#that chapter completely destroyed me
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causticflower · 9 days ago
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“—and the love you are made of.” (and I love you because you are love)
@lovesick-x-prince what if i cried. HUH.
[the thing causing big emotion]
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gu6chan · 3 months ago
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im ngl i love faputa and will continue to love her but genuinely like. It's been on my mind but i kinda sorta hate what they're doing with her now
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lofan · 9 months ago
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Happy Berlermo day everyone!
I present you a little something for the best fic I have ever laid my eyes on:
The Time Traveler’s Soulmate by @oreo-cookies-fan is wholly responsible for this. This gem of a fic left me speechless and in tears and forced me to do something. That's my only excuse.
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kindkindling · 2 years ago
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The only thing on my mind for dayyyyssssss has been, in order:
Stampede Wolfwood saying "no matter how heavy the cross you carry, you still deserve to eat and laugh";
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Stampede Vash taking it to heart and eating for the first time since Juneora Rock;
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and TriMax Vash's first action, after burning off a huge chunk of his life out of grief and burying his best friend, being to make dinner for himself and Livio.
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lee-hakhyun · 1 year ago
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representative kim dokja shows lee hakhyun everything. on the theater screen, the stories of him and the readers play out. it's not all of the stories though, as he notices some scenes have been exaggerated or cut. he asks if this is what repkdj has been showing the kkomas, and he agrees. this is to write a new story.
and a new story requires a new protagonist.
he continues with a video of what lhh has done so far. not everything is recorded there, there are memories missing between scenes that only lhh know, but even with scenes missing, what the kkomas saw wasn't a lie. repkdj says that lhh is the best person to end their story. whose story..? the characters who have died here, or--?
rep kdj goes on. showing memories that lee hakhyun didn't know about. han sooyoung confronting 49, his doubts, the 1865th episode, his final thoughts, and his reincarnation. seeing himself in his parent's arms, he can't deny anything. rep kdj continues to push him. is this not kimcom's fault? does he not deseve his own story? prove that you are real. defeat kimcom, and free this worldline from it's predetermined story. create a space for these extras that he has been with all this time. repkdj tells him to stop yoo joonghyuk.
in this worldline, yjh uses the absolute throne, and sends sys back. everything here happened, but it was never recorded. it could just end by branching this worldline off into parallel universes.. but what if it doesn't? what if shin yoosung was never sent back. the worldlines of twsa and orv may be destroyed.
is this why hsy tried to stop him before?
rep kdj tells him to destroy kimcom's universe, break the ending that only the 'real' kim dokja knew. with yoo joonghyuk still incapacitated on the ground, rep kdj offers him a full-powered four yin demonic beheading sword.
tells lhh to end their story with his own hands.
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bassguitarinablackt-shirt · 10 months ago
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im normal i promise
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walkawaytall · 11 months ago
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I'm gonna need everyone to remember that I am not an electrical engineer or a mechanic whenever this next chapter of Purpose of Heritage gets posted, okay?
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dazaisflatass · 1 year ago
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Follow to see this picture of Dazai
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its-me-hyunjin · 1 year ago
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NO ONE TALK TO ME, CHAPTER 15 OF SLWY IS FINALLY HERE
star lost with you | hyunjin au | part 15
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pairing: idol! hyunjin x artist! reader
synopsis: working in a quaint little art store, you’ve had the honor of meeting all kinds of people, but you’ve never met somebody like him.
there were many reasons hyunjin returned to his hometown; a getaway from the ephemeral and fast-paced life of the city, so he could fall in love with life again. he thought he was prepared for everything, to study art in the way that he’s always wanted to, but what he didn’t anticipate was meeting you. hwang hyunjin realises that sometimes, the best things in life happen unplanned.
genre:friends to lovers, so much angst, smut, fluff, set in the idolverse, mutual pining, unrequited love, forbidden romance, slowburn (!!!) soulmate au (kind of), star-crossed lovers
warnings:cursing, mature content, fancy drinking, mutual pining, sexual tension, so much angst, kissing, making out, dirty talk, fingering, grinding, dry humping, dom!hyunjin, jealousy, more angst
word count:35K (ik the wc makes it feel v long but it’s really not that much haha)
a/n: im so excited to be coming back with this huge of a chapter for you guys. so much goes down and im insanely excited to share this next phase of my story with you. its v long so pls get comfortable with a blanket and snacks. I would recommend rereading the last chapter, if you can! thank you for still being here.
i recommend that you can listen to my star lost playlist here!
important: all works are fiction, and do not in any way represent the real personalities or real people, they exist only as faceclaims, and are fictional characters.
masterlist
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He had fucked up. Even in the dimly lit drive-in theatre, the guilt on his face was evident. Hyunjin had never looked this devastated.
“I need to talk to you” 
That’s what he had said. The gnawing feeling in your gut got worse. Those words together, in that order, was never a good sign. You knew as much, and you knew whatever he had to tell you was going to be something bad.
“Why did you leave in the middle of the film?” You asked, gaze darting between him and your friends.
Yuqi was staring wide-eyed, watching this unfold, soda cup clutched in her hands, and Felix…he looked beyond irritated.
The movie could still be heard all the way over here. You weren’t too far from the projection screen, and the speakers were right next to you. It was a horrible place to be having this conversation, but you couldn’t wait. 
What was he holding back?
You’d always felt the safest around Hyunjin, but every breath between you right now was uncertain. He was fidgeting, sliding the silver ring off and on his finger.
“I was on my way back to you when—” Hyunjin paused, and the veins in his neck were prominent as he strained to be heard over the movie, “—when Felix found me. He wanted to talk”
Keep reading
#i was working all of last night#but you best believe my greedy little ass was spending every spare second reading this#shocker to literally no one this chapter was an absolute masterpiece like all of the rest#i feel so healed but also completely destroyed by this#so much happened i think i will be processing this for at least 2-3 weeks#hyunjin reuniting and interacting with the boys was so cute and pure and fun#i had the stupidest grin on my face#and the cute phonecalls and text and pictures when he first moves back?#got me giggling and kicking my feet fr#but don't worry#i am still absolutely and completely emotionally devastated#“everyone deserves to have someone like you in their lives”#godamit you're gonna make me cry again#reading that made me realize all i want is for someone to love me like that#and don't even get me started on “you have to know this sadness isn't forever”#fuck you're writing just gets me every time#like i have read hundreds of books and tics throughout my life#but i have never read anything that makes me feel so truly seen before#it breaks my heart and shatters my soul in the most bittersweet way#okay sorry for all of my rambling#i am feeling wayyy to many emotions for 6am when i'm still at work#once again i will never be able to thank you enough for writing this absolutely beautiful piece of literature#it will probably be my favorite fix forever#i will always be thinking of this version of hyunjin#i can't wait to reread this whole fic for the millionth time while i anxiously wait for the next chapter#anywho long story short no one talk to me for the next month while i try and fail to recover from this#reblog#stray kids#hyunjin#q: painting with hyunjin
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ponderingmoonlight · 4 months ago
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Wicked Games
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Pairing: Sukuna x fem!reader
Word Count: 3k
Synopsis: From the second Ryomen Sukuna appears on the surface on earth again, you are bound to each other. Until the Shibuya accident. Until Sukuna gets confronted with the fear of losing you first-hand.
Warnings: angst to fluff y'all, enemies to lovers in a kind of rushed way, this made me think about doing a series with like 5 chapters and a slow burn enemies to lovers with Sukuna x curse!reader - how do you feel about that? <3
Inspired by this prompt:
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You remember it as if it was yesterday. The night was cold and eerily quiet when you sprinted through the dark streets, your body buzzing with the vibrations of cursed energy.
The reports had come in just an hour ago: a powerful curse had manifested, and it wasn’t just any ordinary curse. The whispers and especially Gojo spoke of something ancient, something nearly forgotten. Something that had slumbered within the shadows of legends until now.
“Guess what, (y/n)? Megumi found something that might interest you”, Gojo jeered at you through the phone when you already felt it.
Ryomen Sukuna.
You had heard his name your entire life - a dark deity, a figure so terrible that entire villages had been wiped out by his bare hands centuries ago.
Since you were a child, you've been obsessed with him, the so-called "King of Curses." Not because you were drawn to the death and chaos he brought, but because of the mystery he posed. The idea that something so cruel, so powerful, could exist outside the boundaries of human comprehension. As a sorcerer, you committed yourself to understanding curses, to studying their origins, motivations, powers. And there was no greater paradox than Sukuna himself.
But now, he wasn't only a paradox anymore. Now he had returned. They had found one of his fingers. Apparently, someone had consumed it.
“I’m in the middle of souvenir shopping and guessed you wouldn’t mind stepping in and helping little Megumi out.”
"Normally I'd scold you but today...thank you, idiot."
Yuji Itadori, the boy who had swallowed Sukuna’s cursed finger, who brought Sukuna back into the world after centuries of slumber, stood right in your sight along with Megumi Fushiguro. But you couldn’t let yourself worry about the boys; your focus was on the curse now staring straight back at you.
Your fingers tightened on the hilt of your sword, the cursed energy crackling around you like lightning in the dark night. You had prepared your entire life for this moment. The countless hours of sickening training, the sleepless nights spent poring over ancient texts and scrolls, and the battles fought against nameless curses. All of it had led you here, to your first confrontation with the King of Curses.
As you reached the completely destroyed school building where the cursed energy was originating from, you could already feel it. The overwhelming, tyrannical weight of Sukuna’s presence. It was unlike anything you’ve ever felt before, so thick it felt as though it was suffocating you.
You pressed on, despite the nausea building in your chest. There was no time to second-guess yourself. You moved swiftly through the corridors of the building, your footsteps echoing in the empty halls. The cursed energy grew heavier with every step, your breathing becoming uneven when the spiteful aura grew stronger. And then, at the far end of the hallway on top of a roof, you saw him.
At first glance, it was a boy, a teenager no older than Megumi. His body was rigid, standing in the middle of that roof, shoulders squared as though fighting an internal battle. But the look on his face, the wicked smile stretched across his lips, told you otherwise. The way his dark eyes gleamed with wicked amusement confirmed what you had feared.
This wasn’t Itadori anymore.
This was Sukuna.
“Interesting...” Sukuna’s voice rumbled from the boy’s throat as his gaze locked onto yours.
His smile widened, predatory and cruel.
“What do we have here? Another little sorcerer, so eager to die?”
You held your ground, your body tense but steady. This was no ordinary curse you were facing. Every instinct screamed at you to flee, but you couldn’t, you wouldn’t, allow fear to take control. Your entire life had been building up to this.
“You’re not getting out of here,” you said, your voice firm.
“Not while I’m here.”
Sukuna chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. His eyes narrowed, taking you in.
“Brave words, but foolish. Do you really think you can handle me, girl?”
You didn’t respond with words, Instead, you shoved Megumi behind you and let your cursed energy flare to life around you, the air crackling with power. You moved swiftly, launching yourself at him, your blade drawn and poised for the strike.
But Sukuna was fast — faster than you had anticipated. With barely a flicker of movement, he dodged your attack, his grin never faltering. He countered with a swift punch, sending you flying across the air and crashing into the opposite wall. Pain exploded in your chest, and you gasped for breath.
“Is that all?”, Sukuna taunted, his voice filled with mockery as he stalked toward you.
“I expected more from someone who’s been chasing me.”
You coughed, blood trickling from the corner of your mouth, but you forced yourself to your feet. Your body ached from the impact, but the adrenaline was stronger. You had trained for this. You wouldn’t go down so easily.
As Sukuna advanced, you focused your cursed energy into a powerful barrier, your eyes blazing with determination. You wouldn’t let him win. Not today.
“Let the boy go,” you demanded, your voice sharper now.
“I’m your opponent now.”
Sukuna’s eyes gleamed at the challenge.
“Bold. But you should know better than to give me orders.”
The battle was swift and brutal. Sukuna’s strikes were relentless, his movements impossibly fast and deadly. You could barely keep up, each of his blows a near-fatal attack. But through it all, you fought with everything you had, refusing to back down.
You’ve studied Sukuna your entire life. You knew his techniques, his fighting style, the cruel unpredictability of his power. But even with all that knowledge, facing him in person was something entirely different. His cursed energy was overwhelming, suffocating, a malevolent force that pressed against your very soul.
And yet, you stood your ground.
As the fight wore on, something shifted in the way Sukuna looked at you. What had started as amusement, as mockery, slowly turned into something else. Curiosity. Interest. Even a hint of admiration.
“You’re not like the others,” he jeered at one point, dodging one of your attacks effortlessly.
His eyes flickered with something dangerous, something… intrigued.
“You’re still standing. Most would have died by now.”
You spat blood onto the ground, your body screaming in agony but your will unbroken.
“I’m not most people.”
Sukuna chuckled, the sound dark and throaty.
“No. You’re not.”
That was how it began. The first encounter — your first dance with death and the King of Curses. It didn’t end with your victory or his defeat. No, you knew better than to believe you could win against him in a single battle. But it wasn’t a defeat, either.
It was the beginning of something bigger.
After your first encounter with Sukuna, something within you shifted. Yuji Itadori regained control, but you knew it was only temporary. Sukuna wasn’t gone. He was still there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for his next opportunity to take control. And when he did, you were there.
Every. Single. Time.
Every time Sukuna resurfaced, you fought him. It became a twisted routine, an endless game of cat and mouse where neither of you could claim absolute victory. You learned his techniques, his fighting style, and the nuances of his cursed energy. You pushed yourself harder, training longer, grew stronger. And with every battle, Sukuna’s interest in you grew as well.
He began to speak to you during the fights, taunting you, teasing you, but always with that glimmer of intrigue in his eyes. He never seemed eager to kill you, not really. In fact, there were moments, brief, fleeting moments, where he seemed to hold back, almost as if he was enjoying the challenge you presented.
“Why do you keep coming back?” you asked him one day, your voice strained after yet another brutal fight.
“Why haven’t you killed me yet?”
Sukuna’s grin was feral, his eyes glittering dangerously as he wiped the blood from his lips.
“Because you’re amusing,” he replied, his voice low and menacing.
“And because I’m not done with you yet.”
You hated the way his words sent a shiver down your spine, the way his gaze seemed to pierce straight through you. But more than anything, you hated how much you wanted to beat him, to prove yourself against the King of Curses.
As the months passed, you found yourself drawn deeper into Sukuna’s world. You fought him, studied him, and slowly but surely somehow began to understand him. He wasn’t just a mindless monster, not like the other curses you’ve faced. There was something more to Sukuna, something ancient and calculating, a mind sharper than any blade.
And Sukuna, in turn, began to learn more about you. He observed your fighting style, your strategies, your strengths and weaknesses. He pushed you, challenged you, forced you to grow stronger with every battle. There was a strange, unspoken connection between you: a mutual recognition of each other’s strength, a respect born from the countless times you’d clashed.
But there was something else, too. Something neither of you wanted to acknowledge. Something that simmered beneath the surface of every encounter.
You hated him. You despised everything he stood for, the chaos and destruction he brought into the world. But there was a part of you that couldn’t deny the pull you felt toward him — the way his presence ignited something fierce and primal within you.
And Sukuna? Sukuna had grown attached to the thrill of facing you. You were unlike anyone he’d ever fought. Strong. Determined. Unyielding. It was no longer about crushing you under his heel. It was about keeping you close, about testing your limits and pushing you to your breaking point.
But neither of you were willing to admit what was truly happening between you.
You smile weakly to yourself, blood spilling from the corners of your mouth. Not even now.
The Shibuya Incident is chaos. The city is overrun with curses and the streets are filled with blood and screams. You dispatched alongside other sorcerers to contain the situation, but things quickly spiraled out of control. The curses were too many, too strong, and the collateral damage was catastrophic.
Your focus was on protecting your students, the young sorcerers under your care who had been thrust into this nightmare far too early in their training. You were always their protector, their guide, and you would do anything to keep them safe. But the battle was relentless, and the curses were closing in fast.
In the midst of the chaos, Sukuna reappeared, his presence like a dark shadow over the battlefield. He took control of Yuji once again, his cursed energy crackling through the air with terrifying force. You felt it the moment he arrived, your senses attuned to the overwhelming hatred that accompanied his presence.
You barely had time to react before you were caught in the crossfire. A powerful curse lashed out at you and you moved to shield your students from the blow. But the attack was too fast, too strong. It tore through your defenses, the cursed energy slicing through your body like a hot knife through butter.
Pain exploded in your chest when you collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath you. Your vision blurred, your breath coming in ragged gasps. You had suffered injuries before, but this… this was different.
This was fatal.
The world around you fades almost instantly, the edges of your vision go dark. You can feel your life slipping away, your body growing cold.
Out of all people, why does it have to be him you long for the most? Why do your eyes start watering by the thought that you'll might never see him again, that you were never able to feel his lips pressed against yours? Are you really so naive, so dumb? Fuck, you really fell for the King of Curses, the root of all evil.
But then… you hear his voice.
“Get. Up.”
Sukuna’s voice cuts through the haze of pain and exhaustion like a lightning strike. You blink, trying to focus, trying to understand what is happening. Is he really there? Are you hallucinating?
“Get up,” he repeats, his voice sharp and commanding.
But then you feel it. His hand pressed against the gaping wound in your abdomen. No, he's really there. It's really him.
“You’ve suffered bigger wounds. And if you don’t get up, I’ll destroy everything that’s left of this world.”
You force yourself to breathe, your chest burning with the effort. But your body isn’t responding anymore. The pain is too much. You simply can’t move. The only reaction you're able to build up is a weak smile.
Is this really how it ends? With another empy threat?
Sukuna growls, crouching down beside you. He can't let you die here. Not like this, not after this short time. There's still so much more he needs to show you, so much more he needs to say.
Before he realizes what he's even doing, his hands are on you, cursed energy flowing into your body, patching up the worst of the damage. It isn’t healing, not really - more like forcing your body to hold together for just a little longer. Just enough to keep you.
“Please…”
Sukuna’s voice is strained, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
“Please get up. Don’t die on me.”
You blink, your heart stuttering in your chest as his words sink in. He’s asking you. Pleading with you...Not to die?
“Please don’t die on me.”
With his cursed energy coursing through you, you really feel your strength returning, your wounds slowly mending under his influence. The pain fades away, replaced by a strange warmth that spreads through your body. You gasp for breath, your chest rising and falling as life surges back into you.
Did…Ryomen Sukuna save your ass? Your heart pounds so roughly against your ribcage that you feel like fainting all over again. This can’t be possible, right? You have to be dreaming. After all, Ryomen Sukuna is your greatest enemy, responsible for at least half of the mess here.
“I’m not… done yet,” you rasp, your voice weak but steady.
Sukuna’s lips curl into a smirk, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous paired with a hint of relief.
“That’s more like it.”
He helps you to your feet, his hand lingering on your arm for just a moment longer than necessary. You can feel the weight of his gaze on you, the unspoken bond between you stronger than ever.
"What, were you worried about me, dumbass?"
Faster than you're able to react, he grabs your arm again and pulls you in. When his lips press themselves against yours, you forget how to exist for a second. Out of instinct, you open your mouth, allow him to enter, close your eyes when your whole body starts to burn up all over again.
Oh, you imagined this more than once. How do his firm arms feel against your touch? Are his lips softer than his cruel words? Is Sukuna a good kisser?
A desperate moan escapes your lips before you can stop yourself, your arms now roaming all over his muscular frame.
This...this is so wrong. You shouldn't do this, shouldn't even dream about something like this. But as sudden as he appeared, he's gone again, leaving you with nothing but your swollen lips as a proof for what just happened.
Are you actually going insane?
Bonus:
After Shibuya, things changed between you and Sukuna.
The battles continued, of course. The fights, the challenges, the taunts, the unnecessary deaths and killing  - none of that stopped and you still hate him with every fiber of your being for all those horrible things he did. But there is something else now, something that neither of you can ignore. The second Sukuna saw you lying there in a pool of your own blood on the edge of death, he started to realize it.
You aren’t a simple enemy for him anymore. You are his obsession.
Sukuna’s possessiveness over you grew, but so did the strange, unspoken understanding between you. You weren’t just another sorcerer to him anymore. You were his: his opponent, his challenge, his equal. And though neither of you would ever admit it out loud, there was a twisted sort of affection in that.
And you?
You’ve found something unexpected in the King of Curses. Not love, not really, but something close. Something raw and powerful, a connection without any logic and reason.
You didn’t know where it would lead. But you knew one thing for sure:
As long as Sukuna was in this world, you would be right there with him.
And that was enough.
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gollancz · 30 days ago
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Guys. Christmas is coming. Consumerism is in the driver's seat and GAWD don't I know about the existential ennui of all these faceless corporations trying to schill you their wares. It's cold. Impersonal. Bleak.
So I, a fellow tumblr user, will instead try to schill you MY wares, so that when you purchase these items you can say "Hey, that person from tumblr worked on this", and feel the warmth of HUMAN CONNECTION in a way that is completely normal and not parasocial at all. We really are friends. I promise. Yes, you. Love you, bestie. Remember the boop war? Good times. Fond memories.
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THIRTEEN STOREYS and FAMILY BUSINESS by Jonathan Sims
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Tumblr's favourite Nightmare Factory @jonnywaistcoat has two novels out and they're phenomenal horror that also punch you in the throat with SOCIAL COMMENTARY and FEELINGS. He's so adept at tapping into the specific part of my brain that feels fear like a small child - not the adult creepy scared that I normally get around horror, but specifically the kind of fear that almost freezes your limbs and vocal chords with a terror you don't quite understand because there is so much in the world that you don't know, but you know that somehow this thing might be quick enough or smart enough or sneaky enough to get you before you can get to the safety of your parents sort of fear.
THIRTEEN STOREYS is a haunted house novel, but set in a refurbished block of flats. Each chapter follows a different resident being haunted in a different way, with a style to match the flavour of ghost. It's all tied together phenomenally and brutally.
FAMILY BUSINESS is a story about ghosts in a different way, following a woman who joins a post-mortem house cleaning service while grieving the death of her best friend. But as she removes the stains from the houses of the dead, she begins to suspect something else is removing even more.
Both of these titles are available from Gollancz worldwide!
THE LAST UNICORN, THE WAY HOME, THE INNKEEPER'S SONG and A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE by Peter S. Beagle
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Obviously Peter's work needs no introduction, and our editions aren't available in the US and Canada, but I've had a wonderful time working with Peter and his team to bring these beautiful books back to the UK. Meeting him at Worldcon this year was such a magical moment, and he was jet-lagged and I had gone through sleep deprived into hyper and was bringing an Extremely Weird Energy to every interaction I had that day, resulting in this photo:
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THE LAST UNICORN and THE WAY HOME are a matched pair of wonderful fairy stories. THE WAY HOME has two novellettes in it, and the first - 'Two Hearts' - won the Hugo award. It will also destroy you.
A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE was Peter's first ever novel, and it's wistful and romantic and so beautiful.
THE INNKEEPER'S SONG is his epic fantasy quest, it's an adventure story that reads almost lyrically. Also there's an orgy in the middle which caught me by surprise when I was reading it for the first time on the train into work.
HIGH VAULTAGE by Chris and Jen Sugden
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It's possible that someone on this website doesn't know I was involved with this book but don't worry, I will HUNT THEM DOWN AND TELL THEM. This is the first book I took all the way through the editorial process from end to end and I am SO PROUD of it and Chris and Jen and their wonderful world of @victoriocity. Officially one of the seven funniest books published in the UK this year, shortlisted for the Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. It's a chaotic, bonkers murder mystery set in an alternate Victorian London which is the most gleeful dystopia I have ever encountered.
Featuring:
Grumpy Sunshine besties
The Victorian Equivalent of the Chuck Norris Meme
A robot who undertook a course in People Management
An indefatigable beagle
This is another book that you can get from Gollancz all over the world, and you SHOULD because it's amazing. Go into your local bookshop and ask them to order it into stock. It's a great Christmas present. It's my firstborn book baby (like that's a completely normal thing to say when I didn't even write it). Also if you're a fan of the podcast, why not tell the Guardian how great it is, and make a nuisance of yourself until they review. (I would, but the form asks for your name and then they'd know I didn't suddenly discover Victoriocity this year. Either that or think I was a very careless editor.) If you've not listened to the podcast yet, you absolutely should. It pings all my Douglas Adams receptors in the best way. If you like HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE, if you like CABIN PRESSURE, VICTORIOCITY is the perfect addition.
HAMMAJANG LUCK by Makana Yamamoto
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SLIGHTLY cheating because HAMMAJANG LUCK isn't out in North America until January (pre-orders make great Christmas presents guys), but it IS out in the UK and the rest of the world next week! This is my second big editorial project and it's a Big Gay Space Heist ft. disaster lesbians, trans characters, and a tech billionaire getting put in his place. It's joyous and energetic and crammed full of Hawaiian pidgin as a love letter to the diaspora. @makana-yama is a phenomenal writer and this is their love letter to their communities, families both born and found, while also a statement on the victims of gentrification (and how those are disproportionally BIPOC communities). PLUS:
friends to enemies to cautious allies to lovers
trans cyborgs
Suck It Space Elon
You know that One Scene in Charlie's Angels where Cameron Diaz is in the white body suit and breaking into the safe and has to stretch out to hit two buttons at once? Yeah. That's the vibe.
Being able to work with Makana is a delight, and HAMMAJANG tapped into all the feelings I got watching LEVERAGE for the first time, so I went to watch it again while I was editing. Also OCEAN'S 8.
DEEP BLACK by Miles Cameron
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So, barring Branderson, Miles Cameron may be one of our most prolific authors. He writes a minimum two books a year, one SFF and one historical fiction (as Christian Cameron) and he is... An absolute phenomenon. He IS the Chuck Norris meme. I'm obsessed with him. He's former US military intelligence turned naturalised Canadian Hippy, has written over fifty novels, can turn his hand to any genre and write it fantastically, is a practical archaeologist - running large scale re-enactments from a variety of periods ranging from Bronze Age right the way up to the Victorian era, using traditional techniques to allow academics to study how the practicalities of weapons, clothes, food etc. would have worked in practice. Two years ago he won a medieval combat tournament in Verona, a clear ten years older at least than the next oldest competitor, he teaches Historical European Martial Arts, but ties it into the history of martial arts globally. He can make his own clothes, ink, leatherwork. He's a ballet dancer. I once took him for a day out and he ended it in a different shirt and shoes from the ones he'd started in. I asked him for an author photo and he sent me this:
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DEEP BLACK is the sequel to his critically acclaimed SF debut ARTIFACT SPACE, where he has taken his research and experience of global historical cultures and extrapolated to create an interplanetary future where the best of all are celebrated. And then Aliens Happen. And then, in reaction, Capitalism Happens (which is covered in the short story collection BEYOND THE FRINGE).
He's such a thoughtful and erudite speaker, if you're curious about his work, I'd recommend listening to his episodes on the Friends Talking Fantasy podcast, and also his appearance on The Publishing Rodeo.
If SF isn't your bag, he's also got:
Arthurian fantasy
Bronze Age fantasy
Medieval Mages fantasy
A CURSE OF CROWS - Lauren Dedroog
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I actually inherited Lauren when a colleague of mine departed for fresh pastures, which gave me the great opportunity to work on this series which is so vastly different from my usual fare. It's epic, sweeping, romantic and lush, with such detailed description and complex political machinations, while also being brutal, dark and heavy (tw: for sexual assault, torture etc, etc.). If you like Sarah J Maas and Cassandra Clare, this should hit the sweet spot. Lauren is an ICU nurse when not writing, and this was somehow created when she was putting in a million hours in hospitals during COVID. The feat boggles my mind.
A CURSE OF CROWS is out now in the UK, Australia and Europe, and it won the People's Choice for Standaard Boek's Book of the Year award in 2023, in her home country of Belgium. It will be hitting shelves in North America next September! A DANCE OF SERPENTS is where I get to pick up the editorial mantle, and that has just landed in my inbox this week so I am excited to dig in.
Featuring:
Harold, they're lesbians
Murder baby is actually a cinnamon roll
Sensitive wings are sexy
For serious, though, I'm lucky enough to work with a lot of authors I'm genuinely obsessed and astounded by. And yes, I do get to work on Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson and Andrzej Sapkowski, but they're not MY authors - they're led by the incredible Gillian and Marcus who I'm not 100% certain sleep. There are so many people on the Gollancz list who I could recommend for DAYS (and will, if you so request), but this is my stable of superstars.
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monstersflashlight · 3 months ago
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Oh idea! Based off this manga https://chapmanganelo.com/manga-kb89195/chapter-62
Made me think of a naga male orgy with fem reader and how cool/hot it would be- I say cool because of their cold blooded nature would be perfect for snuggling during a hot summer O///w///O
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A/N: Hi there! I tried to mix y’all request the best I could, I think it turned out great, hope you like it! <3
Work-hubbies
Nagas x chubby fem!reader || sharing is caring, aphrodisiac, dub-con, overstimulation, hemi-peens, double penetration, knotting
Your naga boss called for you in a weird Wednesday morning. Your DILF naga coworker, your work-hubby as your friend liked to call him, was staying home for a couple days and your boss wanted you to go with him to his house and check on him. You were more than on board with that idea, were worried about him, and being completely truthful… you missed seeing him. He had been out just a week, but you wanted nothing else but to see him again. Your unrequited crush was showing and you knew it, but you said yes either way.
You find yourself knocking on an unknown door a couple hours later. He opens the door and you never felt so happy about seeing him. He’s the sunshine of the office and you love seeing him everyday, but right now, when he looks soft and tired and his eyes are blown wide when he sees you two there… he looks stunning.
You step inside when your boss pushes you softly, almost making you fall over your work-hubby. He catches you and laughs softly, caressing your face and telling you how beautiful you look. You blush and they both coo at you, their tails coming around you in a naga sandwich. You look at them utterly confused, not understanding what is happening or why is happening. Deep down, you are also excited, a spike of anticipation and hope growing inside your body as they take turns claiming your mouth. You didn’t know they felt that way about you, but at that moment, surrounded and embraced, you can only kiss them back.
When they explain about the rut, and their crushes on you, you are over the moon. When they tell you how they need a good little mate and you are perfect… you melt a little inside. You thought they didn’t know about your crush on them, you thought you were too young for them, but apparently they don’t think so. Apparently they want you as much as you want them. They want you so much they decided you’d be their rut companion… whatever that meant.
You feel a bite in the back of your neck, and then a heat as high as a volcano running down your body until your knees give out. Then you feel another bite in the side of your neck, more venom being injected into your body. You whine pathetically when the burn destroys every single thought in your brain, but they shush you, their tails coming around your body and keeping you cool for a few minutes. You are dragged to a weird room, something akin to a nest in the middle of it, you look at it with hooded eyes, your body burning down from the bites in your neck.
And suddenly you can only feel the need. A deep and thought consuming need that leaves you breathless and boneless. They take your body and manhandle you to where they want you, your body not responding to your orders. You are completely at their mercy, the venom paralyzing your body and leaving only the sensations to be felt. And they take advantage of it.
They grope your body until you are even more desperate, until your breathing is so hard and labored you think you are going to die if they don’t get inside of you ASAP. You’ve never felt like that, you’ve never felt such a deep need that makes you shiver in anticipation but also makes your body burn with desperation. You can’t talk, you can’t move, and your body is vibrating with an energy you didn’t know it possessed.
Their tails and hands are all over you, if feels like they are touching every single cell in your body at the same time. It’s too much, it’s not enough. You just want them inside of you, you just want them to be merged into your body and there is no separation anymore. You need them more than you need air. But they do nothing about it, they keep touching your body, they keep touching every part of you… but not the part where you need them most. Your pussy is so wet it’s dripping, literally dripping. You’ve never been as wet as you are right now and they seem to not care about it.
It’s driving you completely insane to be surrounded by their bodies unable to participate, unable to do anything but to feel them and surrender to them. But it’s also exhilarating. It’s the most marvelous feeling in the world, your body at their mercy and their venom running through your body as they play with your tits, with your fat tummy, with your luscious thighs… You are theirs. You feel theirs.
When you feel the first cock against your entrance, you cry, tears running down your cheeks as they shush you and tell you how precious you are, how wonderful you are doing and how well you will take them. One of them pushes inside, you don’t know which, you can’t focus enough to know. They are everywhere, they are so close but so far… You need them closer.
The second cock nudges at your asshole, making you groan as he pushes inside slowly. Their venom prepared you perfectly for them, opening you up completely to their exploring cocks until you are stuffed with naga cock. They thrust in unison, leaving you empty and desperate just to fill you together two seconds later. They keep that rhythm until your brain is unable to understand anything but their cocks. Their amazing cocks rocking your world from inside out. You come. And they bite you again, pumping some more venom into your oversensitive body and making you come again. And again. And again.
Your body is convulsing with orgasm after orgasm when you feel the first knot inside your pussy, stretching you to the point of brain-melting pleasure, but you can only whine as they move your hips slowly. You need it. You need everything. You need to be so full you burst. You need to be filled to the point of rupture of your brain. You need to be stretched until you meet with the angels and the devil. You come again and you whine, more pathetically this time, and they laugh softly, caressing your body and squeezing you harder between them. You can feel your lover’s upper dick pressing against the fat of your tummy, squeezed between you two, the underside rubbing against your clit to the point of over-sensitivity after so many orgasms. And at the same time you can feel the upper dick of your other lover rubbing against your lower back as his dick keeps thrusting inside your tender asshole.
It’s too much, it’s not enough.
You come again.
Then you feel it.
The second knot expanding in your asshole and pressing so deliciously against the knot in your pussy that you scream until your voice gives out and they moan until you start feeling shot after shot of come inside of you. You feel your stomach getting bigger, as your companions squeeze you harder between them, your brain getting dizzy as you come, and come, and come…
Until your brain disconnects from reality and your vision turns black.
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aureatchi · 7 months ago
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⋆ ✦ ˚。⋆ THIS SUMMER NIGHT WE FIND SCATTERED DREAMS, I ONCE AGAIN RUN IN THE STARLIGHT ft. dazai, chuuya, fyodor, sigma.
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— what it’s like to stargaze with them. (& more)
a/n. sadly, i have yet to see the aurora borealis and in general, seldom get to see the stars. (light pollution my no.1 enemy !!) but a girl can dream :) (& distract herself from the latest bsd chapters..)
info. fem!reader. fluff. soft everyone lol. some of them are nerds & ramble abt stars. :) + a little poetic. mentions of greek mythology. kissing. buildup to actual topic. profanities in chuuya’s & he may or may not use sskk to help. bsd manga/ability spoilers in fyodor’s.
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DAZAI : so in this instance, i’d be perseus, and you’d be andromeda. — he listens to everything you have to say.
Your palm in his, the brunette’s pretty fingers wrapped around yours. He softly massaged your hand as you began telling him, your starstruck lover a story under the show of constellations. It had formed into a little routine since the first time you stargazed with him as a date.
“There was this princess,” you started. “Princess Andromeda. She was a very beautiful woma-”
“You’re more beautiful, though,” Dazai interrupted. You didn’t even get in two complete sentences without his commentary. You sat a bit awestruck while he delivered a kiss to your hand.
“Continue, bella,” big brown eyes teased you.
You hastily recovered. “…She was beautiful. And her mother—Queen Cassiopeia—who was very prideful, decided to brag to Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, that she was prettier than his daughters.”
“I mean, that’s understandable. I brag about you all the time! Why shouldn’t the pretty girl be shown off?”
“Shut up,” you chuckled, reminiscing over the times the detective had shown you off. Whenever you decided to visit the Armed Detective Agency’s office with Dazai, Kunikida would never hear the end of it. When you two went out to eat, he would flatter your name away. “This gorgeous girl would like to order…” “May I please get a table for the angelic lady and I?”
He never failed to fluster you.
“Anyway, Poseidon got angry and decided to send a sea monster to destroy their kingdom. The only way the monster could be pacified was if it could devour Andromeda.”
“A damsel in distress,” Dazai nodded and then dramatically pretended like he was the helpless princess on the ocean. He completely pulled over the blanket the two of you were sharing, using it as a cape—“Someone save me! I’m going to be eaten by a sea monster!”
“‘Samu! I’m cold!”
“Ah, sorry. Perhaps you are the princess, and you need saving from this icy night!” He rewrapped the blanket over your shoulder.
“Stop interrupting me; I’m trying to tell you something!” It was nowhere near icy, but your lover proved his dramaticism even further when a tuft of brown hair grazed your shoulder. He had rested his head on you.
“Oka-ay—sorry, continue!”
“Meanwhile, Perseus—I told you last time, the man who killed Medusa—found Andromeda while flying over with his horse, Pegasus. He immediately fell in love with her, so he slayed the sea monster and rescued her from the rock she was chained to.”
“What a hero,” Dazai said. “So they lived happily ever after?”
“Not yet. Perseus asked Andromeda’s father for permission to marry her but discovered she was already set to marry someone else. And the man she was engaged to got angry that Perseus wanted to marry her.”
“Of course,” he sighed, which puzzled you a bit, but you’d return to his comment later. “I’m rooting for Perseus, though.”
“Well, good for you because the two fought, and Perseus won by showing the other guy Medusa’s head.”
Dazai chuckled. “Nice move! He turned his enemy into his trophy. Imagine if we did that to all our enemies!”
“I think then we’d have a whole army of statues,” you laughed. “But now, he and Andromeda married, and they were able to live happily ever after.
“The gods placed them in the sky so their story would be remembered eternally.” Finished with your recount, you gazed up at the stars.
“The North Star,” you pointed, and when you saw the brunette’s bronze eyes squint, trying to see what you were talking about, you moved closer until you were halfway on his lap.
You took his palm in yours and guided it to a single star.
“That one. All the characters’ constellations I mentioned in the story revolve around that star. Perseus with his sword, Andromeda flying on Pegasus...”
“Huh? That’s the North Star? Isn’t it supposed to be the brightest in the sky or something?” It didn’t stand out from the rest as much as he thought.
You giggled. “That’s a myth, ‘samu. It’s funny you didn’t know that.”
He shrugged. “I never really had time to appreciate and learn about something so peaceful like nature until now.” He turned to you.
“Until you.”
You weren’t sure how, but it was almost as if the moonlight had carved out his pretty face. Ethereal, you had called the moon, and it reflected in your lover’s features. His eyes took in the charm of the millions of lights in the night and synthesized the feeling to bring it back to you.
“If I were one of the gods, I would’ve created a whole galaxy reflecting your soul.”
In the midst of terror and chaos, the detective’s eyes revolved around humans and their violence rather than around the sun and the planets. Eyes and soul—how else could he focus on anything else when that’s all life showed him?
“Because I see the constellations in you—Andromeda, Pegasus, Carina, Orion…” it had been a few months, and throughout you had shown and told him all the stories behind the stars in the sky.
“And now I can stop to smell the flowers, love. I can watch the Ursa Minor, even if I still find it hard to sleep.” You were the bridge to his bronze gaze and iron marrow—you showed him that you were human, but that a heart could really exist without violence or malice.
I see a reason why the nebulas are placed as they are, even if stories are just stories. I see a reason I’m here. With you.
He sealed the thought with a kiss to your lips, under the celestial moon and the heavens’ watch.
You always wondered why Dazai paid such close attention whenever you started rambling—initially, you didn’t think he’d care that much about tales of space. But you understood him a bit better now, his complex heart. You held onto him a bit tighter to him as you kissed him back.
“Oh yeah. What did you mean when you said ‘of course,’ when I started talking about Perseus having to fight over another guy for Andromeda?”
And Dazai was his lighthearted self once again.
“We’re definitely Andromeda and Perseus in another universe,” Dazai winked. “You’ve always deserved to be treated like a princess! I would totally save you from a sea monster. And I’d be an equestrian if I could too—even better, a flying one!”
“Sure…”
“C’mon, bella, you see me at those horse-racing events all the time! Anyway, most important of all, I had to fight for you. Such a tough world when every other man is also at your feet.” He crossed his arms. “Having Medusa’s head would’ve made things so much easier! I really would’ve had a whole army of stone statues if I did.”
“No, you really didn’t need it at all,” you replied, laughing at Dazai, who was now pouting.
“Osamu the demigod: slayer of monsters or not, I only have eyes for you.” You kissed him on the cheek.
“Unlike Andromeda, I wouldn’t let two men fight over me and marry the one who wins.
“I would just choose you right away.”
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CHUUYA : babydoll, you’re worth more than all those stars combined. — he only gives you the best.
“Ah, that’s unfortunate. Thank you for informing me, though,” you said before hanging up the phone.
You didn’t sue them on the line, albeit irritated. Tonight, you were supposed to have a date with Chuuya at one of the fancy restaurants he somehow discovered more of in the city when you thought you finally visited them all, but your reservations were cancelled last minute.
“Hey, princess,” the handsome ginger said when you phoned him next. You could sense a smile through his words on the other end.
“What’s up?”
“Weird-ass restaurant cancelled our plans,” you said. “Not even a refund.”
Chuuya quickly picked up on the disappointment in your voice, and he knew it wasn’t because he didn’t get his money back. Money was nothing—he was a Port Mafia executive. Stacks of bills piled into his hands every day, and he quietly flexed on it through his collection of wine in the cellar, his clothes, and gifts to you.
What he wasn’t wealthy in was time. It had been almost a month since Chuuya had any free time—the boss had been overworking him amidst never-ending Yokohama mayhem. His large penthouse actually proved to be a disadvantage when you were the only one staying in it. It was too empty; it was too quiet for a home, there was an awkward gap in the bed you slept in.
“It’s okay, baby,” came Chuuya’s voice reassuringly. “Don’t worry ‘bout some shitty-ass restaurant.
“Meet me home at the rooftop at the time we originally planned.”
“…Alright,” you replied, unsure of what he was going to do, but you were grateful anyway that you’d get to spend time with him.
“And get ready too, like we originally planned,” he added, and this time, you could imagine the smugness in his smile. “See ya soon.”
The bell chimed as the elevator approached the top of Chuuya’s apartment, signaling that you reached the rooftop.
“Chuu?” you called out as the doors opened. He was nowhere to be found—instead a pathway of candles and a trail of rose petals leading to the other side.
Your heels clicked on the ground as you slowly followed the course. It was dark towards the back of the rooftop, but the front overlooked the entire city of Yokohama.
Another quiet flex.
“Hey, beautiful.” You noticed him before the lively city behind him, before the romantic scene he had set up—the path of petals expanded into scattering around the table Chuuya was sitting at. He was dressed up too—looking as attractive as ever.
“The Nakahara Restaurant,” you hummed, taking a seat in front of him. “Not bad.”
Chuuya smirked. “Not bad? We get Michelin stars, baby. Trust me.”
You giggled. “I don’t know about that, Chuu. You’ll have to prove it to me.” It was like you had turned the tables on him. Usually, he only deemed a restaurant good if you were pleased with the food.
“Alright.” Now, you were going to rate his. You could tell he was going to enjoy this.
“You hungry?”
You nodded.
With a snap of Chuuya’s fingers, you immediately heard footsteps scurrying toward the two of you.
Two young men, one with raven hair until silver tips and the other with an entirely silver head—you realized they were waiters from who knows where—approached you with a dish.
“Appetizers by Executive Nakahara,” the first one said.
“Wait—did you cook everything too?”
“Duuh, you take this for a fraud or something?” Chuuya failed to hide the pride on his face.
The appetizer, entrée, and dessert proved delicious, and you were forced to eat your previous words.
He was talented in just about everything.
Chuuya kicked the two ‘waiters’ out of his house after dessert was served, leaving the two of you finally alone. The candlelight amid the dark sky enveloped your figures in an intimate glow.
“I would’ve been fine with even just takeout,” you laughed after taking a sip out of your wine glass.
He smiled. “As if. It’s a special night, doll, we finally have time to see each other again.”
“Exactly! Seeing you is what matters most,” you said.
“Anyway, thank you, Chuu. I appreciate this so much. And I guess you’re right—you earn a Michelin Star from me.”
Chuuya looked towards the city below you and back. “Didn’t doubt it one bit. But that’s not the only stars we’re getting tonight.”
You looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t get shocked.”
Your lover snapped again—you picked up a slight difference in it this time compared to the previous times he signaled—and suddenly, Yokohama went dark.
You didn’t know how, but the city’s electricity had completely cut off at the mafia executive’s command.
“Chuu—?”
“You’re not looking the right way.”
You had been staring at the pitch-black buildings below in fazed awe, but it seemed to have switched places with the skies as now, small scattered lights began to fade in when you looked up, your eyes adjusting to the dark.
“Chuu!” You stood up in excitement. “We can see stars! In Yokohama!”
The ginger chuckled before pulling out a folded comforter from under the table. “Here, it’s better this way. Now this is what the wine was really for.”
Chuuya had fixed the comforter on the rooftop and pulled out a few pillows so that you were able to lie down and watch above more comfortably.
“I did this a lot when I stayed in Paris for a bit,” he said, explaining how he got the idea. “But the lights stayed on 24/7 there, too, so I had to use a telescope.”
You looked at him thoughtfully. “We could’ve done that too. You really startled everyone just for this.”
As if on cue, you suddenly heard someone shout in the distance, going “Hey! Who the hell turned off all the lights?!” You and Chuuya both snorted.
“Just for you,” he corrected. “I think this is better anyway. They can handle one night without power. And I made sure the hospitals and other important establishments stayed untouched.”
It was crazy how much power the man had. “Not entirely evil then,” you said.
“Yeah, plus I was also really aiming at that restaurant that tried ruining our plans,” Chuuya smirked.
You looked back at the stars and then Chuuya again, who hadn’t taken his cerulean eyes off your face.
You lay together to gaze at the stars. But instead of those, he was looking at you.
You couldn’t stop the flurry of coyness you got. He looked absolutely stunning under the heavens—it was almost unfair. It would be if you weren’t the one who got to see him in such a state. He looked mesmerized—mesmerized with you?
“Hey, you’re going to miss it if you keep staring at me,” you said.
“I’m seeing you and those galaxies for the first time in a while,” Chuuya replied. “I think I’d rather watch you.”
He kissed you while you were still smiling, causing him to grin, too. You felt light and safe around him and the blankets, and he felt the same. All aggression and stress ceased from his head, healed by you and the moonlight.
“Y’can name stars after people too, right?” he asked when you pulled back. “I swear, I’m going to make the next scientist who discovers one name it after you. It’d be way better than those random shitty names they give nowadays.”
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FYODOR : i have the cosmos mapped out, likewise your soul. — you alone, he adores.
There was not a word said as you got into the passenger seat of the car that Fyodor was driving. He had left a note earlier that day—Zolotse, you’re coming with me on a mission tonight. Prepare what you need and bring the sleeping bags, and you had done so with little hesitation.
The sun had already gone down, but you were used to this. Initially, you had thought his job the opposite of himself—the demon was called to bizarre places sporadically and had to adapt to their settings in a short amount of time. You only realized after being with him for a while that he planned these things beforehand, and he planned them long ago.
The job was made for him—his little game of fate and chess.
He drove for around four hours straight. In that time, you had put on your favorite music, and talked with him about the usual—your latest philosophical obsession, anything interesting about his latest endeavors—you hadn’t realized you had gotten so far away from civilization.
Fyodor must’ve become nocturnal from all the time he’d spent in the dark, because it was pitch-black in all directions when he finally parked the car and you stepped out.
And only then you finally asked him. “Fedya, where are we?”
He didn’t respond, instead going to the back of the car and opening the trunk, handing you your sleeping bag and a flashlight.
You flipped the switch on, trying to scan the surroundings for any hint of where this journey took you.
“Darling, you’re quite naïve,” Fyodor said as you looked down at rocks and twigs below your shoes. “I’m concerned about how easily you agreed to let someone drive you hours out into the wilderness.”
“I’d do it only for you,” you replied, giggling. “I trust you.” Alas, he had answered your question, though you still didn’t know what he was here for.
“Follow me. We have a bit of hiking to do.”
A secret hideout? Meeting spot? Something valuable hidden here? Your mind came up with countless reasons why your lover’s current mission took place on a mountain and how he could even navigate without a map. The entire thing was strange—you hadn’t even seen him take any valuables of some kind besides a tent and his own sleeping bag.
The walk-up was a bit tedious. Thankfully, you wore the right shoes and had eaten well beforehand, but you still didn’t expect you would be partaking in exercise so late at night. It was also hard to see, the flashlights scarcely making a difference.
You came across a very steep hill; it was almost like you had to climb rather than hike up.
“Apologies for the inconvenience,” you heard Fyodor from above as he went first to ensure each step was safe. “It’ll be worth it later.”
“Ah-” You hardly had time to ponder his statement when you misstepped on a loose twig, causing you to slip. However, a hand reached to tightly grab you before you slid down.
“Careful, milaya.”
Fyodor kept your hand clasped in his throughout the rest of the trek. You finally reached a large clearing by the edge of a cliff—devoid of trees and hard bedrock.
“We’re here.”
He began setting up the tent while you looked around. There was nothing at all out of the ordinary—nothing suspicious for the demon to use. Were you really here just to camp?
“The goal: your eyes to adjust.”
Fyodor had finished and had been looking at you for some time—smiling, at the way your brows furrowed and how you were still lost with this entire night.
“What-?” you asked as he walked over to take your sleeping bag. You followed him as he set it right next to his.
“Sit next to me, lyubov,” he said, guiding you down. “I’ll tell you the secret to getting directions up here.”
He tilted his head up, and for the first time, you noticed an entire galaxy before you.
Drenched under the vastness of the dark skies and lights of the stars, Fyodor began to speak.
“We’ve used star navigation for thousands of years,” he said. “Fifty-eight stars and thirty-eight constellations that we’re able to use, but you only need to locate the Ursa Major to find north and Orion to find west.”
You nodded. Perhaps this is what he had come here to do—find directions to something that no GPS or technology recorded. He had probably taken you along just because he thought you’d admire the view and how you did. Fyodor was right—the walk-up was worth this view.
It was like you were in a trance. You had seen stars, but nothing like this before. The entire Milky Way galaxy was visible to your eyes, countless little suns that seemed barely out of your grasp, even though they were millions of miles away.
“Fedya, how many of them do you recognize by name?”
“By now, I have them all memorized because I’ve found it helpful. If an apocalypse surged the earth, they would still be there. If the world ended, they would still be there. The cosmos remain untouched by us—they watch humanity dance from afar. The nomads knew this the best—when we traveled, we relied on nothing but nature.”
You wondered how many body transfers it took for him to retain them all. There were so many little lights in the sky, it seemed near impossible to be able to gather even half in a mind’s jar. You guessed tens of years at the least, and even with that time, you knew only he could do it.
“You commend them too, don’t you?” you spoke, taking a risk in guessing his views.
“Elaborate for me.” You made eye contact with him, and amethyst eyes fawned over by the night almost enticed you even more than the entire view of the universe afore you.
“You appreciate them, and everything else that lays on the earth after the sun sets because they hold no flaw. They aren’t blemished by the foolishness of people.
“You can be at peace with them because they are perfect, unlike us.”
“You’re right. The perfect mankind would be as pure as the sun and the stars—untainted by something as unnatural as abilities. That’s how I see it, but why group yourself in such faults?”
“Hm?” was the only sound you were able to get out, when he grazed his fingers along your face, cupping your cheek.
“Printsessa, you are perfect.” He spoke smoothly, rich accent making his words sound like a lullaby.
“Your soul dances with the kosmos. Something so divine—you are the harmony of something as beautiful as what we see tonight.
“You are the only one who matches the heavens; my love, you surpass the heavens.”
He captured your lips in a kiss, and you only registered then that it was you two alone. It felt like you two were the only ones in the world with the witnesses to your love being the ends of the horizons, and that the universe who put on a show in the sky instead turned to watch you.
“Fedya…what was the mission?” you asked softly as you cuddled with him, your hands reaching for his silky hair as you lay on his chest.
You felt his smile. “You’re still so naïve, darling; you didn’t have to think so much. The mission was to bring you here. It’s been a while since we’ve gone out, has it not?”
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SIGMA : i’ve never seen it before! (the aurora borealis) — he learns what love is through you.
“Sigma, baby, let’s go!”
The man had a slightly puzzled face as he let you eagerly lead him outside, past your home’s backyard—into the hills beyond. Other than the Sky Casino, it was your favorite spot, especially when you wanted some peace away from the rest of humanity and its industry.
Your lover was utterly confused why you made sure he did not fall asleep this evening. He always went to bed far earlier than you and rose while you were still lost in dream—perhaps snoring—but tonight you insisted.
And Sigma followed, even though he was at the verge of passing out from exhaustion—managing a casino was hard. He let you take his hand and direct him, even without a clue of where you were going.
Maybe that was what love was—blindly following another.
“I have a surprise.” You slightly turned your head back to look at him, and he swore he would remember this scene forever. His hand still clasped around yours, the warm glow of the back porch’s bistro lights cast upon your face, and your sweet smile—though it was dark outside, he felt that your smile lit up his world more than all the stars combined in the night sky.
The cosmos were a new thing for him. You had introduced watching the stars to him, in this special place beyond your backyard.
Immediately after his first time learning what the Big Dipper was, and that the little lights in the sky were actually much farther than they seemed, he called for a viewing deck to be created for the Sky Casino.
That way, even on nights away from you and home, he could still gaze at the same stars, and for you as well if you wanted to visit.
“Are we stargazing?” Sigma asked as you ran up one of the hills with him. He held a chuckle to himself. You didn’t bother to change out of your pajamas. You were so cute.
“It’s a little different this time,” you giggled, setting down a blanket for the two of you to sit. Before, you would bring foldable chairs, but you realized that they made it a bit difficult for you to cling onto Sigma when you wanted to cuddle with him.
“We should start to see it in just a few minutes,” you said, looking up.
“Okay…”
The stars were there as usual. Sigma had never thought that something as pretty as your heart could exist in something physical, but that was how he saw those small lights in the sky.
If only you knew that whenever you decided to talk about how beautiful the skies were at night, he wanted to say they were literally just a reflection of you.
As soon as the clock on your watch hit the next hour, you immediately grabbed Sigma’s arm in enthusiasm.
Now he was really starting to wonder what got you so jumpy.
“Hey! Do you see it?!”
Sigma caught himself so distracted by you that he was watching your face instead of where your eyes were looking at.
He blushed when you looked at him, but thankfully you remained oblivious to his embarrassment.
“The green light! Do you see it?”
Sigma looked up, and he saw what looked like sliver of green contrast the dusky sky.
“That’s natural,” you began to explain. “It works through the earth’s magnetic field colliding with the atmosphere.
“Watch how it dances.”
A show started to unfold before the two of you. Sigma watched as the small touch of light became even brighter, transforming into a ribbon. He watched as the ribbon began to travel across the sky, overtaking the darkness. He watched in awe as it was joined by another green stream, traversing the horizons together.
“Wow,” you both said in awe.
“It’s called the aurora borealis,” you spoke.
“You can see it regularly if you travel way up north, but it’s a rare event here.
“I wanted to experience it with you.”
Sigma turned to look back at you, butterflies in his tummy and a surge of warmth overflowing his heart when he met your face—cheeks glowing from the reflection of the chasma and your eyes full of adoration.
“With me?” Sigma asked.
“Of course,” you replied, pulling him up. “Look Sigma—a new color joined.”
He glanced up, seeing that a new hue had appeared, aligning itself with the green. A pinkish light had mixed itself in, creating a swirl of paints on the sky’s pallete.
It really seemed like the lights were dancing. And Sigma thought to himself—like me and her.
You seemed to have the same idea because you had taken his hands in yours and started to whirl him around. It was messy—a bit chaotic, but he let himself be dragged along for a bit until he got dizzy, because maybe love was blindly following someone.
Eventually, Sigma started laughing, and couldn’t be thrown around any longer. “Calm down, love!” He took control of the dance, guiding your steps so that it turned into a more organized waltz.
He became captivated when he twirled you around—even though you were in your pajamas, you couldn’t look any less beautiful. He had danced with you in ballrooms, in gardens, but this unrehearsed night was the most enchanting of all.
You two danced until your feet started to hurt and Sigma’s exhaustion finally got the best of him. Now, you lay together, watching the rest of the night’s act play out.
“Whenever I look at the nebulas, I only think of you now, you know,” you confessed. “Because even if you’re up there, and I’m down on earth, we’re still looking at the same stars together.”
“I think the same,” Sigma replied. “It’s like we’re always connected in some way.”
You nodded with a smile, but you realized Sigma wasn’t finished yet.
“Actually, it’s more than that. I can only think of you when I see those things because all beauty leads back to you. I see your kindness in the sun and your energy in these colorful lights. I see your perseverance in the moon and most importantly, how many hearts you’ve made shine in the stars.
“And whatever ends up the brightest at night is mine, because you’ve warmed my heart the most.”
Your own heart was beating fast, by how your lover had spoken so tenderly to you and by the way he had rolled over towards you so that he was so close now—his lips just shy of yours.
“Sigma,” you whispered, and then you pulled him into a kiss.
It was then he finally understood: love wasn’t about blindly following another, he followed you because you were a blessing of trust, carrying the stars of devotion on your hands.
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i heard if you rb, u’ll be able to watch the stars w/ ur fav tn !! reblogs are cherished; they are what support me the most. <3
this fic wouldn’t have ever seen the light, weren’t for @cheriiyaya (hi); thank u bby for encouraging me start to finish. <3 a lil prompt inspo for dazai & fyodor from her. ^_^
p.s. did i imply a past!love triangle in dazai’s scenario? yes. was i referring to the fyozai ‘til death we do art love triangle? maybe..! actually, for some rzn, i included many things here that foreshadow other fics coming soon. stay tuned :)
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© AUREATCHI 2024. no reposts or translations. do not steal. support banner by cafekitsune.
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solitairedeere · 5 months ago
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i was never as optimistic about the ending of bnha as some villain stans were, but i never thought it'd end so badly it left me wondering why horikoshi ever bothered to humanize the villains or make them complex characters at all.
like-- i expected that at least 1-2 of the 3 villains who were heavily foreshadowed and outlined by the narrative as people to be saved would be, you know, actually saved. i didn't think that was a high bar. i've been let down before in fandoms where everyone was certain a character would live and then they didn't, so i tried to keep my hopes low. AND YET.
what happened to tomura was upsetting, but i wasn't that shocked after how disinterested the manga has seemed to be in him for like, the past 100 or so chapters. a bit surprised, because you'd think if anyone would succeed in the 'saving' mission it would be the MC, but whatever. dabi, well, they've spent a lot of time showing the way his quirk destroys his body even before this arc, so that also sucked but at least it didn't feel completely out of left field.
........but they're not even letting toga live???
i just-- what have we even been doing here? when zero out of the 3 characters that were marked out for saving were actually saved, you have to acknowledge that something has gone seriously fucking wrong with the storytelling. not even just from the perspective of a villain fan but from the perspective of someone who likes stories to be thematically consistent or satisfying in any way.
you can set up an expectation of these characters being saved and then subvert that and turn it into a tragedy- if done well that could even be worthwhile and interesting. but you can't turn it into a tragedy and then just... keep trucking along with the happy ending messaging and act like anything in the manga has been resolved and that the characters have somehow successfully completed their heroic origin stories.
like, maybe i shouldn't have expected this much from a shounen- at the end of the day it is still a shounen so i didn't expect to feel that it truly satisfactorily wrapped up all the themes it brought up around societal ills. but i expected it to at least resolve those things in a shounen-y way where they punch the problems and help these specific people and then you can feel good assuming that the state of things will continue to improve in the post-canon world of the manga.
instead we got... uh, none of that. the story refused to answer a single one of the larger questions it's been outlining for the past 400+ chapters. in the end, it was all flash and no substance, which again could've been fine, if it weren't for the way the story seemed to spend significant chunks of time trying to delude you into thinking it had substance.
truly makes me wonder what horikoshi thought he was doing the entire time. can it really all be blamed on burnout? the most that can be said for this ending is that it is, well, an ending. fuck dude, it is that.
and that's just... such a sad way to end a project that took up 10 years of your life.
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monocub · 1 year ago
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seven years with luffy will do that to you
this was completely based on this panel from ch 1102 (dw there's no egghead spoilers in it):
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LOOK AT HOW PROUD HE IS OF HIS LITTLE BRO :(( I LOVE HIM :(((
like my man spat at him on day 1 and then bOOM he’s showing off his brother’s bounty to anybody with ears with the biggest smile on his face :((
anywaaaay ty oda this panel healed me despite the rest of the chapter destroying me
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vorestarr · 1 year ago
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ascended astarion and vampire spouses
so I've been reading the dnd 2e manual "Van Richten's Guide to Vampires" for fic/game inspiration, and there's this really interesting chapter on vampire brides and grooms. after reading it, it's very clear to me that Astarion didn't turn Tav into a typical spawn, but into a vampire spouse, which are two very different rituals with very different outcomes.
the typical vampire spawn creation process is exactly what Astarion describes happening to him: a painful death, a painful rebirth into undeath, fighting his way out of his own coffin, and Cazador's complete control over him. this is described pretty clearly in the guide to vampires:
According to most related tales, a vampire can create another simply by killing a mortal either with its life-energy draining power (draining all the character's experience leveIs) or by exhausting the mortal of his or her blood supply. If the victim's body is not properly destroyed, it arises as a vampire, under the control of the creature who killed it, on the second night following the burial. [...] Most vampires remember the instant of their death and the nature of their killer, and understand immediately their new nature. Certainly their new hunger gives them a good idea of what they have become. They must immediately free themselves from their grave. either by breaking it open from within or by assuming gaseous form and diffusing out.
so that's definitely what happened to Astarion, but that's not what happens to Tav. after ascended Astarion turns Tav into a vampire, they can ask him what happened, and he describes the following:
Astarion: You are so beautiful... And you will be beautiful forever. Thank you for trusting me. Player: What exactly happened? Astarion: You were drained dry, and at the height of your delirium, I granted you one drop of my own blood. Things will be a touch different for you than they were for me when I was a spawn. I'm imbibed with unfathomable new talents. I am fairly certain I can extend Mephistopheles' blessings unto you. Player: Does that mean I need not fear the sun? Astarion: You need not fear anything. You will be stronger, swifter, sharper, but you won't be different. You were already perfect before. It's hard to improve.
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for reference, this is how the guide to vampires describes the ritual for vampire spouses:
To actually create the bride, the vampire bestows what is known as the "Dark Kiss". lt samples the blood of its mortal paramour—once, twice, thrice—draining her almost to the point of death. This process causes the subject no pain; in fact, it has been described as the most euphoric, ecstatic experience, in comparison to which all ether pleasures fade into insignificance. Just as the subject is about to slip into the terminal coma from which there is no awakening, the vampire opens a gash in its own flesh—often in its throat—and holds the subject's mouth to the wound, As the burning draught that is the vampire’s blood gushes into the subject's mouth, the primitive feeding instinct is triggered, and she sucks hungrily at the wound, enraptured. With the first taste of the blood, the subject is possessed of great and frenzied strength (Str 18, if the character’s Str isn't already higher), and will use it to prevent the vampire from separating her from the fountain of wonder that is its bleeding wound. lt is at this point that the creator-vampire's strength is most sorely tested. He is weakened by his own blood loss, and also by his own rapture as the "victim" of a dark kiss. Overcoming the sudden loss of strength and the inclinations of lust, the vampire must pull her away from its own throat, hopefully without harming her, before she has overfed. Should the subject be allowed to feed for too long (more than 2 rounds), she is driven totally and incurably insane, and will die in agony within 24 hours. Once the subject has stopped feeding, she falls into a coma that lasts minutes or hours (2dl2 turns), at the end of which time she dies. Several (1 d3) hours later, she arises as a Fledgling vampire—and her creator's bride.
this to me sounds like what Astarion describes. he drains Tav almost dry, and at the very last moment, gives them a single drop of his blood. (also interesting reading this guide, the single drop avoids the problem of the vampire spouse being driven ravenous with hunger for the vampire creator's blood and attacking them. did Astarion know this and give them one drop on purpose to avoid that and Tav potentially being driven mad by it? or was he being selfish and this is just a nice but unanticipated outcome?)
i kept reading and there's a lot more interesting information about vampire spouses, but the most interesting thing I found related to the game was this:
Although there are some folk tales that describe the bride of a vampire as its slave, in much the same way that offspring are slaves, a bride is free-willed from the moment of her creation. The creator vampire does have great influence over the bride. however although this control is totally nonmagical. When a vampire is created in the traditional manner—that is, when a victim's life energy is completely drained away—the new fledgling instinctively understands much about the vampiric way of unlife, and about its own strengths, weaknesses* and needs. Not so the bride.
so basically, the vampire spouse is not tied to the vampire creator in the same way as a spawn (i.e., not able to be fully controlled) but is still extremely reliant on the vampire creator to teach them how to live as a vampire. the guide goes on to describe that some vampire creators may lie to their vampire spouse about the control or powers they have, in order to exert more control over them.
interestingly, if you ask Astarion if he can compel you the way Cazador compelled him, he doesn't give a straight answer, he just says this:
Player: Cazador could compel you - can you compel me? Astarion: Why would I need to? You're going to be wonderfully obedient.
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to me, all of this says that Astarion was telling the truth when he told Tav that they would be different from him as a spawn, and also in emphasizing that they are not a spawn but a consort. he didn't create a spawn, he created a vampire spouse. he married Tav, and because of this Tav also retains their free will.
of course, Astarion doesn't say this. if he knows, he withholds this information in much the way that this guide describes, as a way for the creator to maintain more control over their spouse. but still, extremely interesting implications for the ascended Astarion romance, imo.
other interesting facts about vampire spouses from the guide to vampires:
the married couple has telepathic communication that can span miles -- so Tav and Astarion can potentially have a telepathic bond even after the tadpoles are gone. (another note, this communication has to be consensual both ways for it to work, so you can't just dig around someone's mind if they don't want it.)
the vampire creator is extremely jealous and possessive. (yeah lol)
their life forces are linked, so one suffering a great deal is felt by the other.
the bond can be broken, but the ritual to do so has to be initiated by the creator. to break it, they both spill their blood on the ground and allow it to mix. this dissolves all aspects of the bond (i.e., telepathy and linked life forces), but the spouse stays a vampire.
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