#target audience: ✨me✨

[kirider]

[19/01/2024]

Headcanons for context:

•the Igarashi and the Minato are family friends, Ushio and Yukimi were friends so the kids grew up together, before one of the families moved away (haven’t decided which one yet) and they started meeting less frequently. Ikki and Isami were best friends (people usually do Katsumi and Ikki bc they’re both the eldest but if you do the math Isami and Ikki are the same age so)

•Ikki’s memory loss post-revice (before he recovered his memories) is slightly different from canon: he can’t remember most of the year as Kamen Rider, not just Vice. He has only vague fuzzy memories. People can tell him what happened but it will not stick for long and he’ll soon forget

•for Genie Wish Rules, when Ace made the wish to give back Ikki’s memories, he wasn’t specific enough with the phrasing so now Ikki is basically immune to memory alterations of any kind (Asahi’s reality warping included, ence this comic). He remembers better if he’s fighting/doing physical exercise

This is set post Battle Royale

Bonus:

[emblazons]

“She was perfect, you know. And then she died. It wasn’t an easy death. She suffered. I knew the risks, but…then (she) left me.”

- Jim Hopper

El Hopper & Losing Max + Jim Hopper & Losing Sara aka: loss leading to the end of romantic relationships + mlvn breakup subtext (inspired by @heroesbyler)

[skullsandcorals]

(click for better quality if you're on the mobile app. don't repost.)

😳📸

[sovamurka]

I like the fact that Kay has an entire sketch spread of Sasha and Inga from Exlibrium right beneath two sketches of Balor and Yana from Demonslayer

[stoertebeker]

Did Herbert Grönemeyer know what he'd do for nonbinary Das Boot fans when he wrote his hit song »Männer« in 1984

[deus-ex-mona]

c (dawg) o m i n g s o o n

[copperfoxandfriends]

Okay so I’m trying out a format where it’s like a SCP study’s report where y’all get more info and I get to info dump!! Please do say if you prefer this or the other format better as I strive for the enjoyment of my audience, GOODBYE~✨✨

+*——Start of Nerd Stuff——*+

[Photo shown above is of SCP 8783-A and 8783-B interacting with Dr./J’s 4 year old nephew under the research teams supervision]

Note from Head Researcher Dr.Y/N

(Date: REDACTED )

It has come to my attention as SCP 8783-A and SCP 8783-B’s main caretaker that I would ask for more resources and permission to study SCP 8783-A/B’s ability’s to take care of children further. It appears from my observations the two have a keen eye for easing scared or frightened children into a more calm and relaxed state despite SCP 8783-A and B’s looks.

From what I have been able to gather so far with the resources given to me and my team it seems that SCP 8783-A has a dopamine like ability that radiates off its body (Similar too it’s heat wave like attack) onto said target, this has mostly used so far on researchers in my team with mental health issues akin to SCP 999 and it’s dopamine like powers.

This shows that 8783-A is smart enough to care and build a bond with humans leading to my request to have more liberties to test out SCP 8783-A and B’s caretaker instincts.

With SCP 8783-B it seems to be a different story as 8783-B instead has a melatonin like aura around it when it’s vapor is inhaled, This seems to be controlled by 8783-B though has through many tests with D-Class depending on the situation D-Class were either lured to sleep or simply had no effects after sniffing the vapor.

In recent studies it has shown that sleep deprived and or insomniac D-Class are more likely to be lured to sleep by 8783-B than ones that had a full 8 hours of sleep the previous night.

For now this concludes this weeks study’s and I hope my request can see you through to the end.

-From Dr.Y/N

[csuitebitches]

Things I Have to do for My Sanity

1. Wake up at the first alarm - no snoozing and no going lying around in bed. Getting up straight away and head to the bathroom. It’s going to suck initially but you’ll get used to it in a few days.

2. Mental self care: 30 minute meditation, brain games mental math, reading, news. Knowledge is sexy and don’t deny yourself sexiness.

3. Daily review in my diary at the beginning and end of my day: what went well, what didn’t, what I need to accomplish to achieve my goals. This has tremendously helped my goals and keeping my motivation more consistent, especially at work. Analysing and correcting incremental changes creates long term success.

4. Cleaning up before bed - clothes, shoes, organising my bag, etc. I set a timer for 5 minutes and try to get as much done as possible.

5. Pick out my clothes the night before and steam iron them for the next day.

6. Face masks twice a week, a hair mask once a week, I scrub the soles of my feet with that foot scrubbing thingy once a week. Manicures every month because my nail beds are too sensitive to do it biweekly, iron supplements so that I’m not a moody bitch. Matching underwear to feel good about myself. Lavender spray on my pillow before sleeping so that I don’t get weird dreams.

7. Reading biographies and autobiographies. My mentor had suggested this to me and it’s amazing how literally I don’t have a single original experience - everything I’ve felt or mistakes I’ve made have already been done by someone else.

I’m going to curate a list of business books that I feel that have helped me the most recently.

8. I write a short essay everyday in the language I’m currently learning. I also end my day by talking about my day for at least 2 minutes in that language and I record it in voice memos to keep a track of my progress. I want to be fluent to a level where I can think in this language.

✨

I don’t generally share a lot about my personal life - none of you know my name or where I’m based and I feel comfortable doing that. But I do want to start giving out more insights to what I’m doing personally in my career - the good, the bad, the ugly.

Being self aware and honest to myself has helped me improve a lot. I know that shame is my Achilles heel, so now I’m reading books to combat that. I’ve caved in and decided to try therapy for a bit to see if what I’m doing is useful or not. My first session is tomorrow. Staying disciplined was my initial hurdle but the systems I’ve set (waking up early + habit stacking) have helped me slowly overcome that.

Work side, I’ve started establishing myself publicly more. I don’t want to reveal too much about what I do exactly but the good news is that our biggest competitor has noticed my progress (a former employee of that company came to us for an interview and directly asked our top management about me). It’s been 4 months that I’ve been working here but I know that next year I really have to swing the bat and hit a home run. I’ve decided to work on the field more and less in the office to really understand people’s needs and create unique solutions.

The daily/weekly/quarterly diary is definitely credited to my recent wins. That’s the biggest change I’ve made in my routine and i can already see that it’s working well. I’m going to continue refining and implementing that method.

Recent work methods I’ve decided to start working on (I’m not required to do these but I do it for my growth):

1. I’ve started studying popular companies’ business and revenue models in detail. Everything is adoptable and adaptable, you just have to figure out how to tweak something for your company’s clients and needs. Now I’ve decided that I want to keep a track of our competitors, their business models, their owners names, pricing strategy, their target audience etc etc on an excel sheet so that I’m aware with what’s happening in the market. 

2. I’ve started making client profiles. Every time I meet a client, I note down their name, the company name, what they were like, anything specific they seemed to like or want, how much they had paid us for a service, what their paying capacity could be, etc. 

[sizzlingcloudmentality]

Great, now that I have the attention of the right target audience: it's time for another SPIN THE WHEEL - Jake Boys Edition

Spin the character wheel 3 times

Spin the trope wheel 3 times

Pair your characters with the tropes however you like and share in the comments or tags. Got ideas how a combination might turn out? Great, tell us everything!

Choose your favorite trope in the poll if you like (poll under the cut)

have fun (and cheat with the spinning if you want, I won't come for you)

this was inspired by our lovely @harmonity-vibes, I hope you're okay with what I did with your idea

Shamelessly tagging the Crew (hit me up if you want me to stop annoying you):

@gyll-yee-haw @gyllenhaalstories @charliehoennam @harmonity-vibes @jennaajoseph

@billyboyblue@stephendorff @lust4life01 @det-loki @ilovedavidloki

@anunusers @frozen-hearts-club @caffeineplusmypen

The crew=every blog that comes across my dash and interacts with Jake content. If we've never talked: hi! If you want to be part of the crew, dm me. ✨🫶🏻

[honnojis]

granblue fantasy relink x pokemon // generals of avia ✨

this really is just targeted at a very specific audience. said audience is me. pure self indulgence

twitter version

[whiteboi-inferiority]

Hey Mister 🙈✨

You’ve got a very intriguing blog… I’ve enjoyed much of what you’ve posted 🤭

Wonder if you feel the same about me?

I think I bring a little more to the table than the average fangirl, but I’m eager to see if you agree 😌 I sense that you’re an intelligent man so I really respect what you have to say 😘🙈

Long story short, in 2021 I committed to being an exclusive bottom and had an amicable split with my girlfriend (we’re still good friends 🥰). After a few years of self exploration and hard thinking, I decided to access my state’s gender affirming healthcare and began a hormone plan with my doctor 🥳

Gender has always been a struggle for me. I’ve known my whole life that I’m not a man, but I’ve never really felt like I’m a trans woman either. Over time I’ve grown to accept myself for who I really am & how I feel - not the labels that society puts on me 💖🌸

Thats why I’m proud to be a beta boi 🎀✨ A femmie, a fairy bottom, a boudoir belle 💋 Something in-between… unique and special. I am valued and loved because I’m soft and weak, not in spite of those things ❤️

I’ve accepted that I will never fit the mold of a big strong man - I renounce any privilege I was accidentally given due to my mistake of having been born with this sad imitation of a penis 🥺 I refuse to continue my micro aggressions against the women of society 😭 to burden them with the task of affirming my pathetic performance of masculinity. I reject the toxicity of my birth gender, and swear to always champion the causes of feminism & social justice 🎀🏆✨

Hope to hear back from you soon 🥰

https://www.tumblr.com/metamourmatador/766601075700662272/dont-let-them-get-you-down

(P.S. I’ve been trying for some time now to muster up the courage to say hello, and I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that my gal pal @karlie-xox was insistent I stop by… 🤭)

Attagirl, being brave. @karlie-xox does have a way of motivating you bitches to get in touch huh?

I've seen your content before, of course. I can appreciate the technical skill, creativity and sentiment even if I'm not the target audience. You do good work, and even as you focus more on encouraging effeminacy and making being a sissy girly girl appealing, whether you realise it or not this helps further propagate the BNWO. So thank you for your service, however unintentional.

Reframing your characteristics in a more positive way is hugely beneficial to your mental health, happiness and sense of purpose. Why continue being miserable as a second rate man when you can be so much happier being a first-rate hyper-femme sissy girly? Its not a life of no expectations, but a life of different expectations to which you might be better suited. Well done doing the work to realise that and more importantly acting upon that realisation; you certainly seem to be in a good place with friends, admirers, status, and a sense of purpose as a result. I'm sure your story will be relatable and inspiring to others, so happy to give it a boost.

[nyx-umbrakinesis]

This is a Hazbin Hotel Blog.

🛑 Minors, Do Not Interact. Please. This blog’s target audience is those of 18 years of age or older.

❤️ Fics may contain sexual content, violence and other triggering and/or adult themed content. Please read trigger warnings and remember you’re responsible for your viewing.

💜 You will find my own fanfiction works on this blog, as well as audiowork I’ve done of others works with their consent, as well as reblogs, and sometimes random ramblings and updates.

🧡 I have tags for my short Quips for ease to find them as they don’t go on my masterlists just follow #Nyx’s Quips for some snacks.

🚨 Any hate speech, basically anything that makes you look like a giant hateful dick will not be tolerated. You will be blocked immediately. Be a decent human being is all I ask, please and thank you. I have a no tolerance policy on bullies. 🚨

🧡 All written works will be uploaded on Ao3... eventually.

❤️ Thank you @redvexillum for making my banners and ask sign!

💙 Join us in the VoxTek Discord server for a Vox themed Hazbin place to hang and get teasers for upcoming chapters! This is a server where I personally am a mod and we foster a chaotic but welcoming environment and eagerly support fic writers and artists big and small, and everyone in between!

✨️ Request Rules: The more detailed, the better. Requests accepted for Hazbin Hotel, I endeavour to write any request or pairing (I do specialise in Alastor, Vox, and Lucifer), I tend to stick to smut, fluff, and crack but I can write dark/angst. Requests are typically written oldest to newest unless one snags my inspiration sooner. Turn around time is... long. I reserve the right to reject a request but it will be rare if I do and with good reason. ✨

💜 (I have a lot of health issues and as such my ask turn around can be long for such a reason just know I do already have a fair few asks waiting for answers and I haven’t forgotten about any of you and intend to get them done, the majority of my asks are for longer one shots so will take me time given my capacity.) 💜

Masterlists! Find that Fic!

Hazbin hotel Written works Masterlist.

Hazbin Hotel AudioBooks Masterlist.

To go on my taglist, please comment here!

[pinkberrytea]

✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨

Eeee tysm for the tag @nyx-knox and @honeybee-bard! 🥹🙌❣️

When did you start writing?

I used to write fanfiction when I was 13 years old, but as an adult, this is actually my first time dabbling in creative writing! I released my first work back in April, crazy to think it’s been barely four months since I started!

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Horror and mystery are actually my favorite genres, though I'm not sure I'd be able to pull either off? I should give it a go one day, maybe!

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

To be honest any comparisons at all would make me plenty happy since I barely consider myself a writer 😅 There are some people in the fandom who are endless sources of inspiration for me though, all authors in my recs list and ao3 bookmarks, for starters.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

No BG3 merch sadly, yet!

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Just daydreaming honestly. Also listening to music helps plenty! Researching lore and brainstorming ideas with friends too. But mostly just daydreaming!

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Hurt and comfort, and also angst. Lots of it, for some reason. It does surprise me how angsty all my writing ends up coming across, but I try to balance it out with some melodramatic fluff, I guess? I do want to try my hand at some less serious/more lighthearted themes eventually though, branch out a little!

What is your reason for writing?

Coping, mostly. Also as a sort of therapy, to sort out my feelings about themes that are important to me and that I’ve been processing through media. And no less relevant, simply as a self-indulgent outlet! I write what I myself would like to read.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Every single comment is incredibly motivating for me, but of course, I do twirl my hair and kick my feet whenever someone tells me about which passages they liked the best and how they specifically felt about a certain scene. Also, whenever people pick up on a detail I was sure would go by unnoticed!

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I want my readers to think of me as a friend, as someone who is always accessible and up for talking about writing, be it mine or just in general!

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Oh, this is a toughie. I have a very flowery and verbose style, though I’m not sure that’s a strength? I guess it could be, depending on your preferences. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, really.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I don’t think highly of it from a technical standpoint, but I do pour my heart and soul into every single piece, and that makes them all special to me.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I can sincerely say I write mostly for myself, otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to write anything at all because I don’t think I could live up to anyone’s expectations. Though of course, the feedback I receive on a piece may in fact influence whether I feel inspired to expand on it or just move on to something new. Even if I’m typically my own main target audience, comments are always greatly appreciated!

No pressure tags ✨ @locallegume, @judasiskariot, @inkymoonbunny, @starryjuicebox and @kalmiaphlox!

[aachria]

omg i forgot it was sunday and im currently at a big ass family gathering and when i tell you i lit up the second i saw rhe notification i am not joking

Ed and Law interactions 🤭

I might jst be tripping but is the devil fruit affecting ed's ability to do shit bcz when did this mf become a gymnast or like did i jst forget something along the way or is it jst an effect of being a pirate so long?

I love that ed is the detective of the damned and coin is the tailor of purgatory is so real and i love it sm

Ed and Rayleigh talking abt ed's home and adding to everyone's confusin is so fun, and ed looking at Rayleigh like he hung the fcking moon os awesome

Letter from coin letter from coin letter from coin IM SO EXCITED TO SEE WHATS IN IT but sadly i have a feeling ed won't get the chance to read it anytime soon

I stand by what i said tho either ed gets a training arc with grunkle coin or ends up on the execution stand. 30/70%. No in between.

Anyways, awesome chapter as always!!!

Sometimes you just magically learn gymnastics through the power of osmosis and weird Devil Fruit power ups. Don’t look at me I don’t know what I’m doing I never even learned how to do a cartwheel.

Those two nerds are ✨twinning✨ and it’s something I find terribly funny. And Coin being mistaken for a tailor in the first place is so fucking hilarious to me and only me. I am my own target audience.

Ed and Rayleigh hold such a special place in my heart and UGH the EMOTIONS and FEELINGS SHIT you don’t even get the subtext and context for lives in my head like a very chatty tapeworm.

The sheer amount of you here and in the comments who are so certain Ed is not going to be reading this letter is so goddamn funny. I’m out here training you guys into waiting any time I mention something that will happen and don’t immediately have it happen in the same chapter 😭 I shall assuage your fears, young one. Ed reads the letter next chapter.

I mean… the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive…….

[lumienyx]

Could you write something about astarion getting to eat a dish with garlic in it for the first time since he became a vampire?

I assume that the tadpole would let him do that and think getting to experience food youre basically allergic to again is an experience.

Maybe it doesnt taste the way he remembers and doesnt compare to memory (based on my experience with milk based products)

Delectable Treats

A/N: honestly I just wanted to write this exact scene as is but then the idea uhhhhh well it got away from me XD not quite into crack territory (hopefully) but definitely there with a hefty dose of humor and fluff🥺 hope you enjoy✨

Rating: T | Pairing: Astarion/Male Tav | Words: 2,362

Tags: Humor, Fluff, Banter, Astarion Being Astarion, Astarion POV, Appropriate Use of Illithid Parasite Powers

Summary:

Astarion lets out the heaviest sigh he can manage, making it all kinds of dramatic; he has an audience after all. He turns to said audience, looking them straight in the eyes, and says, “Can you believe I’ve been relegated to this? By my own lover, no less.” He only gets a headshake and a slow blink in reply. “Have you nothing to say about my misfortune? At all?"

Or, after a violent altercation that leaves most of the crew dead or incapacitated, Astarion ends up cooking dinner for the newly healed and revivified. It goes as well as you… wouldn't expect, really.

Read on AO3 or under the cut ↓

Astarion lets out the heaviest sigh he can manage, making it all kinds of dramatic. He has an audience after all. He turns to said audience, looking them straight in the eyes, and says,

“Can you believe I’ve been relegated to this? By my own lover, no less.” He only gets a headshake and a slow blink in reply. “Have you nothing to say about my misfortune? At all? And this is after all the treats I’ve given you! Scratch? Tara?”

Scratch barks at him, circling around himself a few times as he wags his tail. Tara keeps staring at him with a calm, collected expression which Astarion can swear is almost sympathetic. She then allows a gentle, drawn-out meow.

“I mean, it’s like we’re just tools for them, aren’t we?” Astarion goes on, lifting the lid to check on his… experiment. Seems fine, for now at least. “You, Scratch, ever bound to chase that muddied pathetic excuse for a ball—remind me to buy a new one next time we’re out, by the way.”

He focuses once more on the spell he has active, heating the metal contraption further as the time is just about up.

“And you, Tara—are you forever fated to hunt down rare scrolls for Gale and be his comfort object?” Astarion goes on. “Well, I mean, that is what cats are—”

Tara cuts him off with a hiss.

“—I mean, tressyms are for, of course.” Tara’s hiss melds into a threatening growl, which Astarion completely ignores. “But me,” he sneers, “cooking? Beyond humiliating."

Scratch barks his agreement. Tara flaps her wings in another half-hearted threat, before sliding closer to Astarion, no doubt asking for apologetic pets.

With another painstaking sigh, Astarion relents, running his hands through her soft fur. Scratch soon joins, too, never one to miss out on affection offered freely, and so Astarion has to alternate between petting them both. As he bakes dinner. For everyone in camp but himself. 

Astarion supposes it's kind of his own fault for not keeping his mouth shut but he prefers to blame everyone else anyway. Shadowheart for casting her new 'blessing' of a protection spell on them before their party left. Clueless herself that the spell would deal damage to her for every wound the targets suffer, and so she just up and died spontaneously while staying back at camp. Lae’zel up next, killed by a far-too-lucky blast to the head. Gale drained dry of almost all life within him with a necrotic energy so strong that Tav's Counterspell did nothing against it. Karlach and Wyll both trapped by Hold Person and hit by a rock—luckily not quite killed, but very much incapacitated.

The Underdark truly was a place too dark and full to the brim with terrors.

Astarion and Tav managed to avoid most of the damage; Astarion by hiding and Tav with a Globe of Invulnerability that came into effect far too late to protect the others. And so, the both of them ended up dragging dead and disfigured bodies of their friends back to camp, where Halsin, a newly resurrected Shadowheart, and Tav tended to the wounded—and Withers to the dead. The quite gory sight made even Astarion uncomfortable, the spilled blood not inducing any hunger, just crippling anxiety for those he has come to call friends.

“I suppose dinner will have to wait,” Halsin says somewhat grimly, somewhat as a joke as he takes in the gravity of the situation.

“If it’s not anything difficult,” some doubtless evil force prompted Astarion to say, “I can take care of that.”

“Can you?” 

“Really?”

And suddenly, Astarion found himself directed to a meager stash of ingredients—because the bigger one is located in Gale’s pocket dimension for preserving any and all food, which they now cannot access with the wizard comatose. It’s how he finds himself here, now, opening the metal contraption serving as a poor substitute for an oven, kept hot continuously by a Heat Metal spell Tav modified to run past its one-minute time limit. Lying there on the makeshift cooking trays is perfectly cooked, aromatic garlic bread along with a few hefty pieces of beef lathered with the variety of vegetables Astarion had found in the stash. He’d thrown in the spices they had as well, and by the way the meat smelled, he’d added just the right concoction of those.

This is absolute insanity, Astarion decides. Though he can’t help but feel strangely satisfied with his efforts. He hopes, though he’s loath to admit it to himself, that Tav enjoys it, at least.

It all starts to seem even more like a fever dream as Astarion returns to the campfire to find all of his companions in an adequate state of healed or revivified. Some drinking water, some leaning hard on the booze. 

“My painkiller,” Wyll insists, holding tight to his wine bottle. 

“Give it back and eat first,” Shadowheart reprimands him, herself still looking more like a walking corpse than a living being. 

It’s then that Astarion cuts in with the announcement that dinner seems to be, by all means, ready.

There’s skepticism, at first. Gale scowls, unable to accept that they decided to ‘trust dinner to a vampire whose diet only consists of blood and self-glorification,’ rather than wait for his rather lengthy return from nigh-eternal sleep. Tav smiles as he cuts himself his share, but the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes, the look in them a bit apprehensive. Karlach says, well, they’ve gotten through the sheer hell sprung up on them in the Underdark, they can survive food poisoning, right?

Astarion simply lounges with his head on Tav’s lap in their childish-looking circle around the fire, wishing he could drop dead a second time in his increasingly agonizing existence. Preferably right there on the spot.

Though when Tav runs his hands through Astarion’s hair, the touch soft, and warm, and perfect—Astarion thinks that maybe that’s payment enough for enduring all this slander.

“I’ll remind you,” he says, waving in Tav and Halsin’s direction, “that you explicitly asked for this.”

“Wait, listen!” Karlach’s eyes grow wide. “Holy hells, this is actually good!”

“What?” and that’s Gale, “I don’t believe it.”

“Hm. Neither did I, but by Vlaakith, it truly does taste… palatable.”

“Palatable? The bread is fucking delicious! Astarion, how did you manage it?”

“Is it a flavor illusion?”

“Did you steal it?”

“Did you hire one of your ghouls to do it?”

“No, ghouls wouldn’t know how to cook, Tav, stop acting the idiot. But maybe he has some imprisoned, tortured chef we’re unaware of?”

“Honestly, sweet Shadowheart.” Astarion lifts his hand to his chest in mock offense. “I would never stoop so low.”

“Then how?” Gale frowns, chewing slowly, so evidently confused as to why he isn’t disgusted by it.

Astarion only grins. “Trade secret.” Mentioning nothing of how he was himself quite concerned about the end result. He hasn’t cooked anything in hundreds of years—what felt like eternity, really. 

But there was a time—and the memory of that time is too precious and painful to be lost even to Cazador’s hold. A time when his mother fell ill of a magical ailment that required a most complex and lengthy treatment. When his father was ever so busy with magistrate business, begging his only son to support his mother in any way he could at home while he worked his way up, growing desperate as their family fortune dwindled. And so, Astarion had to learn to cook from scratch, opting for baking and boiling with just the right concoction of spices to make even laughably simple meals tasty nonetheless. Something his mother could stomach even during the most severe fevers and his father would eat cold as he returned from late nights at the office. Astarion barely remembers either of their faces, barely allows himself to utter their names in his mind, but these flashes of memory stay etched too deep into his brain to be forgotten.

“Well, I admit it,” Wyll says then, returning Astarion’s attention to the present. “I owe you an apology for the mistrust, Astarion. But I honestly thought this would taste like ashes in my mouth.”

“It would only taste like that to me,” Astarion says, “don’t you worry.”

“Oh!” Tav throws him a strange look. Astarion still can’t quite get used to the beauty of those eyes, especially as they reflect the firelight, blue and green reflecting the flame’s auburn hue. “I just wanted to offer you to try. I—I forgot, sorry.”

Astarion shrugs. “No need to apologize, darling,” he mutters, “it's my burden to bear.”

“But it’s literally melting in my mouth, it’s that good!” Karlach persists, quite loudly.

“I’d say it might just be because of the…” Shadowheart motions at the entirety of Karlach. “The heat, but I agree.”

And so commences another round of compliments Astarion can’t quite deny are lifting his mood.

Well. Seems like he’s valued after all. He sees Scratch and Tara watching him through half-lidded eyes as they doze by the fire. Envious, no doubt.

“Listen,” Tav says suddenly, putting away his plate, the food just half-finished.

Astarion asks, “Something wrong?” from where he’s still resting on Tav’s lap.

“Not at all.” Tav has that dangerous glint in his eyes, the same one he gets when he’s describing a new terrifying way he’s bent metamagic to do his (sometimes downright insane) bidding. “I was just thinking.”

“Quite dangerous for us all,” Astarion remarks, lifting himself up to sit facing his lover, “if you’re thinking of doing something… questionable again.”

“When have I ever made a so-called ‘questionable’ choice, love?”

“Oh! Remember that time you crushed me—and Gale by the way—with that bloody sun temple?”

“Anyway.” Tav averts his eyes. Astarion is glad to see he’s still embarrassed about that particular debacle. “What I was thinking is that… the tadpoles allow us to read each other's thoughts, yes? And use the other’s senses—I mean it worked when I showed you your face, right?”

Astarion’s already slow enough heart skips a drawn-out beat as he remembers. Connected to Tav’s mind, resonant with his soul, seeing through his eyes: a reflection Astarion has all but forgotten. Silver curls framing a face that seemed so new yet painfully familiar. Red eyes staring back at him—a prettier shade than the gory blood-red he’s always imagined.

“I remember,” he says, “how could I forget? You insist on showing it to me every day.”

Tav smiles. “Because it makes you happy.” And Astarion can’t help but smile in turn. It does.

Tav opens his mouth as if to say something, then thinks better of it. Chews on his lip, considering. Then finally asks, “Let me in?”

Astarion frowns at the proposition, still unsure of what Tav has on his mind. But he’s long gotten over the initial distrust he harbored. There really is no going back, Astarion supposes, now that he’s shown his cards and revealed just how much he cherishes Tav, relishes his closeness. How thankful he is for Tav's painfully earnest sympathy regarding Astarion’s past interfering with the present. His patience is another precious gift, as Astarion grows used to the simplest touches once more, just now comfortable with all kinds of intimacy that don’t quite lead further, thoroughly enjoying the chastest of kisses.

And so, “All right,” Astarion says. Closes his eyes and opens his mind to Tav’s.

It feels familiar, a rush of warmth that makes him shudder. A foreign presence in his thoughts that’s welcomed, because it comes with peace and no hint of deception.

“Open your eyes,” Tav prompts, then. Astarion does—only to see Tav offering him a piece of the garlic bread from his plate.

“I can’t—”

“Just try it.”

Frowning, quite confused, Astarion still accepts the piece. Takes a tiny bite and—

“Oh.” His eyes grow wide. “Hells. What the?..”

“It worked?” And Tav is smiling at him, that childlike joy illuminating his face as it so often does. “I supposed that the senses we share through the connection aren't just limited to sight. It could be taste as well. How is it?”

“Erm,” Astarion himself is quite speechless, too focused on the taste buds that are finally working the way they’re supposed to. The bread is sweet-tinged with a slightly salty base, so soft it melts on his tongue, buttery but not overly so. “It’s. Well. Uh. I can taste it. ”

“You can.”

“It’s… strange. Such a… unique flavor. I don’t even have a memory to compare it to,” Astarion muses, treating himself to another bite. "It's quite like I'm trying it for the first time." He mirrors Tav’s smile unconsciously, feeling a giddy kind of happiness bubbling in his chest. He can’t quite tell whose it is. Maybe it stems from them both. “But actually—it’s delectable, if I say so myself.”

“See what I mean?” Gale grumbles from someplace too far off to bother Astarion’s reverie. “Thrives on self-glorification.”

“Thank you, my love.” Astarion leans in for a gentle kiss. Draws it out, moving his lips softly against Tav’s, melding their thoughts so that what forms is one unified feeling of contentment. Happiness. Love—the most delightful gift Astarion’s been given. “Still, you make my life all the better,” Astarion whispers as he draws away. “You treat me so kindly and yet ask for no favors in return. I’m feeling increasingly guilty about it, truth be told.”

“Don’t.” Tav shakes his head. “You don’t owe me anything. Your happiness is a reward precious enough.”

“And how do I make you happy?” Astarion demands. “Right now, this very moment?”

Tav sneaks a glance at the others, who are all doing a rather piss poor job of ignoring Tav and Astarion’s little moment of closeness.

“Let’s get away,” Tav suggests, voice barely above a whisper. “Enjoy dinner in private. If I get a few more of those kisses out of you—I might just be the luckiest person alive.”

“Darling.” Astarion grins at the idea, though Tav must already feel his excitement through their connection. “Nothing would please me more.”

~~~

thank you for the read💙 I'd love to hear your thoughts if you enjoyed it!🥺

tag list (lmk if you'd like to be added!):

@spacebarbarianweird, @satanicspinosaurus, @tallymonster, @tragedybunny

[pinkasrenzo]

mid-year book tag

thank you @bloody-wonder for the tag🥰

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2024? Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat, positively destroyed me

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2024? also Dark Heir and I cannot wait for the sequel I need. answers.

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black, tho I have yet to read the previous book so it’ll have to wait :”)

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2024? Nothing at the moment, but we’ll see if something catches my eye

5. Biggest Disappointment? Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman, it had a very interesting premise but didn’t do much with it? Or at least I feel like it could’ve done so much more cause the potential was there but it didn’t, instead went over the same point over and over again in a fairly boring way so the whole thing ended up falling flat for me

6. Biggest Surprise? Can’t say a book has surprised me yet so far, all have pretty much matched expectations, but there’s still time

7. Favorite New Author? Not exactly new but Pacat did confirm my love for her writing once again, and did not disappoint even with the “limits” of YA target audience which did have me a bit skeptical at first, but boy did she deliver

8. Newest Favorite Character? Will Kempen (Dark Rise) is the most pathetic wettest little meow meow he’ll have to be so strong to withstand book #3😔💪🏻

9. Newest Fictional Crush? I too would be weak for Sarcean (Dark Rise), I get it Anharion I truly truly do🙏🏻

💕Best Ship💕 James/Will (Dark Rise) have me chewing wires they’re so !!!!!! the rituals are so damn intricate jesus chRIST.

10. Book That Made You Cry? Not cry but The Body by Stephen King nearly had me there ngl

11. Book That Made You Happy? The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic, tho arguably not a happy book :”)

12. Favorite Book Adaptation You Saw This Year? oh 3 Body Problem was amazing binged it in one sitting I could not stop watching and I definitely want to read the books some day! Also ofc Interview with the Vampire was insane and unhinged and so so so good and I need season 3 yesterday. and I will read the books for this too, need me more absolutely deranged vampires

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year? I don’t really write reviews but I did spam Dark Rise to @novishu and got her to obsesses over read it so I’m counting that as a very successful review😌✨

14. Most Beautiful Cover? Firekeepeer’s Daughter is mesmerising, love the mirror effect and the colours! Also The Chosen and the Beautiful has very delicate feel to it, and fits the book perfectly so that’s a close second

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year? I’m trying to get through all the books/ebooks I already have so that’s a plan. Also I’m currently reading The Goldfinch and if it doesn’t wear me out I might tackle The Secret History next and then Babel as I’ve had those on my TBR for a while now, and I wanted to read Babel after TSH since I’ve seen it described as a critique/different take on the same themes of that (and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell which I’ve already read)

(no pressure) tagging @fugitoidkry @novishu @montdargent