#sorry for the novel of a reply 😅

[littlekinng]

without any pressure or intent to hold you to your word, purely theoretical,

do you think you would ever take on the somewhat terrifying endeavour of writing a “loki reunites with avengers” scenario? personally, writing tony stark alone is hard work, let alone five other avengers and our woeful little norse god (picture: kitten with wide, dewy eyes)…

the wide, dewy baby kitten eyes my beloveeeeeed !!!!!!!!!!!! 😭😭

as to the actual point of this ask, i’m really not sure ! in the sparing moments i’ve written any MCU characters outside of Loki’s little circle(s) in the past, Tony Stark was one of my favorites to write for sure. i’m sure the rest are plenty of fun as well, but i don’t know that i’m caught up enough on my non-Loki related MCU films to do them any kind of justice 😅 while i’ve been giving series Loki a lot of attention recently, i love all iterations, and would be hard pressed to give a definite no to writing about any of them.

if i were to write anything involving Loki and the Avengers, it would probably be in the form of an Avengers (2012) AU or something of the like, rather than having series Loki somehow reuniting with the team. i do love the concept of those early Marvel fics that were essentially the whole team living and bonding in Stark’s tower (Hawkeye living in the vents, etc.), and especially think that there’s a great potential for angst with that early, feral sort of “fresh off of torture and brainwashing” Loki. the found family potential there, as well, is very alluring.

so, long story short (and i am so sorry if this is disappointingly inconclusive)— who knows ! i suppose if i stumbled across the right amount of inspiration/a good prompt i might be more inclined to churn something like this out. at the very least, you’ve given me some food for thought, and i appreciate it (and the ask) tremendously !!

guess i’ll leave you with a question of my own— what especially about this concept intrigues you ?? if you have any specific ideas, headcanons, concepts, etc. i’d love to hear more ! Xx

[kookslastbutton]

what love feels like ༓ myg (m)

✑ Summary: Being a mother to a beautiful baby girl and wife to an adoring husband is the most rewarding feeling in the world. But you also work a full-time job, are overtired most of the time, stressed, don't have any alone time, look very different than eight years ago, and sex? Well, that hasn’t happened in weeks. The gravity of the situation weighs on you until one day, all of your deepest insecurities rear their ugly head–that your husband might not love you as much anymore and someone could take him away from you.

Pairing: husband!yoongi x reader

AU/genre: angst, fluff, smut, marriage au

Rating: M, 18+

Word Count: 6.7k+

Warnings: swearing, both Yoongi and oc are in their 30s, mom and full-time worker!oc, reserved!dad!yoongi, lack of intimacy, mentions of body insecurities post-pregnancy, mentions of fear of abandonment, mentions of jealousy. irrational worries, built-up stress, light fighting, silent treatment, stubbornness, lots of reassurance, nightmares, cute backstory of how they met, a lot of ily, Yoongi and oc being good parents 🥹, Yoongi calls oc doll, and explicit sexual content

sexual warnings: swearing, kissing, neck kisses, pleading, banter, dirty talk, doll petname, asking for consent, b**b squeezing & sucking, hair threading, penetration, f*ngering, big d*ck!yoongi, growling, missi*nary, eye contact, tearing up, c*ming together

Now Playing: Breathing by Anne Marie

a/n: Okay this was for Yoon's bday. Based on the poll, husband!Yoon won. Was intended to be a Drabble but well...heh 😅 Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this fic and Yoon is just such a good hubby for responding well to these very relatable insecurities. (Low-key love this couple...) I'm sorry for any typos or warnings i missed! I checked and double checked but a few might have slipped. Enjoy! Anyway please enjoy! 🥰

“So, you're Jia's father, huh? I don’t think I've seen you here before, and I’m sure I would have recognized you.”

With his back straight and arms folded, Yoongi gives the woman in front of him a quick once-over. Mid-40s, freshly single, and definitely in need of some companionship. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out; she’s been talking his ear off for the past twenty minutes like he’s some kind of remedy to all her problems.

Honestly, he just swung by to pick up his four-year-old from daycare after another grueling day at work. But the moment he walked in, it was as if all the single moms latched onto him like a flock of hungry geese. This one’s name is Sandra in particular.

It reminds him of his college basketball days, how the cheerleaders all too eagerly swarmed around him after sinking the winning shot at the championship game. Shame he was too busy eyeing the girl in the stands to care, her face buried behind a book twice as big as her head. Who reads an 800-page novel during the playoffs anyway?

Fate, as one may call it, intervened about a week later when his best friend became said girl’s lab partner. Yoongi didn’t make any sudden moves at first, but well, he did make her his wife three years later.

“It’s just so nice to finally meet the father of such a sweet child. Especially considering how many dads tend to take a backseat in their child's early years.” Is she still going on? Yoongi does his best to stay present, though it’s proving unsuccessful. “And Jia truly is an angel! It’s clear you’re doing a wonderful job raising her, even with a full-time job and all.”

Yoongi’s eyebrows knit together at the somewhat odd choice of words. “Thanks,” he drawls out, noticing her pupils dilating with every breath. “Most of the credit goes to my wife though. She’s a great mom to Jia.”

“Jia’s m-mom?” Sandra stutters, her mouth slightly agape. Yoongi senses the gears turning in her head as she struggles to process the unexpected presence of his wife. Tempting as it is, he holds down a smirk. Of course, he’s a happily married man–for nearly eight years now.

“Yeah,” he replies simply. “She’s usually the one to pick up our daughter from daycare, but she’s been working a lot of overtime lately. I thought I'd come instead so she can get some rest."

“Oh, well that’s very–“

“Daddy! Daddy, you’re here!” The sound of a familiar high-pitched voice, along with a light pattering of feet, diverts both adult’s attention.

“Hey kid.” Yoongi effortlessly lifts the small child once in front of him, securing her in his arms. “Have fun today?”

Jia gives an enthusiastic nod, bright red ribbons in her hair bouncing cutely as she does. Proudly, she shows him the drawing she made.

“See? It’s me, you, and mommy!” She makes sure to point to each part of the picture with her pointer finger.

Yoongi gently takes the artwork from his daughter’s hand and lets out a soft chuckle. “Now this is what I call a masterpiece! Mommy’s gonna love hanging this one on the fridge. How about I hold onto this and you go grab your backpack, okay?”

As soon as Jia’s feet touch the carpeted floor again, she races off to her cubby in the far corner of the room. Yoongi shoots Sandra a final glance before slowly following behind. “We got to get going, but nice meeting you.”

“You…too.” Sandra’s response is more than disappointed as she watches the father-daughter duo make their way out of the building. Evidently, Min Yoongi isn’t the single dad she originally assumed. Funny, she swore there wasn’t a wedding band in sight. Maybe she missed it.

“No, I’m sorry but I’m certain we haven’t used any of your services in the last six months. My husband canceled it in late October.”

With one hand, you grip your cell phone up to an ear while the other pops open the dishwasher. You’ve been on the phone with the cable company for half an hour, trying to make sense of an unexpected charge that appeared on your bank account this morning. You consider yourself more patient than most, yet after working all day, a pile of laundry waiting to be washed, and dinner threatening to burn on the stove, the last thing you have time for is arguing with your old service provider.

“I understand, ma’am, and I apologize for any confusion. I’m taking a look at my records and they’re all showing me that—oh wait a second.”

The young man on the opposite end of the line interrupts his own thought, piquing your concern in the process.

“What did you say your last name is?”

You answer and in an instant, you’re met with a thousand rushed apologies; something about getting the account names mixed up in their system. It’s difficult to decipher everything you hear with the front door being thrust open that very moment.

“Mommy, where are you? We’re home!” Your daughter not so subtly announces her presence from the foyer. She kicks off her shoes, hangs her backpack on the designated wall hook, and then rushes to the kitchen upon catching a brief glimpse of your shirt.

“It’s alright, these mistakes happen.” You hang up the call and turn around to find Jia only steps away, a big goofy grin on her face. Infectious, you break out into a smile yourself and swoop her up.

“Hey honey, I missed you so much!” You kiss the side of your daughter’s head as she wraps her small arms around your neck. “You look so pretty with all these ribbons in your hair! Daddy did a good job, didn’t he?”

Being that you were called into work earlier than usual this morning, Yoongi was the one who got Jia dressed and ready for daycare. You’re delightfully surprised by the results.

“Mmhm,” Jia nods, twirling a couple of strands of hair between her thumb and forefinger. “But Daddy pulls too much!”

“Maybe if someone had listened and stopped fussing when I told her, I wouldn’t have accidentally yanked on her hair when I was reaching for her favorite Hello Kitty scrunchie.” Yoongi joins you both in the kitchen, walking over to press a quick peck on your lips while tenderly caressing the small of your back. The gesture soothes you of your earlier frustrations. “Who was that on the phone? Cable company?”

“Yeah, they canceled the charge. Wrong account.” As you reiterate the entire mix-up, your eyes wander all over your husband. He’s especially handsome tonight, given his perfectly tousled black hair and navy blue blazer flowing over his body. It’s tastefully oversized with a clean, white top paired underneath. You, on the other hand, are sporting a raggedy old t-shirt and stained sweatpants.

There was a time when you used to put a shit ton more effort into your appearance. It was before you got pregnant with Jia, back when you and Yoongi were going out on weekly dates. Neither of you has that kind of time anymore, or energy for that matter. You didn’t believe the other moms when they told you the romance takes a nose dive after you have your first kid. Yet here you are, proven wrong again.

Being parents to a beautiful baby girl is likely the most rewarding feeling in the world for you and Yoongi. You don’t remember the last time the two of you got real quality alone time though. And sex? Well, that hasn’t happened in weeks. The gravity of the situation weighs more on you with each passing day to be honest. Sure, you’re not the same person you used to be eight years ago, but shouldn’t you and Yoongi still make time for at least a little intimacy?

“How was picking up Jia by the way?” You look at Yoongi who merely shrugs nonchalantly in response.

“It was fine. Nothing too out of the ordinary,” Yoong gives you another peck before heading up the stairs to your bedroom. “I’m gonna go get changed. Why don’t you show Mommy the drawing you did Jia?”

“A drawing?” You shift your attention to your daughter whose eyes sparkle like diamonds upon mention. “We should put it up on the fridge then. Let’s take a look hmm?”

“It’s in my backpack! My new friend and I were drawing together. Her name is Mi-Sun.” Jia continues telling you all about her friend Mi-Sun as you make your way to the front door where her backpack hangs. You’re fully engaged until the very end. “Daddy made a new friend too!” she joyously claps her hands together, not realizing the depth of her remark.

“Oh, who’s Daddy’s new friend honey?” You ask, staying as calm as possible.

“Ms. Cho! They were talking for a really long time today.”

Ms. Cho? You think back to all the moms you’ve met at daycare. Somehow you can’t recall ever hearing or meeting a Ms. Cho. She must be a single mom, you deduce. Was she new? What did she look like? And why didn’t Yoongi mention her when you asked?

This has to be nothing but a little small talk, an acquaintance at most. Besides, the moms at Jia’s daycare are quite a chatty bunch and Yoongi wouldn’t dare overstep any boundaries.

“Do you know what they were talking about?” You don’t enjoy asking your child for details about your husband, yet you can’t seem to help it this time.

“I dunno,” she shrugs her shoulders. "Daddy was laughing a lot."

Suddenly, the self-assurance you gave yourself earlier slips away; seemingly useless given the queasy feeling building in the pit of your stomach.

For the remainder of the night, you purposely dodge every attempt your husband makes to kiss, touch, and hold you. You’ve even begun responding to his questions in one-word answers and at times, with nothing at all.

Yes, you’re being petty; more than usual. The silent treatment frustrates Yoongi to no end and it isn’t very mature of you, but neither is refusing to tell your wife that some single mom was flirting with you in front of your kid! Okay, so maybe that's an exaggeration. Maybe it all sums up to a harmless conversation, but it’s not like you know either way with Yoongi being as reserved as he is. It brings you back to your early dating days when he wouldn’t think to tell you about various aspects of his day; who he ate breakfast with that morning or the one classmate of his that wouldn’t leave him alone for two semesters.

Truth be told, you're simply hoping that your husband will bring up the topic first, without having to be the classic nagging wife. You’re a jealous person by nature so it’s not a simple task. Even now as you fold the first batch of laundry on your shared bed, him on the other side doing the same, you struggle to keep from blurting everything out.

“So,” Yoongi fluffs up a clean pillowcase before sliding it onto one of the bed pillows. “How was work?”

What a basic question, you grumble internally. Is that all he’s got? “Was okay,” you reply. “The usual.”

“You must be tired from the day. Did you get to lie down at all?” Yoongi picks up another pillowcase, repeating the process as before. When he glances your way, it’s clear something’s on your mind. You’ve started pairing Jia’s socks far more aggressively than normal and you’re holding back your responses. “Did you hear me, doll? Or am I going deaf here?” The sarcastic chuckle distracts you from your task, forcing your attention.

You’re about to respond when your eyes briefly flicker down to his hands, his left one in particular. Where's his wedding ring? Yoongi always wears it no matter what. The same sick feeling from before returns tenfold. No wonder that Ms. Cho was all over him–she must have thought he was single.

“No, I didn’t get to lie down Yoongi. I worked all day, came home and made dinner, called the cable guy to get that stupid bill figured out, and now I’m doing the second load of laundry. I’m really just not in the mood to chat.” It comes out a blur as you snatch the empty laundry basket and head for your washer and dryer, your eyes welling up with tears.

“__, wait.” Yoongi tosses the last pillow near the headboard and stops you in your tracks, his hand firmly gripping one end of the laundry basket. The intensity of his stare softens as he speaks. “I'm sorry if it seems like I'm forcing you to talk. I know you've been losing a lot of sleep recently between work, Jia, and upkeeping the house. We just don't get a lot of time to see each other anymore and I miss you…I miss talking to you."

With every ounce of self-control remaining, you hold back any tears that risk spilling out. You don't know why you're acting like this, why you're crying over something that seems so small and insignificant to the rest of the world. Yoongi loves you. He's said it a million times and proven it to you over and over again, for eight years now. He wouldn’t cheat on you, yet you still get so worked up about the idea that someone could take him away from you. Someone half your age, more attractive, or hell even the opposite sex if it means fewer dark circles under their eyes.

"Why- why aren't you wearing your ring?" Your naturally confident voice dwindles to the whisper of a mouse. It's completely out of character, nevertheless, here you are.

"I..." Your husband's voice wavers. His gaze flickers to his left hand, where his ring should be, but isn't. "Shit...I took it off in the shower this morning," he confesses, frustrated by his forgetfulness. "I was in such a rush to get Jia to daycare, and me to work, that it completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry—I fully intended to put it back on." He pauses, then perks up. "It's still in the bathroom. I'll be right back, okay?"

You watch as he makes a beeline for the master bathroom, eager to rectify the situation as soon as possible. You should have kept silent what you say next, but you don't.

"No wonder the moms at Jia's daycare were so drawn to you."

"What?" Yoongi stops in his tracks. The dumbfounded expression on his face tells you that you've caught him off guard again.

"Jia told me about someone named Ms. Cho," you reluctantly continue. "The two of you were laughing and talking and–"

"Baby, don't worry about that." Seizing his chance, your husband walks back over to you and sneakily pulls the laundry basket from under your arm. He sets it on the ground after, then reaches to take your hand in his, but stubbornly you cross your arms.

"Her name's Sandra," he starts explaining. "She's a new mom at the daycare and she didn't know anyone, so she started talking to me. I got the sense she was a little overly friendly but it was all small talk, nothing more."

Still largely unsatisfied, you remain unmoved. "If it wasn't a big deal then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because nothing serious happened. The majority of the conversation was her venting about her ex-husband and me wishing you were right there next to me. Please believe me. All I could think about was finally being able to come home to you after a long week with Jia in our arms."

"Really?" Well, now you're feeling guilty for avoiding him in nearly every way tonight. Guilty for believing such wild assumptions that he'd leave you for someone else over one measly conversation. Guilty for letting yourself get so worked up over a situation you, quite frankly, knew few details about.

"I mean it doll." This time, when he reaches out to grasp your wrist, he succeeds. He intertwines his fingers with yours and leads you to the edge of your bed, gently pulling you down to sit on his lap. "Do you really think I could look at anyone else the way I look at you? Or think about you the way I have for the last eight-plus years we've been married and known each other?"

You hesitate your answer, averting his eye contact. "I know but…"

"No, don't finish that. Look at me," he intercepts. "You and our daughter are the only women on my mind–24/7. I can't get either of you out of my head and I don't want to. I'm so sorry I forgot to put my wedding band back on this morning, and again tonight. I feel awful about it and I'll be more careful from now on. And another thing, when Sandra and I were talking I mentioned you multiple times. So, it's clear to her that I'm a happily married man."

The last bit of information manages to perk your ears. "You talked about me?" Your eyes widen as you finally shift your full attention to him. Yoongi eyes widen with you, amused by your sudden change of heart to look at him.

"I said my wife is an amazing mother, works too hard for her own good, and needed to rest today. Give or take a few words."

That's all? You huff to yourself. Would it been nice if your husband also thrown in that you were beautiful or stunning in that mix of compliments? Yes, yes it would have–again, you're pettiness clouds your better judgment. You're not as pissed off as before, but rather semi-irritated.

"Okay…well I guess it's fine then. I'm sorry for being short with you earlier. I shouldn't have made those rash conclusions about the ring and that woman from the daycare. It wasn't reasonable of me." You get up from his lap, yet Yoongi isn't entirely convinced that you're okay.

"There's still something you're not telling me. I can tell."

"No, there's nothing else." You waive him off, placing your hand on your bedroom doorknob "You told her you had a wife so it's fine. I need to switch the second load of laundry.”

"Come on, doll. Let's not leave things unsaid now."

Sighing at his plead, you find yourself giving into all your repressed thoughts and emotions. It swallows you up, like a tidal wave you can't stop. "Look at me Yoon. I'm sweaty, I have dark circles under my eyes, stretch marks, love handles, my hair's a mess, and all I wear are old sweats covered in stains. I'm nothing like I used to be! No wonder we aren't intimate anymore."

Yoongi rises from the bed at once, offended by the sudden digression. "Is that what this is all about? It’s not even about that single mom from daycare is it?" The truth of the matter sinks in as he speaks.

"I guess maybe so…though I'm still annoyed about that too." Great, you're back to square one again.

"Come with me, I need to show you something." Your husband gestures you to follow him, which you slowly concede to.

"What are you doing Yoon?" You both walk into the master bathroom, stopping in front of the large mirror above the sink.

"I'm showing you the woman I'm in love with and have been in love with for nearly eight years now. Sweats and all." Yoongi makes you face the mirror directly, hands around your shoulders. You have trouble stomaching the sight.

"Yoongi please, I can't. The laundry ringing off." You avoid looking into the mirror and make a move to leave the bathroom.

"Just stay with me a minute, please?" Your husband refuses to loosen his hold on you, turning your body so you're looking eye to eye. "No, you're not the same person as you were and neither am I. We're parents to a beautiful daughter now, who we love and adore. We're also overtired 90% of the time, juggling a million things at once. But there's one thing you can count on to always stay the same–my loyalty to you. I'll always be in love with you __, no matter what age you are or however way you look. There's nothing you can do to change that, so why fight it?"

Dammit. A single tear rolls down your cheek as you take in his heart-melting speech. It's not his words alone, it's the sincerity behind them. How he's repeated similar countless times before throughout your entire relationship.

"I love you, Yoon..." you choke out the words, composure fleeting.

"I love you so much, doll." He wipes the wetness of your tear with his thumb. "As far as us not being as intimate anymore, that's my fault. I don't ever want you to feel like I don't desire you every day. Why don't we send the kid to my parents this weekend and let me start making things right hmm?"

"I don't know if we can this weekend. Jia has a playdate on Saturday."

"So, I'll ask Mom to take her. She'll be happy to, trust me. We can finally watch that movie you've been dying to show me since what? December?"

"You're serious?" Your eyes light up at the mention of what is essentially a movie date. The show Yoongi's referring to is one you've been craving to see for months, yet neither of you has found the time to watch. "I've been talking about it for so long, Yoon."

"I know you have, it's why I suggested it. I've been wanting to watch it too with all the trailers you keep sending me. Plus, I'll be able to keep my beautiful wife in my arms for over two hours. That's a lot for us, especially with you being such a busy bee. I can never get you to light in one place! What's up with that, huh?"

Feeling your natural self re-emerging, you throw a playful swat to his arm and scowl at his teasing comment. "You're one to talk! You're basically a workaholic! Besides, you knew who you were marrying when you met me."

Yoongi chuckles and brings both hands to cup your cheeks, squishing them slightly. "A cutie who reads 800-page novels at a basketball game?"

"Stop babying me!" You pull his hands off your cheeks and rub them, trying to regain some composure. "I don't regret my choices, I like books. It's why I'm such a boss at work!"

"Okay, boss," he laughs. "What about what I suggested before then? I can call Mom tomorrow and ask her if she could watch Jia for the day. She'll take her to her playdate, then they can spend the rest of the day together."

It does sound nice, having the whole day with your husband.

"Okay," you agree. "Let's try."

"Good." Yoongi slides his hands down to your hips and pulls you flush against his chest. "How about we seal it with a kiss now?" You nod and he leans his head down, pressing an amazing, tender kiss to your lips. It makes you both giddy on queue.

"Read one more story, Daddy!" Jia leaps off her small, twin bed and bounds for her bookshelf. She lets out a series of giggles when a large pair of hands catch her, lifting her high into the air.

"I already read you three books kid," Yoongi says, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Bedtime." He then tucks her into her fluffy comforter, plugs in her teddy bear nightlight, and closes her bedroom door.

The next second, Jia comes running out of her room, latching onto his right leg. "I don't wanna go to bed. I wanna play!" Figures she'd be hyper at this hour.

Yoongi sighs and picks her up. "Daddy told you to go to sleep, it's not playtime. You'll have lots of time for that tomorrow when you get to see your friend." He then carries her into her room, yet she fusses in his arms; thumping her tiny fists into his chest.

"No, no, no, Daddy. I want to play!"

Sighing, Yoongi looks at his child with sharp eyes. "Jia–"

"Hey," you interrupt, entering your daughter's bedroom upon hearing the commotion down the hall. "What's going on?"

"Kid doesn't want to go to bed."

You give an empathetic look and saunter over to the pair, gently taking Jia into your arms. Yoongi places his hands on his hips as he watches you reason with your daughter.

"Jia, you know tomorrow's a big day right? You and Sana are going to go to the playground together." The child nods. "You don't want to be tired when you're playing do you?"

"No..." She shakes her head. "I want to be awake!"

"Then you need to listen to Daddy and go to sleep. That way you'll be full of energy tomorrow when you and Sana go on the swings or slide down all the big slides." You smile as Jia starts rubbing her drowsy eyes, yawning in the process.

"But I...okay," she slowly concedes, eyes fluttering shut as she gives into her sleepy state. Unsurprising to you and Yoongi, she was tired all along. But like most kids, hated going to bed.

"See?" You lay Jia in her bed and pull the covers up near her chin, giving her a light kiss on the side of her head. Yoongi bends down and does the same after you. "You just gotta talk to her a little, she'll typically fall asleep on her own."

"But I read her three of her favorite books." Yoongi shuts off the overhead light, along with the door to Jia's room, and follows you to your bedroom.

"That's different Yoon," you argue back. "Books excite her."

"She takes after you that way then." Yoongi pulls his t-shirt off, leaving him bare-chested, and climbs onto his side of the bed. You join him shortly after with your head resting on his chest and an arm thrown around his waist.

"I'm so exhausted," you yawn.

"Go to sleep, baby. I'm right here." Your husband places a hand over your wrapped arm, sending you off into a deep slumber.

Well this is just ironic. Almost 2 A.M. and you're wide awake.

What initially started as a nice, relaxing dream quickly turned into a terrible nightmare. In the dream, you woke up alone. Yoongi was gone. Jia was gone too. You can't exactly make sense of it, except for a vague memory of Jia calling another woman 'Mom'. You couldn't see her face very well, so it could've been anyone. You couldn't speak either, so even when you tried approaching the three, they couldn't hear you. You've had nightmares plenty of times, but this one is new. It's a clear projection of all the underlying concerns upheaved from earlier; insecurities, abandonment, loss, and it has you unsettled.

You glance over to your husband's side of the bed. He's fast asleep, no longer cuddling you due to you both flip-flopping in your sleep. You decide to slide closer to him, needing to watch him for a while. It might sound weird, but you love watching him sleep. He's so handsome and you feel a great deal of comfort doing so. Maybe if he was awake, you'd tell him about what you dreamt. Then again...maybe not.

"I love you Yoon," you whisper as quietly as you can, tracing his every facial feature with your eyes.

"'m, I love you too."

Is he-was he awake? As if caught red-handed, you quickly flit your face away in favor of the blank ceiling above. You weren't expecting him to answer at all, and in such a hoarse voice too. You're a little turned on by it to be honest.

"Can't sleep?" he speaks up again, eyes still closed.

"No, I''ll be okay though. You can go back to sleep. Don't worry."

He grunts, a tad unhappy with your dismissal of him. "Do you want to talk about it? Your dream?"

You whip your head in his direction. "How–" You pause, seeing his eyes blink open.

"I didn't meet you just yesterday, doll. I know they keep you up. Just know, I'm always here okay? Always." He reaches for you with delicate fingers as he continues. "Now, come here. Seems we got separated in our sleep."

You accept the offer and cuddle into him again. This time your noses nearly touch and his arm wraps around your lower waist. You feel the growing urge to kiss him, wanting to forget your nightmare entirely. But perhaps silly, you ask permission first, seeing as he's close to drifting off again.

"Yoon?"

"Mm."

"Can we kiss?" Your cheeks flush a little at the request. Why are you acting like this? You've been married for years.

"Sure, 'm tired but I could go for a make-out right now." A small smirk graces his lips as he teases you. You give him a classic 'Yoongi!' in reply. "I'm kidding. You don't ever have to ask me that," he finishes.

"Hmm, maybe I don't want a kiss anymore." You feign stubbornness, just to see his response. And a response he gives you, more than you're prepared for.

"You're ridiculous," he grumbles, capturing your lips in one fell swoop. He moves his lips against yours as the hand on your waist grips tighter. The tiniest of moans escapes your lips.

You attempt to break the kiss first, thinking it will only last for a few seconds. Yet Yoongi slips a hand behind your neck to bring you into another kiss. One that's deeper than the last. You feel your breath being taken away little by little, especially when his tongue licks into your mouth. God, you haven't kissed like this in an eternity. A wetness soon gathers between your thighs.

"'m, Yoon," you gasp when his cool fingers sneakily make their way under your shirt, tickling your bare skin. They travel the expanse of your waist, stomach, and up along your back. "So cold."

Yoongi pulls away from the kiss and retracts his fingers. He then lazily moves his body until his chest hovers over your own, rolling you on your back in the process. He's a bit of a blur due to the dimness of the room, yet you can see the whites of his eyes a bit better than before.

"Help me warm them then," he says, folding his hands on top of yours from where they rest on your stomach. "You're really burning up, doll."

His observation is right. Ever since you woke up, you're body's been hotter than normal. The stress is clear and it's only increasing due to the unexpected turn of tonight's events; your husband seemingly wanting to make love to you in the middle of the night.

"So I am," you reply, staring straight into his eyes. "Must be because of all the sudden surprises today. My body's finally responding to it all."

Yoongi nods, following your implication. "Well let's do something to calm it down, shall we?" He waits for your final go before making any abrupt movements.

"But...you haven't seen me–"

"Naked in a while?" he predicts your next words, unfazed. "I've seen it all, each time better than the last because I love you. You're beautiful to me, no matter what. Let me love you __. I've missed you. I've missed us."

"Okay...please," you sigh, desperately needing his touch. "It's been so long since we've been this close."

Neither of you has it in you to delay another second as you dive into another fiery kiss, your hands wandering up and down each other's bodies. You love his hair the most, so you run your fingers through it repeatedly. Your husband's soft grunts remind you that it's as pleasurable for him as it is for you, and as if to counter, he latches his lips to the curve of your neck.

"Yoon," you moan, shivering at the feeling of being peppered in open-mouth kisses. Your eyes automatically roll up as well.

Yoongi nips at your jaw next, featherlike, yet deadly to you nevertheless. He doesn't allow himself to linger more than a second, though, preferring to keep you on your toes. So with careful fingers, he begins lifting the bottom of your shirt.

"Can I?"

You hum in approval and lean forward for him to remove it.

With your nipples now exposed to the brisk air, stiffening due to arousal, Yoongi brings both his hands up to caress your boobs. He's incredibly gentle, telling you how beautiful you are once again until his thumbs start circling your peaked nipples. A rush of sensation shoots up your spine as he rolls them harder, flicking them once in a while.

"Fuck," you swear.

"Feeling good?"

All you do is nod fervently in response, which Yoongi takes as his signal to lower his head to your chest. He squeezes both breasts in his hand before wrapping his mouth around a nipple, licking and sucking relentlessly. He repeats the same to the other.

"Yoongi, I need you. Please." You're core tightens, thighs struggling not to rub together, as you plead with your husband to relieve you. You are so wet and getting wetter.

"I'm here, doll, I got you. Fingers first hm?"

He pushes part of the comforter towards the foot of the bed, then gestures for you to raise your butt. Any shred of mystery of how worked up he's gotten you slip away as he pulls your underwear and pants down your legs. They both get tossed on the floor, per usual.

Bare pussy exposed, Yoongi guides your legs further apart and brings a hand down to your entrance. One of his long, slender fingers traces up your folds so smoothly that you buck your hips upon the touch. He smiles lightly at the subtle response, pleased that you're finally enjoying yourself; too often you put your needs last. His finger slowly sinks into your well-lubricated pussy, velvety walls clenching around it.

"Oh, g-god," you give a shaky moan as his finger pumps and curls in you, stimulating your g-spot. "Need you now, Yoon, so bad."

"Mm not yet, we need to stretch you out. You haven't taken me for a good three or four weeks," he smirks at your eagerness, sliding a second finger next to the first. "This pussy is drenched but not enough. I need you to come. Can you do that for me?"

Fast, quick movements follow suit as your husband works you up to an orgasm. Oh fuck, oh fuck, you chant in near whines. Your pussy is spasming around him, walls tightening with each push and pull. You know when he draws his hand out that it's covered with your come. Messy, sex is messy and both of you are too far gone to care; the pleasure sweeping over you.

Finally, in what feels like an endless tease, you have your first orgasm of the night. You feel your body relaxing into the mattress again, yet your breath remains short. Yoongi, on the other hand, groans seeing your release dripping down your thighs and onto the sheets. For a split second, there's a slight darkening in his eyes while he takes in your post-orgasmic form. The two fingers that had been inside you are sensually brought to his lips, slipping between the seam before being cleaned off.

You're taken aback by the action, though you've witnessed it before. Something about watching your husband willingly follow through with a gesture so lewd makes your head spin–you want him to fuck you right this instant. He must share the same feeling because you don't even need to sound the words due to his hands already making quick work of his pants.

"You drive me mad, you know that? Can never get a break with how sweet you taste. Your lips, your come. All of it makes me go mad." His full length comes in view, hard and tip leaking with pre-cum. You try not to let yourself stare at the thickness but hell, you must've forgotten the extent of your husband's size. You don't remember it being this big before.

"Well," you gulp. "You're not making it easy on me either, looking like this."

Yoongi climbs over to you again, settling into a straddled position, and looks deep into your eyes. "Who's fault do you think that is?"

"It's your fault." You bend your legs and wrap them around his mid-section. You can feel the tip of his cock tease at your entrance. The anticipation is beyond grueling.

"No," he says, aligning himself up to your weeping hole. "it's yours." He then thrusts his hips forward, his length sinking into you so perfectly it has you completely satisfied.

"Y-Yours," you whimper out, unable to form a steady sentence.

"Fine." He picks up his pace. "Let's just agree we both fuck each other up on a daily---ah fuck!" Yoongi growls and gives you a suspicious look when he feels your pussy suddenly clench around his length.

"I didn't do it on purpose this time! You're fucking me too good is all."

"Really? You're not just teasing me?"

Yoongi is slow to believe since you've purposefully clenched countless times before, simply out of playfulness. Tonight is different than those nights though because you're telling the truth–he's truly fucking you so good.

"What the hell," he concedes. "You feel so fucking fantastic, I don't even care." He continues his movements, thrusting into you with deep groans and labored breaths. His fingers grip the mattress harder with the veins in his neck bulging out.

Both your bodies move in sync as the familiar sound of skin slapping on skin echoes off the walls of your bedroom. You do your best to keep your moans low, not wanting to risk waking up your daughter.

"Yoon, fuck! I need to come, it's gonna-fuck-happen soon," you swear, pussy throbbing at the feeling of being so full after weeks of abstinence. You can tell you're reaching your high with the bundle of nerves in your core threatening to snap at any given moment.

Of course, you're wet too, extremely wet.

"I'm. Nearly. There." He barely sounds the words out, jaw clenching. "Just another minute, and we can finish together."

Your eyes, which haven't left his since he entered you, begin to glass over with tears. It's overwhelming; his love for you. No matter the doubts that tell you the opposite, you can't give in to their ugly lies. You'll continue to struggle, naturally, but you won't ever let them win. Yoongi's never once given up on you, and neither should you.

"I love you, Yoon...I love you with all my soul," you choke the words, falling apart all at once. "I'm sorry for today. How jealous and irrational I got."

"Don't apologize, doll. I shouldn't have let it go so far, our lack of intimacy and alone time. I promise we're going to make it all right okay?"

Giving you one last thrust, you both have your release at the same time. Yoongi helps ride your orgasm out by lazily continuing to grind into you. Yeah, you might need to shower and switch out the sheets after tonight, but you don't regret it one bit.

"In all seriousness baby," Yoongi speaks up, guiding your legs back on the soft mattress until you’re comfortable. "Don't feel like you have to apologize for everything. I understand your feelings and where you were coming from. I will say, the silent treatment kills me though. I'd rather you yell at me than not talk to me at all."

"It's not easy for me to raise my voice like that, Yoon." You throw your arms around his neck and sigh softly. "But I can try talking to you more, or at least tell you I need some time to process before I'm ready to have a conversation. I don't know, am I making sense?"

"Plenty of sense. I'll share more about my day with you and who I'm talking to as well. We'll also carve out time to have together. I love our daughter, but I don't see the harm in reaching out to our friends and family to babysit once in a while."

"Well, this sounds good to me," you hum.

"Me too." Yoongi smiles wide and goes in for another warm kiss. Your eyes flutter shut in unison.

This is what love feels like.

a/n: LMK what you think 🥰

Masterlist | Requests: closed | Taglist | Fic Recs

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

[kyunniebuns]

Oki so I saw tjat you were open to brajnrots so I hope you enjoy them urbjdbfk sorry if it's long but I need to get these out before I go insane sibddnjdjdb 😅😅

I kinda think that Jinwoo would tease the hell out of their partner if they start getting super flustered after their second awakening, ESPECIALLY if reader was with them pre-awakening and was kinda shy woth affection before too (shout out to my shy peeps akbdjbd) ofc he's respectful about boundaries but it doesn't mean he enjoys how cuter his s/o has become wjbdjdnd Not only that, I think Jinwoo would definately use their new height and stregnth to his advantage too! Like if his s/o was taller and could lift him before when hugging, what stopping him from picking up his s/o to cuddle now?? Mf has the audacity to be smug to 🙄🙄

I think he even finds his s/o' weight on him incredibly comforting, especially with the fact that his s/o trusts him completely no matter how he's changed. This is especially so if his s/o knows how terrifying he is as a hunter, and is not phased in the slightest

(Jinwoo has jumped from E to S-rank. Having to fight his way up tooth and claw, doing whatever he has to survive. A man that even monsters fear. Here? He's just Jinwoo. nothing more nothing less. Safe and content with s/o acting as his guiding light during his darkest of hours. Before, he was worried how he couldnt protect his s/o's happiness when he was an E-rank. Now? He finally has the stregnth to protect them and his family, and will do so with everything he has)

Acheivement unlocked: Jinwoo's s/o has now become his weighted blanket sjdbudnd

Jinwoo pissed after a raid, eyes glowing purple, emitting an aura that even scares his shadows: The world is harsh and cruel.... Jinwoo 10 min later, eyes normal, deadly aura gone, cuddling s/o with his head nestled into s/o's shoulder: s/o soft and gentle.

Wdym he can't have his lovely s/o on his lap while he's on his rare breaks in the privacy of his own office??? Unless there is a s-rank dungeon suddenly appearing or an emergency, this man will be enjoying his BREAK.

Don't get me started on his shadows too sksbudbj. I think it be funny if his shadows also start acting like puppies for s/os affection too. Yeah sure they can absolutely decimate enemies but to their Monarchs beloved, theyre lovable guard dogs. (I think that they would be even more charmed If s/o is actually aware how dangerous they can be but still treats them so kindly)

Jinwoo would also get secretly jealous if his shadows gets the privilege of using his shy! s/o's lap as a pillow too (kinda like how a small pet sits on their owners lap or large dogs put their heads on their owners lap for pets too). Especially if its BEFORE he gets the privilege to abdjdbdnkd

I bet once this man gets a taste of using s/os thighs a pillow , he is a changed man. Brain alterd. dbjdbd

The man's personal heaven? His head nestled into s/o's lap with their fingers running though his hair. If his s/o stars humming? Man's purring in content.

(Anyways, if you read it, thanks! I hope it makes you feel a fraction of how happy I feel when I read your works ajbdjdb)

Cheer,

//Warning: kyunnie having a mental breakdown over Jinwoo NO BECAUSE I GENUINELY THINK JINWOO'S LOVE LANGUAGE IS BEING A TEASE!!! HE'S A BIG OL GRUMP AND AWKWARD BUT I GEN THINK HE LIKES TEASING BY TOUCH!! YOU CAN TELL WITH THE WAY HE INTERACTS WITH JIN-AH LIKE SQUEEZING HER FACE OR PINCHING HER CHEEKS IT TELLS A LOT!!!! I GOT THE IDEA OF A TOUCHY JINWOO JUST BY SEEING HOW HE ACTS AROUND JIN-AH AND KYYAAAAA PRE-AWAKENING RELATIONSHOIP EBHJGRWFE!!!!! I LOVE THAT IDEA SM BECAUSE THERE'S A CERTAIN POETIC ROMANCE TO IT WHEN YOU'VE SEEN YOUR BELOVED AT THEIR LOWEST POINTS AND LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY REGARDLESS!! My fave novel of all time is tgcf and there's a whole interactions between the main cp like this!! “That person saw me at my worst", Hua Cheng said. "Then I'm very envious of that", Xie Lian replied.” IF IT'S A SITUATION LIKE THAT IK JINWOO'S ATTACHMENT WOULD GO BEYOND THE ROOFS AND HEAVENS!!!! Jinwoo would first be oblivious to his sunshine's(reader is giving me sunshine vibes, and I love sunshines sm) at first but he slowly started noticing from the jumpy reactions and the shy expression!! He'd test out the waters by his body language likelike purposely moving closer to reader unexpectedly, grasping hands, lightly brushing a finger on their ear— And when he confirmed his suspicions he went "Oh?" like lIKE HOLLYY SIJJDBE WN CFEAAAAA KGGRAAAAA!!! HE'D BULLY THEM A LOT AND CHUCKLE EVERYTIME HE CATCHES SUNSHINE READER GO BBRRRR BRAIN LAG WHHEEEE PRINCESS CARRIES USED TO BE A DISTANT DREAM NOW JINWOO CAN DO IT ANYTIME HE WANTS!! HE EVEN LETS THEM SIT ON HIS ARM PERCHED SO CUTELY LIKE THIS!!! IT GETS READER SO FLUSTERED THEY HIDE THEIR FACE ON HIS NECK AND HE'S LIVING FOR ITT!!!!

(Source: How to win my husband over) BUT WE CANT FORGET THE JINWOO THAT GETS TIRED AND ALL PISSY AFTER DEALING ITH GATES!! Ik our boi gets annoyed over some sht but he doesn't voice them out most of the time!!! His best therapy is when he has reader cuddled up on his lap or him laying his head on their while they tousle their hair around. I Genuinely think Jinwoo's soft/sensitive spots are on his head!!! Fingertips brushing across his scalp tickles him in a pleasant way that he just goes Zzzzzz..... Jinwoo is the type of boyfriend that looks so expressionless and stiff but put his lover and his eyes immediately turn into the most gentle lovestrucken-fool look in an instant that whoever witnesses it thinks their lives just flashed before their eyes because wth the hunter coULD DO THAT KIND OF FACE??????? HELLLOOO!!!! I am an intj simp and coincidentally I have so many intj husbands that I did not ask for but goddamn the consistency. The patten I see with INTJ's ik is that they love acts of service!!! From brushing your hair away from your face, holding their hand out to you so you wont get lost, instinctively doing something to help you WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING. And my god, they have the most MOST INTENSE EYE CONTACT EVER!!!! Jinwoo has proven that side in the manhwa I do not need to pull up panels for this surely YA'LL KNOW WHAT I MEAN PEOPLE. If Jinwoo is whipped, HE IS WHIPPED!!! He mostly keeps a straight face BUT CANNOT CONTROL HIMSELF FOR HIS BELOVED( lets be fr he doesn't intend to in the first place he's that downbad and I love it mWAH) Cuddle session breaks with sunshine reader is a must if not he will wreak havoc in the office or the gates or something WHEEZE OMG THE SHADOWS WHAKJSDEQBKWEF, HE'S A PETTY BASTARD I TELL YOU!! HE'S CHAOTIC AS HELL!!!!! HE DEF THROWS BERU AN EYE-ROLL WHEN HE GETS PATPATS FROM SUNSHINE READER AND IT ENDS UP WITH BERU HAVING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN ITS SO SILLY JWHNFWEPIOEJFND, HE MAKES HIM DO FOREHEAD ON THE FLOOR PUNISHMENT 2 DHWEJAFKE HE'S A PETTY BASTARDDD!!!!! HIS BIGGEST RIVAL IS TANK BECAUSE HE IS THE FLOOFIEST BOI IN THE SHADOWS AND IT JUST MAKES JINWOO GO INTO A TANTHRUM ITS SO SILLYYY!!!! AFTER THE WHOLE SULKING WO GOES TO SUNSHINE READER'S LAP AND GRUMBLES LIKE A TODDLER!!!! Also the thighs man, he had done it once in E-rank days nEVER MOVED ON I TELL YOU, THAT'S WHY I KEEP SAYING LAP SINCE EARLIER WHAHDHWGR. The first time he did it he felt like he was thrown into heaven literally and figuratively he's such a silly simp AGAIN YES, JINWOO'S MOST SENSITIVE SOFT SPOT IS HIS HEAD!!!!!! OUR SILLY LITTLE FLOOFY BASTARDD!!! He purposely messes his hair up so sunshine reader would be forced to fix his hair, and when they look away he begins ruffling his hair up again for more attention— ALSO EARLIER U APOLOGIZED FOR MAKING SOMETHING LONG BESTIE DON'T I MADE IT LONGER IT'S OKAY DON'T FEEL BAD DAFOHLJMWLEJDNM Also owejii uueeee, now I'm all shy and flustered aisupohdjqbl,emfdn AAAAee ee er w ddw sakjlsdlafrgshdf I'm so glad it makes u happy uueeeeeee, I honestly just write for myself but I'm glad it makes you happy too uueee<3333!!!!! Ty for activating my jinwoo braincells that should have beem stayed dormat anywei!! (They never rlly sleep anyway i just keep them in my head)

[talk-danmei-to-me]

Welcome to the first #Danmei Fanfic Nightclub!

Here's who's writing this week:

@talk-danmei-to-me

Ships: Ranwan, Hualian, Beefleaf, Wangxian, (Ximang pending)

Fic Requests: Smut, AUs, Angst

Will not write: -

Timezone: BST 7pm-Midnight

@fiftysevenacademics

Ships: Wangxian

Tropes: Fluff, Angst, Crack

Will not write: Smut, High School AUs

Time Zone: Pacific

@sleepyssnail

Ships: Scum Villain Self Saving System

Fic Requests: AUs, hurt/comfort, fluff, humor, canon divergence, inquire for more!

Will not write: - smut (may change in the future, but not right now), kinks, non con, or dehumanization

Timezone: EST 10AM—Midnight

@isolapyrena

Ships: I'll have a go at any 2ha, Yuwu, SVSSS or TGCF but my favourite characters for having their own new stories are Mei Hanxue, Liu Qingge and Feng Xin and I have no problem in solving romantic lost causes with threesomes.

Fic Requests: anything within reason. I like fix its best.

Will not write: - Anything tasteless. Not intentionally anyway.

Timezone: BST 7pm-Midnight.

@yiling-laozu-is-loml

Ships: WangXian, MingXian, XiXian, HanXian, SangXian... ok basically any M/M wei wuxian ship if I feel inspired enough + SongXiao! Also I wanna try my hand at junior trio/quartet of mdzs and other platonic ships like wen ning/wen qing/wei wuxian, nie huaisang/wei wuxian too so feel free to ask!

Fic Requests: Humour, banter, AUs, Angst, Major Character Death/last moments/mourning, fluff, parent-child relationship (not necessarily parent...like wwx and juniors type), idiots in love, canon compliant (no cql sorry, only novel/donghua canon)

Will not write: smut (unless i feel confident enough and in that case, switchxian or topxian), infidelity, animal death, miscarriage/child death, polyamory, F/M...i think thats it. Oh and anything with cql elements or jiang clan/jiang cheng positive (unless its chengxian)

Timezone: UTC+05:00...send me an ask anytime, i'll reply whenever my timezone allows me. Dont feel obligated to coordinate with my timezone!

@etherealiity

Ships: Ranwan, Bingqiu, Bingjiu, Jiuyuan, Tianjiu, Moshang, Wangxian, xiyao, 3zun, xuexiao, xueyao, sangcheng, cezhou

Fic Requests: Canonverse, AUs, smut, angst, hurt/comfort, comedy, horror

Will not write: - anything like bathroom kinks (watersports, scat play, etc.) or mpreg

Timezone: EST 7pm-midnight

@scholomancefan

Pairings: bingqiu, biggeyuan, bingliushen

will write comedy, angst, smut

cannot write fluff unless it's kidfic

Timezone: probably GMT 8pm to 9pm but consider it Aziraphale's bookshop because my availability is definitely unpredictable😅

@petitechocopie

Pairings: WangXian, RanWan, HuaLian, TianWang, YanShen, XuanXian

Fic Requests: School Day AUs, General AUs, Smut, Slice of Life, Angst, Fluff

Will Not Write: BingQiu (I never read SVSS)

Time Zone: 9pm-12am EST

Happy writing everyone! I'm hyped to see everyone's drabbles ♡ don't forget to use the tag #danmei fanfic club

[baiwu-jinji]

Hello! I’ve read your thoughts on TGCF and I really enjoy them.

I also like the cultural references and knowledge you bring to the table. It’s something that gets lost in English translation and learning about it just adds another layer to enjoy about TGCF.

Recently I saw some asks/answers compare Hualian to another couple. I haven’t read the other story 😅 but I have heard similar opinions of Hualian being very idealized, too perfect, unrealistic or all three.

I’ve been very curious about this part as I also have a vague memory of someone noting that even the author says Hualian is like a fairytale.

I was surprised about this because their softness, respect and unconditional love for each other is something I really love about them.🌸🌸🌸

Could you share more of your perspective on this?

Is it the waiting 800 years part? The unconditional acceptance and devotion on Hua Cheng’s part(and Xie Lian’s side too)? The lack of arguments between them?

For my part , obviously 800 years is a fantastical amount of time to remain in love and devoted to someone. Especially considering how little time Hua Cheng spent with Xie Lian in the beginning. I am totally willing to suspend my belief for these two points and chalk it up to Hua Cheng’s personality. I also think Hua Cheng’s love for Xie Lian grew and matured as he did.

It’s really interesting too that those very positive traits - unconditional devotion, faith and love (not obedience because honestly Hua cheng quiet frequently disobeys😅) while more obviously written in a positive light can be explored in fanfiction from the other end. And I don’t mean obsession or stalking, but more like loving someone to the point of your own detriment.

And Hualian, though certainly they didn’t really argue in the book, they did have disagreements. (And I think in the revised novel, of at least the translated part I read, they do get a more serious argument)

To me, their easy acceptance and the unconditional love aspect can be chalked up to their personality, life experiences and the fact they both have lived centuries long.

Anyhow, I know I rambled on a bit. 😅😅😅

But I am really curious on your feedback about this or a link if you answered this more in detail with a similar ask.

Thank you! 😊

Hi! :) Thank you for your kind words and sorry about the really late reply ><  MXTX once wrote about a dream she had where a voice told her that TGCF is like a “a little red clay stove” (I translated MXTX’s dream here). The literary reference of “a little red clay stove” symbolises the warmth and comfort of domestic life and the joy of friendship and companionship, which I think is what MXTX wants Hualian’s relationship to stand for - Hualian is meant to be warm, tender, homely and cosy, with as little friction as possible in the relationship. It is a very idealised relationship (how can it not be with HC’s unfading love for and faith in XL and XL’s instinctual and almost instant trust in HC), and that’s why people love Hualian, because we long to be loved with such unconditional acceptance and unwavering devotion ourselves, and we want to find someone we could love with unconditional acceptance and unwavering devotion, whether such love is possible in real life or not. Hualian’s success and popularity is clearly not due to it being a gritty and brutally honest interrogation of the complexities of romantic relationships in realistic contexts, but because it is the sort of ideal relationship of pure bliss people dream of having. Therefore I can’t say Hualian’s idealisation of romantic relationships is one of its literary flaws because it’s never aiming to be otherwise, and its idealistic nature is one of its main selling points.

This is a digression but what I find interesting about Hualian is this sort of paradox in HC being both a lover and a worshipper - to worship a god is to worship his divine infallibility, but to love a human is to love his human fallibility (but then Borges said that “to fall in love is to create a religion that has a fallible god”, so that resolves the paradox?). And it makes me think about what HC means when he says to XL “I’m forever your most devoted believer.” What is it that HC eternally believes in as XL's believer? It’s not XL’s infallibility, or perfection, or omnipotence, or incorruptibility, or inexhuastable goodness that HC believes in, because XL is neither of those things, so what is it that HC believes in? Maybe what HC forever believes in is the fact that he will love XL forever - maybe that’s what HC is a believer of…

I hope this answer makes sense, and in short I meant to say that I can’t deny Hualian is idealised, but that’s what makes them appealing.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello! Raven. I hope you're doing well. I'm the anon who sent the acotar and malleus related ask. It's been quite some time since I sent that ask I thought you were not going to reply 😅. Thank you so much for replying. So is it okay if a ask is not twst related but like fantasy, fairytale and fae related in general? Fantasy is my fav genre. Dragons & fae or both combined are a bonus. What kind of romantasy or fantasy novels do you like? Do you have any book recommendations? Also can I be 🐉anon

[Referencing this post!]

Welcome back, 🐉 Anon~

Please note that if I choose to respond to an ask, it may take several weeks for my reply to be posted 😅 This is because I may have as many as 30 to 60+ in my queue at any given time (with new asks coming in every day). I give priority to immediate TWST content updates and news. Casual asks and/or questions not immediately relevant will likely be queued to go up later.

I would prefer that most asks be related to TWST in some way. The occasional off-topic-but-still-related-to-my-interests ask is fine, I just don’t want people to feel like they can talk to me about anything and everything. This is because I don't want to give readers the false impression that I'm a close internet friend they can hit up to chat about whatever. It might make people too comfortable with me to the point where they start to cross my boundaries of comfort. In fact, it has happened multiple times before so I want to discourage this whenever possible.

When it comes to fantasy novels, I actually don't like high fantasy. It's hard for me to follow along with all the terminology and unconventional names. I like a world that's well-fleshed out, but the magic system doesn't necessarily need to be well-defined. I'd actually say I prefer a soft magic system since it lets me fill in the gaps with my own imagination and there are fewer restraints on what is and is not possible. This kind of magic also feels a lot more whimsical, which I, as a fan of Alice in Wonderland, adore. I can enjoy fantasy books with good vibes or pretty writing alone if I turn my brain off; there doesn't need to be an amazing story or characters (though I would prefer them all be present). The problem with romantasy specifically, however, is that the emphasis tends to be on the romance part and not the fantasy part, and that tends to fall flat for me when I struggle to find a couple I care about. Every Shadow Daddy feels the same after a while, and while that’s great for people who love Shadow Daddies, it’s not so for those who don’t.

My point is that even within a genre, there's a lot of variation and not all genre readers will like or look for the same thing. You might like high fantasy for all I know, or like or dislike certain tropes, so maybe whatever I'd theoretically recommend to you wouldn't click. I can already see that you're very into dragons and fae in your books, whereas I'm much more picky with their depiction. It's for that reason that I'm afraid I won't be providing any titles. If you're looking for a new book to pick up, I think it would be more beneficial to ask someone more familiar with your tastes and/or for you to pick something out for yourself.

I'm sorry if this isn't the answer you were hoping for, but I'm afraid that's all I feel comfortable saying on this matter.

[revolutionarywig]

This is very silly and I know you probably won’t even see this one, but I’ve always thought it would be adorable to see Maxime holding a basket of oranges.

Also you’re drawing is great and ily and you’re the reason I got into FRev and am now halfway through writing a historical fiction novel with Maxime as the main character so thank you for showing me this amazing world 😅

Hi so sorry for the delay in my reply! I hope you like this quick Maxime with oranges >< And thank you so so much for the kind words aaaaa I am so delighted to be able to make you interested in frev! Hope all is going well with your novel (id love to read it if you have updates or be comfortable to share) and thank you again!

oh and see you at LBX 😊

[soaps-mohawk]

Oh, we love the update🫶 Take your time for the next one, no pressure🫂

You're slaying, breaking hearts, and making people gnaw at the bars of their enclosures. Thank you for your wonderful brain coming up with the concept of this fic. It will be one of those fics you'll think about at the dead of night, years after it's been completed.

So, I can clearly see your fic seeping itself into our minds at the dead of night just as we're about to sleep or have nothing else to do.

I can also assure you, as an AO3 reader who's been on this one fic with no update schedule, it may take months for the author to update, but it's all worth it in the end. The author takes their well needed rest, and the reader gets to foam at the mouth.

I've also seen this one comic, the author took a year break(they stated they didn't know for how long they'd need this break, just until they were okay) for personal reasons. None of us really minded. If they needed a break. They can take it. Doesn't matter how long the break will take, you as a person are important.

And, it's very amazing to me how people can come up with these ideas. I've never seen a story like yours. It's unique. It's mind scratching. And it tells me what day of the week it is. Like, what do you do to come up with this? This masterpiece?

Anyway, sorry for the rant😅 You don't need to reply to this at all! Just wanted to say my appreciation. Please take care❤️

Y'all I can't 😭 this is too kind. I so wish I was better at taking compliments 🫣 i feel like I'm just constantly repeating myself but y'all just leave me speechless with your kind words.

No but I only know what day it is because of crcb too 😂 updating those two weeks on Sunday really messed with my head lol I had to delay my laundry to Tuesday because I was so off on Monday being the day after posting

Don't apologize!!! Send me a novel in my asks I don't care (I'm so old I remember when there were character limits on tumblr asks 😂)

[c-schroed]

Oh my. By acquiring a new fav ship this week, I got reminded of a tag game I was invited to by dear @hello-galad - Four. Months. Ago. I'm so sorry for this late reply! But I get even more late, here we go:

Three ships: Wren and Shan from the Spines podcast, Moxillie, Hadeficent

First ship: Hanamusa was my awakening.

Last song: Wallflower by Unwoman

Last TV show: Gurren Lagann

Currently reading: "Persephone - Verdammt mächtig" (i.e., Persephone - Damnedly Powerful), a German urban fantasy novel about the relationship between Hades and Persephone, millennia after the kidnapping, told from Persephone's point of view. It's part two of a trilogy that started with Medusa bringing Poseidon to court for sexual assault, and both books are the best I've read in years.

Currently watching: Call of the Night, D.Gray-Man, Gurren Lagann, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, She-Ra (the old animated series), Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Sailor Moon, Stargirl, Quantum Leap (the remake series), Silo, and Helluva Boss.

(I love to use linear TV and catch-up streaming, hence I watch many shows parallel, as in the old days.)

Currently craving: Over the last few weeks, I watched the Descendants movies and currently crave more content from this hilariously cute little Disney universe! There are some Webisodes left for me to watch, but after that?!

Tagging to answer next: @amusedmuralist @cutespacegoblin @iwhoneverbelievedinwar @prstmmprhdl @drholmestuck

Feel free to ignore the tag if you have already answered this or if you just don't wanna play! And do feel free to take your time. Obviously I'm in no position to judge! 😅

EDIT: I totally forgor the point Currently eating, sorry! See the reblogs for an update (with a pic, even!)

[mud-muffin]

Im sorry but NOTHING beats reading tags under your art on Tumblr😤😤😤

There is simply ISN'T a more furfilling way to enjoy your own art and the interactions it creates, between you as an artist and the viewers. Than reading the weird comments, stories and theories people leave under art and fanart on this website. It is simply *cheffs kiss* an outstanding experience!💗

I feel like i actually get to interact so much more with my audience through looking through the tags than replying to a few comments saying they love my art, don't get me wrong, I LOVE getting praise and patted on my back for my hard work. but replying "Thanks" 30 ways can get so tiring. In the tags no one EXPECTS the artist to reply which is so freeing, cus i read EVERY comment TRUST ME, but its nice that you dont HAVE to reply to all of them💗

I'm guessing its because it's so unformal? writing stuff in the tags rather than leaving actually public comments(Like on other art spaces such as Twitter and Insta) can be slightly more intimidating while writing in the tags are more casual?

But seriously! People either leave their messages for the artist themselves or for their own followers, which creates something new, engaging and Fun! The tags are never just: "great art" or "well done" its more like: "#THIS IS ME AND MY BEST FRIEND WHEN WE GOT HIGH ON PAINKILLERS IN 9TH GRADE AND ROLLARSKATED INTO THE FOUNTAIN IN THE PARK AND GOT CHASED BY A HOMELESS MANS RAPID DOG, #THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME REMEMBER" or "#THIS MADE ME CRY ON MY KITCHEN FLOOR FOR 10 MINUTES STRAIGHT" and then they leave 😅

OR(x2) they write out half a fanfic of the fanart in the tags bringing all the weirdest or cutest headcanons to life and maybe later they will reblog with a link to their AO3 with the full novel. 😂

This place is insane for artist interaction and validation

Thanks Tumblr keep it up!

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Helloooo 👋🏽 perhaps sdv and sde bachelors and farmer on a (deadly) jungle adventure? 🍃 🐍🦜

Hell yeah! Sorry for a long reply, was busy with other things.

It can be assumed that I had a lot of fun when I wrote the answer to this headcanon, because fuck me, this HC is huge 😅 I made different situations and maybe they moved away from the main question, apologize for that... I'm just get so hyped about request.

Anyway, thanks for your ask, dear anon!

✨SDV bachelors:✨

Elliott:

Actually, it was all Elliott's idea, as the long-haired writer wanted to collect material for his future novel. "And the best way to write about any adventures is to be on those adventures yourself! You will protect us, my love, I completely trust you!" The Farmer just sighed and left to gather supplies for the trip to Ginger Island.

Elliott is really lucky that his love also turned out to be his bodyguard and guide. While he enthusiastically looked at the wild limurs on the branches in the distance, the Farmer didn't take their eyes off him.

But as soon as they were distracted for a minute, Elliott, not noticing anyone around, wandered further into the depths of the jungle.

He carried on his monologue, still believing that the Farmer was nearby and listening to everything the writer told him. Until Elliott felt something touch his left shoulder.

"O ho ho, my love, that tickles! I certainly don't mind the attention, and if you want some rest, we caaaAAAAAAAAAA-!"

If there was any fauna nearby, then it instantly scattered away from Elliott's heart-rending scream when he saw a huge spider on his shoulder.

So he ran and screamed, until he collided head-on with... No, not with the Farmer, but with a pirate. The pirate, a little clumsily, shouted somewhere to the side: "Ahoy mate, we found yar lover"

Elliott's happiness knew no bounds when their Farmer emerged from the ferns. It turns out that Elliott wandered around Ginger Island for more than hour, and the Farmer decided to ask for help from fellow pirates to help with the search.

"Your friends are pirates? My love, why didn't you tell me sooner!"

Now they will both sit in a cozy cave until the evening, while the Farmer again beats the pirates in darts, while Elliott, already tipsy, listens to stories for a future book. You can even call it almost an autobiography!

(No spiders were harmed in this story)

Sebastian:

Sebby reread at home a magazine that he bought at the last amphibian exhibition, not forgetting to tell the Farmer cool facts about one or another type of frog.

The Farmer listened with interest to their partner until their eyes landed on a familiar sight of an amphibian.

"Oh, I saw these in the jungles of Ginger Island. They only come out when it rains, beautiful creatures, although very shy." "Wait, really?" "Yeah"

Sebastian just had a small collection of photos of frogs and newts, and asked his spouse if they could go there on a rainy day. The Farmer agreed, but warned Sebby to be around as it could be dangerous there.

Sebastian agreed to take weapons, elixirs, and he also read on the Internet how to behave when meeting with wild animals (he does not want to disturb wildlife much).

Luckily for them, there were a dozen of these frogs there. And the rain and dew on the amphibians adorned the picture (thanks that his phone and camera are waterproof).

Only Sebastian accidentally wandered deep into the jungle, and stumbled upon a lone tiger slime. Alas, he didn't have enough strength to defeat this monster, so he did what the Farmer told him in such cases - run.

Mr. Emo man did just that and, fortunately for him, found his spouse again. The Farmer kissed Sebby and promised that they would quickly deal with the slime. In the meantime, in order not to get wet in the rain, they told him to go to their house on the shore.

Only Sebastian wanted to go into the house, as he noticed a small entrance to the cave in the wall on the right. Why hadn't he seen this before? The cave was small, and its only inhabitant was... a huge anthropomorphic toad, sitting in a lotus position and saying that "long before, melons were much sweeter and bombo-big."

.....

Sebastian didn't seem to touch those poisonous frogs and photographed from a distance. Why he hallucinated then?

Until the Farmer went into the cave later, not finding Sebastian at home, and explained that it was kind of like... neighbor.

"Cool" is all that surprised Sebastian said, taking a picture of a huge toad.

Shane:

Fucking finally. A well deserved vacation with his partner.

Shane was so happy about the news about the vacation that he did not hear from the Farmer where exactly they were going and immediately agreed to the offer. It doesn't matter to him where they will rest, even in hell - the main thing is his partner and a pleasant pastime.

Shane realized only when they were in the jungle of Ginger Island, looking for "golden walnuts".

"Honey, but you agreed to travel with me for a little while and take a break from farm work." Shane would have liked to object, but he can't... Fuck.

Well, at least the Farmer gave him a good sword and don't stray far from Shane.

Although chicken man still managed to get lost several times in three palm trees. Like how??!?

The jungle is hot, but quite beautiful, and these flowers are so pret-

"Augh! Goddamn snakes!" "Shane, it's a liana, there are no snakes on Ginger island" "How the hell should I know about this?!"

He want to relax, and he was even more tired. Bluh...

While the Farmer wiped out the slimes, Shane struggled with the local dense vegetation. "Fucking ferns!"

Although in the evening, after a successful hunt for golden acorns ("Walnuts, Shane" "Same thing, doesn't fkng matter..."), they went to their house on the coast (when did his partner manage to buy real estate here??)

Delicious tropical dishes, pina colada (just a little sip), cool sea breeze and sunset - now this is a real vacation!

After they both returned, Shane offered to take another rest in the same way. Although the search for nuts was tiring and dangerous, it was fun.

Harvey:

"Honey, are you sure this is a good idea? There can be many diseases in the tropics, not to mention dangerous animals, mosquitoes, unknown plants to which we may be allergic, and..."

The Farmer was assured that they had already been in the depths of Ginger Island, and nothing serious had happened. They still insist that Harvey go with them "to show something interesting, but it's a surprise ;)" The poor doctor doesn't know how to react to this "surprise", but nevertheless agreed to the request of the Farmer.

A huge backpack stuffed with medicines, food supplies, sunscreen and mosquito spray - Harvey seemed to be preparing for a long journey. He also dressed like a spitting image of Indiana Jones - I mean wow, like a treasure hunter, honestly!

Surprisingly, Harvey reacts very calmly to danger in the jungle. It would seem that he would faint at the sight of an aggressive limur or poisonous insects, but he skillfully avoids danger and does not disturb the animals.

"Darling, we could travel the world like this in retirement" "As long as we have a full first aid kit and a supply of fresh water, I don't even mind. Just please, let's not go rock climbing, you know that I am afraid of heights..."

The Farmer and Harvey finally reached what the Farmer called a "surprise". The entrance to the cave - and they were inside a small space with five huge crystals. When Harvey wanted to ask what it was, Farmer suggested just "sit down and enjoy."

After half a minute, the eyes on the wall stone sculpture lit up, and the cave filled with a ringing melody emanating from bright colored crystals. The melody was... so beautiful. It was the first time Harvey had heard the tune, and at the same time, he could have sworn it sounded like the lullaby her mother used to sing to him when he was a child. Calming, beautiful, and with the sounds of nature outside, it created such a magical atmosphere.

Harvey saw the Farmer smiling at him. The doctor gave Farmer the same sincere smile, took their hand, and in silence they continued to listen to the wonderful melody.

Sam:

It was supposed to be a normal day at the resort, with no misadventures for the famous Pelican Town A.S.S. trinity and Farmer. And everything was relatively calm until, while playing frisbee, Sam accidentally threw the frisbee somewhere in the direction of tall palm trees and dense vegetation. Sam felt sorry for the new frisbee, and he didn’t want to litter anywhere, so he quickly ran towards the jungle in search of the item.

Sam was already far away, and didn't hear the calls of his partner Farmer, completely immersed in the search for the Frisbee. The young guitarist only experienced reality when he tripped over a rock and tumbled down the hill into a small pit.

Fortunately, Sam only escaped with scratches, but realized that he could not get out of the ill-fated pit. Therefore, he had no choice but to call for help from his spouse and friends.

"Sammy, are you okay?" "Yep baby, I'm fine" Sam felt a little guilty when he heard Farmer's worried voice. And why the hell did he go into the jungle for that stupid frisbee!

"The walls are slippery, I can't climb up on my own. Babe, can you throw off some rope?" The Farmer pondered Sam's words for half a minute until they noticed a parrot sitting next to them. "I have a better idea." With that, the Farmer smiled and took out some golden walnuts from their pocket, which they promptly gave to the parrot.

The feathered friend accepted the treat, and at the same moment flew into the air, calling its brethren to the pit. The musician did not even have time to be surprised when he felt that he was enveloped in a loud and feathery dark cloud - and at the same instant he was on the surface next to his partner.

Sam sat there in mute shock, covered in scratches and dirt and feathers, as the Farmer examined him for any injuries.

"Cupcake, are you like a parrots whisperer?" "Something like that ;)" "Wow... If I tell Sebby and Abby about what happened, they won't believe it..."

At the same moment, the frisbee fell next to him, and the parrot that dropped a plastic object nearby shouted something merrily in bird language. The Farmer nodded their head in gratitude, and all the parrots flew off somewhere into the sky, beyond the dense jungle.

Alex:

Alex has long wanted to start reading books and catch up in his youth. One of these books, which he found on the bookshelf (now his, too) of the farm, had drawings of exotic animals on it and in large capital letters: "Extreme Survival Primer."

He knew that the Farmer often went on trips, doing hunting monsters and protecting people when they weren't farming, so books like this could help a little to navigate in an unfamiliar environment. However, he also wanted to be in such a situation so that he knew what to be prepared for.

"Honey, I'm going to have an unusual request" "Yes, dear? What is it?"

The Farmer listened to Alex with all seriousness, and agreed to travel together to Ginger Island to be his guide for a day. They are very responsible for the safety of the athlete, although Alex himself grumbles a little and says that "he is not so helpless."

But once in the thick of the jungle, Alex was nevertheless grateful to the Farmer for the safety rules and the supply of healing elixirs: the athlete skillfully bypassed suspicious spiders and frogs, and when meeting with the slime, he was able to give a worthy rebuff with the Farmer.

"Hell yeah, that's my boy! Maybe Marlon will also accept you in the Adventurer's Guild as well!" Alex blushed at such praise, but tried not to show his partner how flattered he was. It didn't work out, the Farmer knows him too well.

It was a fun time and a good experience for him. Only now Alex worries about the Farmer even more when he sees at least one scratch on the face of his loved one. "It needs to be treated, because dirt can get into wound, and then infection, I read that such diseases are very common in the tropics, and also..."

Not that the Farmer would be against the protective and caring Alex, quite the contrary. But the athlete is now like a mother hen. The Farmer still loves him though :D

✨SVE bachelors:✨

Victor:

Victor and his mother have traveled to various islands throughout the Ferngill Republic, so he was delighted at the offer of the Farmer to relax together in his own house on the beach of Ginger Island. It will be so romantic! "Oh, I need to get a bottle of red wine, and ingredients for spaghetti. Is there somewhere to cook it? Great! I'll make dinner for two for us! and I also need to take a couple of books and-" "Victor, my soul, we're going there for a couple of days"

The first day was very romantic and wonderful. Just like in those advertisements for tourist packages, but here everything was real and beautiful: the sea, a colorful sunset, dinner for two, clinking glasses of wine, a beloved partner... What can I say, Victor is still a hopeless romantic.

The next day, early in the morning, when Victor woke up before the Farmer, he decided not to wake them and take a walk on the sandy shore.

But Victor's curiosity and the instinct of self-preservation, a little blunted after a sleep, led him further to the west of the island. He became interested in what kind of small hut the shore stands in general, and also to examine the wreckage of the ship.

But at the last moment, the poor fellow noticed how a tiger slime was quickly approaching him, with squelching sounds. The monster took him by surprise and Victor was forced to climb the stairs, deep into the jungle, only to realize that he had landed on a whole nest of tiger slimes!

Before he could do anything, a strange circle of symbols formed around him, and the slimes immediately crawled away. "It's pretty dangerous to wander around Ginger Island alone and unarmed. Fortunately, I was there at the right time." Victor only opened his mouth and made a lowing sound when he saw a pink-haired man in front of him. "You must be Victor, right? Farmer's partner? They talked a lot about you on our joint expeditions."

Expeditions, a sword, a blue cloak... Click!

"Are you... an adventurer? And not just an adventurer, but a member of The First Slash clan?!" Victor forgot that recently he was in mortal danger, because he recognized this man! Second in command of the First Slash clan!

He had already managed to ask a thousand questions to the surprised Lance about the life of adventurers and about the clan itself, until the Farmers ran up to them, ready to destroy everything that even dares to harm Victor. What a surprise it was when they discovered their unharmed spouse and fellow adventurer.

Well, at least it ended well. And Victor is generally delighted with such adventures. Adventurer from the First Slash clan! "Victor, are you just squeak?"

Magnus:

Magnus recently spoke with The First Slash clan's mage, and they brought up the subject of testing magical barriers against alien magic on part of Ginger Island, as after the Farmer's activities and the help of parrots, the coast has become a resort now, regularly visited by the inhabitants of Pelican Town. The safety of people is the responsibility of wizards and witches, so someone has to take care of this.

The members of The First Slash, for some important reason, cannot now go on patrol and set up a barrier, so the First Slash mage asked for the help of Rasmodius, as an experienced wizard, and the Farmer, as a talented and gifted adventurer. To which both Magnus and the Farmer agreed to help their colleagues.

Since the Farmer had already combed the whole Ginger Island and learned the area, Magnus relied on them as a guide. They need to go to different parts of the island so that the wizard casts a spell and fixes the barrier.

The first part was right in the heart of the jungle, and Magnus cursed constantly as exotic plants clung to his cloak, already soiled in the local clay and mud. Wild animals and insects did not cause him any panic: a snap of his fingers - and all the dangerous fauna galloped away. This is much better and humane than trying to harm nature.

Then they went west, closer to the old ruins of the sunken ship. The tiger slimes were already waiting for unfortunate prey, but they themselves became prey for the Farmer's sword and Magnus' spells. Now Magnus is also smeared with slime, what a bad luck.

"Razzy, do you have the concept of 'clean things' spells" "Actually, there are as many as 5, but we haven't finished the expedition yet, so... Are you calling me Razzy again? I swear, you and Camilla... I will stop talking to her, and I will divorce you altogether" "You love me too much :D" "Unfortunately, I am"

Now, the barrier is set, it will hold for several seasons. Magnus finally casts a cleansing spell - and now he and all of his robes are clean. He even used it on his spouse (so they don't waste time swimming in the sea, especially since the water is salty there!)

"I'm surprised how calmly you handled wild snakes. Although they are not poisonous, but still very impressive" "Believe me, my darling, I sometimes met such "snakes" among colleagues in the Ministry of Magic that these reptiles on the island are harmless creatures."

A job well done and a lot of praise from his partner - Magnus' trip to the jungle was a success!

Lance:

Joint patrols on Ginger Island are pretty rare for Lance. Well, actually not like that, he and the Farmer often spend time together, but usually the patrolling on this particular island are done one by one. Love, family - this is important, but no one released from the duties of the adventurer. Thankless job, indeed.

Just on this day, when Lance was ready to sail to Ginger Island, the Farmer was told that they wanted to go with him, collect some ginger and edible ferns. Lance is not against the company, especially since it is his partner.

However, he warned his love to take supplies of elixirs and keep the sword at the ready, because tiger slimes live in some parts of the island.

Although the heat and humidity were unbearable at noon, duties are duties, and two adventurers must fulfill them.

After all, Lance was right when he told them both to be on the lookout - several magma sprites crawled out from a huge cave in the volcano, which immediately attacked Lance and the Farmer. The sounds of steel rang out, the local limurs and monkeys raised a roar, but it all ended as quickly as it began - Lance and the Farmer stood in a fighting pose, and the ashes from magma sprites lay under their feet.

“Jolyne was right, the barrier had weakened. We should warn our mage to take care of it.” Lance slid his sword back into its sheath. "Well, my love, we still have time and we can devote ourselves to gathering the ginger roots you spoke about earlier."

Before you started looking for roots, Lance recommended that he cast an invisibility spell on the two of them. "We are unlikely to meet more dangerous monsters in the depths of the jungle, but I would not like to disturb the local fauna too much." The Farmer agreed with him, and they both began gathering.

Naturally, this was accompanied by constant conversations about nature on the island in general, theories about where the dwarves on the volcano came from, and many other topics.

Both of them were in no hurry: after all, invisibility allows you not to disturb the animals and do research in peace. The main thing is not to fall into the pit or step on the snake.

[scrumpylikesthings]

Ten people I’d like to get to know better

tagged by: @luddlestons (sorry this took me a million years to reply to 😅)

last song: Raccoons by Caravan Palace (this is very predictable of me)

favourite colour: I have learned to embrace the pink. Green has been slowly taking over my closet tho so it might be changing.

last book: I'm currently reading Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (yes he is the brother of Merlin Sheldrake). Its a non fiction book about fungi but its less an educational text and more like reading an info dump about someone's special interest, which is not a negative. I can't universally recommend it, but if thats your kind of thing then go for it.

Also reading Understanding Comics together with Momo. We want to work on comics (and other stories) together and we're trying to figure out our work flow :3

Also listening to Save the Cat Writes a Novel on audiobook. Highly recommend over Save the Cat. Jessica Brody is more fun and relatable over Blake Snyder, who is a bit of an arrogant prickly prick.

Last book I finished tho was Someone You Can Build a Nest In which is about monster fuc-

last movie: V/H/S Beyond. Anthology horror series that ranges from garbage to pretty good. We double featured it with Smile 2 which I thought was a good gosh darn time :) Man this was a good year for horror.

last tv show: Mysteries of the Abandoned. Its about abandoned places that goes into the history of what they were and why they were abandoned. Theres a strong focus on the engineering featsof these places. A lot of them are artifacts of war time eras and the reasoning why they were abandoned was because the war ended ¯_( ツ )_/¯

sweet/spicy/savoury: sweet over savoury over spicy. But they can interchange depending on context

relationship status: Married. I've been with my partner for 16 years come January, married for 2. <3

last thing I googled: Cybersix. I need to rewatch. She is hhhhhnnngggggggggggg

current obsession: Knitting. It's become my hyperfixation since I started in february. I love saying that I've only been knitting for a less than a year bc I've gotten so good at it so fast and it surprises folks. (yes I'm going to toot my own horn here). The other day I was in a knitting group working on a double knit blanket, and someone said they thought I had been knitting for years. Gonna keep saying that until its no longer true. I love yarn.

Also hairball. Yes I still think about hairball all the time i can't stop yes im still writing them i love them i love them im obsessed i lov

looking forward to: If my boss can convince her boss, doing a whirlwind intercontinental tour labeling adventure to go to every manufacturer, both national and overseas, in an initiative to consolidate and unify our labels. I just want to go to Sweden and Ireland plz work pay for my plane tickets

And Momo coming to visit again in May for Brimfield :DDDDD Gonna lift them again.

tagging if you wanna: @momosweetpeach @clinic-crew @paperzombiie @wolfyalexis @lelelego @badlydressedwriter @aquareaper3 @grudgegolem

[kolbietheaggrievedwriter]

i love how wm haunts the game's narrative but niren and elliot will always be a part of his life, even when they never show up aside from some mentions or brief cameos.

(did you notice how the street urchins that have been mentioned had blond (niren) in the first scene then red hair (elliot) in the second?)

i also find it funny how the wm au, unlike most aus, virtually changes nothing of the plot LOL

also, also, i'm curious about how the magic system works!

are commoners able to have magic? if so, how powerful can they get? how powerful do they need to be in order to be enrolled in the academy? are they able to hide under the radar if they're powerful?

what about noble bastards? do they get accepted into the academy if their magical prowess is exceptional?

It's such an interesting idea!

(I did not, but ooooh my heart 🥺🥺)

It's kind of like those companion novels to video games or movies that show a different side to the main story. Very cool!

Just gonna pull an excerpt from ch3 here:

There are four main types of magic, known as the Elemental Magics: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. They're the most common, even if different regions might produce a certain element more often. Fittingly, most commoners develop one of these four types, and it is they who journey out into the world to become Adventurers and join Guilds.

Then, there are non-elemental magics, White and Black Magic, also known as Light and Dark Magic. White Magic encompasses any magic that improves oneself or others, i.e. buffs, status effect removal, and healing spells. Black Magic involves the opposite: any non-elemental magic that causes harm, such as debuffs, status effects like poison or slow, and killing curses. No Adventurer Party or Knights Brigade would be complete without at least one or two Light Mages while Dark Mages - due to the stigma surrounding them - tend to work alone.

Dual Magic describes the ability to wield two types of magic, which is rarer. For example, fire and wind or earth and water. Nobles with this ability often become knights and rise through the ranks rapidly, and commoners just barely meet the requirements to be knighted at all. As it stands, there have only been four commoners who have crossed this threshold, the rest of them choosing to instead become high-ranking Adventurers.

Finally, there exists Variant Magic. These are variations of elemental and non-elemental magic, which are much more rare and only appear in nobles. Magma, Ice, Wood, and Lightning are variations of Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind, respectively. Every noble family possesses the potential for variant magic, but the Greater Noble Families - of which there are five - each bear bloodlines that birth totally unique variant magic without fail.

Chel was able to enter the Academy only because she possessed extremely powerful White Magic, enough to potentially rival or even eclipse the strongest White Mage currently alive. It's like a one in a million chance. Nobles wanted such a strong and rare mage under their control, so she was permitted to attend. It's all political. Any other commoner would have to be just as uniquely gifted. Of course, no noble would want to set such a precedent. Why, then commoners might start thinking they're on the same level as nobility! 💀

As for noble bastards, it depends on the family in question. If the stain on their reputation might be worse than the potential power gain, they'd probably resort to just killing them. The only reason Elliot survived was because his father didn't know Elliot's mother was even pregnant + Niren and the royal family's backing. On the other hand, if, say, the genuine heir pales in comparison to the bastard, the family might choose one over the other. It varies.

Hope that's what you wanted to know! Sorry for the belated reply. This has been sitting in my drafts, and I completely forgot about it. 😅

[scienceoftheidiot]

I've grown way too unhinged with these "asks", but I've been meaning to send you this one for a while, so please indulge me!

From what I've noticed, a lot of the Royai fan artists I follow tend to prefer drawing Riza, when they're not portraying her with Roy. But I've noticed that a number of your pieces focused on Roy only, which I find very interesting! Would you say that his character inspires you more than Riza, artistically/creatively speaking? If so, in what ways?

Please tell us more! And thank you, as always <3

Lol not unhinged at all I love to receive asks, I just always forget to reply 🥲🥲 sorry 🥲 so, first, thank you very much for asking ! 🥰❤️

And lol yeah, sometimes I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb among the Royai people. But eh, healthy ecosystems need biodiversity 🤣

I hope my answer isn't too long.

I do have a preference for Roy in drawing, for a number of reasons.

I precise in drawing, because I do love writing Riza, not more than I do writing Roy, but they're relatively even for me - even if, yes, I tend to favour Roy because he's easier for me, there, too.

I like to draw him, because I like his face, expressions and postures, and I like to explore them. He's a fun little guy to draw, when I think Riza is cool AF (and I have a lot to say about her character, too!) but she's not as fun to draw for me (once again I love her and she's in fact the female character I have drawn the most I think, because I have a hard time drawing women, but still, if I'm looking for a quick doodle, I'll go towards Roy).

But yes, they're more or less indissociable for me, and for proof my first fan art for FMA was indeed Royai (here!).

Anyway. While Royai is my favourite ship and I love Riza to bits, my favourite character in FMA is Roy. Roy first. (And my husband has understood that well, he's calling me when we do a rewatch and Roy appears on screen and I'm not watching. Like HURRY ROY IS THERE).

Now, if anyone who knows me from earlier than my FMA obsession reads this, and I describe the utter mess that is Roy, they'll understand that it couldn't have gone any other way. Here's a man in a position of power, who hides everything behind a façade, who's a nerd and highly intelligent (I admit I'm often irked by some posts in the royai fandom. This guy is smart. He's goofy, he's a dork, but he's smart. Book smart, he's a fine tactician, and he can command. Erasing that is erasing part of his identity, and I'm sure part of why Riza loves him, too), has a weird sense of humour even though he can also be intense af, is crushed by unbelievable guilt from his past actions (I admit Roy and Roza both beat all of my previous fixations in that, good job being war criminals, guys 🙃) and intends to repair what he's done as much as he can, one way or another, whose sole goal is to make things better for others/his place/his country, whatever he has to give up for it to work, who inspires others doing that, and who gets badly injured/disabled during the story and keeps going and fighting teeth and nails through it and beyond?

WELL. There is no question I will fall for this dude instantly. This is like. Checking all the boxes for me to be instantly in love with this guy. Like. I think he's actually the only one who checks ALL of my boxes.

I do think however that Roy isn't complete without Riza, and that it's the same on her side (like. I've only tagged my current fic with "codependency" but that's how I write them whatever I write). I'm just fixating on him first, but I still find Riza an awesome character, there's no debate there 😊

Here you go! I've written a novel again lol but I hope I've replied to all your questions. I can talk more about how I see Roy and Riza, I always have more to tell, but really that would just make this even more unpalatable 😅 thank you again for asking 😊

[helenofblackthorns]

@pamaramburu welcome to the shadowhunter chronicles!! sorry about replying in a new post, there's just a lot to cover 😅

City of Bones is a great place to start! sometimes people will recommend starting elsewhere, because it's not the best book but imo since it's the first book to be published its the easiest introduction. the world building is introduced gradually throughout the book, it's fun to read, not too long etc. so I would start there!

as for the reading order I would recommend a modified publication order. you could definitely do the publication order as is (just follow the publication dates and be mindful that some books came out the same year) but I personally would make some small tweaks to make it more straightforward :)

start with the first three books of The Mortal Instruments; City of Bones (2007), City of Ashes (2008), and City of Glass (2009)

then, read The Infernal Devices trilogy; Clockwork Angel (2010), Clockwork Prince (2011) and Clockwork Princess (2013)

finish the rest of The Mortal Instruments; City of Fallen Angels (2011), City of Lost Souls (2012) (optional: The Bane Chronicles (2013/14), a short story collection about Magnus Bane. it's not important for plot or anything but it does have spoilers for Clockwork Princess & City of Lost Souls so you can read at any point after them) and City of Heavenly Fire (2014)

then it's Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (2015/16) this is also a short story collection and it's technically optional but I definitely recommend reading it now, as it follows an unresolved storyline from City of Heavenly Fire

next is The Dark Artifices, which is Lady Midnight (2016), Lord of Shadows (2017) and Queen of Air and Darkness (2018) (aka the longest tsc book, good luck!)

then there's the third and final (for now) short story collection Ghosts of the Shadow Market (2018/19)

the Eldest Curses trilogy is kinda hard to place since the books take place years apart & are more of a standalone so you can kinda just read them whenever. The Red Scrolls of Magic (2019) takes place in 2007 at the same time as City of Fallen Angels & The Lost Book of the White (2020) takes place in 2010 after Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy and before Lady Midnight (the third book is not yet released)

which brings us to the most recent series, The Last Hours; Chain of Gold (2020), Chain of Iron (2021) and Chain of Thorns (2023)

the last thing is Secrets of Blackthorn Hall (2022) which is a multimedia epistolary novel that was published here on tumblr (@secretsofblackthornhall) and is currently in the works to become a physically published book at some point soon. it came out before Chain of Thorns and there's a few references to it in the book, but they're pretty minor. you can read it before or after it's really up to you.

and that's pretty much everything! tsc is one of my favourite series ever and I hope you enjoy just as much! have fun <3

[duskandcobalt]

Hiii, Santa here! Sorry for disappearing, it's been quite a few busy days, but I'm back with my questions hehe

Btw the anon ask about Elain wasn't me, but thank you for using the acotargiftexchange tag anyway because the more I know, the better! 🤍

Since you've mentioned it in that post, my first question is, Earth magic witchy Elain? Could you elaborate? I'm not sure I've ever heard that one before and now I'm curious 👀

Here's what I already wanted to ask:

1. Since last time I asked this about Elain, now I gotta ask about Azriel to make it fair. What's your favorite thing about him and is there anything you don't like?

2. How are we feeling about Christmas vibes in the fic? Or would you prefer a more everyday kind of vibe? And since we're on the topic of vibes, I was thinking of going with a fluffy fic because, well you know, it's Christmas. But if you'd rather read something else, please let me know 🙏🏻 I'm here to please

3. Is there anything you think you have in common with either Azriel or Elain? Passions, hobbies, personality traits… anything

4. How did you get into the ACOTAR books and fandom?

This time they're all acotar related, I'm sorry 😭 I have so much I'd like to ask but I don't want to flood you with questions, so I'll stop here since there are already so many (but I'll be back soon 😈)

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

-🎅🎅🎅

Hi Santa!! I’m so sorry it’s taken me five years to reply to this but I’m here now 😊

Okay re: earthy/witchy Elain… I am obsessed with the idea of Elain have some sort of witchy powers and working with herbs etc and I think she may also have some sort of power of life if that makes sense? I’m honestly horrible at explaining things but if you want to know what I’m on about, @wingedblooms has incredible theories that they’ve put heaps of time into explaining beautifully!

Onto your questions…

1. My toxic trait is that I loooove a quiet, mysterious man that doesn’t say much and is lowkey terrifying and Azriel ticks all those boxes. They’re like a little puzzle to solve and I love a challenge that has major potential to hurt me …. But!! I love that he really sees and understands people and you can tell that he genuinely cares for the people around him and even though he doesn’t talk much, he’s always listening and learning. One of my favourite things in the world is Azriel’s relationship with Nesta - the way I cried when he gave her the book light for solstice and she hugged him should be studied 😭😭😭 it’s one of my favourite parts of the whole series.

There’s not much I don’t like about him, to be honest - at least nothing that I can think of off the top of my head! I guess regifting the necklace wasn’t his brightest moment but in the words of Lana Del Rey, 🎵you’re just a man… it’s just what you do 🎵

2. I LOVE a fluffy, Christmas vibe!! Azriel canonically loves a holiday, who am I to deny him of a fluffy moment 🎄

3. I have so much in common with them, I think that’s why they’re my faves bc I feel like I know them personally 😭 I looove baking and cooking and I love to do things for people. I love a grandma craft. I don’t think we know much about Azriel in way of hobbies but I’ve decided he loves music and so do I. I am also a big time quiet friend (in real life, idk why I can’t shut up online), listener not talker, and so will dole out advice when necessary a la the spymaster so we’ve got that in common

4. I don’t even know!!! I’m so late to the game, I was a big lit fic girlie (still am) but my friend was reading the first one and I’d seen it all over TikTok and I am SO easily influenced… I picked it up July 8th last year and I’d finished all of ACOTAR and ToG by August 15th 😅 it’s a high I’ve been chasing ever since and it reignited my long lost love for reading so I’ll forever be thankful to it… plus it led me back to writing and this amazing community

I’m sorry I’ve yapped again!! Hope you enjoyed this novel lol

ILY!!!