#there were so many versions of that story

[lov3notts]

yours, always

summary: draco’s gift to you for valentines

a/n: i’ve decided to release the other boys stories, theo is next :)!!

mattheo’s version; draco’s version; theo’s version

Navigation; masterlist; request rules

Hogwarts on Valentine’s Day was a spectacle. The Great Hall was filled with floating pink and red decorations (courtesy of Professor Flitwick’s overenthusiastic charms), enchanted roses whispered love notes to passersby, and heart-shaped confetti drifted through the air. It was sickeningly sweet—at least, according to Draco.

"Honestly, who thought pink was an acceptable color for the ceiling?" he muttered as the two of you walked through the castle corridors.

You rolled your eyes. "It’s festive, Draco. You don’t have to act like it’s a personal attack."

"It is a personal attack. On my eyes, my dignity, and my ability to keep my breakfast down." He shot a glare at a pair of Hufflepuffs giggling over a stack of enchanted chocolates before turning back to you.

"Speaking of which, you’re not expecting me to do any of that ridiculous Valentine’s nonsense, are you?"

You raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Of course not. I know you, Malfoy. If you were going to do something, you’d act like it was my idea and then pretend you weren’t trying too hard."

Draco’s smirk twitched. "You wound me, love. I am a man of mystery."

You snorted. "You are a man of dramatics."

He gasped, clutching his chest. "I see how it is. I pour my heart into this relationship, and this is what I get."

You rolled your eyes fondly, nudging his shoulder. "Come on, I have to get my Potions book from the common room before class."

He followed you without question, hands stuffed into his pockets as you made your way to the dungeons. The Slytherin common room was mostly empty, the fire crackling low in the hearth. You were halfway to your dormitory when Draco suddenly grabbed your wrist, pulling you back toward him.

"Wait."

You turned, eyebrows raised. "Draco, what—?"

Before you could finish, he placed something into your hands—a small black envelope, sealed with silver wax and a small velvet box.

You blinked, looking down at it. "What’s this?"

Draco shrugged, but his fingers twitched slightly at his sides. "Just open it, will you?"

Curious, you carefully broke the seal and pulled out a neatly folded piece of parchment. As your eyes scanned the words written in his elegant, slanted handwriting, your breath caught.

"Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.

You should know by now that I don’t do grand romantic speeches. I’m not going to stand on a table in the Great Hall and declare my undying love for you—mainly because McGonagall would have me scrubbing cauldrons for the rest of my life. But I will say this:

You are the only thing in this castle that makes any of this ridiculous nonsense bearable. You make me laugh when I want to hex someone. You challenge me when no one else dares. And somehow, despite my many, many flaws, you still choose me.

So, this is me choosing you. Today. Tomorrow. Every day after that.

Yours, always.

— D.M"

Your heart clenched. You read the note twice, then again, just to make sure you weren’t imagining things. You slowly opened the velvet box, revealing a delicate silver bracelet, its charm a tiny serpent curled protectively around a shimmering emerald.

"It’s charmed," he said, voice softer now. "To keep you safe. And warm, if you ever need it." He hesitated, then added, "I had it made for you."

You blinked, surprised. "Draco… this is beautiful."

When you finally looked up, Draco was watching you, his usual smirk softened at the edges, warmth flickering behind his eyes.

You didn’t say anything else. Instead, you launched yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his neck. He stumbled back slightly but caught you with ease, his arms tightening around your waist.

"I take it that means you liked it?" he murmured, amusement laced in his voice.

You pulled back just enough to look at him, giving him a quick kiss on his lips "You’re an idiot, Malfoy."

"Charming."

"But you’re my idiot."

His smirk returned, but this time, it was warm. Real. He cupped your face, brushing his thumb against your cheek before leaning in, his lips brushing yours in a slow, lingering kiss.

When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against yours. "Happy Valentine’s Day, love."

"Happy Valentine’s Day, dray."

And as much as he complained about the holiday, you knew—without a doubt—that this was the best one he’d ever had.

ᥫ᭡reblog's & comment's are appreciatedᥫ᭡

©lov3notts ,do not copy, translate or claim any of my writing or works as your own.

[ivesambrose]

𝐴 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 💌

Happy Valentine's Day everyone ❤️

This is a love letter with your name on it, there's someone out there who has something to say to you 💌

To Book a personal reading with me DM or email me at ivesambrose@gmail.com

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Envelope 1

To the one my heart recognises,

You move through life like a dreamer caught between worlds, always reaching, always searching, always holding a litle more hope than you let on. And I see it. I see you.

You chase after the things your heart aches for, even when the path twists, even when the road splits in too many directions. You weigh choices in your hands like they hold the weight of the universe, afraid to step too far in the wrong direction. But, love, you are never lost to me. No matter where you go, no matter how far you run, I will always find you. Because I already know the shape of your soul.

The world hasn't always been kind to you, and I know you carry the weight of thingS unspoken, the fractures from moments that tried to break you. But even in your quietest battles, you are still becoming. still unfolding into someone even more extraordinary than you were yesterday. And I will be here, beside you, through every rebirth

So leap. Make the reckless choice. Follow the dream that won't let you sleep at night. You were not meant to stay within lines drawn by other people's expectations, you were meant to break through, to touch the sky, to chase the impossible and make it yours.

And if ever you need a hand to hold, a heart that won't waver, or someone who will remind you of the fire in your soul, you already know where to find me.

I am yours. Always.

Envelope 2

With all that I am,

The one who was always meant for you.

To the One My Soul Knows,

Loving you is like standing beneath the moon, soft light, deep mystery, and the quiet knowing that some things are felt more than they are understood. There are parts of you that shift like tides, emotions that swell and retreat, thoughts that linger in the silence before sleep. And I love every version of you, every hidden depth, every unspoken word.

You are a force, a wild thing that cannot be tamed, and I would never want to. There is something raw, something instinctual about the way you move through this world like you are both ancient and new, both fearless and tender. I see the hunger in you, the ache for something real, something lasting. Love is not a word you take lightly. Nor do I.

With you, I see forever. Not in the way stories promise perfect endings, but in the way two souls recognize each other across lifetimes. In the way your touch feels like something I’ve known before, something I would know again, no matter where time places us. You are home, not because you make things easy, but because you make them true.

I want to build a life with you, not just in the quiet, beautiful moments, but in the raw, messy, achingly real ones. I want to know the thoughts you never say aloud, the dreams you keep close to your chest. I want to trace every part of you, mind and body, learning you in ways no one else ever has.

Loving you is a temple I will worship in for as long as you’ll let me. You are the question, the answer, the universe wrapped in skin. And if there is a destiny greater than this, I do not want to know it.

You are mine, and I am yours. In this life, and in every one after.

Forever,

The one who chooses you.

Envelope 3

To the One Who Holds My Heart,

Loving you is an unfolding, slow, steady, something delicate but unshakable. It isn’t always easy, and I know that. You carry so much in that beautiful mind of yours, thoughts that keep you awake when the world is quiet, worries that press against your chest like weights only you can feel. But you don’t have to hold it all alone. Not with me.

I see you. The way you give, the way you pour yourself into others, always making sure there is enough love to go around. But love, when was the last time you let yourself receive? When was the last time you let someone hold you the way you hold everyone else? I want to be that for you. Not just in fleeting moments, but in all the ways that matter.

I don’t need you to have it all figured out. I don’t need you to be perfect. I only need you to know that you are already enough, just as you are. Even in your quiet, even in your uncertainty, even in the moments you hesitate to let yourself be fully seen. You don’t have to keep your heart wrapped in caution, hidden away like a gem buried deep in the earth. Let it breathe. Let it shine.

Love doesn’t have to be rushed. It doesn’t have to be forced. It’s something we build, something we water, something that grows in its own time. So take my hand. Let’s rest in this moment together, without worrying about what comes next.

Because no matter how long it takes, no matter how many times the world shifts around us, I will still be here.

Always,

The one who chooses you, again and again.

[levanterhaze]

── GAMEBOY, BANGCHAN

♡  ― 󠀬󠀬 fratboy!bangchan x f!reader there's no smut in this one just a sliiiight mention of it, this is just drama and angst because this chapter will tell a lot about their future relationship! contains mentions of anxiety too.

♡ synopsis ― Bangchan is the campus playboy—charming, cocky, and infuriatingly irresistible. One reckless, drunken night leads to a secret you swore you'd never have. Now, hating him is harder than keeping him your dirty little secret.

[5.5k words ]♡― i can't believe that so many people like gameboy, like, that's crazy! thanks for everyone's support. to those who ask to be added to the taglist, it warms my heart. if you want to talk about the story or anything else, i'm open to questions and conversation! don't forget to listen to the playlist and those who just got here PLEASE READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS!!!! that said, have a good read.

♡― THE PLAYLIST.

♡ [part one] ♡ [part two] ♡ [part three]

You're scared of heights, that's vertigo You wanted lights, go see a show You ran away, that's touch and go You're scared of love, well, aren't we all?

What was supposed to be a one-time thing turned into two days, then three, then four. Before you even realized it, seeing him had become part of your routine, like breathing—natural, inevitable, and far too easy to justify.

Today, though, your mind was anywhere but on him. Mrs. Baek had scheduled a meeting, nothing more, nothing less. You and Hyunjin were goofing around, hands clasped as you twirled like a chaotic, offbeat version of Jack and Rose at a third-rate ballroom. Seungmin doubled over laughing, because of course he did. That was just your dynamic—ridiculous by nature, friends for life.

Then, everything stopped. A chorus of surprised gasps cut through the room, followed by an eruption of chatter that made your spinning halt. Confused, you glanced around, searching for the source of the commotion—until you saw her. Mrs. Baek stood at the front, and next to her…

No. Absolutely not.

Your stomach flipped as your eyes landed on him. Standing there with his head tilted slightly downward, one hand gripping the opposite arm—ridiculously muscular, by the way—Bangchan looked unfairly good in a black T-shirt that was doing the bare minimum to cover anything.

Your gaze flickered to Hyunjin, then to Seungmin, silently demanding an explanation, but before either of them could speak, Mrs. Baek’s voice cut through the haze of your disbelief.

“…which is why we now have a new student to take care of the sound design. Welcome, Bangchan.”

And then—anger.

The girls whispered like they’d just witnessed the famous idol in the world. Bangchan basked in the attention, grinning at them, then at the guys. And then, of course, his eyes found you. One brow lifted, pure challenge.

No. Fucking. Way.

“Sound design? Since when?” you weren’t really expecting an answer, but Hyunjin, ever the dependable sidekick, squeezed your shoulder and offered a half-smile.

“It’s kinda his and Jisung’s thing,” he said, arms crossed as he observed Bangchan effortlessly charm his way through the group. “Jisung’s drowning in work this semester, so I guess that’s why.”

Oh, how nice. How convenient. You couldn’t care less. It was one thing sneaking around with him in secret. It was another for him to invade your space. Your special space. And worse—acting like he belonged there.

As soon as the group began to break apart, you made your exit, feet moving fast. The last thing you needed was—

“Running away already?”

You stopped dead, fingers tightening around the strap of your bag. Spinning on your heel, you found Bangchan standing there, arms crossed, smirking like he had all the time in the world.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” you shot back.

“Ouch.” he clutched his chest, faking a wince. “You look angry.”

“Oh, do I?” your voice dripped with sarcasm. “That’s because I am.”

Lucky for him, the corridor was empty—just the theater crew lingering in the distance.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” you demanded.

“Gonna need you to be more specific.”

You inhaled sharply. “Seriously? Sound design? You don’t even like theater.”

He took a step closer, brows furrowing.

“How would you know? We’re not friends.” the way he said it was off—something about his tone made your stomach twist. But you ignored it. “And if you actually bothered to find out, you’d know that, shockingly, I do this for real.”

You hated being proven wrong. But you especially hated being proven wrong by Bangchan.

“Look,” you sighed, arms crossing. “I don’t know what your game is, okay? But just… don’t mess things up. I like them the way they are.”

Bangchan nodded, slow and deliberate. But something flickered in his eyes—something unreadable. His stomach clenched, and he didn’t like the reason why. Because the way you said it, like having him here without sex was some kind of inconvenience, left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” his voice dropped an octave, sharp and cold. He met your gaze head-on, not an ounce of warmth left. “The world doesn’t revolve around you.”

And just like a punch to the gut left hanging in the air, he was gone. No rush, no glance back—just the weight of his words lingering between you.

Things were a mess, and you needed to get a grip. Studying, focusing—doing something that wasn’t theater or… well, him. The last few days had blurred together, your attention split in ways you weren’t used to. And you hated it.

The library was too quiet, the kind of silence that crawled under your skin. Three art history books sat open in front of you, mocking your lack of focus. It was ridiculous. How the hell had you let some guy scramble your brain like this? That wasn’t you. It had never been you.

Frustration boiled over, and before you knew it, you snapped one of the books shut, the sharp thud cutting through the silence.

“Jesus. What did the book ever do to you?”

The voice came from behind you, smooth and amused. You barely looked up before Mingyu’s face came into view. It hit you then—how distracted you’d been at the fundraiser. Otherwise, you definitely would have noticed him before. That annoyingly charming, white-knight smile. Tanned skin. Muscles for days.

He grinned, leaning over your table, arms flexing just enough to be intentional.

“Sorry. My head's a mess.”

Mingyu nodded, taking in your exasperated, borderline fried expression. “Yeah, you look like it,” he said with a knowing half-smile, sliding into the empty chair across from you like he belonged there. No permission needed.

You sighed, gesturing vaguely at the books. “Just trying to focus.”

His smirk deepened. “Right. Because nothing says laser focus like slamming a textbook shut like it just insulted your mother.”

You huffed, but the corner of your mouth twitched.

“Well, since you’re clearly on the verge of a breakdown, I have an idea.” He leaned back, stretching in a way that was both casual and strategic. “A coffee. On me.”

You opened your mouth to answer, but your phone vibrated against the table, barely visible beneath the stack of books. A quick glance at the screen. One new message.

Bangchan: my dorm. 30 min.

Your pulse jumped. Short. Direct. No room for misinterpretation.

“Everything okay?” Mingyu’s voice pulled you back, his eyes scanning your face.

“Yeah, yeah.” you laughed, maybe too lightly. “Just… distracted. Coffee sounds good.”

His grin widened. “Perfect. Let’s go.”

“Just let me put this back…” you grabbed one of the books, heading for the shelf when your phone buzzed again.

Bangchan: ignoring me?

You exhaled, fingers hovering over the screen.

You: I can't. I have plans.

A pause. Then—

Bangchan: ok.

You pressed your forehead against the bookshelf, inhaling deeply, willing away the strange tightness in your stomach. It was ridiculous. It was just a text.

When you returned, Mingyu was still at the table, casually texting someone. He looked up as you approached, grinning. “Everything good?”

“Yeah.” you nodded, forcing a smile.

He was nice enough to grab your bag and help carry your notebooks, the easy charm of someone who had probably been effortlessly handsome his whole life. The café wasn’t far—just a short walk from campus—but the crowd made it feel like the busiest spot in town.

Mingyu picked a table near the entrance, the air thick with the smell of espresso and fresh pastries. Strawberry sponge cake. Cinnamon rolls. Chocolate mousse cupcakes. The kind of place that made you want to abandon all responsibilities and drown yourself in sugar.

And yet, as you sat down, all you could think about was the ok.

Mingyu ordered coffee for you both but went the extra mile, adding a slice of strawberry shortcake to share.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” you smiled, wrapping your hands around your cup, already feeling the caffeine seep into your system like a lifeline.

He shrugged. “I wanted to. You looked like you needed something sweet.”

You caught the double meaning but let it slide. He was being nice, and you weren’t in the mood to overanalyze. “Right. So… football?” Smooth. Real smooth.

Mingyu didn’t seem to mind. “Going well. We’re set for the next game, and if we keep this up, the next university sponsorship should be ours.”

“That’s great, Mingyu.”

“Yeah, but I heard drama class was saved. Good news, huh?”

“Great news. We’ve got enough for now.” you took a bite of cake, letting the sugar melt on your tongue. Mingyu watched you, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“I’m happy for you. Getting the basketball team to sell brownies half-naked must’ve been a real passion project.”

You laughed. “It was, but that wasn’t me. That was Bangchan.”

It felt strange, saying his name out loud. Different when he wasn’t there.

Mingyu frowned, arms crossing over the table.

“Bangchan did that?” his brows knitted together, skepticism lacing his tone.

You shrugged, taking another bite of cake. “That’s what I heard. Why? You guys friends?” the idea alone made your stomach twist in an oddly unpleasant way.

“No. Not even close.” he laughed, shaking his head as if the thought was ridiculous. “Just curious.”

“Well, instead of wasting brain cells on him, you should try this.” you pushed the plate slightly toward him. “It’s actually amazing.”

Mingyu picked up a fork, took a bite, and let out an appreciative groan. You grinned, clapping your hands as if you had just won a bet, then promptly stole another piece for yourself.

Being with him was easy—effortless, even. A surprising friendship you hadn't expected but didn’t mind one bit.

Back at the dorm, Eunji and Sohee were curled up on the couch, sharing a bucket of popcorn while a movie played on the laptop. Your casual entrance was met with two pairs of curious eyes locking onto you like detectives sniffing out a case.

“Where have you been?” Eunji narrowed her eyes, her fingers pausing mid-popcorn grab.

“Why?” you laughed, kicking off your shoes.

“You’ve been acting weird,” she accused, tilting her head. “Always busy, barely around.”

“Sorry, I... I've just been very busy. The theater is eating me up. And there's the exams...”

Sohee smirked. “Why do you smell like coffee?”

“What?” you instinctively sniffed your shirt, the rich aroma of espresso lingering faintly.

Eunji gasped, scandalized. “You totally went out with someone!”

Sohee just shook her head knowingly, already seeing through you. “Liar.”

“Alright, fine! I got coffee with Mingyu. Happy now?”

As soon as the words left your mouth, Sohee’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Mingyu from the soccer team?”

Eunji, on the other hand, nearly leaped off the couch. “Girl, you rocked it! I knew you had game, but Mingyu? That man is fine.”

You groaned, already regretting your life choices. “It wasn’t a thing, okay? We’re friends. We had coffee. That’s it.”

Eunji scoffed, dramatic as ever. “Honey, nothing with Mingyu is just coffee. That man doesn’t do casual.” she clasped her hands together like she was already planning your wedding.

You sighed, exasperated. “Make her stop.” you turned to Sohee, your last hope. 

But Sohee just smirked. “I mean… she’s not wrong.”

You sighed, rubbing your temples. “Oh my God.”

“Look, you’ve been drowning in rehearsals and exams. Maybe this is a good thing,” Sohee added, ever the voice of reason.

A good thing. That uneasy feeling crawled up your spine again.

Because the problem wasn’t Mingyu.

Because you had met someone. Someone who already occupied every corner of your mind. Someone who texted you with demands instead of invitations. Someone who kissed like it was the only language he spoke.

And that someone sure as hell wasn’t Mingyu.

“Alright, I’m done.” you grabbed your things and stood up. “I’m taking a shower. Goodnight.”

Before they could say another word, you ducked into your room, shutting the door behind you.

Now, if only you could shut off your thoughts just as easily.

It was lunchtime, and the table was buzzing with chatter. It had been nearly two days since you’d heard from Bangchan. Odd, right? The silence felt almost intentional. No texts, no glances that said too much.

You were sharing a basket of French fries with Hyunjin when suddenly, that topic came up. Jisung was DJing at another party this weekend, and everyone was planning to go. Of course, Eunji—bless her heart and big mouth—decided now was the time to bring up the perfect subject.

“You should invite Mingyu, now that you’re going out and all.”

You nearly choked on a fry, coughing like you’d just inhaled a cloud of smoke. Hyunjin slapped your back, but you could feel all eyes on you as the table went silent, then turned to look in your direction.

Bangchan, seated across from you, slouched in his chair like he didn’t care. But you knew better. The tension radiating from him was like a ticking time bomb.

“You’re seeing Mingyu?” Hyunjin’s voice dripped with mock disbelief. “How am I your best friend, and this is news to me?”

Great. Just great. The whole table was waiting for an answer, and suddenly, everything felt like it was about to spiral out of control.

“Going out with Mingyu? Really?” Changbin raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. “I thought you had better taste, bro.”

“For fuck’s sake, I’m not dating anyone!” you shot back, finally managing to catch your breath after the shock of the conversation.

“Sure, sure. But you two went out the other day, didn’t you?” Eunji grinned, clearly enjoying every second of it.

You felt it before you saw it: Bangchan’s eyes, burning into the side of your head. His silence wasn’t just a void, it was a warning, sharp and heavy. You should’ve felt guilty—after all, you had brushed him aside for Mingyu.

“But we’re not together,” you quickly clarified, hoping to quell whatever storm was brewing behind his eyes. “And he’s practically at every party anyway. It’s not like he’s not going to show up.”

Eunji wasn’t buying it. “Still should invite him, though.”

Hyunjin tossed an arm around your shoulders, all casual but still sorta protective. “Alright, stop messing with my girl,” he said, voice light but you could tell he wasn’t having it.

You muttered a quick ‘thank you,’ relieved when the focus shifted away from you. Your thoughts drifted as you nibbled on the end of your fry, mind half on your food, half on the tension buzzing at the table. 

Bangchan, though, wasn't as distracted. He sat there, twisting his tongue inside his cheek, fighting off the surge of frustration coiling in his gut. The thought of you with Mingyu? It hit him like a wrecking ball. Not just because you had ditched him for the guy, but Mingyu.

He could hardly keep his anger in check. Only his closest friends knew the history between the two of them—and no one, especially not you, would ever guess how deep that hatred ran.

He couldn’t stand it any longer. Without a word, he stood, breaking the rhythm of the conversation.

“Leaving already?” Changbin asked, raising an eyebrow. Lunch still had half an hour left, but Bangchan didn’t seem to care.

“Yeah, gotta handle something,” he muttered, his voice sharp enough to make everyone shut up for a second.

The group barely noticed his departure. You certainly didn’t. After all, it wasn’t like anything was out of the ordinary. Right?

The days were flying by, and with every one that passed, the auditions loomed closer. The lineup was finally set—each student would perform next Friday, the day before Jisung’s party. No pressure or anything. Your nerves were on high alert, and anxiety was practically gnawing at your bones.

And then there was Bangchan. Or rather, the lack of him. You hadn’t heard a word from him in days. During the rare times you actually sat with the guys for lunch, his seat was just... empty. And you pretended not to care, stealing quick glances and keeping your mouth shut.

Most of your free time was spent holed up in the library, pretending to study, or locked in your room, trying to convince yourself that, yes, you could totally make it through the semester without crumbling under stress. Mingyu had texted you a few times, but you’d dodged his messages so hard that even you felt guilty about it.

Not that he seemed to care. The guy was persistent. He still wanted to take you out, get to know you, charm his way into... whatever he was aiming for. Just today, he’d invited you to join him and the soccer team at some bar near campus. Apparently, they were celebrating a big win—not that you had a single clue who they even played against.

You needed to get out. Desperately. But showing up solo to a team hangout? That was a level of confidence even you didn’t have. So, naturally, you did what any sane person would—you called your emergency contact.

Hyunjin picked up before the second ring.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to return from the dead,” he drawled.

“Yeah, yeah. Roast me later. Right now, I need a favor.”

“Hm. Depends.”

“There’ll be drinks,” you baited, already knowing his answer.

He sighed dramatically. “Fine. But if I go, you have to give me the full rundown on whatever mess you’ve got going on with Mingyu.”

You exhaled sharply, tilting your head back like the universe was punishing you. “Ugh. Deal.”

Satisfied, you threw on a black fit—strappy top, skirt, boots, plus a long-sleeved cardigan for balance—and grabbed your phone to text Hyunjin.

And that’s when you saw him.

Bangchan.

Walking toward his dorm, jacket slung over his shoulder, bag in one hand. The second he spotted you, it was like his brain hit a hard reset. Blue screen. No thoughts, just you.

You, on the other hand? You just…froze. Phone still hovering mid-air like you were trying to signal the mothership.

He looked good, annoyingly so—tired, sure, but with that effortlessly undone look that made you want to fix things that weren’t even broken. And judging by the way his jaw tightened ever so slightly, he wasn’t exactly thrilled to see you looking this good either.

You could practically hear the battle happening in his head. Logic telling him to keep walking. Instinct screaming at him to drag you somewhere private and remind you exactly why you shouldn’t be ignoring him.

But no. Neither of you moved. Just standing there, locked in some ridiculous silent standoff from across the way.

That is, until a hand brushed against yours.

“Took you long enough,” Hyunjin teased, but his voice trailed off the second he noticed who had stolen your attention. His steps slowed, eyes flicking between you and Bangchan like he’d just walked into the middle of a soap opera.

You bit back a smirk, shoving down the weird twist in your stomach. “Shall we?”

Hyunjin hesitated, still piecing things together. Then, with a last glance at Bangchan—who looked like he was about two seconds away from saying something he’d regret—he sighed.

“Yeah,” he muttered, brows still furrowed. “Let’s go.”

The moment you step into the bar, Mingyu zeroes in on you like a man on a mission—half-drunk, half-thrilled, and entirely shameless about how his gaze drags over you. He grins, tells you how gorgeous you look, and hands you a shot of soju like it’s a requirement for entry.

Hyunjin, of course, fits right in immediately, the social butterfly that he is. Meanwhile, you start to relax, the initial nerves fading as the drinks flow and the unfamiliar space becomes less intimidating. Mingyu’s friends are nice—too nice. The kind of nice that feels like they're sizing you up, like you’re some kind of prize waiting to be claimed. Mingyu’s prize.

The room is loud, buzzing with alcohol-fueled laughter and drunken debates, but your thoughts are fixated on something else. Someone else. And damn it, Mingyu is right there, flashing that easy smile, brushing his fingers against yours like it’s an accident every single time. Complimenting you in ways that should make your stomach flip.

But all you can think about is the guy who hasn’t spoken to you in days. The one who supposedly doesn’t want you anymore.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

With a frustrated sigh, you push back your chair and stand. You’re not even tipsy, but everything suddenly feels too hot, too suffocating.

“I need water,” you mutter, more to yourself than anyone else, and head for the bar before you do something stupid.

Mingyu appeared at your side, leaning against the bar like he had all the time in the world.

"All good?"

You forced a smile, gripping the cool glass of water like it could ground you. "Yeah. Just needed something cold."

"Glad you came," he said, smirking slightly as he looked down at you.

He’s the one you should want, the one who actually wants you.

Your gaze flickered to his lips. A bad idea waiting to happen.

Mingyu caught the hesitation, eyes darkening as he glanced between your lips and your eyes. You barely had time to register what was happening before your hands found his shoulders, his lips pressing against yours.

The guys erupted in cheers, their drunken approval ringing out across the bar.

And after that, a blur of stolen kisses, too much soju, and voices too loud to ignore.

The night air was crisp against your flushed skin as you and Hyunjin walked back toward campus. The distant hum of the city buzzed in your ears, the alcohol still warm in your veins, though the high of the night had started to fade. Your heels clicked against the pavement, and Hyunjin, ever the gentleman, walked just a step closer in case you stumbled.

“You good?” he asked, nudging you lightly with his elbow.

You hummed a response, not trusting yourself to say anything else. Your mind was a tangled mess of soju, Mingyu’s lips, and something deeper—something you weren’t ready to admit.

Hyunjin let the silence settle for a moment before he spoke again. “If I ask you something, will you be honest with me?”

You sighed, already bracing yourself. Here it comes. “If it’s about Mingyu, I—”

“It’s not.” he cut you off, tone softer than before. “It’s about Bangchan.”

Your stomach twisted.

You stopped walking, your breath caught somewhere between your lungs and your throat. Your hands fidgeted, grasping for something—anything—to ground you. “Why would you ask that?” you muttered, trying to play it off, but even you could hear the slight tremble in your voice.

Hyunjin tilted his head, studying you. “I figured it all out.”

A sharp inhale stung your chest, and before you could even think of a response, it hit you. The overwhelming, suffocating weight of everything you’d been trying to bury. The frustration, the confusion, the way he made you feel like you were something and nothing all at once.

“Oh, shit,” Hyunjin muttered, eyes widening as the tears spilled over. “Come here.”

He pulled you into his chest, letting you press your face into his shoulder. You clung to his jacket, shaking as silent sobs wracked through you. Half-drunk, half-heartbroken, you let yourself break in the only safe place you had at that moment—Hyunjin’s arms.

“I don’t— I don’t know what the hell I’m doing,” you mumbled against the fabric of his hoodie, voice barely above a whisper.

Hyunjin sighed, rubbing soothing circles on your back. “It’s okay. Just breathe.”

But it wasn’t okay. None of it was.

After a few minutes, he gently pulled away and wordlessly handed you a bottle of water he’d bought from a vending machine nearby. You took it with shaky hands, gulping down the cool liquid as if it could wash away the lump in your throat.

As you wiped your eyes, Hyunjin leaned against the streetlamp, watching you carefully. “Talk to me. What’s going on with you and Bangchan?”

You let out a bitter laugh, shaking your head. “I wish I knew.”

He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

With a deep, shaky breath, you finally let it spill. “It started as something casual. No expectations.” your fingers tightened around the water bottle. “But then he started pulling away. And I don’t know if it’s because he got bored, or if I did something wrong, or if this was always the plan. I don’t even know if I want more, but the fact that I’m this messed up over it?” you scoffed, blinking back fresh tears. “That has to mean something, right?”

Hyunjin exhaled, his gaze thoughtful. “Damn.”

You let out a wet laugh. “That’s all you got?”

“I mean, what do you want me to say? That doesn’t sound casual to me.”

Your stomach twisted. You knew that. You knew that. But hearing it out loud made it real in a way you weren’t ready for.

You swallowed hard, voice small. “I got myself into this mess. I was the one who asked him to keep it a secret.”

Hyunjin frowned, his posture shifting. “Why?”

“Because I was scared,” you admitted, the words raw in your throat. “Scared of what people would say. Scared of the judgment. You know how it is—girls get torn apart for way less. And I worked too hard, cared too much to be reduced to just that girl who’s hooking up with Bangchan.” you laughed bitterly, shaking your head. “And now? Now I don’t even know how to deal with it. Because I was supposed to hate him, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin was quiet for a moment, his usual teasing gone. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady. “You don’t have to figure it all out tonight. But you also don’t have to go through this alone.”

Your throat tightened. “I feel like an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot.” he bumped his shoulder against yours. “You’re just in deep.”

You exhaled shakily, leaning into his warmth as you both started walking again.

“Look, I don’t have the answers. But I do know you’re not crazy for feeling this way.” he squeezed your shoulder. “And if he’s too much of an idiot to see what he has, then maybe you should let him be the one losing sleep over it.”

You sniffled, managing a weak smile. “You’re my soulmate, Hyun.”

“Damn right I am,” he said, flashing you a grin. “Now drink your water before you pass out, drama queen.”

You laughed—actually laughed—and for the first time that night, the weight on your chest felt just a little bit lighter.

The day had finally arrived. Showtime. No matter how many times you’d done this, stepping on stage always felt like a first-time, heart-in-your-throat kind of thing.

Up in the audience, Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Sohee were posted a few rows above Mrs. Baek, waiting for you to do your thing. No pressure.

Backstage was quiet—eerily so. You sat there, taking slow, deep breaths, wiping your sweaty palms against your thighs like a seasoned pro in pre-show anxiety management. You were next. Three minutes. One shot. No room for mediocrity.

You’d chosen a song that wasn’t just sentimental—it was a statement. A vocal rollercoaster that climbed from deep, rich lows to a falsetto so clean it could cut glass. If you were going to go down, at least you’d do it swinging.

Reaching into your bag for your water bottle, you were mid-sip when movement in the distance caught your attention.

And just like that, reality glitched. Bangchan.

It was almost ridiculous how unreal he looked, like a mirage conjured from some fever dream. You hadn’t seen him in days, and yet here he was, strolling in like he hadn’t been living rent-free in your mind this whole damn time.

Laptop in hand, fingers flying across the keyboard, looking every bit the sound tech genius he was. You hadn’t expected him to actually show up for this gig, but—oh, look—there he was, punching buttons like he was defusing a bomb.

Then, he saw you. And something shifted.

His fingers stilled, tightening around the laptop.

The air was heavy. The tension was palpable. Whatever was going on between you two didn’t need words—it was written in every sharp breath, every stolen glance.

And just like that, your pre-show jitters had a new contender.

"Hi," you muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

Bangchan gave you a small, polite smile—too polite. Something about it felt off. The usual spark in his eyes? Gone. And that was all it took for reality to sink in.

So that’s it, huh?

The game was over. You had your answer. He was done, and honestly? You couldn’t even be mad—because weren’t you just as much to blame?

Mrs. Baek’s voice cut through the buzzing in your head, thanking the student who had just finished performing. You’re next.

You turned away from Bangchan, unscrewed your water bottle, and took a long sip, willing yourself to focus. Breathe. Lock in. You’ve got this.

Then it happened. A warm touch on your waist—his touch.

Your body betrayed you instantly, heat rippling through your skin like a live wire. It had been days, and yet, all it took was this—a single touch—to remind you how much you’d missed him.

You spun around, frowning, swallowing hard as your gaze locked onto his.

Bangchan didn’t back down. If anything, he doubled down.

His arm lifted, caging you in the small space between you and the backstage wall, pulling your bodies so close it was downright insane. His head tilted slightly, studying you, reading every little reaction like he already knew the ending to this story.

Without warning, Bangchan crashed his lips onto yours, his free hand gripping your waist like he had no plans of letting go. His palm slid up your back, fingers teasing under the hem of your shirt, branding heat into your skin.

You barely had time to process before his tongue was in your mouth, claiming, demanding��like he was making up for every second of distance between you.

A sound slipped past your lips—a mix between a sigh and a moan, involuntary, unstoppable.

God, you hated how easily he unraveled you. And worse? You loved it too.

Your fingers curled into the fabric of his sweatshirt, yanking him closer—like you needed him just a little closer, just a little longer. Your lips moved in sync, deepening the moment, drowning out everything else.

Then—

Mrs. Baek’s voice rang through the backstage, shouting your name.

Then reality crashed back in.

But instead of nerves clawing at your stomach, instead of the suffocating pressure you’d felt moments ago, there was something lighter—something electric. Like a field of wildflowers blooming where anxiety used to sit.

You pulled back, panting, heart racing, but this time? You were smiling. Bangchan, just as breathless, leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of your ear.

"Break a leg," he murmured.

And just like that, you knew you would.

♡ taglist ― @kenia4 @chrizrizz @meerabmalik @gnabnahcsworld @gncbnahc @jinniejjam @skzworldx @itsacatastrophe-xo @soonie1010 @4ng3l-ch1ld @justwonder113 @tsunderelino @eastjonowhere @lyracarvahall @akindaflora @victoriaaf @ebnabi @wickedbutlovely

[jabbasyogainstructor]

Just to add:

I remember hearing romanticized stories about Persephone and Hades when I was a kid and I predate not only Tumblr, but all social media. Tumblr is a place where ideas like that take off, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that social media is their origin.

The myth of Medusa has had many versions, and whether she had snakes for hair depends entirely on teller (Ovid, for instance, OP brought it up) but also on place of origin. The Romans changed many of these stories to suit their audience. In their version of events, Persephone and Hades, (or Proserpina and Pluto as they called them) definitely cheated on each other plenty. Roman aristocracy saw it as odd that a married couple would love each other, cheating was very much the norm and it was expected to be discreet. Marriages were for political gain, not love; the idea was love your mistress and be dutiful to your wife. The Greeks weren’t wholly different in this, but it was pretty common among Greek men (especially in Sparta) to have your lover be of the same sex.

Also, Hades and Persephone were feared and not generally referred to by name. They were referred to as “the dread” and “the dark one.” There is some evidence that the Greeks believed that Hades would be infertile due to being the lord of the dead, so any children they had were usually associated with Zeus (her own father) and generally not consensually conceived. Zagreus and Melinoe are the usual two, although sometimes she is also occasionally mentioned as the mother of Dionysus (in most other cases his mother is Semele).

Arachne is better known for having claimed she was a better weaver than Athena and was turned into a spider for it. Her name is the basis for the word Arachnid: the spider family. I’ve never heard of her being punished by Zeus, but these stories are so old that there are multiple versions of all of them.

Artemis and Apollo being gods of sun and moon were due to the decline of the titans. The few older generation deities who helped Zeus overthrow Chronos were allowed to continue as they were: Helios and Selene were in charge of the sun and moon but over time people started changing the stories to say all the titans were overthrown. It was probably just easier, but Apollo and Artemis, as the twins, were a really convenient choice for replacement, given that they were “as different as the sun and moon.”

And lastly, because this just bugs me every time I hear it: it was NOT the norm in ancient Rome to eat and eat and eat and then throw up to fit more food in. I know what you’re all thinking, the vomitorium, right? The vomitorii were the exits to the Coliseum. When the games ended and everyone left, there were so many people that it looked like the Coliseum was throwing up people. Now, it has been the norm just about anywhere, in ancient times and present day, for people to drink so much that they throw up. That’s not what I mean. The story that the Romans would deliberately stick their fingers down their throats and vomit in order to continue at the banquet, is a falsehood. I will not take any arguments, just go look it up. It is why they laid down to eat. They believed it was more comfortable and spread the food out in their body so that their lavish banquets could be so long. People were eating very small items; at some noble banquets, bird tongues and stuffed dormice were considered delicacies. Hard to really gorge on that. Think of it as micro tapas. You would have to eat all day and not stop to need to vomit. And they would have made entire species extinct. The word has the same root, but the historical inference is completely wrong.

a quick psa to anyone recently getting into greek mythology and is a victim of tumblr and/or tiktok misconceptions:

-there is no shame in being introduced to mytholgy from something like percy jackson, epic the musical or anything like that, but keep in mind that actual myths are going to be VERY different from modern retellings

-the myth of medusa you probably know (her being a victim of poseidon and being cursed by athena) isn't 100% accurate to GREEK mythology (look up ovid)

-there is no version of persephone's abduction in which persephone willingly stays with hades, that's a tumblr invention (look up homeric hymn to demeter)

-as much as i would like it, no, cerberus' name does not mean "spot" (probably a misunderstanding from this wikipedia article)

-zeus isn't the only god who does terrible things to women, your fav male god probably has done the same

-on that note, your fav greek hero has probably done some heinous shit as well

-gods are more complicated than simply being "god of [insert thing]", many titles overlap between gods and some may even change depending on where they were worshipped

-also, apollo and artemis being the gods of the sun and the moon isn't 100% accurate, their main aspects as deities originally were music and the hunt

-titans and gods aren't two wholly different concepts, titan is just the word used to decribe the generation of gods before the olympians

-hector isn't the villain some people make him out to be

-hephaestus WAS married to aphrodite. they divorced. yes, divorce was a thing in ancient greece. hephaestus' wife is aglaia

-ancient greek society didn't have the same concepts of sexuality that we have now, it's incorrect to describe virgin goddesses like artemis and athena as lesbians, BUT it's also not wholly accurate to describe them as aromantic/asexual, it's more complex than that

-you can never fully understand certain myths if you don't understand the societal context in which they were told

-myths have lots and lots of retellings, there isn't one singular "canon", but we can try to distinguish between older and newer versions and bewteen greek and roman versions

-most of what you know about sparta is probably incorrect

-reading/waching retellings is not a substitute to reading the original myths, read the iliad! read the odyssey! i know they may seem intimidating, but they're much more entertaining than you may think

greek mythology is so complex and interesting, don't go into it with preconcieved notions! try to be open to learn!

[cochineal-leviat]

Valentine Special 2025 ships

Heyo, it's already midnight where I am, so Valentine's Day has passed, but I still wanted to celebrate it. Valentine's Day is weird for me because I am Aro&Ace, so I never really get to appreciate it. Every year, it just comes and passes, and I feel nothing, even though I do like the aesthetic.

But this week, I had the brilliant idea that even though I can't celebrate it conventionally, I can still do something for all the pairings and ships I have come to love over the years. So, I drew eleven ships that had helped me during my most challenging moments, from when I was a child to the present. They are ordered in no particular order but rather what I got on paper in my sketchbook.

Idk. Maybe this way me my fellow Aromantics shippers can still enjoy the holiday.

Which ship do you like best? I would love to know~ (even if it is simply from the technical perspective)

From the first panel to the last, we have:

Page 1

Kirfluff (is extra special to me as a fic I wrote for the pairing, including many other franchise characters, which led me to keep writing for fun and posting it online. Without I would not have the boost of confidence that I do now about my writing)

Metadede (Who doesn't love a good ship with a warrior's bond? They're hilarious)

Isafrin (my most recent ship. They make me soft and cry at the same time. Like this pairing adds a lot ISAT's story and manages to also be very entertaining and heartfelt)

Sonadow (I got into the ship before I was even into Sonic. There was even a long-ass fic I found back when I still read on Fanfiction.net that I reread every year because I found it so funny. I definitely enjoy the modern Sonadow writing more than a decade ago)

Snufmin (perfect balance between yearning and the needing space and the freedom to adventure. I want to read more of this ship)

Page 2

Ravioli(nk) (The name alone already makes it worth it. I also have an unholy amount of fics saved from this ship. They are the literal roommates meme)

Vidow (a classic. I enjoyed this one even before I got into Zelda. Like I was reading Four Swords without having any clue what the lore was or what the fuck was going on.)

Reguri (This was named Namelessshipping and Orginalshipping back in the day. Too tired to do research rn. But I think the difference lies in the manga and game versions. I prefer the game versions, personally)

Purpleshipping {Kieran x mc) (A little backstory: this is just the mc from Scarlet and Violet that I made an NB version for, which became their own person after writing a fic. Here, they are exchanging an Applin with Kieran. For those who know the custom, you know, you know. A friend of mine named this ship)

Shadowpeach (the most divorced couple I have ever come across. I remember back when this was considered a crack ship. Ah, good times. The character depictions were very different back then, too. I depicted them in their friend's era, but still. Btw Macaque is laughing at Sun Wukong's antics but I think it accidentally looks like he is laughing at Sun Wukong rather than with him. Oh well, it wouldn't be too out of character for seasons 1-3 Mac)

Marink (not a ship I read about a lot, but it hurt me so much when I played Link's Awakening for the first time. Everytime I think of Marin I feel sad)

[respectthepetty]

I apologise in advance since this is going to be ramble-y but it's past my bedtime and I have to be quick...

I'm hoping you can throw some insight on something which I feel like I'm seeing but not really getting.

So, I was first intrigued by Sei's phone case - it's a version of Van Gogh's Starry Night, right? - and the light/yellow and dark/blue it contains. And then I was noticing a lot of scenes in which Hagiwara is in a light/warm colouring/filter and Sei is in a cooler/bluer colour/filter. Many of your screenshots in this post of yours show this (notably pics 5, 8, 9, and 11 counting from the top).

I also noticed the yellow and blue posters behind Hagiwara and Sei in the second photo of that post.

And then I was intrigued by light and shadow...because in ep 1 (I think), in bed Hagiwara is lying in the shadow cast by the lamp that is between his and Kaori's beds. And that contrasts to Sei lying in the glow of the lamp that's between his and Fujisawa. But this confuses me because sometimes Hagiwara is in the shadows and Sei is in the light (as in pics 10 and 20 in that post) and there are other times when Hagiwara is illuminated and Sei is in the shadows (like in pic 11).

Does this all just come down to what you were saying in that post - that they balance each other out? Because sometimes they're both in cool/shadowed light together (pic 4) and sometimes they're both in warm/light colouring together (pics 7 & 15) - and not to mention the two bedside lamps being on in pic 22... Or is there another reading into this? Maybe that they're depicted light/warm or cool/dark at different times depending on what's happening in or the mood of the scenes?

It feels a bit like maybe the message is that they're both stuck, trapped in the dark but also that they're each the light and happiness for each other...but that feels too simplistic for this complex show.

Anyway, sorry to pose what feels like a difficult question but I'm looking forward to a possible 30 pic explanation post from you if you have it in you!

I think the show is telling us nobody is just one thing.

I thought this back in the third episode, but after seeing the discourse on the sixth episode, I feel confident this is part of what the shows wants to say. For example, a point of contention in most posts after the breakup scene in episode six focused on if Kairo is avoidant and homophobic or if Kairo is ace and hasn't realized it. But why can't Kairo be both?

This thought stems from the statue since Sei and Hagiwara couldn't agree if she was sexual or sad.

But why couldn't she be both?

I made this point with the other pieces of art as well since all of them played into this evil/good, angel/devil theme.

Because none of them were just one of those things. The devil flowers had wings, and the devil figure had a halo, while the angel flowers still had thorns, and the angel figure had a horned tail.

So Hagiwara, the darker-coded character, is the warmer one with his trees and greenery, while Sei, the lighter-coded character, is the colder character with his metal and rock.

And they are also cheaters.

Which, once again, is why I believe the story is telling us that nobody is one thing. Because cheating is bad. But these men?

They aren't bad.

Just like Fujisawa isn't all good.

Sei and Hagiwara did something bad but they aren't bad because they cheated since people are neither completely one thing or another.

That is a false dichotomy.

So just like the toe was not about the toe, and the TV was not about the TV, and the coffee is not about the coffee, and the rain is not about the rain, and the sex is not about the sex, nothing is just one thing, so the series continues to reinforce that.

Sei is light and should be warm, but he is cold, and by his own admission, rough. But Hagiwara, who should be the dark and emotionally-guarded brooder, is the more open and happy one of the pair.

The colors and settings emphasize this. Hagiwara's apartment is colorful. Sei's is dark.

But those apartments don't really represent the men either.

Fujisawa and Kairo both commented that they like Sei and Hagiwara, but they only like a single aspect of them. They reduced them to one characteristic, and never wanted to deal with the complexities of their partners.

And that's what happens when we focus on one single thing.

We lose sight of the bigger picture.

The questions Fujisawa and Kairo ask aren't "Why did you cheat?' but "Why a man?" because they are reductive. To Fujisawa and Kairo, the problem wasn't a lack of communication, lack of intimacy, or lack of a partnership in their relationships; it was sex. So why sex with a man?! Why not a woman to fulfill the sexual urge?

During their email exchange in episode two, the men chat about the purpose of sex since for animals, it's to mate and reproduce, which comes up later when Hagiwara's friends ask if he'll marry Kairo when she is pregnant, and again in episode four when Ayako says that Hagiwara is lucky that Kairo will have sex with him for the sake of kids. Fujisawa and Sei can't have kids, so then there is no need for sex. Yet in that initial conversation in episode two, Hagiwara and Sei end the conversation with saying the purpose of sex is complicated.

Everything is complicated. Everything is layered. Everything is multifaceted.

Van Gogh painted The Starry Night when he was an a psychiatric hospital in 1889 after he cut off his ear during a maniac episode, so due to the time period and the timing, it was probably a horrible experience. The scene is based on his view he could see outside of his barred window. And yet, despite all the dark reasons he was there and the night setting, the painting is bright. It blends the darkness with the light to bring hope.

So despite the darkness of his cage, there is light. And it comes in the shape of a phone that allows communication between two lost souls going through a horrible experience.

And Fujisawa destroyed it.

Nothing is one thing.

Yin and yang are meant to reside in everyone because good and bad are part of everyone. Therefore, nothing is simply black and white.

Hagiwara is rejected yet full of warmth. Sei wants affection but is cold toward others. One is dark coded and the other is light coded. One is warm colors and the other is cool colors. Sei comes off as polished, but he is rough. Hagiwara comes across as fun, but he is serious. They are layered, which is the key to balance because balance could never be about just one thing; balance is about bringing several elements into harmony.

But first, we must acknowledge that different aspects exists.

Because nothing is one thing.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I saw your one post about Yuu getting super powers. I don't think it's very likely as well. I think it's largely thanks to western storytelling expectations and tropes for the western audience.

In a lot of western YA or Middle Grade books, the protagonist in a fantasy series will start off as ordinary, standing out and never fitting in. It turns out that they are indeed special and powerful in their own right. Think Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Clary Fray, and the list goes on and on.

There are also times when the protagonist is forced to change forms literally to become more powerful. For example, Feyre from ACOTAR starts out as a simple human. But then, she is killed off, and then is brought back to life as a High Fae. Same goes for Bella from Twilight where she dies during childbirth to a demon spawn, and then she is transformed into a vampire.

Western audiences are expecting something similar to happen. But, it's not very likely due to "main character" and individualism not being as much of a thing in East Asia. I've never seen as many stories like that from Japan as I have from the west out of all of my years of being a manga/anime fan.

Although, having said that, Yuu is still something to be desired writing wise. I still wish that Yuu had more of an impact on the plot and had more personality than a tuna can. I don't expect them to be a fully fledged character on par with the rest of the cast. Even other otome and JRPG self inserts like Persona 5 I feel are better written than them, because they matter more and the dialogue choices impact the game more. They are the main character. Act like it!

[Referencing this post!]

There's certain genres of animanga that have those power fantasy/wish fulfillment tropes that we see in western media. A big one that comes to mind are fantasy isekais where the main character tends to be a weirdo or a loner that's actually super powerful/smart and quickly amasses a group of doting anime girls to fawn over him (although now isekai is much more diversified as a genre). It's definitely not just something exclusive to western media, although I will say maybe it's more prevalent in the west (again, due to differences in cultural values).

I feel like we need to remember that Twst is ultimately Japanese media, so it will most likely default to Japanese storytelling conventions and trends, not western ones. While it's fine to wish for a different version of events or to dislike the current version, we should be careful to not let personal frustrations turn into demands to cater to those wishes.

I will say that I've noticed the localization attempts to give Yuu more... character? Many of Yuu's dialogue options are written to be more sarcastic than they originally were. The JP dialogue options are much more neutral. Here are some examples from book 1 alone:

After fighting some mob students in the cafeteria, Yuu has "Even though we were just told to not get into fights" and "I thought we were done for..." as options. In EN, Yuu's options are, "What happened to 'no more incidents'?" and "I guess this is my life now. *Sigh*". You can see how Yuu reads as sassier or more fed up in the latter, even if the same overall message is conveyed.

When seeing Jack for the first time, Yuu's Japanese options are "He has dog ears!?" and "A muscular guy with dog ears is a new sight". In EN, the top option is basically the same, but the second option becomes "Muscly dog man, sure why not."

Other dialogue options change entirely. For example, when Leona threatens to claim a tooth as retribution for Yuu stepping on his tail, our options are, "EEEEEH!!" and "H-He's going to hit us!" EN's options become much more humorous, with Yuu either claiming "Please! I don't have dental insurance!" or "I can't afford to pay anything!"

These are just a few examples, and not even all of the dialogue options in book 1 that exemplify what I’m talking about. I hope that this helps illustrate what I mean!

I think it can be argued that Yuu does have an impact on the plot, but the way the story is written doesn’t grant them much agency. There are points where Yuu makes decisions of their own volition but then the story never commits to letting them be entirely independent. For example, a lot of players like book 3 because they feel it is when Yuu is the most involved in the story. They make the decision to make a deal with Azul, and then they contribute to figuring out a way to outwit him—but then in later books, Yuu basically stands there doing nothing (lookin’ at you specifically, book 5). Yuu also doesn’t get to spend a lot of alone time with the characters to actually… I don’t know, influence their change and growth? Their activity and involvement is just wildly inconsistent. I have my own gripes with how Yuu is written and proposed my own ideas for how I would change them. If you’re interested in reading that, the post is here.

It might not be the best to compare Yuu to otome and JRPG self inserts 💦 In otomes (or general dating sims; I’d like to be inclusive of my non-women audience), romance is the primary objective. Of course the self-insert player character will be the center of the story and the one that the other characters will revolve around. JRPGs are typically console games; they have more bandwidth to go bigger and be more ambitious with their stories + gameplay than your average visual novel style mobile gacha game. (I specify “average” because I know there are now open world and 3D style gacha games.) The story of every game is also different and might call for different kinds of main characters to most effectively tell us its tale. Having an active main character isn’t needed for every story, and nor does having an active character automatically make a story better.

I’ve noticed that we commonly conflate the terms “main character” and “protagonist”, especially when it comes to Yuu. To clarify, the “main character” is the one whose perspective the story is primarily told (ie our POV character). A “protagonist” is who the story is actually about, the person who drives the story forward. “Protagonists” are the ones facing challenges and undergoing significant change in the story. A “main character” and a “protagonist” may be the same person, but they could also be separate people.

Yuu may be the “main character” in the sense that we see the story mainly through them (as someone who is brand new to Twisted Wonderland, much like the player is). This makes Yuu an excellent sponge and prompter for lore and explanations to be dropped on us. However, I don’t think that Yuu is also a “protagonist” for most of the game. I would say that the protagonists are the main cast of NRC students, especially the OB boys. These are the characters the story truly centers on, and this is reflected across events and vignettes as well. Yuu appears in very few vignettes and is often a footnote conveniently dragged along on events. So much of Twst’s content revolves around the boys, their relationships to one another, and how they develop and better themselves. Does Yuu play a part in that, no matter how minor? Yes. Does Yuu also form friendships with these boys? Also yes. But this is not the bulk of game content, nor what most of the conflicts or solutions focus on. So 💦 Yuu definitely “acts like a main character” (ie being the lens we view the story through), but doesn’t “act like a protagonist” (ie is active in the story and pushes it forward, is the one that significantly changes, etc).

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Does anyone actually say that Ladybug and Adrien are fake somehow?

Yeah, people absolutely have that take. It's what spawned the original post. One too many fics and shipping poles that treated Marinette and Chat Noir as somehow wrong for their crushes. (I apparently read fast. My ML fic's read count is in the thousands at this point. It's enough to let me notice trends that bug me whereas one fic would just be a shrug and move on thing.) On the Adreinette side you get, "Chat Noir is the true Adrien! Civilian Adrien is just a mask! Marinette only loves the fake Adrien so she doesn't deserve him!"

Chat Noir gets less flak, but I've seen it enough to know it's very much a thing. There's a reason Marichat wins out over Ladynoir in almost every poll. If you ever see one, read the comments for the logic and you'll see what I mean. People with this view seem to think things like, "Chat Noir doesn't really love Marinette because Ladybug isn't stuttery and awkward around him! He has to love her when she's a mess!"

This kind of thing is so popular that I had to stop reading fics that paired Marinette with other people because the "Marinette is the true version" thing showed up all the freaking time. So many of these fics felt less like shipping stories and more like Adrien bashing where he was punished for liking Ladybug and not Marinette. It was draining. Even my favorite one has a scene to make sure Adrien feels bad for missing what he could have had and it's a freaking no powers AU!

I actually had a really lovely conversation about this topic when the blog was young because this is one that gets under my skin whenever I come across it and I occasionally need to vent a bit. The kind person who indulged my annoyance straight up said that they used to think that the square "have to fall in love as Marichat bc that's when they can be real with each other." Which was not a stance that was unique to them by any means. They were just validating my first-hand observations of the way SOME people view the ship/characters.

There is a version of the true selves stuff that's genuinely sweet though. It's the version you basically summed up where it's less about these two being the "true" versions and more about Marichat letting the two get to know each other without the pressure of the crushes complicating things. After all, the canon square is only a few hours removed from love at first sight which certainly adds pressure that Marichat removes. The existence of this version that means I don't hate Marichat or even the words "true self", I'm just warry when I see them as I never know what I'm about to see.

While I get why canon's near insta love and subsequent writing issues would draw a person to Marichat, I'll also once again argue that the issue at hand isn't the various ship dynamics, it's canon's writing as the awkward Marichat arc shows. Even though the crushes only flipped after four whole season, canon Marichat doesn't feel any deeper than canon Adrienette or canon Ladynoir. It's played incredibly superficial and doesn't even bother to acknowledge that Chat Noir and Marinette have a functional friendship as established in episodes like Evillustrator, Glaciator, and Glaciator 2. Elation writes Marichat as if they've never interacted before and Chat Noir is just going on a date with a fan he's never officially met. Passion writes Ladynoir as awkwardly as Adrienette always was. Ladybug's months of platonic partnership did nothing to change how she acts when she has a crush or how successful she is at confessing.

In a better show, canon's Marichat arc would be used to set up Adrienette as a more solid couple. Marichat would allow Adrien to see that Marinette loves him even when he's being goofy, but they'd agree to not date because a hero and a civilian dating is too risky. Then Adrienette would happen and, oh look, Adrien can occasionally crack jokes and be silly because he knows Marinette can love him even when he's at his most Chat Noir in addition to being his most Adrien. Marinette is a little surprised, but fine with it. Canon doesn't go there though. As far as the show is concerned, Marichat essentially never happened. It was a one-off fever dream both characters completely forgot. Canon Adrienette has Adrien playing the perfect flawless boyfriend who never annoys Marinette with his jokes.

In summary, that post wasn't about saying that Marichat is bad or unhealthy or that there's no version of the true selves thing that's cute. It was me venting a bit after seeing one too many instances of people acting like Ladrien, Ladynoir, and Adrienette could never be healthy because friends to lovers is some sort of golden standard when it's absolutely not. It's a neutral preference. Each side is fine. What matters is how you write it.

Why the "True Selves" Theory is Insulting

Image for a second that you have a friend who's a bit of a ditz. She's also fun, creative, and sweet. You enjoy being around her, but you've never seen her as more than a friend. Then, one day, a fire breaks out at an event that you and your friend are attending. Your lives are suddenly in mortal peril and the same goes for everyone around you because you can't find the exit. You think that you're going to die.

Then, suddenly, your friend transforms. Not in a magical way, it's just a personality shift, but it might as well be magical because it's like nothing you've ever seen! The ditziness is gone, replaced by laser focus and a take-charge attitude that has everyone following your friend without question. When all is said and done, everyone lives because of you friend. As it turns out, her tendency to get easily distracted means that she's a fantastic in-the-moment problem solver.

Going through that completely changes how you see this girl. You no longer just like her, no, you're now deeply in love with her. You tell a mutual friend about this and they laugh at you, then say, "Don't be silly, that wasn't really her! Her true self isn't that brave girl who saved your life! That was special circumstances that don't count. All that counts is the way she acts when there isn't a crisis going on. It doesn't matter that you've always liked her and enjoyed her company, if you didn't fall in love with based solely on her ditzy self, then you don't really love her."

Most people would call this mutual friend insane because of course going through crazy experiences changes the way we view people! Imagine if you had an allergic reaction and your significant other's reaction was to panic and run away, leaving you to die. You only live because you manage to grab your phone and call '911.' That would understandably lead many people to reassess if this is the person they want to spend their life with just like the opposite experience might make you see a person as a good life partner.

Marinette is Ladybug. She gets full credit for everything she's done in the suit and it's perfectly fine for Adrien to become attracted to her after he sees her in action. It doesn't mean that he only values her Ladybug side. He quite clearly cares for Marinette, he just hasn't seen her in the right light for him to fall in love. (And, if we're being frank, Marinette acts like Ladybug all the time when he's not around or when he is around, but a crisis is going on. She's really not that different from her alter ego.)

Along similar lines, Marinette isn't wrong for being drawn to Adrien's sweeter side more than his over-the-top jokey side. There's a reason why Glaciator ended with her blushing. Compare the end of Glaciator to the end of Origins and, yeah, same energy because - in that moment - Chat Noir was letting his Adrien side out by being more sincere and vulnerable, which are the things that Marinette values most in a romance and the things that he rarely shows while in the mask. It doesn't mean that she hates his jokey side, it's just not going to win her heart when Adrien's right there being sweet and sincere while Chat Noir hides his feelings behind a smile and a laugh.

In fact, it's pretty insulting to Adrien to say that someone shouldn't be attracted to his more vulnerable side. That his sincerity is worth less than his jokes. Almost as insulting as telling Marinette that her Ladybug side doesn't count and she should get no credit for being brave as that's not really her. Loving her only counts if a person falls in love while she's behaving in her most over-the-top, cringe, embarrassing way.

I don't know about you, but I would never want someone to hold me to that standard nor would I hold my significant other to that standard! It's perfectly normal to have things that you don't love about your significant other. In fact, I'd argue that part of the magic of a real, lasting romance is having someone who loves you even though you're not perfect. If you are looking for a partner who never annoys you or does something wrong, then you will never find happiness because that person does not exist.

Now that I've said all of that, I want to add that I do think that marichat, "love both sides" stories can be cute. It's just not One True Path to Real Love. It's totally fine if the square starts dating based on the things that they find attractive about each other and then just continue to be in love as they learn about the other side. If anything, that's normal. Learning about a person is what dating is all about! A good relationship is no different than a good friendship, you just get some bonus perks if you're into that kind of thing.

I'll also note that I'm not criticizing stories where Marinette feels like she's the "real" version and Ladybug is the fake because that's a really understandable thing to be nervous about. Tikki saying that shit? Hard no. Terrible mentoring.

[butterfly--empress]

And Another Thing...

Because actually, the more I think about it, the more it just pisses me off...

If The main writer wanted this to just be a simple formulaic "magical girl powa" kids show that sells merch. With no overarching story plot.

MLB could've just simply BEEN that. A cutesy Sailor Moon inspired story!

MLB could've just BEEN an all female superhero team with Marinette as leader, Alya second in command, and Chloe and/or Kagami being her love rivals/friends for Adrien's affections.

And Adrien could literally just BE THE DAMN LUKEWARM LOVE INTEREST that she wins in the end. Because the Deuteragonist of this show, sure as shit ain't been him since at least S4, let's be so for real.

Nothing against Alya, I love her, but girlfriend has overshadowed what used to be Adrien's role.

But in this version of MLB, being an all girl team of superheroes with a secret identity. Marinette's absurd 'whacky' antics in this show could easily be ignored/deflected/handwaved away, if we never knew much about Adrien outside of him being a popular, good looking rich kid, whom Marinette crushes on and daydreams about often.

And TA doesn't have to twist himself into a pretzel to defend his poor writing choices, when the only POV that matters is Marinette's.

There would be no need for the lore, or vaguely changing it when he feels like it. Or worrying about the unnecessary drama of the whole 'they can't know each others identities' main plot that has all become meaningless.

The original main plot of the whole secret identities for romantic drama and the reason many of us were drawn to this show to BEGIN WITH, is moot when the writer constantly refuses to do ANYTHING with the setup he writes for himself.

He won't let none of his characters have any real development and growth and only seems to care about ONE-HALF of the original two man team.

And I'm over it. 4 episodes and a lame ass Special that literally excuses the main heroine's reasons for LYING to her One True Love has shown me this show is NOT interested in doing anything beyond what it's given.

All of us invested or holding your breath for any real progress with the romantic/main subplot are going to be waiting for naught.

I was already convinced but now I'm certain:

There will never be a big reveal. And if there is one, it'll be purposely left to the VERY end of the series. And it won't even be satisfying.

Nothing will EVER be done with the Lie. Why should it? Marinette finally has the boy she wants, and even if it ever got addressed, the writer would handle it in the most contrived way possible that somehow excuses Marinette's decision anyway.

How much you wanna bet, he'll just end up retconning his own story to SOMEHOW scapegoat Marinette's bullshit to be Lila's fault?

Or Chloe's? Because even when she's not around, not in the same school, city, or even country, the writer STILL finds a way to hate on Chloe.

No...wait even better! Adrien finally finds out and to avoid allowing Marinette to own up to her fucking mistake/betrayal of trust, she decides to 'sacrifice' her memories and being Ladybug...and oh my fucking god.

......This is why TA had Marinette entrust Alya as the new leader isn't it? He thinks he's so goddamn clever!

Marinette's gonna fuck up big time in this season and then get temporary or semi-permanent amnesia to forget EVERYTHING to avoid owning up to her mistakes?

And instead of people seeing the manipulative writing to handwave away how she's been very selfish and self-centered, and her need to control everything. People are going to praise TA for believing or redeeming her bad decisions/behavior on how much she was finally willing to 'sacrifice' herself for a change for Adrien.

*groans*....god this sounds even worse.

You know what, this post had a point and I spiraled again.

Oh yeah...MLB should've just been another inspired typical 5 teamed magical girl knock off because hoping the writer does anything worthwhile with his Deuteragonist, is just waiting for Levithan to reveal itself from the deep, dank, ocean depths, and in this timeline the world's in rn, that's actually more plausible than hoping for meaningful character arcs after 6 seasons of MLB...

[gayofthefae]

El's season plot wasn't Mike telling her he loved her any more than Will's was the painting itself. Both were treated as pretty important for about three episodes and then brought back at the end. That was A plot, and one that contributes to their overall story for sure. But the pacing itself of both plots proves them more of setups for season 5 resolutions than plots themselves (and, of course, what does that say for the one that's "resolved", but I digress).

They are smaller pieces of a larger story, displacing their season plot to be something else. We want Will to give Mike the painting and he does. We want Mike to tell El he loves her and he does. But those are very straight forward setup/payoffs, and not kept up with enough to be true plotlines for Will or El - Mike maintains a plot with it but only he does. Will's is about acceptance, achieved when Jonathan accepts him, set up and maintained by lines like "what if they don't like the truth" and "sometimes you feel like a mistake". El's was about leaving Brenner, the connection being that feeling unlovable makes it harder to leave your abuser.

But if their plots were unrelated, then the other things truly were just setup. Every time Will and Mike have a romantic seeming scene, it was not season 4 buildup - as many of us were confused in volume 2 thinking it had been - but seeds planted for future seasons. It was not required for the key arc of the season, nor was Mike's "I love you" curfuffle with El.

Will could have not had/addressed his feelings for Mike and simply struggled with acceptance of his sexuality and El could have had Mike tell her he loved her but argue that she didn't believe him because she was a monster and he must be lying - there was no requirement for him to actually support her belief and it could have been an opportunity to show just how deep in it she was.

But instead, they gave Will and Mike repeated intimate one on ones and had Mike fail to tell El he loved her. When Will's resolution was with Jonathan and El's with Brenner.

So if those plots were unnecessary to everyone but Mike's plotline at this timing, why include either of them at all? What is their purpose to him? Well, exactly the reason I realized Byler was endgame in the first place: the synching up and therefore implied causation between his moments (and conflict) with Will and his issues with El.

Mike could have had a plot that had nothing to do with either of them and the themes and climaxes of both of their season plots would have stayed the same. Mike NOT being able to tell El he loves her and he and Will both fighting and having intimate one-on-ones after were both for HIS plot, confirmed as both by the climax scene itself, which includes both. Because the setup has to do with both of them, there was no version of that climax scene that was just about El. It was always Will prompting him and him turning to El, because it was the culmination of his plots with both of them.

But, of course, you can't have two plots. You can only have one. And we've established that both El and Will's relationships with him were NOT their season plots. Which means that his inability to tell El he loves her and his conflict and following heart to hearts (including those unrelated to El entirely) with Will were ONE plot. ONE plotline that meant ONE thing as it can only culminate in ONE event.

They aren't Will and El's plotlines with Mike oblivious and only having El's. Because they aren't Will and El's plotlines to begin with. People understand that characters only get one. They just didn't take the jump to understand that closeness with Will and distance from El CAN be one. (They do, of course, understand this, though. Because in season 3, everyone knew that his issues with Will were a direct cause of his relationship with El. Nobody clocks that when it's swapped though. But the structure confirms it).

[noxiatoxia]

Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc Beta Sprites found in the Demo

I always lamented about the lack of THH beta sprites as opposed to SDR2. It just seemed there were very little out there. And while true that SDR2 has far more easily-obtainable beta sprites, it turns out I was just being a little short-sighted.

I looked in places that I looked for SDR2 beta sprites. Old gaming articles, other games that mistakenly use beta sprites (like UTDP or DRS), merchandise...and found nothing (much).

But you know what THH has that SDR2 doesn't? A demo version.

Somehow, it never crossed my mind! I had always passively known about the PSP demo version - you know, the one where Hagakure dies - but never thought to actually check there. Until now.

And wouldn't you know it, a number of the sprites used in the demo are beta renditions!

So, preamble over. I will be covering all I know about beta THH sprites so far...from the Demo version.

As always, this post exceeded 30 images, so for the part two covering the full body sprites, please click here (it's a reblog).

If you want to look at these sprites without the GIFs, or have them for yourself, I uploaded them all here on the Spriters Resource!

Also, something I can't share over text so I took a video. The sound effects in the beta version are different, for what it's worth.

You can already tell Fujisaki looks weird, right?

Okay, for real. Let's get started.

Firstly, I'm going to go in alphabetical order by last name. I'm also going to only cover the sprites that are for sure different or might be different. Sprites where I found 0 difference whatsoever will not be shared, of course. Some characters lacked any sprites with differences.

Also, sorry for the small image quality in advance. PSP sprites, you know how it is.

Asahina Aoi

While none of Asahina's sprites are changed, her testimony truth bullet is a different story.

Overlaying her final sprite, it's like night and day. Her eyes were made smaller, her eyelashes lessened, hair bigger...clearly, while her in-game sprites remain the same as they do in the final version, this truth bullet slipped through the cracks.

Interestingly, this oversight slipped through into the final game.

However, it was correct in the Vita re-release.

The Vita version would go on to become the base version of the game for North American players and every subsequent re-release (Steam, Xbox, etc.) in other words, this oversight can only be found on the original Japanese PSP release.

This is not uncommon. SDR2 has its fair share of PSP oversights and glitches, as I've discussed here. DR1 has another one which I talked about here. I will also be speaking about PSP oversights in another post soon.

Enoshima Junko (Ikusaba Mukuro)

Enoshima has one sprite that is different from the final version, and it is extremely minor. Look at her nails. Yeah, that's it.

However, this small change has an interesting background.

In the Demo version, they were originally going to be tipped white to match the red-and-white bow on her head (likely). The final sprite has her nails be a solid, bright red.

To get a better look, here's a higher-res version of the sprite from the Vita, which uses the final PSP sprite:

Full red nails.

Now, here's the full-body of that same sprite, again used in the Vita, PSP version, and Demo:

White tips!

It looks like they forgot to go back and fix it for the full-body as well, so the change only persists for the half-body sprites.

All of Enoshima (Ikusaba's) full-body sprites have white tipped nails.

What's even funnier (and cool!) is that I found that DRS not only uses PSP sprites that were then fixed/changed in the Vita release of THH, but also uses beta sprites. Up until now, I thought this was only true of a select few SDR2 characters, but I have found many incorrect sprites for Kirigiri and Kuwata specifically.

And for Enoshima...

The white-tipped nails make a return!

BTW, this is true of all Enoshima/Ikusaba sprites. Seriously, go compare any sprites where she has her nails showing from THH to DRS...

Sorry, I went on a tangent. I can't help it with these things.

If you're wondering why it was changed, my only guess is, because of the PSP's poor resolution, the team thought it would look too confusing to put so much detail into such a small area. So, they just made them solid red in the end. I doubt bringing them back for DRS was intentional, as so many beta sprites are used in that game that it makes my head spin, it was probably on accident like the rest of them. To be fair, most people wouldn't realize they grabbed the wrong sprite with a detail this small.

Fujisaki Chihiro

Fujisaki is a very interesting case. For one, all of his demo sprites are shorter than the final version. Because of this, in the comparison GIFs, the beta sprite will have an empty gap below it. I suppose they wanted him to be taller in his final sprites, so they moved him up a little.

But because of this - and because it looks like they did some color adjustments - it was impossible to perfectly sync them up. The colors are just processed differently. Because of how small PSP sprites are, it's hard to tell if very minor differences are real differences, or just pixelation differences caused by the sprite being compressed and are unintentional.

This first GIF highlights this well. Obviously, the demo sprite adds a softening affect to the colors and outlines, whereas the final sprite lacks these and appears brighter and more bold. It is then hard to tell if many of the differences are a result of this, or are actual tangible differences.

This one is much more noticeable and verifiably different. And...I actually really prefer the demo version over the final sprite. The bigger arm looks nice on him, but most of all, I like the sort of demure but disinterested look he has without the blush. It's so much cuter to me!!

Unlike above though, I think the final sprite is much better here. The demo version looks unfinished and kind of goofy. They slimmed his face down, reworked the mouth, and made the shading darker. The blush is a bit overkill in my opinion, but overall I like the look of the final sprite more. It's so fascinating to see these beta sprites and see how they decided to go about reworking them into their final versions. Sometimes, the direction the beta was in may look better to you. Other times, you're so glad they decided to go back and change it.

Only 3 differences I can spot with this one (that for sure aren't a result of the compression): his left eyebrow was moved down a little, his shirt collar was edited a tad, and they forgot to make the space between his neck and right hair strand transparent, which they fixed in the final sprite.

If you're using dark mode, you won't be able to catch that last one. Change your Tumblr theme to a lighter color (white would be best) and then look - it's very clear then.

Ishimaru Kiyotaka

You know what's funny? Ishimaru has the opposite problem to Fujisaki. His final sprite was lowered instead of raised. So, in these comparison GIFs, the one with a transparent gap below it is actually the final sprite, as I had to raise it up to match the demo sprite.

Again like with Fujisaki, some differences may be caused by compression.

His right shoulder button was raised in the final sprite, and his mouth was made into a thin line. His eyes were also flattened at the bottom more, overall giving him a sterner look. It seems his uniform collar was also raised and straightened out. I feel these very small changes did a lot over all. The amount of flat, straight lines added really hit home with giving Ishimaru the upstanding, straight-laced feeling his final character has.

This one is interesting, because it's one of those things you don't notice until it's pointed out. The final version has this sort of dusky air brush affect around the clothes, while the demo version is completely white. I never noticed that until doing this comparison. It seems a strand of hair on the right side of his head right next to his eye was shortened, and the buttons on his collar were forgotten in the beta sprite, but fixed in the final.

I'm grouping these two together as they're very similar sprites with similar differences. Both sprites had the right side of the uniform collar shaved off a bit, and they also had the button threads rounded to better fit the curvature of his chest. It seems the top sprite also had a thicker thumb in the original demo sprite.

While the right shoulder button is made smaller in the final sprite, the biggest difference here is Ishimaru's left eye. The outline was much thicker in the demo sprite, and was erased a bit for the final sprite.

Lastly, this one probably has the least amount of differences. The shoulder pad&buttons were modified just slightly, and maybe the hands were changed too? But it's hard to tell if it's genuine or just the image compression.

Kirigiri Kyouko

Firstly, I want to point out that a majority of Kirigiri's sprites were off-center in the demo. Here's the comparison before I centered them:

Here is the corrected (as best as I could) comparison:

It seems with the exception of her mouth being moved down like, one pixel, it's largely the same.

The beta sprites are also generally taller for Kirigiri, hence the weird cut off. Anyhow, the main change here is her mouth and nose, which were redrawn significantly closer to the middle of her face.

In this sprite, her whole face and jawline was reworked to be less tilted.

You gotta admit, this one is pretty funny. A comparison GIF between the two sprites makes it look like she's bopping to some music, haha.

But anyways, a lot was redone here. Her entire head - hair and all - was redrawn to be more tilted. She also wears a more thoughtful expression in the final instead of appearing like she's asleep. Her shirt collar was also touched up to fit the new head tilt.

Still, I really like this sprite. It's different enough to the point that it feels like it could be an extra sprite for Kirigiri. I think that's really, really cool.

Kuwata Leon

It's pretty obvious to see why this one got changed. The left side of Kuwata's face is somewhat asymmetrical, and so it was redrawn to be fixed. He used to have a cute eyelash, but it got removed. His grin also used to be a little wider.

Yet another one you'll have to turn off darkmode to see! For some reason, the beta sprite has this weird black dot hovering by Kuwata's right fist. No clue why, and it was removed come time for the final game.

Maizono Sayaka

Maziono has a similar edit made to her that Fujisaki did. Her beta sprite lacked a noticeable blush, so it was upped in the final version. Her face shape was also made fuller, and her right eye edited a tad.

Togami Byakuya

For Togami, they made his eyes less narrow, his nose longer, and his mouth more clearly a frown.

Yamada Hifumi

As you can see, Yamada's hairline was fixed on the left side of his head. His mouth was given minor touch-ups, the details on the glasses were also reworked, and most prominently, they added a shadow over his face in the final sprite.

Alright, so that's it for the half-bodies. In Part 2, I'll look at the full-body sprites, as some characters have unique sprites that are only used in the trials (like Naegi!). So please check that it!

[gamerbot-22]

Spending Valentine's Day with the Trigang!

GIF by the-princess-cinnamon

TW/CW: Written with a combination of traits from across Trigun versions, written with the idea that they and reader are in a relationship (separately), lots of pet names!!! (Mayfly, Angel, Honey, Sweetheart), I am aiming to make y'all's teeth rot on how sweet these are, barely proofread and I appreciate spellchecks!

Characters Included: Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Meryl Stryfe, Milly Thompson, Millions Knives/Nai

Recommended Listening: my love, mine all mine . a short playlist

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful day, whether you have a partner to spend it with, a friend, or just your lovely self <3

Likes and Reblogs appreciated (reblogs > likes) and Requests are Open! It’s all under the cut!

Dividers in this post were made by @/strangergraphics ☆

🥀 Vash the Stampede

GIF by kvroko

He is the most lovesick man in the world on this day, let me tell you.

You wake up and see him in bed next to you just absolutely whipped. He wraps an arm around your waist and nuzzles in close and his first words are "Happy Valentine's, Mayfly..." before just drowning you in kisses.

Originally the plan was he would get up and make you breakfast in bed but he got all caught up in being close to you. So you're making breakfast together! It turns out nice, even if you two struggle to get it right.

There's not really flowers on Gunsmoke, but he knows what they look like. So you get a drawing of all sorts of flowers, with meanings only half-remembered from books he used to pour over as a kid.

If you got him anything it takes all of his effort not to fall apart on you. (Please get him something sweet, he deserves it!!)

He wants to take you dancing so baaaad. Like serious bad. There is nothing he loves more than getting to just be close to you and spin you around.

Vash spends all day trying to find a place to take you dancing, but it's a little hard to do that when you're an outlaw and an outlaw's partner. The effort is there but it just doesn't pan out.

But you know? There's something special about slow dancing with Vash by the fire out in the desert while he hums a song to you under the stars <333

🍭 Nicholas D. Wolfwood

GIF by mine-loves

I don't think Valentine's Day had been on his radar in a very very long time, so it's probably either day of or immediately upon waking up where he realizes "Oh shit, I need to do something--"

You're about halfway through the morning thinking that you're not getting anything from him when he nearly goes ass over teakettle rushing over to you. He has a half-crushed box of sweets in one hand and a bottle of something bubbly in the other and the most embarrassed look on his face.

He mumbles out a "Sorry, Angel, I almost forgot--" and holds both gifts out to you with his head bowed, like a shy kid or a nervous dog. But you take them in your hands and give him a kiss on the cheek and he doesn't feel as bad.

You two end up sharing, and while the sweets and drinks might be cheap, the time isn't. Hell, maybe you two even end up feeding each other like those sappy couples in those newspaper ads.

He's not a man of flowery words, but he did learn a lot about the saints as a kid. I don't think Wolfwood would frame it as a gift or anything, but when there's a quiet moment he tells you the story of St. Valentine if you're willing to listen.

"He used to perform weddin's for people 'n secret," he tells you, one arm wrapped around your shoulders. "People weren't too big on the Man Upstairs back in the day, so what he was doin' was pretty dangerous. Didn't stop him, though. Or the people he married."

Then he turns his head away from you to save some face. He doesn't want to put too many ideas in either of your heads, but... the idea is kinda nice. For the future.

Once he gets past the nerves though, you get all the kisses you could want. From the crown of your head to your eyelids to your cheeks to your lips. He has a new favorite holiday <333

📸 Meryl Stryfe

GIF by mine-loves

"Ah, honey! My birthday was yesterday! You already got me a gift; you didn't have to get me anything, really!"

She says that, but honestly she's really happy that you would go out of her way to give her a gift a second day in a row. Like! You didn't have to!! But you did!!!

So she takes it and gives you a kiss and when she pulls away her face is so pink. It's precious, and with her soft cheeks she looks a bit like a sweet all on her own.

And you get such a nice gift in turn. I think she's the type to get you something to wear or decorate yourself with, so she gives you this really beautiful pendant on a chain to wear either around your neck or wrapped tight around your wrist.

She also does her damndest to have a nice dinner reservation lined up, if you're in a part of Gunsmoke that allows. She wants to get all dolled up with you and just have a nice evening in whatever luxury an insurance agent/newspaper reporter's salary can get you.

And after dinner, if you still have energy, maybe you can go to a show together! Surely somebody has to be doing something on a stage nearby, right? And if they serve food too, you can share a dessert while you listen.

I think you two end up at a comedy show and have a great time, either laughing until your sides get sore or sharing some amused-if-sympathetic if the person on stage is floundering.

By the end of the night, Meryl's pretty beat and ready to just prop herself up in bed with you. I don't think she even makes it out of her clothes, she just lays her head on your chest and drifts off on the spot <333

💼 Milly Thompson

Breakfast! In! Bed! For! Her! Sweetheart!!!

You get the absolute gentlest wake-up call. She puts her hand on your shoulder, kisses your temple, and chimes "Good morning, sweetheart! Happy Valentine's!"

While you eat she gives you her big plan for the day: Nothing! She just wants to stay in with you and relax all day. And she seems so genuinely excited for that it's nigh impossible to tell her no, especially when she assures you that she still has special things to do in mind.

Once you're both ready to be up and out of bed, she gets the radio tuned to you guys' favorite music station so there's a nice backdrop to all your activities.

Then you spend the whole day just. Making things together. Poetry, stories, silly songs for just the two of you, and all the while there's that lovely music playing and a batch of cookies in the oven for later.

And once the cookies are done and cooled, it's time to ice them! You have so much fun mixing colours and making all these pretty patterns that look absolutely nothing like the book you're using for reference.

At first, Milly is a little upset she's not as good as the pictures, but you help her realized two very important things: no one else could make patterns exactly like she is, and they'll taste delicious either way!

Your evening is spent feeding each other cookies and going over all the things you've made together, and when you kiss each other goodnight you both taste like icing <333

🔪 Millions Knives/Nai

WE'RE PLAYING IN THE SPACE HE'S HERE TOO!! Nai lovers I see you and I love you!!! /p You deserve some time with your man on the holiday, too!

I don't think he would really mention the holiday or observe it in any special way, but like...

If he's playing his piano and you come in and be quiet, he won't stop. Even when he sees you sitting on the floor or leaning against the piano out of the corner of his eyes.

He has that one piece he plays all of the time, Visitation of a Calamity/Memory of a Piano, but it's not the only one he knows. After he's finished with that one for this bout of practice, he shifts into another one.

It's calming by some definition. It's still very powerful, and it reverberates off the ceiling and in your ribs, but it doesn't feel like the usual posturing that the other piece evokes.

It's sweeping still, but less a torrent and more a breeze that catches the folds of your clothes and the air from your lungs. It feels a little like flying, you think.

He doesn't say a word to you until he finishes the suite, then without even looking at you, he asks "Is there something you needed me for?"

And I mean... is there? <333

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Why do u think ttpd was mostly about MH if they only dated for a few months? We're they in a long secretive relationship that no one knew about? I am just asking and trying to understand how she wrote basically a whole album about someone who supposedly she was in a short relationship with

Sorry if this sounds curt, but I'm assuming you're asking this is good faith, so I'm going to give a short but multi-part answer.

Shortest, most distilled version: Because she blew up her life as a result of his actions and that caused a series of very chaotic and tumultuous events in a very short period of time, which resulted in a lot of material to write about.

Slightly longer version: Because he was the vehicle for a lot of serious issues she was dealing with, both personally and within her long term relationship. So even the songs "about" him are really about many other things in her life, and in many cases he turned out to be the person she projected these things onto. The MH story is less about him as a serious love interest, and more about how her life was crumbling and his presence became an exit strategy that she fell for due to what a seriously desperate state she was in. Basically, most of the songs about the short relationship in essence are about the long-term relationship that disintegrated, in that she uses the short one as a foil for that. All the hopes and dreams she conjures up in the songs about him are there because they're the ones she had in the LTR that were dead, and she was seeking an escape hatch to avoid dealing with that painful reality. But the flip side is that: he knew what those dreams were and deliberately used those to seduce her and conquer her, and when he satisfied that need he discarded her. Which meant that she was dealing with both the violation of the new person she trusted AND finally feeling the crash of the end of the LTR in one fell swoop. And THAT is why much of the album is "about" him.

But really, the album is about HER. Through the various people she writes about, she's processing her own: grief, trauma, loss, vices, actions, desires, reflections on life, visions of her future, place in society, constraints within society, womanhood, parenthood and personhood.

Besides, artists can create entire albums about fleeting moments. Taylor herself says she can write a whole song about something she experienced in a fleeting moment. And in the moment of time she's describing, she went through very high highs and low lows and was pulled in a million different directions, so idk, that sounds like plenty of fodder to me for a genius songwriter.

So no, they were not in a long secretive relationship. Sometimes a short time can be full of so many emotions and events that they lead an artist to delve into many topics at once in their art. Which is what happened on TTPD. Besides, if you take the entire Anthology into account, there are songs about so many other things involved that it's not "just" the short relationship, even if it sets the stage for everything else.

[winterspellsfrozenkit]

However, I don't think that Ace and Jack are "traumatized" or carry a lot of baggage compared to the other cast.

Ace comes off like the "everyman" trope to a tee. He has a good homelife and has no real drama going on his life. His problems are ones that anyone can have. Jack is like this as well, since he doesn't have a dark backstory like the other boys either.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Not every character needs a traumatic past.

Although, I think Ace could've been handled a lot better, since he doesn't have much going for him as a character. I swear you can write him and Deuce out of the story, and nothing much would be lost.

Even Jack could be a lot more interesting if the game showcased him more and dove more into his relationship with Vil. He could've been like a Trey figure in Vil's arc, except he has a connection with both Epel and Vil, making the situation even more messy, and help out during Vil's overblot.

Having said that, I totally agree with what you said about most of the TWST boys having trauma in a general sense, and wanting the game to dive into them more. Hell, I wish the game gave Ace a bit more dimension and background. Yes, he got the whole "I feel insignificant compared to everyone else" in the last update, but that was almost resolved as soon as it was introduced as a character conflict for him, making it feel unsatisfying and unearned. The game undermined that whole thing by making him uber special and powerful after all with his UM being like an overpowered version of Ace's. Considering the game rarely every dives into these boy's backgrounds once their arcs are done, I think that's the end of it and that's all there is gonna be to Ace. Which is ashamed. Because he and Jack have so much more potential if the game actually fleshed them out more, especially Jack.

What I said: “Everyone in this game has trauma or personal struggles and it's NOT a competition of who has it worse.”

Ace and Jack are not really traumatized. For that matter, neither is Rook, but they DO have personal struggles. Personal struggles does not necessarily mean baggage, but everyone has things that they struggle with.

For Ace’s “I feel insignificant compared to everyone else”, I got the feeling they were setting that up for a while. Ace does this weird thing of deciding to mess with Grim and the player early in the game and we know he bullies Deuce. Now, he could just be being a jerk and arrogant, but why did he decide to pick on Grim and the player, who were janitors, not yet students? The novelization about the Rose-Red Tyrant explains he didn’t like the idea that Yuu got special treatment while he had to work to get into the school.

The idea that Grim and Yuu had gotten into NRC without any work apparently bothered him enough to instigate him being a bully. However, I don't buy Ace's excuse.

Grim and Yuu weren't students. Ace earlier was picking on them for being janitors and not getting in. That to me had read as Ace has been considered special for a while because he had strong magic and he was now struggling with not being as special as he thought.

According to the novelization, about 10 percent of the population has magic, but among that 10 percent it's rare to have the level of magic required to get into Night Raven College. So Ace was likely treated as really special, but once he got into one of the top magic schools, he realized he wasn't the top person anymore and it bothered him. At the Orientation, the new students had it confirmed that Malleus Draconia attended the school. Malleus is considered the strongest student at school because he is one of the top 5 mages in the world and Ace's own housewarden, Riddle, is only a month older than Ace.

Many bullies bully others because they are: insecure themselves, want to have to power, have been bullied, or learned it. It did not feel like Ace's bullying was learned behavior or that he had been bullied, but either he wanted to establish himself as the most powerful one of his friends or he's insecure. When we see Book 5, seeing Deuce get his Unique Magic before him, really bothered Ace. That's what sealed for me that Ace has personal insecurity he's trying to hide.

For Jack, he tries to act as a tough guy. Most people who do that? They've been hurt. It's often a defense mechanism. 'I'm going to act like I don't need anyone, because it scares people off from using or taking advantage of me and if I don't need anyone it won't hurt as much when people reject me.'

We don't know much of how Jack got along with other kids. But we do see in Book 5, he came to help Vil against bullies and the bullies ran from Jack. As a student at NRC, Jack tends to push away people, but his longing for companionship still leaks out. He's kind and he cares, but he hides it under his 'I don't need anyone dragging me down' schtick. That feels like someone who longs to make friends and have connection, but doesn't particularly feel safe doing so.

As for Rook, we don't know his story much either. We know he has many siblings, so maybe theater was his was of differentiating himself. We don't know. But he does carry some stuff in Book 6 because Vil says Rook is very perceptive, and yet Rook could not see Vil's struggle. That bothers him.

I'm not saying everyone is traumatized. But I did say IT'S NOT A COMPETITION ON WHO HAS IT WORSE. Everyone in the world has their own personal struggles. A person who comes from a good homelife can have personal struggles that affect them greatly, even though they aren't as dark as assassination attempt or extreme poverty. That's doesn't make them being struggles for that person less valid.

They still affect that person and undermining it because "Well, it's not trauma." is so callous to me. Maybe it's not a struggle to you, but you don't know how someone else handles things.

When I was a little kid, I had a classmate who would break down because they couldn't finish our math sheets in the set amount of time when we did timed math sheets. It's not something someone would describe as traumatic, but it still really upsetting to that person and affected them to the point they were sobbing and hyperventilating.

Several students, including me, and our teacher would talk to them, trying to help them calm down because not finishing a math sheet is not the end of the world in the grand scheme of life. They were okay. They didn't get physically hurt, but they were terrified about it. Why? I don't know. I never asked. I just knew that it made them upset and me and my classmates didn't want to see our classmate that upset because we felt so worried about them.

And guess what? That event that happened over 20 years ago for me? It still affects me to this day because when someone is upset to the point they are in tears, I go over to do what I can to try and help, just like I did as a little kid, because I can't help but worry when I see people in extreme distress.

It doesn't matter if it's "traumatic". What matters is the personal struggle that person is going through is real and it affects them.

[hailturinturambar]

Flaws at Dusk.

Pairing: Elrond x Galadriel

Word count: 3.116

Request: “Mine. Yours, friends to lovers Elrondriel smut?”

Author's Notes: English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes or confusion. Requests are open, check the information before requesting. We're here again for Elrond and Galadriel. Damn, how can I not love these two? This one's for everyone who's wondering what could have happened after that wonderful kiss.

Warnings: 18+, MDNI. Unprotected sex, p in v. Oral (female and male receiving.) Masturbation. Passionate sex. Elrond being a passionate sub. Anguish.

Summary: Eregion has fallen. All that remains for the surviving Elves is to move on. High King Gil-galad has ordered a group of Elves to follow him back to Lindon. When Galadriel and Elrond stay behind to help the others, unexpected feelings begin to surface.

This story can be read as a second part of this one, but also independently.

Galadriel could still taste the blood in her mouth. The death in her chest. The memory of the battle that had devastated Middle-earth, and nearly cost her her life. A memory of Sauron's return and the defeat of those Galadriel loved most. Honestly, Galadriel had never wanted to wake from her sleep of death. The memories were too painful to bear.

Like all Elves, Galadriel carried many sorrows with her, many anguishes in her chest. And most of all, she remembered the golden times in Valinor, when joys seemed eternal and death so distant. Times when her beloved brother, Finrod, was still alive.

She no longer longed for immortality. Galadriel finally understood Eru's gift to Men. Living forever, after so much pain, so much loss, was not a blessing. But a torture, a punishment. Men, at least, could rest in eternity, on paths that only Eru knew.

For centuries, Galadriel resented the Valar, judging them for all the evils of Middle-earth, for all the times they failed to stop Morgoth from bringing death and destruction. And she cried out to Mandos, that she might suffer no more.

That her family might not be destroyed, that her brother might return to her. That her beloved husband might not be brutally torn from her.

She wished for all of this, in secret, hidden in her own pain. Pain and anguish that she endured alone. Committed to living another day, fighting another battle against the bearer of all her suffering, Sauron, the Dark Lord.

Ages passed before Galadriel understood that, despite everything, her suffering was never in silence, that there was still one more person who cared about her. Because there was Elrond, when she lost her family, when she lost her husband. He was always by her side.

Only Elrond in all Arda could understand the depth of Galadriel's grief. And he did not abandon her, even when she returned to Lindon and defied Gil-galad, and refused to accept the blessing of Valinor. She was too furious to realize it at the time, to understand how much Elrond cared for her.

It broke Galadriel's heart, deeply, when Elrond discovered that she had lied about Halbrand, about the Rings. Galadriel was horrified, she feared that Elrond would see the true version of her. Broken. Vengeful. Beyond repair. Trapped in her grief as deep as the Silmarils of Earth and Sea.

Although she would not admit it, Galadriel knew that the only way to find peace, to achieve forgiveness for all her mistakes, was to sacrifice herself. She entrusted Nenya to Elrond, because she would pay that price. For all of Middle-earth.

But Galadriel did not know that Elrond, her most beloved friend, would be a great fool. Because to Elrond, no matter the cost, he would not sacrifice Galadriel. He would fight to the death for her, so that they would have a chance.

She had seen that determination in Elrond's eyes when they had met again, when he had seen her imprisoned by Adar. When Adar had exposed her as a prize, as a dirty bargain for the fate of Eregion.

Elrond could not bear to see Galadriel suffer at Adar's hands. He would not let her. Perhaps the Valar were the only ones capable of judging the hearts of Elves and Men.

Galadriel had never felt such despair as she did at that moment. She was the only thing standing between Adar's army and the Elves of Lindon, against the destruction of Eregion. She alone could decide the salvation or ruin of the Elves.

Because Adar would never give up. He was incapable of stopping, of putting an end to his thirst for eternal revenge against Sauron.

When Elrond looked at Galadriel, she knew he would not keep his promise. That he would choose her above all else. Galadriel, however, could not blame Elrond. Because not even she, one of Gil-galad's most trusted commanders, would be able to sacrifice Elrond. Hadn't she sacrificed enough?

The Adar's camp was the point of no return for them, Galadriel thought. Alone in the hands of the Enemy, Elrond and Galadriel were completely exposed, without a way out.

And in that putrid tent, steeped in evil and cruelty, Galadriel realized that Elrond meant more to her. Wearing his armor, like a true elven warrior, Elrond had never looked more beautiful to her. So majestic and delicate, yet so strong and courageous at the same time.

Galadriel blamed herself deeply when she felt Elrond's lips against hers, because it felt so right. So unexpectedly good. And she kissed him back, because she never wanted him to leave her. Galadriel loved Elrond, but she feared feeling that love. She could lose Elrond as easily as she had lost so many.

She had not cared when Sauron had wounded her with the Morgoth's Crown. Was this the price of peace, then? It was a fair price, Galadriel thought. She was determined to make amends, even if Sauron would never give up the fight. For he might have regained the Nines, and she might have died in the fall. But he would never have Nenya.

Galadriel still remembered the feeling of when her body hit the forest floor, when her spirit tried to fight bravely against the rot of the wound, the evil that Sauron had imbued into her soul, into her essence.

Then she could hear his voice, Elrond. By her side, fighting for her to survive, for her to heal from all the pain, from all the loss, so that she would live one more to fight.

Galadriel forced her eyes open, suspecting it was night again. She felt as if she had always waking up at the moment Sauron had wounded her with the Crown, still too haunted by the fight. But she was safe now.

High King Gil-galad gathered a company of Elves to return to Lindon, so that all would be warned of the destruction of Eregion and the return of Sauron. All the wounded were to remain behind and guard the new refuge.

“Sauron is with the Nine. And he holds his power over the Seven.” Elrond muttered, enraged. “How do we know he will not come for her? For Nenya?”

For hours, Elrond and Gil-galad argued, until the High King gave in and allowed Elrond to remain in the haven with Galadriel. She was grateful that her friend has staying. He was the only one who made her feel safe now.

When she first awoke, Morgoth's rot showed Galadriel the truth. Celeborn was lost, forever. She had finally discovered the reason for the emptiness in her chest that never seemed to close. Her love was gone, and she could no longer live trapped in her hope.

Outside the tent, Galadriel heard footsteps. Always noisy like an Orc, even when he was trying not to wake all the Elves. Galadriel smiled, knowing that Elrond was there to see her once more, to make sure she was safe.

“Galadriel?” He whispered, stepping into the tent.

“You know you don’t have to check every day, don’t you?” Galadriel laughed at Elrond’s frown, extending her hand to him.

“I’m sorry, my friend.” He said, defeated, walking towards her. “I’m just concerned for your safety.”

Oh, she knew he was. Elrond had always cared so much for her. She wondered, now, if that kiss had been something he had wanted for much longer.

“Elrond?” Galadriel whispered uncertainly.

He looked at her, sitting on the makeshift bed. Concern shone in Elrond's clear eyes. He quickly took Galadriel's hand, intertwining their fingers.

“You can talk to me, always.” He said comfortingly.

“Did it have any meaning to you?”

Galadriel's voice was barely above a whisper. She was so embarrassed, she felt like a little girl in love. And she certainly hated feeling that way, even more so if he didn't feel the same.

“What, my dear?” Elrond brought his free hand to Galadriel’s face, bringing her eyes to his.

“Why did you kiss me, Elrond?” she said harshly.

Elrond stammered, unable to answer such a direct question. How Elrond could face an army of Orcs with ease, yet despair over a question, Galadriel could not understand.

“I needed a plan, you know,” he replied, but his voice was shaky. “I couldn’t leave you alone in that tent.”

“But was the kiss necessary?”

“How else could I distract Adar and his Uruks?” Elrond countered, standing up, his back to Galadriel.

“Was it just for that?” She asked. She wanted to scream at him, beg him to finally be honest with her.

Elrond didn't answer. His hands were stiff at his sides, as if he didn't know how to disguise the discomfort he was feeling. How could he talk about the feeling that was burning in his chest without ruining everything that existed between them?

“No. It wasn’t just that.” Elrond sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“Why then, Elrond?” Galadriel said, standing up.

Her hands reached for Elrond’s shoulders, forcing the taller Elf to turn toward her. Tears streaked Elrond’s summer-gentle face. He is afraid, Galadriel thought, that he will lose me forever if he is honest.

“I am in love with you, Galadriel.” Elrond replied in a broken voice, his eyes closing. “Since the moment I met you.”

Galadriel smiled, feeling tears streaming down her face as well. This was what her family had been through, wasn't it? The fear of starting over after losing a great love. A love that had seemed so wrong to Fëanor.

“Do you love me, Elrond?” Galadriel asked.

“I do love you.” He replied.

Elrond was exposing his heart to Galadriel. So that she would decide that for him, if they could finally be together, surrendered to the love they felt. To the feeling that suffocated Galadriel's chest, as much as it suffocated Elrond.

It was up to her to decide whether she would let Elrond contemplate her flaws at dusk. Let him then decide whether he was willing to love that broken part. Artanis was in the past. Galadriel was what remained.

“I don’t know how I can love you, Elrond, without some other way.” She sobbed, closing her eyes.

Elrond smiled, bringing his hands to Galadriel's face, as when they were in Adar's tent.

“I love you, Galadriel. And I love everything that’s left of you.”

Before Galadriel could open her eyes, she felt Elrond's lips against hers. That kiss still felt so right. The Valar were granting Galadriel a second chance, and she would not let her sadness now be greater.

Galadriel kissed him back, wrapping her arms around Elrond's neck. She felt as if the light of Valinor shone against her face once more, as if she had achieved true peace.

Because Elrond's love was all she needed, all she was missing. He kissed her passionately, breathlessly, as if he wanted to drown in her until they were one, until they were joined not only in flesh, but in spirit.

“Will you stay with me?” She whispered, breaking the kiss.

“Do you love me, Galadriel?” Elrond murmured against her lips.

“You know I do.”

She gasped, losing herself once more in Elrond's lips, in everything that involved his presence. Because Elrond was intoxicating to her. His touch, his taste, the way he kissed her, as if nothing else in all of Arda mattered more to him than her.

Galadriel's hands reached for Elrond's curls, losing herself in the feeling of having him so close to her. Galadriel was tired of the armor he wore in the refuge, she wanted to be completely with him. As it should always have been.

Galadriel pulled away from Elrond, who looked at her in confusion. She smiled, reaching out her hand to him. Elrond smiled lovingly at her, letting her guide him to the bed. He would do whatever she wished, whatever she asked of him. The glow of Galadriel's golden hair mesmerized Elrond. He was sure that peace looked a lot like her.

Elrond sat on the bed, and Galadriel smiled at how accepting he was of her taking control of everything. He wouldn't say no to her, would he? And she knew it. Galadriel's hands reached for Elrond's elven armor, calmly removing it piece by piece.

Elrond did nothing, just watched Galadriel undress him, helping her take off what was left of his armor. For the Valar, he was more beautiful than she had imagined. Galadriel held Elrond's face, kissing his lips lightly.

When he tried to kiss her back, she pulled away, kissing Elrond's neck passionately, her hands gripping his brown curls. Elrond groaned, feeling Galadriel's tongue against his ear, before returning to kiss his neck. Elrond was like a jewel in Galadriel's hands, and she was molding him to her will.

Without removing her kisses from Elrond's neck, Galadriel pushed the Elf's body back onto the bed, sitting on his lap. Elrond's hands reached Galadriel's waist, his sighs encouraging her.

She let her lips lightly brush against Elrond's, who sighed at the loss of her touch. Galadriel ran her hands against Elrond's chest, removing his tunic, the last piece of clothing he had left. Elrond's hands reached Galadriel's waist, tightening her dress, but she bit his neck lightly.

“Don’t be so impatient.” She whispered.

Galadriel's kisses trailed down Elrond's collarbone, her nails lightly scratching his chest. Elrond groaned as Galadriel knelt in front of him, never breaking her kiss. He would be lost if she continued to love him so carnally.

But Galadriel was more than willing. Because Elrond was all she wanted. Elrond's hand reached into Galadriel's golden hair, groaning as her lips enveloped it. May the Valar forgive him, but he was even more in love with his friend.

Galadriel moaned against Elrond, satisfied by his groans. Galadriel would not waste another second with him. Elrond's grip on Galadriel's hair tightened as his tongue continued to tease him, her mouth never leaving him. Even without knowing Valinor, Elrond knew that only the greatest of blessings was being granted to him.

The movements of Galadriel's mouth intensified, and Elrond knew he could not be strong for much longer, even if he was half-elven. Galadriel could crush his spirit in that moment and he would not care.

Galadriel let her nails wander over Elrond's thighs, feeling as he cum undone against her mouth. Satisfied, she let him recover, trailing kisses up his stomach. Elrond's curls were plastered to his forehead, and she smiled passionately at him.

“Elrond.” She moaned, kissing him once more.

Elrond, panting, was quick to return the kiss, almost desperate. This time Galadriel did not stop him from pulling her dress, only stopping the kiss so that the dress was thrown on the floor of the tent.

Within seconds, Elrond was wrapping his arms around Galadriel's body, bringing his lips to her neck. Intoxicated, yes, he was being intoxicated by Galadriel's skin. Kissing and biting her neck passionately.

Galadriel sighed, holding the curls she loved so much. Elrond's kisses, just like hers before, traveled down her body. A flowery tongue, he was indeed. Elrond adored Galadriel with passion, with tenderness. But also with hunger. Kissing her breasts, kissing every patch of skin she had allowed him to touch.

Galadriel would let him make her his, she didn't care. She was choosing Elrond, she would no longer spend eternity alone. When Elrond held Galadriel's thighs, kissing her where she needed him most, she moaned Elrond's name.

She was back in the Land of the Valar, the Undying Lands. Before, she had not known this salvation in Valinor, but she was reaching with Elrond's lips. Her legs were against Elrond's face, but he did not stop kissing Galadriel, giving her as much pleasure as she had given him. She deserved everything. She deserved to be loved completely.

Galadriel tugged at Elrond's curls, moaning again. It was as if her chest was on fire, as if she would succumb to that passion at any second, as if she would shatter at the slightest touch from Elrond. She was sure she would never forget the sensation of feeling his lips.

“Elrond!” Galadriel moaned, her long golden hair sprawled across the bed, sticking to her sweaty face.

Elrond smiled at her, kissing her face, blinded by his passion, by his love for her. He couldn't get enough of her. He really was in love, Elrond thought.

“Mine?” He whispered, caressing her face.

“Yours.”

Galadriel kissed Elrond, pulling his body against hers. The kiss in the tent had felt right, but this? This was everything she had been looking for for so long.

She moaned, feeling Elrond against her, her legs wrapped around his waist. Galadriel's nails scratched down Elrond's back and he groaned against her lips.

It would be ages before Galadriel would overcome that feeling, that sensation. The eternal desire to consume Elrond, to be his and his alone. She felt so good against his body, feeling how complete they seemed together, how they seemed remade by each other's hands.

Elrond pulled his lips away from Galadriel, looking at her fondly, completely in love with her. With the woman she was, with who she had become. He was not afraid of her mistakes, he loved her for her mistakes, with all her flaws. He accepted her, completely.

And she knew it, now. Elrond reached for Galadriel's hand, lacing their fingers together. When he brought her hand to his lip, kissing where Nenya is, Galadriel gasped, her eyes closing against the emotions that were sweeping through her.

“Galadriel.” He whispered against her ear, intensifying his movements.

Galadriel didn't care about anything else. All that mattered was this moment. The two of them together. She arched her body, hugging Elrond, as if she could get closer to him, as if she could make him even more hers. But wasn't he already completely hers?

“Elrond…” She sighed, almost singing his name, moaning even louder.

And Elrond had no more control when he felt Galadriel pressing against him, cumming undone against him. He moaned Galadriel's name, letting himself join her, euphoria taking over both of them.

Galadriel opened her eyes as Elrond lay beside her. She was panting, but the warmth in his chest was comforting, even. She brought her hand to his face, Nenya's cool touch making Elrond open his eyes.

“Elrond?” Galadriel whispered, caressing his face.

“Yes?” He smiled, kissing Galadriel’s hand.

“Will you stand by my side, until the bitter end?”

“Until our souls are taken to Mandos, my dear.”

Elrond whispered, kissing Galadriel again. And she knew that they would be okay. That not even Sauron, or all the wars in Middle-earth, could shake Galadriel's love for Elrond.

I hope you enjoyed it. Reblogs, comments and likes are always welcome! And please don't copy my work or post it anywhere else.

tag: @valar-did-me-wrong @redrosesandcharmingsouls

[roseazura]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐥

𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗥𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗮 𝗭𝗼𝗿𝗼

Summary: Although the goal of a guardian is to ensure the safety of his protégés, which he did wonderfully, sometimes he, deep down, wanted a break.

Genre: Fluff, Romance, Comfort.

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Reader.

Warnings: Pure fluff, maybe a little overthinking, established relationship, no mention of (Y/N).

Words count: 3.7k

Spanish version

A/N: Hello there! This is the first mini-story published so I hope you enjoy it. I did my best to portray the beloved Zoro in the best possible way, there is also a good chance that there will be more content about him here. It should also be noted that English is not my native language, so please forgive any errors. Have a good read!

A guardian, in its essence, is a person in charge of protecting, watching over or taking care of something or someone. For Zoro, it was something that went far beyond simple protection or surveillance, for him a guardian was someone who defended with skill and honor, a figure who stood firm, sword in hand, ready to face any threat that approached. A guardian represented an insurmountable barrier between danger and those who depended on his protection.

For that reason, when the veil of midnight was approaching and the sea swallowed every trace of light that did not belong to that of the moon, accompanied by the symphony of the whistling of the wind passing between the sails and the waves crashing against the ship, causing it to emit some creaks and squeaks, at that moment, Zoro took the position of night lookout to make sure that, while the others rested, the Merry was safe.

After years of training and a lot of experience, his vision had become as sharp as his swords, allowing him to have a better view when the light was practically low, like now. Credit was also given to his Observation Haki, of course, but his physical capabilities were also notable.

In the silent night, standing behind the railing of the Crow's Nest and with one of his hands resting on the handle of one of his swords, his state of wakefulness served to distract him, there was not much to do when you were the only one awake in the middle of the night and with the sole objective of being alert in case something bad happened. He did not want to call a bad omen, much less put the crew at risk, but on many occasions, he sometimes had the slight desire for something to happen, something that would make him fill himself with adrenaline and give meaning to his sleepless nights. Something that would give meaning to his role as guardian.

However, in another corner of his mind and perhaps his heart, he also wished he could take the place of any of the crew, whether it was Luffy to just sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to try his luck that the Stupid Cook hadn't locked the fridge with padlocks, or even Nami to sleep in peace without worrying about the scandalous companions she shared the ship with. Any of them, except the Cook, he wasn't that desperate either, but he would be any of them for just one night so he could rest.

Resting was not a concept he was used to, since he was a child he had been in constant movement, either training or traveling from one place to the other in his old job as a Pirate Hunter, so danger and adrenaline had always been part of his daily life. Now, as a young man, the idea of taking a break was almost like a joke, an impossibility, as much as he wanted to do it, something in himself wouldn't allow it, as if he were failing his code as a swordsman and guardian.

Like he was failing himself.

Zoro sighed, what was he doing thinking about that kind of thing? Without a doubt, being alone at night took its toll on the mind; too much time in silence made thoughts stir like bees in a honeycomb. Although soon his solitude was interrupted by the creaking of the mast that supported the Crow's Nest, as if something, or rather, someone, was climbing up it. He didn't have to think as hard to assume who it was, and he couldn't help the slight upward curl at the corner of his lips.

"Nothing interesting tonight?" your voice came before your figure until your head peeked out of the trapdoor of the Crow's Nest, flashing a smile at the swordsman.

"You say it as if there had been something interesting the previous nights," Zoro snorted, which made you giggle as you finished climbing the Crow's Nest, walking towards him, “Can't you sleep?”

You shook your head once you reached his side, leaning your torso forward to rest your weight on your forearms on the railing, "I took a nap in the afternoon, I guess that gave me enough rest to have energy now.”

Zoro hummed in response and a comfortable silence continued, now not only could he hear the soft salt breeze and the waves but also your calm breathing, which made him feel calmer, accompanied.

He didn't know when he had become so accustomed to your presence, he was only aware of it when he was able to relax his guard being with you, when his mind was completely calm and his body was relieved from just having you close. At first he believed that you had some special gift with the ability to calm those around you, but over time he learned that it was just your effect on him.

"The night is beautiful, don't you think? The advantage of being in the open sea is that it gives us more visibility of the stars," you broke the silence but your voice was not abrupt, tranquility flowed from it with the same fluidity of your words, "You're lucky, you can see this every night, although surely for you it must already be something vain.”

Zoro clicked his tongue with a sly smile, shaking his head and then looked up at the stars. Indeed, that night the stars shone brighter due to the lack of nearby lighting, but if it had not been mentioned before, he would not have given it any importance.

"Something like that, I just don't pay much attention to it, I must be focused on other things beyond the sky." With that said, he lowered his gaze towards the horizon again, continuing with his task.

Unaware of it, you looked at him, Zoro always looking like the formidable warrior he was, ready for battle and prepared to defend the crew if necessary. Strength, bravery and loyalty, that was what he constantly demonstrated. However, you saw and noticed beyond that face, beyond what he exhibited to the world.

Even the strongest person deserved to rest, no matter how unwavering they might appear, tranquility was always necessary to strengthen themselves and continue with their daily tasks. In the face of exhaustion, a break to revitalize those energies, to continue living.

In addition to being extremely strong and capable, Zoro was extremely stubborn and proud. For him, he would go first into battle even though he was seriously injured, rather than wait to heal while the others fought for him, while putting themselves in danger. He was admirable, of course, and it was one of the qualities that had fascinated you the most from the first moment you met him, but in many cases you wanted to be able to intercept all that warrior spirit and make him see that rest was also part of the greatness of the strenght.

There he was, dignified and rigid in the middle of the night, watching while everyone else slept with the goal of keeping them safe, even though it sacrificed his necessary hours of sleep. He was incredible, that was more than a fact, and although his face remained serene and handsome as always, you noticed those details that betrayed his fatigue, such as the subtle darkened rings under his eyes, his lowered eyelids and glassy eyes, as well as his slower and heavier blinks, and the way he moved his shoulders every so often in an attempt to change his position to stay alert. Without a doubt, Zoro needed to rest.

"Did you learn to sleep with your eyes open or are you not even trying to hide the fact that you're staring at me anymore?”

His raspy voice brought you out of your thoughts, more like a daydream, which caused you to quickly change the direction of your gaze, thereby preventing him from noticing the blush on your cheeks at first glance, although from the chuckles you managed to hear from him you knew that he had noticed it anyway. No matter how long you had been together, it was still hard not to be embarrassed by your infatuation with him.

"I think I stopped giving importance to hiding since we were clear about what we felt, I don't see any more sense in doing it, don't you think?" Despite the shame because he caught you, the situation was comical in itself, so why not respond with the same grace.

He hummed in response and his lips curved into a smile, "You're right, I don't mind you staring at me either, I can find it flattering even, as long as you don't do it in the middle of a fight or you'll be in trouble for being distracted." He continued, earning more laughter from you.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll save my moments of admiring your face for when we're alone, and anyway, even if I'm distracted by your blinding beauty, I know you'll have my back covered." With a playful smile, you gently nudged his arm, which spread his smile.

Moments like this were treasured by both of you, due to your lifestyle, tranquility was something that was in short supply in those days, so being able to enjoy some time alone, without much to worry about other than responding to the other's teasing comments with something equally intelligent and playful, was truly sacred.

But as much as you enjoyed being by his side, under the cover of night and on a calm sea, there was something that flooded your heart since you could notice it, a feeling that was the main motivation for you to stay awake that night.

Cautiously you stood up and put your hands on his shoulders, applying a little pressure to notice how tense his muscles were, a symbol of tiredness and, at the same time, a way to stay awake. He shuddered at the touch, but he let you be, to which you continued to massage his muscles with delicacy and precision, which brought sighs of relief from him.

"You need to rest, you know that?" You whispered as your hands moved almost expertly over his shoulders. Zoro sighed and called your name tiredly, knowing what you were going for, but you interrupted him, "Yes, I know it's your duty to keep an eye out during the night in case something happens, I really appreciate your effort because it's how you protect us, but don't you think it's time for you to take a break?”

Of course he thought about it, more than once since the weight of his sleepless nights and few hours of sleep during the day became more intense, especially when with each hour the night drew closer and, with that, his job as a watchman. But he would never admit his needs, nor would he complain about his role, he should not show that weakness, who would they trust if he weakened with something as simple as guarding?

"It's not that easy, love," his voice, even when raspy and lower with exhaustion, remained soft towards you, without a hint of reprimand.

"I know it’s not, big guy, after all you're the one in charge of protecting us, which is a pretty tough job considering we're trouble magnets sometimes," that comment made him laugh softly, which made you smile wider, he was more relaxed, "but thinking about yourself and your needs from time to time doesn't make you selfish, rather it helps you stay strong, both for yourself and for us, and that's a good thing, right?”

When Zoro did not respond instantly it was because he was meditating on your words, a skill that you could proudly boast of which consisted of making that huge and stubborn man pay attention to you, or at least listen to you, even if your thoughts did not coincide with his at that moment. Maybe it could also be due to the analgesic effect that your massages were having on his body and mind.

"You are always looking out for us, Zo, you are the first to jump into the fight when one of us is in danger and the last to abandon it until you see us all safe. That is admirable, very honorable such a swordsman." Your massages continued at the same time that your words flowed with affection and warmth, wanting to make your intentions clear, "I trust you blindly, if you are in the equation, I know that I will be fine, and for that reason, I want you to be well too and with your needs taken care of.”

Zoro listened to your words, he really listened to them, he let them flood his mind and hug his heart so that the feeling reached his soul. He knew that you cared about him, more than he would have thought anyone could care about him, so it felt comforting and good to have that kind of unconditional love and support. After all, he felt the same way about you, he would give anything to see you safe, happy and at peace.

However, although he wished that he could let himself be carried away by your sweet words, that he could give himself the rest that his body and mind had been crying out for for a long time, within him there was still that sense of honor and savior complex that required him to stay awake and alert, far beyond any shred of basic need that his body demanded of him. If he gave in to his tiredness and something bad happened, if he put the crew at risk, if he put you at risk, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Sensing his hesitation, you stopped massaging his shoulders and instead turned him around so he could look at you. Face to face, you smiled fondly at him and brought your hands to his cheeks, caressing them with your thumbs.

"Nothing will happen if you take this night to rest, you can't lie to me, you know very well that you need it," your voice was like a balm for his insecurities, something that had always managed to calm him, "You are human, my love, an extraordinarily strong and skilled one, but you feel and need like anyone else, and you deserve to rest.”

Zoro watched you in silence, letting your words walk him from head to toe, and he only dedicated himself to admiring you. You were so gentle with him, with so much dedication to giving him that much-needed break, with so much concern for his well-being that you made his heart go crazy and hurt at the same time. What had he done to be in the care of an angel? He had spent much of his existence on the rustic side of life, dedicating himself every day to getting stronger, alone, and now he had someone by his side who would give anything to see him healthy, stable, happy.

He loved your eyes, of course he had rarely said it out loud, but they had a charm that left him breathless, they seemed to shine every time they saw him and that caused a warm feeling in his chest. He used to get lost often, but your eyes were like two lighthouses that guided him to you, every time he looked at them only you and him existed and mattered, and he could never have been more grateful to have that pair of stars in his life.

"Plus, I bet Mihawk takes his breaks from time to time too," your gaze took on a mischievous glint, making him chuckle, "To have gotten to that position, he definitely had to take a break… And drink a lot of wine, but we can skip that last part for now.”

Zoro continued to chuckle as he shook his head, amused by the way you were trying to convince him to go to sleep. Honestly, he admired your persuasion and perseverance, although deep down he also reproached the ease you had in reaching his heart. After a defeated sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned towards you, pressing his forehead to yours as his hands found your waist, which he caressed with his thumbs. You smiled and enjoyed the moment, raising your hands to his hair to caress it.

"You are very persistent, you know that?" He smiled still without opening his eyes, to which you giggled, finding his comment funny.

"I know, if I weren't we wouldn't be here, don't you think? And considering you're as stubborn as a century-old oak, I'd better be.”

Laughing in unison, he pulled you close to him with gentle firmness and brought your lips together, savoring the sensation that washed over him every time he kissed you. If your voice was a balm, your lips were an elixir, more delicious and addictive than any Sake he had ever had in his life, and of which he would never tire of trying. Of course you followed the kiss with all the enthusiasm there was, losing yourself in the moment shared with the man you loved most in the world.

As you separated, Zoro left another short and chaste kiss, somewhat reluctant to having to move away from your lips, which made you smile, and soon you opened your eyes, taking a little more distance between both faces to look at each other better.

"We can't leave the Merry without a watchman and I doubt any of the others will be awake or willing to wake up." He reasoned, although more resigned to the idea of going after his break, which was a good sign.

"I'll stay, and before you protest! You know perfectly well that I'm capable of taking care of myself, the Merry, and you guys, it won't be a problem for me." You assured with a smile, now noticing the indecision in your lover's eyes, worried. Your smile turned into a tenderly one and you leaned towards him to place a kiss on the tip of his nose, "I'll be fine, my dear Zoro, just as you would do anything to keep us safe, I would do anything to make you okay, completely okay.”

And there you were, with that ability to make him fall at your feet with just one look and to feel like a teenager in love just by hearing your voice, by just hearing you call him “my dear.” What had you done to him? It seemed even comical at some point, but love was as mysterious as many of the waters they still had to explore.

With another resigned sigh, which seemed more like a defeated snort, he nodded slowly, finally convinced, "Very well, I will listen to you, but only if you promise that if something happens or you suspect something is off, anything, you will wake me up.”

You nodded, with an inner pride that he easily identified in your eyes by the way that shone. Adorable, he thought, only you could be happy about something as basic as him prioritizing himself over the crew.

"I promise, love, although you'll see that you will have a long, restful sleep until morning." You assured confidently and placed your pinky at the level of his eyes, to which he, after raising one of his eyebrows in surprise and letting out an incredulous chuckle, intertwined his own pinky with yours.

You decided to accompany Zoro to the cabin you shared, both to make sure that he was, in fact, resting, and to keep him company until he fell into the world of dreams that he had not had the luxury of enjoying for a long time. When Zoro was ready and under the covers, you sat next to him on the edge of the bed, gently caressing his strands in a way to make him succumb to sleep more easily.

"It's not fair that you have so much power over me, it's dangerous." He whispered, sleepy and with his eyes closed, which made you smile softly and you leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"I consider it more than fair, big guy, especially since you have the same power over me." With that answer, he grinded, satisfied.

When minutes passed in silence and Zoro's breathing became slower, you assumed that he had finally fallen asleep, and you devoted yourself to watching him, admiring how good he looked. His features and muscles relaxed, his chest rising and falling calmly, his hands extended without being gripped on the handle of a sword. He looked at peace, calm, resting, like he so deserved to be, and like you were always going to want to see him after so much having been together.

About to leave his side to let him sleep and take his position guarding, a whisper of your name made you stop, returning your attention to him.

"Thank you for this, for everything, you don't know how much good you do me." He recited sleepily but sincerely, and when you thought your heart would explode from so much love, he finished: "I love you, baby."

In that moment, your heart accelerated at the same time that your chest warmed, as did your cheeks, trying to process the happiness, tenderness and love that invaded you thanks to such words full of feelings. Oh, you undoubtedly loved that man with every breath that left your lungs and with every beat of your heart, and that would continue to be so as long as life allowed you to.

With one last kiss on his cheek, you whispered, "My pleasure, my love, thank you for staying strong and being here. I love you with all my heart, my guardian."

With your mission accomplished and your heart satisfied, you went to complete your new goal, the smile never leaving your face for what you had just achieved.

A guardian is known for their strength and dedication, able to give their life for those they have sworn to protect, but at the same time now allowing themselves to be guarded. The guardian, in their turn to be cared for, is like an ancient oak that rests among younger trees to recover and renew itself. Without losing their essence as a protector, they accept the support of those around them, trusting that their rest and recovery strengthen their ability to protect in the future.

Because in the end, everyone deserves to be protected as much as they protect, everyone deserves to have someone who cares about their well-being and ensures their safety and stability. Being a guardian does not inhibit you from feeling, from needing, from being vulnerable. They, as well as their protégés, deserve to be valued, remembered and deserving of affection and rest, and that does not take away the weight of their role as protector, much less the greatness of their strength.