#there are few tricks i just actually want to do this and so i dedicate time to it. stfu

[musicalsiphonophore]

it drives me nuts when people study for grades with no interest whatsoever in actually learning the content or skills required

it is probably just me being weird and superior about it butbfucking hell grRrrrRRRRRRR

kids asking if something will be on the exam before they even begin to try and learn it… kids getting frustrated at teachers who explain even slightly beyond the syllabus… kids cheating and using chatgpt to study rather than actually trying to get information into their own mind… any extracurricular stuff being for application purposes with 0 genuine interest… have you no curiosity?????? do you not wish to make the most of the teaching time to learn things about the subjects you chose because they interest you?????

[starry-bi-sky]

don't you want to be a cult leader? - danyal al ghul au

this is mostly a joke post but i thought it was funny and had to share so--

his first mistake was, obviously, inheriting his father's inability to see an injustice and stand still. -- actually, danyal's first mistake was his lair being so big. a mountainous island with a large temple in the center resembling his old home in Nanda Parbat? With sprawling foliage and rivers and streams and waterfalls galore? What was he going to do with all that space? Let it go to waste? He had plants there! Native trees of the ghost zone growing from the soil! He couldn't let it all be left unchecked!

So naturally after helping a fellow teenage assassin ghost -- who he later learns is named Akihiko, -- from Walker of all people, he sent them over to hang low at his lair until it was safe enough for them to wander around the Zone. Walker couldn't get through Danyal's astrofield if his life depended on it, and trust him -- he's tried. Danny was clearing out debris from his stupid transport vans for weeks.

Honestly it wasn't so bad, he and Aki really quickly became fast friends and Danny loves having a sparring partner close to his level again -- he hasn't had this much fun fighting since he left the League. Aki was very dedicated and levelheaded, the both of them clicked really well because of it.

Nonono, the real trouble began after Danyal met some long-passed League members and allowed them to come join his island as well. Apparently they had made a few enemies of the zone, and maybe Danyal still felt some loyalty to the League. He couldn't just let them be left to rot. Their zealotry could be overlooked so long as they kept it contained and helped him take care of his island.

And it.. snowballs from there? He meets a teen squire aptly calling himself Ambroise -- whether that was his living name or not is yet to be seen -- who died during feudal france, who is just about as dramatic and passionate as every french stereotype makes them out to be. He calls Danyal "my moon and great muse" -- which is both flattering and little uncomfortable, but Danyal's grown up in the League as the Grandson of the Demon Head, he is used to mild worship. he passes it off as nothing more, nothing less. -- and while his energy is overwhelming on the worst of days, he helps Danny draw out of his shell more in ways that Sam and Tucker still struggle with.

Him and Aki butt heads a lot, but the two seem to hold the other in at least some positive regard, so Danny doesn't worry too much about them fighting while he's gone. It only becomes a mild issue when Aki also begins calling Danny "my moon". It's a little sweet, so Danyal brushes it off.

Then he takes in a troupe of ghosts some time after he defeats Pariah Dark and they begin calling him "great one" just as the yetis do in the far frozen. This is where he meets the twins -- a pair of sibling ghosts who call themselves Trixie and Missy (short for Trick and Mislead) -- who aren't quite as passionate as Ambroise but more energetic than Aki. Eventually they also start calling Danyal "my moon" and attach themselves to his hip, even within the living. They like to hide in his shadow and cause trouble for the rest of the students. He makes sure they don't hurt anyone.

He's pretty sure Aki is jealous, same with Ambroise, but he can't be too certain other than the fact that they become much more lingering (re: clingy) whenever he visits the island.. Something he's trying to do much more often these days due to the increasing amount of people living there now. Since when did he become so popular?

Then there's Pēnelópeia from the Greater Athens, who ran away from home and joined his Island after he ran into her while she was being chased by Skulker -- and he's pretty sure the reason was because of her chimeric appearance. Her strange eyes and mismatched wings and lion's tail and talons. She assimilates into his friend group very easily, she gets along well with Ambroise and Trixie and Danny usually finds the three of them climbing the trees to pluck the most fruit from the top. They can fly and he knows it, but they prefer to climb.

Then finally there's silent poet Akkara who comes from ancient mesopotamia, who gets along most with Aki -- which is no surprise there considering their similar personality dispositions. he watches Aki and Danyal fight each other and leaves comments on this or that that he notices. He writes Danyal poems on clay tablets and leaves them by his room.

They're one big mismatched group of outcasts, and Danny's got the other ghosts on his island to tend to, because they're living on his island and he wants to be hospitable even if he struggles with that. But he spends the most of his time with them.

Sam and Tucker are making fun of him. Tucker jokingly tells him 'careful Danny, at this rate you're gonna start a cult'. Danny really wishes he had taken that joke more seriously.

He just. keeps. collecting people. Wayward souls lost in the zone, looking for shelter or refuge from something or other -- whether that be another hostile ghost, or a past afterlife, or just a purpose. Danyal finds them, he takes them in, offers them a place on his island until they are ready to leave. Many seldom do. He's not complaining -- he has the space, and it feels like it's only ever growing.

His close friends, his "inner circle" as he's heard the others call them, keep insistently calling him "my moon". He starts calling them his stars, because then it only feels fair. They're his stars, this is his constellation. It becomes a thing; little star halos begin forming behind their heads, picking them out from the rest. He loves them so much, it's hard to place. Sam and Tucker are also his stars, but they reside in the living realm, they're his tie to Life. Meanwhile, his friends here know what it's like to be dead, and sometimes its nice to relate.

Those living on his island keep calling him "Great One" and he's beginning to notice zealotry in their care for his island. He really, deeply appreciates it. His close friends gain nicknames -- as his stars, it's only natural for him to pick them out from the cluster in the skies. Akihiko, his Sirius and bright star. Trix and Missy, Castor and Pollux, the twins and troublemakers. Ambroise, his zealous Antares and close friend. Penelopeia, chimeric and loyal Vega. And Akkara, his Arcturus and strength.

It's ridiculous how long it takes for him to notice; he is, of course, a deadly trained assassin. He is meant to be observant -- and normally he is! But somehow this becomes a blind spot. One that becomes too big to be dealt with by the time he realizes it.

He should've noticed when Aki, his Sirius, stood beside him one day while Danyal looked over his island and saw the sprawling spirits carrying on about their afterlife and bowing to him as they saw him, and said: "I looked down into the depths when I met you; I couldn't measure it." They aren't one for flowing prose, it took him so off guard he was silent for over a minute before he finally spoke.

Danyal should've recognized devotion for what it is, and yet he didn't. He should've recognized it when Antares began spouting praises about him, crowing about his radiance and resplendence to the heavens. He just brushed it off as Ambroise being Ambroise. He should've recognized it when Trix and Missy nearly broke Dash's leg after he knocked Danyal's books out of his hands, he excused it as them being protective. Of them coming from times where such violence may have been customary -- after all, that's what he used to be like. What he was still like, sometimes, when his emotions nearly got the better of him.

He should've noticed it when the people living on his island followed his word like gospel, looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky. When his friends gifted him a shawl with the moon phases delicately embroidered into it, with silver, shimmering thread and moving stars lovingly stitched into it. Their constellations seen clear as day in the dark fabric. When he found small shrines dedicated to him -- but they lacked any image of him beyond stones carved to look like moons, so he ignored it. When the religious imagery began popping up.

He really, really should've noticed it when a bunch of cultists accidentally summoned Antares, and Antares had turned to him when he arrived and called them heretics. But he was so centered on the fact that they had kidnapped one of his stars, that he hadn't paid much attention to what Ambroise had said.

Sages say that faith is blind, they should also say faith in you is even blinder.

It really only hits him one afternoon while he's sitting in Sam's room studying with Tucker, Missy and Trixie lounging at his feet, Aki sat on his right, Penelopeia braiding his hair, Ambroise draped against him, and Akkara lurking over him. Its one of the rare few times they're all in one room together.

It hits him like a bolt of lightning. He looks up from his textbook. "Oh Ancients," he says in no amounting shock. Everyone looks up to him.

"I've become my grandfather."

[hannieehaee]

Hehe hi luna! 🥺🫶 may i request birthday sex w chan except its his fake childrens day birthday and he finds it hilarious that you're taking it so seriously when actually you just want an excuse to spoil him for (another) day? 💕💕

18+ / mdi

content: birthday!chan, established relationship implied, lots of banter, (it's not actually his birthday!!) afab reader, smut, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, etc.

wc: 1538

a/n: im convinced this would actually happen in real life lol

masterlist

"god, you too?", chan laughed incredulously as soon as he stepped foot into your shared apartment, surprised at the sight but not really.

he should've known that the joke would make its way to you eventually.

"what? can't celebrate my boyfriend's birthday?", you pouted mockingly as you held out the small birthday cake out to him.

behind you stood a few birthday decorations you'd bought behind chan's back a few days back – dinosaur themed, of course.

looking at all the decorations clearly marketed towards children, chan chuckled again, walking up to you and staring you down as he attempted not to smile. unfortunately, the situation was too ridiculous for him to put his acting skills to use.

"you're the bane of my existence," he said once he was in front of you as you lifted up the cake in a silent gesture for him to blow out the singular candle.

"make a wish?", you ignored him.

sighing, he leaned down to follow your instruction, closing his eyes and taking a second to hum as he thought of a wish. blowing out the candle, he then straightened his back and gave you a forced smile (which barely hid the very real smile on his lips).

"happy?"

"very," you grinned, "what was your wish?", you asked as you put the cake down on the table nearby, now heading to wrap your arms around his shoulders.

instinctively, his hands glued themselves around your waist, pulling you in close, "for my girlfriend to stop bullying me."

"dude, that was a trick question! you're not supposed to tell me. everyone knows that. now your wish won't come true!", you gaped at him, mocking him with every word.

groaning, he buried his face in your neck, defiantly giving the empty skin of your shoulder a tiny bite.

you yelped, complaining at the sudden attack, "ah! i prepare you a birthday party and this is how you repay me?"

"what good do i get out of your mockery, baby?"

nudging him away from your shoulder, you gave him a suggestive look, "well, you know what comes with every birthday, right?"

"hmm", he pondered, "what might that be?"

you leaned up close, lips by his ear, "birthday sex?"

"oh ...", he breathed out, hands tightening on your waist, "is that so?"

with a bite to your lip, you nodded, separating yourself from him and walking yourself back to your bedroom, eyes glued to his own, "wanna come unwrap your present?", you asked before turning around and charging into the room.

nodding, he followed after you, catching up to you as he held you in his arms, practically tackling you. the act was followed by a heavy kiss as his hands wrapped around you once more, feeling you up through your clothes. your hands were equally needy as they ran through his hair, softly pulling in the way you knew he liked.

"you bully me a lot for someone who wants me this badly," he bantered into your lips.

"'bully'? is that how you thank your girlfriend for caring about your birthday?", you just were not letting go of the joke.

despite how silly the whole situation was, chan couldn't find it in himself to feel any type of real frustration. your dedication made him too fond (and surprisingly, a little horny), causing him to simply chuckle against your lips while his hands attempted to rid you of your clothes.

your newfound almost-nudity proved to be a bigger challenge than dealing with your teasing, as you now stood in front of chan with one of the prettiest sets of lingerie he'd ever seen.

"like your gift, baby?" you grinned at him, disconnecting from him and walking yourself back to the bed, sitting down as you presented your body to him.

any thoughts of a stupid birthday joke left his mind as he zeroed in on your body, breath now heavy at the sight.

"yeah," he went along with it, "best birthday gift ever," his words did not meet his eyes, as they showed lust that could not be portrayed through speech.

he threw off his clothing as he made his way to you, stumbling as he removed his shoes but determined nonetheless. finally reaching you, he pushed you back on the bed, crawling over you as his hands got their fill of your body.

"do i get to fuck you, baby? or are you gonna do it since it's my day?", he murmured into your neck, drinking in any pretty sigh you let out at his kisses.

"the birthday boy gets to decide," you breathed when his lips made their way to your tits, suckling at your nipples through the thin bralette you were wearing.

"mind if i rip my present, pretty?" his hands were itching to get you as naked as he was.

"you didn't like it?", you pouted mockingly, knowing that was absolutely not the case.

"i'll fuck you with it on, i don't care," he was serious too.

opting to hastily remove it instead, he went to reach for a condom from the bedside table, only to be halted by you.

"doesn't the birthday boy want to fuck me raw?", you looked up at him expectantly.

huh?

"baby?", he gulped.

"happy birthday?", you smiled at him, pulling him down for another kiss.

he practically growled against your lips, "happy birthday to me," he sighed before beginning to sloppily align himself to your cunt, refusing to disconnect your lips.

a groan vibrated into your open mouth when he finally entered you, breathing out praise as you sucked at his tongue.

he grew desperate quite quickly, falling in love with the feeling of your bare cunt within seconds. chan was sure this was the most unfiltered pleasure he had ever felt. your walls were too warm for him to process, making him entirely too lightheaded to even comprehend how good he was feeling.

the thought of your first time giving it to him raw being part of a lamely orchestrated joke crossed his mind for a mere second, but it didnt distract him from pounding into you with every ounce of desire imbedded in his body. he couldnt comprehend how good you were to him – how pretty and funny and perfect and just tailored to him you were.

making up an entire ruse of his fake birthday just to mess with him, luring him back into your room and then presenting your bare cunt to him ... yeah, he needed to marry you asap.

rocking his hips into your own, his hands held onto the back of your thighs for dear life, holding them up to get the optimal angle that allowed him to hit that spongy spot inside of you that he knew drove you crazy. the pretty whines of his name were just another reason as to why chan felt the sudden need to head to the nearest jewelry store and ransack them of the largest ring they had to offer.

"feel so fucking good ... fuck, i- pretty cunt keeps sucking me in," he moaned out into your lips.

the kiss wasn't even a kiss anymore. it was a disgusting mess of tongues sucking at each other while teeth clanked every once in a while. but it was a nastiness that chan lived for.

"channie ... fuck, need you to cum. need my pretty birthday boy to cum," you murmured as he sucked at your tongue, making it all the harder for you to let out a single sentence.

you knew his body too well. it was far too easy for you to spot his orgasm coming. luckily for him, he knew you even better, aware that yours was likely around the corner.

not wanting to risk cumming before you (which was very likely considering the gorgeous cunt warming up his cock at the moment), his hand slipped between you to flick at your clit, swallowing every pretty moan breathed out against his lips.

"where? where can i cum, pretty? hmm? need- need you to tell me where," he knew he was being obvious about his unspoken desire to cum in you, but he wanted a full-pledged confirmation that you wanted him to finish inside you – that and also a depraved need to hear you beg to be filled up.

"inside, channie ... you know- you know i want it inside. need you to fill me up," you whined, nails scratching at his back.

"gonna film you up ..." he promised, "gonna have you dripping for me, okay?"

only moments later and he found himself emptying all of him inside you as he gasped into your mouth, only to begin crying out against you when your cunt suddenly tightened with your own orgasm.

humping against you, he lost himself in the pleasure while his orgasm subsided along with yours. pretty sighs of his name filled his ears, making him murmur praise against your own.

finally falling limp against you, he lazily flipped you over so half your body would lay atop his own whilst he ran his hands softly up and down your back.

"did you like your birthday present?" you asked. he could feel your dumb smile against his chest.

chuckling, he gave up, "fucking love my birthday."

[gyuwoncheol]

Man On A Mission

Pair: Joshua x f.reader

Genre: Fluff, very slight angst

Summary: Plans are made and the surprise is all set, but what happens when you’re suddenly refusing to be Joshua’s Valentine’s date? Will your boyfriend get your sweet yes in time for the big day or will he have to force it out of you? Good thing this sexy gentleman has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Warning: slight angst if you squint, lots of playful teasing, Shua and oc being menaces to each other, making out, suggestive content.

WC: 2.8k

Author’s Note: Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day! This is my piece for @svthub Cupid For You Collab - Valentine’s Gift Exchange. This is very much dedicated for my Valentine @shuadotcom 🩷 I’m so sorry this is late 😭 I would’ve really wanted to publish this on the 13th but your valentine has been very sickly these past few days. I hope you enjoy this as much I enjoyed writing the antics I wrote for you and your beloved Joshua. I love you so much!!! To the moon and back 😉 The biggest thanks as well to my dearest @wongyuseokie for being so patient with me and helping me out with all my questions AND for organizing this event! Ily 😘

Svthub’s Cupid For You Collab Masterlist

“You can’t be serious right now,” you frown in shock.

“SURPRISE!” Your boyfriend exclaims.

You turn around fully to face him, “babe… I thought we agreed on no surprises? And no extravagant gifts?”

A cheesy grin flashes on Joshua’s face but when he notices how serious you actually are, his once excited expression starts to fall.

You really should’ve known that when you both agreed on a simple staycation for Valentine’s, your CEO boyfriend would do anything but. However, when he mentioned to you about how busy he would be this week trying to close a merger deal, you thought perhaps simple would be possible. So when he asked you to join him for a lunch with business partners in a fancy hotel the day before Valentine’s, you didn’t actually think it was all a trap to just get you both checked in in the presidential suite for an overnight stay.

Joshua observes you a bit more before answering, suddenly feeling embarrassed and scared, “do you not… like it? I mean, I can still cancel the booking and then we can go do—“

“Baby, no,” you interrupt, “it’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just… not what we agreed on.”

“Well you said you wanted a staycation, right?” Isn’t this what that is? A nice place just less than an hour away from the city, perfect view, nice amenities, a good looking boyfriend. But I mean, if you’re not into it, I might still be able to get us those Bali tickets I canceled last week.”

“You what?!”

“Mr. and Mrs. Hong?” The small voice of the hotel receptionist calls you both and Joshua is thanking the heavens you were given no time to further interrogate him.

“It’s Miss y/l/n,” you immediately correct her and Joshua frowns at how quick you were to dissociate from him, sweat starting to bead on his forehead as he ponders how his extravagant surprise might have really upset you.

“Oh, my apologies miss y/l/n. Anyway, I just wanted to inform you that your suite is ready. Here are your room keys and you will be assisted to your room.” You kindly thank the receptionist and make your way through the hotel lobby.

The elevator ride up to the top was silent and awkward. Joshua consistently bounced on the balls of his feet from nerves. However, when the doors to your suite open, your jaw drops and your feet automatically lead you towards the floor-to-ceiling windows that boast a 180 degree view of the city. You didn’t even notice the bell man wishing you both a pleasant stay or hear your boyfriend carefully approach you. You could see the concrete jungle of the business district yet so beautifully backdropped by the sprawling mountains in the distance. You never thought much of your city, it wasn’t exactly a tourist destination in itself, but now that you’re looking at it from hundreds of feet above, you realise it has a charm of its own.

“I take it you want to stay?” Joshua asks as he observes the glimmer in your eyes.

You finally peel your gaze from the view and turn to your boyfriend who’s carrying an apologetic look on his face.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he grabs your hands and sandwiches them between his, “I just thought this would be nice and I know you didn’t want to do anything big but I also know you like surprises and I just really wanted to give you the perfect Valentine’s I could pla–“

“Who said I’d be your Valentine’s?”

At that very moment, all color drains from your boyfriend’s face. His mouth is agape, eyebrows raised and eyes are round as ever. Complete and utter shock wash over him and then you see pain, his eyes show early signs of wetness and he starts to blink hard and that’s when you burst out in laughter.

“I’M KIDDING!” You laugh loudly, hands cupping his face and you just hear him take a deep breath.

“Babyyyy,” he whines and you’re completely melting at the pout etched on his face.

“Aww, babe,” you peck his lips before embracing him tightly. He takes a few more seconds wrapped in your arms, trying to let his heartbeat stabilize from the prank you just pulled. “I was just kidding. I think.”

“You think?” He pulls back and catches the mischievous smile on your face. “What does that mean?”

“Hmm… well for starters, you just assumed, you didn’t even ask me, and then–“

“Okay so will you be my Valentine?” Your boyfriend rushes out and if you just weren’t feeling playful, it would be a definite yes right then and there.

“I’ll think about it,” you shrug. “This wasn’t exactly how I thought we’d spend the holiday, you know. I thought we’d only meet with Mr. Min today.”

“Well, I had to find a way to get you to come here with me.”

“Yeah, but what happened to no surprises, Josh? Didn’t we agree on a simple Valentine’s, just a staycation? No fancy gifts and just our favorite food?”

“If you think about it, we’re still in the city, so it’s still a staycation. And we can still have our favorite food!”

“And yet… what was that I heard awhile ago? You had plans to take me to Bali? Hmm??”

“Okay, fine…” your boyfriend slumps in defeat, “but that was honestly booked before we even agreed on anything. And then I canceled when you said you didn’t want anything too extravagant. C’mon baby,” Joshua prods, his arms wrapping around your waist, “I’m still somewhat following the agreement. I just… I really want to make this special for us. Please let me?”

“Okay, I’ll let you,” you smile at the sincerity of your most loving boyfriend. You truly appreciate the effort he’s putting into this, but just like the dynamic of your relationship, what’s a romantic holiday without a little fun? “But I’m still not saying yes to being your Valentine… not yet.”

He sees the wink you just gave him as you walk away and he rolls his eyes. “So that’s how you wanna play it, huh?”

You dramatically turn around before letting yourself fall on the large couch by the living room, “oh whatever could you mean, my love?”

Sometimes, Joshua just hates how you may just be as mischievous as he is, if not more. But he also adores your playful side, especially when it makes him think outside of the box. When he sits beside you on the couch, he’s immediately pulling you onto his lap, hands roaming up and down from your waist to your thighs. “I’ll get you to say yes,” he answers confidently.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhmm… before midnight.”

“A deadline, I like that,” you nod in approval, “let the games begin, babe.”

Joshua scoffs, “they already have.” A searing kiss is delivered to you that you almost fall over if your boyfriend hadn’t had his muscular arms supporting your back. When you’re finally responding back, Joshua is surprisingly the first to groan, but could you blame him? Your lips were full and soft and it didn’t help at all that your hips have decided to grind against his crotch. He’s sucking on your bottom lip and when they part to grant him entrance, the CEO wastes no time in exploring with his tongue. He hears you moan once, twice, and then he’s pulling your pelvis down as he bucks his hips to meet yours.

“Will you be my Valentine?” He asks in a muffled rush while trailing down your neck, hoping you’d be caught off guard. But Joshua should’ve known, you took your games just as seriously as he did.

“Not so fast, baby.” You giggle, pushing him back against the couch. “You’re not gonna get me in one try.”

There’s a genuine laughter shared between the both of you but when you feel Joshua’s hand begin to pull down the strap of your blouse, you gasp in shock, scaring the man beneath you, “what is it?”

“Babe! I don’t have clothes!”

“Even better,” he smirks.

“No!” You swat his hand away when he attempts another kiss. “I mean, we’re staying the night, right? I didn’t pack anything. Oh my god! I don’t even have my skincare!”

“Okay, calm down,” he rubs your arms, “I have it under control. I’ve packed for you, yeah? Clothes, skincare, even some accessories. Just… except maybe underwear.”

“Babe!”

“What? You won’t really need it anyway.”

“Joshua!” You scold louder this time.

“I’M KIDDING!” He laughs like a maniac, “I brought you… a few.”

To be very fair with your boyfriend, he stayed true to his promise of a staycation. While the hotel you were at had a luxury shopping center directly below it, he knew you just wanted to laze around in the comfort of your suite. Room service was ordered for your lunch, you both watched your favorite movie on the large built-in flat screen on the wall and now, you’re sighing happily sprawled out on the bed wrapped in the hotel’s fluffy bathrobe.

“Someone’s happy,” Joshua notes, settling beside you.

“Are you kidding me? That was the best massage I’ve ever had in my life!” If you were being honest, your whole body felt like jelly, in a good way, it’s as if you could still feel the masseuse’s skillful hands kneading away the knots on your lower back. “I think I might just marry her.”

“Wow, okay???” Your boyfriend takes offense.

“If she asked me to be her Valentine, it’s a yes,” you stick your tongue out at him and before you know it, you’re smothered in tickles from your boyfriend.

“What did you just say?!” He challenges and you want to trigger him more but you’re simply reduced to a fit of squirming giggles underneath his muscular body.

“S-s-sttooooppp!”

Your wrists are conveniently pinned down above your head as you try to squirm away, your body encased between his legs, and a pair of scrunched up brows and pursed lips are staring you down, “Not until you say yes to being my Valentine!”

“No!” You deny him, “the more you tickle me, the more I’ll say no.”

This actually catches his attention and he lets go of you. “Wow, I didn’t think that would work.”

“I’m just nice,” he proudly grins, “and that’s why I’d make the perfect Valentine’s date.”

“Mhmm, probably. You are a gentleman, after all.”

Joshua wiggles his finger at you disapprovingly, “I believe the exact term you’re looking for is a sexy gentleman.”

You both share a laugh at the inside joke that began a few years back in his workplace and has simply stuck until now. “Speaking of,” his tone turns a bit more serious, “I know you just wanna be lazy in bed all day but if it’s okay with you, will you let this sexy gentleman take you to dinner tonight? It’s just going to be in the restaurant downstairs and I made sure to ask the staff to place us where it’s more quiet and secluded.” Big doe eyes stared at you and while you did want to tease Joshua a little more, the sincere look on his face proved too difficult to even playfully deny.

“Okay, I’ll go, but I’m still not your Valentine date. There’s still a few more hours to woo me, Joshua Hong.”

He scoffs and then smiles, leaving a kiss on your cheek before hopping out of bed, “I’ll get that yes before midnight.” It’s cool and confident, and somehow, you’re beginning to lose your resolve.

“What is this?!” you gasp as you open the small hand carry luggage that your boyfriend had packed for you. It was the first time you had gone through it, completely trusting him when he said he had brought all your essentials. You also didn’t feel the need to go through the bag earlier as you had no plans but to live in the fluffy robe the hotel provided.

“What?” Joshua snickers.

You squint your eyes at him, knowing his agenda a little too well. “This,” you mutter coldly, raising up the lingerie with your hands. It was skimpy and it was lacey, and most of all, it was your boyfriend’s favorite. He tries to act innocent but a cheesy grin breaks out on his face anyway and you just roll your eyes at his antics. However, rummaging through the rest of the bag for underwear that had more coverage proved to be unsuccessful. “Just three pairs of lingerie? Nothing else. Really?”

“Hey, no! I packed four. Four pairs of lingerie. All of which are my favorite,” a boyish grin on his face.

“You couldn’t even bring me at least one comfy pair of panties for sleeping?” You pout.

“Not when we’ll be sleeping naked, no. But your nightgown is there,” your boyfriend earns another roll of your eyes and now he’s really giggling with mischief. “C’mon babe, don’t pout. Any of those four will fit perfectly with…” he runs to the closet and then quickly comes back with a huge white box in his hands that had a big black ribbon tied around it.

“Babe,” you gasp silently when you manage to open the box and pick up the beautiful dress that was folded neatly inside. It came in your favorite color and in a style that complimented your curves well. “This is too much,” you say just above a whisper, “I thought no more gifts?”

“Well, this isn’t really a gift. It’s more like… hmmmm…” your boyfriend purses his lips, “giving you something to wear for dinner. I can’t have you walking in the restaurant in just your lingerie! That’s only for my eyes to see!”

You should’ve been annoyed really, he was coming up with the most mischievous excuses to break the agreement you both made, but the way Joshua was pouting and huffing towards the end of his sentence had you smiling like a love struck teenager.

“I love you so much,” you smile and wrap your arms around your boyfriend, planting a kiss on his lips.

“I love you too, baby.”

And you both did, you really loved each other so much. Mischief and jokes were common between you and Joshua; he was equally playful as you are, but no matter how much you teased each other, every single ‘I love you’ that came out of your mouths was always said meaningfully.

“Baby?” your boyfriend asks in the middle of your scrumptious dinner, “do you think Valentine’s is overrated?”

You’re slightly taken aback by the question, especially since the topic before this was how Joshua managed to win the chubby bunny contest during your friend group’s Christmas dinner.

“Uhmm.. “

When you realize he looked dead serious about his query, you give it some thought before answering him, “I see why it could be. It is quite a capitalistic holiday and well, Saint Valentine did die a gruesome death on this day, but I do think that if your Valentine is the right person, it doesn’t really matter if it’s overrated or not.”

Josh is listening intently to your words, his thumb slowly rubbing the back of your hand, “So… you don’t think all my surprises today are overrated, right?” There’s a curious look behind his eyes and your heart physically squeezes at the sight of it.

“Oh, love…” you sigh and scoot your chair right by his side, cupping his cheek and giving him a kiss that you hoped would wipe his worries once and for all, “You could’ve surprised me with a trip to the moon and I would still hop on that spaceship with you volunta–”

Joshua gasps loudly, “Now, how did you know that’s where we’re going tomo–”

“Babe!” you laugh and shove him lightly, “Even if you weren’t kidding, I’d go with you. I told you, even the most possibly overrated thing you could think of will not be overrated as long as it’s with you.”

“Ohhh, so I am your Valentine tomorrow, huh?” The proudest, most obnoxious smirk breaks out on your boyfriend’s face, his chin is held up high and one brow raised approvingly. It takes a few seconds for you but when you realize what he’s done— falling perfectly into his trap— your jaw simply hangs low.

Your boyfriend is quick to tuck his hand below your chin, “close your mouth babe, else a bug might fly in.”

You scoff at the remark but honestly, Joshua isn’t able to hear you amidst his cackling, and you absolutely abhor how he’s gotten you to slip so easily.

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” the laugh is evil and confident, and you want to punch his stupid annoying grin away, “you loooooove me, quite literally to the moon AND back.”

Damn him, you thought, because he’s right, you love him, to the moon and back.

As if he wasn’t proud enough, your boyfriend seals your defeat by grabbing your neck to kiss you fervently only to then raise his fist in victory, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, AND a Valentine’s date for Joshua Hong!”

[syoddeye]

🥺🥺🥺 your drink headcanons are precious 💕 farah, alex, nik, and alejandro’s are my favorites. idk if you do requests but could you do first dates too?

hi friend! i'm glad you liked the asking them to watch your drink post. i do not formally take requests but i love when people pop in with ideas. and i really really like this one! i gave it a go

price. he’s never beating the traditionalist allegations. he is arranging the entire thing, picking you up right on fucking time with flowers, and taking you to dinner somewhere you’d never take yourself. does a poor job of hiding how pleased he is to pay, even worse when he persuades you into a walk and has you on his arm. he asks a lot of deep questions that coming from anyone else would put you off, but he’s not dating to fool around, if you catch my drift.

gaz. this man is so plugged into the music scene. follows bands, artists, and venues religiously because he doesn't get many opportunities to see live music and actually enjoy it. so he asks you for a genre, then sends a redacted screenshot of concert tickets. you grab drinks then head to a hole-in-the-wall. it's always nerve-wracking seeing a musician you know nothing about, but gaz nails it. three dates later and he sends you a personalized playlist. ugh, dreamboat.

soap. listen while i do picture him as a very outdoorsy and active guy, i think for a first date he's going to take you to a drink and draw. it's casual and scales to the mood, meaning it can be both an intimate and cozy experience, or fucking hilarious and a rowdy time. plus it gives him the chance to show off. draws a mini you and him at the end surrounded by trees. what’s that? oh that’s date two. a casual camping trip.

ghost. dinner and a movie. no, he did not just look up 'first date 101'. he's just not big on public places, and he knows that's a hurdle in dating. so he video chats you a few times before arranging the date to get you comfortable with him and to see his place, because babe, he's hosting. he's not the world's best cook so he'll order takeaway if you prefer, and if that goes well, he'll let you pick the movie. what happens after who knows

alejandro. he's the guy that knows the guy that owns the farm that supplies the bougie restaurant you've been wanting to try. and that guy owes him a favor. he drives you out there in his truck and has a table with candles and flowers waiting. he has you sit with your drink of choice and watch him prepare dinner, busting out all the tricks to impress you. yeah, he could’ve taken you to his ranch, but that’ll happen when he figures out he’s serious about you. date three.

rudy. rudy the foodie has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? it’s weird at first when he insists on picking you up in the early afternoon, but when you arrive to a local food festival, you get it. you need the hours to slowly walk around, and to digest the amount of bite-sized dishes and snacks you sample. he gushes about his family’s cooking, how he wishes he had more time to dedicate to cooking and play around with recipes. gets a little sheepish. you have him eating out of the palm of your hand when you take him to a cookbook store on date two.

kate. in my heart she is a patron of the arts. similar to gaz, she doesn’t get a lot of time to soak it up, so she finds galleries and museums through personal recommendations. she’s got a broad network, why not use it? she’s not a snob either. elbow to elbow at some gallery opening, staring at a befuddling piece of art, she’ll swirl her glass of wine and lean over to whisper, “do you want to get out of here? i can’t make heads or tails of this.”

nik. you are going up in that heli. asks if you want to take a nighttime helicopter ride to see the city by night. jokes about this time a young sergeant fell out and he thought he killed him. ha ha ha. the ride culminates with him landing on the rooftop of a friend’s building, and taking the elevator a few floors down to said friend's restaurant. not feeling fancy? that's okay, to the basement then for gambling and drinks.

farah. it's a surprise. she asks for your physical limitations. hm. what is she playing at? but you trust her. you receive strict instructions on what to wear, and then what extra clothes to bring. hmm. you end up at a rock climbing gym. at first you think, oh god, exercise and a new skill in front of someone cute? but farah is so encouraging and supportive. after, when you clean up, she whisks you away to a reservation that just so happens to be at your fave place. you compare biceps over dessert, and she’s shoots you a sly look when she squeezes your muscle.

alex. if you're up for it, he’d love to take you somewhere in nature. a hike or simple walk at the local park, doesn’t matter to him. he’s more relaxed and himself outdoors, and has the kind of energy that makes you open up. you find a good spot to picnic and talk for hours. real sweet, a good listener—so it surprises you when, at the end, he’s a smidge forward. “so next weekend…”

[adragonsfriend]

Supreme Chancellor Grandpa and his Spectacular Vibes

"'Busy as always, I’m afraid. But very glad of this evening’s reprieve.' He says, smiling warmly, because Chancellor Palpatine is the picture of a harried but caring and active leader."

This is going to be part commentary on canon, part my response to the fairly common supposition that Palpatine acts openly rude or prejudiced as Chancellor, part thought experiment.

(quotes from Biting his own Tale (mostly The Supreme Chancellor's Diary) in purple because if I don't do breakdowns of my own writing, who will?)

I pose the question, what is it actually like to be in Palpatine’s presence?

At the heart of it, it's incredibly reassuring:

He is always solving problems for people—often by taking on extra responsibility! It is genuinely difficult to come out of a meeting with Chancellor Palpatine feeling as though some weight has not been taken off your shoulders. Be it emotional (he has lent a sympathetic ear: gained personal information about you), logistical (he’s offered to mention your problem to someone: gained a tacit, informal favour in return), personal (he’s given you advice: shaped your decisions), or logical (he’s always up for a challenging puzzle: he’s always looking for opportunities to take advantage of).

He's a good public speaker, and his speeches gesture at large goals, out of the individual person's reach (I went to a school that had students give these speeches to the whole school twice a week about what ever (school-approved) topic they wanted and trust me, the fastest way to alienate a general audience is to ask them to do something achievable. depressing i know). People—even senators who are aware of his rhetorical tricks—consistently leave his public appearances with a vague but incredibly strong sense that big problems will all be resolved naturally, or by someone else. "She starts reading over one of Palpatine’s oldest speeches, from nearly twenty years ago. …Our Sector is made strong by its partnerships with our neighbors…Naboo will always maintain those relationships bring Prosperity to young and old…The new trade bill will ensure Peace and Security for decades to come…  It has a familiar, empty quality that makes the speaker sound full of ideas, but really only rouses emotion."

He’s no comedian—his jokes are typically chuckle-worthy at best, indeed they are often a little awkward—but he takes such clear delight in causing joy in the people around him that it is hard to resist smiling even when a joke is stilted or slightly out of touch. "'Knight Skywalker didn’t stir at all, I’m afraid,' Sidious inserts a little self-deprecation into Palpatine’s tone, “But it’s reassuring to know he’s in the most capable hands here, Master healer.' / 'We certainly do our best, Chancellor.' Master Che’s expression is polite, but she doesn’t smile. / Not taken in by flattery for a moment. Palpatine approves, 'And I’d best let you get back to it.' He sighs just audibly, and squares his shoulders, 'And get back to it myself.' He crafts a smaller smile, and this time he catches the faintest hint of amusement in the twitch of her lips."

You are a corrupt politician who has gotten in some trouble, but don't worry—your friend Palpatine is there to take care of it. He'll ask a few favors on your behalf, only because he knows you deserve a second chance, and besides he says, what you did wasn't really all that bad in the first pace. He's not doing anything bad by helping out a friend. "'But I'm not! Ventress is getting stronger and I'm still too weak. I should’ve killed her when I had the chance—' [Anakin] cuts himself off, glancing nervously at Palpatine—Sidious arranges Palpatine’s face like a deck of cards so it shows only dedicated interest. Anakin continues, reassured that Palpatine sees no problem with killing his enemies."

You are a leader of your people, worried about how you are going to help them. Palpatine is also a leader, and of even more people than you—but he sympathises, he's made time for you, he worries about his own home planet even as he puts that worry aside to care for the whole galaxy. He suggests someone you might speak with.

You are a clone in the coruscant guard, whom many citizens and senators dislike either for enforcing the law or simply for being clones, but Chancellor Palpatine is always polite to his guards. He confuses you for your brothers sometimes, but he always apologizes and clarifies your name. Sometimes you catch him muttering names and ranks under his breath, trying to remember all of them—he is always faintly embarrassed when this happens, but he keeps doing it.

You are a Jedi, reporting that one of your people has died in tragic, violent circumstances. Out of the many-faced mass of the Senate comes Palpatine to lead the condolences. He maintains a steady sympathy, but beneath it, you can see that he truly feels the loss. Even the seemingly apathetic Senators around him have been moved to nod their heads in true sympathy—in a galaxy that grows cold to your people you more and more, he makes your loss felt to others when you cannot. "[Padme]'s hardly ever irritated by Palpatine when she’s in his presence, only after she leaves, when she’s picked through all the pleasantries and misdirection. Just this week, she’d watched him frown upon hearing about the death of Knight Wu Mengxiang, and caught herself nodding along with his condolences to the Jedi who’d come to inform them."

You are the queen of a planet in danger, and here is someone who is willing to do something drastic to help you. He will take power, and help you fix all the injustice if you will only ask him for help. Yes it may take a few days, but he is doing all he can—it is not his fault the incumbent Chancellor is too attached to his position to realize another could do better in his place. "He’d used them, encouraged them to attack Naboo, and then used the crisis to force a vote of no confidence against Valorum. Only force isn’t the right word is it? He’d made a suggestion, and Padme had jumped at the chance to spare her people."

Body language and charisma are incredibly powerful (random statistics like 'oh 80% of all human communication is through body language' are not sufficient to communicate the extent of this power), and one of Palpatine’s most extraordinary traits is is ability to keep up and act—probably to an unrealistic extent.

Lots of real life advice on how to discover manipulative people is simply to wait and observe their actions over a longer period—eventually, they will slip up and reveal who they truly are. This certainly happens with Palpatine in ROTS, but it takes a very long time, not months or even years, but decades.

And his suspicions behavior in ROTS is a deliberate ploy! He uses it three fold:

To incite cognitive dissonance and uncertainty in the senate—most of whom have regarded him as trustworthy and in accord with their specific interests up to this point—so that he can push through his most obviously suspicious empire-making pieces of legislation.

To cause the Jedi to be suspicious of him in general, so that they investigate and eventually attempt to arrest him, allowing him to label them traitors and usurpers.

To cause the Jedi to be suspicious of him specifically to put Anakin, who either does not register or does not acknowledge any change in behavior, at odds with the other Jedi.

"'The upside,' Padmé counters, 'Is that it means even Palpatine is limited in what he can push through without sacrificing his [public] image—' / Ekkreth cuts her off, 'If you ever do find him obviously suspicious, it is too late. That is his endgame for the Republic.'"

The only point where he compromises his act to his own detriment is in Return of the Jedi with Luke, who has the twin advantages of knowing exactly who Sidious is and only having been in the same room as him for all of ten minutes.

People like the Jedi on the Council and the leaders of the Delegation of 2000 (potentially including) Padmé Amidala who manage to partly pierce the veil and form actual distrust of Chancellor Palpatine as an individual are the exception, not the rule. They are extraordinary in being able to both know the man and even semi-accurately analyze his actions.

I say potentially about Padmé because it is very much the last days when she remarks upon anything, and the delegation of 2000 deleted scene reads to me as though she is being read in on a plan others have already made—ergo she is not one of the initiators.

People who are aware of him only as a public figure are not at any great advantage either. His speeches give much the same air of worn but steady reassurance, and it is difficult to trace any particular wrong doing back to him—he took over of a paralyzed, unpopular leader, he was in favor of unity and so opposed the war, he has a great origin story going from troubled youth to orphan to responsible leader, his greatest scandal is a slightly expensive taste easily excused by his role.

Sidious has a distinct advantage in that any obviously violent or cruel end he wishes to pursue can be achieved through Dooku and the Separatist military (want to kill a Jedi who knows too much? Dooku can have Ventress do that. Want Anakin to suffer extra this week? Dooku can arrange that. Want this or that artifact/weapon stolen or destroyed? Dooku can assign a general to do that. Want a clone army? Dooku can get Syfo Dyas to do that. et cetera), and there is no paper trail of any of it. The only way in which Chancellor Palpatine has to get his hands dirty is making the pragmatic decisions necessary to the Republic. "No matter how much more obscure the methods for obtaining those records has become since the Government Information Acts—which she recalls Palpatine calling a deeply unfortunate necessity of these troubled times—were passed, they are still legal."

Long story short, Anakin is special only in the individual attention he receives—he is the microcosm of what Palpatine does to almost everyone he comes into contact with. Invoke trust, take on responsibility, absolve guilt, corrupt. Palpatine's greatest strength is not in his long-term schemes—many of those are set up for him, or mainly managed by Dooku—it is in his opportunism, and that includes in his ability to become the right person for every given moment.

Long story even shorter, Darth Plagueis did not name his apprentice Darth Sneeky McSneekface so people could try and convince me Chancellor Palpatine is randomly rude to people.

Edit: changed some phrasing--nothing substantive

[sirfrogsworth]

The Curse of Artistic Vision

I think being an artist comes down to developing an image in your head and then feeling compelled to manifest it. Sometimes you are able to improve upon that image in your head. Or you end up with something different that you like better.

But sometimes, for various reasons, you can't quite make that image a reality. And I don't know if other artists feel this way, but it feels like heartbreak every time. Not quite on the level of an incident of human decoupling, but it definitely sticks with you for a long time.

Sometimes I am limited by the current state of my skillset. I just haven't learned enough and gained enough experience to take a photo like the one in my brain.

And sometimes I am limited by my body, which puts huge restrictions on the amount of energy I can dedicate to crafting a photo.

I feel my knowledge and experience has never been at the level I am currently at. I think I have the *potential* to shoot just about anything I can imagine. Which is a cool feeling. I also feel like my image editing and manipulation skills are at the highest they have ever been. Which means anything I can't do in-camera, I can achieve in Lightroom and Photoshop.

But I just don't have a lot of energy to capture photos right now. And I am very limited by how much physical effort I can dedicate to the photographic process. Which is very frustrating. I'm hoping if I build a new studio in the house that will help a lot.

In the meantime, I have this library of images I took before 2017. Many of them I was not able to achieve my artistic vision.

But... I came close.

Which means on many of these old images I can use my editing skills of today to achieve what I could not back then.

And so I have started a huge re-edit project where I go back and realize my images as I wanted them to be.

I had this idea for an image of someone in the middle of a dark forest in an open field reading a book and the only illumination was a lamp that seemed to be plugged into nothing. It popped into my head and it just seemed like a cool photo to create.

In July of 2016, my friend Ryan was visiting and we decided to try it. We even rented a big fancy 50 megapixel camera for a few days. I had never used a professional level camera and it was my birthday and I wanted that experience.

I even had this cool idea to hide a flash in the lamp so it would look like it was illuminated.

The resulting image was not anything like I had in my head. And for some reason, I edited it super bright, and you can barely even notice the cool lampshade flash trick. If you lower the exposure of the RAW file there is a well-defined circle of light in the grass, but it is hard to see in the 2016 edit.

Where is the dark background? Why didn't I underexpose the background to make it look like night or sunset? I knew how to do that back then. I totally could have crafted the photo in my head at that time.

But then I noticed I only took like 8 photos of this scene. And I *always* overshoot. I took 300 photos of a bridge recently.

Then I remembered what happened. We moved a giant rocking chair, a lamp, and lighting equipment to the middle of my neighbor's yard and by the time I was ready to take the photo, I was about to pass out. I believe it was very hot as well.

And so the above was the best I could do under that circumstance. My body limited my artistic vision. And this has been bothering me for years. Sometimes I will think back on this photo and how cool it looked in my head and I will feel that heartbreak again.

When I look at the RAW file... it is actually much better than my edited image.

Which makes me curious why I made it so damn bright. My best theory is I had a monitor that was slowly dying and I didn't realize how dim it got because our eyes are so good at adjusting, and it's possible all of my images from that era were overly bright because I was overcompensating for a dying display.

That fancy camera (Canon 5DS R) was a dream to work with. And having so many extra megapixels to play with is such a joy. People say you don't need more megapixels these days, but when you are doing high level image manipulation, having as much information as possible makes it a lot easier. Especially when making complex selections.

So, I've got a good start. I have a lot of pixels to play with. I was almost certain I could manifest my vision with modern knowledge and tools.

I'll start with the baseline edit in Lightroom. I'm not going to worry about the sky, as that will need to be swapped for my nighttime aesthetic.

The circle of light was there! It was just hiding in my bright exposure. So that's neat. And when you lower the exposure of the background, the lampshade trick presents itself as well.

At this point I was getting excited because I could see the potential. I just had to find the right sky. This one looks perfect.

Okay, it is time for the big reveal.

Did I finally get this image out of my brain and into reality?

I DID!

I don't know if people will like this or find it artistically interesting, but Ryan and I were both very happy with the new version.

Also, I think Ryan's purple shoes really steal the show.

Though I had one idea that was never in my head originally.

Should I try it?

I still haven't decided on the fireflies yet, but Ryan and Katrina like them.

I can't state how nice it was to work on a 50 megapixel photo from a full frame sensor coming from a 10 year old camera with 4 stops less dynamic range and 24 megapixels.

This is zoomed in to 100%!

And the image doesn't even get soft at 300%.

Sorry, I got caught up in the megapixels.

And there is one detail you'll probably never notice unless I point it out, but I completely rebuilt the lampshade because I overexposed it.

I always say small details add up to big results. Plus I had to use some creative problem solving to figure out how to recreate a lampshade and I always enjoy that part of the process—where you don't know how to do something and then you figure it out. Very satisfying.

In any case, my brain feels better now. I feel like I was able to settle something that has been bothering me for ages. And I am grateful I was able to realize my artistic vision—even if it took 8 years.

Here is the before and after. It's fun to switch back and forth.

On to the next photo. And it may involve a furry little orange friend.

[themodernwitchsguide]

working with pendulums

now, theoretically pendulums could be anything, however I recommend something uniform (ish) in shape and fairly weighty. you need to be able to discern when your pendulum is just moving because of the wind, and when it's moving to tell you something. some good examples are crystals, raw or cut, and metal. look out for resin and glass dupes as these do not work as well

i've seen a few theories on how pendulums work, whether they have their own spiritual energy to move themselves or if they can stimulate your muscles just subtly enough to move them in the right directions. either way, don't worry too much about your own interference here. more often than not, you'll be able to tell when they're moving on their own and when it's just shaky hands/wind

HOW TO START

first of all, find a pendulum that speaks to you. then ask it if it's willing to work with you

second, i usually like to cleanse my pendulums, but not too hardcore. just some salt, selenite or herbs will do the trick here, we're looking to wash other people's hands off here, not the actual spirit of the thing

then, when you first start speaking with your pendulum, you want to tackle the conversations with something in between a "you work for me" and "you work with me" vibe. still ask permission before someone else touches it, before you take pictures, etc. i've even known people to ask before using them at all. whatever you think is right

it's also important to get to know your pendulum. what direction is yes? what direction is no? not all pendulums swing the same way. additionally, most pendulums i've met have name and pronoun preferences, so suggest whatever calls to you and then ask if they like it

DECIDE THEIR PURPOSE

i've known people to use pendulums for a variety of things. some examples include:

-assistance with tarot

-regular divination (answering the yes/no questions you ask)

-connection to a god (this is what I do)

-talking with spirits (see image below for an alphabet chart)

-and in the darkest of times, it's nice to just to have a friend

again, it's very important you talk to your pendulums before you decide because sometimes they don't wanna be tied down

HOW TO INCORPORATE A PENDULUM INTO YOUR PRACTICE

in tarot:

1) after shuffling, separate your deck into a number of piles, have your pendulum choose which pile you should read from (this is especially useful for very broad or general readings)

2) after shuffling, lay out a series of individual cards that you feel drawn to. then have your pendulum choose individual cards (this is especially useful if you're doing a reading for someone else, since you can have the recipient hold the pendulum that chooses the cards)

with deity work:

1) have them represent an altar or space dedicated to your deity. this might not serve any practical use, but a guardian for an altar is never a bad thing

2) dedicate it to a deity and attempt communication with them. this can be iffy for some people, depending on your beliefs. in my eyes, a god does not have to be one corporeal being, having to dedicate their singular consciousness to a singular task as a human does. gods are multifaceted, primordial beings that have fingers in many different pots, so to speak. therefore, it is not outside the realm of possibility to communicate with a deity in this way, since moving a pendulum to say yes or no isn't all that deeply personal. REMEMBER, if you do this, the pendulum's spirit is still there, and you are more than capable of separating a pendulum from a deity or communicating with the two separately OR harming the pendulum while trying some risky business with a deity

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM IN THE MEAN TIME

when i'm not using them, i like to keep my pendulums hung up on my altar space, overlooking my room. however, i DO NOT keep them in direct sun because the crystals will fade with exposure to UV. sometimes i'll bring them out to the window during a full moon though

some other ideas would be:

-in a window that doesn't receive much direct sunlight

-in mesh baggies (so they don't get tangled or lost) on your altar

-hung on a wall, thumbtacks are useful for this

-if you only have one or two, it's not outside of the realm of possibility to carry them around with you. some pendulums really enjoy this too

-with your other crystals, as long as they're separated enough so that they won't get tangled or lost

happy witching!

[mxtxfanatic]

Yi City Arc: Spooky Edition

Since I'm doing a spooky edition liveblog, that means y'all will be getting some spooky edition metas, and what better place to start than with everyone's favorite Yi City parallels! In this meta in particular, I want to discuss how mxtx weaponizes these parallels to temporarily trick readers into considering the wrong antagonist as the main villain.

I say it here that Jiang Cheng is introduced to us like a villain. In fact, up until this point in the novel, we don't have a villain. Every antagonistic character is dead, and Wei Wuxian has no fetters or obligations holding him back. But then Jiang Cheng enters the narrative, and unlike Lan Wangji's introduction, he is juxtaposed as cruel and bloodthirsty. In traditional English crime and mystery literature, Jiang Cheng would be Suspect #1. However, Suspect #1 in a mystery is almost always innocent of the main crime being investigated. Likewise—though I haven't read a lot of specifically mystery-genre cnovels—in cnovels with plots about protagonists uncovering the truth behind who schemed them into ruin, the first and most obvious antagonist thrown out is almost always just the cover for the true villain still lurking in the shadows. In mdzs, rather than using the characters' own deductions to mislead the audience—Wei Wuxian never suspects Jiang Cheng because none of their actions have ever been secret or hidden from the other—mxtx, instead, uses the Yi City arc.

How does this work?

Well, first she sets up heavy parallels between the major Yi City arc characters:

Wei Wuxian identifies heavily with Xiao Xingchen, particularly through his morality, dedication to justice, and his ending:

— To end up like that due to something that originally had nothing to do with him, that’s seriously...if Xiao Xingchen had been born a few years earlier, or if I had died a few years later, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. If I had been alive, something like this would never have been brushed aside. And I would definitely have become friends with a person of his character!

—Chapt. 30: Morning Dew III, fanyiyi

Inside the coffin home, Xue Yang paced as terrifying abuse flew from his mouth, full of both fury and rapture. “Saving the world! It’s so funny, I’m going to die of laughter. You can’t even save yourself!” Wei Wuxian felt several sharp pains stab at his brain. But this pain did not originate from Ah-qing’s soul. ... That very moment, as Wei Wuxian looked upon Xiao Xingchen’s body, he saw himself. A miserable failure, covered in blood, impotent, fingers pointed at him, furious denouncements shouted in his face. Powerless to reverse the motion of the sky. Powerless to do anything but weep.

—Chapt. 41: Flora IX, fanyiyi

Jiang Cheng, on the flip side of things, shares the same moral and life philosophy as Xue Yang, the villain of the arc.

If you are paying attention and connecting dots, it is at this moment in the narrative where you should start questioning if Wei Wuxian is actually the bad guy (if you hadn’t been already)—especially given how we see Xiao Xingchen so easily scapegoated for Xue Yang’s crimes simply because nobody bothered to verify any of the rumors they heard. However, this is where the red herring comes in: while Wei Wuxian—like Xiao Xingchen—proves to have been victimized by the scheming of others, Jiang Cheng, unlike Xue Yang, is not the main schemer behind Wei Wuxian’s downfall but, rather, an easily manipulated pawn, the perfect archetype of Suspect #1.

Jiang Cheng may have gleefully participated in and benefited from Wei Wuxian’s downfall, and we are even made privy to a slew of motivations for why he would do so, but what he lacked in the end was drive, ability, and initiative, the things that separate Suspect #1 from the true villain while making suspects such good false leads. An obvious answer throwing itself in front of the audience to attract its gaze is the easiest way to distract from the real mastermind sitting off-stage pulling strings. And if you, the reader, get so overconfident in your deduction skills that you stop looking at evidence and start making guesstimations and assumptions, you’re more likely to overlook the curtain in the background with the suspiciously human-shaped shadow inside it. After all, isn’t how Xiao Xingchen was labeled a vengeful murderer by the cultivation world because his sword was used as the murder weapon by Xue Yang proof enough of this?

[tohwitchesduels]

REQUEST BATTLES OF WITCHES DUELS - Battle 46: Gus Porter vs Hunter

Disclaimer: This is not a popularity contest or which character you prefer, in this tournament, you decide who is stronger/better/smarter/etc. opponent.

information for both opponents under the cut to those who don't know what they can do in their battle:

Since both have quite huge profiles, I won't be getting into specifics, just motivations and I will link to their profiles in their names.

Gus Porter:

Gus Porter is a prodigy when it comes to illusion magic. Prodigious enough to skip a few grades and even defeat the coven head of illusions with his sheer raw power. Gus displays insane potential and a big imagination when it comes to his magic. Now his powers are still limited by his own imagination and creativity meaning his illusions for the most part can be used mostly for deception and distraction, but during this tournament, Gus finally revised his own skill to find even offensive capabilities of his powers. While Gus did display the willingness to study other tracks, he ultimately never did due to his reassurance in being a master illusionist how easy it comes to him, and how much he can do with illusions alone.

One must know how intelligent Gus is during his battles. He can easily fool and toy with his opponents thanks to his illusions and Gus is also not afraid to either mock or straight-up torture his enemies during his battle just to get the results he needs, and has more than enough raw power to pull his schemes to their fullest. It's worth noting that when Gus feels extreme emotions, his magic only gets amplified, however, the side effects could be that Gus actually loses control over his own powers and gets to be the victim of them too, though thankfully to the magical amplifier from Graye, the risk of that is lesser.

Gus does possess a Palisman and is known to be an utter speed demon. Gus doesn't fly in a traditional sense like most other competitors due, to preferring to surf in the air, but this only further allows him to still cast spells while midair, which mixed with his capacity to trick his opponents more dangerous. It's hard to tell however how good he is in combat with his staff, but it appears he knows how to battle with it if he still used it as a means to fight in LR when briefly facing Hunter.

One of the artifacts I allow Gus to have independently regarding whether or not his opponent also has any supportive gear is the looking glass earring he got after he defeated Adrian. The magical amplifier allows Gus to further concentrate his raw power into specific abilities he has a hard time pulling on his own and even enhancing them in the process, growing more powerful.

Gus and Hunter are the best bros and there's no bad blood between them while going into this battle nor will there be any after they finish. Gus wants to have a chance to battle the finalists; it's nothing personal. Gus realises he may be outmatched as he knows how dangerous Hunter can be but he's willing to face him as he knows Hunter isn't invincible or flawless either. Granted Gus won't do his worst towards Hunter (so no Belos trauma as it would be hit below the belt... but Gus may aim with his staff below Hunter's belt).

More Gus pictures showing his powers:

Hunter The Golden Guard:

Hunter "Insert your preferred surname/s for him", also known as a former and the youngest Golden Guard in history, head of the Emperor's Coven, Emperor Belos's right-hand man. One must know that unlike other contestants (aside from Luz) he's not constricted to specific covens and tracks since as a former leader of the coven that allows all kinds of magic, Hunter will have expertise in all types of coven magic as well, and he's also very dedicated to studying wild magic.

Hunter has no bad blood towards Gus, he's his best bro. Hunter does feel bad a bit to have to battle Gus, but he's willing to do so and win this match since he knows Gus will be a little shit if Hunter lets him win (siblings am I right?). It's worth noting that Hunter already had to face Gus at his strongest even when they weren't battled and while it wasn't easy, Hunter managed to push through Gus's powers to save him, so Hunter sees no reason why he can't do the same to take down Gus as well. After all his position in the tournament is also at stake because of this.

Hunter himself was also known as a genius teen prodigy and is undeniably a child soldier who was raised by both hell and the library to get to the very top. While he was born magicless, it did not stop him from earning his title as the right-hand man of the most powerful witch of the Boiling Isles. Hunter spends days and nights both training and learning everything about magic both as a duty and as fun. He's incredibly knowledgeable regarding all kinds of magic, meaning it's hard to actually surprise him with anything. And since he's a child soldier raised in a magical military with no magic by himself, Hunter had to survive hell even worse than some of the adults that also were part of this coven went through, and he survived it all. Hunter has already been to countless witches' duels beforehand, he made it several times through a maze full of traps, and judging by how he calls getting from the top to the bottom of the mountain alive "a classic", this might as well suggest that this Hunter's version of "summer camp", as he did that numerous times and he considers it "fond memories". Hunter without a doubt has the most experience among all participants when it comes to battling, because you know Belos never gave him a break or easy time and for Hunter to be where he is today is all thanks to his own strength, intelligence, and resilience.

Hunter certainly has one of the strongest wills among all characters in TOH, as despite going through a ridiculous amount of pain, he is capable of brushing it off and pushing forward, with his only weakness being Belos. Hunter's willpower was even able to withstand Gus's trauma bubble which specifically puts you through your worst memories and even renders you useless, but Hunter resisted its effect and calmed Gus down instead, despite his pain being very fresh and severe and Hunter in fact not being ok with it, but Hunter keeps on going anyway. One must know it's very hard to break him, trust Belos, he tried but didn't succeed. Hunter even managed to resist Belos's possession for some time, which is a lot considering Belos was his abuser and had power over him metaphorically and physically in that moment.

Hunter displayed throughout the series to have some great athletic skills and agility, being able to keep up pace with running Luz without breaking a sweat while proving he has experience in parkour and acrobatics as seen in him flying on staff. Certainly, he can use his skills to evade incoming attacks with his reflexes while keeping up with his opponents and close distance between him and his enemies. He also has plenty of brute strength at his disposal as well, considering he managed to shatter falling debris by just swinging his staff in one hand.

Hand-To-Hand Combat - Hunter has proven to be efficient in hand-to-hand combat throughout the series. While Hunter overall plays more on defense as a protector rather than offense, he is not afraid to throw a punch. This post goes more in-depth about Hunter's proficiency in staff-wielding, but I will explain some of it here too. Hunter as a trained soldier and experienced martial artist has his body be his weapon. He knows how the body works and has great control over it. He defeated both Luz and Eda in his debut with a quick kick while evading their attack, straight-up toyed with Kikimora, and had to be put to sleep to be restrained by coven scouts as he was still fighting and kicking. This also gives him a huge advantage against other competitors who are used to fighting across distance, whereas Hunter fights at a close range.

Back in EC Hunter learned how to be smart, resourceful, and strong, and as I've mentioned before multiple times, he's a child soldier. His opponents usually underestimate him, but he's not the one to be crossed. His victories compromise of defeating Eda and Luz on 2v1 in his debut; immediately defeating Luz in HP once he's recovered; defeating Kikimora in HP; and Tying with Amity in EL after being physically and mentally exhausted, in 2v1 with King (who was rather defeated by Hunter in this duel), while wielding a completely new staff and restraining himself to not kill her but just getting the key; winning flyer derby game on his first try; catching Darius off-guard (which is a feat with Darius's great reflexes); making a strong glyph combo on his very first try; resisting Gus's trauma bubble; kicking ass during Hexside against EC battle; he was defeated twice by coven scouts, which while fair, was also due to his poor condition and the second time he had to be put to sleep to be restrained; handling abomatons and scouts with rest of the Hexsquad during S2 finale; standing his ground and protecting Hexsquad from Belos while being severely weakened in KT; breaking through Willow's vines in FtF with his freshly awakened powers.

Hunter now is sub-merged with Flapjack meaning he does not require staff anymore to cast spells as magic now comes from within. What's more, I allow Hunter to also levitate/fly without the help of any staff. This is more of a fanon ability, but it's supposed to connect him to having the powers of a palisman (but no, he can't turn into a staff, nor is wooden) and abilities of a palisman are usually just enhanced abilities of the holder, meaning flight is in capacity of any witch, but all of them utilise staff since flight on its own is probably hard spell to pull off, but Hunter should do just fine for the sake of this tournament.

And now finally, let's talk about his staff. For the purposes of this tournament, I will give Hunter Waffles. You know Hunter is the best staff wielder in the entire tournament only rivaled by Luz. I already mentioned how Hunter is absolutely proficient with his staff, utilizing it for both offensive and very effective strikes and flawless defense. Hunter is also a real aerial ace capable of flying at high speeds with agility to dodge attacks and is capable of even surfing on his staff as demonstrated when he showed off in ASIAS. His flying skills were also decisive in both forming EE and winning their very first game together.

Return to Masterpost

[buckets-and-trees]

Meat Cute

Collection: Trader James Characters/Pairings: future Bucky x female!Reader, Peter Parker Word Count: 2.2k Summary: Modern, non-powered AU. A girl and her love for Trader Joe's... You never know what kind of new and exciting finds you'll come across in a Trader Joe's or what you'll get to take home with you, and that's part of the fun of shopping here over other stores - you get your standard stuff, and then there's always something surprising.

Content Warnings: fluff; a ridiculous amount of Trader Joe's nerdery; also, if you're a vegetarian, you may want to steer clear, because this Bucky is BEEFY

Logistical Notes: Second tick for my Bingo Card for @the-slumberparty's August/September Challenge knocking out B3: "Collar." Don't get excited over it being that kind of collar. It's not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Additional Notes: LET'S BE REAL: although it was a surprise to me when I hatched the idea last week, IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ASPEN CREATED A TRADER JOE'S AU. None of you are shocked. I know you're not. Also, this launch of the AU is dedicated to my wifey for her birthday, one of the most wonderful friends who just adopted me, and I couldn't love her more fiercely for it.

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

You smiled as you put your car into park in the decently close-to-the-store stall. Hands gripping the wheel still, you took a deep breath, closed your eyes, and just exhaled.

You were in your place.

This was familiar.

And you were hungry and had an empty fridge, freezer, and cupboards that all needed filling.

Actually, you were starving.

This was one of the few times it would not be to your detriment to do your grocery shopping on an empty stomach. You needed everything!

You hopped out of your car, and walked up to the sliding glass doors beneath the familiar red and white lettering that indicated you were in the familiar territory of Trader Joe’s. You grabbed a grocery cart and walked inside. Flanked right away at the entry by the displays of fresh flowers on one side and houseplants on the other, you looked but didn’t touch this time. You had a lot of other things to take care of before you needed to worry about plants or flowers in your new place. Although it was different than your old Trader Joe’s, you knew it would unfold similarly in the layout to you were used to here as well, starting by funneling you right into the fresh produce section, and you tossed some of your leafy green staples into the cart, along with tomatoes, corn, a sack of potatoes, oranges, and some cherries since they were in season. Next you grabbed a loaf of the sliced brioche, and then couldn’t resist the small package of brookie bars. They would heat up beautifully in your air fryer when you needed little treats to reward yourself this weekend.

Guacamole, hummus, a package of the fresh ravioli with corn and burrata, then into the fresh meat section. You picked up some of the boneless, skinless, fresh Atlantic salmon as well as … no. You had to stock your entire kitchen. You’d grab more fresh meat next weekend. You were already going to do enough damage with today’s grocery bill. So you moved on to the eggs, opening the carton and doing the visual check first for cracks on the tops of the shells, then quickly bumping each egg gently in its spot to check that it moved freely – it was a trick your grandma had taught you: if the eggs had cracked on the bottom, they would ooze, making them stick to their spots. All twelve checked out.

You continued your circle around the perimeter of the store through the dairy for sour cream and Greek yogurt, then into the cheeses. You bit your bottom lip. What to spoil yourself with this time… You went with a hunk of Toscano soaked in Syrah and took a chance on a strawberry white stilton cheese. The sticker on the red, wax-covered hunk of cheese said it paired well with pomegranate. You would need to get some proper crackers. That or head back to the bread aisle. But the breads were right next to the bakery items, and you probably deserved to get some of the brookie bars.

You didn’t go down every aisle, but almost, and by the time you made your way to the check-out lines, your cart was respectably and entirely full. The area at the front of the store was bustling and crowded as shoppers ushered themselves into lines. It was the kind of crowd to be expected in the late afternoon on a Saturday, so you didn’t fuss about the lines, just chose the relatively shortest option, and then pulled out your phone to entertain and distract yourself while you waited through the customer currently checking out and one cart ahead of you.

As they wrapped up business and it was almost your turn, you sent a quick text to your mom, snapping a quick under the radar photo of the checkout area and your very full basket, letting her know you had wrapped up and were clocking in your first visit at your new home Trader Joe’s. She reacted almost immediately with the heart emoji and said she was glad you were settling in. You smiled, knowing this move was hard for her – she was happy for your career leap, but devastated to have her girl out of state.

You slipped your phone into your pocket quickly as you pushed your cart right up to the checkout counter, the cashier reaching out for the end of the basket to assist you.

“Hey, how’s your day been so far?” they asked as you stepped past the register to the customer arm rest where you could see each other.

“Oh, not too bad,” you responded habitually. You were ready for the robustly friendly interaction your cashier and possibly the bagger would give you. It was one of the reasons you had still wanted to make your first grocery run rather than order or pick up dinner – you wanted that small moment of human connection. Although it was customer service stranger to stranger, Trader Joe’s employees knew the culture was to try and make that customer service a moment of genuine connection, to let each customer know they were seen and appreciated.

But what you were not ready for was looking up into the eyes of a towering, excessively broad shouldered man, whose chest and arms were fit to burst out of his navy blue Trader Joe’s crew t-shirt, hair pulled back into a man bun with a few strands tucked behind his ear, a soft smile, and steel blue eyes that when you locked onto each other shot right into your soul.

No, you were decidedly not ready for that, and your stomach and chest flared very suddenly with violent butterflies.

“Did you find everything you needed today?” he continued after a small beat.

In that next split second, you reminded yourself to breathe, and blinked to try and reset your brain. This was fine. You glanced back at the basket, then let out a small laugh. “Probably more than I needed! I don’t think I could fit anything else in the cart.”

“No, I guess not,” he assessed as he looked back to the basket, grabbing the yellow bell peppers with a warm laugh of his own and then keying in their code. “But it looks like you pulled a good haul.”

“I’m going to double bag your groceries,” the younger man standing next to your stupidly handsome cashier said, drawing your attention. “That should do you.”

“Oh, perfect, thank you,” you said. The nametag on his chest read Peter.

“Sure, no problem,” he said. This brunet was nowhere near as big as the man next to him, but stood at average height and average build, and you were glad not to have him to tamper this down to a much more normal encounter. You guessed the younger man was somewhere between twenty and twenty-five, with one of those youthful, open, friendly faces, and a manner that could clearly cheer and put anyone at ease.

“Any plans for tonight,” your cashier asked, drawing your attention back to him.

“Oh, I hope not,” you immediately spat out.

There was a lightning-fast exchange of a look between the two men, and you grinned and explained, “I just moved here today for a new job, and I start Monday, so just lots of unpacking and settling in for the rest of the weekend.”

“Oh, that’ll keep you busy. Good thing you’re stocking up on snacks,” he added, holding up the small box of dark chocolate coconut almonds, then scanning it and handing it to Peter. You glanced at his nametag to see the name James, as he continued to grab, scan, and hand off the next item and the next.

Peter held up the small tub of body butter with its magenta lid. “Have you tried this Brazil Nut lotion yet?”

“Yes!” you gushed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when the summer is over!” It was only due to be a seasonal scent.

“It’s so good! Did you see we have it in bodywash? I picked one up a couple of days ago.”

James huffed a laugh.

“What?” Peter asked. “It does smell amazing, and all the girls love it!”

You grinned even more. “He’s not wrong. It’s a good strategy.”

James rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, too.

“Where’d you move here from?” Peter asked.

You responded with your hometown.

“No way! That’s where my gran used to live!”

You and Peter compared notes over some of your favorite places as he and James continued to efficiently move through your acquisitions. James was attentive to your conversation but didn’t have much to contribute. You guessed he’d never been to your hometown. But when your eyes moved back to him, he was alternating between retrieving and passing the groceries and you.

You also realized you were fidgeting nervously with the collar of your linen button down. You hadn’t dressed up – because you were only going to Trader Joe’s, you weren’t supposed to be bumping into an Adonis – but you were glad you’d at least changed out of the old t-shirt that had gotten you through moving day. This wasn’t fancy, but it least it wasn’t torn and sweaty.

You were still fidgeting with the collar.

Stop, you thought. You’re just buying groceries.

You conscientiously placed both your hands down on the

“Ready for the damage today?” James asked, and you looked into his eyes again, reminding yourself to keep your heart rate steady.

Peter suddenly disappeared from his spot without a word, which seemed strange – to both you and James, it seemed – but then you looked back at each other.

You crossed your fingers. “Give it to me.”

He turned the small display for the customer total to you, and you tilted your chin up a titch, a satisfied smile on your face.

“That’s not awful for a decent kitchen and cupboard stocking.”

“Pretty respectable,” he agreed. “Cash or card?”

“Card,” you replied, and he hit a button on his register, and you saw the card reader down at your waist light up. He didn’t fill the space with any more talk but let you focus on putting the payment through.

The sound of the receipt printing brought you both back. “Looks like it went through,” James said, and waited for it to finish printing, then tugged it away from the receipt printer, and handed it to you.

At that moment, Peter reappeared out of nowhere with a bouquet of sunflowers from the fresh flower section and held them straight out to you. “A little housewarming gift, compliments of me, Bucky, and the spirit of ol’ Joe himself.”

You gasped. “What? Really?”

“Of course!”

“Wait, who’s Bucky?”

“Oh,” James said, rubbing the back of his neck, and you saw just a touch of red on his cheeks. “That’s me. I go by Bucky, not James unless it’s serious.”

Peter pushed the flowers into your hand and took the receipt from Bucky’s hand and tucked it into one of the grocery bags.

“Thank you,” you said, truly touched.

“I hope you have a good weekend,” Bucky’s warm voice melted your heart even more.

“Thanks, you, too.”

“And we’ll see you again soon,” Peter said, pushing the cart out for you to take.

You nodded and then made your way to the exit, setting the flowers to rest in the top basket of the cart, a stupid grin on your face that you didn’t feel a need to wipe away.

After loading the groceries into the back of your vehicle, you pushed the cart into the cart corral, retrieved your flowers, and held them close to your chest. There were a hundred reasons you loved Trader Joe’s – and yes, you had even looked to see if there was one in this town when you were interviewing for the job, and you’re pretty sure it wouldn’t have affected your decision if there hadn’t been one here – but the warmth of the crew that worked there was one of the consistent things people could typically count on. Peter and James – or Bucky – had made your first trip to your new Trader Joe’s just the warm adventure you needed.

As you set the flowers on the passenger seat next to you and buckled in, you were glad though that if this store was like your old Trader Joe’s, the crew seemed to rotate enough in shifts and days – as did your own shopping habits – that you probably wouldn’t see them again, at least not regularly. As much as you wouldn’t mind seeing Peter any time you dropped into the house of Joseph, you didn’t want or need to worry over whether you would bump into that kind and far too attractive cashier or not. That would be too stressful, and Trader Joe’s was your home away from home here as you built the next chapter of your life in this new city.  

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I do not do tag lists, but FOLLOW @buckets-and-stories and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to be updated any time I publish a new work!

[colourstreakgryffin]

Hey! How have you been? Hopefully good.

I have a question if you don't mind. Can you do a Yandere Obanai, Sanemi, Giyu, and Yoriichi with a reader who's Tiana like? Like, she makes A LOT of food from around the world and even admits that she will marry a man if he eats large portions of her food?

Sorry if I made it too demanding or extra. Please feel free to ignore if you want!

Oh my actual sweet jeebus, YES! I LOVE Tiana! She is my favourite Disney Princess! I’m totally doing this! A little tough but I hope you like it!

Yandere! Iguro Obanai

Obanai was attracted to you from the beginning by your hardworking and dedicated mindframe. You think the same he does in the sense of loyalty to the Corp and he appreciates it from a fellow Hashira

You’re independent and you get shit done more often then most. Obanai values a woman who can care for herself like you do so he tries to get closer to you, fixated on his admiration crush

His hidden Yandere senses kick in when you begin spending more time with him as opposed to the other Hashira. You must like him if you want to spend time with him, especially with how “I am a strong woman” you are

His obsession with being around you grows rapidly as you start showing off your cooking skills to him with pride. He is beyond impressed by how fast you can mince mushrooms, and he is the one who’s good with a katana.

You’ll marry a man who will eat large portions of your food? Suddenly, Obanai has a appetite that can rival Mitsuri’s. Suddenly, he is taking lots of portions that he can’t finish. Suddenly, he is asking you to triple your cooking for him and Kaburamaru

Obanai spends lots of time learning how to cook so he can impress you with his skills. You’ll ignore all the other Hashira and fall in love with him if he can cook just as good as you, right? Your praises over his attempts has his head spinning

Obanai may love you dearly but he is not above striping away your freedom and independence to keep you at the Serpent Estate. He loves you too much to let you wonder around Japan without him

Yandere! Shinazugawa Sanemi

Sanemi doesn’t often get to see such amazing people like you, ones who can work so hard and offer such greatness to the table. He is intrigued by you at the start by your overall feel

You’re mentally-strong and you don’t take shit from anybody as you know exactly who are you. A woman with your traits is a woman Sanemi will always have eyes for. Somebody he can work with, not for

After some time, the Yandere corruption begins when you decide to ask him for training, over the eight other Hashira, and it tricks his rotting mind into thinking you like him back. That you want him as your man, despite your ways

His maddening obsession gets all the more intense when you begin teaching him how to properly cook, as he isn’t as good as you. By just adding a few drops of spices, you’ve magically fixed the gumbo and he is amazed by your almost otherworldly skills

You’ll marry a man who will eat large portions of your food? Sanemi is already the first one in line to try your dishes, the only one to overstuff himself with much food until your pleased with him. He will do whatever is necessary, even expand his appetite to ensure you’ll recuperate feelings

Sanemi simply enjoys watching you cook, he doesn’t want to learn how to himself. He merely just wants to watch you work and internally obsess over your expressions, your dedication, your efforts. All of it is so beautiful to him and worthy of protection

Sanemi, like Obanai, does not mind taking you away from the world and keeping you semi-locked up in his Estate so you’ll only be his. Yes, it does hurt him seeing how angry and upset you are but his possessive love for you outweighs it

Yandere! Tomioka Giyuu

Giyuu knows that people like you are beyond rare. A wonderfully beautiful woman with so much wits and experience under her sleeves and bravery to defend herself. He may try to avoid you but he really likes the look of you overall

Despite how uptight you are with your work, you are polite towards everybody you talk with and you are very intelligent over your swordsman and cooking skills. Giyuu may not have much people in his life but he views you as somebody quite special with your personality

Even though, Giyuu kept pushing back on you wanting to become his friend. He, no longer can, stop his vile feelings from overwhelming him and moulding into a horribly dangerous obsession over you and your incredible cooking skills. You can balance so many trays of food with little issue and it really impresses him

A deep powerful strike of Yandere hits him, the longer you want to spend time with him and grows a originally innocent crush on you. Everytime you decide to listen to him and laugh at his remarks, his mind concepts your reactions as a sign of your hidden mutual love for him

You’ll marry a man who will eat large portions of your food? Giyuu happily asks you to cook him lots of and lots of lunches for him, in which he has no clue how’ll he finish. He gets such a ravenous appetite for your delicious dishes and forces them down as he’ll be able to have your hand in marriage

Giyuu loves doing everything he can to help you with your cooking and your dream of opening up your restaurant. He’ll clean all the dishes and gather ingredients for you. As long as your happy and appreciative, he will bend over backwards for you

Giyuu can’t bring himself to hurt you and take away your rights so he simply continues to trick and manipulate you so you’ll spend more time with him then anybody else. So, you feel like he knows you better than everybody else

Yandere! Tsugikuni Yorichii

Yoriichi has never seen a woman being a Samurai, but the moment he gets to meet, his emotionless heart is struck by a sense of strong love. You’re so steady, stable and assured with your capabilities, you don’t let the sexist views of Japan stop you from being a Samurai

Your blaring ambition and imaginative nature is, for sure, intriguing and pretty towards the strongest demon slayer in this world. Yoriichi appreciates having a woman who has the skills to pay the bills and the ability to ensure no demon can hurt her

His view simply goes from having a cute admiration crush on you to having a lunacy-inducing obsession over you, such a talented amazing person. Whilst he hasn’t gotten to see your elegance outside of your Samurai duty, but when he sees your sparkly silky light blue kimono for the special celebration party and his heart explodes. You’re just so beautiful, he can’t help but praise you

How a single mighty Yandere sense taking control of him ruined his whole world. You appreciate his respect towards you so you spend all your time around him, that destroys his ability to process your friendship properly, thinking that you adore him as much as he adores you

You’ll marry a man who will eat large portions of your food? Yoriichi becomes such a gluttonous for your cooking and requests as many dishes off you as humanely possible, even though, he has no chance to finish all of them. If you will accept his proposal for him enjoying your dishes is feeding into his delusional fantasies about you

Yoriichi has zero luck in the kitchen but he is always eager for you to teach him what to do so he doesn’t burn his food to ashes. He simply loves the way you praise his attempts and pat his back friendly, your attention upon him has his twisted heart flipping in delight

Yoriichi doesn’t want to break your heart and kidnap you so he, instead, begins scaring away all the people in your life behind your back. One at a time until you’ll be willingly to move in with him

[20dimensionsoftangerine]

The Bad Kids in my... Good Parents are Bad and Bad Parents are Good au

(I should really think of a shorter title)

Adaine "Addy" Abernant - Sweet child whose parents love her a whole lot. Being both rich and loved has made her a little naive about the world and she's very self conscious about being seen as dumb or a drag on her friends. Worse problem in her life is she's being stalked by this werewolf guy but she hasn't really told anyone about that because she wants to prove she can take care of herself.

Gorgug Thistlesprings - Was adopted by the Thistlesprings family but was seen as a pet project by all the gnomes who try to shape him into what they want and do not take kindly when he steps out of line and acts more orcish. Has been taught his rage is evil and monsterous and to always suppress it because of he doesn't no one will ever want to be around him. When he got arrested his parents took that as a sign he was a lost cause and moved back to Arborly without telling him. Currently lives with the Abernants.

Kristen Applebees - Rescued Tracker from a werewolf cult and brought her home. Parents were a little skeeved out about it and when Kristen moved on from the Helioic church to be in lesbians but of course werent going to kick out a child in need! After time getting to know Tracker and doing some reading and soul searching they have grown to accept Kristen for who she is and encourages her on her faith journey.

Fig (just Fig) - When her horns grew in Gilear instantly disowned her, packed his bags, and moved to Fallinel. Sandra Lynn insisted that everything would be fine and things could go back to normal if Fig would just do her little disguise trick and pretend to be a wood elf all the time. Disgusted, Fig ran away from home and started couch surfing with her friends until the Abernants offered her a semi permanent place to stay. Learned that her birth dad low-key wants to kill her so she can join him permanently in hell and is... Dealing with that news.

Fabian Aramais Seacaster - When Bill Seacaster said he was going to retire pirating to raise Fabian in Solace his entire crew said "yeah same". Seacaster Manor is chalk full of pirates from all walks of life dedicated to giving this boy the best childhood possible. This taught Fabian to always be a team player and think of how to best work and direct a group. He knows that friends are family. (A few of them are there undercover to try and sabotage Bill's legacy).

Riz Gukgak - Has been trained to be a spy since he was a boy. Pok wants his son to follow just in his footsteps and that means always on the hunt for the next mystery, never getting close to anyone, finding and keeping secrets. Sklonda also teaches him how to be a cop, shoot first ask questions later, be tough and never take disrespect from anyone. Very guarded and independent but his godmother tries to interject now and again with some actual good parenting advice.

[qiutls]

TNGDH 009

Life is a series of burglaries.

At first, my life was stolen and I somehow survived, but then my human rights were stolen, then my wheel was also stolen. Now, even the shirt which I had hidden so well, has also been stolen. I don't have anything now to be robbed off of!

Is there a thief in my life. If there is, please go away.

It was clearly well hidden, I checked the way to it multiple times, even when I was in Sen's hand, I checked it again in order not to lose the way to it next time. I trusted the system's words, and hoped it could save the shirt, because it's a location I could use "Summon" in.

[ (・・= ・・) ]

Yeah, I know, it's not your fault. It's not like you tricked me into becoming a hamster, because you wanted me to take off the shirt.

The ones who found my clothes were none other than the magicians. As they searched for me at Kyle's request, they followed the flow of mana, and said they had found the clothes I had hidden in a place where traces of magic remained, albeit slightly.

I think the skill given by the system seems to be some kind of magic in this world, and the residue of it remained on the clothes I was wearing as the "Summon" was lifted.

Of course, those who would never dream of the existence of the system, seemed to believe that a deranged clothes thief entered the master's bedroom, but in actuality…

"I wish you could speak."

Kyle looked at me with a friendly look and soon sighed deeply. He continued to say.

"That's right. There's no way that you, who is as calm and kind as an angel, would've went out without a reason. Why did he try to steal you? Or was it a crazy thief, who took everything that he wanted, and you were just smart enough to find the shirt on your way back."

― Eek. [ What in the world are you saying? ]

I do know how to talk, you punk. And besides, I'm that crazy thief you're talking about.

Anyways, why is it even when you're cursing out a thief, you're still able to dish out silly praises like this. Can a hamster really be that smart?

"As expected, the thieves I first met were…"

No! No, calm down. Sit down. Are you going to beat them up? All they'll do is scream out of pain, they know nothing.

Anyways, my life hasn't improved one bit. Today, if I use the "Summon" skill, I'll still be naked. Thinking about it, the taste of rice, no, the taste of almonds is decreasing…

I smashed the walnut as hard as I could. Tuk. The walnut rolled down the slide and got stuck between the sawdust.

"Cashew Nut?"

Kyle who was about to run to the prison and hang the three thieves who had stormed into the study yesterday, quickly turned back to approach me.

He put me on his palm and began to stroke my forehead.

"Do they taste bad? Or do you not like walnuts? Should I change it to macadamias?"

Kyle rummaged through his drawer with his other hand, took out a macadamia and gave it to me.

I took a few bites out of courtesy, then he smiled brightly as if he had found a gold mine. But when I whose appetite disappeared again, stopped eating and pushed the macadamia away, he looked at me desperately with an expression of carrying all the burdens in the world.

"What's wrong with you? Why don't you have an appetite?"

Hey, who would be able to eat in this situation? I said I wanted to become human, I never said I wanted to walk around naked. I'm not Adam.

"What can I do to make you happy? If I knew how, I would spare nothing for it."

Ugh. That dedication. Such a gentle voice and eyes dripping with honey. If I weren't a mouse with a size smaller than a palm right now, I would be 100 times more romantic than you are now.

But actually, this fate is not as bad as I thought it would be.

I quite like how Duke Blake, who was said to be as cold as an ice field, petted me with a melting hand, and called my name in a warm voice. It's been a while since I received so much love for no reason.

Unlike me who was easygoing, Kyle seemed to be more worried than I thought.

"I don't want to lose you…"

He said with a deep sigh, I glanced at the book on his desk while winding myself around his palm.

< A magical beast's mana stone >

'When did you even get that.'

It seemed it took a great toll on him when the magicians said they couldn't feel any mana from me.

[ Magical beasts usually grow a heart during the growth process, and this heart is called a mana stone. Mana stones that finished forming are called 'nucleus.' When these stones are not able to form properly, the magical beasts are unable to live a long life. In severe cases, they die during the growth stage. ]

'Death… Was it that important?'

[ X_X ]

'Was there originally something like this?'

Of course, I'm just an ordinary hamster… Actually, I'm normal in a sense that I don't have a mana stone, I'm still a little unusual by the fact that I can turn into a human. But for Kyle, it was natural for him to think that my situation is a lot more serious than it looks like.

"Don't worry. It says that if you periodically inject magical power until the end of growth period, not only will it be able to live a bit longer, it will also become less feral."

Come on. Don't inject anything. I won't become feral, and I won't die. What if you inject something in me and side effects come out?

"I will do my best to take care of you. It is already too late to send you back to the wild…"

What are you talking about! If you throw me back to the fields, I'll spend 23 hours and 30 minutes in the body the size of a mouse poop and I'll become a snack for other demons for the next 30 minutes.

"What a strange thing. I've conquered the North with thousands of beasts, yet I'm worried to death by a child of those beasts."

I know, thanks to you, I can't get used to it either. Who takes care of a hamster like this.

But seeing that I don't hate him that much, it means that I seem to have some affection for him.

All my life, I've lived and done everything alone and it made me sick and tired. How can I not like someone who appeared so suddenly and treated me kindly for no reason at all.

"I don't think you've drank water all night, and you don't even have an appetite… Hmm?"

Kyle tapped me on the nose, and looked as if he wanted to shower me with kisses but afraid of causing me more stress, he resisted the temptation.

That's right, don't kiss me more than 10 times a day okay? 10 times is too much.

By the way, it's a misunderstanding that I'm not thirsty. I just chose not to drink from the water bowl because, I ran around so much yesterday and as soon as I came back to the house, I washed my feet in it. The truth is, I'm actually quite thirsty.

But I can't drink the water which I used to wash my feet in! It feels like licking the floor.

Forced to remain silent, I couldn't do anything but look up at him. Seeing me staring, he contemplated for a moment, then called the knight to bring up Sen.

"Starting from today, I want to feed it other snacks aside from nuts, do you know what food other rodents eat?"

A new diet? Sounds good. I'm looking forward to Serena's excellent answer. Serena, please be nice to me.

Can you say beef? Ah, or is that too much? Then how about, pork? Duck meat? Even chicken is fine? What else is there huh? Sheep, lamb? Maybe shrimp or fish… Whatever it is, I like it. Give me lots of delicious food!

It's about time that we change my diet. I was just thinking how I'm still as small as I am because of malnutrition.

So, protein.

Give me protein, okay?

*

"I think mealworm would do, Your Highness."

… Wait no! That's not true!

"Or crickets? If you want to train it, it would be better to feed it a barely alive cricket so it can try to hunt. That's the best meal for hamsters, so wouldn't it be the same for Cashew Nut?"

"All right."

Don't listen to it so seriously, you crazy man!

Sen fixed her glasses with a serious face and gave Kyle a menu or something. He listened to the report with an impressive face as if he had seen the discovery of the century.

What are you two doing…

"Nuts alone are not enough. You should also think about giving it fruits, and since its currently at growth period, it's best to give it protein."

"That makes sense. I'll entrust this matter to you with full authority, so prepare everything with the highest quality, okay?"

No, it's not okay!

You crazy people, what do you mean crickets. No! I hate it! I won't even touch it with my mouth. If you feed it to me, I'll scream and faint.

"We are officially starting the festival this evening, so I might be a little busy… I'll be going now, so I can come back early in the evening."

Kyle held out a pocket full of money without hesitation.

"You don't have to be thrifty, buy everything and what's left is yours."

Sen answered one more time.

"I understand, Your Highness, I'll buy everything to the point where it feels that the money might be insufficient. Although it's a bit hard to buy everything in the North, I think I may be able to get everything because of the festival!"

"All right, that's good. I'll ask the chef to prepare as well."

You two play really well huh. I'd rather go out and leave the room than see you two go at it.

[ Miracle value has risen! ]

[ Current miracle value: 7% ]

The miracle value suddenly increased, it seems that the relationship of the two in the original book which was stuck in abyss had suddenly improved.

That's right, I can only live if Kyle lives, and to make that happen, we need to prevent Serena from holding a knife towards Kyle, just like the original novel.

Whatever it is, continue to be on good terms, okay?

Just don't buy me a mealworm!

*

― Squeak! [ Put it away! ]

Do you have wheels on your feet? How could you buy hamster food so quickly! You said you'd only buy the best! Shouldn't that take you around a few days!

I jumped up and down at the sight of worms in the bowl.

"Look at this, Your Highness, does it not seem like he likes it a lot?"

Kyle's face brightened at Sen's words.

It's the opposite, you punks! Aren't you going to clean it up right now? Do you want to get hit with a mealworm? Don't look at me with anticipation, I'm not gonna eat this!

I ran away in hurry, and when I got stuck in the slide, I looked back and saw Kyle picking up crickets with tongs and placing them close to me.

Hey, you bastard! Don't put them close to me! Ack! They're alive! Please stop!

Do you want to die? Aren't you gonna put them away!

Please, help and save this hamster!

You punks, you'll see.

When I turn human, I'll make sure to get revenge.

novel ⠀✿⠀ next

[mimpinightmare]

"SUPA STRIKAS DISCUSSIONS/ ANALYSIS/ HEADCANONS" IN COMING!!!(PART 1) [Not Sure if this becomes a series]

TOPIC: Riano (Headcanons)

Been thinking about Riano for the past few days, because absolutely miss the guy. (and can I say: HOW UNDER UTILISE HE IS IN THE SHOW??!??! GIVE US MORE RIANO!!!)

And I've been thinking about some headcanons for him about how he was born and raised as a kid, and how it affect him until he's an adult, but torn which one I like more:

Number 1) My first headcanon of him is that he wasn't born in a very wealthy household as a kid. His parents had low income jobs, and try their very best to support their kid and themselves (even so far, both of them need to have two jobs). Sometimes the struggles came of a cost where, rarely at times, Riano's parents fight (they usually fight where Riano isn't around, unfortunately Riano has been eavesdropping his parents sometimes if they fought). Despite this tho, they still are a very loving family and Riano's parents support Riano through and through.

I like to also think the line "Finding your own style of play" from Riano in "Instinct Extinct, S1E7" is actually from his parents. Riano used to be frustrated as a kid that he wasn't as good at football like the other kids, that his parents (despite knowing little about the sport) advice him to "find your own style of play". That line always stuck to him until now, that it his main motto, to the point, authenticity is very important to him. If you don't play your heart out with passion and authenticity in football, what's the point of it?

His competitiveness came from where he used to be made fun of from the big kids where, at the time, he wasn't great at football yet. So, he wanted to prove them that he can be as great (and better) than them. He also wanted to prove his parents that he can be great at it too, despite them knowing, he IS great at it. (Their proud parents, I tell you) There is also a hint of love language there from Riano, where pretty much, ever game he plays, it's always for them.

Despite of his competitiveness though, he always been a good sport. His parents raised him well to know better then to sulk immaturely and have grudges towards his opponents playing well, after his team lose. His competitiveness is also only (AND ONLY) limited to football. (The guy is passion with the sport) I've seen him being SUPER UNINTERSTED with any other competition event made by Miss Altivo, like in "Living and Kicking, S4E3" when Miss Altivo explaining the reason why they were invited, he gave such uninterested facial expression, like he regrets coming. Reason he stayed tho, is because of Shakes, and want some quality time with him. *COUGH COUGH he also has a crush on him COUGH COUGH* Also in "Your Latest Trick S7E3" there are brief moments that Riano is not really into the prize, nor the competition. He's just... Looking at his phone, that's it. And immediately got eliminated because he wasn't doing a trick, he was just resting in the park- If it's just a silly little competition or event to get viral, views or some over aggerated prize, he wouldn't care-

His dedication with honesty and sincerity came from learning about people taking advantage and being dishonest to his parents. His parents will do anything to have a stable life , but they unfortunately will meet deceitful folks in their way. They never told him about the mistreatment they face, because they wouldn't want to make him worry, but Riano knows. (Pretty much knows this by the eavesdropping from one of their fights) After learning this, he has a reluctant distaste towards dishonest people. (Also, I headcanon that the "actual" reason Riano fired Golari, is because of his dishonesty. They patch up their relationship of course in S1E6, and Golari swears not to be dishonest to Riano and his players again)

Number 2) (This one have some inspired headcanons by @sahara-solaris-solace headcanons of Riano)

The other headcanon is the opposite of the first ones, that he was raised in a wealthy home. But, unlike the first headcanon, his family in this headcanon, are not so loving. His parents are more neglectful and have high expectations for their son. When Riano told them that he loves soccer as a kid, they weren't happy about it and told him it's fine to play it, but never fully support the idea to be a professional football player, to the point, they don't allowed him to go to soccer practices in schools. To solve this problem, he sneaks out from his home, just to go to soccer practice.

Number 1 headcanons of him being authentic, sincere and honest are mostly because of his parents. Well here is the opposite too, his parents are snarky, arrogant and constantly show up with a friendly face in front of guests, and when they immediately leave, they will say the nasties things about them behind their back. After Riano getting repulsed by watching their behavior from afar, he swore deep down NOT to end up like his parents. (AND THANK GOD FOR THAT-)

Despite him born into a luxurious life, he HATES expensive and flashy stuff. Growing up into a neglectful, rich family made him uninterested anything that reminds him of his old life (and technically, almost all the rich people he's ever met are annoying to be around) This is pretty much another way I see in "Your Latest Trick S7E3", he just does not care about the grander stuff. He's a simple man, want a simple life. The only thing "GRAND" in his life is his football career. (This can be a headcanon as Number 1, except he was raised humble. No EXTRAVAGANT things for him)

His still is a good sport, and wouldn't change that for anything. But I kinda headcanon (this can implied to number 1 Headcanons as well) he has a *TINY* mischief side to him. When he was young, MOSTLY he always avoid getting into trouble, but sometimes he joins some troubling kids, and start doing shenanigans with each other- This headcanon was inspired by a scene in "Your Latest Trick" where Skarra was driving his *MASSIVE* Stalliano, and Riano was recording him- (Habits dies hard, huh?) He wouldn't, of course, do this for fun. He doesn't enjoy doing them, but again, he likes seeing dishonest people get karma-

Also headcanon Riano being a very charitable person. If there's is a charity event going on, he will be interested and pays attention to the cause. He wants to give back to the people and bring good to the world, unlike his parents. (This one is also can be a headcanon for Number 1, except in that headcanon, he sympathies with people (and animals) who are struggling, because that's what he and his family has gone through. And people shouldn't suffer under terrible conditions.) This one is inspired by, of course, one of @sahara-solaris-solace headcanons, and "Cool Aid S6E12", where he joins the cause, "Balls 4 All". (THAT'S SUCH A HILARIOUS TITLE NAME IN THIS DAY AND AGE-)

This is @sahara-solaris-solace Headcanons dedicated to Riano, if you want to read them :D :

.... Okay, that's pretty much it-

If you read this till the end, HOW PATIENT ARE YOU???? Jokes aside, thank you so much! This took me 4 HOURS TO WRITE-

If you have anything to discuss about the headcanons, please don't hesitate to give me your thoughts on them! Which one is your favorite between the two? Share your headcanons if you like! :)

THIS WAS INCRIBLY FUN TO WRITE- Maybe this will be a series(????)

(Sorry if there are incorrections with the grammar or the episodes. I will edit them if I spot them)

- MimpiNightmare

[sipsteainanxiety]

when the night calls...

...do you answer back?

pairing: bakugou katsuki x reader

word count: 2.7k+

mentions: no pronouns mentioned, char death (bkg) but not reaaalllyyy, aged up chars (25+), supernatural elements in a pro-hero au, grief/mourning, horror-esque but it's romantic i promise, hurt/comfort, lowercase, part of the dark chocolates teahouse collab.

you thought katsuki was gone—that he had abandoned you in this life to move on to the next. you saw his body—lifeless, cold, still. saw him get lowered into the ground in his dark casket enveloped in his hero colors. you stayed, for hours after the funeral, at his grave. wondering why he had to leave—why he had to break the promise he whispered to you on the night you both said your vows.

you thought he was dead. that he'd left you alone.

you were wrong.

the shadows seemed to long for your touch.

they lingered just out of the corner of your vision, always appearing closer than they actually were. you'd turn to see them stretching in your direction in ways that did not align with the light. you played it off as your mind playing tricks on you—as your grief warping your perception. but it was so hard to ignore, so hard to simply shrug off.

they crept over your shoulder—a chill running up and down your spine. they followed along as you walked home after a long day at work. they wrapped around you as you slept. you found yourself lingering in the darkness, not quite understanding why you just—never felt like you were alone. not truly alone, anyways. it was slightly unsettling, but you learned to ignore it.

you weren't scared, not particularly. it was just—cold. it made you feel isolated, at times. like the world was trying to shroud you in this darkness to remind you of what you'd lost.

you needed time by yourself, that was all. you told your friends the same stilted words again and again. i'll be fine, you'd say with a smile, just give me time. you lay in bed—that too large bed with too many pillows—and twisted the silver ring on your finger. staring up at the ceiling swathed in the milky lighting of the moon. the shadows appeared to move before you. your mind did not relent in your exhaustion.

with each passing day the ache in your heart only seemed to grow deeper. you wondered if it would ever end. you wondered if you would ever heal.

it was hard, being at home. traces of katsuki lingered everywhere you went. he was in the large boots that rested neatly by the door. in the lingering smell of burnt caramel that plagued your sheets and clothes. in the worn handle of his favorite spatula. it felt like you were suffocating, surrounded by so much of him. it was only natural for you to want to escape—to breathe. but it wasn’t that simple, and stepping outside just made everything worse.

he was on the t.v. screens in stores as japan still grieved, his face on every news channel. plastered to every pole, every brick wall. memorials were scattered around musutafu. candle stubs lined the streets. they were constructing a statue dedicated to him in front of the agency he’d co-owned with eijiro. you did not let your gaze wander for long. you were torn—drowning in your own sorrows and the sorrows of the people who surrounded you.

moping around would do you no good, you came to realize one day as you stared at a framed picture in your bedroom. it was the two of you on your wedding day, fingers intertwined tightly—two threads woven together expertly. the setting sun cast long shadows around the room from the open window that seemed to latch onto you. holding on for dear life. you ran a finger down katsuki’s face in the picture—the gentle smile he’d graced you with. only ever shown in your presence. you set the frame down and sighed—longing.

it took a few days for you to clean the entire apartment. deep scrubbing it and dousing it in a freshener to get rid of the bits of katsuki that lingered in the air. you hoped—so desperately—that it would alleviate some of the pain you felt in your chest. but as you stood in your darkened living room that smelled like citrus, you only felt emptier, it seemed. you ran a weary hand down your face.

you couldn’t… quite bring yourself to pack his things away just yet, either. so you sat on your couch as the moon peaked at you through the slightly drawn curtains, a single candle lit on the coffee table before you. it was lavender scented. you slumped forward to knead your fingers into your temples. you were exhausted. you missed him, so much that it hurt.

you stared at the flickering tangerine flame as it gleamed across your corneas.

something whispered your name.

it was soft—faint like a breath of air—yet it echoed so loudly in your ears because of how quiet your apartment was. your eyes darted up and to the side, wide and searching in the dark. you were alone. you couldn't see much beyond the couch you were sat upon. you swallowed heavily and waited, straining your ears in case you heard your name again. but you didn't.

you wondered if your grief was driving you insane.

you pursed your lips and stood up so you could slowly make your way to your bedroom to retire for the night. the shadows around you grew deeper with every step you took.

behind you, the candle went out.

you felt as though you were being watched.

it happened out of nowhere, the feeling of eyes on you as you went about your day. at first you chalked it up to your nerves, maybe the fatigue that weighed heavily on your shoulders. but it persisted. the feeling was stronger at night, you noticed, when you were surrounded by the dark. or at least, you weren't as aware of it whilst you were bathed in daylight.

it grew harder and harder to ignore as time passed. in other circumstances, you wouldn't have let it affect you so much. you wouldn't have had such difficulty with proceeding on with your daily routine. but you were troubled by the weight of the stare and the voices that whispered your name at night—when you were at your lowest, sitting in that too cold, too wide living room that smelled like a mix of citrus and lavender.

what really shook you, however, happened one evening after the sun had set and a gloomy dusk settled across the navy sky. you were sitting on the couch in your living room as you read a book, the lamp in the corner turned on to swathe everything in a warm honey glow. after what felt like hours, you eventually got up to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. it was then that you felt your foot get caught on something.

at first you thought you'd fallen victim to the blanket that spilled over the arm of the couch like a lazy waterfall. but when you looked down at your foot, you realized it wasn't stuck on anything. in fact, there was nothing wrong with it. you blinked down at your foot slowly, not comprehending what exactly was going on. it felt as though something had wrapped around it, gripping tightly at your ankle. something you couldn't see.

you gave a halfhearted tug at it, noticing how it was in the shadow of the couch from the lamp's light. but it didn't budge—not one bit. something in your stomach seemed to sink and grow deeper as you tried to pull your foot free from whatever held onto it. you swallowed heavily and—with all the strength in your body—wrenched your foot free. out of the deep shadow it was encased in.

the force you used made you stumble back until you hit the floor roughly on your backside. you immediately tugged your legs closer to your body, staring wide-eyed at the spot your foot had been stuck in before. there was nothing there. the skin around your ankle seemed to buzz. a shiver crawled up your spine.

something had changed, that evening.

you started drawing your curtains wide open, letting in the sun's light during the day and the moon's at night. you kept the lights on in every room you were in, chasing away every last remnant of the shadows. you were driving up your electricity bill, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. anything to make you feel safe—in a place where you once thought you could not be harmed.

it made you jumpy—set your attentiveness on fire. it had gotten to the point where your friends had started to notice something was wrong.

"are you... okay?" mina asked you tentatively one day as you met with her for a late lunch. your eyes darted over to look at her from where they'd been lingering on the shadows splayed across the table. "you seem... nervous."

"i'm fine," you assured her quickly, clearing your throat. your fingers tapped at the laminated menu before you. "i just... ah... have a lot on my mind, is all."

mina hummed, but it didn't seem like she really believed you. "if you say so..." her dark eyes looked down at her own menu, then back up at your own with a newfound sincerity to them. "you know we're here for you, right? i know it's... hard. for you."

you looked at her—really looked at her. she looked as tired as you felt, though where she covered her fatigue up with makeup, you didn't. and you were reminded, just then, that katsuki had been her friend, too.

you reached over so you could give her pink hand a gentle squeeze. "yeah"—you gave her a soft smile that she reciprocated—"i know."

you found yourself, one saturday evening, sitting on the floor in the middle of your brightly lit living room as you shuffled through a cardboard box. in it, were photo albums that mitsuki had gifted you so long ago. they were filled to the brim with childhood photos of katsuki—from the moment he was born, to the moment he and you had finally moved in together. you weren’t sure why, exactly, you were compelled to crack open this box, but you did. and it was simultaneously the best and the worst decision you’d made since his death.

you smiled wetly as your fingers flipped page after page, trailed down picture after picture of katsuki. him when he was five, his palms popping like sparklers. him when he was sixteen, grumpily standing with eijiro outside u.a. him when he was twenty-four, an arm wrapped around your shoulders as he scowled off into the distance. you thought everything would get easier—you hoped and dreamed. but it didn’t. at least, not yet.

you sighed and shut the thick album gently. then you hugged it to your chest, closing your eyes as you reminisced.

you breathed in, deep.

there was the smell of burnt caramel in the air—faint.

your eyes snapped open just as the lights went out around you, plunging you into darkness.

for a moment, your breaths stilled. you blinked, your eyes wide as they adjusted to the sudden change. the open window allowed pale blue moonlight to reach into the room, but it wasn’t enough. you glanced around, wondering what had happened. power outage? you glanced at the t.v. stand, where the cable box on the shelf within it still blinked red numbers at you to tell you the time. that was odd. you frowned and slowly picked yourself off the ground.

the moment you moved, you immediately felt the weight of a foreboding, familiar stare. that bore straight through you and set each and every hair on your arms and neck straight. you froze and let your eyes trail around you, cataloging every piece of furniture, every dark shadow that stretched towards you.

and that was when you noticed it. 

in the deepest, darkest corner of your living room. 

there was something. something that seemed to draw in the darkness around it. that writhed and dripped as it pulled itself up from the ground. no, not from the ground, you discovered. from the shadows. it was large. it was tenebrous. and it terrified you. 

but you couldn’t get yourself to run away. no matter how much you willed your legs to move, it seemed like you were rooted to one spot. you watched as this thing slammed a large, clawed hand on the floor—midnight like the shadows around it—and scratched its nails deep into the wood. it coalesced into what looked like a head and shoulders—a torso that moved in a way that was inhumane.

you took in a sharp breath of air when it rasped out something deep. that grated at your ears and made you feel the sudden urge to run. two crimson dots peered at you—bright like smoldering pieces of coal. and you realized you were looking right into its eyes.

it was difficult to decipher where the thing started and where it ended, with how wrapped into the shadows it was. you felt your heart leap up into your throat when it rasped that same word again—that you soon realized wasn't just any normal word. it was your name. and maybe that realization was all it took to jar you into movement.

you stumbled backwards, your instincts screaming at you to get away—run as fast as you could. it wasn't safe here anymore, it wasn't safe. you spun around and lunged for the front door, hoping, perhaps, that once you left your apartment, you would be okay. you could get help.

but you didn't make it too far.

something latched onto your leg, crawled up your body until you were twirled back around and forced into one spot. the thing wrapped its murky limbs around you, looming over you until all you could see was its strange, dark body. it pinned your arms to your sides and gripped at your chin to make you look up at it.

it said your name again—in a voice, you noticed, was familiar, somehow. with an undertone of this desperation. that gripped at your heart and caused you to look into its crimson eyes once more. really look at them. and what you saw reflected against them made you stop struggling. the pale moonlight backlit its features that slowly took on a shape you could recognize. you swallowed heavily.

"katsuki?" you whispered hesitantly. its grip loosened slightly at your voice. and suddenly you were burning up from the inside as the last bits of shadow slipped from its face and revealed one you knew all too well—that plagued you in your dreams and your nightmares. you slipped a hand out of his hold so you could reach up with shaky fingers and lightly touch at the curve of his cheek. his eyes closed.

"how are—" you choked out, your voice thick with emotions you couldn't even begin to decipher. your eyes frantically darted across his features, taking them in—memorizing them as though it was the last time you would ever see them again. he looked like himself, like your katsuki. but there was his underlying feeling that something was wrong. inhuman in the paleness of his skin and the way this darkness seemed to cling to him, unrelenting. "how are you—"

"i fought through hell," katsuki rasped out in a voice that seemed to echo in your ears, "to get back to you."

"you—" something seemed to lodge itself in your throat, just then. and all you could do was lean forward and wrap your arms around his shoulders. pulling him closer so you could rest your ear against his chest and listen to the thrumming of his heart. alive.

"it was hard"—he swallowed thickly—"i tried so fuckin' hard to let y'know i was here. but i was so fuckin' weak. couldn't do shit other than mess with the lights."

"all that time," you breathed as you turned your gaze to look up at him, "it was you?" he only grunted and held you closer. you bit at the inside of your bottom lip to keep it from trembling and buried your face into his dark chest. his body seemed to waver—shake, almost—like it could fall apart at any second. and that terrified you.

"what... happened to you?" you asked in a stifled voice, talking into his sternum. "please tell me you can stay."

"don't think 'bout that," he told you as one of his clawed hands came up to cradle the back of your head. you sunk deeper into his hold, unwilling to let go. "'m here now, yeah?"

you held him tighter—as though you could absorb him directly into your body. it was true, he was back. he was here as this tumultuous being of the night. that had clawed his way back to you—defying death as you knew it.

but at a cost you knew would never be repaid.