#technically not finished but I wanted to post it while it was still their birthday!! (On the west coast at least. its 4am where i am 🫡)

[paintedcrows]

The Mystery Twins all grown up!! I love them so much. 13 forever, yet always older than me

[saltcxrcle]

hold me, console me ── . ✶ s. winchester

summary: sam's not answering your texts, so you panic and track him down to a hospital OR where dean finds out that you and sam are dating

pairings: established sam winchester x witch!reader, sam winchester x gn afab!reader, sam x jinx!ノ wc: 3.3k warnings: no use of 'y/n', reader is a witch and referred to as jinx, based on my headcanons for this verse, angst, some hurt/comfort, fluff, dean being dean, slightly suggestive but not really, title is a lyric from no one noticed by the marias, kinda edited; all mistakes are my own a/n: happy birthday to sam winchester the loml!! lol ik im still technically on a hiatus but i had to post this in honor of his birthday and i've been meaning to write this since like march and ive been wanting to write for this universe again and so i finally finished it!! i still have shit ton of school work to do but trust ill be coming back soon (and hopefully with a mini series to post for you guys!) but in the meantime enjoy the fic <33 sam winchester masterlist | season of the witch masterlist

IF SAM WASN’T DEAD YET, YOU’D KILL HIM YOURSELF. 

It wasn’t like Sam for him to leave your messages unread for more than a day or two, but he had been MIA for almost three days at this point. You didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, knowing how rough some hunts got for the brothers—but there was this pit in your stomach that wouldn’t go away no matter how much tea you drank or how much you tried to distract yourself, the feeling persisted. 

You were distracted in class. You knew it, and your students knew it. You glanced down at your phone a couple of times while your students were doing group work that you had assigned after your short lecture. You looked at the digital clock that was mounted on the wall on the other side of the lecture hall. 

You quickly got the attention of the class—noting that you had about fifteen minutes before class ended and brought them back from their conversations. You guys had a quick class discussion before dismissing them. Some of your students lingered to ask you a few questions about the assignment you had assigned. You quickly answered them, trying not to be rude to them—eager to leave for the day and head back home, hoping that Sam would have texted you back by now. 

You had to resist the urge to check your phone at each stop light as you drove home from the university. You all but shot out of your car with your work bag, your phone clutched tightly in your grip as you made your way inside your house. Your bag fell onto the wooden table with a small ‘thump’ and ignored the way your cat was brushing up against your legs, and you stared blankly at your screen. 

Your message still hasn't been seen by Sam. You swallowed the lump of dread that was stuck in your throat as the little white letters reading ‘Delivered’ on your phone taunted you. You let out a harsh breath through your nose as your mind conjured up the worst scenarios that Sam could be in right now. 

Seeing Sam’s lifeless eyes flash through your mind and snap you out of your stupor, not wanting to entertain the idea that he was dead. You turned off your phone, tossing it on your kitchen table, right next to your bag as you walked down the hallway and opened the door to your office that doubled as your witchy workspace (Sam came up with the name and always called it that on the rare occasion he stayed over). 

You gathered the ingredients for tracking spells, some enchanted fire, and a spare map of the country. You took a deep breath before murmuring some Latin before lighting the map on fire. The spell took no longer than forty-five seconds to perform, and you were left with Sam’s location. You swiftly figured out that he was in a hospital in Hyde Park, Utah. After making a few phone calls and canceling class—you were on a redeye flight to the closest airport to that city. 

It was safe to say that your anxiety was at an all-time high at this point as you gripped the armrest of the chair. You couldn’t stay still, your knee bouncing up and down rapidly as you stared hard outside of the airplane window. You were grateful that there was practically no one on this flight—it wasn’t a commercial flight, the plane being a tad bit smaller than your average one, but you thought that no one was heading to Utah this time of year. 

You thought the next time you’d see Sam, you would be excited to see him and his infuriatingly gorgeous face, but you were uneasy and tense as you impatiently waited for the flight to be over. 

“Would you like something to eat or drink?” A kind voice pulled you from your spiraling thoughts. 

You tore your eyes away from the window to the flight attendant, who had a polite smile on her face as she waited for you to respond. 

You cleared your throat. “Yeah, do you guys have any tea?” 

She nodded. “We have chamomile, jasmine, green, or hibiscus tea.” 

“I’ll take some chamomile.” You sent the flight attendant a smile, but it didn’t reach your eyes as your lingering thoughts of Sam started to become more prevalent. 

“Okay, I’ll be right back with your tea.” She sent you another smile before making her way down the aisle and to her station. 

You let out a long breath before looking back out the window. Once you had landed (the chamomile tea you had did nothing to calm your nerves), you immediately got into the rental car and made your way to the hospital he was in. Did you break a few traffic laws? Well, if no one caught you, did you really break them? But you made it to the hospital in record time as you quickly parked and made your way into the lobby of the sterile building. 

When you entered the lobby, Dean was sitting on one of the chairs waiting for Sam to be discharged and immediately spotted your frazzled condition with your slightly rumpled clothing and frizzy hair—a stark contrast to your usual put-together outfits and calm composure. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of you, confused as to how you knew where they were and why you were even there.

Just before you were going to ask the receptionist about Sam, the elevator doors opened—your head instinctively jerked in the direction of them, and out came your boyfriend, looking worse for wear but alive. 

The pit in your stomach finally settled, and a wave of relief washed over you. You didn’t even notice Dean getting from his chair and heading towards you. Your eyes were strictly on a limping Sam heading down the hallway toward the lobby.

You didn’t think as your feet started to carry you to Sam, his eyes finally dragging up from the floor and meeting your teary gaze as you met him in the middle of the hallway. His eyes widened, filled with confusion as you approached him with determined steps. 

Uncaring of who was around you, you didn’t hesitate to gather Sam’s face in your hands and pressed your lips against his. You could feel Sam's surprise at the initial contact—but he sank into the familiar feeling of your soft lips moving against his. Sam’s hands came to rest on your waist as your hands cradled his face, feeling the warmth of his cheeks against your chilled palms. 

Dean looked at the scene in front of him with widened eyes, a myriad of emotions coursing through him. Saying that Dean was shocked was an understatement. Seeing Sam kiss the witch that he would consider an ally/reluctant friend was something he wouldn’t have imagined in a million years—but here was his brother kissing you back in front of him. 

Sam pulled back, registering that Dean was right behind you and the fact that you were standing in front of him. His eyes darted to Dean, trying to read the expression plastered on his face, but it was unreadable. 

Sam’s attention was drawn back to you. “What are you doing here?” He asked after clearing his throat, a knot of nerves tangling up in his stomach. 

“Really?! That’s the first thing you ask me? I should be asking you that question Winchester.” You thrust a finger at his chest, “You were the one who hasn’t responded to me in almost four days.” You huffed, “You never do that without a warning.” You added quietly.  

Sam winced at the use of his last name. You were definitely mad at him. He grabbed the hand you were pointing at him with, rubbing circles into the back of your hand to try and quell your rising anger. 

“I know, I’m sorry. We got caught up in the case and when we were tracking the nest, there were a lot more than we anticipated and they got one over on us. My phone broke and well,” Sam gestured to his slightly battered appearance, “You can guess what happened after.” 

The anger left your body as your eyes raked over Sam’s figure—there was a gash on his forehead and on the bridge of his nose, and you can only imagine what he looked like underneath his clothes—it must have been serious if Dean had taken Sam to the hospital. 

Your shoulders relaxed as you sighed. “Sorry, I just got caught up in my head and it jumped to the worst possible situation you could have been in.” 

Sam smiled down at you, his hands resting on your shoulders. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just worried.” He leaned down and kissed your forehead. “It’s cute that you were though.” Sam murmured into your forehead before pulling away. 

You lightly hit his stomach in retaliation, a playful scowl on your face before it morphed into a tender smile that mirrored Sam’s. 

“Not trying to break up this very heartwarming reunion, but when did this even happen?” You jumped at the sound of Dean’s drawling voice and whipped around to see him standing behind you with crossed arms and an impassive expression plastered on his face.

Sam moved past you, hiding you behind him, shielding you from the potential wrath of Dean. “Can we do this at the motel?” Sam said sharply, before sending his brother a look—a silent conversation passing through the two of them before Dean scowled slightly. 

Dean stalked off, grumbling under his breath. Sam let out a breath before turning to you.

“He’s gonna kill me isn’t he?” 

Sam shook his head. “He won’t, not if I have anything to say about it. Besides, Dean likes you more than Rowena.” 

“I think you mean he tolerates me more than her.” You pointed out. 

It wasn’t lost on you the fact that Dean hated, no loathed, witches with a passion. You knew he was reluctant to work with you from the minute that you told them that you were one yourself—always keeping you at arm's length and telling you the second that you stepped out of the proverbial line, you’d get a witch-killing bullet to the skull. 

“Trust me, he’d call you before calling Rowena for help.” 

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Because he knows I wouldn’t ask for anything in return other than the promise that you guys won't ask for my help again.” 

“And yet you still help us. Wonder why that is?” Sam asked with a cheeky smile on his face. 

You rolled your eyes. “Let’s get to the motel before your brother actually decides to kill me.” 

You followed behind the Impala in your rental car to the motel the boys were staying in and quickly parked. You were led to their room, and it felt like you were in trouble and got sent to the principal’s office.  

Dean stood across the room from where you and Sam were. You were standing by the entrance just in case things went south and you could make a quick escape.

“So,” Dean started, with his hands on his hips like a disappointed father ready to scold his kids. “How long has this been going on?” He gestured to you and Sam with a slight frown on his face. 

You and Sam glanced at each other before Sam cleared his throat. 

“Almost a year.” Sam scratched at the back of his neck, a sheepish expression on his face as he took in the look of surprise that passed through Dean. 

Dean’s brows furrowed, clearly connecting the dots in his mind. “So, when you said you were-” 

“Yeah, I was visiting Jinx.” Sam cut him off, confirming his suspicions. 

Dean let out a breath. “Okay.” 

You and Sam exchanged confused looks with one another. 

“What do you mean by ‘okay’?” You spoke for the first time since you entered the room.

“I mean, you guys can date or whatever you guys have been doing for the past year. It’s none of my business.” Dean shrugged before moving to the mini fridge in the room and grabbing a beer. 

You were sure you were living in an alternate universe right now. Dean Winchester giving you the seal of approval (or what you considered the seal of approval) to date his brother. 

“But if you hurt my brother or do anything to betray us, you know I won’t hesitate to plant a-” 

“I got it. Any bodily harm or emotional damage done to any of you and I don’t ever see the light of day again.” You interrupted quickly, “Heard you loud and clear.” You sent Dean a tight smile as he raised his beer in the air towards you, a silent confirmation and agreement of your words. 

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother, but he was relieved that Dean didn’t make it a bigger deal than it needed to be. 

You turned to Sam. “I’m going to grab another room.” You glanced between the two brothers, and there was lingering tension. You figured that they needed to settle before you headed back home. 

Sam nodded and kissed your cheek before you left the room. Once the door shut with a soft click, Sam stared at Dean, who was sitting at the edge of the bed he had claimed to be his own almost a week before. 

“So, you’re really okay with it? Me being with Jinx?” Sam questioned as he sat down on his bed. 

Dean took a sip of his drink before responding. “Yeah, I mean I would have preferred someone who wasn’t a witch.” Dean joked before looking at Sam. “You’ve been happier lately and I couldn’t figure out why, but now I do. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re good for each other.” 

Sam shook his head at his brother. Always count on Dean to give the both of you a backhanded compliment. “Thanks. I think?” A slightly puzzled smile on Sam’s lips. 

“No problem.” 

There was a knock on the door, and Sam got up and gingerly walked (limped) to the door and saw you with your bag slung on your shoulder, a tired smile on your face. 

“Got a room?” Sam asked as leaned on the doorway. 

You nodded in response before jostling your bag by your side. “I brought some things to help speed along the process.” You gestured to his injured face. “Walk with me to my room?” 

Sam nodded before turning back into the room and grabbing his bag from the floor. “I’m going with Jinx, don’t wait up.” He informed Dean. 

Dean’s lips pulled up into a sly grin. “Okay, make sure you wear protection! I don’t want to be an uncle right now.” 

Sam’s cheeks flushed red. “Fuck off Dean.” He quickly closed the door, cutting off the boisterous laugh that escaped Dean. 

An amused smirk was on your face at the scene and at Sam’s reddened cheeks. 

“I hate him.” Sam breathed out. 

You couldn’t help the small chuckle that left you, making Sam snap out of his embarrassment and smile down at you. You smiled back at him before you started to walk to your room, Sam following close behind. 

Once you made it into the room, you quickly ushered Sam to the nearest bed and set your bag down right next to him as he got settled on the edge of it. You pulled out the various healing salves and bandages that you hastily packed before leaving your house. 

“Take off your shirt.” You told him as you opened the lid to one of your salves. 

“At least take me to dinner first.” Sam teased as he unbuttoned the flannel he was wearing. 

“Haha. Very funny.” You shot him a deadpan look, but the corner of your lips was twitching, threatening to pull into a smile.

He pulled off his shirt, trying to hide the grimace of pain that passed through his face as his ribs were screaming in protest from the movements. His sides and ribs were bruised, and his torso was covered in minor nicks and gashes that were covered in gauze and that needed to be changed. 

You worked quickly, the room filled with silence but being broken once in a while with the harsh intake of breath that Sam would have if you pressed into a tender spot. As you worked, Sam took the time to let his eyes roam your face and figure. It had been almost a month and a half since he had seen you in person, and even though your appearance had barely changed, he could see the worry etched into your features. 

Sam instinctively raised his hand and used his thumb to smooth out the wrinkle between your brows. You looked up from bandaging the last gash in his tanned skin, meeting his hazel eyes. 

“Hey, I’m okay.” He murmured as Sam’s hand moved to cup your face. 

You let out a shuddering breath and leaned into the warmth of his palm. All of the stress and anxiety that you were trying to suppress for the past twenty-four hours seemed to unravel at the comfort Sam was trying to provide. You could feel your eyes start to sting with tears, and before you knew it, one fell from your eye unwillingly—then others began to follow it in its footsteps down your face. 

Sam was quick to pull you into his lap, and you went willingly. His arms wrapped around you as you tucked your face into his neck, tears streaming down your face as you silently cried in the comfort of Sam’s arms. Sam didn’t say anything, pressing the occasional kiss to your head as one of his hands rubbed your back and the other cradled your head. 

Eventually, your tears stopped, and Sam moved the two of you back onto the bed, heads resting on the pillows as you faced each other. Sam wiped your face, which was wet with tears, before pressing a soft kiss on your forehead, then one on either of your cheeks, another on the tip of your nose—making you smile, before pressing his lips against yours in a tender kiss. 

Sam poured all of the reassurances and unspoken promises into the kiss, sending warmth through your chest as you sank into his embrace. You eventually broke the kiss, Sam pressing one last lingering peck on your lips before resting his forehead against yours, breathing in the comforting scent of jasmine, honey, cinnamon, and something that he could only describe as distinctly you. 

Sam’s mouth moved before he could even think about what he was saying. “Move in with me.” 

Your eyes snapped open as you stared into the intense hazel hue of his eyes, trying to find any kind of teasing or amusement in his gaze. 

“You’re serious?” You whispered. 

Sam nodded, his hair shifting against the pillowcase as he kept his eyes trained on you. 

“What does Dean think about this?” 

“Dean can deal with it. We have plenty of room in the bunker, and it would be more convenient than driving out to meet you or ask for help.” Sam started to spout out reasons why you should move in with him. 

Before he could get ahead of himself, you shut Sam up by placing a hand on his mouth. “I’ll think about it. And I’d rather not move in if Dean isn’t okay with it, so please ask him.” 

Sam moved your hand from his mouth, a slight pout on his face, and looked at you with pleading eyes. 

You groaned slightly at the sight of Sam’s puppy eyes. “Don’t give me that look, I didn’t say no. Just let me sit on the idea before we jump the gun, okay?” You told him. You knew if you moved in with him, you’d say goodbye to the life that you built for yourself and take a plunge back into the hunting life.  

Sam sighed but nodded. “I love you.” He whispered in the little space that you shared with him.

“I love you too Sammy.”

[moonstruckmoony]

A Ravenclaw Lunch 🦅

Drew some of my favorite Ravenclaws on this platform. Although one isn't necessarily a Ravenclaw. (@traceyc-uk I genuinely thought he was a Ravenclaw when I first saw him lol but I saw your comment reply somewhere that your first playthrough was Ravenclaw so I think this counts… a bit? 😂)

This post is basically a peace offering (and a love letter) bcs I want to make more Ravenclaw friends 👀👉🏻👈🏻 definitely not because I'm obsessed with you guys' MCs

I swear it was supposed to be a silly doodle at first but idk how or when down the line but somehow it turned into this mega drawing. Took me weeks to finish it. I’m not happy with a few technical things especially lights and shadows… and some other things as well but I leave it be bcs I’m aware that I’m still learning 🥲 The rest I’m pretty satisfied with, I’m just happy that I got to finally finish this.

Front row (left to right):

Violet and Pearl Castellar by @vienguinn Omg HAPPY BELATED BELATED BIRTHDAY TO THESE BABIES! These 2 are some of my favorites and everytime you post I always open my phone real quick, your short comics are my comfort 🩵

Clora Clemons by @choccy-milky I cannot not draw Clora?!!?! I consider you a legend in this fandom tbh 👑 also I want to thank you bcs your fic and illustrations literally helped me go through my stressful period when I was at my lowest bcs of my new demanding job that I started half a year ago. I look forward to your post everytime and your Clora and Seb always heals my soul 😭🩵💚

Sally Salamander by @siboom777 Sally is just so wacky and unapologetically herself and I love her for it 🩵 Does she take commissions for toys tho?

Marvin Jerry by @runicxraven MY LOVELY SILLY ADORABLE LITTLE NERD 💗💗💗💗 I need more Marvin in my life honestly.

@najiang ‘s MC - I’m so so sorry I didn’t draw her full face😭, I tried my best to show her face as much as I can while still looking like she’s taking those sausages haha. But anyway please know that I love your art so so much and I kept going back to the curry one and the one where MC came across Amit with beard as adults (that one is hilarious). Idk if your MC has a name or you left it nameless? I assume it was the latter but if she has one I’d love to know!

Faustine Daemon by @faustinio27 Hey, a fellow INFJ! Winter is the same 🩵 I really love her story and especially her personality character sheet, you drew her expressions really well and I’m a fan!

Back row (left to right):

Oliver Lennox by @pixie-dustss Handsome boi 🥰 We’re friends already (I hope I’m not the only one who thinks that way 🫢) from TikTok and you made me a video for Secret Santa last year and I just found out recently that you’re on Tumblr too so I want to say thanks by drawing Oliver! 🩵🩵🩵

Aurélie Collins by @morelikeravenbore I loove this look for Aura, she just looks so chic with the hat and scarf 😭🩵 Sassy Ravenclaw bebe 🥰 My Winter has some French heritage (the lore is still rotting in my notebook bcs I haven’t had the chance to draw her family members 🥲) so I do hope they can be friends and Aura would teach her French bcs she can’t speak much of it 👉🏻👈🏻

Alistair Dusk by @speedysart Surprise! You commented on my last speedpaint on Tiktok yesterday and I want to spill this art so bad but I was almost done so I kept my mouth shut haha. I love the pretty boi’s hair and piercings, and the fact that you chose this blazer for him, I just love it he looks so dapper in that 😣🩵

Eleonora Russel by @zordanna I love sweet Eleonora and her fascination with the moon and stars 🩵🌌 Oh and I kept coming back to your “I feel like an orange” Tiktok bcs it’s so fluffy and it heals my stress… also I adore your art it’s super soft and painty and delicate 🥹💗

@traceyc-uk ‘s MC - YOUR MC. I SWEAR TO MERLIN HE’S ON MY MIND 24/7 LATELY. Not sure why, it’s probably bcs I kept re-reading your comics. Also bcs he’s an adorable little golden retriever (but also a fierce cat!😼) You’re super talented in drawing comics and facial expressions, I have a lot to learn especially in terms of layouting… last time I made a comic I hated the layout and the fact that it looks stiff to me, so your comics has been such an inspiration!

[nordickies]

Remember when I used to make headcanon masterposts? Yeah, me neither, but here we go again! I don’t often get the chance to talk about Norway in depth, but he has been at the forefront of my mind lately. So I thought, why not bring my thoughts together in the form of a very long masterpost? This masterpost is packed with big and small ideas about his character that shape the way I personally write him.

I tried to gather everything I could think of, though I’m sure I’ve forgotten something along the way. I’ll happily update the list later. If people are interested, I’d love to finish similar posts for the rest of the Nordics as well as revisit some of the older ones!

So, without further ado, brace yourself and read the whole list below!

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Introduction

Norway’s human name is Sigurd Nordvik, and Mr. Norway (Herr Norge) is the title by which he is formally addressed. However, he doesn’t really care about official titles and prefers people to call him Norway or Norge. Sometimes his closest friends may use the human nickname "Sigge." In the past, he was called Sigurðr — or Siward in English. Sjur Ødegård has often been his go-to alias.

His chosen birthday is the 17th of May (Norway’s Constitution Day), but he has never been the type to celebrate himself. He prefers to keep the day as a celebration for his country and its people. He likes rotating the type of bunad he wears every year, and he heads to the streets to celebrate together with his people.

He speaks Norwegian and English, and due to his close relationship with his neighbors, he can speak Swedish and Danish too — though hesitantly, only when necessary. In the past, he spoke Old Norse, Latin, German, and French. However, he has since forgotten most of these languages and is no longer able to communicate through them efficiently.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Appearance

Sigurd has light grey eyes, reminiscent of mountain bedrock or morning fog. His head is long and narrow. He has a slightly bumpy, downturned nose, hollow cheeks, and a relaxed, expressionless face. His lips are thin, his eyes narrow, and his wavy, light blonde hair falls just to his neck, a little unkempt. A modest amount of facial and body hair adds to his understated ruggedness. His skin is pale but reactive, quick to flush in the cold wind, burn in the sun, or betray his mysterious image during heightened emotions. He's naturally quite thin and in fit shape due to his hobbies. He's tall, around 185 cm.

Sigurd doesn't outshine with his sense of fashion, dressing for convenience rather than looks. While he owns plenty of well-fitted suits and tailored longer coats for the occasions that call for them, he feels most like himself in chunky wool sweaters and hiking trousers, fit for the weather for the majority of the year. He seems to avoid bright colors, except red, but he loves detailed colorwork knits. He's frugal when it comes to many things and thus still knits his own sweaters. He claims he doesn't want to waste money on items he could easily make himself, and he certainly has similar sweaters in many variations in his closet. But, in contradictory fashion, he'll wear insanely expensive outdoor gear, technical boots, and windproof jackets without seeing any problem in subtly flexing through them.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Personality

Sigurd is a reliable, composed, and trustworthy person in any situation — the kind of friend you want to keep in your life. His honest yet genuine demeanor tends to leave a lasting impression, and he’s generally viewed in a very positive light. Though Sigurd is quiet and mysterious, his presence tends to spark curiosity rather than intimidation. Everyone wants to claim him as their best friend.

Naturally reserved, he can sometimes come across as distant or emotionally cold. However, he simply prefers to keep to himself, avoid bothering others, and not stand out too much. Sigurd makes a conscious effort to be respectful, often avoiding situations that could feel awkward for either party, so he tends to keep his social interactions formal and brief. Social settings overwhelm him easily, and if given the chance, he’ll quietly slip away before anyone even notices or makes a big deal out of it.

Emotionally, Sigurd is guarded. He struggles to express his feelings out loud, fearing they’ll be used against him or cause worry for others. He's used to being the sensible one, calming others down or offering a voice of reason. Sigurd being in a position where he’s the one needing help feels foreign to him. But once he’s drunk, he’ll open up more than usual, only to be hit with crushing embarrassment the next day for letting his guard down. He’s painfully shy around strangers and tends to overthink social interactions, worrying he’ll reveal too much. But to those who earn his trust, he reveals a gentler, more thoughtful side. He’s among the first to notice when someone is unwell, silently checking in—even if his concern comes out as awkward teasing. He cares deeply about his family and friends.

Still, beneath the stoic surface lies a playful spirit. Sigurd is a subtle trickster — fond of poking or teasing those he's close to, and dropping dry, sarcastic remarks with perfect timing. He pretends not to care, but he thrives on attention, especially after years of feeling like the forgotten player in their group. He secretly loves being talked about, praised, and even admired, though he quickly shuts down compliments. Still, he tends to view himself through his flaws rather than his strengths. Sigurd believes there are only a few things he’s truly talented at. When he falls short of his impossibly high standards, it feels like a crushing failure of his entire being. Despite his insecurities, Sigurd takes pride in his achievements. He’ll brag (modestly, but often) when things go well, especially if he wins something. He does his job well, always on time, and with quiet perfectionism that is often underappreciated.

Sigurd lives at his own pace, content without chasing flashy or grand goals. He’s outdoorsy, self-reliant, and focused on himself. You could say he's health-conscious due to many health-related issues in the past. But sometimes, he becomes overly fixated on it, especially during times of stress, to the point of overworking or limiting himself harshly. His relationship with money is also complicated. He’s used to surviving on very little, so even spending on small comforts can feel indulgent. He sometimes gets uncomfortable when people comment on his country’s wealth, fearing they’ll judge him personally because of it. As a result, he often steers the conversation away from the topic. Sigurd is snarky and elusive, the kind of person who could lie with a straight face if he wanted to. He's particularly skilled at keeping things about himself tightly under wraps, making him incredibly hard to read. He often projects calm and composure even when he’s unraveling inside. If anyone were built to be a manipulator, it would be Sigurd. But thankfully for those around him, he’s not malicious.

Sigurd’s emotional world is buried deep, shaped by experiences he rarely speaks of — tucked behind layers of dry humor and thoughtful silence. Perhaps because of this, he often drifts from the present, dissociating, his mind slipping into daydreams. Sometimes, he imagines fantastical scenes, far removed from the noise of everyday life. When faced with complicated emotions, Sigurd retreats into his head, withdrawing from others. Without a healthy outlet, his bottled-up feelings tend to leak out sideways — through excessive sarcasm, bullying, or self-sabotage. Left to his own devices for too long, Sigurd can grow apathetic and cynical, sinking into depression. That’s why he needs people who won’t give up on him, people who keep reaching out, even when his instinct is to push them away.

Sigurd’s emotional wounds surface in his relationships. He has trust issues, and his first instinct is to build walls when he fears getting hurt. Letting people in doesn’t come naturally to him. His past unions weren’t exactly unhappy, but they lacked mutual respect, leaving him feeling unimportant. His opinions and feelings were rarely considered in decision-making. Those experiences left a mark, making him doubt the idea of real love for someone like him. In his eyes, marriage between Nations has always been more political than personal.

Mysterious, humble, and sincere could all be words to describe Sigurd. He brings a calming presence but with a layer of sharp wit. His kindness is subtle but ever-present, tucked beneath layers of sarcasm, shy smiles, and a masked desire to be seen.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Lifestyle

Sigurd resides in Oslo due to the capital's role as the center of politics and entertainment, but he has previously lived in Bergen and Nidaros (Trondheim). When he has time off, he retreats to his mountain cabin to recharge. However, he sometimes has to deal with unexpected guests when his family also wants to enjoy a picturesque cabin weekend. It’s partly Sigurd’s own fault for wanting to be nice and offering the cabin for others to use whenever they want.

Sigurd's house is a bit chilly and serene, to the point where you can hear the old clock ticking through the halls or the walls cracking on the coldest winter days. The muted colors, a rocking chair, and large wooden cupboards all add to the tranquil atmosphere. He has a lot of old furniture he’s either kept or discovered in vintage shops. Both his house and cabin are filled with books and worn-down furniture he hasn’t dared to get rid of. He rarely buys new things as long as the old ones still work. When the silence stretches too long, he finds himself showing up unannounced at Björn’s or Magnus’ place (and raiding their pantries, calling it harrytur). The trio jokes that Sigurd is like a household cat — aloof and low-maintenance, but always returning when he wants warmth or food.

Still, Sigurd’s adventurous side doesn’t let him stay a hermit at home for too long. He’s well-traveled and deeply curious about other cultures. If he disappears for a while, he’s likely off-grid, hiking in jungles or trekking through remote landscapes. There’s hardly a place left on Earth he hasn’t visited — not even Antarctica. He’s terrible at keeping in touch or letting people know when he’s leaving, but they trust he’ll return home safely with new stories and the same worn backpack.

Sigurd has a strong, almost spiritual connection to nature. It means everything to him, and he’ll go stir-crazy if forced to stay indoors — even when he’s sick or injured. He genuinely believes in folkloric creatures like trolls, fairies, and elves, and he’s careful not to disturb rocks or trees out of respect for them. He’s passionate about environmental preservation and fascinated by Norse mythology and sagas. While he doesn’t publicly identify as a practicing pagan, he occasionally dabbles in folk magic. These interests, along with his deeply introverted habits and daydreaming nature, make him feel like someone stuck in another time. His brothers don't waste the opportunity to call him plain odd because of it, though.

Sigurd lives an active lifestyle. He skis, runs marathons, sails, and fishes — again subtly flexing with his high-quality fishing and hiking gear and regularly making trips to the northern wilderness. Back home, he goes for morning runs before sunrise, wearing reflective gear and a headlamp, preferring the peace of empty trails. In winter, he swaps running shoes for skis. Sigurd is sometimes seen as a kind of patron of sports, being the face of campaigns encouraging people of all ages to stay active. He loves attending sporting events and is always touched when asked to present awards and give speeches. He’s especially proud of working with youth sports organizations and anti-bullying campaigns.

Despite appearing like the poster boy for healthy living, Sigurd’s diet is another story. He survives on a strange mix of comfort foods — sugar-free cola, tacos, waffles, and frozen pizza, to name a few. He’s a decent cook but rarely strays from the few meals he enjoys. He’s not big on sweets, but he won’t turn down a piece of kransekake or anything almond-flavored. However, during hikes, he must carry a chocolate bar with him, which he'll open at the top of the mountain, resting for a moment and taking in the stunning view.

Sigurd also has a rich musical side — he plays the violin. In his youth, he would entertain others with his fiddle, providing atmosphere for celebrations. But most importantly, the instrument was a tool through which he could hone his skills and earn recognition. These days, he’s fascinated by electric violins. Sigurd enjoys emotional rock ballads and epic instrumental music. But once he’s drunk, he’ll sing along to Norwegian party songs with all his heart. He can become quite the loud party animal when intoxicated — but firmly denies it if teased.

Sigurd’s speaking voice is calm and airy, and he has a beautiful, soft singing voice. He has even been asked to narrate audiobooks of Norwegian literature classics. In quieter moments, he enjoys knitting and watching odd TV shows while curled up in his chilly living room. He developed an interest in roleplay and fantasy games in the 1970s and would gladly do it more often with the right group of friends. He’s also a cat person and adores kittens. He has two Norwegian Forest cats named Olaf and Mons.

As the youngest of the three brothers, Sigurd sometimes struggles with being compared to Magnus or Björn, becoming visibly upset and defensive about it. During his childhood, he had to fight for attention just to be seen and valued, but he rarely received the recognition that his brothers often did. Maybe that’s why he’s so fiercely competitive. Sigurd is always ready to join a friendly sports match — so long as he thinks he has a shot at winning. Even the most peaceful beach day tends to turn into a spontaneous contest, with Sigurd pestering someone to time his swim to settle once and for all whether he’s faster than Magnus or Björn. The same applies to chess, which Sigurd is insanely good at, or other strategic board games. Game nights in their family can thus turn rather chaotic very fast.

Sigurd isn’t particularly tidy either. After long fishing or hiking trips, he’ll barge into Björn’s place and flop onto the couch without a second thought, opening a bag of chips, still covered in travel grime. Naturally, Björn whines at him about it. But in true Sigurd fashion, he just shrugs and grins, teasing his way out of the scolding.

Sigurd’s view of his own immortality has shifted over the years, but his role as a representative of Norway has always given him a sense of purpose and motivation. He’s had bad experiences with other immortals, so he tends to seek meaning and comfort in his work — representing something he truly values. He wants to focus on what matters to him, finally pursuing his own goals instead of being held back by others. His job has strengthened his sense of self and purpose. While his responsibilities can feel limiting at times, he can recognize his immortality's nuances and appreciate the good sides of it.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Relationships

Sigurd is a reserved guy who doesn't have many deep friendships outside of his family. Most of the time, he hangs out with Björn — which is maybe a bit embarrassing for him. Sigurd doesn't like parties or big social gatherings, as he feels most people end up invading his personal space, thus making him uncomfortable. Also, his social battery runs out extremely fast. While he prefers to keep to himself, he has a strange kind of charm that draws people to him.

With such a massive coastline, Sigurd sees the Atlantic as his home and has good relations with fellow Atlantic nations. He has traveled far and wide, and generally, the Commonwealth countries have been friendly toward him, often allying with him on various matters. He sometimes goes on skiing trips with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, or Austria, as they bond over mountains and ski-related sports. They get along surprisingly well, as long as Sigurd’s silence doesn’t bother them. New Zealand is another outdoor enthusiast Sigurd gets along with — an unlikely friend from the other side of the globe.

Sigurd is usually the first to point out that Björn and Magnus have gotten old and aren't nearly as fun as they used to be. Perhaps he just doesn’t like being reminded of the passage of time or of how comfortably others have settled into ordinary lives. He feels like he’s only just now gotten his own life on track! The idea of having children or getting married doesn’t appeal to him at all. These days, he cherishes his freedom and self-reliance, which he desperately aspired for so long.

Sweden / Björn The core aspect of Sigurd's and Björn's dynamic is the love-hate relationship. They love to annoy the hell out of their söta bror, their sweet brother. They’ll nag each other nonstop and drive one another crazy all day, yet still spend the night talking, braiding each other's hair, and falling asleep in the same bed. At the same time, they constantly mock each other for being copycats, always blaming the other for mimicking their style or stealing their stuff. After all, what’s worse than being constantly compared to your sibling? Björn and Sigurd grew relatively close and spent a lot of time together growing up. They were just as competitive then as they are now; it’s definitely a trait that developed in their childhood. Both had to make do with limited resources, so competition was sometimes necessary, maybe even encouraged. Nowadays, they’ll compare anything: who has the better car, the greener yard, more birthday wishes on social media. They never seem to tire of the comparisons, though everyone else around them certainly does. But truthfully, they’d do anything for one another if it came down to it; their nagging is just a weird combination of their love languages. While they complain about the other’s incompetence and lack of brains, they still show up when needed, no questions asked. They just can’t bring themselves to admit they care; it’s too corny, not their style at all. They’ve been in various unions throughout history, though rarely by choice. Those unions have definitely left a mark, and there have been times when their relationship was seriously strained. While Sigurd usually ends up being the voice of reason around Magnus and keeps an eye on him, with Björn, he lets himself be unapologetically bothersome. Björn sometimes calls Sigurd slow and out of touch, like he’s stuck a few centuries behind. Björn can be nitpicky and meticulous, which drives Sigurd crazy. To Sigurd, Björn is a perfectionist who’s always trying to keep up appearances, even during the worst of times. Even now, Björn has a tendency to meddle in other people’s business; Björn might scold Sigurd for how he treats his little brother Eiríkur, but Sigurd will snap back and tell him it’s none of his business. On the flip side, Sigurd’s free-spirited nature and lack of structure drive Björn mad. Sigurd is strong-willed and hard to cooperate with once his mind is set on something. He’s opinionated but keeps things bottled up, which leads to spiteful and inconsiderate behavior when things don’t go his way. His antisocial tendencies and bluntness can be frustrating and even embarrassing for Björn, especially since Björn himself is so conflict-avoidant and tries to keep everyone happy. Despite those unions, however strained, they have created a strange dependency between them. Even when they’re at odds, they try to understand what the other is going through, comforting each other at their worst. Their interests and hobbies are pretty similar, so it’s no surprise they spend so much of their free time together. Neither of them does well in big crowds, and they both deeply appreciate the calm, casual atmosphere they share when it’s just the two of them. They can sit in silence doing nothing, and that’s more than enough. Though Sigurd still occasionally tries to inject a little adventure into his brother’s routine. Nature is their shared escape, and they go hiking, skiing, or kayaking when they can. ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Denmark / Magnus Magnus and Sigurd still share a deep emotional bond that's unique to them. They’re able to speak rather openly about their worries and offer each other genuine advice. Magnus relies on Sigurd and holds him in high regard, being the best friend Magnus would trust with his life. Sigurd, on the other hand, doesn’t quite share the same enthusiastic view. He keeps his distance when he can and doesn't always give in to Magnus’s wild proposals. Still, Magnus sees Sigurd as a constant in his life, someone who always has his back, no matter what. Magnus can get lost in his own world at times, forgetting things or getting distracted, so Sigurd ends up following behind to clean up the mess — just as he always has. It annoys Sigurd, but he knows Magnus doesn’t do it out of selfishness, and he’s learned to live with it. Together, Magnus and Sigurd are something of a comedic duo. Magnus's wild schemes test Sigurd's patience every single time and put them on some kind of adventure. Sigurd has learned to say "Magnus, no" almost instinctively to everything, but if nothing else, he keeps an eye to ensure Magnus doesn't get into too much trouble. Whenever Sigurd helps him out of a mess, Magnus showers him with gratitude—until he inevitably drags Sigurd back into his mess again. That’s probably why Magnus instinctively turns to Sigurd with every problem, even when it would make more sense to ask Björn. Only Sigurd seems to know how to talk him down and help him understand even the messiest of situations. Magnus tends to worry on Sigurd’s behalf — a habit Sigurd doesn’t appreciate due to past experiences with Magnus’s more controlling tendencies. But Magnus’s intentions are good; he simply wants to help and offer support. Accepting that help, though, is a real challenge for Sigurd. Magnus knows Sigurd has a tendency to bottle things up and fall into depressive episodes, and it’s something he’s quietly concerned about. He tries to keep Sigurd’s spirits up and remind him of the brighter side of life. They often visit each other’s places, though for entirely different reasons, and as a result, they end up spending a lot of time together. Sigurd often thinks Magnus’s way of doing things is ridiculous — but he gets a good laugh when he puts Magnus on skis or drags him up a mountain, watching him struggle through the harsh winter terrain. Magnus, for his part, is just happy to be entertaining. Sigurd cares about Magnus, too, in his own quiet way. He’s just learned to set boundaries so Magnus doesn’t walk all over him. He knows how much he means to Magnus, so he can’t bring himself to be too cold or dismissive. He’ll help when asked but won’t hesitate to scold Magnus to keep him in check. Magnus knows he wasn’t always the best to Sigurd in the past, so he tends to be pretty laid-back when Sigurd teases or mocks him. As much as Sigurd has had to put up with Magnus, he doesn’t hold a grudge—not even when he easily could. They’ve worked through their past issues more than once and, for the most part, moved on. And no matter how much Sigurd complains about Magnus’s constant presence in his life, he always answers the phone when Magnus calls—and always shows up when asked. ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Finland / Timo Sigurd and Timo get along remarkably well, sharing a number of common interests, like winter sports and music, that give them easy ground to bond over. Sigurd is unusually generous with Timo, often lending him gear or bringing him over-the-top gifts, which Magnus and Björn find unfair, as they’re not given such privileges. Sigurd insists that Timo is simply more trustworthy, and he trusts Timo to handle his stuff with care. Sigurd and Timo tend to drift to the sidelines during gatherings, content to sit with a cup of coffee and talk quietly. They have been through similar experiences they can both relate to, and thus far, they haven’t provoked one another too badly, making their friendship rather drama-free. Timo has always admired Sigurd, ever since they were young. There was something distant and mysterious about him that made Timo want to get closer, mimicking Sigurd in little ways, trying to be more like him. That admiration hasn’t really faded; Timo still sees Sigurd as someone effortlessly cool, someone worth looking up to. He follows his lead with almost blind loyalty, always ready to join him on hikes or fishing trips with eager enthusiasm. Sigurd, in turn, finds Timo’s stories amusing and his quiet resilience endearing. They’re not each other’s first pick when it comes to social plans, but when they do spend time together, they genuinely enjoy it. Sigurd appreciates how easy it is to be around Timo, how he laughs at his dry jabs about Björn or follows along with his plans without needing to be convinced. Sometimes, though, Timo’s passivity and eagerness to please clash with Sigurd’s snarkiness and competitive streak. He feels a bit guilty if he's being too sarcastic with him. Timo’s too kind to push back, and more often than not, the sass may go completely over his head. Because of that, Sigurd holds back more than he does with others. ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Iceland / Eiríkur Sigurd has never been good at parenting or taking responsibility for others, so he has a lot of regrets concerning Eiríkur. He has always known Eiríkur is his brother but has never been able to connect with him. That doesn't mean he doesn't care about the kid, but Sigurd just never found a way to claim that big brother status. They're very similar in nature, but that also means they're both bad at communicating and prefer to keep everything in. Nowadays, Eiríkur sometimes insists on his independence with the same stubborn pride Sigurd once had, insisting he doesn’t need anyone fussing over him. Sigurd respects that space, but his distance can unintentionally reinforce Eiríkur’s fears regarding Sigurd. The irony isn’t lost as each is trying, in their own clumsy way, to protect the other from disappointment. Sigurd's attempt to reclaim their lost bond is sometimes irritating to Eiríkur, even though he knows it shouldn't be. He just has lots of disappointing memories when it comes to his brother, which is the reason for his underlying insecurities between them, like the lingering fear that Sigurd might disappear again, as he has before. On the other hand, Sigurd has always given Eiríkur the freedom Magnus never knew how to give. He took Eiríkur on long trips and taught him necessary life skills that gave him the critical tools to survive on his own. Eiríkur adored Sigurd growing up, always choosing him over anyone else. He used to light up at the mere mention of Sigurd’s name and grew jealous if someone else claimed his brother’s attention. When Eiríkur was nervous or unsure as a child, Sigurd would tell him fantastical stories and restore hope in him, uniting them through their shared love for stories and imagination. When Sigurd was bedridden by the plague, little Eiríkur stood by him. He would sit by his bed, read books, and talk to him, as they'd tell each other stories. Eiríkur could bring Sigurd messages and meals while occasionally spying on Magnus and Björn, reporting back what they were planning. But other days, Sigurd was too ashamed or tired to even let Eiríkur into his room, giving the poor kid mixed signals on what he was supposed to do. Many times, Sigurd's own need for autonomy took precedence over his responsibilities to Eiríkur — desperate attempts to hold on to the few meaningful tasks that gave him a sense of purpose. Sometimes, the choices weren’t even Sigurd’s to make, as orders from above pulled him away. There were days when Eiríkur expected Sigurd to come and visit him, waiting patiently at the harbor, watching every ship that came in, expecting his brother to step off the deck from one of them. But he didn’t. Eventually, Eiríkur learned not to get his hopes up, but the disappointment carved itself into him, leaving a quiet scar that never fully faded. Sigurd feels immense regret for not being there when Eiríkur was small, left alone on a harsh island during his most formative years. But Sigurd was only a teenager himself then. Even if he had been there, he doubts he would’ve been the role model Eiríkur needed. Still, the guilt lingers, and he tries to make up for it in the present. They go camping and fishing when time allows, returning to the wild places where they feel most at ease. Around the campfire, they talk about the past. Eiríkur is endlessly curious about their roots and history, and Sigurd does his best to help, though time has eroded many of his memories. Sigurd wants to make sure his brother has what he needs, that he’s equipped to live better, freer, and more fulfilled than Sigurd ever was. But expressing love has never come easily to him, so instead of words, he keeps buying things for Eiríkur, always asking if he has everything he needs, which Eiríkur insists he does. Both Sigurd and Eiríkur have regrets and disappointments regarding their shared past, but they will always have that unique family bond no one can take away from them. ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

England / Arthur Both Sigurd and Arthur are old friends who go way back, bound by years of cooperation. Both are ambitious by nature and aware of what they want, yet not always the best at being emotionally present or vulnerable. In many ways, their similarities make their friendship feel effortless. Sigurd has always seen Arthur as a respectable peer, someone who understands and sees Sigurd’s effort. Over the years, Arthur has supported Sigurd during some of the most difficult periods of his life, offering help when people wouldn’t expect him to. While Arthur has managed to get on many people's wrong sides and people's opinion isn't always favorable of him, Sigurd has gotten rare glimpses of a softer Arthur that very few get to see. They often collaborate closely, especially in matters of work, and there's a warmth to their friendship that shows most in small gestures. Sigurd, for instance, never misses the chance to go all out with Christmas gifts. And while Arthur is often busy and hard to pin down, he never turns down the chance to share a drink with his quiet old friend. However, sometimes Sigurd is faced with an awkward position due to Arthur’s and Eiríkur’s disinterest in one another, as he doesn’t want to seem like he’s siding with one over the other. Arthur and Eiríkur just don't really get along, but for the sake of Sigurd, they try to at least pretend. ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Ireland / Saoirse Saoirse's and Sigurd's histories are deeply intertwined, shaped by tensions and collaborations between their former peers. Saoirse, sharp-tongued and quick-witted, didn’t exactly warm up to the Norseman right away. But even back then, she had a sense of humor that cut through his cold exterior. She also had a fearless spark that challenged him in ways few others could. When he pushed her, she pushed back. When he played rough, she returned the energy with twice the force. Saoirse, too, has always loved storytelling and music, talents that Sigurd has long admired from a distance. Her creativity and charisma drew him in, even if he didn’t always know how to say it. During their time in America, the two reconnected as adults, finding more common ground than before. The noisy rivalry of childhood gave way to a friendship marked by loyalty and a shared determination to survive in a new harsh situation. Nowadays, Saoirse teases Sigurd every now and then, especially when he’s in the presence of Arthur or Alasdair. This is to remind them he’s an old friend of hers too! Unfortunately, Saoirse has a knack for sniffing out gossip, so Sigurd has to keep his guard up around her to make sure his secrets stay buried, for now. ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

Scotland / Alasdair Alasdair and Sigurd have known each other for as long as either of them can remember. From the very beginning, their relationship was shaped by the tensions from deep-rooted rivalries. First impressions were tainted by prejudice but also riddled by a persistent curiosity. As children, they played together despite the tension — sometimes too rough, ending in scratches and one of them running off in tears. And yet, no matter how many times they separated, that pull toward one another never quite faded.  In those early days, Sigurd was bolder, at times impossible to handle. A menace in the eyes of many, especially during the chaos of the Middle Ages. Alasdair, by contrast, was already brimming with pride and an unshakable sense of confidence, always standing tall even when others tried to cut him down. His fierce spirit and charisma fascinated Sigurd, while Alasdair was equally intrigued by Sigurd’s mysteriousness. But Sigurd's path got complicated. Tied down by the demands of centralized rule and weakened by the plague, he found himself trapped within constraining unions and a loss of influence that left him weak and apathetic. During the Kalmar Union, his failing health and desperation to retain a sliver of autonomy left him too afraid to meet many of his peers, feeling like a shadow of his former self. And yet, when Alasdair reappeared in his life, something shifted. The Scot’s energy offered Sigurd comfort and relief, giving him a brief escapism from his state. In another timeline, perhaps they would have worked together more, built something lasting through alliances, but history had other plans. Even when political duties kept them apart, they remained close via handwritten letters, with something unspoken lingering between them. During occasional meetings, whether by trade or diplomatic visits, their connection only deepened. A quiet, persistent yearning began to take root, romantic in nature but carefully concealed beneath layers of duty, uncertainty, and timing that never quite lined up. It wasn’t until the 19th century that they found themselves drawn together again — both of them older, hardened by experience. Sigurd, now part of yet another union, was fighting more fiercely than ever to carve out his independence, while Alasdair was navigating his own path through the tides of industrialization and being more tightly cooperative (or controlled) through his siblings. The two of them crossed paths more frequently, and this time, their bond became something unapologetically intimate, though still kept from public view. Their relationship became a quiet rebellion, a way to find solace while being drowned by decisions made above their heads. Neither of them asked for the roles they inherited, but in each other, they found a rare compassion and freedom. Even now, they continue to see one another — no longer as secretive as they once were, but still careful. Their relationship is unconventional, perhaps even unserious to some, but it works. Neither is in a rush to settle down. Sometimes, they both wish history had been kinder to them. But then again, they've never let fate stop them from trying. After all, it’s a rare privilege to love someone since childhood and still have eternity to figure it all out.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

[h0neybane]

MAGIKEY (TWST AU) BY @quartztwst !!

im going to PASS AWAAAAYYYYY IM SOSO TIRED. BUT ITS DONE. but anyway, more on evelyn...

Evelyn [Magikey User "Luna Luceat"]

“Hurry up, I'm gonna pass out."

Evelyn is an 18 year old girl and has been a magical girl for 4 years, since she was 14. In her magical girl form, she comes off as mysterious and aloof... but she's really just thinking about going home. She has occasionally breached the top 10 of Magical popularity rankings, but she mostly tries to keep to herself, vanishing immediately after her work is done. Oftentimes, she finished things so quick that the public is unaware.

A quiet, sleepy girl who is jaded from her years as a magical girl.

Status:

Mental/Emotional Strength: ★★★★☆ (She's hard to crack since she's used to her job, but her constant exhaustion can become a vulnerability if left untreated for too long.)

Physical Strength: ★★★☆☆ (She's moderately strong as her staff is fairly hefty, and she does swing with it sometimes.)

Stamina: ★★☆☆☆ (This girl is tired as FUCK LMFAO. She uses her little floating platform to move because she doesn't want to actually run.)

Strategy: ★★★★★ (Evelyn is very calculated with her moves as her goal is to get the job done as fast as possible to go home and SLEEP.)

Strengths: Evelyn is very experienced and keeps a close eye on all of her teammates, making sure they can operate effectively. She is especially strong during the nighttime in a full moon.

Weaknesses: Evelyn is constantly exhausted because she only works during the nighttime as that is when her powers are most effective. A daytime attack would leave her extremely vulnerable.

Evelyn lives with her little brother in their childhood home. Their parents are usually overseas on business trips, so they don't see them in person very often. Evelyn's brother is aware that she works during the night time, but doesn't know that she's a magical girl.

Evelyn grew up very sheltered, being homeschooled by tutors hired by her parents. She was very lonely and she didn't really speak to her brother. She accumulated a massive amount of hobbies to pass time, one of those being gazing at the moon on her balcony, wishing for something to change.

Her wish was granted the night of her 14th birthday, with her magikey falling into her hands after gazing at the moon for the nth time. She eagerly and naively accepted, thinking that this was everything she hoped for.

Unfortunately, she soon came to realize that the nature of her abilities forced her to be sleep deprived if she wanted to do anything much outside of being a magical girl. After her second year of being a magical girl, her enthusiasm fully died, and now she just tries to get by until she can go home. (she still really likes her outfit though, LOL)

After a shift as a magical girl, Evelyn will usually rush inside a convience store, grab snacks, pay and bolt home. She hates staying for overtime even by 5 minutes... though, she's willing to grab some stuff for her brother if he asks for it.

Evelyn is technically enrolled in theMagikey Training School, but she rarely shows up to classes. If she does, she's usually sleeping in them, though she doesn't mind a chance to show off once in a while. The instructors tend to leave her alone whenever this happens, as they're aware of how hard she works.

She does try to be nice towards her juniors though. She fetches them treats once in a while.

uncharted lore territory!! i didnt watch madoka magica or anything so idk if this fits in at all so im warning in advance lol. this is adjacent to evelyn's ACTUAL lore within the original canon twst, which is why it's here. i will make a separate post explaining further later on

Evelyn has a secret. One that isn't her being a magical girl. She has not told crowley, nor any of her magical colleagues, and she does not intend to— at least not for now. However, this secret does leave her susceptible to... negative feelings.

tag list!

@taruruchi @honeyedpearcrushh @boopshoops @scint1llat3

@h2llish @viperbunnies @buttholesparkles @oya-oya-okay @cheerleaderman

@qsoap @angelwishess @jadelover69 @skriblee-ksk @lychee-face

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Date Day Pt. 2

Pieces of My Heart - Chapter 17 Stray Kids OT8 x reader, Soulmate AU Trigger Warning: Midly suggestive comment made, creepy behavior, and technical assault (reader gets grabbed)

Masterlist | Next Part

You got a message as you were getting ready. Having just finished taking a shower, you checked your phone to see that it was Sophie, who had sent you some memes and a sweet message asking how you were. You answered truthfully telling her you were good but still getting used to a new place. After a second to consider it, you sent her a photo of your two favorite outfit ideas with a question mark.

She answered back immediately.

Sophie oooh, date night? the first one looks really good, the second one is a little too revealing let me know how it goes :) Y/N yeah, first date. kinda nervous wish me luck!

The flood of sweet messages that followed made you smile. You took the outfit she had chosen (which included a beautiful soft sweater that just so happened to match Felixs’) and put it on. You finish getting ready just in time to hear a knock on the door, and you grab your keys and phone before opening the door.

You pause, and then hold up a finger. “Give me a second.”

For your birthday a year prior, you had been given a polaroid camera. The first few weeks you had been obsessed, taking pictures of everything and anything just to shake the polaroids out and feel cool doing it, but eventually you had gotten over it. The camera had been rediscovered in the process of packing your bags, and you had brought it along on a whim.

The sight waiting for you at the front door felt like the perfect opportunity to use it.

Felix and Hyunjin were both caught off guard when you snapped the first photo, but as you shake out the photo, they quickly get excited. They both pose for the second photo without you even having to ask. You hold up the first polaroid as the second one develops, showing it to the two boys with a smile as they crowd next to you to take a look.

Breathtakingly beautiful, and yet somehow homey, you were surprised that Hyunjin had toned down his date outfit compared to what he would normally wea. He had picked an all-black outfit that wouldn’t stand out so easily but still managed to make him look like a hundred bucks. He had his hair slicked back, and you knew his face would mostly be covered with a mask while out in public, but in the photo you could appreciate his model good looks in full.

Felix somehow managed to look ethereal, even with wide eyes of surprise. His mouth was slightly parted, having caught sight of the camera just before you took the photo. His hair was slightly messy, freckles barely seen with the washed-out coloring of the polaroid, but he looked just as beautiful as always, even though he was slightly blurry.

“Yah, a little warning would have been nice,” Felix said, even though he smiled down at the photo.

Hyunjin was already looking at the second. “Ah, this one came out so good. Do you mind if I take a photo of it?”

“Don’t go posting any photos on social media just yet. You don’t want fans to recognize you,” You warned.

“I know,” Hyunjin said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll post it later.”

You hear another snap and look back at Felix just in time to see him shaking out one last polaroid, and you roll your eyes. He smirks.

“Had to get one of you too. Especially when you look so breathtaking.”

“Hmm, they’d look so pretty in a photo shoot, wouldn’t they,” Hyunjin muttered, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye as he takes a photo of the polaroid. “All the beautiful clothes they could wear.”

Felix eyes the photo he took of you. “I think they’d look prettier if they weren’t wearing anything at all.”

“Felix!”

“Sorry babe,” He said, not looking sorry at all.

-0-0-

You weren’t normally a big fan of museums. The paintings were pretty enough, but they never really spoke to you the same way you assumed it did to more artistic people, like Hyunjin. Still, the instillation that he had brought you two for your date was not only the most colorful thing you had ever had the pleasure of walking through, but somehow also very open in its meaning.

You noticed it from the very first room you three walked in. It was covered in colorful strings, which at first just looked pretty, but from certain points in the room the strings would line up just right enough for an image to form. You spotted a butterfly first, and then what looked like a leaf.

Felix waved you over from the furthest corner, joined by two teenagers and a family of three.

“It’s the cocoon. I’m guessing that there’s a caterpillar somewhere,” he told you.

You looked around until you spotted another small group of people in a spot you hadn’t been to before. After pointing it out to him, the two of you walked over hand in hand to find that it was indeed the spot where the strings formed a caterpillar, and he grinned, leading you around the room to watch the entire process take place. You met back up with Hyunjin at the door to the next room, and he eyed your joined hands with a smirk.

“How are you liking the colors?” He asked Felix.

Felix looked back at the strings with wide eyes. “I’m more surprised they managed to form different images with the same strings.”

“Hmm, I think you’ll like this one too.”

Hyunjin led the two of you into the next room. The walls and sectioned off parts of the floor had what you assumed were cotton, only they were dyed in soft pastel colors that matched the soft pastel ombre of the walls and floors. The cotton in the sectioned of portions had small entrances, where workers would allow small groups of 3 or 4 people walk across the ground barefoot. Felix let out a small sound in surprise.

“Wow. It’s like the colors are … only kind of there, but still there. So white.”

You hummed. “I think it’s supposed to be the sky. Look, it’s mostly blue, red, orange, and pink. It’s like a sunset.”

“The cotton is the clouds,” Hyunjin agreed, taking Felix’s other hand. “Want to go walk on the clouds with me?”

Felix nodded, and the three of you made it over to the sectioned off portion. You had to wait a few minutes in the line to walk across, and the worker warned you all to walk slowly and to be careful, but once you felt the ‘clouds’ under your feet you knew that it was worth the wait. You were also immediately sure that it wasn’t cotton you were walking on.

“It’s so soft!” Felix exclaimed, wiggling his toes.

The boys waddled ahead of you, Hyunjin even reaching down to touch whatever you were walking on with his own hands in awe.

It really did feel like you were walking on a cloud.

The second installation wasn’t as interactive as the first two. It consisted of multiple pop-art paintings hanged around the room, and Hyunjin was more than eager to explain some of them to Felix. You, however, made your way around the room quickly, and with a quick thumbs up from the boys to show that it was okay, you advanced to the next room by yourself.

This one truly stumped you. You weren’t sure what it was, no matter how long you looked at it. It was a large pane of glass that nearly split the room in two, and splatters of paint littered across the glass. There were lots of dark blue and green peeking out in spots, but most of the glass was covered in bright red splatters, like someone had launched buckets of paint right at it.

You must have spent a long time staring at the art piece trying to understand because Hyunjin and Felix caught up to you, Hyunjin wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

“It’s kind of sad, isn’t it,” he murmured.

You blinked. “I don’t get it.”

He pointed out the green and blue splotches on the edge. “It’s supposed to be the earth. The blue and green is the planet, and the red represents … well, I guess you could take it literally as blood covering the earth. But I think it does a good job of representing violence, pain, anger, evil. Its pretty open to interpretation.”

“Oh,” you said, nodding in understanding. “Huh, I never would have thought of that.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “He’s just reading the information packet we were handed at the entrance.”

“You mean the one I stuffed in my bag and haven’t looked at since we got here?” You said sheepishly, reaching for the now crumbled paper.

Hyunjin laughed.

Felix began to wander off towards the other side of the room, but Hyunjin stayed with you as you started to read through the packet, learning about the artists of each piece and the meaning behind them. Hyunjin wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin against your shoulder, slowly rocking the two of you side to side.

You giggled. “I can’t read if you keep moving me.”

“You don’t need that anyways. I’ll explain everything to you,” he assured you.

“I’m sure you’ll do a better job anyways,” You said, giving up and deciding you’ll finish the packet back at home. “I love the way you explain things. I love the way you see things.”

“I just appreciate all the little things, the beauty in life. It makes all the big things that much more meaningful.”

“Like what?”

He pressed his mask up against your cheek in leu of a kiss, and you leaned back into his embrace. “Like you.”

“You’re such a romantic.”

“Hmm.”

The two of you stood there for another minute, softly rocking back and forth. You closed your eyes and let his warmth wash over you, the feel of his skin on yours, his chest expanding and retracting as he breathed, his soft humming in your ear.

You smiled. “You mean the world to me.”

He just held you tighter in response.

-0-0-

You had once again managed to wander ahead of the boys. You decided to wait for them in a quitter section, sitting down on a bench and scrolling through your phone as you waited. A family walked through, their chatter filling the small room, but they eventually moved on, and you took a second to observe the painting in front of you.

It was pretty, not as colorful as some of the other pieces you had seen today, but you imagined it had some deeper meaning you didn’t quite get.

A guy a little bit older than you sits down on the bench next to you, and you quickly move you bag closer to your body, scooting to the side with a small nod. The two of you sit in silence, looking at the painting, before he suddenly speaks up.

“It’s amazingly intricate, isn’t it,” he says, voice deep.

“Oh, I guess,” You murmur.

He tilts his head, still staring at the painting. “I’m in awe of the technique. Don’t think I could replicate something that beautiful even if I tried.”

You hummed in agreement.

There was a moment of silence, and then he spoke up again, this time turning to look at you fully. “What do you think about it?”

“Oh, I’m not much of an art person,” You explained. “I’m actually just waiting for someone.”

The man narrows his eyes, nods his head for a few seconds, and then shoots you a blinding smile. “Are you a foreigner?”

You hesitate. “Yes?”

“Your Korean is very good.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“You know, foreigners usually learn a lot from sleeping with Korean men.”

He said the words so nonchalantly, so bluntly, that it took you of guard for a second. You couldn’t even find yourself getting angry or scandalized, because you were just so in shock that someone would even say something like that out loud. It was only then that you acknowledged how uncomfortable he was making you.

You grimaced, standing up. “Right. I think I’m just going to-“

“Yah, leaving so soon?” He says, grabbing your arm as you try to pass by.

The room was empty. There was nobody around, and there was a strange man grabbing you, and it took everything you had not scream. Maybe you should scream. Should you scream? Should you hit him? You began to panic, not sure what to do.

His grip tightened. “Hey, there’s no need to be afraid. I just want to talk.”

“Let go of me.”

You tried to sound authoritative, but you voice wavered. Your heart was pounding in your chest, and it felt like someone was squeezing it. You try to pull your arm away, but the sudden recoil of the action only has you falling towards the man. The second his other hand touches your hip, you jolt past your hesitation and slam straight into outrage.

“Let go of me!” You yell, pushing against his chest with all your might.

The action forces him to let go, and you stumble back. You’re tempted to run, and for a split second you almost do, but then the loud laugh of a kid gains the attention of the man.

Two kids run into the room, followed by a very anxious mother trying to get them to quiet down. The woman and kids seem to be part of a group, and the small room slowly starts to fill with people. You turn around to look for the man, but he’s already gone.

The kids laugh loudly again.

You rush towards the bathroom as you feel your eyes starting to sting with tears, anger making your body feel hot and fuzzy. It wasn’t until you were in the empty room that you realized your bag was vibrating. You pull out your phone, eyes widening at the 4 missed calls and dozen texts Chan had sent you. Before you can read any of them, he’s calling again.

“Are you okay?” Is the first thing he says the moment you answer.

“I’m okay,” You say instinctively, but then you pause. “I … actually, I don’t know if I am okay.”

“What happened. Where are you?”

“I’m still at the museum, I’m fine … physically. It’s- there was a guy, he said something gross, and he grabbed me. He’s gone now, but it just kind of freaked me out.”

You looked down to your arm, which felt strangely cold from the man’s touch. You felt slimy just thinking about his hands on you.

“Where are the boys?” Chan questioned, and you put him on speaker so you could wash your hands.

“I don’t know. I was waiting for them, and this creep just walked up to me.” You took a deep breath. “I think I’m okay. I just need a minute.”

“Take as long as you need sweetheart.”

You scrubbed your arm with soap in hopes of elevating the disgust, but the harder you scrubbed the more your skin began to sting, so you gave up. You dried off and took a second to just stare at the mirror. The anger was still there, so was the fear, but mostly you just felt tired. You shook your head, picking your phone back up.

“I think I’m good. I’m really sorry I freaked you out,” you told Chan.

“Don’t ever apologize for something that isn’t your fault.” He let out a sigh. “Are you sure the guy is gone?”

You peeked your head out of the bathroom. “Yeah, I don’t see him. I think he got spooked by the other people who showed up.”

Chan swore on the other end, in both Korean and English. “Do you think you can find Hyunjin or Felix?”

“Yeah, I’ll look for them. I’m sorry you had to feel that. I’m sure you’re busy.” You wandered back to the room you had just been in, but there was no sign of the boys. “I can call you back later.”

“I mean absolutely no offense to you sweetheart, but you must be out of your goddamn mind if you think I’m hanging up right now.”

You let out a small laugh. “Fair enough.”

It was comforting, knowing Chan was on the phone as you made your way around the museum. Even though you were sure you weren’t in any real danger, and the rooms you walked through were full of people, you knew deep down that you wouldn’t have felt as safe as you did now if Chan wasn’t there, even if it was just him breathing on the other end.

You finally spotted Hyunjin first, letting out a sigh of relief. “I found them.”

Hyunjin looked up with a smile as you ran up to him, but his smile quickly dropped when he saw your face. “Are you okay?”

“Let me talk to him,” Chan said, and you quickly handed over the phone.

Felix wandered over when he spotted the two of you. He noticed the tense atmosphere between the two of you, and he placed a hand on your arm in worry as Hyunjin’s face began to pull down in worry and anger.

“What’s going on?”

You licked your lips and took a deep breath. “Some guy grabbed me, I freaked out. Chan felt it.”

“Wait, some guy grabbed you?” Felix dropped his hand and looked you over in worry. He gently lifted your arm in shock, and you realized that there was a small red mark from where you had been grabbed. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

“It’s fine, I’m just pissed he got away.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Hyunjin said, and he quickly said something in Korean so fast you couldn’t even begin to understand. “Hyung, I’m calling the cops.”

“The hell you are,” you exclaimed, grabbing the phone out of his hand. “Are you insane?”

“This guy hurt you,” Hyunjin argued.

“That guy is a creep, I won’t argue with you on that, but he didn’t hurt me. He grabbed my arm a little tight, but I’ve been hurt worse by walking into a table.”

“He put his hands on you.” Felix said.

“And what do you plan on doing? Looking for him? Yelling at him? You don’t even know if he’s still here!”

“I’ll have the museum security find out who he is. I’ll track him down myself if I have to,” Hyunjin said.

“Right sure, I can see the headlines now. Stray Kids Hyunjin arrested for attacking a man who was a creep to his soulmate.” You smacked his shoulder. “What happened to keeping a low profile?”

Felix grabbed your hand. “Baby, this guy should have never touched you. What he did was not okay-“

“I know. Believe me, I know.” You interrupted. “But he’s gone now. And I’m not going to let you guys expose yourselves just to … defend my honor. He didn’t do anything that would warrant more than a slap on the wrist. It’s not worth it.”

You could tell neither one was satisfied, but something on your face must have convinced them, because they quickly conceded. You only then remembered you were still on a call with Chan, and you quickly brought the phone back up to your face and asked if he was still there.

“I’m still here,” Chan said softly.

“You get all that?”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

“I’m hanging up on you now.”

“Please, be safe.”

You smiled. “I will.”

The words ‘I love you’ burned on the tip of your tongue, begging to be released, but you swallowed them down.

It didn’t feel right.

Not yet.

-0-0-

Even though you tried to encourage the boys to finish the exhibit, they unanimously agreed to cut the date short, and you were secretly relieved. You held Hyunjin’s hand tight as you walked past the security guards, knowing he would be tempted despite your agreement, and managed to make your way out into the warm afternoon sun without any issues.

You were relieved that the boys hadn’t been recognized yet.

“You want to go home?” Felix asked, and you thought about it for a second.

Now that you were out of the museum and breathing in fresh air, the idea of cutting the date short and ending it on such a bitter ending felt wrong. You shook your head.

“What do you want to do?” He asked.

You pursed your lips. “Are there any parks nearby?”

“Hmm, there’s one two blocks away,” Hyunjin said, already looking up the directions on his phone. Then he tilted his head. “If you’re willing to walk a little further, we’re not that far from the Han river.”

“Oh! I’ve always wanted to go to the Han river!”

“Then lets go,” Felix said, eyes crinkling.

You walked in between the two, holding hands with both of them and swinging them back and forth. You felt carefree, a nice change from the exhaustion you had felt earlier, and the wind blowing through your hair swept away all your worries. Even so, you could tell neither boy was completely over what had happened.

You pulled your hands together, forcing them to hold each other’s hands as you moved behind them, giving them a big smile. “You two look good together.”

Hyunjin snorted, wrapping his arm around Felix. “Maybe I’ll steal him all for myself.”

Not one to be outdone, Felix grabbed Hyunjin by the back of the neck. “Who says I won’t come willingly?”

Hyunjin jolted back at that, and the two of them started laughing. You raised an eyebrow, noticing the way their eyes darted to each other and then back to you. You patted Felix on the shoulder as you moved past them, skipping to the corner of the street.

“Come on lover boys. You two can flirt with each other later.”

The three of you continued your walk with less tension than before, the events of the museum only a blip of an otherwise nice day.

Well, relatively nice.

It was hot out, as summer was starting to get closer. The sun was shining bright, and by the time you guys found a nice spot near the river and under the shade, you were sweating. While it wasn’t unbearingly hot, Hyunjin’s offer to get ice cream was a blessing.

He told you he would back quickly, smooching your cheek messily as he left.

Felix decided to wait with you as the other dancer left, leaning back on his elbows and closing his eyes to enjoy the cool breeze. There were kids playing and laughing, couples walking at the riverside, and even dogs running in the grass. It was peaceful.

“I hate it, you know,” Felix said.

You tilted your head in confusion. “What?”

“Having to hide this.” He opened his eyes to look at you. “Not being able to be with you so publicly.”

You eyed his mask still on his face, pulled down only slightly below his nose. Any normal person would have taken it off by now, but even though Hyunjin had led you two towards a fairly secluded area, it was still too risky for his face to be seen in public.

Or rather, it was too risky for him to be seen in public with you.

You looked down. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Felix was quick to reassure you. “It’s what I signed up for when I decided to become an Idol.”

“You still deserve your privacy,” You muttered.

“Would you have done something if we weren’t idols?”

You didn’t have to ask him what he was talking about.

It was silent for a second, wind blowing through the trees above you. Leaves and flowers began to fall around the two of you, littering the grass between you. You grabbed a flower, twirling it around your fingers as you contemplated Felix’s words.

“Maybe.” At the way his face fell, you shifted closer. “Hey, I’m not saying that your idol status was the only reason I didn’t want to get the authorities involved. Like I said before, I doubt they would have been able to do anything more than chastise the guy anyways.”

Felix sighed. “It still doesn’t seem right.”

“It isn’t. But I���m okay, really.”

You reached over to hold his hand, and he gave it a tight squeeze. When he turned his head to look at you, you were already looking at him, the wind blowing hair around and blocking your view for a second. Felix’s eyes shifted to the side, and you turned to see what he was looking at, but you didn’t see anything. You turned back in time to see him pulling his mask down.

His lips were on yours for only a split second, but it was enough to make your face heat up. Felix pressed his forehead to yours, whispering against your lips.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

You smiled, letting your lips press together again. “With you? Always.”

He didn’t say anything else after that. Hyunjin didn’t mention your close proximity when he returned, simply handing over your ice cream with soft eyes.

“Careful, it’s starting to melt,” he warned you, but it was too late. A glob of ice cream had slid off the cone and hit your fingers.

He gratefully handed you a napkin afterwards, and you laughed when his own ice cream began to melt onto his hand as well. Felix accepted his own ice cream more carefully, managing to keep his hands clean.

Without thinking too much about it, you licked the ice cream that had fallen onto your fingers before wiping the area with the napkin. You then licked around the cone edge to catch the melting ice cream drops and avoid more of a mess, finishing off with a proper taste of your actual ice cream cone. You looked up to catch both boys watching you with familiar looks.

You snapped your fingers at them, instinctively speaking in english. “Hey, mind out of the gutter. I don’t put out on the first date.”

Felix laughed at your statement, replying in korean. “Damn, there go my plans for the night.”

“Wait, what did you she say?”

The two of you laughed at the confused look on Hyunjin’s face.

Yeah. You were okay.

-0-0-

“Walking me to my door, like proper gentleman,” You teased.

Hyunjin grinned, slipping the ball cap he had used out on the streets and running his hands through his hair. “Maybe we’re just hoping for the end of the date kiss.”

“So I’ve been told,” You said, giving Felix a side eye. “You seem awfully sure of yourself.”

You turned to open your door, planning on teasing them a little bit more, but Hyunjin pressed himself up against you, leaning on his arms resting above you. You turned back to face him properly, flicking his nose.

“Did you need something?”

He puckered his lips in response, and you laughed. You conceded, reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss. His own hands dropped down to your waist, his touch warm and comforting as he kissed you softly and slowly. When he pulled away, you were surprised to see him looking almost sad, and you watched his eyes flicker down to your arm where the man had grabbed you.

While it wasn’t noticeable to anyone who didn’t know better, the skin was red and irritated. There was a chance it might bruise slightly.

You tucked your finger under Hyunjin’s chin and lifted his face so you could look into his eyes. “Hey, forget about it. Forget about him.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” he said.

“It wasn’t your fault,” You assured him. “Don’t let the actions of one horrible man ruin our perfect date.”

“Perfect, huh?”

“Ahh, don’t let it go to your head,” You droned, pressing another kiss to his lips.

To both of your surprise, the moment Hyunjin pulled away Felix was there, pushing you back against the door and kissing you so hard it made you see stars. He practically devoured you, your breath stolen and lips tingling when he finally pulled away. His eyes were dilated, mouth red and slick with saliva that he licked away, cupping your cheeks in his hands.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” He asked you, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“What happened to taking it slow?”

“Screw slow.”

Later that night, as you were getting ready for bed, Hyunjin sent a message to the group chat. It was a picture of you and Felix kissing at your front door, and he sent another message after.

‘Nothing in that museum compares to seeing these two together. This is real art.’

[givemeanaccountalready]

The Anti-Team 7, Formally Known as Team 6 (Komorebi)

First, I’d like to thank the wonderful @pumiih for drawing my little heathens. You made them (and Naruto) so beautiful.

It’s kind of funny. I picked the number 6 as their team number because Naruto would be the sixth Hokage (Kakashi is serving as Tsunade’s Jounin Commander for now) in my little AU world. I then learned that Team 6 was the number given to Jiraiya’s team with Minato and I thought, “Well, that’s a better reason to keep it as Team 6,” so here I am.

The Word doc that I made to actually plot this thing out to a degree has the title above for the Naruto-sensei arc. That’s somewhat touched on briefly before Naruto meets his team in the flesh, where he’s joking with Sakura that “This is their Sasuke, this is our you, and this is our me,” as the two of them look over the files Tsunade gave him. And he’s technically not entirely wrong about it lol. They just have really superficial connections to the OG Team 7. I even asked Pumiih to put them in the same order as the Team 7 picture. I haven’t posted it yet, but fic will be called Komorebi which translates to, “sunlight filtering through trees,” and I liked the imagery of that, so that’s the name.

Anti-Sasuke: Chitose Hyuuga 🍬 (prestigious clan with magic eyes)

Anti-Naruto: Kaito Isobe 🪁 (orphan, known troll)

Anti-Sakura: Tsurigane Kashiwagi 🔔 (girl)

I feel slightly bad for reducing Tsuri to that but I’m laughing too hard at the summary to care. She is probably the easiest anti-parallel to spot. Whereas Sakura didn’t really have an overarching goal until the Forest Death scene, Tsuri is the only one on Team 6 with an overarching dream/goal. She wants to gain Kage level strength, even though she doesn’t necessarily want the hat, and go down in history as a legendary kunoichi. Tsuri pretty much has a five year plan, meanwhile, Chitose is doing this ninja stuff because it’s what Hyuuga do, and Kaito is simply trying to earn a living until he finds something else that he likes. There is enough internalized misogyny in this girl to power a small village. You can thank her parents for that one. Tsuri despises fan girl behavior and she even lost a friendship over her best friend choosing to like and giggle over a boy. Eventually, she’ll reconcile with her, but for now, no. Very stubborn, very bull-headed, and very driven, Tsuri does not do things by halves.

Chitose is probably the least anti-parallel of the three, since her story revolves around bonds just like Sasuke’s had. Whereas Sasuke formed new bonds within Team 7 and wanted to protect them until Itachi and the Sound 4 happened, causing him to think he needed to sever his bonds and fuel his hatred to achieve his goals, Chitose’s story is a bit different. She wants to form bonds with others, and while she doesn’t have a deeply traumatic backstory, Chi definitely has some serious hang-ups stemming from the divide between the main branch and cadet branches of the Hyuuga family. She is not close to Neji or Hinata, but she has seen them grow into stronger, happier individuals because of their teammates and the work they do, and she wants that growth too.

While she does not have the Caged Bird Seal, Chi knows that’s only due to who her sensei is and not because the clan has changed its mind. Hinata is doing her best to change the Hyuuga’s ways after the war, but at the very beginning of the story, it seems more unlikely than not. Chi and the rest of Team 6 are about 6 years younger than Naruto so Chi couldn’t have possibly been sealed on Hinata’s third birthday like Neji was. She was going to get the Caged Bird once she either finished the Academy and became a kunoichi or sometime later if she had failed. The only reason she didn’t get sealed immediately after passing the graduation exam is because a certain someone told Hiashi that Naruto was being considered as a possible jounin leader and Hiashi wisely decided to hold off on it. The Hyuuga compound is still standing… for now.

Kaito is my lil goblin. He’s a snot-nosed brat whose fear of losing another loved one and screwy sense of self/self-worth resulted in his constant trolling and mouthing off. A little hater who graduated the Academy with two full time enemies and one part-time enemy, an unrequited rival (unrequited on Kaito’s part, he doesn’t want it). Like Naruto, he is stubborn and very perceptive of others’ emotions, but while Naruto clawed his way to acceptance and changing the way things are, Kaito is more content to crash and burn in the status quo. As a result, he does not have any big dreams or goals. If Tsurigane’s story is about learning to constructively use strength for herself and on behalf of others, and Chitose’s is about learning to let others in without making herself small to accommodate them, then Kaito’s story is about finding internal peace and taking the chance that the past won’t repeat itself.

I definitely spent too much time trying to think of what I wanted the other rookies besides Team 6 to look like. There’s three other rookie teams, and Shikamaru is the jounin leader for one. I just hope that they’ll be liked when I have enough written that I’m comfortable posting so I don’t have too much dead time in-between chapters.

And because I can… NaruSaku for the main ship. Team 6 ships it.

[hyptrance1]

Hypnosis Challenge #5: Hypnotic Hijinks

Hi all, apparently this was the most requested text induction (technically there’s like an hour left until the poll closes) so I’m gonna continue this series apparently. It’s a little wild that a series I started writing at the young age of 20 still has interest 10 years later just a few days before my 30th birthday. If you’re new to this the idea is simple: try not to go under. If you end up winning good for you, but I know the majority of you are trying to go under from this challenge. If you do end up losing this challenge the post hypnotic suggestion will be to reblog this with a comment, something like “I was hypnotized by HypTrance’s induction, I must reblog his induction like a good hypnotized toy.” If thats not something you’re interested in doing if you go under then I would suggest not reading this induction. If that is something you’re alright with then well, continue reading. As always, my inductions are not for anyone who is not an adult so you better be 18+, and lastly if you are interested in more of my inductions they can be found on my profile somewhere (sorry, just search and you’ll find them eventually). That’s it, enjoy. 

So the last induction I had told you guys about how other guys had felt when going under to my words. Obviously you won’t go under for that again, so I suppose I’ll have to try a different approach. Additionally, I’m sure that you’ll be trying harder this time to resist my words and not go under, which is fine because I like the challenge. So do your best to try not and get comfortable then. Don’t let your body sink into whatever you’re laying on, don’t allow your body to subconsciously get comfortable even if it wants to. Just stay in this position while reading, focusing on both your body and my words, cause is it really winning if you dont give your attention to my words? I don’t think so, and I would tell you and your body that exact thing if you told me. So give my words your undivided attention and try not to let your body relax too much. I suggest not breathing too deeply in, and not slowly exhaling out, since slow even breaths are an easy way for your body to start relaxing. I wonder if your body will help you in resisting my words, or maybe it will follow my words instead, helping me to take you that much further under. Interesting thoughts, right?

And while your focus is split between two things, your body and my words, trying to not have your body relax to much and your breathing to slow down to much, you should also try not to let your thoughts slip out of your mind to much. It’s difficult, I know, when your attention has to be slip towards so many things, having to switch your focus from your thoughts making sure that some are not slowly slipping out, your body to make sure that your breathing isn’t slowing down subconsciously, and reading my words making sure that you are actually finishing this challenge is difficult, but I’m confident in your abilities to do all three and not be subconsciously swayed by my words telling you to just read, relax, and slowly stop thinking. It’s probably a little bit tiring though, but don’t worry, not in the I’m going under tiring, just the having to keep your attention on all these things makes you mentally tired. But that’s probably not a good thing, so you better find a way to keep yourself alert and awake. Oh, but wait, now you probably start noticing that your body is also relaxing now, that your breathing has slowed and you’ve gotten more comfortable where you are. But do you remember your original position? It’s probably difficult to think of the exact position, especially when you’re supposed to be focusing on not letting your thoughts slowly stop and continuing to stop your body from relaxing more. And reading my words on top of it is dividing your attention a little too much. Maybe this challenge is a little harder than expected. 

I don’t think focusing on all of those things is the only thing that’s hard. This would probably be easier if you didn’t find hypnosis hot, and didn’t find resisting and failing to resist hypnosis even harder. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that there’s pleasure building within your body. Is your dick hard by now? Just reading my words and imagining yourself going under to them, even after all the strong resisting you did? Well I suppose that’s just another thing that you have to try and focus on and stop from continuing: the building pleasure within you. How is your attention doing? Being split into four different directions. I hope you’re still trying to resist going under, not letting yourself relax to much, your breathing to slow, as your thoughts stay within your mind and don’t slip out, while you try to keep your hard on from inflating any more and you keep reading my words. That seems to be a lot to handle. Are you sure you can handle it?

I’m sure that last little bit of teasing reinvigorated some resistance in you. You’re probably thinking that you can’t let my words take you under, that you can let how relaxed they make you, how hard they’re making you, stop your thoughts in their tracks and leave you staring mindlessly, hypnotized. But like my last induction said, like others have said, “your eyes just keep coming back to my words, continuing to read even if the words are taking you deeper and deeper”. So even if you try to take a moment to stop, catch your breath, refocus on your thoughts, you keep coming back to my words, keep coming back to the same feeling that seems to be pulsing through your more and more: relaxation, pleasure, and probably a little bit of submission as your resistance slowly begins to fade. Just like how you haven’t noticed till now that your body is in a very relaxed position, that your hard on is fully throbbing and pulsing right now, that your eyes seem heavy and your head seems light, like there are not enough thoughts in it. 

And it is probably now that you’re having a hard time thinking. Go ahead and try. Its hard to form a thought when you’re attention is so split by everything, your relaxed body, your pleasurable hard on, your heavy eyes on my words, my words filling your mind, making it almost impossible to let your thoughts even start to enter your mind. You’re just sitting there, reading my words, unable to make a thought. It seems as though you’ve lost the challenge, but let’s just make sure for a second, alright? When I count down form 10 to 0 in a second, you’re going to slip further and further under my words until your mind is blank, empty, and deeply hypnotized. You can feel those words entering your mind, and you know that you’ll follow them, but you can try your hardest, just as hard as your hard on right now, to resist my words and not go completely under to my induction. You ready to give it one last shot?

10

Your body relaxing more, even as you try to resist. 

9

Your breathing slowing, making you relax even further. 

8

Your eyes so heavy focused on my words.

7

My words floating through your brain filling it.

6

Your thoughts unable to even form. 

5

Pleasure in your body filling every part of you. 

4

You’re hard on just slowly throbbing.

3

Resistance leaving your body. 

2

No more resistance. 

1

No more thoughts. 

0

Blank and hypnotized. 

Now you can just continue reading as you allow yourself to just stare and follow my words. At this moment you should know that you have lost this hypnosis challenge and have gone under to my words, which is fine because your body feels so good and your mind feels so nice with my words filling it. So as you continue to read this you should remember that I said that if you lost this challenge you would be given a post hypnotic suggestion, which I will give to you now. When you wake you’re going to reblog or repost my original post to the induction, whether it be on twitter, or Tumblr. When you repost this induction you will also reblog it with the comment  “I was hypnotized by HypTrance’s induction, I must reblog his induction like a good hypnotized toy.” If you do not wish to complete this post hypnotic suggestion, please feel free not to complete it and to disregard the rest of this paragraph. For those of you that are okay with following this direction, you can feel that post hypnotic suggestion flow into your mind with the rest of my words, ready to be followed when you wake up. 

Which, in another moment you will wake when I count to 3. I want you to all feel nice, relaxed, and hoary when you wake from this trance, content and feeling well rested. You will feel peaceful from your time reading these words. Now:

1

Thoughts returning to your mind

2

Becoming more alert, more awake, more conscious. 

3

Wide awake. 

Wide, wide awake. 

Well hopefully you enjoyed this second reinvention of an old challenge. I think I’ve done this one before as well, but always good, even after ten years, to rework it into an even better version. I’m hoping that you continue to enjoy both my text and voice inductions which you can find linked to my page. You can also always reach out with ideas or leave them anonymously. Other than that, trace ya next time.

[choccy-milky]

1. your fic is absolutely amazing. Have been bingeing it and I’m literally obsessed. The way you write just itches my brain in such a good way, literally cannot contain my love and appreciation for your work👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 cheers to you!!! Can’t wait to keep reading

2. As I was reading I found out you also deadass drawing the art to go w/ the fic?? Literally you’re living my dream 😭 plus your art is so so so well done!!!!! It’s added so much joy to my reading experience

Cannot wait to see what else you have in store!!’ Hope you have an amazing, AMAZING day, week, year, etc.!!!! 💞🙌🏻🫶🏻

OMG IM GONNA CRY 😭😭 BAHAHA U SENT THIS AT SUCH A CRAZY MOMENT cuz i just checked my ao3 comments and was down about a rude comment i got, and then i come to tumblr and like, a few mins later/literally AS i was venting about it, u send this BAHAHA your choccy senses were tingling. IM SO GLAD U LIKE IT THO AND THAT YOURE ENJOYING IT (and my drawings, even if youve defs seen spoilers by now BAHHA) hope u have a good day too, u defs brightened mine!! THANK UUUU💖💖💖

@kaviary-blog this looks so funny bc i censored u just to keep it (mostly) spoiler free BUT AW THANK U DAMN IM HONOURED THAT MY FANFIC WAS THE ONE TO MAKE YOU CRY?? IM SO HAPPY HOW INVESTED YOU ARE 😭😭💖💖 im also super happy with that chap and its so satisfying like you said to finally be able to tie of all those threads so IM GLAD IT WAS WORTH IT💖

@lovesicklovermia ONE DAY???? OMG. FIRST TWO DAYS NOW ONE?? ITS JUST GETTING SHORTER AND SHORTER. next thing i know someones gonna be like yeah so i took some highly experimental drug that lets me read at 1000% the pace of a normal person, and i finished ur fic in 2 hours 😍omg loved it!!!😍😍 BAHAHAHA but omg i totally see what u mean, they do HAHA. AND THANK U💖💖 IM GLAD UR LIKING IT💖

YEAH so in my fic fifth years are 16, and by the time things get....explicit....clora and seb are 17. im not against consuming media with teenagers depicted in sexual situations like euphoria or riverdale or w.e else bc i get that its fiction and these are just real things that happen so its fine to write about them, but their canonical ages of 15 was still too young for me and i wanted them to be 17 before it got the E rating (which is why clora and sebs birthdays end up being so close, bc i was RUSHING for them to turn 17 BAHAHHAA)

BAHAHA clora and seb secretly being together is like the most poorly kept secret in my fic, like im sure her parents technically KNOW, but due to old fashioned traditions and whatnot (and it being 1891) seb wants to be able to propose properly and with a proper ring, bc clive is intimidating and he doesnt wanna just be like "yeah so im dating your daughter and weve already fucked and i plan to marry her" LOOL he wants to do things properly and be with her with her dads permission(even tho its a bit late for that HAHA) BUT WE CAN JUST PRETEND. tldr its basically just out of some sense of chivalry on sebs side, a fear of her dad, and wanting to do things right LOL

ALSO WAIT OMG STOPPPPP I WAS LITERALLY JUST ABOUT TO POST THIS BUTI HAVE TO INCLUDE THIS NOW

YOU SAW MY POST AND IMMEDIATELY DREW THIS AS A RESPONSE WHILE IN CLASS?? BAHAHAHA IM ACTUALLY SO TOUCHED RN IM TEARING UP WTF THATS SO SWEET OF YOU WTFFFFFFFFF THANK YOU SO MUCH😭😭😭💖💖 (NOW PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS!!🤬🤬)

[nuclearanomaly]

I was tagged last WIP Wednesday by @frenchy-and-the-sea and planned to save it to post this week instead but I'm a fool and finished my technical current WIP today instead :o)

Luckily I do have a couple of other things sitting at various stages of WIP that I can share instead. We got:

Picture 1: fancy party Tirena. Largely inspired by the fic Cyan wrote me for my birthday (go read it!!). My intention had been to do something different than just draw her. I was thinking of a mini comic but I was having fun and ended up doing more details on this 1 sketch. I just think she's cute!! I'm undecided if I just want to clean it up or if I want to go back to my original idea so it's sitting as is for now. (I think trying to do the comic would be more fun tho, we'll see)

Picture 2: uhhhh idk. This is all over the place. I like the concept still but uhg the render / execution is not where I want it. You can see I'm trying to shade it, I poke at it on and off but I don't think shading is helping / it's not what I picture in my head. I'm not sure what to do with it so I will probably be setting it aside for a while still and starting other things instead. ¯\_(���)_/¯

--

I have a plethora of writing all over the place right now , in various stages of WIP. Incidentally I was also tagged by @blackestnight to share my last written sentence. I haven't touched my writing doc in a few days, focusing on a drawing will cause me to not write, but this was a chunk of the last stuff I wrote from a long standing WIP that my sous-chef Cyan said I should try and focus on finishing.

“Rook.” She jumped, whirling, blade drawn and found Lucanis standing not far behind her. Despite the fact that he clearly hadn’t been sneaking she’d failed to notice him following.  He raised his hands soothingly at her reaction, “There’s no one here, you can relax.” “What are you doing here?” She asked as she straightened from her crouch. “Helping.” She chewed the inside of her lip. “Thought you’d help Neve.” “Neve can handle herself.” Rook winced at the implication but Lucanis strode over, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Not that you can’t.” She met his gaze and he smiled softly at her. “Neve doesn’t need me to help escort a man through Dock Town.” He gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “I’m yours, just tell me who to kill and I’ll see it done.”

I'm feeling shy after rambling for so long ty for coming to my ted talk

[desuwings]

Pairing: Gwyn x Reader

Summary: You wanted to be first to tell your best friend Happy Birthday (and maybe you just wanted her to yourself for the night).

Inspired by this post: sleeping in the same bed, as they’d often do, but one morning waking up cuddling

Word Count: 1.8k

Notes: It's literally just a fluff piece and I wrote in one go. I'm planning on doing a series of little prompts like this, based on the friends-to-lovers trope.

You hurriedly wiped down the counters as the clock ticked down. You made quite the mess while baking, despite your “clean-as-you-go” attitude. Time got away from you so quickly, and at this rate you would be late. Again. You always had a hard time shaking that nasty habit. But at least all the treats were wrapped neatly and stored safely in the basket. If you had been using your own kitchen, you might have just left the mess for later, but Nesta would rip you a new one if you didn’t leave her kitchen cleaner than you found it.

You gathered your things and triple checked the basket to make sure everything was there. It did little to ease your nerves, which had been increasing drastically each time you had plans to spend time with Gwyn. You couldn’t identify exactly why you found yourself overthinking every conversation, couldn’t identify the meaning of the rush of emotions you felt with every touch.

You spared a glance in the mirror and wished you had more time to make yourself a little more presentable, but time was not on your side, and Gwyn would have finished her work by now. You rushed to the library, giving Clotho a quick “Hello,” as you rushed past her desk, to the stairs, to Gwyn’s room. The plan had been to sneak down to her room while she was still working and surprise her then, but by the time you got to her door, you could hear her moving around on the inside. You drew in a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves.

Before you could knock, the door to Gwyn’s room flew open and her bright teal eyes nearly knocked the wind out of you. “Were you planning to come in at some point?” she teased, her delicate brow arched and a playful smile on her lips. 

You stammered over your words for a second as your brain scrambled to form a sentence. “I was gonna give it another few minutes,” you responded, earning a chuckle from the female.

Gwyn tilted her head, motioning for you to enter. You stepped in, and the room you’ve spent many nights in suddenly felt a little unfamiliar to you. It was just the nerves, you told yourself, the stupid nerves that you just couldn’t shake no matter how hard you tried. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Gwyn asked.

“Well,” you started, setting the basket down on the small table in the corner, “I brought you a little something.” You motioned for the female to join you at the table.

“You didn’t have to-” she began as she approached.

“Stop it,” you cut in, giving her a warm smile. “It’s my best friend’s birthday, obviously I had to get you something.”

The female removed the lid to the basket, and her eyes widened for a split second as she peered into. “You know, my birthday is technically tomorrow,” she said as she began pulling out the various sweets you had made for her. Her long, delicate fingers peeled at one of the wrappers, exposing the delicious smelling brownie - her favorite dessert. You knew she wouldn’t be able to resist eating one of your fudgy creations for long. Your eyes were glued to her lips as she brought the brownie to them and bit in. She moaned in delight at the taste, and the sound sent shivers down your spine.

“These are incredible,” she sang, your cheeks warming at the praise. You had baked for Gwyn a million times, and heard those exact words come out of her mouth on more occasions than you could count, but this time it felt like the Mother was hand-delivering a blessing.

“There’s plenty more, all for you,” you laughed, her delight filling you with warmth. “But there’s something else at the bottom.”

She handed her brownie to you so she could continue digging through the basket. You knew she would get distracted by all the sweets on top, but you didn’t want your actual gift for her to smash all the desserts you had worked so hard on for her. She eventually got to the bottom and pulled out the flat, teal box, which you had picked specifically to match her eyes. Gwyn gasped softly as she opened the box, and you found yourself holding your breath as she examined what was inside.

Gwyn carefully lifted the object out of the box to take a closer look. It was a small painting, not much bigger than the size of her hand, that you had commissioned from Feyre. It was of the moment she cut the white ribbon for the first time, something that you knew she considered to be one of her proudest moments. You had even ordered a custom golden frame to be built for it. There was a note on the back that you had handwritten for her, but decided to let her discover that on her own someday. Her bright smile filled you with longing.

“I love it,” she whispered, and you watched as she recounted the moment in her head. It made your heart swell, and you swore you could feel every little thing that she was. It was almost as if you had experienced that moment yourself. “I know exactly where I’m going to put this.” She strode across the room, graceful as ever, and placed it on the small end table near her bed. 

You weren’t usually good at gift-giving - it was hard to be when your friends already had everything they could possibly want - but you were proud of what you were able to pull together for Gwyn, even if it wasn’t much.

The rest of the night wasn’t much unlike any of the other nights you spent with Gwyn. Except the two of you shared the various sweets you had made for her, opting out of a real meal for dinner. Nights like these, where you got to have the female all to yourself, were becoming the greatest joys of your life. Her voice was the sweetest melody, her laughter a symphony, her smile a concerta put on just for you. 

As the night began to wind down, the two of you had wound up in Gwyn’s bed. Again, a familiar scene to you began to feel like something more as you watched the female try to fight off sleep.

“It’s almost time,” you whispered, reaching over to brush a strand of copper hair out of her face. Gwyn’s lips curled into the softest smile, humming in response. The two of you laid there in silence for a moment, staring into each other's eyes as you waited. As that feeling in your chest began threatening to burst out of you, you quickly looked away to check the clock again. You watched as the second hand ticked and ticked closer to midnight. Just a few more seconds.

You turned back towards Gwyn, giving her a toothy grin. You drew in a deep breath, then gently took one of her hands in yours. “Happy birthday, Gwyneth.”

She wrapped both hands around yours, those big, beautiful eyes staring into yours, making your heart race so quickly that you were sure she would detect it. You put your everything into stilling it, praying to the mother for help in making sure the sound fell on deaf ears. Her thumb ran along your bracelet, the friendship bracelet she had made for you, and she closed her eyes momentarily. “I love you,” she whispered, her hands squeezing around yours. 

These were words you heard out of her mouth dozens of times before, but this time felt so different. There went that stupid heart of yours, beating so hard you thought it might fly out of your chest, over words that didn’t carry the meaning you so desperately wanted them to. Your prayers to the Mother were clearly being ignored.

“I love you too.” The words took some of the weight off of you as they left your mouth, but you knew the deeper meaning behind them was lost upon your best friend. You wiggled closer to the female and pressed a soft kiss to her hands. For a split second, you thought you might have heard, or maybe even felt, Gwyn’s heart beating as wildly as yours. Or maybe your mind was just trying to play tricks on you. “Get some rest, you have a long day ahead of you.”

Gwyn nodded, and those beautiful eyes disappeared for the remainder of the night.

You were the first to rise in the morning. You tried to blink the sleepiness out of your eyes, but the comfort of the bed and the warmth of Gwyn’s body pressed against you fought back twice as hard. The realization took a moment to fully hit you, but when it did, well, butterflies are the understatement of the century. This was a first for you, and your heart didn’t know how to take it. But after confirming that the female was still asleep, you figured there was no harm in letting yourself enjoy it.

You shut your eyes again and gently nuzzled your face into her neck, breathing in her scent. You kept your arm draped over the female’s waist, resisting the urge to pull her closer to you. These precious few moments made you pray to the Mother once again, thanking her for this small kindness. The way your bodies fit together felt natural, felt right, and each second that passed was like a wish come true. You let yourself drift back to sleep, because you knew you couldn’t be the one to end this.

Not long after, Gwyn began to stir in your arms. The movement was enough to bring you fully to consciousness. You felt her stretch her body out, like she was trying to wake herself up fully, so you carefully removed your arm from her. The female rolled over wordlessly and her eyes met yours. It felt like an eternity as you laid there, once again staring into each other’s eyes without a word being exchanged. It caused you to stir, inside and out, and unsure of what else to say or do, you blurted, “Happy birthday!”

And there was that amazing laugh, the one that made your heart pound and your brain roar and your instincts go crazy. Gwyn sat up and stretched her limbs out once again. “Good morning to you, too,” she laughed. Your heart sank for a moment as you watched her climb out of bed to get ready for the day, but now wasn’t the time to mope. You had a whole day planned just for her, and you were going to do everything in your power to make sure it was perfect.

[tamaiory]

"Like this jewel, may my son's eyes never cloud with sadness"

—EPISODE 7 SPOILERS—

(I don't think the fanart itself counts as a spoiler, since it's a headcanon, but said headcanon is based off events form episode 7 so please be careful if you are not up to date with the story)

I really like the headcanon (and theory, in a way) of Silver being the prince of a kingdom that was once an enemy of Briar Valley. Maybe something like Lilia himself being involved in Silver's biological parents' d*aths. You see, it seems that the relationship between humans and fae is still complicated, given Sebek's thoughts and what he tells about his mother's family still not approving the marriage between a human and a fae, so the fact there was a war not so long ago is not that impossible.

Lilia states he found Silver in the forest and then took care of him, but he may not be saying the whole truth. Yes, he may have found Silver in the forest, but why was a human baby there in the first place? More so in a forest of a fae kingdom. I don't think Lilia k*lled Silver's parents and then took the baby with him out of guilt, but maybe someone put Silver in the forest in hopes of (at least) a human soldier from Silver's kingdom finding and taking care of him, all of this in the middle of a war in which (most likely) Lilia participated (given it IS canon that Lilia was a war general).

In episode 7, when Silver finds the ring, he says it looks like something someone from royalty would have, and then Lilia explains it belongs to Silver. Also, Silver's character description states that he has a "princely aura" and some characters even comment the same. Most probably Silver is a prince, but we can't know if his kingdom has fallen or if it was an enemy of Briar Valley.

In any case, following the headcanon/theory, if Silver finds out about the truth he would be completely devastated (my poor child 😭). Imagine finding out your adoptive father was almost directly involved in your biological parents' d*ath and ALSO you're the prince of a kingdom DESTROYED by the country you grew up in and it's last hope to re-emerge. And that would make him (technically) get in another war against Malleus, Sebek and (if he's not d*ad lol) Lilia.

Then he has two (2) options:

1) Sacrificing his feelings and taking the responsibility of assuming the throne of his kingdom, to help the people left there, making him an enemy of Briar Valley, as much as it hurts him (the drawing at the beginning of the post).

2) Reject the throne to fight by Malleus' side, fulfilling the duty he was trained for alongside Sebek, protecting his friends and family, although he knows there's many people who need him in his kingdom.

I honestly can see him in both situations. See, he is described more as a hero but he still is a student in NRC. We've seen Kalim and Rook (both of them also have light magic and aren't based off villains) have questionable attitudes sometimes, and we will probably see Silver doing the same too.

We can also have a happy ending for everyone: Silver takes the throne but he manages to make a peace treaty between his kingdom and Briar Valley, and now both kingdoms are allies and everyone lives happily ever after. Which is probable since this is, after all, a Disney game. But I want angst so I drew the first route ✌🏻

—End of spoilers here—

I finished this almost a month ago, but I've been waiting to post it closer to Silver's birthday in case I didn't have anything else finished. It's been a while since I've posted something, and I couldn't make anything for many birthdays because of personal matters, but I found the inspiration to draw again and now I'm working on some stuff. Hopefully I'll finish what I'm working on right now for Silver's birthday, since he is one of my favorite characters.

[neomedievalist]

its jan 20th but that doesnt mean i cant still do a games i beat overview for 2024 still. here we go, games I beat sorted by date I beat them last year

1/17: Umineko Answers Arcs

yeah so i was stalling on episode 8 for a long time and i had finally finished it in january last year. i dont think this even needs me to say anything. fucking incredible visual novel

2/29: ULTRAKILL

not technically a "beat" but i finished all of the content thats out then (aside from. the second secret boss i havent beat yet). looooooove ultrakill love this i think everyone should play it even if they dont like shooters you just have to have a requisite level of adhd that not everyone has. it has brought me so much joy. cannot wait for more content to come out

4/27: Celeste

this shit has been on my backlog for so long. it was so satisfying to finally finish it. really solid 2d platformer really enjoyed it and liked the story. im not usually a 2d platformer person i prefer 3d but it is rly tight and satisfying. admittedly i dont understand why people think it was like, life changingly good, but i can see how itwould emotionally resonate w someone and its overall a very good game

4/29: Shin megami tensei V

My eternal agony. I fuuucking hate this gaaaaame oh my goddddd the ending was so bad. i already made a seperate post complaining about it so i wont bother you but seriously the fact that the end is unchanged in vengeance is so crazy. I have 0 desire to play vengeance. The foundations have some potential but its just like. holy fuck the story is so nothing. Gameplay was fun though! although i enjoyed the tsukuyomi fight more than lucifer.

6/8: Peggle Dinners

this counts. Everyone get dinnerspilled. Its peak.

8/15: Kirby Triple Deluxe

Lowkey one of those games i just picked up on my 3ds every once in a while and then it was like wait i beat it? huh? okay then. Its a good kirby game i dont really care abt the kirby formula or anything again not rly a 2d platfrmer person but its probably good. I liked gambling for keychains

8/22: Devil May Cry 4

another one of those games that has been on the backlog for fucking ever. I do not like the missions in this game very much there was a lot of screaming in agony. but i like dante and i like nero. it had some great moments. honestly the most important thing this game did was allow me to finally start 5. I also like the catholic beast mode theme that was really fun.

9/1: Super Mario 64

Finished a 120 star run on coop so i'm counting it. had never actually beat the game before so honestly really momentous occasion. Still holds up especially if you play the pc port LMFAO. We've moved on to star road now which now that I think about I should have put on my 2025 bingo

10/13: Heaven Will Be Mine

Good ass game. I finished we know the devil late in 2023 but it took me a long time to get thru hwbm bc i wanted to give it the full attention it deserved. Really confusing as shit but really rewarding once you start learning what all the terms mean, i really love theorizing and thinking abt the implications of the worldbuilding. pluto was a real sleeper hit character for me i think at this point she might be my favourite which is crazy considering how i didnt care abt her at first. realllyyy good game.

12/27: Balatro

Yeah i got it for my birthday. cleared my first run a few days after. its a good video game just like i knew it would be. never stop gambling.

12/31: Hypnospace Outlaw

the new year's special! i'm so glad i finally finished it. it definitely is a game that people probably spend a few hours in to gawk at and then never play again. it was so rewarding to really give it my time and full focus even if it took me a long time to finish it. still thinking abt it. its real good folks. its real good.

heres to more videogames this year<3

[beautifulsnake2162020]

We have it all (Hualian adopted daughter fanfic) Chapter 7

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I only do this for fun.

Premise: Not long after comforting a bullied girl named Meng Ai, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian find themselves adopting her and together they form a family they didn't know they had needed for awhile.

Story/Genre tags: Slice of life-ish (mainly), Family focused, Hua Cheng's houses finally become homes, there may be an overarching story but that's not the focus, Hualian being parents, Fengqing being uncles, Lang Qianqiu falling in love with someone who was raised by the Xianle squad, technically post-canon (though I haven't read the books so if there are some ooc moments please forgive me).

AO3 Link

Chapter 1, Chapter 2 , Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Follower tags: @anonimgato1507 @fd139 (I tagged you just in case - Lang Qianqiu makes his first appearance in this chapter)

AN: In honor of Meng Ai's birthday here is Chapter 7 - which is either posted before, on, or after, September 21. Yes this chapter will be mainly focused on her birthday celebration (the preparations leading up to it and the celebration itself). I couldn't help myself - I love the song so much.

Chapter 7

"When exactly are we meeting Chenxi?"

"We'll meet in a mutual event for our first meeting. She wants to ask a few questions. Probably to check what our intentions are in asking her about that part of her life. She told me through her oracle that I'm the first person in heaven to actually be interested in knowing anything about her imprisonment. Or at least the first person who wasn't directly related to her. Then she released her oracle and he then told me that if she has any more messages for us she'll send her oracle to either one of our temples."

They arrive in the semi-secluded residence of the now mortal Shi Qingxuan. Unsurprisingly it was located on a windy location. Shi Qingxuan's new residence was on a coastal region in a more secluded part of the beach. The winds were too strong for the anyone else. But the former Windmaster felt right at home, even when the winds no longer followed their will. When they were certain that no other mortals were nearby they rid themselves of their disguises as Nan Feng and Fu Yao and turned into their regular forms with a finishing touch of glamour to conceal their divine aura.

"Finally! I thought I would have to do something drastic to make you both return." Shi Qingxuan says as Mu Qing and Feng Xin approach their home.

"We've been busy." Feng Xin says as they enter Shi Qingxuan's home. A modest structure compared to their residence that they used to have. Well ventilated to allow the wind in what may have been a hot indoor dwelling. Spacious enough to allow room to move and to entertain a fair number of guests. But it was small enough to not be a headache when it comes to cleaning and maintenance.

"Doing what? Let me guess; sparring, dates, making sure Xie Lian is happy and martial God duties?"

"The job that you were supposed to do but you were ill."

"Speaking of which - here." Mu Qing shoves a brown bottle to them.

"Here's the second to the last dosage. Same instructions as before; half a cup once a day after a meal."

"Do I have to?" They whined.

"I already feel better."

"Then throw it in the sea. It's not my problem that you're still lacking in energy. Come to think of it I think I should be thanking you." They sighed and immediately began to drink their medicine as prescribed.

"Thanking me for getting sick? You can start by giving me these cosmetics-"

"Not happening." The three of them settles on the dining room as the winds grow stronger at midday time. Midday is when they typically visit since mortals don't like being in this spot at midday because the winds were too harsh. That way they can take a break from their mortal guises while checking up on a slowly recovering Shi Qingxuan.

"What job was I supposed to do?"

"Babysit Xie Lian and Hua Cheng's little girl."

"What?!" Mu Qing and Feng Xin couldn't help but chuckle a little at their surprised look.

"How - What?!"

"Technically she isn't officially their daughter yet. They and her parents want to ask her first before officially adopting her."

"Have you seen the way she called out for them when her father was in danger?" Feng Xin asks Mu Qing in disbelief.

"I know we haven't seen the three of them talk much but something tells me she wouldn't mind being adopted by them."

"Woah, woah, Nan Yang, wait, care to explain everything to the should have been babysitter - is she cute?"

"Her name is Meng Ai, she turns seven years old on the 21st night of September -"

"How did you know the details of her birth?"

"Jing Mei told me - she gave birth to her just after sunset."

"More details for the next babysitter please!"

"Hey I was interrupted."

"I was curious."

"You were saying Xuan Zhen?"

"She could detect the presences of the otherworldly, she got that from her father and her mother is an oracle of Xiwangmu."

"Let me guess, she could sense your divine aura?"

"A lot more than that." Feng Xin adds.

"She could sense that Xuan Zhen, Xie Lian, and I are the same type of spirit and could feel the differences from our divine aura to the ghostly aura of Hua Cheng." Shi Qingxuan's eyes grow bigger.

"At six years old!? I wasn't able to do that till I was 15! And I was only able to be good at it at 19!"

"Yes, it's impressive that she could do it without realizing it. What a talent she has." Feng Xin says with a smiles as he takes a drink from his tea.

"But she wasn't able to tell that you were Gods?"

"She hasn't had much exposure to divine presences and the three of us are probably the first beings she has interacted with long enough for her to make those observations. Interacting with ghosts on the other hand are an almost daily experience for her. It makes sense that she could tell that we are a different being from ghosts but not know that we are Gods."

"...I hate it when you are right."

"You also love it. Why else are we together now?"

"Wait -" Shi Qingxuan interrupts before they could continue flirting. As happy as they are that these two former enemies are now a couple, they were more interested in knowing more about the new little girl in their lives.

"If her parents are still alive then why are they adopting her?" Both of them shares a look before facing back at them.

"Long story short: They are the loophole and the key to giving Meng Ai a good life. I've mentioned that her mother, Jing Mei is an oracle and she receives visions."

"Just after giving birth to her, she received a vision of Meng Ai dying as a sacrifice to Xiwangmu at the hands of her relative while her parents were already dead."

"They asked Xiwangmu for a loophole and she told them that as long as she had one parent who is dead and one parent who is alive she'll be safe from those who want to sacrifice her. And so Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are that loophole."

"Hmm? How are they sure that Hua Cheng and Xie Lian counts as a loophole?"

"Chenxi clarified her mother's solution. A parent doesn't need to be blood related to count - uh - are you okay?" Mu Qing asks as shock is shown in their face.

"Chenxi - Xiwangmu's daughter - she's back? She's freed?"

"You know her Shi Qingxuan?" Feng Xin asks in interest.

"Yes - it's...it's been so long." A smile slowly emerges in their face.

"Chenxi is one of my professors when I ascended. She helped guide me in learning about my domain and how it serves the world. She's one of the best teachers I've ever had." Shi Qingxuan pours themself another cup of tea.

"When she disappeared I had thought at first that maybe she's just in her family's mountain. I couldn't blame her - I loved it there when she brought her students there to have a rest from our studies and heavenly duties. She's one of those teachers who genuinely cares about her students. She knows when to push us and when to make us laugh at ourselves and to rest from work." Then their face becomes darker.

"When I learnt that she was imprisoned...I tried to help. I secretly went against orders against getting involved."

"What happened?" Shi Qingxuan looks at them with a dark look.

"I don't know how, but they managed to use my powers against me. One of the men - I can't remember his face, just that he had green eyes - managed to somehow choke me the more winds I made and the more air I controlled." They take a moment to breathe and to calm themself. But to Mu Qing and Feng Xin it was clear that this was a traumatic experience for them.

"When I managed to somehow escape from that man, Chenxi sent a telepathic message to me to escape. I tried to tell her that I came here to free her. She rebutted and told me that just because I controlled the winds didn't mean that I had enough strategic experience to rescue her." They couldn't help but shed a tear.

"Her last message to me was that she was proud of me - but I was not meant to rescue her. And if I wanted to honor her I should live my life to bring joy and use my domain to serve. Wasting my life away for a task I wasn't meant for is a disservice to myself and others. After that I never heard from her again." They wipe the tears that they had shed and a small smile begins to emerge as they look at the martial Gods.

"Now you know one of the reasons why I am the way that I am. Even though I was immortal, life is too short to let it slip through your fingers. Professor Chenxi was right, she almost always is."

Should we tell them?

Probably - Chenxi might want to see them again

"How was she freed? How did you contact her?"

"We don't know the exact details but Meng Ai's father, Ji Huifan was the one who freed her and her mother, Jing Mei nursed her back to health. I'm sure she would love to see you again. We're going to meet with her in some sort of mutual event. She didn't specify what yet." Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but giggle at Mu Qing's brief flash of annoyance at the Chenxi's somewhat vague instructions.

"Yup, that sounds like her. Enough instructions to know what's going on but no further questions till she thinks you're ready for more or you need it."

"Xuan Zhen was able to contact her through her oracle. Maybe she'll make an exception for you since you were her student." They let out a sad sigh.

"I'm not immortal anymore. Her nearest temple is going to take me at least an entire month to get there. I don't mind the long journey but I guess I'm still recovering on how to function as a mortal. Aging and work and all."

General Nan Yang, an oracle of Chenxi is in the temple. She says that she has a message from Chenxi and requests permission to communicate with you through the spiritual channel.

"Well it seems we're in luck, one of her oracles is in my temple now."

"Then what are you waiting for? Another war? Give the oracle your password already."

"Hmph and you call me impatient."

Granted, give her the password. Tell her that General Xuan Zhen will also be joining us.

Feng Xin glances at Mu Qing and gives a small nod. Mu Qing puts his finger on their temple and enters their joint telepathic communication. In their mind's eye they appear in their respective places as they look down on a woman with bright orange and black robes. She was kneeling down with her head down as she waits for them to speak.

Rise oracle of Chenxi.

She keeps her head down as she stands up in the center platform of the spiritual array.

You have a message for us from Chenxi?

I do General Nan Yang.

Why do you keep your head down? General Nan Yang has already asked for the message.

The Goddess Chenxi is actually asking permission if she could speak through me. She instructed that I am not allowed to look at either one of you until you have granted her permission to do so.

This was new. They glance at each other in the spiritual array. Mu Qing shrugs before nodding.

Granted.

Immediately the oracle looks up and her golden glowing eyes looks at both of them. Her back straightened and her stance now more fitting of a dignified Goddess than a follower of hers. What followed was a voice that was drastically different than hers but one Mu Qing is familiar with. Only now he realizes that what he had heard was the dulled version of her voice. It was expected since she was speaking through her oracle's body. Just like whenever her mother possessed one of her priests or priestesses, her voice blended with her mortal follower's.

Good day Generals Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen.

Chenxi, this is quite the unusual method of reaching out to us. You could have just contacted either one of us directly.

I assure you Nan Yang that there is a reason why I'm doing it this way. The short answer is that we could be eavesdropped and I'm not taking any chances.

Eavesdropped in Nan Yang's mind? I didn't know that such a thing was possible.

You also didn't know it was possible to contact me through my oracle and yet you did. But enough of that. Please tell Shi Qingxuan that I will see all three of you in Meng Ai's birthday on the 21st night of September. It will be in Paradise Manor for obvious reasons.

Understood.

And speaking of Meng Ai, the little girl has been wondering where you both disappeared to. I personally recommend visiting her before then. She's already figured out that you two and Xie Lian are Gods and is currently trying to guess which ones are you.

Well it's nice to know we've made an impression on her considering who will be adopting her...It was also nice seeing her beat Nan Yang in Go.

You were coaching her!

She's still learning the game.

Chenxi chuckles a bit.

I'll see you in her birthday celebration. Don't forget to bring a gift for her. Till then, good bye General Nan Yang, General Xuan Zhen.

She then releases her oracle who immediately brings her head down and her posture now back to a humble follower.

Thank you for your service to us. Some of my followers will escort you back to your temple for your protection.

Thank you as well General Nan Yang. And thank you as well General Xuan Zhen for your presence.

You're welcome oracle of Chenxi, depart with Heaven's blessings.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing leaves the spiritual array. Both of them grin at Shi Qingxuan.

"It seems like your old teacher has heard you. She now expects to see you in Meng Ai's birthday in Paradise Manor. Which means Nan Yang and I will have to introduce you to her before then."

"Oh gre- AH CHOO!" Horror and denial is on their face as Mu Qing gives them a pointed look as Feng Xin sends a telepathic command to some of his followers to protect the oracle.

"Which means you need to get better before going anywhere near her. Rest I'll make dinner and herbal tea tonight."

______________________________________________________________

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

He feels himself scurry along the once familiar rooms as he hides himself in plain sight.

"What are the chances that they are no longer in these lands?" A figure asks briefly looking towards his direction which frightened him that he might be caught. He made himself relax despite his fear. He cannot afford to waste any opportunity to learn more about their plans.

"If they had gone to other areas of the silk road we would have known. Our network of contacts are too vast and prominent for us to not know."

"They could have gone through sea."

"Or to the archipelagic region with several islands."

"Again, we would have known if they had fled to those lands. We have spies in the Southern coastal area and they have been closely watching every single family who consists of a father, a mother, and a daughter. So far every batch of them is not them. I still believe they are still within these lands."

"Or they could have been transported to another world entirely." A figure with green eyes say as nearly everyone groaned.

"For that to be possible they'll need a lot of energy. And no unusual power surges among mortals have been detected."

"Stop all this worrying." A figure steps in. To anyone who didn't know or look closely, the man looked to be in his early fourties. Never knowing that he, like the rest of his relatives gathered within this room was several centuries old.

"Ji Huifen and his family cannot escape forever. We can take as much time as we'd like. What's important is that his daughter is sacrificed on Xiwangmu's altar. It doesn't matter if she's a little girl or an old lady, all we need is to take her before death claims her. Are we understood?"

"Yes Zufu Bocheng." They all reply as they settle themselves in their respective seats as Ji Bocheng takes his seat.

"Tell Ji Lihua to take her time. I trust in her abilities to track Ji Huifan. But she could be impulsive and impatient. Remind her that we have all the time in the world as long as the little girl is alive."

"We will Zufu." Ji Bocheng then gives the signal to their servants. It was when he heard the incoming groans and screams of pain that was getting louder just outside of the door that Ji Huifan decided that he has seen enough. He closes his eyes as he lets go of the mouse that he has possessed. He's had enough experiences of the blood feeding rituals and he doesn't want to add more memories to the mix.

We've got you Ji Huifen

Xie Lian's telepathic presence gently guides him back to his body. He awakens in the presence of Hua Cheng and Xie Lian. All of them seated under a tree that he had felt the most calm. Both of them had leant him enough power to allow them to telepathically see and hear what he has learnt.

"Hmph if they think they have contacts everywhere then it's a good thing that I have my own network."

"Still, I believe that it is best for you and Jing Mei to stay here for a little bit more."

"Thank you Dianxia. Mei mei Lihua is probably one of the best choices they have of tracking us down."

"Why? Does she have any special abilities?"

"It's because you're siblings isn't it?"

"Correct, Lihua and I are full blooded siblings. While our forms are quite different she could easily track me down because we share the same parents. Our other siblings are only half and if only one parent is shared, there's a large number of guesswork since the identity of our blood could also be shared by distant relatives with a common ancestor. But if both parents are the same, all she has to do is to track down anyone whose blood is the closest to hers." He sighs as they stand up and start heading back towards the manor.

"Having said that while she may be good at tracking me down, she isn't the best fighter compared to our other relatives. Knowing her she probably thinks this is more of a chore."

"What do you suggest?" Xie Lian asks.

"Keep her bored. Or make sure that nothing peaks her interest while staying on the task. If she's bored enough she'll move on to something else."

"On the contrary I suggest we keep her on the task." Hua Cheng says as they stop for awhile after all three sees Meng Ai and Jing Mei entering the gardens. This was a discussion that Meng Ai doesn't have to hear.

"You've mentioned that she's not the best fighter among them but she's the best choice to track you down. What if we finally eliminate her?"

"That...may work. But I'm not entirely sure if she will become mortal once again just by being drained of her blood till she passes out or if she also needs to accompany it with grief."

"Let's continue this at another time." Xie Lian says as they enter within earshot of Meng Ai and Jing Mei.

"Baba, Xie Lian, San Lang, I need your help -"

"They are not going to help you Aiai."

"But-"

"You're not old enough for a puppy."

"But mama the puppy and it's mama doesn't have anywhere else to go."

"Aiai - I know you love animals. But you cannot adopt every single puppy and mama dog that you see."

"Hmm? Where did you see a puppy Xiao Ai?"

"Mama was doing her water ritual San Lang, it's where she sees things through water. And she was just checking on the areas just outside of ghost city and in one of the nearby cities there's a puppy with it's mother and both of them looked alone -"

"And you are not yet old enough to take care of them."

"But mama their round green eyes looked so sad."

And that caught everyone's attention.

"Xiao Ai how would you describe the type of green eyes the puppy and its mother have?"

"They were beautiful bright green Xie Lian. Like jade if it managed to glow."

"They were glowing Aiai. But you are still too young." To everyone else it became clear why Jing Mei was refusing to allow Meng Ai to get anywhere close to them. Dogs typically didn't have eyes that had the color of bright glowing jade green. It was definitely something else that was in the guise of a puppy and its mother trying to lure innocent victims like Meng Ai who wasn't aware of the dangerous trap she was being lured into. Probably a couple of demons who was using glowing jade green eyes to lure victims into their trap.

Though that didn't mean Jing Mei was wrong in saying that Meng Ai was too young and not ready to take care of a pet.

Then Ji Huifan fortunately remembered something.

"Mei, doesn't Chenxi and Xiwangmu raise animals as a community pet?"

"Those animals are technically pets which belong to the Goddesses; which is why with a few exceptions they stay inside temple grounds and are never slaughtered or killed."

"I have an idea."

"I'm not taking one of their pets and gifting it to Aiai."

"No no, what if Aiai raises one and offers it on her birthday? Then we could see how ready she is for a pet of her own."

"Hmm that could work. It could show Xiao Ai here what it means to take care of another life who depends on her."

"And every week we check their progress. Her birthday is only a few weeks away and it would be a valuable experience for her."

"And how are we supposed to remain hidden while offering the future pet to Xiwangmu?"

"Xiao Ai doesn't have to actually leave here. Something tells me they'll send someone here for her birthday. What do you think little one? Are you up for the challenge your parents gave you?" Hua Cheng asks with a teasing tone.

"Yes please, pretty please."

"I'll be choosing what you'll be raising. And I will tell you now it's not a puppy. Xiwangmu already has plenty of dogs that play around in her temples."

"Okay."

"Don't worry Aiai we'll guide you. But it's still you who will be taking up the responsibility of raising the animal whom you will offer to Xiwangmu."

"Yes, baba." Meng Ai nods eagerly as she waits for more reminders from her new parents.

"Xiao Ai why don't you play with Ruoye for awhile." Xie Lian allows Ruoye to fly towards Meng Ai as it wraps itself around her hands while a part of it rubs itself against Meng Ai's cheek in their mutual delight.

"While you're at it, take E-ming with you. Just don't take E-ming out of it's sheath." The sentient scimitar coos in delight as Hua Cheng carefully gives it to Meng Ai with a subtle but noticeable glance to Yin Yu to watch over her while she plays with their spiritual tools. Once Yin Yu leads Meng Ai to a safe distance away from the four of them while still being within their vision, the discussion becomes serious.

"I'm going to investigate the hidden demon nearby."

"I'll come with you San Lang."

"How sure are you that it's just a demon? What if it's a demon summoned by one of the mage mercenaries to try to lure us out - or even worse lure Aiai out."

"That's even better Jing Mei, getting information will be easier. If you need anything Yin Yu will know what to do." In the distance they hear Meng Ai laughing as she was chasing Ruoye who was carrying a sheathed E-ming around a field of Asters.

"Please you two, let San Lang and I handle this." Ji Huifan sighs, shares a look with Jing Mei before they both nod.

"You probably already know this but from my experience these demons are the most likely ones that they've summoned." They listen intently before making their way to where the disguised demons were located.

The couple lands a short distance away from where the hidden demons disguised as a puppy and its mother were. Standing near them made their demonic aura more obvious to them.

"They don't seem to be puppets. But that might just be because whomever created them is highly skilled."

"Hmm my bet is that they themselves are demons since if they were just puppets they would need some external power source to do that level of deception while still keeping itself intact." The sun begins to set and children begin staying indoors or staying in areas that are more crowded than the sparse field where they are in now.

"How do you want to do this San Lang?"

"We go together but you could approach it first. You'll ask the easy questions." He turns to Xie Lian with a dangerous glint in his eyes that Xie Lian couldn't help but be drawn to even after seven years of marriage.

"While I ask the difficult questions."

"Do you think they'll be truthful?" Xie Lian quickly asks to try to ignore his blush. Though he knows that Hua Cheng had already noticed.

"We'll know, and we'll have our ways to finding out the truth." They share a nod as they make their way to the hidden demons. The one disguised as a puppy starts whimpering and making pitiful sounds as it looks at Xie Lian's figure approaching.

"Whomever you are go to your true form. There are questions that you need to answer - both of you." Xie Lian says with a serious but still approachable tone. But the once seemingly innocent look of both demons are now glazed over with darkness and anger.

"Don't make us force you." Xie Lian warns as he prepares himself for any possible attack. The demon in the form of a puppy launches itself at him but its demonic face with a mouth full of sharp teeth emerged. Xie Lian quickly moved away with ease and dodged an attack from the demon in the form of the mother dog. As he bent down Hua Cheng managed to grab their throats in each hand and both demons began choking with fear.

"Go to your true forms or I will make you." He throws both demons on front of them and they immediately go to their shadowy forms with reluctance and fear of the Crimson Rain Sought Flower.

"Now." Hua Cheng continues as he holds their jade green glowing gazes.

"We'll ask some questions and you are going to answer them. Lie and we will know."

"Hrraah...Fine...Graah."

"Why are you here?" Xie Lian begins.

"Krrah ... Krraah...to...Krraah...lure..."

"Lure who?"

"Hrrah...Graaah...a...krraah...little girl...KraAAh..."

"Do you know her name?"

"GrraAWAah...Hrraah...No...Krrraah..."

"How about what she looks like?" Hua Cheng asks in an intimidating tone.

"Krraah...Hrraaah...No...Krraah...GrAaAh!" They share a look.

Shall I make them show us?

Go ahead, you did warn them earlier.

"Hmph why don't we see for ourselves." Xie Lian slips his hand in Hua Chengs and intertwine their fingers while Hua Cheng with his other hand now outstretched reaches into the memories of both demons. He quickly found the memory he was looking for and projected them telepathically to Xie Lian's mind so they may both uncover them together.

"WE SUMMON YOU!" Cried a group of hooded and masked mages in a dark night without moonlight. The only light present was the candles arranged in a summoning formation.

"KRAahAHaha...GrahaAh...who summons...HrahaAah?"

"We do, youth devourers."

"We have a task for you."

"GRAhahaKraah...Offerring...HraAah...first." One of the mages lead two children who were in a trance to each demon. Xie Lian couldn't help but wince in horror as the youth devouring demons take their souls and devours them.

Gege?

I'm fine...its just awful

I know

"Satisfied?"

"Grahakraah...Yes...Grahaaah."

"We need you to capture a little girl."

"Her left eye is blue and her right eye is amber brown. She would be about six years old. By the end of September she will be seven years old."

"HRAAH...Krahaagh...why...Graaahk...us...kraaAAagh?"

"You youth devouring demons specialize in luring and hunting down children. Even in areas where mortals cannot easily go."

"We have prepared other offerings which you will recieve when you bring us the girl alive and with her soul intact."

"GraAAAahhk...krAaAh...her...KRaAaAhk...name?"

"She is known as Meng Ai, and her presence was felt in Jingdezhen before we lost track of her."

"Bring her to us and you will recieve the rest of your offerings."

"GRAaAh!" "HraAAaAghk!"

The memory ends but Hua Cheng keeps his control over the two demons.

"Should we ask them to lead us to them?"

"No need. I already know where those mages are, even if they travel around." Hua Cheng then summons E-ming out of its sheath.

"GrAAH krAAaAh - you liars! HraAahk!"

"We never promised your safety and continued existence." These were Hua Cheng's last words to them before E-mind destroyed them.

"Good job E-ming." Xie Lian says as the scimitar's eye looked to him for approval. Having received it, E-ming coos of soft delight.

"Hmm they're getting desperate. Something tells me that this won't be the last thing they summon to hunt or lure Xiao Ai to them."

"I'll increase the security measures when it comes to her safety. And when all else fails she still has our silver butterfly pendant on her. Our combined powers in that pendant should be able to protect her and send a message to anyone who dares harm her." Xie Lian couldn't help but smile as he notices how Hua Cheng is already thinking of her safety.

"What amuses Gege so?"

"I like this side of you. Being protective over our daughter. I don't mind seeing this more often." Xie Lian couldn't help but tease a bit as he brings himself closer to Hua Cheng's look of surprise.

"Is...is that so?"

"Mmhmm" He sighs as he embraces him with his arms around Hua Cheng's neck.

"Let's visit Puqi Shrine for awhile. Since Meng Ai couldn't be there for the meantime we'll have the bed to ourselves." Hua Cheng quickly takes out the dice and tosses it but barely looks at the number that will inevitably lead to Puqi Shrine. His gaze instead was focused on his husband as he feels his desire for him increase as he feels himself share an expression of lust with him.

"We're here Gege." He bends down to kiss him and to carry him as a groom would carry his bride. Never breaking the kiss he enters the living quarters and gently placed him on the bed.

"San Lang mmm" Xie Lian moans as he keeps Hua Cheng close to his lips with one hand while undressing him and teasing him with the other.

"Mmm Gege mmm."

They would deal with the damage left by the previous battle once morning arrives. For now they were savoring being united in their love.

______________________________________________________________

"White Lotus is clearly the better mooncake filling." Mu Qing argues as he, Feng Xin, and Shi Qingxuan went to the nearby town. It was their promised reward to Shi Qingxuan for taking care of themself to recover quicker and thus meeting Meng Ai earlier before her birthday.

"Its too subtle for a little girl's birthday."

"Well clearly not for Meng Ai since she loves it."

"She also loves the Red bean filling. The popular choice."

"Hey you two why don't you just go for the third option? You both mentioned you liked how her mom mixed both fillings together, why not go with that? Also," Shi Qingxuan browses the fabric on display.

"What do you think her favorite color is? Or or what colors do you think looks good with her?"

"The four of us secretly decided to give all three to her. We'll give her an official answer so that she won't suspect and so her mother could begin making it, Nan Feng and I will buy one mooncake with either White Lotus paste or Red bean filling and her new parents will buy the other."

"Red bean filling is easier to find and it easily sells out. Oh and I think you should just ask her since we'll be going there once we finish up here."

"Which is why we should buy the White Lotus one so that it's easier to get."

"Do you know how easy it is to screw up White Lotus mooncake?"

"Any mooncake made by an idiot will be screwed up. Why do you think we'll be tasting them first before giving it to her?" Sighing as they hear the argument continue Shi Qingxuan decides to ask the store owner if they had some fabric samples they could show. They couldn't help but laugh at both of them remaining firm in their arguments.

"Here you go sir, a book sewn with a small piece of all the fabrics we have in our store."

"Thank you so much. Come on you two, you can continue arguing outside." They say with a laugh as both of them follow them out.

"Is that your only gift to her?"

"Of course not, we're also giving her a Go set." Feng Xin says as Mu Qing enters the first store selling mooncakes. The Mid Autumn Festival was only a few weeks away and this year Meng Ai's birthday would be in the week after that. Stores were now selling their mooncakes as a form of advertising their products. By selling them now the public could gauge which stores would sell the mooncakes that appealed to their taste and stores themselves could gauge how many orders to prepare as the Mid Autumn Festival came nearer.

"Did you check with Hua Cheng and Xie Lian if they already have a Go set in Paradise Manor? I find it hard to believe that Hua Chengzhu wouldn't already have one."

"Well another one wouldn't hurt."

"Because he already bought it." Mu Qing says as he emerged with six small mooncakes. Three of the White Lotus Paste filling and three of the Red bean filling.

"I didn't buy it! It wasn't used and was just collecting dust in one of my temples and I compensated my priest with blessings in exchange for offering it to me."

"In other words - you bought it from your priest." Mu Qing rebuts as he eats his share with the red bean filling. While the taste itself was not bad it had a strangely sour after taste that he isn't sure that Meng Ai would enjoy. Jing Mei's remarkable mooncakes were smooth, flavorful and did not have any of the aftertaste he was currently experiencing now.

Perhaps it was just the red bean flavor.

He eats the White Lotus paste flavor filling and while the flavor was better than the previous mooncake, it still had that sour aftertaste.

It must be the dough.

"Uhm Xuan Zhen, I don't think a little girl is going to like this." Shi Qingxuan says as he swallows only out of politeness. But it was clear from their and Feng Xin's expressions that none of them were fans of the sour aftertaste.

"I know, this is a far cry from her mother's version."

"I honestly doubt we'll be able to find someone who could match hers."

"Describe how her mother does it. Maybe I know a place that will have something similar."

"Smooth, flavorful, concentrated in its flavor that just complements the egg inside it, sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Just enough to make you want more."

"It's almost like there is a subtle burst of it in every bite you take and because of its smoothness the flavors becomes more intense." Feng Xin adds as they begin making their way in a secluded area after they notice that it was late in the night and it was time for them to make their way to Paradise Manor. Mu Qing begins drawing a teleportation portal to get them close enough to the entrance of Ghost City.

"If she's willing to make us some, you'll understand what we mean."

"Are you sure Xiwangmu wouldn't let me borrow her for her visions and her amazing food? She's got plenty of other oracles." At this Mu Qing couldn't help but laugh.

"We've already talked about this, I highly doubt she would lend her to you just for those reasons."

"What if I send some of my followers to protect her and Chenxi's temples?"

"You don't need to request for her specifically! You can get anyone else to cook for you or to give you visions."

"Okay what if I teach Meng Ai how to fight?" Mu Qing pinches the bridge of his nose in both annoyance and amusement.

"Go ahead, try your best to convince one of the most powerful primordial Goddesses if you can borrow one of her most active oracles. I'm going to enjoy watching her kick your sorry butt." Now it was Feng Xin's turn to laugh.

"Hmph please, we both know you wouldn't let that happen."

"Well it looks like the portal is ready! Enough stalling let's go." Shi Qingxuan says quickly before Mu Qing could respond with what seemed to be a more teasing and flirtatious reply based on the expression on his face. Their flirting was often more confusing to the former Wind Master. At least whenever Hua Cheng and Xie Lian would flirt, their flirtations were more obvious and Shi Qingxuan knew to ignore it and give the married couple privacy. But with Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen being a relatively new couple (in public at least, they knew that the Generals were together a little longer before that) their flirtations with each other were a sometimes not so obvious and it was difficult to tell if the new couple were seriously arguing or if they were simply teasing and goading each other into initiating more physical forms of affection.

They emerge out of the portal and make a final check to see if their divine aura was obvious or not. Then they join the ghosts entering Ghost City.

When they enter the actual city they were greeted by Yin Yu.

"Welcome back to Ghost City. Just follow me to Paradise Manor."

"Thank you Yin Yu. What are they doing?" Shi Qingxuan asks in curiosity.

"It's going to be your first time meeting her, correct?"

"Oh yes! And might I just say I would have jumped at the chance of babysitting her if only I wasn't sick. But unfortunately I'm now mortal and I'm now more prone to illnesses." Shi Qingxuan gives a chuckle at the end. They decided that it was best that they take over the conversation since they aren't exactly sure what type of dynamic the other two have with Yin Yu. They are at least confident that Yin Yu and they can have an easy conversation. Or Yin Yu willingly listened to Shi Qingxuan's thoughts about almost anything.

"It is understandable, let's just say her mother has found her an animal that she will raise for the next few weeks and she will offer it to Xiwangmu on the day of her birthday." Yin Yu let's out a small chuckle.

"All because Xiao Ai wanted to adopt a puppy and its mother which turned out to be a couple of youth devourers in disguise."

"So she's taking care of a dog?" Feng Xin asks as they reach the entrance of Paradise Manor.

"Not exactly." Yin Yu says with amusement, when they reach the entrance of the building and before Yin Yu makes his leave he gives them one last hint.

"I hope you won't mind a certain meat being absent in your meals here - or at least whenever Meng Ai is present while eating. She's that committed." He then takes his leave and the three of them enter the manor. What greeted them was an amusing sight.

It seems that their presence was not yet noticed since Hua Cheng and Xie Lian had their backs to them while to their side was another couple who was looking down at what Shi Qingxuan presumed to be Meng Ai who was currently hidden by them.

"You know she can also eat bugs Aiai."

"No! Baba she'll be vegetarian."

"But you'll deprive her of nutritition and she's already the runt of the litter." Jing Mei says amusingly.

"But mushrooms are also protein!"

"I hate to agree Xiao Ai but plenty of mushrooms are toxic to both humans and animals." Xie Lian adds in a light tone.

"Aw." Hua Cheng chuckles in a way that they've only heard him do around Xie Lian. And now this little girl had the power to bring that out from him. Much to their astonishment. Mostly of Shi Qingxuan, but also to Feng Xin and Mu Qing.

"Xiao Ai don't worry, she's not going to be slaughtered. You're raising her to be Xiwangmu's pet."

"I know San Lang." They then hear a little squeal and what emerged was Meng Ai craddling a swaddled little piglet.

"Oh I'm so sorry we didn't notice your arrival." Xie Lian immediately says as he approaches the trio. It was then that Meng Ai noticed two familiar faces and one new one.

"Nan Feng! Fu Yao! Meet Chang-Chang." She holds up the little swaddled piglet as she eagerly runs to them. The piglet blinks innocently at them and as the three of them kneels down to her level to take a closer look.

"She's my birthday gift to Xiwangmu so she's actually her pet."

"Hello there." Shi Qingxuan says as they reach out and pet Chang-Chang on the head. Turns out the little piglet loves cuddles and immediately leans in on their hand.

"You know what - surprisingly cute." Mu Qing says as he gives a little pet to Chang-Chang on the head while Feng Xin pets her from underneath her chin. The little piglet, much like Meng Ai was happily soaking up all the positive attention from her new audience.

"Mama chose her for me because she couldn't get milk from her mama."

"Not enough nipples and too many piglets." Jing Mei clarifies from where she was standing.

"Is this why you don't want to eat pork until after she goes to Xiwangmu?" Shi Qingxuan asks and she nods vigorously.

"I didn't want to offend her. But don't worry since she'll be going to Xiwangmu in the morning, in my birthday party in the evening we'll be eating pork again." Feng Xin took the moment to carry Chang-Chang while Xie Lian formally introduced Shi Qingxuan and Meng Ai. After a few minutes he felt dampness in the swaddled cloth accompanied by Hua Cheng's laughter.

"Chang-Chang!" One of the servants accompanied Jing Mei in helping Meng Ai in cleaning the little piglet whose pee soaked through the swaddling cloth and dripped a bit on Feng Xin.

"I'm so sorry Nan Feng - if it makes you feel better Chang-Chang also peed on me when I was carrying her yesterday." Mu Qing laughs as he hands a handkerchief to Feng Xin.

"Don't worry Meng Ai, let's just say Nan Feng is used to fluids being dripped his way." Before she could ask further Jing Mei and the female servant ushers her out to clean Chang-Chang.

"Well would you look at that - it's nice to know that even Chang-Chang has taste in companions." Hua Cheng says as he joins Xie Lian's side.

"Hey! At least she's comfortable around me."

"Aw you two were right, she is adorable. Congratulations on your new little girl you two." Shi Qingxuan immediately says to quickly dissipate any incoming argument between Hua Cheng and Feng Xin. Even though they knew that these three couldn't help but bicker, they didn't want to start their visit with them bickering among each other (though it was still entertaining from their point of view). Xie Lian gives them a thankful glance and guides them to the dining room and takes advantage of Meng Ai being absent for a little while.

"Chenxi has contacted you?" Ji Huifan asks them as they enter.

"Yes, you knew?" Mu Qing asks.

"No, but she did send a message to Mei and I that she will be attending Meng Ai's birthday party."

"Huh interesting." Shi Qingxuan says as female servants begin placing food on the dining table. They couldn't help but wink at a few of them while also giving a sympathetic look. They recalled the time when they were going undercover and had to blend in among Hua Cheng's female servants.

"Any ideas on what are their next moves?" Mu Qing asks when they all settle down.

"Considering that they ventured into summoning youth devourers they would probably start summoning other demonic creatures." Hua Cheng says seriously. Xie Lian slip his hand into Hua Cheng's for their mutual comfort.

"Based on their last movements the entire group is mainly headed towards the southern areas. Probably to investigate if they had left or if their contacts have seen the three of them leave through the southern coastal areas. I'd like to request if you two could keep an eye on them."

"Of course." They then sense that Meng Ai and Jing Mei were coming. This time Chang-Chang was swaddled in a new cloth and was now laying inside a basket whose walls were high enough that the little piglet couldn't escape even if she jumped.

"Chang-Chang is not sitting on your lap."

"But my eyes are not leaving Chang-Chang."

"Chang-Chang already ate, she'll be more comfortable in your room."

"But I haven't yet and I need to see her at all times."

"Xiao - Ai would you like to put Chang-Chang nearby?" Xie Lian asks in a gentle persuasive tone and trying to find an approach that would help Jing Mei and Meng Ai have a compromise.

"She could be within your view."

"Okay Xie Lian." Xie Lian then takes the basket holding Chang-Chang on the seat in front of Meng Ai which was in between Shi Qingxuan and and Mu Qing.

"Don't worry, she's sleeping now so I don't think she'll relieve herself again. I just want to make sure I know where she is." With everyone complete they begin eating their meal.

"Say Jing Mei, by any chance do you still have any of those sample mooncakes? You know just so Shi Qingxuan here could understand Meng Ai's dilemma."

"Oh yes, I just made a new batch this morning - and no Aiai you're not getting any until your birthday."

"I was wondering if Chang-Chang could have some."

"I know what you're trying to do but the answer is still no."

"Meng Ai, think of it this way - once you get your mooncake on your birthday it will be much sweeter." Shi Qingxuan says now excited at finally tasting the coveted mooncakes of Jing Mei.

"That's true, but by then Chang-Chang will be with Xiwangmu."

"Don't worry Aiai, I'll make a pig friendly version to accompany Chang-Chang on the morning of your birthday when you offer her as a pet to Xiwangmu."

"Oh why didn't you say so mama!?" Finally satisfied the rest of the meal went on and by the end of it Shi Qingxuan now understands why Feng Xin and Mu Qing were no longer satisfied with just any mooncakes and why Feng Xin wants to borrow Jing Mei for her cooking skills.

"How do you like things so far Meng Ai?"

"Oh I love it Fu Yao. Everything is so red and warm and cozy."

"Ah so is red your favorite color? Oh and before I forget you can call me A-xuan. I give you my full permission." Shi Qingxuan says with enthusiasm. Meng Ai couldn't help but giggle as she shakes her head.

"Red is beautiful but blue is actually my favorite color."

"Oh why is that?" Feng Xin asks amused.

"Because whenever blue shows up in nature, it is always a work of art. That's why you don't see many things in nature that are blue."

"Hmm? But the sky is blue." Shi Qingxuan points out.

"And so is the sea." Added Mu Qing.

"The sky is up there, and the waters only reflect it, that's why they are blue. But there aren't many species of animals that are blue. There's no blue dog, blue cat or blue horses. But peacocks have beautiful iridiscent patterns on their feathers and the most beautiful butterfly in nature is the blue butterfly." At this she excitedly turns to Hua Cheng.

"San Lang, did you know that somewhere beyond our lands is the most beautiful blue butterfly? One of Baba's friends summoned some through a portal and it was the most beautiful butterfly in nature. And Baba explained that the reason why its so vibrant is because the butterflies are not using pigment, they use some sort of structure that is too small for us to see to make their wings blue. Since they live in a part of the world that rains a lot so they need to keep their wings vibrant even when they are wet."

"How interesting Xiao Ai." He says with interest as he listens to her.

"Oh yes and it's also why when you look at it in different angles sometimes it shifts in color - Baba what do you call it?"

"Iridesence."

"Iridesence! And it's the same method that Peacocks use for their feathers. That's why their feathers are so beautiful." By the end of the meal, the new people in Meng Ai's life have a good grasp on what gifts she would love and appreciate.

______________________________________________________________

"Thank you for visiting scrap collector gege!"

"You're welcome Gu Zi." Xie Lian says as the little boy is escorted to have his formal lessons by a teacher whom Lang Qianqiu personally checked would be good for Gu Zi's temperament and would be considerate of his background. Now he and his former Guo Shi were alone ever since the battle of the heavens against Jun Wu.

"Lang Qianqiu? Is there something in your mind?" Xie Lian asks as he hears Lang Qianqiu sigh.

"Am I fighting a losing battle...Guo Shi?" Lang Qianqiu turns to face him with uncertainty in his eyes.

"He still awaits for his father's return. I don't know if that's his original father or that monster anymore. No matter how much I try and attempt to explain things to him he rejects it. What if...what if this means I'm not ready to take care of him? Or worse, what if I mess things up?" Lang Qianqiu then realizes that as much as he tries...he needs his Guo Shi.

The man who willingly painted himself as the villain in his life so that peace would prevail and so that he could be the ruler who listens to the needs of his people.

"Qianqiu." Xie Lian starts with a gentle tone. Gentler than when he was Fang Xin Guoshi, but nevertheless it was still sincere.

"I also wasn't ready when I came into your life." Lang Qianqiu nods solemnly.

"But you managed to do it so well."

"But I wasn't perfect." The stillness yet cooling air of the heavens only emphasized that there was nowhere to run. Deep inside both of them they longed to be able to form a bond, even though it will never be like how it was. One of them believed he was undeserving and it was all a wishful dream but Xie Lian couldn't help but hope. Lang Qianqiu didn't know how to reforge it, but he had to try. To try his best even though it made him uncomfortable right now.

He misses him.

But he also knows that the wounds from the recent revelations were still too fresh. And he could see that his Guo Shi knows that some things take time to heal.

"Qianqiu, there is no such thing as a perfect parent or guardian." Xie Lian couldn't help but place his hands on Qianqiu's shoulders to reassure his former student.

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do your best. And I know you enough that you will." Lang Qianqiu's eyes become watery as he allows the words of his Guo Shi to sink in.

Somehow, even till now...he knew just what he needs to hear.

And he couldn't help but smile in thanks to him.

"I have an idea, why don't I introduce you and Gu Zi to someone. She's six years old but it would be nice for Gu Zi to be with children around his age."

"Ugh, I've tried Guo Shi. But he refuses to interact with them whenever Mengyou and I take him to the mortal realm. I'm trying not to force things on him. He's so obsessed with his father and Qi Rong that I'm afraid that he will miss out on living life."

"Don't worry. You still have time. And I have faith in you."

______________________________________________________________

"Chang - Chang, sit." The little piglet lay down instead of sitting. Taking a deep breath Meng Ai tries again.

"Chang - Chang, stand." Mu Qing, Feng Xin, and Shi Qingxuan watches her squeal in delight as they watch the piglet stand up. The three of them have decided to take her to Shi Qingxuan's new residence with permission from Hua Cheng and Xie Lian. Since those hunting her were specifically looking for a family of three - a mother, a father, and a daughter, they tended to ignore groups that didn't meet this description. As expected Hua Cheng initially refused until Xie Lian convinced him that Meng Ai needs to take trips outside of Ghost City since she was still mortal. Even if the powers they bestowed on her butterfly pendant was more than enough to allow her to live everyday in Ghost City, Meng Ai did miss being around regular people. It was only when Hua Cheng made a special kind of illusion on her so that anyone who wasn't taking care of her couldn't see what she actually looks like.

This also gave a chance for all of her parents to rest from taking care of her while Shi Qingxuan is making up for lost time by showing that they can be relied on as her babysitter.

After all there were at least twenty hidden wraith butterflies watching over her and their treatment of her. These hidden twenty were only visible to the trio of babysitters. Threatening them by their mere presence and proximity should any harm fall on Meng Ai while she is under their watch. Meanwhile there were another ten wraith butterflies playing with her and Chang-Chang.

"You know for someone who recently became a father, Hua Chengzhou is quite protective over little Aiai." Shi Qingxuan says as they fan themself to keep cool. While it wasn't a hot day, it wasn't cool enough to be comfortable either.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I don't blame him. Qingxuan if only you knew what these cursed immortals had sent to hunt her down you too would be concerned over her safety." Feng Xin says as he takes a bite of the latest sample of mooncakes that Shi Qingxuan bought from the capital city of this area. It was definitely better but still not as smooth as how Jing Mei makes hers.

"Hmph, never thought the day would come when Hua Cheng would be protective over someone other than Dianxia." Mu Qing says as he puts a black stone on the Go board before turning to watch Meng Ai play and teach Chang-Chang basic commands.

"Chang-Chang, down." The piglet lies down and an enthusiastic Meng Ai gives her a treat. Even from where they were sitting they could see that the butterflies were being very gentle and playful with her. Some of them have began attaching themselves on her hair, keeping some of the stray strands from flying into her face.

"Chang-Chang, stand." The piglet stands and was rewarded with another treat.

"By the way, has she guessed your identities yet?"

"She already knows Xie Lian is the Crown Prince of Xianle when she asked him last dinner and said why she thinks so. He didn't have the heart to not answer her." Feng Xin places a white stone on the Go board before once again facing the direction where Meng Ai and Chang-Chang was.

"Well to be fair Nan Yang he is going to be her new father. If there's anyone whose identity she should know its him and Hua Cheng. She's quick so it won't be long till she guesses our own identites."

"Chang-Chang, walk." Happily trotting beside her and some of the wraith butterflies trailing along behind them they go back to where the trio were seated at the outer porch area of Shi Qingxuan's home.

"General Nan Yang! General Xuan Zhen! A-Xuan! Look what I taught Chang-Chang!" She doesn't notice the look of surprise when she immediately turns and commands Chang-Chang to sit, lie down, and stand. Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh that's brilliant Meng Ai!"

"I know A-xuan! I can't believe she finally learnt my commands now." After Chang-Chang consistently follows Meng Ai's commands she picks her up and carries her as she settles herself beside Shi Qingxuan so that she may watch the Go game.

"Meng Ai what did you call Nan Feng and Fu Yao just now?"

"General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen. Xie Lian said that they've been bickering ever since their early days with him. And since Xie Lian is the Crown Prince of Xianle and since they have the same type of spirit as Xie Lian the only two Gods I know who like to compete with each other are Generals Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen." She turns to look at their Go game to see if she could recognize any patterns from their first lesson with her. As she was looking she hears both of them chuckle above her.

"You just had to predict it don't you Xuan Zhen?" Mu Qing only gives him a smug look in return.

"Oh but I do have some questions - what does Ju Yang mean? Did you have to become a giant in a famous battle? Why do some of the villagers and ghosts laugh whenever they say it?"

"Well-"

"You're not ready to know yet!" Feng Xin quickly says as he cuts off Mu Qing from explaining any further. This only lead Mu Qing to laugh at his expense

"Huh? Why not? Why is your facing becoming red?" She innocently asks confused.

"Meng Ai let's just say it was an embarrassing incident for Nan Yang here and that's why he doesn't like to say it."

"But I will."

"Because you're enjoying it."

"Why do you think I have all the poems memorized Qingxuan?"

"Oh I'm sorry Nan Yang - I could tell you an embarrassing memory of mine. Would that make you feel better?"

"Oh there's no need for that Meng Ai." Feng Xin quickly says but from her expression she was going to tell them anyway.

"One time somebody ask me to do the story of the butterfly lovers ten times. But I was confused because I don't know what they mean, and because this man wanted me to do it and not one of my parents. I didn't want to ask them what he meant so I just guessed. So I made ten different drawings of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. It turned out that he wanted me to write it down. But for some reason mama and baba said that it was good that I didn't do it because that man wanted to get a sample of my calligraphy." Unbeknownst to her all three of them were alarmed.

"What did he look like?"

"I didn't see his face, but I remember he was wearing a hood and a mask. But it was during one of the village festivals when plenty of people were wearing masks."

The air became chilled at this new revelation. With the butterflies still on her hair at least they know that they wouldn't need to tell Hua Cheng of their new discovery. Feng Xin and Mu Qing share a look as the memories of their clones escaping the camp full of the hooded masked mages and the cursed immortal who was Meng Ai's aunt. What she almost did.

And now they learn that a mage mercenary had interacted with Meng Ai hoping to get a sample of her calligraphy. While they aren't entirely sure what that man was going to do with it, all three of them knew nothing good could come out of it.

"What happened to the drawings?"

"Oh I didn't like my drawings so Baba set them on fire so that the ashes could be used as a fertilizer."

They all breathed out a sigh of relief.

______________________________________________________________

"What do you think?" Hua Cheng asks as he shows Xie Lian the new modifications he made to their cottage. The cottage where they spent many of their passionate nights after their wedding. Now they both stand at the entrance of what would now be Meng Ai's room. A bed by the window since she loved waking up to the view. A desk to practice her calligraphy in and for her to read. Several stacks of blank notebooks and books on the shelves that she had always wanted to read.

And of course it was a tasteful blend of blue, Meng Ai's favorite color.

Xie Lian couldn't help but chuckle as he notices the paintings of blue butterflies and peacocks that decorate her walls.

"You really searched for and studied the blue butterfly she was talking about." Hua Cheng smiles at him with a knowing look.

"I couldn't make an accurate painting if I didn't examine the specimen itself. Fortunately I was able to get a sample of it and made some here." Xie Lian embraces him. Knowing that despite all his work he could still sense that Hua Cheng was nervous on whether Meng Ai would actually love it. But knowing her and knowing how she actually is when she is safe and happy, deep down Xie Lian knows Meng Ai would love it because Hua Cheng made it for her.

"San Lang, do you want to give it to her before her birthday in a few days? That way she could move in and if there are any changes she'd like you would know right away?" Hua Cheng couldn't help but gaze lovingly at him. Xie Lian always seemed to know what to say to relieve his worries.

"I would love that Gege." He bends down and they share a chaste but sweet kiss as their foreheads press against each other.

"Let's reinforce the wards so that we won't have to worry about any of them finding her and taking her away."

"I couldn't agree more Gege."

Three days before her actual birthday, while the rest of the world was in the midst of the week long Mid Autumn Festival, they lead her to the cottage. Ruoye once again acting as a blindfold. This time on Meng Ai whose hands were held by Xie Lian and Hua Cheng.

"I thought we would be staying in Paradise Manor?"

"We are still staying there. But you need to also be within the mortal world since its not good for a mortal to stay in Ghost City for too long." Hua Cheng explains as they guide her.

"Even when you and Xie Lian placed power on my necklace?"

"Even the powers of your necklace needs to rest and replenish every once in a while Meng Ai." Xie Lian says as they stop on front of the cottage and Ruoye unwinds itself as it goes back inside Xie Lian's sleeve.

When her eyes opened she couldn't contain her delight and hugged both of them.

"Can we go inside please?" They both laugh as she pulls them both to the door. Someone else would think that she was trying to convince them to buy the cottage.

"We have a few more surprises for you." Hua Cheng says as Xie Lian holds his hand to help with his nervousness.

Only for a few minutes as they here squeals of delight as she enters her room.

"Is - is this really for me? THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She drags them both inside as she jumps on the bed.

"Of course this is for you little one." Hua Cheng chuckles as he finds himself laying down on one side of the bed, Xie Lian on the other and Meng Ai laying down in between them with her facing him.

"Does this mean you wouldn't mind if I'm your daughter? Is it okay if I call you two Baba Lian and Baba Lang?" She asks nervously. A part of her is scared at still being rejected. But the love on both of their faces made her feel happy and safe.

She wasn't losing anyone, she's gaining more people who will love her.

"You are our daughter Xiao Ai." Xie Lian says as he leans on one arm.

"We both want you to be our daughter." After he said this Hua Cheng felt his anxiety fade away as their daughter, their Xiao Ai laughed with joy.

______________________________________________________________

The morning of the 21st of September had finally arrived.

Chenxi in disguise as one of her mother's priestesses arrives at the entrance of Paradise Manor. At the entrance was Meng Ai holding Chang-Chang who now had a blue collar around her neck. Behind her were her four parents and her three baby sitters. Everyone except Meng Ai instantly knew who she was. Meng Ai could sense she was a God but couldn't tell which one.

"Are you Xiwangmu?" She asks as she held Chang-Chang back.

"No, but she's very important to me. And I believe you have a pet offering for her."

"Will Chang-Chang be safe?" Chenxi smiles as she nods.

"I will personally make sure she is. Xiwangmu will love her. She knows you've been working hard on raising Chang-Chang." Meng Ai nods and makes Chang-Chang face her.

"You be good okay? I'll visit you if I can." She couldn't help but cry as she embraces Chang-Chang one last time. All the sleepless nights, all the time spent raising and loving her and training her...it will be over now but she knows it's because the priests and priestesses of Xiwangmu could better take care of Chang-Chang than she could.

Is that why it still hurts?

Chang-Chang sensing her sadness nuzzles her one last time as she gives her to Xiwangmu's priestess who now also carries treats and food for Chang-Chang.

"I'll be back later for your party tonight little Meng Ai. I'll just make sure Chang-Chang is safe." Chenxi smiles reassuringly as she escorts Chang-Chang to her mother's temple. There she will join all of her other pets offered to live a natural life.

"Mama it hurts." Chenxi smiles as she overhears her. Ji Huifen and Jing Mei did a great job at showing her that even they are going to be grieving. Grieving at the chance of not being the ones who will raise her. Even though they all know this is for the best, it doesn't mean that it didn't hurt.

A lesson that she herself had to learn the hard way.

She tucks that in the corner of her mind as she makes her way to the temple. There will be plenty of that when Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen ask her about that time in her life. Today was a day of celebration and she intends to keep it that way.

Once the sun had set Meng Ai's birthday celebration has begun. The guests being restricted to those she has already met but it was still more than just her parents.

While there were games that entertained her if you were to ask Meng Ai what the highlight of the night would be, it's that she got to eat all three flavors of mooncake.

"We didn't want to keep fighting what was the best flavor so we decided to give you all three." Hua Cheng couldn't help but rebut this as Feng Xin and Mu Qing gives Meng Ai their Go set gift.

"You're right, you and Nan Yang would prefer to fight over more petty things for the fun of it now."

"Pardon me!"

"Now now it's Xiao Ai's birthday."

"Hey Meng Ai, I've got you something!" Sensing another argument may happen Shi Qingxuan immediately interrupts by giving Meng Ai their present.

"Shi Qingxuan how were you able to bring a Guquin here without us noticing?" Feng Xin asks suspiciously and Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Hey I still know and use magic, it's just not the same as before but obviously I am still highly capable for your information."

"And speaking of musical instruments." Ji Huifan and Jing Mei present their own gift, the Guzheng.

"I can finally learn the Guzheng and the Guquin. Oh it's so beautiful."

"This is the Guzheng I was playing when your father first met me." Jing Mei says as she begins playing a simple tune that gradually began to become more and more complex.

"It was once my mother's, and now it is yours Aiai."

"But-but how did you get it here?"

"We had some help." Ji Huifan says as he bends down and kisses Meng Ai's forehead.

"Remember, never stop learning. We will always be with you no matter what." She smiles as she embraces them.

"Thank you mama, thank you baba."

Now having experienced a pain similar to theirs she kisses both of them on the cheek.

And for the rest of the night, there was lively music heard in Paradise Manor celebrating the latest member of Hua Cheng and Xie Lian's family.

AN: I had to end it there for now because Chenxi's assessment and conversation with Fengqing would take place as everyone else is busy.

Zufu - Formal way of saying grandfather (at least according to google)

Mei mei - little sister

Ji - Hope, Lihua - Pear blossom

Chang-Chang - Flourishing (I found this in a site for chinese names for female dogs [ https://www.pupnames.com/dog-names/chinese/female ] )

I wanted to give Chang-Chang more scenes but I'm not too experienced with pigs as pets to contribute specific scenes.

I was so inspired and guided by the reconciliation scene in the story "A Splinter in the Heart" by theearlymorningmist (read here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54114421/chapters/137010871) although I will be approaching Lang Qianqiu reconciling with Xie Lian more gradually in this story. They'll still have the big heart to heart reconciliation talk but I feel Lang Qianqiu has to gradually be ready for it and needs to understand what it's like raising a kid first. Also just to make things clear - Lang Qianqiu is Meng Ai's love interest but I won't let them meet till after she grows up.

[vriskarlmarx]

🌈💞🪄 for the real fic writers ask thing!

<3 thanks for the ask! for context this is about this ask game hehe

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

oh hmm that's a hard question. i think probably the one that was hardest for me to write for technical reasons was probably discipline & punish (a beyond birthday-centric fic) because i was trying to say some specific things while also trying to settle on a characterization and backstory that made sense to me for beyond (who i think is a very interesting character but whose entire characterization as we see him is 1. a performance 2. filtered through *two* potentially unreliable narrators lmao so it's kind of a free-for-all imo!) and also it was a pinch hit so i was working kind of a tight deadline ig. i did have fun writing it, though i still don't really know if i succeeded at tackling the things that i wanted to talk about with it tbh (actually there's one specific thing i am not satisfied with, the others i'm ranging from satisfied to unsure).

the ones i worked hardest on or struggled most to write for personal reasons were No Return Address (disco elysium/sacred and terrible air) and Conventional Weapons (fullmetal alchemist manga/brotherhood), both of which felt to write like what i imagine trying to pull your teeth out with your fingers might feel like physically.

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

when i read fanfiction it's probably mostly the characterization that i'm paying attention. i've clicked out of very beautifully written and technically-competent things just because i did not agree with the characterization. my tolerance meter for "he would not fucking say that" is very low i think ahahaha (this parenthesis is me acknowledging that often this is very subjective and my "he would not fucking say that" is probably often someone else's "hey that's fun why's he saying that i want to know more" or perhaps "it's sexy that he's saying that so who cares" or something idk)

when i write, it's always whatever singular specific thing i'm trying to explore, which is usually a specific framing device, metaphor, feeling, perspective, etc. i am usually focused on that specific thing (or at most like 2) that i am trying to explore, which can be for example using a second person narrator, or telling the story counter-chronologically, or hammering down on a specific comparison, or raising a specific point about canon. so it really varies depending on the story but there's usually one central concept that it's sort of "about".

🪄what is your post-writing/sharing aftercare? How do you take care of yourself or celebrate yourself when you've finished a fic?

do you do this?? i've never done this. i just post it on the internet and then it's literally whatever man. sounds fun to have a little post-sharing routine though!

[weekend-whip]

Ninjago Fic Rec Week: Day 7

Prompts: Gen / Team Fics! (IIIIITS THE GRAND FINALEEEEEE)

lloyd garmadon makes kai smith cry on his birthday- Has been recc'ed a couple times but *I* just read it and now *I* have to rec it too! The brotherly dynamic between the two already has me by the throat, but then both of their perspectives on birthdays just really helps drive the point home!! So pleased to have this fic shown to me!

Aftermaths: Lloyd and Kai post-MotO and oof they both go through it emotionally

Visionary- A fic jam-PACKED with introspective and dynamics with the main six, consisting of Lloyd getting a glimpse of what the other's went through prior to becoming ninja (and other hardships), while the other five use their experiences to help Lloyd move forward with his own troubles. That's...literally the barest I can break this fic down into, but there's soooo many emotions and moments and perspective and AAAAAA

An Endless Light: Made ME weep, man. WEEP I SAY. An immortal Lloyd just loves his family, man. AND GODDD THE ENDINGGGGG

the L-word: FIVE TIMES THE NINJA TELL LLOYD THEY LOVE HIM (and the one time he says it back) THE FOUND FAMILY VIBES ARE STRONG WITH THIS ONE!!! PLATONIC USAGES OF I LOVE YOU *throws flowers petals* LET THE PEOPLE LOVE OUT LOUD!!

The Sun Rises Every Single Night: TIME TRAVEL FIC of Lloyd contending with holy crap how much things have CHANGED but also, despite everything, he is still himself. Kind of a character study, but all entertaining and wholesome ;w;

Time Marches On: A fic that is lamentably not finished, but the chapter that IS there is a wonderful reflection by Wu on how his students have changed (I like time-reflective fics, I suppose) punctuated with a heart-wrenching conversation with Lloyd, which is something I will always love to see~ (but pls if for nothing else the Wu+Lloyd convo is so GOOD *rolls around*)

Thank You, For Giving Me Wings: Or, Five Times the Ninja accidentally called Wu 'Dad' (and the one time one of them didn't on purpose). Oh look, another time-reflective piece about Wu and the Ninja, but this time by me! And could be finished if the Nya chapter didn't give me such a writer's block on how to phrase what I want to saaaay *wails* Anywaaaay, lot of Wu and lots of family emotions and lots of the ninja being vulnerable and soft in their "father's" presence ;w;)/

Some Burn Hot, Some Burn Cold: A story about Lloyd, Elemental Powers, and the effects both those things can have on the ninja's emotions. Everyone's got a role to play in this one, though the parts with Cole and Lloyd hit me the hardest, man. Also may or may not have been my inspiration for Elemental Outbursts ;P

All I Want For Christmas is You: If I had a nickel for every time I recc'ed a Christmas fic in the middle of July, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird that it's (about to) happen twice (aka Lloyd experiences Christmas for the first time and attempts to hide that fact and the ninja simply love him very very very much in the process).

All I'm Asking For- And last but most certainly not least, my other very favorite Ninjago fic ever, the masterpiece that inspired me to get back into writing to begin with ;w;

Kind of a (Christmas-y) AU the diverts from MotO but doesn't necessarily contradict it either, my mere meager description just cannot do it the justice it deserves! Everyone gets some form of closure after all these years of fighting to just be okay, even if for a little while, all sprinkled with marvelous character moments and interactions and holiday shenanigans that are guaranteed to warm your heart at one point or another. A great pick me up to dive back into year round regardless (as I do)

(this fic is technically and obviously about everyone, but the way it starts and ends with Cole's perspective on his team............ *bursts into tears* something about it just feels so perfectly right in a way I still can't manage to explain. But know I hold this fic so very near and dear to my heart and you should too <3)

And that is it! Woot, didn't think I'd make it every day, but turns out I read a lot more than I think! Shoutout to @21st-century-ninja for putting this all together!!