#rian replies

[soobnotfound]

Since rn

you gotta speak to @mandumandy and @swtbabydoll first bro

[wherestoriescomefrom]

rian johnson took all that time, put in all that effort to make glass onion a fantastic period piece to the first four months of pandemic, a prescient narrative that anticipates the stupidity of rich billionaires, and then pulled the rug from under us because the world of benoit blanc just straight up doesn't have the mona lisa anymore

[sumerianlanguage]

Hi there! Could you help with a translation for "I will face god and walk backwards into hell"? I've always wondered if there was a way to write it in Sumerian. Thanks very much!! (Your blog is AMAZING by the way, I really appreciate reading your posts!)

Hello, and thanks for the kind words! My twitch community helped me out with this meme translation, for which we settled on Ngae dingirshe igi ngaren agabi ganzershe in'gadun.

Igi ngar 𒅆𒃻 is a phrasal verb meaning " to appear before, look at, face" when it has a regular direct object. But putting the direct object (here dingir 𒀭 "deity") in the terminative case intensifies the meaning (Halloran 2006 says "adds intensity to the gaze"), making Ngae dingirshe igi ngaren "I face (intensely) the deity".

"Backwards" required some research, down a rabbit hole of spatial vocabulary and Mesopotamian conceptions of time-space relationships. We settled on simply agabi 𒀀𒂵𒁉, from aga "back" with the -bi adverbial ending.

For "hell", rather than use the generic (and somewhat euphemistic) kur "underworld", I chose ganzer 𒅆𒆳𒍝 "hell, flame, netherworld", here also in the terminative case as ganzershe 𒅆𒆳𒍝𒂠 "into hell".

"To go, walk" is ngen, an extremely irregular verb in Sumerian, in this case in the first-person present-future form (i)dun 𒁺𒌦. The prefix in'ga- is the way to connect two verbs with the same subject, basically meaning "and, and also", attached to the second (or third, etc.) verb in the sequence, so in'gadun 𒅔𒂵𒁺𒌦 "and I walk".

Putting it all together, we get Ngae dingirshe igi ngaren agabi ganzershe in'gadun "I face the deity intensely and walk backwards into hell," written 𒂷𒂊 𒀭𒂠 𒅆𒃻𒂗 𒀀𒂵𒁉 𒅆𒆳𒍝𒂠 𒅔𒂵𒁺𒌦 in cuneiform.

[gothyanki]

It’s really really sinking in now that I’ll be moving countries in less than three weeks (temporarily, but long-term)

and I don’t have that much experience with flying

and I feel horrifically underprepared still

and… all the things

[o-daintyduck]

Love your post, however that speech was literally the billionaire character just saying words that aren’t true (he did not break the system. He operated perfectly witching the system. Arguably he is the system.)

Yes, exactly!

RJ has a way of subverting meaning. He likes to throw in these elaborate concepts for the audience to grapple with, while he sets up a different simpler solution for the end.

in TLJ, it was Kylo Ren who proposed to Rey, to let the entire rebellion burn down along with his own army (forgive me, I haven't engaged in Star Wars since TROS, I've forgotten lol) To make a new order. He has no loyalties, no allegiances- which helps him to make this totally selfless decision for the galaxy, he thinks that helps him think clearly. Only do we later come to know, Kylo Ren is still a troubled teenager revolting against his parents and uncle. That MORE! MORE! performance with the petulance of a child coupled with Adam Driver's grown ass seriousness drums into the audience that someone who's this messed up cannot possibly be onto something that profound. Rey's refusal suddenly makes sense, right? Yes, and no. Through the closing shot of the broom boy, a random kid, somehow using the force, Rian says to f with that right or left line of thinking. That would've been the final nail in the coffin of the rigid Jedi order. The past giving way to the future. Bye bye nihilism. (That is until December 2019 shit all over that lmao)

Here, Miles is an idiot spewing words that make him seem like a revolutionary, which everyone in the room knows he isn't. Something something cognitive dissonance. The soccer mom turned law maker, who paved her way into politics on the shoulders of grassroots "lefties", has she changed the system from within? Nah. The scientist still has to make sense of batshit ideas at 2 am. Is he creating things of value? Nah. They disrupted nothing. They hacked the system to profit them, spent years solidifying the wrongness of it, then folded at the first sign of disruption. They are the system now. You're absolutely correct. I guess, I was looking at it from the other angle.

Miles' (Rian's) words are finally awarded meaning when Helen takes it upon herself to break, literally and metaphorically, the layered made-up tower of decadence in the climax- like Andi, she wasn't afraid to. She also had nothing to gain from it, other than disrupting the (un)natural order of things.

[gayboyrocklee]

Told person I lost to that I was proud of her really hoping I didn’t weird them out

[knowstruth]

i have to find a new fc for rian and i am so frustrated because nobody i have found yet has the right Vibe

[eemoo1o-animoo]

@pain-in-the-butler Hey, look! I’ve got some nice Waltz on the Titanic posts for you… /j

The Cast of Musical Kuroshitsuji: Tango on the Campania

Sebastian Michaelis: Furukawa Yuta 

Ciel Phantomhive: Uchikawa Reo (b. 2004)

Grell Sutcliff: Uehara Takuya 

Ronald Knox: Mikata Ryosuke

Snake: Harashima Motohisa

Elizabeth: Okazaki Momoko (b. 2003)

Fred Abberline: Takagi Shun 

Sharp Hanks: Terayama Takeshi

Edward: Utsumi Akiyoshi

Francis: Akisono Mio Alexis: Nasu Kozo

Ryan Stoker: Kawai Ryunosuke

Undertaker: Izumi Shuuhei  

Viscount Druitt: Sasaki Yoshihide

[mvncesa]

❝ You can’t do anything except disobey orders and screw up! ❞ (from connor to rian since we haven't tried this vibe before LOL)

The words stung like Connor had genuinely lashed out at him. Rian knew that he was the more chaotic one than his brother — The one that had things go wrong all the time. It seemed to sting more, though, given the fact that it was his brother yelling those things at him. Saying the things that Rian sometimes thought to himself in the middle of the night. “It’s not my job to follow orders!” The younger shot back. Entire body tensed up like a kitten raising its fur at an apparent threat. “I’m not you!” 

[wildandsmile]

commission idea🤌 vampire blue lock au characters like rin/sae/kuni/nagi etc and for kinks maybe like pinning/degrading ykwim i have a thing for neck biting hense why i love vampire au so much

Rian,Sae,Kuni,Nagi. Bllk boy when you tell them it’s ok to bite you

Total Wc. 1.1k

Warning. Oral F receiving, fingering, biting, choking, teasing, degrading breeding, riding, jealousy , sweet aftercare

An. This is my first time writing for vampires so...... yeah

Rin

He loses his mind, asking you a hundred times if you're sure about it, over and over again.

But once you reassure him, you're done for; he seizes every chance to take a bite out of you he can.

There's something about the way your blood tastes that sends his undead body boiling.

Oh, and he's a sucker for bloody kisses, the taste of your lips on his while your blood still lingers on the tip of his tongue, it turns him on like nothing else could.

And don’t even get him started on you guys are having sex he loves to feel you ride him while his fang are deep in your neck

You gasped out slowly, "Rin no more, pls I can’t take anyone ." As tears streamed down your eyes, and you couldn't grasp how long you'd been at it or how much blood you'd lost. All you knew was that weren’t leaving this room anytime soon."Come on, princess, be good for me, just one taste, please," he pleaded, not giving you any time to reply before sinking his teeth deep into your skin, watching as the blood rained down your neck."Fuck you taste so delicious and you feel even better," he groans as he rolls his hips, attempting to force yet another sweet orgasm from your already flowing cunt. He eventually lets go of your neck, but not before licking a long hot lap across your neck and pulling you into a deep kiss. It felt good, and the irony only added to your excitement as Rin began to thrust deeply into you. "Come on now princess, let me treat you real good for giving me such a great meal."

Sae

He's nothing like his brother; when you mention he could bite you, he's all in, almost immediately.

You even had to set a limit on how many times a day he could drink from you, fearing he'd drain you dry.

But oh, the teasing—he adores it, especially when he hears that little moan escape your lips. And after how wet you get just for his fangs

He LOVES going down on you and nibbling on your thighs; the taste of your blood and slick combined makes his head spin.

He's a HUGE aftercare guy, coming back with bandages, snacks, the whole shebang.

"Come on, slut, you can do better than that," he says into your already swollen cunt, sliding his tongue across your sloppy folds. You tried to pull away, but he pushed you hard into the mattress, keeping you in place so he could plunge his fingers deep within you and curl them in just the right position. "Fuck look at pet look at you getting our sheets dirty for me" he says as he begins to rub himself through his clothes. "Don't you think I deserve a reward, pet?" he asked as he itch the tip of your sweet spot, forcing you to melt in his hands and moan loudly.That must have been his answer because soon enough he’s licking long hot strips across your thigh before sinking his fang deep into your skin licking up all the blood that trickles down making sure not to waste a drop.“ You’re so addictive pet, but I think it’s time to give you what you want, ” he said as he wiped the blood off his face and licked it off his fingers. “I’m going to have to cancel my schedule cause we’re not leaving this room until you covered in my bite marks.”

Kunigami (Wild Card)

• Right then and there, he takes you up on that offer, no matter where you are.

• Throughout the entire encounter, he's a big bully, teasing and touching you, yet not allowing you to reciprocate.

• He revels in seeing you in that vulnerable state when he drinks your blood, something about your clinging to him that ignites him.

• His possessiveness leads him to bite you in places where there's no way to hide the marks.

• Despite his bullying nature and slight transformation, he still retains the same caring demeanor, as evidenced by your favorite food waiting on the table the next day with a note that reads, "Make sure to rest well today, doll."

"Didn't I tell you not to touch doll face?" he says, slapping your ass hard. "Only good girls get what they want," he says, and you whimper an apology before turning your face away so he doesn't see the fire burning your cheeks. But it doesn't last long as Kuni slides his hands up your skirt and rubs tight circles on your clit, feeling how wonderful and puffy you can become with just a few touches."You really are a dirty slut doll face is that why you covered up your bite mark cause you didn't want the world to know what a dirty girl you really were huh” he says as he peels the bandages off your neck, revealing all the bite marks you worked so hard to hide. "I worked so hard to paint this pretty neck like my canvas, and you cover it up," he says as he wraps his hands around your throat, hooking your panties to the side and sliding to figure in rolling them until you buck into him. In that instant, he sinks his fangs deep into your collar bone. "Guess I'll just have to cover all of you in my bite marks so you can't hide them again."

Nagi

Is lazy he just waves it off when you tell him and goes back to his video game

• However, should he catch you talking to another guy, especially another vampire, his demeanor takes a different turn.

• He's typically gentle about things, so don't expect too much until he's angered.

• When he does get upset, he becomes more animalistic, perhaps even draining you completely.

• Yet, he always apologizes the next day, showering you with the princess treatment, whether it's playing his game together or enjoying a nap side by side.

"Who the hell was that love?" Nagi asks, his eyes shining a venomous glow. You don't say anything because you know it will only add fuel to the fire, and that's how you end up locked in a mating press as Nagi buries his cock deep inside you kiss up to your cervix and his fangs even deeper into your skin drain you of what little you have. You couldn't tell if you were seeing stars because he pulled so many orgasms out of you or because of the blood loss."You’re mine, mine, mine," he says as he pushes your leg deeper into your chest and does a long lap across your leg before biting you and watching the blood trail down your leg. "You're mine, and I'm going to make sure everyone knows it, even if I have to bite and knock you up to do so."

[soobnotfound]

guys tumblr is not a dating app be normal lah

i second this !!! let's control ourselves yah?

[hannicorpse]

stupid cupid.

kim rian x fem reader | wc: 0.7k | genre: drama, romanceish | warnings: none

note : written in 3rd person because i dont like using y/n

you couldnt say you were one to believe in theoretical situations. but, after one day out with your friends, you recall how woojin said cupid could sometimes miss when shooting his arrow. you thought it was silly, but later began to think about how it was possible.

ever since you and your friends were young, it was a well known fact between you, woojin, and hera, that you had a huge crush on rian. to others, it seemed obvious. but to rian? he was completely oblivious. for most of your childhood, he only ever had eyes on jae-i.

after jae-i came back from the states and back to school, of course, people only saw her as the queen of jooshin. so when you heard from hera that rian had been dumped at the racetrack, (after you weren’t able to make it), she was determined to help you dethrone jae-i.

maybe cupid was able to shoot his arrow twice, because you’ve never felt this close to having such an opportunity.

despite growing up in the same friend group, rian has always seemed to be the most distant from you. so naturally, you were beyond surprised when he had reached out to you after the break up.

rian 💞 : help me

you : with what?

rian 💞 : help me win back jae-i

you: surprised ur not asking woojin

rian 💞 : he doesnt get girls. and hera would just sabotage me. again.

‘is he serious right now?’ you thought to yourself with your brows furrowed. ‘how desperate..’

you: come to my house

rian had you left you on read for 15 minutes. and you didn’t doubt the fact that you knew he was already on his way.

as if right on schedule, there he was, already knocking on your door.

“so will you help me, or not?” rian asked impatiently as he followed you upstairs to your room.

“fine. you wanna win her back? make her jealous.” you briefly suggested, walking into your room and guiding him to sit on your bed. “how?”

“you saw how she was with that scholarship kid at the party. she didn’t even push him off. she wants to get under your skin. so get under hers. like, fake a relationship or something.”

“i don’t know if i want that. but if i were to go with it, who would it be?” he questioned, with a confused look on his face.

“well, since you asked, ill do it.” you replied, biting back a small grin.

“you cant be serious.”

“it wont work if it’s not believable. why? am i not worthy of the king of jooshin?”

“that’s not what i’m saying,” rian scoffed. “i mean, i see your point, but this sounds like a plan b.” “looks like she’s gonna need a plan b pill with that scholarship kid if you don’t make a move.”

“fine. i’ll do it.”

it was nearly impossible to stop yourself from smiling as much as you did, but you managed to contain yourself (for the most part).

the next day initiated the first step of your plan to ‘help’ rian ‘win back’ jae-i.

step one. make it seem like you’re dating in front of everyone.

step two. the news goes school wide and it reaches jae-i

step three. jae-i realizes what she did and apologizes to rian so they get back together.

rian picked you up from your house so you could enter school together. but when you received a text from hera about how jae-i walked into school holding hands with the scholarship kid, you just had to let rian know. his blood almost boiled when you told him the news. he realized, he’d soon have to step up and try harder.

when you walked through jooshins entrance, hand in hand with rian, the news spread like a wildfire. even more than jae-i and the scholarship kid. your phone was blowing up with notifications from the schools gossip page.

kim2004 : rian and jaei are no more?

0808leelvv : so much for king and queen

kang04oo : you guys wont believe who dethroned jaei

with rian and woojin on the school football team, naturally, it meant you and hera would follow as cheerleaders.

“big game today, good luck.” you whispered to rian as you saw jae-i passing by, being extra sure to kiss his cheek when you knew she was looking. she subtlety rolled her eyes, before turning back around in the opposite direction to go towards the bleachers.

the game was nearing its end, and jooshin was 3 points down. but when woojin passed the ball to rian, he was determined to get a touchdown. he shoved and hurdled over any player who got in his way, taking all his previous anger and transferring it as motivation to get across the field.

nothing less of the expectations set for him, rian scored a touchdown, ultimately winning the game.

he ignores his clamoring teammates celebrating their victory, immediately going towards you. rian throws his helmet to the side and pulls you in by the waist, connecting your lips in a deep kiss.

you heard hera and woojin teasing you two in the background, but it didn’t seem to matter. in this moment, the moment you’ve fantasized about for oh so long, was here, and it was real. it was just you, and rian.

for a second, you felt that this wasn’t something to piss off jae-i. this was real. and rian felt the same way.

[sumerianlanguage]

𒁲

Does that "iltam sumra" meme sound effect has a real translation?

Silim, and I found it!

The original audio appears to come from this video, with people narrating text in several ancient languages. The section labeled "Sumerian" is... not in Sumerian. It's an Akkadian quote, from the start of Hymn to Ishtar A, approximately iltam zumrā rašubti ilātim / litta'id bēlet nišī rabīt igigī / ištar zumrā rašubti ilātim / litta'id bēlet iššī rabīt igigī. This section is translated in e.g. Metcalf 2012 (pp. 65-66) as "Sing of the goddess, awe-inspiring among the goddesses, let the mistress of the people, great among the Igigi, be praised. Sing of Ishtar, awe-inspiring among the goddesses, let the mistress of the women, great among the Igigi, be praised!"

You can find another recording of this audio by Doris Prechel (labeled properly as Akkadian, and including the whole hymn) in the SOAS audio library here. Enjoy!

[fantasticsandwich]

yandere influencer x fem! reader (pt 2)

Don't you know you're the apple of his eye?

Your fingertips were raw from constant nipping, the consequence of a nervous habit that resurfaced whenever your textbooks lay sprawled open like the wings of a fallen bird. Molecular biology had become your latest adversary in the quiet battleground of your small, well-lit room. Your eyes darted across diagrams and text while your brain fought to corral the stubborn facts into memory. They spun around, lines at a time, before coiling into helix lattices. You stared at the wall, watching as the facts floated across your vision like cell clusters inside the vitreous.

“Adenine pairs with thymine,” you muttered under your breath. You chewed on what was left of your nail, wincing slightly at the sting, but it was a pain less sharp than the prospect of failure. The glasses perched on the bridge of your nose slipped down, and you pushed them back up with a knuckle, not daring to smear the pristine lens with sweat-glossed fingers.

The sudden buzz of your phone shattered the stillness. It vibrated against the wooden surface of your desk insistently, the noise disproportionately loud in the silence. Cillian was the first person you thought of, and with him in mind, a wave of anxiety rolled through your chest. If it was him, calling you out for one of his impromptu gatherings, how could you say no without igniting his subtle ire?

Sighing, you ignored it. If he said anything, you would pretend to have been asleep.

“Focus,” you scolded yourself, yet your hand betrayed you, reaching for the device. The screen lit up, casting a glow on your tense features as you swiped to read the message.

‘Hey Y/N, can we meet? - Rian.’

It wasn't Cillian. Relief mingled with curiosity, loosening the tight knot of worry in your stomach. But why would Rian want to meet so suddenly? A simple inquiry, yet it stirred a flutter in your heart that felt oddly like hope.

Your fingers hovered over the reply button, pulse quickening at the possibility of an impromptu meet-up. A meet-up meant stepping away from the books and into a moment that was unplanned, untailored, something you hardly allotted time to.

"Sure, where?" you typed back, thumbs almost slipping on the screen in your haste. You pressed send before the seeds of doubt could take root, before you could convince yourself to decline for the sake of study or appeasement.

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

You found him waiting on O’Connell. The bridge was pulsing with Dublin's lifeblood, tourists snapping photos, street performers drawing crowds, locals weaving through it all with purposeful strides.

You saw him, but you were distracted, mesmerized by the crowd indifferently swimming around, swallowing you whole. You wished you could've delved into all of their psyches; mentally or otherwise, it was impossible to know what was wrong with someone. Some people were saints. Some were the worst people alive. Some were average. Some knew what they were and longed to appear otherwise. You were delighted by humanity’s infinite potential. Whether good or bad, humans held an even capacity for both. Someday, you would have to save the life of someone who didn’t deserve to live. You wondered what kind of person you’d become then, when your morals were upheld by a code.

Being in a crowd offered a wonderful sense of anonymity. You weren't anyone. You didn’t belong anywhere, but not one member of the numberless throng knew that. Momentarily, you were granted the chance to become anyone. Not an aspiring doctor. Not another student obsessed with owning nice things. All you wanted to be was at you friend’s side, enjoying the evening.

You stumbled through, eventually reaching Rian. His gaze fluttered to the pavement, then he moved to reach for his wallet. You snuck over, moving until you stood directly behind him. Hands creeping up to his shoulders, you pressed down, stifling a laugh when he jumped.

���Hey!”

“Shit, Y/N,” he hissed, fumbling with his wallet.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

At that moment, his stomach growled.

Laughing, you patted him on the back. He permitted your hold to linger, your arm resting across his shoulders as you embarked into the throng, mindlessly stepping. Their stroll led them to a small bar tucked into an alley. A flickering sign with streaks of balding neon designates its name, but you paid it no mind and entered. Inside, the atmosphere was cozy, dimly lit with amber bulbs that cast a comforting glow over the wooden tables.

Passing a line of arcade games, you choose a spot near the front, on barstools that overlooked the street. Still, you were attracted to the machine’s blaring lights like a moth. You wanted a plush toy from the claw machine and knew that you, for some reason or another—due to a lack of skill or luck—would not receive it. As the eldest child, you were accustomed to sowing the seeds of desire yet and never reaping. But it was for the better; you were greedy and would demand more.

“What are you looking at?”

Sharply inhaling, you spun around to face him. Rian peered at you from behind his phone screen, then set it aside, face up.

“Nothing,” you said. “Those machines are really bright. It’s distracting.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said, squinting. It really was blinding.

Settling at their table, Rian sank onto a stool, defeated. It creaked beneath his weight, and he winced.

“I’ll get us drinks,” said you, already rising.

His arm shot out in protest, wrapping around yoru wrist. “No, let me.”

With a huff, you tugged yourself free. “You invited me out, so it’s my treat.” Rian could not afford to squander his hard-earned cash on you.

“Isn’t it usually the other way?”

“Who cares? You’re getting free food. Don’t question my benevolence.”

Your bank account’s sum would dwindle, but someday, you’d make it back tenfold and treat Rian to something better than a shitty pub without even bothering to look at the price. This thought was your bleeding wallet’s only solace.

Reaching the bar, you ordered two pints. He swiftly delivered them from the tap. Cheering, you sipped at the froth spilling over the edge. You set a hefty glass before Rian and wiped your mouth on your shoulder.

“Sorry for the sudden call,” he abruptly said, his hands finding the security of his pockets as he spoke, “I just felt like seeing a friend today, and you’re as friendly as the lot gets.”

“No problem. I’m glad for the distraction. It feels like ages since we’ve last seen each other.”

“Yeah, really. Life gets busy. School, work, family… Between everything, It’s impossible to find a moment just to breathe.”

Not to mention how he juggled two part-time jobs, but Rian wasn’t one to complain.

Humming along, you traced the rim of your glass. You were vaguely aware that you should’ve gotten another to supplement living off of your mother’s income, but after last semester, you were reconsidering your ability to work and maintain your grades. At the very least, you’d work in the summer, and since your mother refused to take rent, would find other ways to help around the house. Maybe you should’ve already started looking for a co-op to boost your application for med school.

“It really is,” you said, shaking your head. “I thought so, too. I haven’t seen you or Connor in forever. I hate how, even though we attend the same university, it feels like we’re living in different worlds.”

Secondary school was unfounded hell, all seven layers of Dante’s inferno at once. While you didn’t recall those days fondly, you longed for its simplicity. There was a practiced ease to each day, comfort in only having to devote your time to your studies. Even now, you only had to focus on hitting the books and attending class, but because the responsibility to learn had fallen on you, you found your resolve wavering. Only the prospect of becoming filthy rich one day spurred your ambitions.

And grades too, you supposed. Most people claimed grades weren’t important, but those very same figures wouldn’t schedule appointments with a doctor who struggled through undergrad coursework. While it wouldn’t be evident upon entering an office, anyone could tell a doctor’s educational prowess through their conduct.

“Tell me about it,” you sighed, adjusting your glasses with a habitual motion. Your arm grazed the table on the way to your lap, stirring the contents of your cups. Your gaze was drawn to the rippling, amber liquid.

“Have you been keeping well with your studies?” Rian inquired.

“Trying to,” you said. You chuckled, a hollow, biting sound. “Can’t understand shit, but molecular biology isn't going to learn itself.”

“Speaking of misunderstandings,” Rian ventured cautiously, his fingers playing with the condensation on his glass. “Are you... I mean, I could be wrong, but from what I hear around campus, is there something going on between you and Cillian?”

The question struck you like a wave, causing you to inhale sharply. Your mouthful of beer went down the wrong pipe, and you choked, sputtering as you tried to regain your composure. Your eyes watered as you reached for a napkin, dabbing at your lips.

“Why would you ask that?” you managed to cough out. Bringing a hand up, you hit your chest, dislodging the liquid from your lungs.

Rian's gaze was steady, though not unkind, as he took a slow sip of his beer, buying a moment before answering. He set the glass down with a gentle thud, the sound muffled by the chatter and music surrounding them.

“I guess I’ve noticed how he's around you. It’s like… like he's always trying to keep close to you, you know?”

You studied Rian’s expression, noting the earnest furrow in his brow.

“No, we’re not anything. Only friends, and Cillian is just… complicated,” you began, voice trailing off as you searched for the right words. “But speaking of complicated,” you ventured with a cautious smile, “how are things with your girlfriend? I know you’re long-distance, but you haven’t talked about her in a while.”

Rian’s expression softened, but his eyes darted away for a moment before meeting yours again. He fiddled with the edge of a coaster, his fingers tracing the damp outline left by his beer glass.

“Ah, well, we haven’t spoken much lately,” he admitted, a note of shyness betraying his usual warmth. “It’s kind of on a pause, I guess. But it’s alright. Life's been busy. Busy, or maybe I’m not good at juggling.”

Sometimes, you thought Eve was a grand ploy invented by his madness. A girlfriend who lived in Malaysia and only met him through an exchange program last year? You didn’t recall meeting such a person, but supposedly, they struck up conversation because Rian was learning Indonesian, and they kept in contact to continue as language partners. It didn’t make sense to you, but what did you know? You were studying biomedical science, after all. You knew all the heart’s functions except for one.

“Really?” You responded with good-natured curiosity, though your mind was elsewhere. A buzz from under the table jolted you out of your reverie. You glanced down discreetly, the familiar ding of a text notification causing your heart to skip a beat. It was Cillian. Your fingertips brushed against the cold metal.

“Y/N?” Realizing your distraction, Rian’s brows knitted together.

“Sorry,” you said quickly, giving him an apologetic grin. “Just lost in thought for a second there.”

Another buzz, more insistent this time, sent a ripple of anxiety through you. You could almost hear Cillian’s voice in your head, his voice with each chime. Hey, hey, hey. Answer me. Why aren’t you picking up the phone? Your grip on the cup tightened.

Rian took a sip of his beer, his eyes not leaving your face. In the brief silence that followed, you were crushed beneath the weight of his unspoken questions, the air thickening as your phone continued like a beehive, its screen emitting a faint glow from beneath the cover of the table. You angled the device slightly, squinting to read the string of texts as you typed out a hurried response. Your thumb fumbled over the autocorrect suggestions, fingers flying too fast for your mind.

“Did I call you out at a bad time?” Rian leaned in, genuinely perplexed, the soft light casting shadows across his face. “You seem to be somewhere else.”

Embarrassment flushed your cheeks as you tucked the device away, hoping your smile might mask the sudden rush of guilt. “Ah, no, it's not that,” you managed to say, your voice a pitch higher than usual. “Brother’s home alone and doesn’t know how to cook. I’ll get him some Chinese after. You know how it is.”

Instead of answering, he shrugged and downed the rest of his glass’ contents in a single long gulp. Your heart clenched with gratitude. You offered a nod, a silent thank you, before redirecting the conversation to safer, shallower waters.

Across from you, Rian reached for his glass, the ice within clinking like a subtle chime. He took a slow swig to scoop any dregs into his mouth, chewed on a piece of ice, then set the glass down with measured care. His hand moved through the air as if to dismiss an irritating gnat.

“Summer brings all the pests,” he said, swatting at the air. “You shouldn’t bait flies. They’ve got germs and they’ll make you sick if they linger.”

Your mouth was dry. “I’ll… I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hugging yourself, you watched the night drift past, viewing the crowd, pinpointing people to imagine the lives of. You spied yourself in the reflection, your image superimposed across the glass. Your lens reflected the light, making your eyes round discs.

What were you doing here? What were your goals with Rian?

He was always a joy to hang out with, but like all good things, he was received in moderation. He took just enough courses to be considered a full-time student and whenever he wasn’t committed to his studies, spent his precious free time trapped at a part-time job. His pay covered his tuition. His grandparents from the countryside sent him a meager allowance for food. Whenever they went out, he eyed the prices. He’d offer to pay at dinner, but no one ever permitted him to snag the check, knowing better than to take advantage of his needlessly giving nature. Without parents, he struggled more than a regular student ought to, so you tried to take care of him, the boy who was like the younger brother you’d always wanted. You weren’t doing a very good job, but Rian was nothing if not determined to squander his loyalty on someone like you.

You had sparse conversation, commenting on things between bites.  While not particularly close with Rian, he was easy to read and transparent. You soon developed a good groove in the conversation, permitting it to falter when you finally lost interest. Otherwise, you ordered chips to eat in silence and neatly stacked the trays when finished. While you wiped the table down with a napkin, Rian discarded your trash in a rubbish bin.

Checking the time, you realized y ouhad been out for just over an hour. You could’ve extended the plans. You still had a small balance set aside for discretionary spending, but the week was yet to end, and you feared that Cillian might impose an abrupt photography session, which meant visiting a new resturaunt, which would be followed by a trip to his favorite cafe.

If you’d gone out with him instead of Rian tonight, you could’ve expected to extend the excursion by an hour and for your account to be wiped. He knew all the trendy, fashionable stores, and in the company of someone like him, you felt compelled to also look your best. You could do little about your physical appearance, so through fashion, it was.

On the way out, you passed by that claw machine again. You glanced longingly at the contents. Although the quality was questionable, the little duck perched atop the lot was adorable. You paused to stare at your reflection in the mirror. Your face looked puffy and beneath the harsh lights, the bags beneath your eyes visible. The breeze had died and the night air was humid, so baby hairs stuck to your forehead. Retrieving a clip from your purse, you stalled. You scooped the strands between your thumb and forefinger, attaching the clip. You laughed at yourself. Your bangs stuck up like a palm tree.

“So that’s what you were looking at,” said Rian, slotting himself at your side. His reflection joined yours. “Want me to win it for you?”

“No. It’s all luck, no skill.”

“That’s because you’re not skilled.”

“You know these things are practically scams, right? The claws are always too weak to grab anything.”

Rian’s lips curved into a smile, his features illuminated by the neon colors dancing across his face. “Maybe,” he conceded, tucking a stray lock of wavy hair behind his ear. “But it’s still worth a shot. What if I win you something?”

“Then I’ll be genuinely impressed.”

You winced when he inserted a bill. He maneuvered the claw around, eyeing an ugly thing. You stood at the side of the machine, eyeing his trajectory. The machine gave two turns with each payment. During the first, Rian managed to snag the creature. Seized by the head, it precariously wobbled before slipping out and falling back into place. The second was just as dismal.

Rian clicked his tongue. You begged him to stop, but he fed the machine bill after bill. He shrieked with every failed attempt, yet on on the eighth and final turn, the claw held fast and secured the creature.  Your mouth fell open as the prize dangled precariously during its journey toward the drop chute, landing with a dull thud. It was still for a moment before he lifted the plexiglass and snatched it up.

“Yes! Did you see that? I beat the machine!”

Gripping it by the neck, he presented a scraggy bundle of coarse thread and lopsided proportions. You weren’t quite sure what it was meant to be. Similarly, it wasn’t the one you had your eye on earlier. Nevertheless, you profusely thanked his efforts and rewarded him with an awkward embrace.

“Let’s take a picture with your new friend there,” Rian begged. His phone, a device older than most, its screen littered with scratches, was already out of his pocket and in his hands. “I want to show off my skills.”

You grinned. “You’re going to brag about one measly win?”

“It made you smile. But if you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“No. It’s alright. It’s just one picture.”

You hugged the toy close to your chest to muffle the furious pounding of your heart as he snapped the photo. With its head skimming your cheek, you caught a whiff of its cardboard stench and felt a hole beneath one of the arms. The material was coarse against your cheek. You gritted your teeth and grinned. You wouldn’t complain because Rian was overjoyed to provide something for you, so you chewed your tongue.

Instead of the shoddy object, you reveled in the sentiment behind it, knowing your momentary happiness was worth losing out on several lunches because he valued you more than himself.

Backing up, Rian framed the shot with shaky hands. Just as the shutter clicked, someone jostled him from behind. With a grin, he turned the screen toward you, displaying your blurred visage.

“Rian, it’s all hazy,” you protested. The lights in the back were supernovas, streaky lines illuminating your silhouette. Your figure appeared smeared across them like a watercolor painting left out in the rain.

“Doesn’t matter.” He shrugged, pocketing his phone without a second glance. “It’s just a picture of us—well, you and the… Whatever the fuck the ugly thing is. I know you’ll love it. You’ve got this way of loving things no one else could.”

You would. You had to, because no one else would offer the care you did.

You could’ve deluded yourself into feeling special, but it was all for show. He was smiles and kindness, yet above all, Rian was desperate to keep others at his side as if they were pieces of art to be displayed. Such was natural for people of his nature; those who were alone and despised the fact would always try to appear otherwise, and at all costs. Rian would toil and squander his precious time and money to please you, because if he didn’t no one else would. He was an indispensable person, eager to assert his value. That was his sense of selfishness.

Knowing all that, would you still plead for the stupid toy again? Of course, and without delay. The harsh truth to the world was that that happiness could only be achieved through vanity. Humans were vain and selfish; no person was inherently selfless. Those that were, were without good reason.

[thatartiststudios]

Family Ties

Family Ties is a long fic series that I'm working on with @a-very-sparkly-nerd, and it's set a few years post-series, and basically takes place during the time from when Rayllum gets engaged and their married years after. Sparkles is helping me add in some Ezris, since it is pretty Rayllum-focused atm, but I do try to add a healthy dose of the rest of the Dragang in there!

Here's a snippet from one of the future chapters:

Not long after their return to the balcony, a gentle knock echoed through the door, and Gren and Amaya stood on the other side. Callum, with a warm smile, swung the door open, inviting them inside. Alyss wasted no time, running into Callum’s waiting arms. Rayla, standing beside him, gestured for Amaya and Gren to enter.

As Callum lifted Alyss, and Rayla scooped up Rian, the children wore content smiles but displayed clear signs of fatigue.

“I’m assuming they had fun?” Callum asked.

Amaya signed, and Gren translated, “They sure did, tuckered themselves out.”

Rayla grinned as Rian nestled his head on her shoulder, replying, “I’m sure.”

Amaya signed again, “They’re growing up fast, lots of energy.”

Callum chuckled, “Don’t we know it.”

Expressing gratitude, Rayla looked at the older couple and said, “Thanks.” They exchanged smiles.

“Don’t worry about it,” Gren remarked, “we love having them around.”

Amaya added with a cheeky smile, signing, “While we wait for Ezran’s kids, that is.”

Laughter filled the room, and Callum smirked, “You haven’t teased him or Ellis in front of them yet, I hope?”

Gren shook his head, “Not yet.”

Rayla arched an eyebrow at her husband, “And it’s okay for you to do it?”

Chuckling, Callum replied, “I’m his brother, it’s kind of my job.”

Amaya signed, eyeing Callum, “He and Ellis have only been married for two years.”

Callum nodded, “I know, but my defense is that he asked to be my best man about a week after me and Ray got back together.”

Amaya arched an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes, as she signed, “Brotherly duties, I see.” Gren translated with a grin, “Ezran knew exactly what he signed up for.”

As Alyss and Rian peacefully dozed off in their parents’ arms, Rayla leaned comfortably against Callum. In a hushed tone, she whispered, “Do you think Ezran is prepared for all the chaos?”

Callum chuckled softly, “He’s got Ellis, and they handle it well. Besides, it’s good practice for when they have little ones of their own.”

Amaya, catching wind of their whispered conversation, signed teasingly, “Are we already discussing the next generation?” Gren translated, “Planning ahead, it seems.”

Rayla smirked, “Or maybe we’re just getting old.”

Callum chimed in with a grin, “Speak for yourself, I’m still in my prime.”

Rayla chuckled, “True, my hair is already white.”

Callum raised an amused eyebrow, “Your hair’s been white for as long as I’ve known you.” They all shared a laugh.

Callum reminisced about the time Rayla discovered that white hair was a sign of aging in humans. As Moonshadow elves were born with it, making it a normal part of her appearance.

[lasatfat]

Happy Friday! ❛who in the fuck authorized this?❜ for Rian/Varric ~ @lordgoretash

adventuring party dialogue | @dadrunkwriting | @theaceofdragons

I'm hoping this fits the spirit of the prompt, at least? Even though I didn't get the exact line in there. For context: Athim romanced Solas, the twins are his, but he bounced before she could tell him about it. Go figure. That guy has the worst luck.

Planning Permission

It’s been a good five years since Kirkwall’s Chantry was destroyed. A lot of critical infrastructure was damaged by the blast, and the unrest that followed. Up until now, reconstruction efforts had been concentrated on trivial things like the water supply, the docks and sewage systems. By the beginning of 9:43 Dragon, the work is still well underway, but at least the people’s waste is firmly underground in a pipe where it belongs.

The nobles of the city are also tired of worshipping in a temporary wooden building, and now they have a viscount to petition. Negotiations started as soon as he arrived home, and have continued for the four months since then. Varric supposes he can’t complain – according to Bran Cavin, the original plan involved enough marble to eat up three years’ worth of taxes – but the back and forth of ‘too expensive,’ ‘too big,’ or ‘why do you need this much fucking gold’ is really starting to get on his nerves. He had even considered abdicating, but his successor would probably not have the same interest in things like housing Kirkwall’s citizens.

He knows that he’s working too late whenever Hawke comes looking for him. They’ll either drag him to bed, or, increasingly, send for tea and sweets to fuel the midnight politicking. Tonight, Athim decides to join them.

“I can’t sleep,” she laments, as he stands to offer her his chair.

“You okay?”

“I’m under attack, is what I am,” she replies. She sits down, heavily – at six months pregnant with twins, ‘heavily’ is about the only way she does anything these days. “The second I get anything close to comfortable, one of them starts kicking me.” Varric can’t really empathize with that, but he squeezes her shoulder in commiseration.

Hawke pours three cups of the tea, something herbal that Varric probably wouldn’t touch with a bargepole if he had drunk anything else in the past three hours. “Is it the Chantry thing again?” they ask, as he rounds the desk to stand beside them.

“What else would it be?” he replies.

They sit perched on the edge of the desk in comfortable silence, sipping tea, and taking bites of the shortbread Hawke had picked out from the kitchens. It takes one cup for Varric to decide that the plans can wait until tomorrow. After months of bothering their viscount, the city council can wait another day. “Well, I’m going to bed,” he says, putting the cup down. “What about you, Hawke?”

“Oh, try and stop me,” they laugh.

Looking over the desk, though, Athim doesn’t appear to have registered this development. She frowns silently down at the papers, deep in concentration.

“Copper for your thoughts,” Varric says, warmly. She doesn’t answer, running her fingers along the lines on the pages, lines that would later translate to walls and doors and windows. As absorbed as she is, he decides to walk around the desk and rest a hand on her arm.

She glances up, and does a little double-take. “Oh, me?”

“Yes, you,” he says. “You look like you’ve got an idea or two brewing.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You’re asking a Dalish elf for city planning advice. I’ve never even lived in a city before.”

“I’m not asking any old Dalish elf, I’m asking you,” he protests. “I trust you.”

Athim hesitates, but he nods, encouragingly. Apparently, this is the final touch to convince her that he isn’t just being polite. She pushes herself to her feet, awkwardly, and leans over the building plans again. “I was just thinking…what if…?”

She takes a pencil from the table, drawing roughly over the shape of the building as she talks. “You could have the Chantry half the size.” She makes a corresponding line straight down the middle of the building. “Still big enough to house the nobles, but then you have space for something else, like a library, or a school…”

“Or a clinic,” Hawke chimes in.

“Or a clinic!” She points her pencil at them, grinning with the kind of untainted joy she hasn’t shown in months.

Shame he has to cut it down.

“The first dwarf Viscount of Kirkwall halves the size of the Chantry, on the advice of his Dalish friend,” he says. “I don’t think it’s going to go over well.”

Athim’s face falls. She might as well have stabbed him in the heart. “No, you’re right,” she says. But then, her eyes fill with energy again, and she flips the paper over. “What if we built a second Chantry? In Lowtown, so the people have somewhere to worship too. If anything, that’s more Chantry than there was before, it’s just in different places. We could run a school or clinic right out of the building.”

Varric scratches his chin. It’s a great idea, if your motivation is to help people, but he has a sneaking suspicion that the nobles breathing down his neck are more interested in having a fancy building in their neighbourhood. “Listen, I love it,” he begins, “but I’m not convinced the council will go for it.”

Hawke frowns, looking back and forth between them as if waiting for them to notice the strikingly obvious. “Aren’t you two forgetting something?”

“Like what?”

They lean over the desk, face forming into an impish grin. “We know the Divine.”

Construction on Kirkwall’s twin Chantries begins within the month.