She was just a child having to endure all that!!” Okay, and how old was Stolas when he had to marry an abusive girl and have a kid of his own, exactly? At least he gave Via a chance to have a good childhood, he didn’t have one. He didn’t have anything except for his duties to carry out.

And while it’s heartbreaking that Via sees herself as an obligation, that’s literally what she was supposed to be. Though that doesn’t mean that was how he saw her. She was what saved him, what made him endure all the abuse, what kept him going.

But sometimes that’s not enough, he had NO ONE to confide in and couldn’t put his frustrations on his own kid (because he’s a good father, despite what some of you would like to believe, clearly you didn’t grow up with a parent trying to guilt you by traumadumping when you can barely understand it), so he also NEEDED the pills.

The thing is, i also had that mentality towards my mom for dealing with depression UNTIL i started experiencing it myself. Because it’s so hard to realize that your parents are also human beings, since they’re supposed to protect you, they’re supposed to have everything figured out, to be the shoulder you cry on.

But if i see another dumbass claim that he CHOSE to leave and made the wrong decision in Mastermind, i need you out of this fandom. The whole point of that was that he had no choice, was he supposed to throw away the man he fell in love with, his first friend, his first time that wasn’t for procreation, and the one who liberated him? Stolas is allowed to care for more than one person, and he deserves to be loved romantically by someone.

You’re being too harsh on Stolas because for whatever reason you hate an abuse victim finally having a say in how to live for once in their lives, adding on top of that the weird, underlying homophobia in some of your criticisms for him.

Also i have a bad taste in my mouth from Via only seemingly hating Stolas, despite having SEEN how shitty Stella is. Sure, she doesn’t know the full extent of the abuse, but she’s heard the yelling, she’s seen the throwing, the ridiculing, the insensitivity. And most likely that woman neglected Via as much as possible, because she also didn’t choose to have her, but unlike Stolas she didn’t give a fuck to take responsibility regardless. (Reminding you of the “You get up” comment from Loo Loo Land). This was all happening before the cheating, so that’s not an excuse for her behavior (not that the cheating was, but at least Via would have been able to reason with her reaction to it).

It’s a complicated situation and it’s so shitty to put all the blame on Stolas, he tried so much for his family, but it was never going to be enough, because he’s gay. I’m glad he got out of that marriage.

Honestly, had i been given all those responsibilities at his age in a loveless marriage, i would’ve gone insane. I wouldn’t have been kind to my child, the cause of my shit life. But he never saw her as a weight on his shoulders, he has so much love for Via.

[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Prologue

For those who don't know, I am reading TGCF for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag Bloopitynoot reads TGCF. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read BUT if you followed along with my SVSSS read, the rules and vibe are the same.

Welcome welcome!

There is a method to my madness with the beginning half of this post on every chapter and the tea pics. I try my very best to make sure to minimize spoilers so the real content will be below this.

What I know (or don't) going into this series

Don't correct me, it's more fun if this all turns out to be wrong:

it is a love story across lifetimes

one of them wears disguises?

heavenly realms

it is painful AF

I am expecting many deaths to be honest

That's literally all I know, I didn't even really read the back cover until after I read the prologue (below) I am going in so blind.

With this all in mind; Let's gooooooooooooooooooooo:

Okay starting off strong with "the laughingstock of the Three Realms" p11

Oh god, "how to describe the prince...'unique'" p11

This man sounds so sweet "I want to help the common people" p11 but also him over here rescuing babies falling off the walls p13

Oh, I can see how the rich bitches with power would see this as problematic. The audacity of them trying to punish him for doing good. pp13-14

omg this guy, just casually meeting the Heavenly Emperor p16

this is a side note, I will say, though I have 0 experience reading actual heavenly realm lore, I feel well prepared for this due to the sheer amount of MXTX fanfics I have read that are probably crossovers with TGCF but I just didn't even know.

Good for him for ascending! Though if this is one of the protagonists of the story, I am worried for how naïve he seems p16

Well, the Rich Bitches were not wrong to fear the inauspicious start to the ceremony pre-ascension. 3 years later and ofc they are invaded AND the prince is not even there due to his ascension. p17

Poor buddy. I already know this series is going to hurt. He just wanted to help but made everything so much worse by getting involved in human things. p18

"to speak harshly, was he not just useless trash who could not do anything right?!?!" p18

What a tough blow. From god of protection and peace to God of misfortune. p19

AND banishment

Not the double ascension AND immediate banishment. p20 But i do want to know how he lasted like 30 minutes the second ascension. I'm just picturing him up there throwing hands for a hot second before being shunted back to earth double birds flying.

I also love that he's like a little weird. just a queer little man putting on street shows and acting odd as hell.

ooof. Bro. not only was he The Laughingstock for a minute, he also wasn't even memorable enough for people to recall him after a while. This story is going to ruin my life I know it. I already want to adopt this immortal man and wrap him in soft things. p21

A THIRD ASCENSION??????? p22

The canon has been FIRED

The way in which this story already started at 100. Blasted into the universe with this prologue, we had a weird little guy, he ascended descended too many times to be okay, and now we are shunted into chapter 1.

[nightwriter357]

Just Friends - You make it feel like Christmas

Sorry to be posting this so late but MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! This year I'm giving you part 8 of my Damien Haas " reader series called Just Friends.

I hope you all enjoy and have a great Christmas 🎁🎄

The cozy scent of cinnamon fills the air, mingling with the warm glow of Christmas lights strung lazily across the room. The tree in the corner looks more suitable for Halloween than Christmas, but it's charming in its own way. Damien sits cross-legged on the floor, glaring at a roll of wrapping paper like it's a puzzle. Shayne is sprawled on the couch, tossing a stress ball in the air. It's time for you all to go home to your families for the holidays soon so an early celebration was a must.

You lean against the counter, cider in hand, and break the silence with a bright, "So... Merry Christmas!"

Damien looks up with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. "It's not Christmas."

"I know," you reply with a grin. "But it's like... pretend Christmas."

Damien chuckles, shaking his head. "First a practice date, now pretend Christmas. What's next?"

"Premarital funeral?" you suggest, barely containing your laughter.

"What—no. Why premarital?" Damien asks, his expression equal parts confused and amused.

"I just wanted to give you the P," you say innocently, trying to keep a straight face.

Damien stares at you, his voice full of mock accusation. "You wanted to give me the what now?"

"The... you know what, shut up," you laugh, waving him off. "Merry Christmas."

Shayne tosses the stress ball once more, catching it with an exaggerated sigh. "So, we're really doing this, huh? Hosting a holiday gathering for this crew?"

"It's not that bad," Damien says, finally managing to cut a piece of tape. "Courtney's bringing candy, Angela's bringing cookies—"

"And Angela's crazy roommate is bringing the crazy," Shayne interrupts, grinning.

"She's not that bad," you say, though your tone betrays your doubt. "She's... spirited."

"Spirited like a feral cat in a Santa hat," Shayne quips.

Damien laughs, shaking his head. "That's not true, She definitely will not be wearing a santa hat."

"Okay, but who's got bets on Angela trying to juggle the ornaments again?" You asks, glancing between Damien and Shayne.

Shayne snorts. "Not worth betting. That's a guarantee."

The sound of the front door opening cuts the conversation short, and Courtney bursts in, her energy instantly brightening the room.

Courtney dumps her stuff  onto the coffee table with a huff. "Okay, spill. What's Angela's roommate like? I need to mentally prepare before I meet her. Angela keeps dodging my questions, which only makes me more nervous."

Damien pauses mid-wrap, glancing at you. "Where do we even start?"

You smirk, settling onto the arm of the couch. "She is... a character. She dedicated her life to solving this case. At least, that's what she says."

Courtney raises an eyebrow. "That sounds... intense."

Shayne snorts, sitting up straighter. "Oh, it is. She's been chasing the killer like it's her life's mission. But she's never actually solved a case."

"Not one?" Courtney asks, incredulous.

"Not even close," Damien says, grinning. "But she's got these real good insane stories about her time on the force."

"She says stuff like, 'Eat my ass,' as casually as you'd say, 'Good morning,'" Shayne adds, laughing.

Courtney stares at all three of you, wide-eyed. "You're messing with me."

"Oh, we wish," you say, unable to hide your amusement. "She's a walking, talking hurricane with a nicotine addiction and a flair for the dramatic."

"She's... Dedicated," Damien offers, though his expression suggests he's grasping for something positive to say.

Courtney lets out a slow breath, dragging a hand through her hair. "I can't tell if I'm terrified or intrigued."

Shayne chuckles. "She'll be fine. Just don't ask too many follow-up questions about the Creekside Killer unless you're ready for a full PowerPoint presentation."

"Noted." Courtney glances toward the door, as if expecting her to burst in unannounced. "This is going to be... interesting."

As if on cue, the door swings open, and in walk Angela and her roommate, the latter's wet bangs dripping in the Christmas season's slush. Angela gives a cheerful wave, while her roommate pulls out a cigarette and prepares to light it, muttering something about the cold weather.

"Whoa, whoa!" Damien says, standing quickly. "You can't smoke in here."

Sarah Christ glances up, raising an eyebrow as she tucks the unlit cigarette behind her ear. "Relax, you little worm. It's just for the aesthetic."

"Sure it is," you mutter under your breath, exchanging an amused glance with Damien.

Courtney watches the exchange, her mouth twitching as if she's suppressing a laugh. 

You glance around the room, catching everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone. Let's get started with Secret Santa."

Shayne perks up from his spot on the couch. "Finally! I've been dying to see what everyone got."

Damien settles onto the floor near the tree, looking relaxed. "So, are we doing this one by one, or is it a free-for-all?"

"One by one," Sarah chimes in, the unlit cigarette now dangling from her lip. "Let's make it last." 

Shayne's the first to hand out a gift, his signature grin plastered on his face. He hands Courtney a beautifully wrapped box, and when she opens it, she gasps, pulling out a gorgeous yellow patterned silk robe.

"Shayne, this is beautiful!" Courtney exclaims, her eyes lighting up. "I'm going to look so fancy lounging around in this!"

Shayne bows dramatically. "Well, what can I say? You deserve nothing less."

Courtney beams, giving him a quick hug. "Thank you so much!"

You shoot Damien a pointed look, and he smirks in return, clearly thinking the same thing as you. The two of you have teased Shayne about his not-so-secret feelings for Courtney more times than you can count, and this little gesture just added more fuel to the fire.

Next, Courtney hands Sarah Christ a small, neatly wrapped box. "This one's for you," Courtney says with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

Sarah Christ takes the box, turning it over in her hands with a smirk. "What's this? Another crime for me to solve?"

"Ehm..no?" Courtney replies, waving a hand.

Sarah tears off the paper, revealing a sleek lighter engraved with the words "Let there be light—Christ." She bursts out laughing, holding it up for everyone to see. "Oh fuck yeah, this is brilliant. A Christ lighter for Christ. You're a genius."

Courtney shrugs, clearly pleased with herself. "Seemed fitting."

Sarah Christ clicks the lighter open and closed a few times, inspecting it. "Are you sure I can't smoke in here?"

"No!" Shayne cuts in before anyone else can answer.

Sarah Christ rolls her eyes, leaning back in her seat and nudging Angela. "I could get a warrant!"

Angela snorts, crossing her arms. "No, you couldn't!"

Laughter fills the room, and Sarah pockets the lighter with a nod. "Thanks, Courtney, you really know me well."

Courtney raises an eyebrow but Sarah Christ doesn't seem to notice as she hands Angela her gift. "Here. Don't say I never gave you anything," she says with a crooked grin.

Angela takes the bag, and pulls out a sleek pair of noise-canceling headphones. Her eyes widen as she looks them over. "Finally, I can get some peace and quiet," she says with a grin, holding them up. "No more listening to people rant about the Creakside Killer."

Sarah lets out a dry laugh, leaning back in her chair. "Peace and quiet? Must be nice. My brain’s more like… I don’t know, walking down a dark alley, then—bam!—some thug shows up, takes everything, and leaves my brain standing there like an orphaned billionaire."

Shayne pauses mid-sip of his drink, raising an eyebrow. "So... Batman?"

Sarah blinks, her expression blank. "Who’s that?"

Shayne sets his glass down, staring at her like she just grew a second head. "You’re literally describing Batman."

Sarah shrugs, completely unbothered. "Never heard of him." She waves a hand dismissively. "Anyway—"

Everyone bursts out laughing. You chuckle along with them before turning your attention to Damien, who's sitting there, an amused look on his face. He meets your eyes and raises an eyebrow, as if signaling it's time for the next gift exchange.

Damien grins and hands you your gift. "Alright, your turn."

He hands you a gift with a playful smile. You open it carefully, peeling back the paper to reveal not one, but two cinnamon-scented candles. 

Shayne, immediately noticing the gift, smirks. "Hold on, Damien, are you giving her the same candle I gave her last year? What happened to being original?"

Damien grins back. "Nah, this is an upgrade, Shayne. Last year, she got all misty-eyed over one. This year, I thought two would really make her day."

You raise an eyebrow at Damien, teasing, "So, you're trying to top Shayne Topp, huh?"

Shayne lets out a dramatic sigh. "I mean, it's cute that you're trying to improve on perfection, but let's be real: nothing's beating the original."

You laugh, rolling your eyes. "You two are ridiculous."

Damien chuckles, leaning in a bit. "Maybe a little, but I know you love these."

You smile and wipe a fake tear from your eye. "Thanks, Damien. They're perfect."

Finally, you hand Shayne your gift—a twisted straw. His eyes light up as he holds it up like it's the greatest thing he's ever seen.

"A twisted straw?" Shayne says, a grin spreading across his face. "This is... this is incredible." He wipes a real tear from his eye.

You laugh. "It's just a straw, Shayne. Don't get too carried away."

Shayne twirls it around in his fingers like it's a prized possession. "No, you don't get it. This is the best thing ever!" He gives a dramatic sigh, as if overwhelmed. "I don't even know how to explain it. This twisted straw... it's perfect. It just speaks to me, you know?"

The room fills with laughter as everyone passes around their gifts, each one a little more unexpected than the last.

As the evening winds down, the warmth of the holiday spirit starts to fade. Soon, Sarah Christ, Angela, and Courtney start gathering their things, preparing to head home for Christmas.

Sarah Christ looks around the room, nodding at everyone. "Glad I took my one day off to spend with you guys," she says, her tone suggesting she's genuinely enjoyed herself, even if she has a funny way of showing it.

Damien glances at her, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, you only get one day off?"

Sarah shrugs nonchalantly. "Yep, but clearly, I made the right call. This was... unexpectedly tolerable."

Courtney chuckles, clearly surprised. "Well, you're not the only one. I didn't expect to have this much fun."

With the goodbyes exchanged, they head out together, leaving you, Damien, and Shayne alone in your apartment. The sounds of the evening fade into a gentle silence as Shayne goes to get his bags, leaving you and Damien standing in the quiet aftermath of everything that's just happened.

You and Damien glance at each other, both seemingly at a loss for words. "So," you start, fidgeting with the edge of your sleeve, "I guess we'll see each other in a week."

Damien nods, his hands resting on the back of his neck. "Yeah. Weird, huh?"

You chuckle lightly. "It's just... it's just that we're, you know, roommates, right? I mean, we've been living together for a while now."

Damien raises an eyebrow, but you can't quite tell if he's joking or being serious. "Yeah, We're not really used to being apart."

"Right?" You nod, relieved to have your thoughts validated. "It's like, we've been sharing a space, and now I have to go home and it just feels... off." 

Damien laughs, though there's a slight hesitation in it. "Yeah, when you're around someone this much, saying goodbye.. even only for a while, is hard."

Just then, Shayne calls out from the hallway, his voice loud and casual. "Alright, I’m outta here, you two! Catch ya later!"

You and Damien exchange a brief glance before you call out, "Bye, Shayne!"

"See ya, man," Damien chimes in, his voice equally casual.

Shayne, already halfway out the door, doesn't even stop to respond, but his voice rings out from the hallway. "Later!"

You and Damien both stare at the door for a second, then glance back at each other. You break the silence with a dramatic sigh. "Where were we? Oh, right... It’s hard saying goodbye to someone you live with."

There’s a brief, awkward pause as both of you try to act like it’s not obvious.

Damien looks at you for a moment, a knowing smile creeping onto his face. "Totally," he agrees with a teasing tone. "It's just because we're roommates."

"Wow, 'just'" you say, clutching your chest dramatically. "It's like you don't care about me at all."

There’s a flicker of something in his expression—too quick to fully catch—but his smirk softens, just a little. "More than you think," he says, his voice quieter now.

The playful edge in your voice falters slightly. "Oh really? How much do you care about me, Damien?"

His eyes lock onto yours, and the air between you shifts, the weight of everything unsaid settling in the space between. His voice is low, almost hesitant, when he says, "I care enough to hold back." The words slip out like a confession, unguarded and raw.

Your breath catches, the meaning behind them hitting you harder than you'd expected — all that comes out is a whisper. "Don’t."

His gaze flickers to your lips, then back to your eyes, and the space between you suddenly feels impossibly small. The tension thickens, electric and charged, like the moment before a storm unleashes.

You don’t know who moves first. Maybe it’s him. Maybe it’s you. But when his hand brushes against yours, it’s like the floodgates open.

In one fluid motion, you step closer, your hand clutching the front of his shirt as if to anchor yourself. His lips crash into yours—not rushed, but purposeful, like every ounce of restraint you’ve both held onto is dissolving in the heat of the moment.

The world outside fades, shrinking to nothing more than the feel of him against you. His lips are warm, insistent, and every movement feels like a silent declaration, but impossibly intense, as if the kiss holds everything you’ve both been too afraid to say, every feeling you’ve tried to suppress.

When you finally break apart, reality rushes back in, dizzying and disorienting. Your chest heaves with each breath, your heart pounding against your ribs. The silence that follows isn’t empty—it’s charged, alive with the gravity of what just happened.

You meet his eyes again, searching, but neither of you says a word. It’s as if speaking might break the fragile, perfect moment hanging between you.

Then your phone buzzes, sharp and jarring. Josh has arrived at your destination.

The shift is immediate, like a breath that's been held too long, suddenly released. Damien's smile falters just slightly, his eyes flickering to your phone, his expression unreadable for a beat. His gaze softens again, but there's something more in it now.

You turn your phone around to show him the Uber notification. "Seems like it's time for me to go."

"So... Merry Christmas," Damien says quietly, as though the weight of everything still hangs in the air, just beyond reach.

You blink up at him, heart still racing, breath uneven as the reality of what just happened settles in. "I thought it 'wasn’t Christmas yet'?"

He smiles, soft and earnest. "You make it feel like Christmas."

You laugh, shaky and overwhelmed. His words settle in your chest, warm and heavy, and you realize you’ve never felt more at home then in this moment, when you had to leave.

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 62 Chuunibyou Posting

...Hello dear void. Rumours of my death are only slightly exaggerated. I'm back from the hospital and I'm ready to chill with this chapter over the break. Taking it easy on myself and not doing the editor's notes this week. This will be short in general since I'm still in recovery, actually- sorry about that. Gonna rest up and get ready for the next chapter that drops on January 3rd.

Chihiro...?

Something something fresh hatred

I got a kick out of Chihiro from Wish, I really did. Goes to show how ridiculous his edginess in the first few chapters was before Char softened him up for the better. Everyone give Char a pat on the head for doing a good job, okay?

Iori's impression of Chihiro as a murderer is something I'll allow myself a little satisfaction for since I called him having a trashed public image thanks to his interruption of the kabuki play back in chapter 52. He's going to have a harder time completing his mission thanks to this in some way- betting on the Kamunabi using it against him somehow, but the Hishaku easily could too. It's anyone's guess on how exactly this will come to bite him in the ass but it will happen.

Worst of all, though, he's got kids imitating him like he's some MC out of an edgy wish-fulfillment LN. What a way to trivialize what someone's been through (not that Discount Chihiro knows, of course). Chihiro's image is already out of his control in some pretty damaging ways.

But She Was, in Fact, the Chosen One

Thank you for your helpful narration about the general public's reaction to Owl darkening the skies, Iori.

We don't know the kanji for Iori's name yet since it's only been spelled with Katakana so far (イヲリ), but it's clear as day that she's inherited some of Samura's reckless bravery and quick assessment abilities.

I like that she's very much an ordinary girl being thrust into a situation that's way over her head. Her memories of her dad are locked away so she's just an average highschooler being plucked out of the ordinary and tossed into the extraordinary like Discount Chihiro wished he was until Kuguri held a sword to his throat.

The seal is breaking through Iori's own will to know what the hell is going on so I wonder if the Masumi will re-do it. I think not, since Minimura had that bit about Samura underestimating kids near the end, so she'll probably get a few panels to come to terms with her real identity while Chihiro does some cool moves in the classroom to fend off the Hishaku.

I have a feeling that Iori's going to be sticking around for a while. She's getting a lot of screen time and set up for development if she's just meant to be an arc character or damsel in distress. Won't get too attached, obviously, but I kinda like her already based on the little glimpse we've seen. Looking forward to learning more about her personality and seeing what's in store for her beyond this arc.

Silly Murderers

There's no fixing this kind of crazy.

Place your bets: blood-based identification sorcery, or just plan nuts? We'll find out sooner or later.

This is gonna be another inconclusive fight since we need to see Kuguri meet the Bearer that's bonded to the blade he's pining for and learn Tomboy's name.

Small Complaint

Just a note about a small difference I'm petty enough to be annoyed about in the EN version:

The "no"s stop pretty short in English, but in Japanese...

...they run on into Minimura's speech bubble to show her racing thoughts getting cut short.

Alright dear void. Let's enjoy lobotomybachi week and let the brainrot flow during the break. Also, consider getting help before you shut down and enter a tailspin- this is a very difficult time of year for some of us. You're not alone if so. Reach out for help if you need it.

[gayfour]

im normal about this guy (lying)

[tiabwwtws-art]

Cute ideas from @hydraposeidon

[witchinatree]

i know the whole "do you think jon ever used his powers to Know what his parents looked like" thing is far more devastating than this but what if he tried using his powers to remember original sasha? jon and sasha always seemed closer than the rest, he picked her (and tim) to work with him and tolerated a lot more nonsense from her than anyone else (using his password to access his computer [161], debating his pronunciation of calliope [25], etc)

and ofc jon and martin became significantly closer as the podcast went on, but in the beginning he was cruel to martin when he gave a statement but accepting of sasha? idk i think their friendship was a lot deeper than we realized (ESPECIALLY since his first murder in season 5 was because NotThem provoked him about sasha) and i think jon wouldve used his powers to Know the original sasha, not sure if it wouldve worked though

so so sorry to distract from the post but can yall read the tags for me because i suffered immensely for this post

[gods-perfect-idiots]

something something blood-soaked hands cradling your face something something

anyway here's the post btw