#the fandoms collide:0

[boredsoup]

Ok ok so I love Kieran Culkin as Wallace, but just hear me out when I say Andrew rannals as Wallace. Maybe it’s just the falsettos side of my brain speaking but idk I just think about this all the time. Someone please tell me they see it too.

Propaganda for y’all’s consideration:

[allwaswell16]

F a v o r i t e F i c s O f 2 0 2 3

As an avid One Direction fan fic reader, 2023 has been a truly amazing year for fics! I read so many incredible fics this year, so please check out all my recs for the year here! Below you will find fics that made me cry or cry with laughter. Others brought me comfort during hard times or filled my heart with joy or had me screaming into my pillow in surprise. I share this list with you all not to say that these fics are better than others from this year, but to say thank you to these writers who have left a mark on me with their fics.

To all our fandom's writers, thank you for the gift of your stories! Sending much love to you in the new year!

⚜️ Louis / Harry ⚜️

And What If I Were You by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 109k, famous/not famous) For Louis, will losing his sight give him the clarity to realise what is right in front of him? For Harry, will losing the love of his life give him the strength to finally open his heart? And can they find their way back, before they lose each other forever?

De amore ex tempore by @persephoneflouwers

(M, 101k, historical) the Middle Ages AU where Harry is a philosopher, whose thoughts happen five centuries too soon and Louis is a painter, whose art happens five centuries too late. & Or: the Time Travel AU where alternate versions of themselves live simultaneously in different realities and their paths collide every time, until somehow, they converge into one.

Gemma's Dad (Could Use A Guy Like Me) by @lululawrence

(NR, 82k, age difference) Louis wasn't planning on getting home and learning that Gemma's dad had gotten the house in the divorce and was dealing with things by focusing on work, the house, and his newly planted garden. It becomes obvious early on that Harry is a bit lost and Gemma is worried about him. To help both of them, Louis is more than happy to help Harry find himself again.

Teach me how to love by @perfectdagger

(E, 70k, one night stand) The one in which Harry is bad at sex and Louis spreads it all over town and to make up for it, decides to help him with no agenda of getting anything from it, but in the end, he ends up getting more than he bargained for.

your memory over me by @shimmeringevil

(E, 64k, exes) The worst heartbreak of Louis’ life walks right back into it when his parents invite their family friends on an all-expenses-paid trip for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Facing a past that he tried to bury long ago, Louis learns that some people have a way of sticking with you even when they’re gone

saw some things on the other side by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(M, 61k, murder mystery) Unfortunately, Louis’ plan doesn’t take into account the fact that instead of writing murder mysteries, he will find himself in one.

and i would search the night sky to find you by devilinmybrain / @thedevilinmybrain

(E, 56k, omegaverse) Harry Styles is a high class, well-bred Omega attending Bosworth Academy - a prestigious boarding school looking over the small town on Kinsey. He has his whole life already planned for him, learning his place as the potential mate for an important Alpha, practicing his home making skills, and be obedient above all else.

Suddenly Last Summer by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 44k, mystery) Suddenly he has someone who listens to him and cares about what he thinks. Someone who really sees him. But their happily ever after is forever marred by an incident at a party during Labor Day weekend, and Louis is left with a choice to make.

Train Tracks and Porcelain by @jaerie

(E, 41k, historical circus au) Shadows were forming into people and things and, there in the middle of it, Louis watched the humongous head of an elephant emerge from a box car right in front of his eyes. Or a Water For Elephants inspired AU

You're Not My Type (still I fall) by Imogenlee / @imogenleewriter

(M, 38k, omegaverse) This is just a bit of rain; it'll blow over. Then Harry will just... well, alright, he isn't entirely sure what to do when the rain stops because he'll still be stuck and lost. 

My Other Half Was You by @lululawrence

(NR, 35k, small town au) Four years, seven months, and sixteen days after the day that changed everything, Louis turns a corner and literally runs into the man who just might change it all again.

I Really Like Your Styles: The Baking Advent-ure by @homosociallyyours

(T, 35k, coffee shop) Louis isn't much for frills, and the coffee shop he co-owns with his best friend Liam is evidence of that. Yes, it's got a decent sized, well-kept industrial kitchen, but Louis insists that people come to coffee shops for coffee, not mediocre pastry and plastic wrapped cookies. 

You Ain’t Gotta Feel Fear Just Mingle by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 32, coworkers) Harry has been at his dream job for less than three months, and he knows two things for sure; first, his project manager doesn't know what he's doing, and second, someone in the office is apparently pure evil, and no one will tell Harry who it is.

Cowboy Like Me by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings

(M, 29k, thief au) Going legit and starting over in a small town was supposed to solve all of Harry’s problems. That was until a string of robberies in wealthy towns brings him face-to-face with his rogue ex-partner and their dicey, unresolved past.

'cause I want you (for the worse and for the better) by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense

(NR, 26k, omegaverse) When Louis gets invited along to Anne's wedding, Harry is prepared to let people think whatever they want about their relationship. That's what Louis said -- let people think whatever they want. 

what's left of my halo's black by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove

(E, 22k, fwb) A year after a devastating breakup, Louis is still trying to put himself back together - but getting over a breakup is hard when you work as a wedding planner. Thankfully, his coworker Harry is the most supportive friend Louis could ask for.

'tis the damn season by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

(E, 17k, girl direction) Harry returns to her small hometown over the holiday season and starts to think about the road not taken.

Captain Cupid by @2tiedships2

(NR, 15k, omegaverse) the one where Niall enlists his friends to help start a speed dating side hustle. Things don't go as planned... or maybe they do?

It Will Always Be You by @phdmama

(E, 15k, older Larry) If you had told Louis Tomlinson a year ago that he would be celebrating his birthday by kissing the man who is the love of his life on a Church Street park bench in Burlington VT as the snow drifted softly down, he would have told you that you were extremely imaginative. 

Eyes on the Horizon by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

(E, 12k, age difference) Freshly dumped, recently fired, and about to turn 40, Harry's friends insist on taking him skydiving to cheer him up.

You Light Up the Path by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(T, 12k, mermaid au) Louis Tomlinson left his home in Doncaster as a young man with the intent of making enough money to send it back home to his family and support them however he could. Harry, or so he likes to be called, is the myth and legend himself known as the Staithes Mermaid. 

Sex Drunk Suckerpunch by thinlines / @thinlinez

(E, 7k, sugar baby) Sugar Baby Louis did what any sugar baby should avoid doing but (clichely) end up doing anyways, that is, failing for his sugar mama.

Court Wine by @enchantedlandcoffee , red_panda28 / @red-pandaaa

(T, 7k, omegaverse) after a misunderstanding during a scrabble game, Alpha Louis starts courting Omega Harry without the latter being aware of it.

you give me feelings that i adore by @alwaysxlarrie

(T, 7k, a/b/o) 5 times Louis scents Harry's things and the 1 time Harry returns the gesture.

Truth or Drink by @kingsofeverything

(M, 6k, exes to lovers) Harry and Louis broke up years ago, and they're seeing each other again for the first time to play Truth or Drink. On camera.

Perfect, For Now by @parmahamlarrie

(T, 4k, omegaverse) Moving to a new city is always hard, being away from home, finding your new community - none of it is easy. Dealing with all of this while being touch deprived is even more difficult.

Unplant by @hellolovers13

(M, 4k, neighbors) Louis should've looked where he was going, then he wouldn't have to desperately try to save a little flower now.

nights like these by localopa / @voulezloux

(G, 3k, angst with a happy ending) you smile at me and say “it’s time to go.” but i don’t feel like going home.

sorry for... by stretchmybones / @lookwhatyoumademelou

(M, 1k, roommates) How else was Harry supposed to apologize properly? He was indeed a stress baker. 

Mistletoe Kiss by @neondiamond

(G, 1k, roommates) A little bit of mistletoe is just the thing Louis needed to let his roommate Harry know he’s got quite the crush on him.

Still by downcamethelightning / @downcamethelightnings

(G, 666 words, Halloween) FBI Agent Louis calls Harry to investigate a case believed to have taken place in Harry's own home. Harry is quite familiar with the victim's face.

⚜️ Rare Pairs ⚜️

The Light Out In The Madness (Hold Tight) by @lalalaartje

(E, 46k, Niall/Louis) When Louis ends up with Niall as a roommate after a messy break up with Harry, he considers it truly life saving. They become fast friends and while Louis is sceptical about Niall's idea to start fake dating to take revenge on Harry, it can't be that bad, can it?

neither wanting more, neither asking why (series) by @justanothershadeofblue

(E, 40k, OT5) If Louis is the origin, Zayn the expansion, Liam the complication, Niall the solution, then Harry - Harry's the completion.

Bloom by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 28k, Louis/Liam) In early 1970s Oxford, Detective Sergeant Louis Tomlinson has to deal with the dual pressures of a case that hits too close to home, and the arrival of new colleague Liam Payne.

Jump! by @reminiscingintherain

(M, 15k, Louis/Tommy Longhurst) “I absolutely know what this means, lad,” he replied, his voice gentle and supportive. “The way you’re reacting to being out there? That’s exactly why I chose you for the support slot.” He gave a reassuring squeeze. “You deserve this, okay?” 

Cold Spring by @nouies

(E, 8k, Louis/Pedro Pascal) Louis is a coffee shop owner and Pedro is his newest customer.

Chaos by @haztobegood

(M, 100 words, Louis/OMC [bodyguard]) Against the barricade, it’s complete chaos.

[factual-fantasy]

I haaaasss 27 asks :}

Yes. Yes it does.

Thank you! :DD And yeah canon Gregory is just not my vibe man XD

(Traffic cone in question)

Thank you so much! :DD And yeah I try my best to get up and do something productive/different when I'm feeling down like that. My thought process is "well sitting here and sulking isn't making me feel any better so I should go and do something else" Which just so happened to be breaking out the old sewing kit and making a traffic cone?? XD Well to be fair I've made like 10 of those before but still an odd choice on my part-

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked my cars artwork! :DD

And yeah I would draw cars stuff more often but they're just so hard to draw :(

Idk why they decided to jump into a DLC before fixing the base game, but man I really wish they wouldn't have. 😔

I'll do my best! :D

@tallchest13-blog

Yes :} or at least I've been trying to-

Thank you so much! And I did use a pattern to make him. Credit for the patten goes to Tammy Hallam, heres her video on how to make your own too! :}

@montygatorshusband

AAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDD

As for Glamrock Bonnie,, ehh, its a bit odd to me. Not a huge fan of the color pallet but its not the worst I've seen. I'd give it a 5.5 outa 10

ALSO! I believe Octonauts is streaming on Netflix, but I've also had some luck finding full episodes on YouTube :0

Thank you! And oh yeah, I feel you on the fandom part. XD That's why I'm still kind'a on the fence and haven't dove head first into my usual angsty stuff. I'm kind'a testing the waters with every post I make to see if I'll collide with the uh, other side of the fandom :x

Thank you! :DDD

Also Google is a search engine. :0 If you search for Octonauts fanart, its gonna do its job and search for fanart and likely find some of the stuff I made. Notice though that all of my artwork shown on Google links directly back to my blog. Its because Google isn't stealing it, its parting the branches of a bush and pointing "Look! Over there is some Octonauts fanart like you requested!" XD

@pinkbomb08

There isn't really anything Gregory can do for Bonnie..

Its hard to explain,, but I'll try. Bonnie is missing his leg from the middle of his shin down. So he cant stand up right like Foxy because- well duh, he's missing a whole foot.

So order to fix Bonnies leg so he can stand/walk like Foxy does, he would need an entire replacement foot with a working joint. This would also mean that the wires in Bonnies legs would have to be replaced and hooked up so that he can control said new foot.

Currently there are no spare parts around that fit Bonnies model.. and even if they did, Gregory wouldn't know how to properly re-wire an animatronic foot. He's smart but not THAT smart <XDD

The only thing Gregory could do is make Bonnie a weird peg leg that makes his current leg longer. Currently Bonnies half leg is shorter than his good leg. But in all honesty Bonnie doesn't really want that.

Having Gregory ducttape this weird goofy peg leg to him would be more embarrassing then what he already has. He'd probably want to salvage what ever dignity he has left and say "ah give it a rest. There's no point. My legs good enough for what its for." <:/

@taizarack

If I remember correctly... Sometime ago my tablet pen broke. And it took like 2-3 weeks for a new one to arrive. In the mean time I tried to make an art doll of sorts. That doll was Bibi!

I ended up making a lot of goofy posts with Bibi and I as I waited for my pen to arrive. Once it finally did and I went back to drawing comics, I ended making Bibi a reoccurring character. And he's been around ever since!

Now Jangles is a Halloween prop that I bought because I thought it was funny. I was practicing making quilts one time and I made a small blue one that just so happened to be the right size for him. So I put it on and then I thiiink I got the idea to add Jangles to my blog as a joke.? I gave Bibi a "new friend" to celebrate hitting 10,000 followers. The new friend was a cropped png of jangles XD

Eventually down the line I wanted to give Bibi an proper friend. So for Bibi's birthday I drew a comic where Jangles came to life and here we are XD

@pinkbomb08

Currently I am getting none of those things :x I have a cold so sleep and food is hard :( Thank you though! :D

@notsoliyah

:D AW!! Thank you! I'm so glad to hear how I've inspired you! :}}

@ur0neand0nly

XD Thank you so much! And don't worry, I'm pretty confident I'll draw him again someday

XD Thank you. To be honest I'm kind'a going back and fourth on this fandom. I don't really wanna be apart of the fandom, but the characters are the only thing I'm interested in drawing atm soo-

@ardent-38

Ooo these are interesting! Although absorbing power ups isn't about digesting them. Its something about being human specifically that allows them to absorb the powerups.. 👀👀👀

@maddiethehatter2192

My advice would be to use references religiously. That's what I did!

Also thank you! :DD

Barnaby for sure.

Well, my interpretation of him really-

@taizarack (Post in question)

@funky-frankie

No there's no SpongeBob comic, I just felt like drawing Mr. Krabs XD

Also THANK YOU!! :DD That means so much!! :}}}

@elegysonnet

<XD thank you. So far I have some pretty basic ones I imagine. Wally's house is alive and evil, Julie is actually a scary monster but has drastically altered her appearance to look less scary.. Sally is very celestial in nature because she's a real star, Eddie used to be a real human and bleeds and has a heart beat and what not.. uuuuuuh what elseeee,,, I liked to imagine that Sally and Julie came to the neighborhood when they were really young and Poppy kind'a adopted them?? Although I don't know how wide spread that idea is XD

Thank you! And yeah I'm not very fond of that portrayal either <XD As for your questions..

1: I'm sure there would be somethings that would push his anxiety to the surface. I'm not sure what they'd be but still- I imagine if Luigi was around to see it he would try to get Mario out of what ever situation he's in. If he's in a crowd he'd try to help him slip away unnoticed.

2: I'm not familiar with the giga bell, but if I did add it I'd imagine those would be the side effects yeah <XD Really sore and tired and cant really move for like 3 days :x

Remodeled or not, I wont be adding any of those animatronics to the Pizzaplex. I already wrote the entire past of this timeline, and those bots all already have a story in my AU. And with their given stories it wouldn't make sense for them to be added to the Pizzaplex.

Of course I cant spoil what those stories are, just know that I have my reasons-

Oh yeah I forgot to add the colored eye lids to Wally and Barnaby in that trampoline drawing <XD

And yeah! I wanted Wally to be much more expressive so I gave him eyebrows-

@cudlycorncornsworthcoberson

Aw, thank you so much!! Its so cool to hear that you've shared my name with your friends!! :DD

[spiritsintertwined]

World RP Discord server Domino City welcomes you!

Streaks of color spread across the sky. Branches of the multiverse, twisting and colliding, brought new visitors to Domino City…

Are you looking for a relaxing multifandom roleplay? Tired of muses already claimed? Want a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar?

The Yugioh-focused Discord World RP, Domino City, is now opening the doors for more members! The community is inclusive to other fandoms and OCs, for a refreshing variety of personalities and crossovers. The server offers neutral locations and Alternate Universes for those unfamiliar with Yugioh, allowing for grand adventures or smaller slice-of-life interactions.

Upon joining only the Welcome and Rules channels are visible. After verification, all other channels can be seen. It may take a moment to be verified as it is done by hand!

World RP: plot threads in style.

Our World RP server is structured where each category is a zone/world, each channel a location and each thread a sub location or private story. Characters move about in these locations and writing in them is usually a slow to steady pace. Quick-paced RP channels, like the opt-in Telephone Chat, are for those who desire fewer locations, or just like a brief interaction. It is also possible to start private RPs.

What our server offers:

🤝A small, friendly, inclusive and tight-knit community. Needs are respected and no one gets left behind. There is always some activity to be found in the variety of channels!

😎 Freedom to reply at your own pace. There is also 0 pressure to match writing length or quality.

👥 A duplicate canon muse system. This feature that aims to resolve the issue of fandom characters being taken, using an identifier of nicknames and mun names to tell each other apart. Additonally, the existence of duplicates is explained in-lore with the multiverse! We believe every roleplayer should be able to play any character, any way they like.

🤖 The Tupperbox bot which allows you to use your characters on the fly! This bot works in conjunction with the duplicate muse system.

🔎 The RP Bulletin Board with plotting threads, thread tracker, starter calls and status updates.

Settings and Alternate Universes:

🏙️ Domino City: The perfect place for more slice-of-life RPs, dates or semi-fantasy stories with a more realistic backdrop. Shop at the mall, visit a restaurant, or enjoy the comfort of your own house channel.

🐉 Domino World: A high fantasy AU setting, including a world map!

☀️ Season of the Light Spirit: This category features locations that are Spring and Summer-themed, but are open all year. Wander into the Spring forest, or sail to the adventurous Summer islands. Port Crookhook is the place for Lovecraftian mysteries. And last but not least, the Sunflower Festival is the slice-of-life hub with picnics and markets!

🌙 Season of the Dark Spirit: Coming soon with Autumn and Winter-themed adventures.

And even more features!

Will your character solve the mystery of the colliding multiverse? Become the greatest duelist? Cause some chaos? Or simply find a place called home, with friends or a loved one? Everything is possible in Domino City!

[yall-hate-kids-tourney]

Loser Round 2: Sansa Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire) vs. Tails Nine (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Propaganda below the cut

Sansa Stark (11-13):

Ok so she's doing some mean things in the first book (lying, saying she "forgot" if her fiance attacked her sister or the other way around) and ratting out her father's plan to Cersei the evil queen™ so she's annoying in the first book

After, she's a child hostage in a court where she has 0 ally apart from maybe the creepy guy who sees her as both the child he never had and his crush (who is sansa's mother)

And she's constantly hated on and getting call names

----

Sansa is constantly accused of betraying her family and causing her father’s death despite being 11 at the time of his death. People hold her responsible for the actions of the real villains around her and claim that she deserves every bad thing that happened to her because she chose power over family. Her innocence was manipulated and then ripped away from her in a series of events no one could have predicted (and that’s literally why the series is popular, because no one saw it coming) but she is blamed for not knowing the outcome of these events. Her childhood is denied to her, both in and out of universe.

----

Sansa is 11 when she tells her future mother in law who she trusts that her father is taking her and her sister out of the city because she doesnt want to leave. Despite the fact that her father was not going to leave the city, fans say she should have been executed along side her father for betraying her. It was also common for people to blame her for not loving Tyrion enough, after she was forced into marrying an adult man who is part of the family that killed her parents, brothers, and beat/publically humiliate her on a regular basis. She is "a moon away from turning 13" when the marriage occurs

Tails Nine (8):

it might just be me, but i still keep seeing posts where nine is just summarized as "tails but emo" and it. kinda ticks me off because. nine is very obviously a version of tails that didn't have a sonic – or anyone – to save him, so he grew to rely on himself and *only* himself, and it shows.

there's just... it could've been so easy for the tails we know to have become just like nine if it weren't for sonic. nine never had a sonic to protect him, so he made himself seven metallic tails to utilize instead. nine never had a sonic who made him be proud of his tails, so he makes it look like he only has one. nine never had a sonic who made him feel loved, so he stuck to the ground, because reaching for the sky is something only idiots can hope for.

until he met sonic.

and god, just watching the episodes where these two interact can make your heart feel *so* warm, because nine is finally getting the love he deserves. you watch him reach for the instinctive snark before being shocked by sonic's genuine kindness. you watch him praise sonic even if they had only just met because finally, finally someone cares about him. you watch him *fly*, in front of sonic, and only in front of sonic.

of course, good things can't last forever.

[sonic prime major spoilers territory, don't read unless you've watched all of s2]

this fox has been beaten down by the world around him, it should come as no surprise that when he found out what the full extent of what he could do with the shards is, that his first idea was to create the ideal world out of a wasteland just for him and sonic. only them. because sonic was the only one who showed him kindness. hell, he even remembered the palm trees sonic mentioned. the ideal world just for him and the hedgehog that insists that he's his friend.

and that's where their views collide.

because while nine wants what he never had, sonic wants what he lost.

and doesn't that just hurt? it's rejection. something that he's grown used to. because as much as sonic tries, he never saw nine more than just another alternate version of tails. all those words of his were for someone nine wasn't.

it's rejection, and it just confirms to nine what the world forced him to believe.

he's all on his own.

it's really no wonder he took control of the shards to create his own paradise.

(side note: i don't *fully* blame sonic for this either. while yes, it's primarily his fault, i feel like he's been dealing with the consequences plenty by now. he's just doing his best to fix things back to the way it was before. sonic may be fast, but even a few days isn't enough to process all of that for the world's fastest hedgehog.)

[lingy910y]

Tag Game Tuesday

tagged by @lupeloto, @mmmichyyy, @michellemisfit, @deedala & @energievie. thx friends!

you can call me: ling

pronouns: she/her

sun sign + favorite flower: virgo + tulips

what time did you wake up today? 1:32 pm 💀

what kind of phone do you have? iphone 7

pick one: beach, mountain, desert, or forest? none of them but i kinda wanna take a walk in the woods

favorite vegetable: if mushrooms don't count then corn

last person you talked to on the phone: a family member and i don't even remember who it was bc i rarely talk to anyone on the phone

last person you texted: myn :0

you're at the smoothie shop, what are you getting? i haven't had a smoothie before but i would love to try out a strawberry flavor

you're at the zoo, which exhibit are you seeing first? i'm with evie, i'm going in order so whatever they have first

last movie you saw in theaters: strange world

last movie you saw at home: red, white & royal blue

something that sparks joy: one of my fav artists from another fandom posted gallavich art on twitter: https://twitter.com/reyn3mi/status/1693886968428462394 support them 🥺 love it when worlds collide

+ galladrabbles

and finally, what’s your current obsession? nothing rly at the moment, i need to get better at intaking media and not feeling guilty abt it </3 buuut i'm still working day and night to finish my gallacrafts

tagging @jademickian, @vintagelacerosette, @depressedstressedlemonzest, @tanktopgallavich, @juliakayyy, & @thepupperino

[lampiche]

A new beginning starts with a new leaf

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Characters: Al Haitham, Nahida (but only a little bit)

Warnings: Spoilers for Act V of the Sumeru Archon quest :0

-----------

When Al Haitham opens the doors to the Grand Sage's office, he is surprised to find that Lesser Lord Kusanali is not here.

He knows he's on time, because he always is, so the Dendro Archon's absence leaves him perplexed. Usually, when he enters she is sat on a chair, patiently waiting with a smile on her face as always. He quickly thinks over his schedule in his head, and concludes that he did have a meeting today, but still ponders over his Archon's absence. Still, he doesn't stay fixed on the matter, and simply guesses that Lesser Lord Kusanali is late because of some matter unknown to him. So, he decides to just pick up a book off of one of the bookshelves adorning the walls, and sits down to read while he waits.

Nothing stirs for a while as Al Haitham reads. His headset is on, yet no sound reaches his ears. His eyes scan over the text he holds quickly as if he's read it a million times already, yet each word leaves his head just as it enters it. The silence is like a weight, heavy in the hair, but he doesn't stir, and keeps reading instead. Just as he nearly suffocates in the waters of the cloudy sofa he sits in, a soft melody makes itself known. It speaks in gentle phrases, filling every nook and cranny of the room. It pulls Al Haitham up, and his book clatters to the floor. This seems to anger the soft sound, and it turns into a howling, biting wind of chill. It bounces off each wall and hits him directly each time, and his body turns and sways like a fragile flower in a tempest. He removes his headset, choking on the brutality of the element, and collides with the door of the office.

The door opens, and Al Haitham falls out, drowning in the screeching sound. Behind him, the office whirls around itself like a whirl mill, and he smells the fragrance of dandelions as the door traps the room on itself. It screams, it kicks, he can hear it, feel it in the goosebumps across his skin, even. But the sun shines a bright green light around him and he feels his chest tighten on the wild flora of the rainforest. Still the melody rings in his ears, but it is more pleasant now. It's as warm as a benevolent gaze, and as tender as a golden feather. When he looks up, he sees both a comet and a watchful eye. The latter merely stares at him, red glowing gaze dissecting his every body parts, before putting back his heart in his stomach, and his stomach in his head. The former only flees, shy and surprised at the humanly intervention, a golden dream amongst the forest of creatures. It rushes past, and Al Haitham follows the running star. The giant eye watches him.

Al Haitham turns left, right, goes a up a flight of stairs, and then down. He explores every cavity of his brain, guided by the shiny sparkle, a stranger to the neverending green of earth. Everywhere he goes is the same, and yet it's different, like trees in the forest or people in the crowd, or grass in a clearing, or clouds in the sky, or the rays of the sun, or the visions done by gods. When he feels he's reached his breaking point, he meets the inhabitants of the forest. The insects, the birds, the trees, the flowers, the Shroomboars, the mushrooms, the water, the Rishboland tigers, the Aranara, the God of Dendro, and everything else in the world. They are all singing in unison, chanting for the watchful eye, for the comet, for him, for her, for the forest, for living beings, for the divine, for the world, for the nonexistent sky they are seated under, and he feels like he's just interrupted the most beautiful chorus of the world, where all beings unite as one for the stars, and all wishes can become true.

Lesser Lord Kusanali calls out for Al Haitham first, her smile as radiant as the morning sun in the desert, with all of its light reflecting on each sand grain to illuminate the sky. He takes her hand - Had she always been that close? - and he feels nothing. The tension leaves his body, and he seems inhabited by this song he knows nothing about, and yet he knows how to replicate. He sings, but he doesn't hear anything, and yet he knows his headset is on ; he watches, but he doesn't see anything, and yet he knows everyone is here.

"It's the Rhythm of the Great Dream.", she says, her voice distorted by the green, by the chorus, and yet it sounds like a lullaby to his ears, and he almost wants to fall asleep on the spot. "You can hear it now.", she continues, her voice clear like crystal water, and watery like a clear crystal. "You'll learn the melody soon enough."

Lesser Lord Kusanali doesn't speak after that, and the silence is suffocating this time. Al Haitham lacks air, but no one seems to notice. He brings a hand to his throat, but it doesn't reach anything and only grasps at air. He feels his heartbeat ring repeatedly in his head, his blood moves in his veins, and he collapses under the brilliant light of green, surrounded by the existence of what he worships. He hears her laugh beside him, a tinkle-like sound akin to a dance of bubbles, and his chest clears. The grass under him tickles his skin, it moves like rolling waves on the ocean, dragging him along like a forgotten plank of wood, far away from the sturdy and reliable composition of his house. Or perhaps he is on a dune of sand, moving as swiftly as the smallest grain, lost and swallowed in the immensity of wind-swept minerals. It doesn't matter to him, everything has the same texture, everything feels the same at that precise moment ; the sky is like the sea, the grass like the sand, the cobblestones like the rocks, the clouds like the snow, the fire like the light, the darkness like the universe, and everything is everything else and itself at the same time.

Al Haitham feels the gaze of the watchful eye on him yet again. He is alone, faced with what could be his sins, divine knowledge, Azar, or maybe all at once? He doesn't ponder anything, the song - no, the Rhythm of the Great Dream - dancing around in his mind instead, and he closes his eyes.  The wind howls and the plants cry as their leaves fall, but he still doesn't open them. He is an animal in a world of animals. The world tears itself apart under him, for him, around him, in him, but the soft melody of renewal guides him to serenity. He waits patiently for all his senses to come back, for the palace to turn upside down, and he falls, consciously and unconsciously, into the world of the yellow, of the senses and feelings, of smell, touch, taste, vision, hearing. He is no longer in a clearing, but the world is a clearing, filled with all kind of people like trees, and grasses like children, and couples like flowers, and vines like friends, and gods like humans, and beings that exist, no matter what they are.

Still, when Al Haitham opens his eyes, the violent headache that hits him makes him wince. Any normal person would simply stay lying for a while, but he decides to sit up, and black dots fill his vision on top of the pain. A sharp wave of nausea rises up, but he forces it dosn. He feels disoriented, and looks around his room once, twice, thrice to make sure he's in the right place. When he comes to the conclusion that he is, in fact, in his room, he inspects himself. He hesitantly pokes his face, his throat, and when his hand doesn't phase through it, he realizes that he's well and alive, and definitely not dreaming. The thought itself is so unexpected, that he stops, in disbelief. When was the last time he had dreamed? He ponders over the question for a while, but no answer comes to him in his recent years. He only vaguely remembers the fairytales and made up adventures he used to dream of when he was a child, but the Akasha Terminal had prevented him from indulging in the activity, so he has never dreamed again since reaching adulthood.

Weirdly enough, this seems to shake Al Haitham to his core, and he closes his hands out of habit, except an object sits in his right one. As he lifts it up, he realizes it's not an object, but a leaf. It's perfectly green in color, while not being off-putting, and it appears to be in pristine condition. He looks over it, and notices writing on the inside of the leaf ; music notes, he concludes after a closer look. The Rhythm of the Great Dream resonates in his head at that exact moment, and he hums it without thinking as he puts the leaf away in a book. Oddly enough, he doesn't find the apparition of this leaf to be strange, on the contrary, he feels almost comforted by its presence. In the back of his mind, he reminds himself to find a text about music, to try and read the score - And maybe play it? - so that he can really participate in the singing in his dream next time.

When Al Haitham sees Lesser Lord Kusanali later in the day, he doesn't ask her anything, but the knowing smile she gives him is everything he needs to understand.

------------

I have no explanation for this other than the fact that Sumeru's population rediscovering dreams must have been wild

[jayissinister]

I posted 19,485 times in 2022

That's 5,752 more posts than 2021!

2 posts created (0%)

19,483 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@strideerandflashlightgirl

@meesehands666

@definitelynotclayface

@fandoms-will-collide

@agatharights

I tagged 217 of my posts in 2022

#art - 14 posts

#dc - 10 posts

#batman - 8 posts

#star trek - 7 posts

#my art - 5 posts

#nature - 4 posts

#free to be queue and me - 4 posts

#star trek tng - 4 posts

#joker - 4 posts

#space - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#they tell us that the admiral! is as nice as he can be! but we’ve never met the admiral! because the admiral has never been to sea!

My Top Posts in 2022:

#2

0 notes - Posted March 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I am this close to something

0 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

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[trunksette]

I posted 10,175 times in 2022

That's 2,580 more posts than 2021!

5 posts created (0%)

10,170 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@heelsandswords

@prince-hyacinthus

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@rickshaww

@cuntymcshitface

I tagged 2,942 of my posts in 2022

#dc - 250 posts

#the untamed - 207 posts

#hxh - 199 posts

#owl house - 161 posts

#star wars - 111 posts

#mp100 - 104 posts

#arcane - 93 posts

#spy x family - 89 posts

#suzie - 86 posts

#friend art - 69 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and is so awkward he pretended he didnt hear the girl he likes confessing his love to him because he thought it would be embarrassing to ta

My Top Posts in 2022:

#3

6 notes - Posted March 10, 2022

#2

8 notes - Posted January 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

89 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

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[breeze-of-sunlight]

Hey there Ju !

It's 🎅 anon again !

It's been quite a long time, but I wanted to give you an update as to how the gift is going.

First, I'll answer to the non-fic relates stuff ! Yeah I'm a French as a Foreign Language teacher (from France). I have taught a little in France and more in New Zealand, but I'm mostly interested in Asia for now, mainly China, so we'll see how it goes. Moving abroad is exhausting, but it's the second or third time by now I do that, and you definitely get used to it even if it's not easy :D

Now that I think about it, Under the Queen's Umbrella is probably that favourite drama, right next to Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Flower of Evil. The actress who plays the Queen really carries the show, and yet, the other actors are also very talented. She was a breath of fresh air amongst other Queen characters 💛

I have only heard of my Santee once, so we'll see how it goes I guess :D But I'm glad I was able to talk to you more, I'd love to stay in contact after my identity is revealed if you agree, I know nobody in the fandom and we get along great, what do you think ? :D

I needed quite a long time to get started on writing, and to think about how I wanted to organise the story. I wanted to ask you if you would agree with this system :

So basically, I told you the fic might be 4k to 5k, from what was I my head at the time. Then I started writing... it's already 3k and they haven't even met yet. There is a lot of worldbuilding and description that needed to be done on the OCs side, because her culture and customs are the basis of her journey.

So, in light of that, would you be okay to make it a three part mini-series, the first part of which would be your gift (which will be accompanied by at least two moodboards and notes, and probably a Spotify playlist), the two remaining parts would be posted hopefully not long after. It would allow me to make somewhat even parts (probably from 3.5k to 4.5k each). The good news is I also found a beta, to make sure the story is as good quality as can be :D

Rest assured, there will be a little bit of fantasy in the first part, even though it's mostly worldbuilding on the OCs side, Jongdae will still appear and trigger the whole plot.

I can tell you right now the title of the fic and the name of the chapters, even though it won't give you much insight into the plot.

Title : "Under The Moon, We Collide"

1. Collision

2. Connection

3. Balance

I would have made the whole thing in only one part if I had had more time, with ADHD it's not easy focusing and I'm constantly scared my hyperfixation on that story is going to disappear 🥹

Also, since you're German-speaking, I'm guessing you must be either from German Switzerland, Germany or Austria. I have a question regarding that : is it true that the letter J is most often pronounced Y ? Like, if your name is Julia (I don't know, I'm just making assumptions, it's the first name in J that came to my mind), would it be pronounced Yulia ? That would help me for the OC's name (which is not Julia don't worry 🤣).

Sorry again for the wait, I'll patiently await your answer, and I'm excited to hear your theories, if you have any :D

Sincerely,

🎅 Anon.

Hey Santa!

Long time no read! It's good to have you in my ask box again ^^

Teaching from New Zealand sounds so cool, damn! I'm crossing my fingers for you to get a job offer somewhere you'll like ^^ Ngl, leaving your entire social circle in another country would be so scary for me 0-0

Thanks again for the kdrama recs! I haven't had any time to watch them yet, sadly :C (yk, since it was spooky season and that called for a spooky season marathon, hehe)

Yeah, I'd love to stay in contact! :) Though I'll warn you right now: I'm not a good texter. Sometimes I get very overwhelmed by texting and end up not answering back for a while. This isn't any evil intent or a sign that I don't like you, it's just a me-problem ^^' But if that is okay with you, then as I said: I'd love to!!

Okay, about the gift:

The absolute scream I let out internally when you wrote that you already have 3k down! T^T Meanwhile I'm sitting here trying to wrestle the plot lineout for my present into actually conveying the emotions I want it to-

But that's beside point. Yes, I'm absolutely fine with you splitting the story into multiple parts! I know the feeling of burning out over a creative project a little too well. It sucks and I don't want you to risk catching that over having to finish all of the story in this set timeframe.

I also I can't believe how organized you are about this - a playlist, a beta?? That's so cool???

As for any theories: knowing how Chen can get, I'd guess there's a good bit of mischief going on here! Especially with the first chapter being called "Collision" I guess the inital contact between the OC and Chen won't go over too well :D

I'm also guessing that the background magic might be related to the moon or the night in a way? Or that the plot of the initial chapter plays out during the night? I'm not sure, hhhmmm  (ˉ▽ˉ；)

And yes, you guessed correctly! I'm from Germany :)

About our J's: it's complicated. While yes, most of them are pronounced softly, we also have a few instances of pronouncing them harsher. The word "just" is actually a good example for it. In English it's pronounced [ʤʌst] (so a "dsch" sound) while in German it's pronounced [jʊst] (with a softer sound / a "y" sound). Has the same meaning, just gets pronounced quite differently. And that is the way for most of our J's, as you've said.

Names are, however, where it gets tricky. Because for some reason, most names starting with a J have the [ʤ] sound. And I can't really explain why. So yes, Julia would be [ˈjuːli̯a] with the Y, but Julie (my actual name, haha) is more of a [ˈd͡ʒuːliː] with the Dsch. And I think most names starting with a J are falling into the Dsch area, actually...

Sorry if that got convoluted, but I hope this helped at least somehow?

Have a pleasant day/night!! ^^

[iheartcborle]

wild seeing our musicals mutuals interact with tma and the mechs. like. that was our half fandom before this. our mates hyperfixiation. he's jonny d'ville irl. its a good thing it's just wild to me that they're overlapping so much :0 especially considering I've seen 2 of his mutuals interact with my musicals mutuals too 😭😭 s like our worlds are colliding

[lugenacht]

I'm watching a gameplay of Like a Dragon: Ishin and Kiryu is now Sakamoto Ryoma. His name sounded so familiar so I checked on Google because I was growing suspicious, since I don't normally go through my day remembering Japanese historical figures, and alas, my suspicion was correct...

He was the owner of the uchigatana Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki. Who is my Touken Ranbu husband.

The way my fandoms collide always leaving me screaming. I CANNOT ANYMORE. KIRYU IS FIGHTING WITH MY SWORD HUSBAND. I'M GONNA GROW WINGS. I am OVER THE FUCKING MOON.

Also please give my boy Nishiki some fucking rest I haven't seen him being happy ever since 0.

[withleeknow]

it's officially D-0 : wishing you the happiest of birthdays, jen! 🩷 the last week of asks has basically been a giant-ass reciprocal love letter in the form of spam and memes and yearning lmao but-

the tumblr gods did wonders in the algorithm for me to virtually collide w/ my other armystaygene(this is horrible) cat-coded-men-stanning INTJ-cursed pining-all-hours-of-the-damn-day half, but you took the creative gene which all of us on stayblr are incredibly grateful for; bask in all the love you so deserve for being the *chef's kiss*-writer that you are ♡

I hope this marks a fabulous start to your next chapter (but let's get through festa season first 🫡) + here's your three-tiered crumb cake:

𐙚 ⋅ a shinee fairy dusting of serotonin: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqr11kT/

𐙚 ⋅ white suit-clad hyung line committing to the rich husband CEO au agenda https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqM3bAW/

𐙚 ⋅ hyunho crumbs idt I'll ever get over those piggyback moments 🥺 https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqrA44Q/

ily to the stars and other planetary bodies alike <3 ‧₊˚ ⋅ 🍙

INTJ cursed alskdjakjfh that's kinda true. thank you so much, this was one of the nicest things to wake up to. i really can't express how much i appreciate you bc you have made my fandom experience over here so much more pleasant :') here's to being on this side of tumblr for as long as you guys will have me 🥹 this hellsite gets a lot of things wrong but they did something right when they brought you to me <3

i am taking seokjin's return as his official birthday present for me !! even though he's about to make all of us scream and cry and completely lose our shit in just a few days 🫡

oh taekey... that's kibum's annoying little baby right there 😭 in return, i am sending another boost of serotonin your way bc just yesterday i realized i've never watched the second part of minkey's i love alone eps lol

not the double whammy 😵‍💫 good lord you know how to make a girl go crazy bc wdym they just look like that... i have enough thots rotating in my head like a microwave this isn't helping... i also kinda tortured myself the other night by watching this so here you go.. a husband...

HYUNHO 😭 tell me why that made me tear up a little no jokes. oh i love them so much it's not even funny anymore 😭 i've also been waiting for my leebits and jiniret to arrive and when they do, bet i'll be spending all of my waking hours obsessing over my adorable lil babies 😔 hyunho is my equivalent of jinkook, my ultimate comfort duos :(((

[ao3feed-witcher-podfic]

by Chantress

A portal opens in Kaer Morhen's main hall, and a very different Eskel steps through.

Words: 35, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Eskel (The Witcher)

Relationships: Eskel & Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Eskel/Eskel (The Witcher)

Additional Tags: POV Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Multiple Universes Colliding, Game-Canon Eskel (The Witcher), Netflix-Canon Eskel (The Witcher), Implied Sexual Content, Self-cest, Parallel Universes, Podfic, Podfic Length: 0-10 Minutes, Audio Format: MP3

Listen on AO3

[zaruba-needslove]

this tiktok is funny lol https://www.tiktok.com/@useryawn/video/7341819249368845586?lang=en this is the tiktok i was referring to

Ah I see...

Well that's the advantage one have when we dabble in wide range of fandom and drama genres instead of just one subset of fandom 😃

[ruiniel]

ah hi! I love your writing so much so I’m so excited requests are open. Could I request a short fic (if possible) of fem!reader x alucard of them both pining for each other for a long time & maybe one day they just snap b/c it’s too much & make out? (Or… more than that if u want.)

A classic! This is the first ask since I opened requests and here’s a scenario that fell down the hill. It then snowballed turning into a fic that is excruciatingly in Alternate Universe territory *guilty laughter* hope you like some of this, anon.

To be free

Fandom: Castlevania series (2017-2021)

Pairing: Alucard x fem!reader

Rating: T

Count: 1.6k

Tags & Warnings: Mutual pining, Angst, It just happened, Adrian has 0 idea what to do with this, Here's some unsavory Alucard traits, He means well but ugh, Context of battle, Mention of death, alternate universe, dark fantasy AU, unresolved sexual tension, unresolved emotional tension, Second Person POV, Alucard POV, more tags coming

Summary:

The murder of Lisa never happened. Instead, sometime in the future there is strife in the vampire world with an alliance of rebelling war chiefs over territory and Dracula is forced to respond. Reader character is an apprentice learning the doctor trade under Lisa, and a friend of her son.

Will post part II soon but wanted to share this for now

All characters depicted are 18+

I.

Wallachia, 1485

“Faster!” comes the sudden strike, the wooden staff colliding with your shoulder.

“That hurt!” you hiss, ducking your head as a flash of gold gains on you.

“Well for god’s sake, move your feet!” Adrian snaps, falling upon you with frightful ease.

You retreat, movements slower, your legs fumbling. “You... you’re awful...” you pant, “This is too much, even for an average recruit!” you barely parry before being flung aside by another vicious strike.

You gasp as he’s upon you again, leaving you struggling to regain your balance. “I do not train you to be average,” Adrian throws in the tone he only ever uses with the other soldiers. “I train you to stay alive,” he kicks your legs from under you before you can preempt him.

You swear, cry out and grab at his shoulder; a surprised son of Dracula crumbles together with you in a heap to the ground.

Your faces come to be so close you can see the hint of swirling lights in his eyes. “That was unfair,” you whisper, breathless.

“Who ever said war is fair? Do you think the enemy will care for your codes of honor?” Adrian asks, unaffected by the effort—he’s not even flushed—his forearms propped on either side of your head. “Now pay attention and stop wasting my time, else you find someone else to teach you.”

He’s mainly like this, nowadays. Morose, at times even scowling, having little to no patience. His words scald often, and this change came and stayed with him for a while now. When Adrian tries to rise, however, your thighs turn into a vice around him; a sudden shift of unexpected strength, and then you’re sitting atop him, pressing him into the earth.

You grin, holding him down, finding some familiarity in it. You’d slept beneath cold skies back to back, huddled against each other for warmth before; you knew him in a physical way, one demanded of practicality. When you lean closer to his face, you see ice and even distaste, and stupid words gurgle in your throat. “I do pay attention, more than you think,” you say with a hint of satisfaction, which soon fades at the look he’s giving you.

“Rise to your feet, please.”

“I listen. I hear your words, harsh when once they’d been kind. I feel this wall you’re raising higher and I don’t understand why. I’m not your enemy. I’m...” your voice fails when his eyes narrow. “I’m your friend. Come back.” You watch his face, the shape of the mouth you know, down to every detail.

“I am right here, to my dismay. Now rise, don’t make me ask again.” But he does not do so himself, possibly giving you the choice of dignity.

“Tell me why you do it. Why you’re so dismissive, why you seem to make yourself scarce whenever we’re in the same room for long.” Why he acts like this task is something he loathes, even though he was the one who offered to include you in his daily routine when you’d made your wish to train known. You sound wanton in your demand now, you know, but he near always pushes you to the end of your tether lately. Today had been another rushed, supremely uncomfortable sword fighting lesson besides. Why are you like this? The words bite into your tongue, but you dare not ask them, afraid of what they might bring; you don’t want to fight him, not now.

Before, when Adrian welcomed you to stay for the friendship you had, he was open in manner and kind; but lately there is no reprieve, and you sense the tension in him as though it were a living thing. It turns him into a merciless trainer and hard to please—it also makes him ten times more infuriating to be around.

Adrian gazes up at you, inert, but the tension in you seems to bleed into his own body. “I do it for you,” he answers late, his voice gentler like a bleak reminder of before. “I do all of it for you.”

“I should be grateful, then?” you mutter into his shuttering stare. “For this?”

A softness to his eyes, a clench to his jaw; you feel compelled to do something you have not the courage to.

“Move.”

Defeated, you nod and rise, quietly regaining yourself as Adrian comes to his feet. You retrieve your staff, back turned to him. “I think I’ve had enough for today.”

You start when your weapon is roughly pried from your hand. “As you wish,” Adrian says. The hardness in his voice makes you flinch, like talons leaving raw and festering places in their wake.

As you turn, he’s already leaving the practice yard with rushed steps. You fall limply against a tree trunk, covering your face with your filthy gloved hands, wanting more than anything to be free of this.

Having reached the armory, you wipe your sweaty brow with your hand, then attempt fluid movement. The leather practice armor you’re using until a better suited one is ready hinders your motions. You blow a stray wisp of hair out of your face, yet panting from exertion. It has to be done; it has to be done. 

You attempt to undo the fastenings and utterly fail, resenting having to train in full battle gear, but one tireless tutor insists this is the way. With a huff and a pull, your attempts cease. 

A heavy hand is on your shoulder; heavier than it used to be. It urges you to turn.

“You slouch,” come the soft words. Deft fingers aid you out of the constraint posed by the armor and you go still, throwing the speaker a brief, scathing look he cannot see, focused as he is on his task. 

“I try,” you say.

“I need more focus, mere blinks of moments matter here,” Adrian says without looking at you.

Before you reply, he finishes and turns away, arms raised and hands pulling at the tie in his hair.

His aloofness is even more biting than usual; has something happened? You’ll need to speak to him, because you can't help but feel somehow... you can't define it exactly. A heaviness, a weariness over your heart as it beats. You can't but feel he's being unfair.

This familiarity in your concern, though natural now, has taken long to develop. The two of you crossed paths once, had bled to stay alive and became close along the way through a string of unbelievable though unavoidable events. You still laugh at the absurdity of it sometimes: meeting and befriending the son of Vlad Dracula Tepes, meeting Lisa his mother and becoming her aid after Adrian offered for you to stay until you found your bearings. You, finding Dracula with a family of all things.

Having nowhere else to go, you stayed, of course you stayed. This was a household, the semblance of a strong-knit family, or at least—for you—the proximity to one. And if you were being bluntly honest with yourself, you starved for this: a purpose, a goal. It led you to accept the schooling suggestions from Lisa Tepes. It had you deciding to train in arms so you could defend yourself if need be. And you, well… you were apprentice to his mother now, learning her trade, living here, eating and walking and seeing him—though thankfully (or painfully), less and less lately as the days pass.

You stare out the window, to the shadow lengthening across the trees and the horizon, over a scattered front where white smoke billows eerily into the air against the violently bruised sky of evening. Beneath it, two factions will inevitably clash. You shudder, chewing the inside of your cheek. “How stupid. I should learn to save lives, not take them,” you murmur, placing your gloves on a rack in the training hall. 

“Remember, these are vampires. And you may end this, it was your wish afterall,” Adrian looks over his shoulder at you.

“I know.” You turn from him, rummaging in your own things, hiding the flash of pain on your face. “But I have to learn.”

All is prepared, and you overheard the others speaking of it at the recent council. They would start at the following evefall to be stationed along camp lines across the valley. You turn your head left and right, roll your shoulders, grimacing at the stiffness in your upper body.

“Here,” Adrian says, approaching and presenting you with a vial containing a clear liquid.

“What is it?” you reach and take it from his hand. 

Adrian walks away and takes a seat at one of the long tables laden with pieces of armor and weaponry. He rolls the sleeves of his crinkled shirt up to his elbows and reaches for a whetstone, then his sword. His golden flecked stare turns on you, briefly. Cold light creeps through narrow glass windows, finding him. “A salve, did Mother not get to those yet? Use it on your muscles in the evening.”

You swallow. “No, not yet. When are you leaving?” 

He lowers his eyes as a metallic sound scrapes away the silence, and you watch him whet the sword placed horizontally in his lap. “Tomorrow.” Another wail of the stone, like glassy cries of pain.

Of course, you knew; merely wanted to hear him say it. You near as Adrian works, continuing to sharpen and wipe the blade with a cloth in turns. “Are you afraid? Are you well? I know you were reluctant to join this, I—” But it was he who said that in wisdom, we too know fear. It keeps one alive, it keeps one fighting.

“I'm well,” Adrian cuts in. The answer is impassive, his eyes averted from yours, set on the motion of his hand.

His stilted replies leave no room for doubt—the wall is up and you’re more than eager to get out of here. You sling the bag with belongings over one shoulder. “Good eve, Adrian,” you say. “Actually rest, you’ll need it.” And without lingering, you turn, leaving him behind with as much dignity as you should possess.

Part II