#this is my first time rendering water like this too and i'm surprised it looks decent

[mintjeru]

sunlight on water

open for better quality | no reposts

[witch-hazels-musings]

hi pls for my crying dragon man monsieur neuvillette

sandalwood ginseng dalmation stone

hugs and kisses

Sandalwood (ceremony), Dalmatian Stone (loyalty, family), Ginsing (communication, guidance) Neuvillette x gn reader | Divination Ritual warning: reader is grabbed by the arm forcefully (very brief), heights (like really high up), kiss on the hand -- this is my first time writing for Neuvillette. I asked people for help on this and *hopefully* he came out alright!

He pulled you from the group with far more force than you expected. "Where is he?" His contorted face held little patience. His tight-lipped smile and frantic eyes conveyed who this event was significant for.

"I'm sure he'll be here any mome-"

"He better. His absence is unbecoming as the Iudex," he said, his grip intense as he stared you down. "I will not be made a fool."

With metered composure, you tapped the man's hand but he didn't release you. "It's very likely he's been delayed by something. If you'll excuse me, I can uncover what has kept him."

The man took a breath, scanned the crowd once more before letting you go. "Be swift about it."

"Of course," you said and bowed your head. He fussed with his overly decorated clothes, finely pressed and perfectly tailored - though it did little to hide the signs of gluttony around his midsection. He sneered at you before walking away to put on a show for the patrons he no doubt invited to this 'celebration.'

---

You made your way through the halls of the Palais Mermonia, stopping at every place the Iudex liked to wander - hide. When he wasn't sitting as judge, or tucked away in his office, there were a few spaces you could always find him, and if not there, then always -

"There you are," you said as you stepped onto the balcony. Though calling it that was generous. It was more of a ledge, one service member would use to clean the massive windows and - now - where Neuvillette would find solace. You didn't blame him. Being up here away from the noise was far more enjoyable than the stuffy halls and formalities.

Neuvillette was slow in registering your presence. His elegant fingers coiled around his chin, his gaze distant as he looked out across lapping waters that surrounded the Courts of Fontaine. When you approached, his apathetic expression shifted with slight surprise.

"Ah, apologies. I did not sense your approach," he said, voice even, calm like steady water. He gazed upward and glanced behind you at the warm light from beyond the turquoise windows. "I've let myself wander too long haven't I?"

You shook your head. "It's alright. As you know the party will rage on with or without you."

"Undoubtedly," he said and looked back to the landscape. You felt bad for him. A cruel existence to be tied to the fate of others - to witness them at their lowest and most vulnerable and render their judgment. It exhausted you just thinking about it but he rarely complained. You wished he would.

Wrapping your arms around yourself, you joined him near the edge and looked out over Fontaine. Though heights were not necessarily your favorite thing you had to admit that in the twinkle of twilight, the view from this high seemed to make the world glitter.

"It's beautiful up here," you said and caught a faint smile on his lips.

"I am quite fond of the tranquility and stillness. It allows for a great deal of reflection."

He was right. Being completely alone and away from prying eyes was nice. Almost like a dip in cool water after a day under the sun. You closed your eyes and breathed in the moisture on the wind, the electricity of the evening, and let them mingle on your skin.

Behind you, a swell of voices rose up through the open window and you remembered what awaited you below.

"I should get back. I'll let them down easy so don't worry about joining us."

"That would be improper. I will return with you."

"Stay," you said, stopping him with a gentle hand on his arm. "I can handle them."

"I should not forsake the duties that are asked of me. Though my interests are far more idle than they may approve of, this aspect of my role cannot be forsaken based on personal preferences."

"Neuvillette, this 'celebration' is nothing more than a way to work your favor."

"How foolish. Festivities such as these would never sway my opinion in court," he explained matter-of-factly, his brows furrowing at the thought.

You chuckled. "I know, but it's just - it's how some people operate. They likely know it won't help them when it comes to the law, but there are many reasons to seem friendly to the Ludex. Connections are equally as valuable as coin in this world."

"I see." He thought for a moment. "Then what of you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are your intentions holding ulterior motives?" he asked, his eyes flickering to the hand resting comfortably against his arm. You panicked and pulled it back.

"Oh, no. No! I'm so sorry, I didn't -" You flared out your palms and let out an uncomfortable noise before clearing your throat. "I'm here for you because I like - wah! No. I mean, yes, I like you but like in a way of being supportive and - like, like assisting you with your work. I'm on your side is what I mean to say. Ugh, please stop looking at me." Embarrassed, you covered your face and pressed your fingers against your brow in a desperate attempt to bring your mind under control.

Neuvillette laughed, soft, almost impossible to hear but it was enough to set your ears on fire. "'You like me?'"

"Professionally, I like you, professionally."

"I have spent countless years evaluating the words of humans. Their core truths and hidden lies and, were this be our first encounter, I may not be so confident in my evaluations."

"Forget I said anything, please."

"How can I," he said and you tensed at the sudden contact of his lithe fingers as they pulled your hand away. "When such blatant falsehoods are being uttered in my presence?"

You swallowed, stared into his intense eyes, and willed yourself not to tear free from his grip and jump off the building. This was the worst. An accidental confession to the man who was 1. your boss, and 2. as unavailable as they came. It took you months to get close to him, for him to be comfortable with you and now - now what have you done?

"It slipped out. I'm sorry," you mumbled.

He smiled, kind, patient, understanding. "There is no need. Yet I am proposed now with a conundrum. It seems a balancing of the scales is in order." Neuvillette lifted your hand to his face and sweetly pressed his lips to your middle and index fingers. "I am quite fond of you, as well," he whispered above them but his words were stolen by the wind.

When he lowered your hand toward your chest, he didn't immediately let go. Instead, he let it rest in his grip while you stared, stunned, at his chest.

"Shall we find our way to the celebration?"

You nodded but your lack of movement told another story. "Yeah, yes. We should do that."

Neuvillette's amused laugh fluttered to your ears and rattled your heart, and your legs. "When you are ready."

"Mmhm."

Thaumaturgy Anthology (October 11-13, 2024)

This event is based on spells and rituals. Inspiration does not equal understanding; liberties have been taken. All content is owned by Witch Hazels Musings, theft of these images and stories will result in immediate action.

[days-until-burnout]

For whenever you're feeling better and refreshed and not burnt out!!! :

Scott x Impulse, romantic pairing, first kisses and/or cuddling perhaps?

(also!! Thank you for doing all of these stories, they're incredible!!!)

thank you for reading! and sorry i couldnt make them justice. _____

📧 Day 73 -

Characters - Impulse/Scott Words - 702 Time - 25 mins Content - Band AU

In between blinks and flashes of light, from one thundering moment to the bustling next, the show is over. The crowd is cleared out and they are ushered to the back, alcohol wipes for their faces and water bottles for their dry mouths. Everything happens quickly, at least their side happens quickly as they are in the car then their hotel room in a single breath.

(Well, more than that, but it feels the same.)

"Ough, I hate morning flights," Scott gripes from the en-suite. His voice is louder than his phone taps, which brings an amused smile to Impulse's lips. "Absolutely ridiculous. I'm going to have no time to get ready."

Impulse chuckles, sends the last few texts before pocketing his phone. "I mean, you don't have to get dressed up and all facied out."

Scott gasps, offended. "Public appearances, Impy, public appearances."

Impulse says nothing else, instead, he shoves the still warm towel on his face, rubbing a little hard to get all the glitter from his face. It had been at Gem's insistence, for their initial gigs, and now it became a stapple. Hate is a too strong word, and dislike is hardly comparable.

There is a quiet sigh as Scott saunters out of the en-suite, robe tight on his body, damp hairs shaken from his forehead, skin clear. Impulse gives him a look, and Scott can only dramatically fall on the bed.

Scott does not sleep, however, but he lays on his side, arm perched and apple of his cheek on the heel of his palm. "Well then, we have yet to discuss sleeping arrangements. How will we do this? I don't want to—"

"We'll share, that's what we agreed on. Did you forget?"

One thing, a very good thing about Scott's pale skin, is that Scott blushes easily. Noticeably. Not like those subtle blushes when he is teasing someone or playing a part, but a deep blush when he is taken by surprised. Like now, rendering him speechless as Impulse looks at him over his shoulder.

"Plus, the couch is too small for either of us. Gem, maybe, but she's got her room."

It happens between heartbeats, Impulse wipes the sides of his face, his hairline, then tosses the towel among the dirty pile. Nonchalantly, he makes his way to the lightswitch and turns it off, using his phone's light to guide him to the bed.

Every step, Scott follows, mouth agape and utter… blankness in his eyes. Unlike other times, Scott takes longer to recover and retort. Impulse will like to think it has something to do with tiredness, though he knows it has everything to do with the headlines from ealier that morning.

'Impulse isn't bad on the eyes,' Scott had said with that flirty tone of his, the smoothness and confidence that everyone knows and expects. It had been on defence of yet another rumor, something stupid Impulse did not even bother remembering. He had missed the interview, having been in another by himself at the same time because of some miscommunication. But he had seen the clip, and he had seen Scott stumble when Gem mentioned the possibility that Scott might like him more than just eye-candy.

Impulse is not one to rush to conclusions, but facts are facts, and his phone is telling him that is nearly midnight, so they should both sleep. He slides under the covers, leaning over to press a brief kiss in a still frozen Scott, something small under his temple, beside his eye. Not quite where he had planned, but the little light made it hard to aim.

"G'night, Scott. And by the way, I think you're good on my eyes, great even."

It takes a while longer, that edge where Impulse can only respond with a hum to Scott's voice, his eyes refuse to open and his pillow too comfortable. Despite that, his brain is barely awake enough to feel him, finally moving. Settling behind.

Nothing grand, nothing loud or flashy, just arms around his back, a burning face pressing on the back of his neck.

Impulse drifts off not long after, and he likes to image the whispered confession is not something he dreamt.

_____

sigh. brain will brain brain one of these days</3

[picturespurple-68]

Threesome time @ironicorange! (Not canon to my dilf au)

Summary: Ivan gets shared between dilf Matthew and Alfred.

Rating: Explicit 18+

'Why is it so hot?' was the first thought Ivan had waking up.

Brain and body feeling all warm and fuzzy, he cracked open his eyes only to be met with the sight of a slow spinning ceiling fan above. The sound of a shower head blasting water reminded him he wasn't alone in this house. That, and the still sleeping form of a large man, ten years older than him, draped over half his body.

On his stomach still snoozing was Matthew, Alfred's twin brother. Just as big as his neighbor, he easily kept Ivan pinned down with an arm wrapped around his torso and a leg slotted between his own. Obviously, that meant Alfred was the one currently in the shower.

With no want to get up yet, a bored and comfy Ivan began replying the events of last night back in his head.

——————————————————————

It started off simple, Alfred had invited him over for some drinking and to spend the evening with him. His brother Matthew also happened to be in town for the night and in retrospect it seemed both men had an ulterior motive for meeting with Ivan.

Watching the two, he found it quite cute when the brothers would tease and goad each other with stories from their childhood. Of course, when the topic of sharing as twins came up, there was a noticeable change in Alfred’s demeanor. The arm wrapped low on Ivan's waist squeezed him tighter as he explained, "Never had a problem letting Mattie borrow anything that's mine, so long as he understood who it belongs to."

In turn, Matthew laughed, not staring at his brother, but Ivan with hooded eyes that looked all too familiar, "You were always the greedier one." Gazing back to Alfred, he joked, "I'm still surprised I wasn't absorbed in the womb by you!"

After rendering a bottle or two of wine empty, Alfred announced his need for the bathroom leaving only a curious brother and his tipsy neighbor. Matthew had no issue filling the vacant spot as soon as Alfred was out of sight and he had even less of a problem when the space didn't allow for any gap between them.

"Just wondering," he placed a hand on the same spot Alfred had, "what exactly is your relationship with Al?"

Face growing redder than it already was Ivan could only stutter out, "I am his neighbor...and sometimes I babysit—"

"No no no, you know what I mean when I ask that. Al didn't seem to have a problem with my staring, so what about you?"

The hands on his waist moved in to rest on his clothed stomach. Ivan wasn't dumb, he could immediately get what Matthew was insinuating and honestly, he was interested, a hundred percent. He looked just like Alfred, from the muscled dad bod to the neatly trimmed facial hair along his sharp jawline. The biggest difference between them was Matthew's longer, fluffy hair pulled up in a casual ponytail and Ivan wished nothing more than to bury his hand in those soft locks while the man went down on him.

Locking his hand with the one on his stomach, Ivan eagerly replied, "I don't mind it at all."

From there, either Alfred took too long in the bathroom or maybe Matthew moved faster than expected, but in no time flat, Ivan was on his back, sweater pushed up to his chest and the older man on top shoving his tongue inside his mouth.

Just as his thigh made contact with his crotch, Matthew felt a tug on his shirt collar, almost choking him as he was yanked away from Ivan by his brother.

"Matt, what do you think you're doing?"

Clearing his throat, Matthew sassed back, "Your neighbor, currently. What's the matter Al? Don't you know sharing is caring~"

Ivan could still feel the knee against him and perhaps it was the arousal or embarrassment of the situation, but he quickly blurted out, "You could join us?"

Both men looked down at him in surprise

——————————————————————

A reminder of what could've happened between just Matthew and himself made Ivan groan lightly. The warm leg laying limply between his own caught his attention and he couldn't help but grind his bare cunt up against the muscled thigh. He was still a bit sensitive below the waist and decided to take it slow by going back to thinking about last night.

——————————————————————

Jumping a little forward, all three men found themselves in Alfred's bed with varying level of their clothes removed. Ivan laid nude with Alfred, still in his pants, on one side marking his neck up in hickeys and Matthew, in his boxers, on the other sucking face with him while his fingers played with the wetness building between his legs.

The warmth of Alfred's body slid away for a moment and before Ivan could see where he went, he felt hands grab him by the ankles, pull him from Matthew's hold, and drag him down to the edge of the mattress. His legs were spread open wide and a head of dirty blond hair was quickly buried into his crotch. He couldn't hold back the moans that slipped as Alfred ate him out alongside his fingers squirming around.

"Rude! I was busy with him first." Matthew complained crawling closer to the pair, but all Alfred replied with was a shrug.

From the corner of his eye, Ivan could see Matthew stroking his cock and he felt himself seize up at the thought of the man cumming over him. Alfred moaned against his skin at the crushing of his fingers and pulled them out to flip him over onto his stomach.

"Just relax for me darlin' and show Mattie how much you love my cock."

A pressure against his hole gave way as Alfred sunk all the way down until his hips met Ivan's. The man below bit at the bedding in surprise, barely able to look up at Matthew with teary, pleading eyes. While Alfred waited a moment to let them both adjust, Matthew scooted closer to gently hold and pet Ivan's head, "You're doing such a great job Ivan. Can you feel him deep inside? Is he pushing on anything that feels really good?"

Nodding dazedly, Ivan's eyes locked onto Matthew's untouched erection sticking out of his boxers. He grabbed at the man's cock, wrapping his lips around the tip and giving it a light suck, "Aah, good– what a good boy~"

Feeling less like his dick was gonna be snapped in two, Alfred leaned back and watched his hips thrust shallowly inside. Ivan pushed back into him and hummed happily around Matthew's cock when a hard buck forced him lower. As Ivan got more confident swallowing him down, Matthew sat higher up on his knees to control his mouth more steadily.

Back and forth, the older men pulled Ivan's body like they were fighting over a toy. Out of habit Alfred moved a hand down to thumb at his clit and that quickly became the Russian's undoing. They seemed to have underestimated how close Ivan really was and his only tell was the clenching and moaning he did on their cocks.

"Lord!" Matthew gripped the man's head in shock when he subconsciously slid the full length down his throat.

When the squeezing stopped, Alfred huffed and pulled out to help lift Ivan's mouth off so as not to choke. "You did so good Vanya."

——————————————————————

The muscle of Matthew's leg was perfect for humping against and the sweat and slick of their skin made it so easy to grind on.

"Hmm, good morning to you too." The man on top of him hadn't moved but it was obvious it was Matthew speaking.

Ivan froze, blushing heavily at being caught like this. He'd almost tried to pull away but Matthew pressed his thigh down to continue their play.

"Please, keep going Ivan," his voice sounded rougher in the morning, "use my leg like a good bitch in heat."

——————————————————————

Their positions shifted a bit. Matthew now laid back against the headboard with Ivan straddling his hips and riding him.

"Yes...yes...don't stop!" said Matthew as he tried to match Ivan's pace. The man felt incredible in his lap and he couldn't wait to blow his load.

The two were so caught up in each other that Ivan almost jumped out of his skin when another hand touched his back to lean him forward. Alfred's palm traced down his spine as he cooed, "Don't forget about me babe~ It's not fair if Mattie's getting all the attention, so just relax for me ok?"

Ivan nodded and shuddered when a slick finger was able to press inside his already stuffed hole. One digit turned into two, two to three, and Ivan was fully unprepared for just how full he felt when Alfred pushed his cock in.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Ivan was insanely tight and Alfred couldn't stop himself from crying out. Matthew in turn had bitten into Ivan's shoulder to keep quiet but his groans could still be heard through clenched teeth.

Among the three, the first to move was Matthew, who was already close as his thrusts turned frantic and sloppy. When Alfred also joined in, the friction inside was intense for both of them. Ivan had a slight bulging below his bellybutton, something that the man under him watched appear and disappear with their movements.

Alfred continued to moan and swear when the heat in his tummy grew burning. Again, he shoved a hand down to rub between Ivan's spread legs and was surprised to bump into Matthew's already working on him. In reaction, Ivan's body locked up on them and the twins couldn't handle it.

If asked, each brother would accuse the other of being the first to give in, but regardless, both shot their cum deep inside his cunt. Everyone stopped to ride out their pleasure and catch their breaths.

Alfred was the first to pull away while Matthew stayed in place. Ivan's hips were still squirming, having not cum yet but that was quickly being taken care of as Matthew continued to quickly thumb at his clit.

"О Боже! Да!"

——————————————————————

Sweating and shaking, Ivan basked in the warmth that spread through his limbs. Matthew laid kisses along his neck, watching how pretty he looked in bliss.

When the dark spots of his vision began to fade, he realized Alfred was standing in view, clearly having finished his shower.

"Having fun without me?" he whined (which seemed silly for the grown man).

Matthew snickered and got up while pulling Ivan along, "That's what you get for leaving me alone with him, and now that you're done," he walked the unsteady man to the bathroom entrance, "we just need to clean up our little mess for a bit~"

[idleglowingpixels]

I finally got my schedule aligned with a friend of mine to watch Monster High 2 (the live action movie sequel) and I have some thoughts about it

(Keep reading only if you're okay with spoilers, I go into a lot of detail)

Monster High 2 was a solid experience altogether. The previous movie was in a similar vain, but I think the special effects budget got amped up, because everything looked stellar and just generally better than the first movie. It's still not cinema film level quality but these aren't meant to be compared to that. It's a TV movie, and for what it is I thought that (almost) everything rendered out beautifully (idk why they keep having Lagoona do the oAo thing but okay).

As per the previous film, there were lots of highs in the comedy (Frankie is always the highlight of these movies for me, Cleo taking her job as campaign manager so seriously was kinda funny to me, and a lot of the Heath shenanigans were so reminiscent of G1 to me ESPECIALLY the teasing about Clawdeen being Deuce's girlfriend and general himbo behavior), but it's also a kid's movie, so there's bound to be misses too. Comedy isn't personally my forte, but I got enough chuckles and laughs here and there that it didn't really matter to me.

The songs sounded pretty nice! I went into the movie this time without hearing any songs in advance like the first movie, and was pleasantly surprised. None of them were particularly bad to me, but I think my favorite one was the very-poorly-disguised friend breakup song with the main trio. It reminded me of a similar song in Descendants 2 ironically enough, but I don't mean that as an insult, I love the Descendants soundtracks too!

Okay, now the story of the movie…I don't really know where to begin, there's so much to talk about. I guess I can start at the beginning.

I've seen a few people complain about Clawdeen blowing up on social media and going viral when the characters would regularly go viral or get tons of views on their not-YouTube channels in G1. I know the Internet was different back in 2010, but it wasn't THAT much different going viral back then as it is now imo. I found it an odd complaint personally.

While I have no idea how a half-human ghost can exist in the first place, I ADORED the little bits where that new character was. Unfortunately I neglected to remember her name, usually I'm better with keeping up on this stuff. But she was so goofy, like yeah queen, walk through the door and immediately hit it on the way back out. 💖

The whole thing with the prefect is kind of irrelevant for the most part, so I don't mind it as much. I have an irrational love for the whole fire and water thing Heath and Lagoona got to do for it together, and I noticed characters like them actually have something to do in the movie instead of just awkwardly showing up at the end to record Komos and stand guard I guess??? And they had much more dialogue this time around (very few exceptions, I can only think of Ghoulia and Abbey but who knows, maybe they'll get to be main characters in the third movie I presume will release next year).

Torelai being a general nuisance was amazing, and here she really did feel like her G1 counterpart…if said counterpart was British lol. Her outfits were really nice, felt super edgy and it was a plus for me. I also liked the mention of her scarring from the witches in France, where she'd studied abroad, but I do think they repeated the point of her bringing it up against witches in the song was too quick after the initial mention, perhaps it could've been reserved to the song and have her sing-song her way through explaining the wraith silver.

Draculaura was the main focus in the film, and I really enjoyed her story. She's got every card stacked against her, even those she trusts, it feels like they turn on her in her point of view (Clawdeen and Ellis specifically). I've also seen characters like Ellis a billion times, but as generic as he is, he served the purpose he was in the film for (lowkey thought the name was a reference to Elphaba/Wicked Witch of the West).

Seeing Dracula as much as we did this movie was amazing, loved that, though Zamara kinda fell flat with me as an antagonist. Making a comparison here, but it felt like they were trying to replicate what they'd done with Komos in the previous film, just adjusting her to fit the new narrative, but Komos was much better executed imo (I promise this isn't my bias to Jekyll and Hyde characters showing, I just think his dynamics with the students flowed more organically). I found the whole thing about witches marketing herbal products as remedies with magical healing properties to exploit humanity's fears of appearing healthy to be funny with Z, but that's about it. I also could tell she'd be the villain a lot faster than I did with Komos haha. Seeing Apollo play a significant role here was nice too! I really like how the adult/parent characters can be just as important as the teens, as I find the lack of parent appearances in G1 to be too sparce for something so integral to the characters' stories.

As with pretty much anyone who's seen the film, it seems we were all shouting at Clawdeen towards the end to just turn human to avoid injury from the wraith silver bars (I was so confused lmao), but I think she was so desperate to save her friend that she was in too blind a panic to control that or think rationally. Frankie is in a similar vein; I thought their upgrades would've caused more pain than it'd be worth, and since we saw the electricity from their arm separating from the rest of their body earlier in the scene, it might've triggered a rush of pain to Frankie or their energy would've been zapped out like a light. Also, y’all, they thought their friend was going to forcefully commit genocide, I don’t think either of them were safe from having irrational/impulsive solutions to a situation in which their friend is literally gonna die if they take time to think critically. I do think there could’ve been better execution with the scene, especially how important it is for later, however. I may be explaining the thought process of my only other point of contention here, but it wasn’t thought out all too much imo — Deen could’ve tried to shift back and find it doesn’t work, Frankie could’ve tried to detach their hand/arm and found themselves getting hurt (but not scarred since that’s really the were-girls’ common thing).

But when Clawdeen died just from touching the bars for too long, I was so shocked it was happening from something so small, I figured the explanation was that it might drain a monster's life force or something. But I COULD NOT take the grim reaper thing seriously. Genuinely laughed my ass off cause WHAT WAS THAT??? It seemed so out of place for the pacing to me I guess. I felt like it could've been a perfect opportunity to have Komos reach out to her through his petrification, especially with how much she hangs around his statue during her troubles and looks to his statue for guidance, but I knew going in he was like 99% certain to be a one-off villain. 🥲

Anyway, Torelai and Clawdeen's little trauma bond moment with the scars at the end was very wholesome, a nice tie back to the "not afraid to show my secrets or my scars" line from Coming Out Of The Dark. And for once the franchise acknowledges were-animals as having kinship, like don't get me wrong, I know it's mainly for the cats vs dogs thing, but they're essentially the same monsters. I always found it odd that they were treated as completely different monster types entirely when all they are is just a human base with animal features and abilities (speed, agility, heightened senses, etc.).

A lot of people have a problem with Clawdeuce being a thing, but I don't mind it personally. It's a different gen, nothing has to stay the same as G1, so I’m just going along with the vibes. And I can tell Deuce leaving is going to be where we follow through in the next movie (unless he got tossed into the underworld in the end credits scene, I have no clue). To be honest I really like his prominent inclusion in the roster of characters, especially with how erased he’d get in the G1 movies (they literally cut his part of the rap out and it’s so apparent q-q).

But back to the point about the after credits, when I saw the grim reaper actually CAME BACK and just threw Deuce to the side (or maybe through the portal idk) I instantly freaked out, no laughter to be had, like "WAIT OH MY GOD WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE THAT BIT FOR REAL—"

I know the third film is looking to be centered on Frankie (They 💖) but I do worry with how much elements they're taking from G1 movies to make up new/similar narratives (Drac's Sweet 1600, the previous gen's self acceptance narrative but specifically with a half human character, the emphasis on Jekyll and Hyde shenanigans, vampires vs werewolves but make it vampires vs witches instead, etc.). I just don't think another Freaky Fusion thing with Frankie sacrificing their life energy should be necessary. Especially considering the new antagonist is very clearly gonna be this Grim Reaper dude. And since the Underworld might be the main location for the third film, I wonder if the whole thing about Heath being Hades's son in the TV show will come up in the movie. Ik they're different canons from each other, but It'd be pretty interesting to see how they'd create a MH version of Hades. (I found his design from the cartoon after typing all this up and I mean, okay then I guess 🤷 Don’t love it but don’t hate it either, he just looks too nice to me haha. I love when Hades is actually a nice character, but his appearance and Resting Bitch Face make him out to be a huge dick.)

As of right now, that's basically everything I have to say on the movie. I personally prefer the first one, but I will not deny that it's because I liked Komos more as an antagonist than Zamara — antagonists are just as important as protagonists. He has the Jekyll and Hyde thing going for him too, which is just overall a favorite trope of mine (Though his change wasn’t as literal). I do think this movie had more going on and much higher stakes, what with characters almost committing mass genocide, suffering injuries and nearly outright DYING.

But I don't know, it was a solid 7/10 for me I think, on the higher end of 7 but Zamara keeps me from giving it a higher rating (sorry y'all I just REALLY didn't like her character, not even in a love to hate way, and villains’ likability matters too much for me personally). I guess my ranking for the first movie would be a low 8, but it’s based more on how much I enjoyed it than how objectively good or "perfect" it is.

[xamassed]

⟬ @ofhope / valentine's day 2023 ⟭

Dragging around a massive Oni took some muscle; thankfully, Yoimiya never let such feats overwhelm her! Yashiori Island was the prime setting for her master plan - clearing out the troublemakers took some extra time, and maybe Itto would've preferred taking part in that, but sacrifices had to be made!

"No peeking!" although granted, the sounds would give off her surprise, she couldn't risk the sights being seen ahead of time -- but to soften the blow, she twines their fingers together, palm to palm. "Aaaanddd..."

With a departing squeeze, Yoimiya slips away from the Oni, quickly gathering a light and starting the signature szzzzz of a lit fuse, she all but shouts:

"Eyes to the skies, tiny! Look!"

In a plume of yellows and purples, the Arataki Gang's signature logo is etched into the skies, spreading wide and far. It's quiet then, as sparks burst forth and crackles and pops speed through the emptied valleys, before ending in a crescendo of sizzles. Once the display has reached its end, Yoimiya grasps his hand once more, fits her fingers 'between the spaces of his own, and gestures downward.

"Don't worry, I knew that after that long of a trip, you'd be wanting a meal or three! Sooo... I set this up ahead of time. And- aaand- aaaannnd I have dessert! It's kinda' my first time making anything with that much chocolate, sooo... it's probably fine? But -" gathering herself on the tippiest of toes, she presses a soft, lingering kiss to Itto's cheek. "Happy Valentine's, Itto."

"I'm not peekin'! How many times are you gonna tell me not to do somethin' I ain't done this wh——?!" Irritation subsided in an instant, with the touch of her hand and the sudden absence of it a moment later. He heard her hurry away, eyes peeling open to find her barely illuminated by the tiniest of flames dancing at the end of a long stick.

A spark skipped, and the light doubled. He knew well what that meant — with that indication and her warning, Itto turned his attention to the sky.

"Woah. . ."

Every color that popped high in the sky became small, twinkling jewels in his eyes. He gaped at the art she had masterfully painted in the sky, awe abundant and outright. He was slack-jawed and breathless, the thought that had gone into her work rendering him silent with emotion.

He knew how hard she worked and how proud she was of her profession. That she would take time to make him something so spectacular meant more to him than he could say with words.

"You went through all'a this just for me?" He couldn't shake off his surprise when she continued to add to an already astounding gift. There was enough food spread out to feed him for days straight, the sight of it making his mouth water.

The peckish oni was in the middle of considering what he would eat first when her lips met with his cheek, the sweet kiss distracting him from his gluttonous thoughts.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Sparks. Really don't think I'd wanna spend it with anyone else, not like this." Finding the right words could be difficult at times, but his heart spoke for him. But, just in case what he'd said wasn't sweet enough, he helped tilt her chin up and repaid her with a graze of his lips against the corner of hers. "Let's do this again next year too."

[happyk44]

[ID: Collection of screenshots.

1: Text reading:

Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies

2: Text reading:

"Recourse," echoed Ronan, but without real force. The water reflected the sun at his face from beneath, rendering him a translucent and fretful god.

3: Text in all caps reading:

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN GOD

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU LOVE GOD

4: Text reading:

[Verse 1]

I was just an only child of the universe

And then I found you, and then I found you

You are the sun and I am just the planets

Spinning around you, spinning around you

You were too good to be true, gold plated

But what's inside you? But what's inside you?

I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you

But not as much as I do, as much as I do, yeah

5: Picture of two shirtless people lying side-by-side. Only one person is fully visible. They have their face pressed close to the other's neck, lips nearly touching the skin there, but not quite.

6: Text reading:

The shame that tormented me was all the more corrosive for having no clear origin: I didn't know why I felt so tainted, and worthless, an wrong - only that I did, and whenever I looked up from my books I was swamped by slimy waters rushing in from all side.

7: Text reading:

Oh the shame that sent me off from the God that I once loved

Was the same that sent me into your arms

8: Text reading:

"Think of someone you want to touch whom you cannot touch, someone forbidden. Think of a room where there is nothing except the two of you: still, you cannot touch them. Think of the heat between two hands about to touch, the language that exists in that silence."

9: Painting of two people sitting next to each other. All that is visible is their torsos, arms and legs. One is wearing a dark red sweater and blue jeans. The other is wearing a black sweater and light gray pants. They both rest their hands on their thighs, just above their knees. The one in the red sweater has extended their fingers ever so slightly to reach out for the other's hand.

10: Text reading:

All these years spent thinking that I had superhuman self-control, and now I realize I just never put anything I wanted too badly in front of myself.

11: Tweet from ronsey bot @/ronanganseybot: Gansey said, "I don't know hwo to find Glendower."

"You do, Gansey," Ronan replied, voice uneven for the first time. "I know you do. And when you're ready to get him, I'll be sitting right here, waiting to go where you tell me."

12: Text reading:

job. Back then, it had surprised Ronan; he hadn't realized yet that Gansey could persuade even the sun to pause and give him the time.

13: Text reading:

Ronan relied, "I'm waiting for yu to tell me what to do, Gansey. Tell me where to go."

14: Picture of two people kissing. The image is old and seems to be oversaturated, blurring much of their faces into a bright white. They appear to be priests.

15: Text reading:

"Ronan," Gansey said, in the exact same way that he'd just invoked Jesus.

16: Red text in all caps reading: HALLOWED BE THEY NAME

/end ID]

Ronan & Gansey & Theo & Boris: thy will be done

[ hozier / maggie stiefvater / uncredited / fall out boy / alexandre haefeli / donna tartt / mumford & sons / chelsea hodson / david rodríguez tovar / emily henry / maggie stiefvater / maggie stiefvater / maggie stiefvater / mark beard / maggie stiefvater / gospel of matthew ]

[lucy-ashton]

It's Wednesday Again! I hope you enjoy this new extract of my fanfic The Memory of the Red Spider Lilies.

Green. Green everywhere, shining under the cloudless azure sky, in the warmth of the afternoon, a blinding light like the reflections of the sunbeams on a diamond. On the distant horizon, the pristine snow slowly dissolved from the treetops to the mountain peaks, leaving behind a carpet of greenery. Spring water from rivers and streams started to flow again, rendered fresher by the melting frost and ice, while here and there dandelions blossomed, their pollen grains waltzing through the zephyr.

Comfortably settled in their stalls, the horses neighed happily as they nibbled in their mangers, their eyes captivated by the performance of their two grooms bustling to meet their every need. They crossed paths repeatedly in the stable without ever hindering each other’s tasks, in a sort of symbiosis despite their complete differences: the first packing the straw whilst the second stacked hay bales before they joined forces to sort the used horseshoes from the new ones.

The Saniwa ran a hand over his forehead as he hung the pitchfork on its hook fixed to the wall, a satisfied smile on his lips. Nothing could beat the feeling of a job well done to clear his mind of his constant questions.

“Is that all?” Yamanbagiri Kunihiro asked, at last, looking round to double-check for himself.

“Yes, I believe so,” he nodded, turning towards a black horse with deep blue highlights and gently stroking its muzzle. “What do you think, Aoge? Do you like what you see?”

Resting its imposing chin on its owner’s head with enthusiasm, the equine decided to have a bit of fun at the latter’s expense and snorted loudly at him, eliciting a laugh from the cherry-haired boy who quickly wiped his face with his sleeve before facing his Touken Danshi again.

“In that case, I’ll be going,” declared the Uchigatana, adding with a slight bow, “Thank you for helping me with my chores today.”

“It was noth– Ah!” the Sage began to reply when something suddenly caught his attention, causing him to reach out for the tsukumogami’s cloak. “This has gotten really dirty, hasn’t it?”

“Quit it!” the blond Kunihiro retorted however almost immediately, yanking the garment away from his master’s hands. “No need to pay attention to a copy like me. Wielding my blade will only shame you.”

Here we go again… the Saniwa couldn’t help but sigh mentally, rolling his eyes and moving imperceptibly closer to his Toudan whose gaze was clouded with guilt as always when he chastised himself.

“It’s no big deal. If it gets messed up, I won’t be compared to someone else.”

“Still, it needs to be cleaned. Look at this, even the back is caked in filth,” he stated, pointing to the spot before crossing his arms. “Besides, I might surprise you, but this has nothing to do with Chougi, you know? I’m not comparing you with him.”

“Huh…?” gasped Yamanbagiri, surprise and confusion evident in his turquoise eyes.

“What an idea. So, won’t you let me wash this cloth?”

“It's fine! I'm fine like this!”

His tsukumogami’s stubbornness started to exasperate him slightly, his lips twisting into an annoyed pout as a result. Finally losing patience, the boy took a single step to close the distance between them before standing on tiptoe to grab the edges of his hood, bringing their faces so close that their breaths met in an almost intimate gesture.

“Well, that’s a problem,” he argued defensively at first. But, softened by the simultaneously bewildered and embarrassed look of the Touken Danshi, he relented at once. After all, he knew him all too well. “See? Who told you that you were just a copy? In the end, you’re you.”

Rendered speechless, the Uchigatana seemed to lose the words he was never short of when it came to belittling himself. It seemed to him as if time had suspended in the eerily silent stable, and instead of responding straight away, he unexpectedly found himself in a state of deep contemplation, while the Sage’s words resonated within him in a deafening echo.

“Hiding such a pretty sword as you is truly unforgivable.”

“Ah… Uh…” he stammered confusedly before reacting sharply when he realised what his master had just uttered. Troubled by their unusual proximity, he thus backed away so hastily that his cloak slipped off his shoulders; the hood remaining traitorously caught in the Saniwa’s fingers, who widened his eyes in surprise at the incongruous movement. “Don’t call me pretty!”

“My, aren’t you funny…”

“What on earth were you thinking!?” the blond Kunihiro snarled, concealing his reddened face in his hands.

“So sorry,” the cherry-haired boy simply replied, sounding anything but sincere. Then, smiling kindly, he removed his own white-orangey cape and tied it around his Toudan’s neck before pulling the hood over his head. “Until I'm done washing your cloth, you can borrow mine.”

It smells sweet… Yamanbagiri noted, feeling intoxicated as the fabric brushed against his skin in an unintentional caress.

“Is that all right with you?”

“Y–Yes.”

🔙previous snippet

[causenessus]

NESSSSSSSS ITS SELF SHIP FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! HERE ARE MY SELF SHIP FRIDAY QUESTIONS i love the one you picked choosing these was hard

birthday, tounge-tied, and lipstick !!!!

tag game <3

HAPPY SELF SHIP WEDNESDAY MOLLY LMAO 😭😭😭😭😭😭 IT'S OKAY BC WE'RE ALSO DOING SELF SHIP WEDNESDAY!!!! <3 I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE QUESTIONS I SENT YOU!!

birthday — how does ur fﾉo make ur birthday special ?

he knows i hate spending it with a lot of people and that i don't like bringing up my birthday in general so he has it ALL figured out omg <3 he keeps everything a surprise until the day of. he does not even say something like "so ur birthday's coming up..." nope. he knows i hate that. i was a little nervous the first time my birthday came around after we started dating because he knew when my birthday was (we're 100% friends to lovers 🧍‍♀️) but he hadn't said a word to me about it so i thought maybe he forgot (i'm so self destructive and hypocritical please i hope this makes sense and doesn't make u go 'now wtf do u mean u hate talking abt ur birthday and then get nervous about people not remembering it' I'M SORRY OKAY) but then he woke me up the day of spam calling my phone (he'd already sent me a happy birthday ESSAY the moment it turned midnight too) and told me to get ready bc he had an entire day planned out for us. (i am getting way too into this apologies). and we usually just do things like go out for froyo and go to cafes and book stores <3 and maybe paint pottery idk <3 the most he ever asks me about my birthday atp is what i want as a gift like two months in advance (as if he's gonna get any response out of me other than "idk 😃"). and if my friends complain about hanging out to celebrate my birthday too he'll def take charge of the hangout and we probably go out with our friends to celebrate it like the day after my birthday <3

tongue-tied — what is one thing ur fﾉo does that never fails to render u a flustered mess ? 

staring at me. i literally cannot focus OMFG and he's so annoying about it!! because i can always just feel when he's staring at me and i just start squirming bc i'm like "STOP PERCEIVING ME PLEASE JFC" but he won't stop!! he just smiles and stares for even longer!! and ever so often i won't notice him staring and i'll turn to look at him and see he's already looking at me and it messes me up so bad i have to like pull up my hood and tighten the drawstrings of my hoodie and just hide while he laughs.

lipstick — where is ur fﾉo’s favourite place ( s ) to kiss u ?

molly u can't ask this. i will turn into a feral demon who needs to be drowned in holy water. hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh neck. neck neck neck.

[sfsolace]

Makinata Mondays: A Hakumei & Mikochi read-along

This is a weekly series where I read through my favorite manga and share my thoughts along with some screenshots.

Chapter 6: Sailor's Market

Plot summary: Hakumei and Mikochi visit the shopping district of Arabi; but when Mikochi loses her wallet, they decide to go sightseeing in the hopes of eventually finding it.

This chapter is our first look at Arabi, a quaint port town that will feature more often. When rewatching the anime, i was surprised that this was the second chapter they feature. It makes sense for the pacing of the season and since the manga is very episodic, it's hardly noticeable.

This is also where we meet the owner of the "Port Lounge Kobone". From context, it seems like Kobone is a last name, but since Mikochi calls her Kobone in this chapter as well, I'll do too. (Update: if i read the world guide correctly, her name is Maya, but my japanese is very shoddy)

I really like the juxtaposition of how welcoming she is, while also maintaining a "rough and tumble" kind of energy. Truly a "bar owner" type of vibe.

Getting a bento for a sightseeing trip definitely takes the sting out of losing your wallet.

I would certainly empty my wallet if it would mean i get to take a walk around the city with my favorite person and snack on a delicious lunch.

I adore the abandoned town square! Seems like a perfect place for a picnic. I love finding little secluded places during a trip, especially if I'm looking for a place to eat.

Reminds me of the first time I've had kimbap. All the restaurants were full and a little takeout box full of kimbap was all we could get, so we just wolfed them down next to some bike racks in the middle of the city.

We also find out why Mikochi is a favorite of all the shopkeepers. They really value her feedback for new recipes, because of her fine sense of taste. Mikochi sure cooks a lot, but this shines a light on how good her cooking skills really are.

Hakumei's crafting and camping skills got a lot of focus up until now, so it's great that this chapter we see more of Mikochi's strengts. She is skilled at navigating towns, maintaining relationships and cooking, while Hakumei has more energy and more natural charisma.

Last week i wrote a post on Hakumei's neurodivergent tendencies; please check it out!

I would love to include more screenshots, but I've hit the limit for this post. The chapter closes with this wonderful sequence where Hakumei and Mikochi stand at the water and reflect on their trip.

These introspective moments are what i love most about this manga, they are always very well rendered and so relaxing to me. The anime also often nails the tone, especially for this chapter. In the anime, this sequence is actually extended to serve as the ending for the entire episode and it fits super well!

That's it for this week, see you next monday for chapter 7!

[theteasetwrites]

Born Yesterday

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader ❧ Era: Season 3 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: none ❧ Word Count: 1.2k

❧ Prompt 38 from this list

❧ Requested by @through-the-little-door (thank you!!)

❧ Summary: A bad dream renders you sleepless, but a particularly dreamy archer keeps you company, along with a very sleepy baby cradled in his arms.

❧ A/N: My very first oneshot! I'm still trying to get the hang of it after writing my series for a while now. I really like this list I got it from, so if anyone would like me to write a little something something for practice I'd be more than happy to do so! Hope this is okay for the first one.

Another bad dream.

You were having a lot of those lately, and they seemed to be getting more vivid.

Usually, you could fall back asleep after a nightmare, but tonight was different. You couldn’t shake the images your troubled mind had conjured up, deep in the arms of a restless sleep.

Tossing the cool linen sheets from your body, you lifted yourself from your bed, the squeaky springs further rousing you from your previously unconscious state.

As you always were when you woke up, you were incredibly parched. You internally scolded yourself for not keeping a stash of water bottles in your cell, but you also supposed the short walk to the kitchen area would help clear your mind of the nightmarish images.

Pushing open the door of your cell, you tiptoed down the catwalk with your arms outstretched a bit to make sure you didn’t hit something in the dark.

When you noticed you could actually see your hands in front of you, you looked up and focused your eyes on the dim lantern flickering near the baby’s crib (which was really just a box with some blankets for cushioning).

You approached slowly, trying your hardest not to wake the newborn. She was only born yesterday, she needed her sleep.

As you passed, you couldn’t help but steal a peek at her. To your surprise, she wasn’t there.

“Hey,” a deep, gruff voice you knew to be Daryl’s sounded from behind you as he emerged from the shadows holding the baby.

You flinched a little in surprise before turning around to reveal his face, accented by the lantern’s warm yellow glow that danced across his face with each flicker.

You rubbed your sleepy eyes. “Hi,” you said quietly. “Just… getting some water.” You folded your arms over your chest, admiring Daryl as he rocked the sleeping infant back and forth in his strong arms. “I see you’ve been put on babysitting duty.”

“Shut up,” he practically whispered. “She was hungry.”

You tilted your head in adoration. Daryl seemed to be the last person in your group to care about a baby, but he was the one who got her formula, and the first one to feed it to her.

It was good for the baby, but bad for you and your rather annoying crush on him. Every time you were around him you had that same feeling you get when you’re driving fast down a steep hill. You had never been sure if you liked that feeling or not, and you still weren’t.

“Well, she’s lucky to have you. You’re good with her.”

Daryl narrowed his eyes at you, as if he didn’t believe what you were saying to him. “You mean that?”

You laughed. “Of course, I do.”

Daryl gently rested the baby back in her crib. “You just got up to get water, huh?”

You nodded. Not just that. The reason you were thirsty was because you had prematurely awoken from a terrible dream. “Yeah.”

Daryl chewed on his thumb, contemplating what he was going to say next.

He felt your eyes lingering on his body, and it always gave him an odd feeling. It wasn’t a bad one, or a feeling that you were judging him. It was more like he wished he could muster up the courage to look at you the same way.

“Ya know, I get bad dreams, too,” he said.

You furrowed your brow, wondering how he could possibly know about your nightmares.

“How’d you know?”

He shrugged. “Cell’s right next to yours. I can hear ya saying stuff in your sleep. Figured they ain’t good dreams.”

You fidgeted with your hands, your head held down as you looked at them. “That’s embarrassing.”

He shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. Like I said, get ‘em too.”

You raised your head to look at him before tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. “Thanks, Daryl. Good to know I’m not the only one.”

He nodded, still looking down at the peaceful baby. “Wish I could sleep like her,” he said. “Don’t even know what’s out there, how bad things can get.”

You sighed. “That’s the benefit of being born yesterday, I guess. You don’t have any nightmares because you can’t even comprehend the bad things.”

Daryl grunted in agreement. “Yeah,” he said. “Least we get good dreams, though. Kinda makes up for it, I guess.”

You smiled. “That’s true. I can’t remember the last time I had a good dream, though.”

“Me neither,” he said. “It’d be nice to go to sleep and not think about those undead bastards for a bit.”

“That’s what you dream about?”

He nodded. “Every time I sleep. It’s why I barely do.”

“I dream about being swallowed into a black hole, or getting trapped in an underwater cave and never being found. Things like that.”

“Least you’re creative.”

You laughed. “Only when I sleep.”

That was it. That laugh, that smile, the way you closed your eyes when you did it. If he could see that little bit of happiness for the rest of his life, he’d have everything he ever wanted.

He was in love. He couldn’t admit to himself, and couldn’t even imagine admitting it to you, but he knew he was.

The two of you were silent for a while, watching the baby squirm a bit in her sleep. “You know,” you began, “if you ever need help… um, babysitting her, you can always ask me.”

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t using the newborn he was clearly so fond of to spend more time with Daryl. You didn’t know much about hunting or mechanics or any of the other things he seemed interested in, but babies? Piece of cake.

He looked away quickly, hoping you couldn’t see him blushing. “Uh, yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s fine… or if you ever just wanna talk.”

He couldn’t believe what he was saying. Talk?

He hated talking. Well, with most people.

Your eyes widened, and you raised your voice a little too high. “Really?”

The baby woke up with a stir, her cries ringing out throughout the cell block. Daryl quickly picked her up and began rocking her back and forth in his arms.

“Shhh…” he said. “It’s a’right.”

You nearly lost it at his baby voice, so sweet and innocent. When she stopped crying, you looked at Daryl with so much admiration.

A thought occurred to him as he felt your eyes on him again. “You wanna hold her?”

You hadn’t held her yet. You wanted to, but you didn’t want to impose. “Can I?”

Daryl nodded. “Asked ya, didn’t I?”

You sighed. “I would love to hold Lil’ Asskicker.”

She didn’t have a name yet, but the nickname given to her by Daryl was just fine for now.

He carefully transferred the baby from his hands to yours. “She’s so light,” you said. She began to close her eyes again as you held her. “You know, what Daryl?”

“What?” he asked, watching you hold the baby close to you with such fascination.

“Maybe we don’t need good dreams,” you said. “Maybe it’s just about good memories, like this.”

He smiled. “Yeah, think so.”

~

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments of any kind are always appreciated!

[blackindiaink]

Promt: Raelle seeing the snow for the first time

Winter in Fort Salem came early and with it came the cold. Bitter cold that tickled the tips of exposed noses and nipped at ears. It blew through open doors and chilled corridors, forcing the quartermaster to issue the big winter coats a month sooner than usual.

It also made sneaking away a little harder since even a few minutes outside left Raelle in misery. She hated cold. It settled in her bones and wouldn't leave, rendering her hands useless and her teeth chattering.

Scylla was the opposite. She thrived in the cold. It brought a healthy blush to her cheeks, making her look even more alive and healthy. Raelle envied her energy and excitement in greeting the cold times.

That's why it was no surprise when Scylla was shocked that Raelle had never seen snow. The conversation came about one night when Raelle had slipped into bed with her, cuddling up immediately to get warm.

"How does your body manage to get so cold when you've been in tons of clothes?" Scylla teased.

"No idea but it sucks so..." Raelle shivered.

"Poor girl," Scylla said, wrapping Raelle up in her arms. "Stop moving and I'll get you warm," she directed.

"I'm not moving on purpose," Raelle complained.

Scylla just laughed and held on tighter until Raelle relaxed in her arms. Their temperatures equalized and she knew she could loosen her grip now but she didn't. It felt too good to hold on.

"I have no idea how you're going to survive when it starts snowing," Scylla commented.

"Oh goddess, I'm not. I'll just lay down and die. I've never even seen snow but I do know it's just gonna be cold, wet hell falling from the sky," Raelle said.

"Hey! Don't insult snow like that." Scylla scolded and nudged Raelle's shoulder with her nose. "Snow and I are old friends. We go way back. All the best things in my life happened when it snowed," Scylla said.

"Except meeting me," Raelle teased.

"Yes, except meeting you," Scylla smiled and shook her head.

"So, I should be happy it's supposed to snow next week?" Raelle asked.

Scylla pulled back a little and raised an eyebrow.

"It's going to snow tonight," she stated.

"What? The forecast said not for another week," Raelle argued.

Scylla shook her head as soon as the protest started.

"Nope, it'll be tonight. I can smell it," Scylla insisted.

"How can you smell that it's going to snow?" Raelle scoffed.

"Hey, don't believe me if you want. I just know that it will. Snow and I have that special relationship," Scylla said.

"Okay, every weather work witch says otherwise but my necro goddess has a close personal relationship with frozen water that falls from the sky," Raelle joked.

"Make fun but wait and see. As soon as the first flakes start to fall the magic will begin. The world is different in snow, time stops" Scylla grinned.

Raelle stopped short of coming up with a smart ass reply to that and just watched Scylla for a moment. She couldn't deny that somehow Scylla managed to be even more attractive at times like this.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are when you're passionate about something," Raelle said instead of a witty reply.

Scylla smiled softly and replied with a kiss. Slow and artless like the snow falling. That was their world tonight, sequestered away in another universe where they didn't have to worry about fighting and survival. It was easy to fall asleep, warm in each other's arms with the quiet night protecting them.

Hours later, Scylla woke, bolding upright in bed and startling Raelle awake with her.

"What? What's wrong?" Raelle blinked sleepy eyes open and readied herself to fight something. "Scylla?"

Scylla was staring at the window, rapt attention showing she was clearly wide awake now. Without saying a word, she got out of bed and began to dress.

"Come on, put your clothes on," Scylla said.

"What? It's two in the morning. We have training," Raelle argued.

"Come on, this is important," Scylla insisted.

"Ugh," Raelle grumbled. She slid off the bed and immediately shivered when her socked feet hit the cold floor. "This better be good." She murmured.

Scylla ignored her and pulled her coat on, glancing back to see that Raelle was only half dressed. She chewed her lip and walked over to wait by the door, her face awash with the glow of excitement.

"Lets go," Scylla insisted.

"I'm coming," Raelle answered.

She zipped up her second boot and stumbled a little as she joined Scylla at the door, who caught and steadied her. She smiled and pulled Raelle in, kissing her forehead.

"Trust me." Scylla whispered.

Raelle nodded and followed her girlfriend out the door and down the hallway. It was colder out here than in the barracks room, even more cold in the stairwell, but Raelle didn't know what cold was until Scylla opened the side door to the outside world and that blast of wind hit her.

"Fuck," she cursed.

Scylla laughed and took Raelle's gloved hand in hers, pulling her out into the night. They walked a few hundred yards over to where dense woods began to replace the well manicured grounds of Fort Salem.

She led Raelle through the trees, passing low branches, their boots crunching on frozen earth and leaves. When Scylla stopped they were in a clearing. A ring of trees framed a perfect picture of the night sky. It was just far enough away from the lights of the fort that they would have been able to see more stars if clouds weren't obscuring them.

Scylla took up a position right in the middle of the clearing and looked up at the sky, pulling Raelle close by putting her arms around her middle, locking them into place over Raelle's stomach.

"What are we doing?" Raelle asked.

"Shh, just wait," Scylla instructed.

Raelle took in a breath and sniffed in the cold air. This seemed ridiculous. Her toes were already freezing and her nose was going to fall off if they stayed out here for much longer.

"Annnnnnnd now," Scylla whispered.

Raelle narrowed her eyes and looked around.

"What?" She asked just as the first snowflake fell onto the tip of her eyelash.

"Woah," Raelle said.

So, maybe Scylla did have some weird connection with snow because flakes started to fall all around them, lazy and slow. They spun in the breeze like they were waving hello to them on their way down to earth.

Scylla laughed, sticking her tongue out to catch a snowflake on her tongue. Raelle broke her grip and turned so they were face to face. The pure joy emanating from Scylla was as infectious as a virus and soon Raelle was smiling and catching snowflakes of her own, sticking her tongue out in the freezing air.

The snow became a little heavier and Scylla stepped closer, pulling Raelle into her arms again.

"See, magical," Scylla said.

Raelle met her eyes and pursed her lips, near exploding with feeling.

"Very magical," Raelle replied.

She didn't know if she was talking about the snow or Scylla, probably both but it didn't matter. Everything she wanted was right here. She could love the cold if it meant Scylla was happy.

[nincompoopydoo]

LOVE IS STRANGE

PAIRING: Poe Dameron x reader WORD COUNT: 1.9k SUMMARY: The union of Ireca and Mohash may seem a typical cliche of love in comparison to your depressingly lonely state, but when a certain poster boy pilot emerges during the celebration, you wonder if love works in other underlying ways. A/N: I found this in my google docs, first written about a year ago. so, wohoo i present to you my first ever poe dameron content, i think? he's so charming and carelessly beautiful. please leave a comment and tell me what you think or what else you'll like to see from me 💖 gif by @john-seed from this gifst WARNINGS: mentions of alcohol and getting drunk, space swearing. support my writing through ko-fi💖 MASTERLIST

Love is strange. Delicate yet fierce. So forceful that it manages to seep through the cracks created by bombs and gunfire of war. Unexpected at times, appearing out of nowhere. Yet, it’s beautiful because it brings those with beautiful hearts and minds together, entangled in the constant dance of intimacy and devotion.

It’s what Ireca and Mohash have.

Ireca was from the Logistic division, a mechanic herself and your colleague. She was to be married to her long-time lover, Mohash, a flight engineer for the Cobalt Squadron. As far as cliches go, wartime love falls along the lines of a romance cliche. Yet, war was all you’ve known. It’s what everyone has ever known. It’s common to develop some kind of a feeling other than the constant emotions during battle—fondness, the feeling of falling in love with someone. It’s truly what we stay alive for.

Maybe that’s why you hate it so much. The absence of the feeling that everyone describes as so fucking amazing that it completes you. You feel empty most of the time. It’s definitely the reason why you put all your effort into fixing things you can rather than complicated problems and issues that continue to reside in your mind, especially in the wake of midnight.

You find yourself sitting by the makeshift bar, tucked away from the crowd of friends and colleagues. There’s music playing, the sound of drums, and the seven-string hallikset reminds you of your brief visit to Naboo three cycles ago. You’re nursing a warm cup of something that tastes closer to acid water than alcohol.

Ireca emerges from the crowd with flowers in her braided hair. She approaches you with a bright smile and calls out your name wistfully. You shoot a strained smile her way, feeling the bags under your eyes weigh a little more. “What are you doing here all by yourself, huh?” she asks, leaning against the bar with a gentle pat on your shoulder.

“I’m just really tired. Last night was rough. Plus, I’m behind schedule.” you sighed heavily, running your fingers through your hair. She flashed you a smile of sympathy as you continued, “I’m sorry, Ireca. Don’t let me ruin your night. Go, have fun.”

She raises an eyebrow as you take another sip from your cup.

"Go. I'm sure you don't want to miss Mohash's special performance." You gesture to a drunk Mohash, who seemed to be searching for the woman. Ireca merely laughed. "Oh, it sure is going to be special." With a gentle touch to your back and wave, you watch her make her way into the swarm of bodies. You're left alone once again.

You’re still trying to figure out how Mohash even got hold of any sort of alcohol and managed to smuggle it into the base. Someone must have nicked it during one of the previous missions in the Mid Rim.

You rub your eyes, half-awake at this point; your cup is placed beside you as you rest your head against your folded arms on the table. Your mind is in a daze and incapable of irrational thought, deciding it would be best to just camp out here, by the makeshift bar, for the night. You were too tired to drag yourself all the way to your quarters, which felt like miles away, in the first place.

As sleep began to weigh heavy upon your eyelids, you suddenly felt a sharp tap on your shoulder. A soft groan escaped your lips as you shifted your head, still resting on your arms, just enough to peek at your sleep intruder.

It’s Poe Dameron. Commander and Black Leader. Incredibly talented, confident, and effortlessly handsome.

Ugh, you hate this guy.

Yet, you don’t feel so tired anymore.

“Are you drunk?” There’s amusement in his voice with a tinge of mockery. It made you realize the stun you were pulling. Classic Dameron. It was supposed to be a happy ceremony, but it was truly Ireca’s fault for manipulating you into coming tonight. Parties, events, and social gatherings were never right up your alley. You prefer spending time with machinery and your greasy hands.

Poe’s eyes are gleaming under the fluorescent lights, filled with concern, but you spot the smugness in his emerging smile. A flash of a thought, you kind of want to feel his lips on yours. The image immediately stings. You want to gag.

Poe is irritating, arrogant, and careless. Not charming. Nope, definitely not charming.

You straighten yourself, trying to shake off the burning image, shoving it to the back of your head. You lift your head, propping your elbow on the table and resting your chin on the heel of your hand. “You actually think I’ll even touch that bantha shit?”

Tearing your eyes away from Poe, you reach for your cup only to realize it was empty. He casts you a look. Your eyes shoot daggers with an extended pointer finger his way, “Don’t you dare say anything, flyboy.”

Poe raises his palms in defense, lips pursing. “Wasn’t going to.”

You catch a glimmer of mischief in his eyes, one hand discreetly reaching under his tawny leather jacket. Then, a bottle of Corellian whiskey emerges, shining under the lights of the Resistance hangar. Your face lights up at the recognition of the bottle, memories of your rare trips to Corellia, sharing whiskey drinks with your colleagues. It was the only planet you’d been to ever since you joined the Resistance.

You’ve only tasted Corellian whiskey once because of how expensive it is. You’ll happily get drunk to that in a heartbeat. Drink the worry and sorrow away with the lingering taste of frankly exorbitant whiskey.

Like a child with grabby hands, you reach for the bottle, but as your fingers brush his, Poe quickly lifts it to the air and away from you. He smacks your hand away. You whine, feeling a little lightheaded. The contents of the mysterious drink are starting to kick in.

What the blinkin' mradhe muck was in that drink?

“What do you want from me? It’s not like I have a drinking problem.”

He’s giving you that look like he’s judging you, but with a hint of amusement at the slight tug of the corner of his mouth. “You definitely have a drinking problem, but... i'll let you drink this on one condition.”

“For kriff’s sake,” you mutter, rolling your eyes, glancing away. “I’m not doing any weird wacky favors for you, Dameron.”

He scoffs, expression bewildered. “Hey, I don’t ask for weird wacky favors,” He articulates his words with a defensive tone, index finger stretched to your face. You simply smack it away as Poe clicks his tongue and continues to clarify his proposition. “All I’m asking is for you to fix my ship.”

Your wide-eyed gaze flies to him, shaking your head furiously. “Oh, no, no. No. Never in a million cycles. Never in a million millennials. Nuh-uh—”

“Hey, quit being dramatic. It’s a simple job.”

Your eyes grow even wider, voice raising. “A simple job? You fly that ship of yours like we have hundreds of spare ones. I’m not putting all my time and effort into fixing a lost cause.”

“But you haven’t even—”

“No. I’m not fixing your ship, and that’s final.”

Poe blinks and you’re back to fussing over your empty cup. The chatter of the crowd grows louder as a group of pilots of the Cobalt Squadron began rendering verses of an unknown traditional drinking song to your ears. You steal a look to only find Ireca and Mohash amidst a dance, tangled in each other's arms.

He eyes closely, noticing the turn of your lips, trained eyes deem melancholy. He knows the face of a loner very well—usually recruits with lost family and homes. They enlist in a mass community of freedom fighters for the restoration of good in the universe, and to finally feel a sense of familiarity and belonging. He doesn’t know much about you but he knows you don’t truly have anyone to depend on but yourself. It’s the reason why you’re constantly fierce.

Poe clears his throat, shifting closer to you as he watches the way you carry your gradual gaze to hold his. They then flit to the space between the two of you, raised eyebrows acknowledging the weird close proximity of his presence to yours.

“Look, you’re the best mechanic there ever was and probably ever will be. So, fix my ship, and you get to have this Corellian beauty. All of it.” He sways the bottle in the air, but you don’t look at it.

“You know, that’s bribery.”

“Yes, and it’s working.”

You scoff. “No, it isn’t.”

Poe laughs. “Yes, it is. I can see it in your eyes.”

Another scoff, you look fully aggravated. “How dense do you think I am?”

“Oh, very, but let’s not get into that.”

Bickering was the only language the two of you spoke fluently when you found yourselves tangled in a conversation with one another. Thrown insults were spoken lies—saying you hate each other when you know that isn’t true. Well, at least you don’t mean it and you hoped Poe didn’t either.

You’re exhausted, physically and mentally. For once, kindness and acceptance seem to be the easiest route.

A sigh passes your lips as you blink up to the ceiling, sending a silent prayer for blessings from the Maker above. “You’re right. I am dense. Truly dense. So, yeah. Okay. I’ll fix that stupid X-Wing of yours.”

Poe blinks, dumbfounded. “Wait, really?”

With a roll of your eyes, they meet his very own wide ones. “Yes, really. Only because you complimented me. Now, hand me that Corellian whiskey before I change my mind.”

He then makes a sound that resonates between a cough and a pleasantly surprised laugh, eyes crinkling with delight. Poe happily and absentmindedly passes the whiskey to you, still reacting like your agreement is some sort of object of ridicule in the best way possible.

“Wow—Maker, you have no idea what kind of trouble you’re saving me from. If the General ever found out—man, pfft. Thank you. Thank you so much—”

A swift and unexpected motion, he is reaching you, palms clasp and either side of your face, and plants a quick peck on the side of your left temple.

Poe isn’t thinking straight.

There you are, mid-swig, lips so close to the rim of the bottle with eyes so wide. You steal a steady glance at the pilot whose expression seems to reflect yours. His hands are still on your cheeks. He’s unbelievably close to you and he’s staring with that stupid look of his.

‘Maker, preserve me.’

A cheer erupts from the crowd from across the space and just like that, the moment is gone. Whatever the moment even was. His touch is no longer on yours and his gaze shifting away.

The tension, however, is still very present.

You finally take a swig of the whiskey, wanting to ease the sudden tightness in your chest. You hum at the stinging sensation on your tongue. You catch a glimpse of Poe from the corner of your eye who busies himself with tapping his fingers nervously against the surface of the bar.

Then, in an awkward motion, you stretch your arm to him, offering the drink.

A beat. His gaze shifts between you and your hand. When he finally gives in, a smile curves upon his lips, fingers brushing against yours. They’re delicate and you smile at him. It's small, but it makes his heart skip a beat and you wonder to yourself about the strangeness of love.

[sweetwolfcupcake]

Allurement: Chills and Creeps

Yandere Namjoon x Reader

She was not liking it at all, not even a bit. (Y/N) knew that she was sometimes a bit too naive and trusting, the girl was well-aware of her follies. But she was no fool. It was the eighth time she had received a gift- not just any gift- it was an item she remembered vividly checking out online, or perhaps it was what she had eyed when she was passing through the street market. The last time had been a book she had been wanting to read, but of course, she could not afford to spend on anything inessential, (Y/N) had to save money.

                                                                                    There were handwritten notes with each bouquet of flower, or 'gifts', (Y/N) did not know what else to call, them, even though they were gradually making her paranoid.

But as she read the hand-written note, while a bouquet of burgundy roses in her grasp, she felt chills running down her spine.

'The love of my life. I think it is time, we must leave this vain world behind and create one of our own. I shall pick you up tonight when you would be off to your home from your draining shift at the restaurant. You would never have to worry about a thing when you would be with me. I have everything prepared. And tonight, we shall elope. And we will live happily, ever after.'

- Your faithful and devoted soulmate.

The girl felt sick reading the note. Her stomach churned and her eyes welled up with unshed tears as her heart dropped to her stomach. Until now, she had been unsure what to do with all of it, the notes had been getting creepier, first, it was a comment on how her hair seemed to be in perfect sync with the wind, the next one had been a compliment on her dress, even her voice, the person then had commented on her sneakers, and how to smelt like a rare, sweet, untouched flower he wanted to 'bloom in his garden alone'.                                                                              She could not take it anymore, it was turning terrifying and she was already regretting not going to the police. She felt her cheeks dampening as the terror set in. What would she do now? She could not afford to miss even a day at work!                                                                                                        All (Y/N) had ever wanted to support her mother, complete her education and live in peace. Her lips quivered as she sniffled, trying to stifle her sobs, or she could wake up her mother- the woman needed to rest.

"What do I do? Whom had I ever wronged to deserve this?" she whispered, feeling the panic brewing in as more tears cascaded down her flushed cheeks.

-----

(Y/N) had gone to work anyway, she could not even think of missing it, it would take a strain on her bills. And she did not want that. Despite her requests, her employer had not let her off earlier than usual. It was close to midnight when she had stepped out of her workplace and had begun to briskly walk towards her home. Her legs were tired, but she knew that if she would slow down, she could be in danger. She prayed that whoever it was, they were playing a sick prank on her, just a sick prank.                                                                                                                                                              Yet, all such thoughts vanished the moment she heard footsteps behind her, it was at a distance, but it was fast approaching. And without a second thought, she broke into a sprint. With her mouth open, gasping air as she forced her legs to move faster as she ran, she ran for her life, the sound of boots chasing her pushed her further into the edge of fear. She huffed, feeling short of breath. Her lungs burned and her feet ached, but she did not stop, she could not.

Not until she crashed right into another body and screamed in surprise, expecting the worst, but the familiar soothing voice floated in as the person held her close, breaking her out of her panicked state-

"(Y/N)! (Y/N) what happened? It's me, Namjoon! It's alright, you are okay, you are fine, (Y/N), look at me."

She blinked, getting her breathing back into normal, at least that was what she tried. The dreaded footsteps ceased at a distance and as Mr Kim's eyes focused ahead of her, with his jaws clenched and eyebrows drown together, she knew that he could see the person,                          "L-let's just get out of here, please." she pleaded while finally letting a single tear escape her eyes. Her voice had caught Mr Kim's attention as he looked down, eyes reflecting deep concern

"Are you hurt, he hurt you? Why were you running?"

"I-"

"Just stay here, okay?" with that, before she could protest he was marched past her, she turned back, only to catch sight of a man running away before Mr Kim could confront him, but instead of returning, he took off behind the man. And she was left alone, shivering, sniffling, frightened and incredibly tired.

"Please..." she whispered out to the air. Footsteps floated in once more, only this time, it was the familiar silhouette of Mr Kim that had greeted her sight before she felt relief flooding her tensed nerves.

"He got away, bastard!" Mr Kim hissed, despite the sense of relief and security she felt in his presence, the sliver of his rage had her gulping as she realised that after all, he beyond those polite smiles and benevolent eyes. As soon as his gaze flickered at her, the anger simmered down "Are you alright, Darling? You are trembling, here," he generously took off his coat and dropped it over her quivering form.

"Tha-thank you." fear had not left her yet, if anything, the withdraw of adrenaline hit her all at once and her already weak legs turned completely boneless, but Mr Kim was there to hold her, pull her closer to his comparatively warmer body as he supported her weight.

"Careful there, calm down okay? My car is right here, I have some water. We will talk when you are better, hm?" his voice was soothing, gentle, calm, the depth only added to the calmness as he gently rubbed her shoulder with his thumb.

Under any other circumstances, she would have been uncomfortable, but at the moment, it was addictively reassuring and she wanted nothing more than to lean on him and go to sleep. She was exhausted. A weak squeak escaped her lips as he felt his hand on the back of her thighs before she was heaved up. "W-wait, Mr Kim, you don't need to!" Now pressed flush against his chest as he carried her in his arms, she could feel the vibration of his deep chuckle.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you. Besides, you need to rest." she protested no further, only held on to him in silence.

The short walk was silent until he reached his car and put her on her feet again. Opening the car door, he gently ushered her inside. The warmth of the car added to the relished feeling of safety, and it also made her realise how vulnerable she was. Had Mr Kim not been there...She did not want to even think about what could have happened.

"Here, have some water." he offered her a bottle of water as soon as he was inside the car, as well.

"Thank you," she whispered before accepting and opening it and attaching her lips to the opening straight away, she was parched and the lukewarm water felt like nectar of immortality.

"Slow down, you will choke otherwise, slowly." he fussed and her cheeks warmed up as soon as she realised that she had rendered the bottle useless to him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I-I" she could not hold back the sniffle, the fear and anxiety had never left her

"No, no, relax, it's okay, I have other bottles, but I want you to relax first, okay? Here, have some." he cooed as he produced a lollipop from the dashboard, it smelt of fresh lemon and honey "Whenever I am tensed or upset, I used to pop open my favourite lollipop, it helped me relax." suppressing yet another sniffle, she accepted the candy with her shaky hands "Relax, okay? Let's get you home first." she nodded mutely, that was the best he could do for her. All she wished to do was to curl up on her bed and let sleep take over. With that thought, she passed Mr Kim a smile as she put the lollipop inside her mouth. He smiled at her, yet, it seemed sharp. But she was sure she was thinking too much, she was a bit shaken after all.

The car started and Mr Kim took to driving, the silence was comfortable, added to the smooth motion of the car, and the tiredness taking over her, she felt her eyes turning increasingly tired with each passing moment. But she fought it, she did not want to fall asleep in his car, he was already being too kind, too generous. At least she could wait until she fell on her bed. The sweet and sour taste of the lollipop was addictive, it made her realise how long it had been since she had bought herself a stack of her favourite candies.                                                                                      She could not ponder over it long enough but, the tiredness was too much and the call of slumber was compelling enough for her to finally give in and sag against the passenger seat and let her droopy eyelids flutter shut.

****

Taglist (Kindly remind me later if I missed anyone)- @whatpageisthis @amoc94 @theresa-nam-nam-me @dearbambideer @casualminiaturetimemachine @njrwifey @kpopisnicee @illnevertrustmyselfagain @potterbrooke @luvaffaire @bighitfics @rkive-diary

[nancywheelxr]

i'm not sure if you prefer more specific prompts but if you have any interest, something canon-era (compliant or divergence) in the realm of "ye baiyi & every- or anyone"? whichever characters you wanna include; a moment or moments where he feels like maybe there is a little more to the rest of his life than duty and death. it's not only warm food he's been starved of for decades. your writing is great, i hope you're having a good day!

hi! thank you sm! i love getting prompts regardless, honestly, the only difference is that more specific ones tend to get done faster if only bc I already have a loose idea where to go with it! anyway, this somehow turned into a fix-it. that being said, I hope you’re having a lovely day too!

*

i.

They’re so painfully young.

A bird chirps in a tree somewhere nearby and around the fire, Qin Huaizhang’s disciple throws the blanket on the Wen brat’s face. What set off his sensibilities this time, Ye Baiyi doesn’t know, it might have been the perceived coddling, it might have simply been the fussing– either way, it’s pointless. Does he not know the brat will simply wait until he’s asleep to cover him? Does he not know their ridiculous dance around each other is nothing but time wasted?

How do the young ever get anything done?

Foolish. Have they ever been that foolish? Changqing, he knows, was a most ridiculous man with even more ridiculous ideas– who’s the bigger idiot, then, the fool or the one who loves him? 

“Ye-qianbei,” the boy appears at his side, wide-eyed like a newborn deer and with legs as shaky as one too, “if you’re cold, we have more blankets.”

The absurdity of the situation– to ask Ye Baiyi if he’s cold! What’s the night chill compared to the snowy grounds of his mountain? To him, is this not warm weather? “Little fool,” he says, shaking his head even as he laughs, “you’d do better worrying about your idiot master and his idiot friend.”

The kid looks across the fire, grimaces. “I don’t dare, I don’t dare! My brothers used to tell me not to get in the way when my parents were arguing!”

What a ridiculous child. Ye Baiyi laughs again. “They’re not arguing, they’re being dumb. Watch this,” he flicks a little rock at them, hitting Qin Huaizhang’s disciple in the forehead and earning an outraged glare from the Wen brat. “Qing Huaizhang’s disciple, your disciple is freezing off while you’re fooling around. Is this how you the two of you are going to raise your child?”

Beside him, the kid makes a startled little noise like a scared little rabbit before launching into a stuttering denial, but it’s too late, Qin Huaizhang’s disciple has already turned to focus on him as if smelling blood. “Chengling, are you cold? Why didn’t you say so?”

“Ah, no, no, I’m really not,” he tries, but he is, he wouldn’t have known to worry about others if he hadn’t been feeling the chill himself. “Ye-qianbei! Ye-qianbei–”

“Ah, ah!” Wen Kexing interrupts, shaking a finger in his direction, “why are you calling him? Come here, have this blanket since your Shifu is being stubborn.”

The boy goes obediently, shuffling around and nearly tripping on the log, and allows the Wen brat to wrap the blanket around his shoulders. Predictably, once he’s tucked in, the kid beams, pulling it tightly around himself. 

“Chengling, if you’re cold, you have to tell us,” says Qin Huaizhang’s disciple as if that’s a scolding, as if he’s not fussing over the child himself, stoking the fire and throwing in more kindling. 

A silly child with even sillier parents. Ye Baiyi snorts, shaking his head, and for a fleeting moment, he imagines walking this path alone– searching for the truth on his own, a silent forest stretching all the way to Longyuan Cabinet, only his footsteps left behind to prove he was even there at all– whatever. Picking up Qin Huaizhang’s dumb disciple and his dumb companions might not have been his worst decision so far. 

Maybe he could have found the place already if he were on his own, but at the very least they’re entertaining. Ridiculous, he thinks fondly, shaking his head at the blanket the kid has left folded at his feet.

*

ii.

What a mess.

Rong Xuan, you little brat, he thinks. How long has it been since the boy had first toddled up to him, little hands grabbing fistfuls of his robes? Too many, an eternity, and now nearly all of the boy’s friends are dead, all but one, and Ye Baiyi has to pay his respects to this freshly dug grave in his place. 

What a mess.

If you were in trouble, why didn’t you come back? Questions, questions, it’s too easy to ask them now. Why didn’t you ask for help? Why didn’t you send for us? Why did you think it would accomplish, running away? Stupid child, did you think we would turn you away? 

No, there’s no use asking them now, no point in dwelling in the past. What is there to change, after it already happened? Life is a very long road and the past is a land too distant to travel back to; Ye Baiyi would rather focus on the now.

Avenging their child had not been part of the promise he made to Changqing, but Ye Baiyi found the truth of this matter as he told him he would and the truth of it is that someone poisoned his disciple, his child. This cannot go unpunished, so for a while longer, he’ll live.

Further still, a little ways down, is Wen Kexing, whose parents died for Rong Xuan’s mistakes. A child growing up in a harsh world on his own. This debt, he’ll repay too.

For all that he gives his promises away like currency, Ye Baiyi is not sure how he feels about the piling of them– they stretch his finally numbered days, always pushing the deadline further. After the Heroes Conference, he’ll be done with the Ghost Valley. After he finds Rong Xuan’s murderer, he’ll be done with this mess. After he repays Wen Kexing, he will be at peace. 

And then–

Well. And then wine. Warm food. That was the plan, was it not? Heavens, he’s beginning to sound like Qin Huaizhang’s silly disciple, isn’t he? This won’t do. Changqing, even you would laugh at them. Tell me, then, if you were here, what would you do? Ah, something nonsensical, most likely, like go watch the plum trees bloom.

Ye Baiyi shakes his head, laughs. Changqing ah, won’t you tell me what to do? Maybe this time I’ll listen to you.

*

iii.

What kind of nonsense is this?

In all fairness, as much as his opinion of Wen Kexing has been as changing as the seasons, his uncanny ability to be an annoying nuisance has never flickered. He was annoying when he was staring down Ye Baiyi’s sword and he was annoying when he kneeled on the forest bed in apology and plea. 

Surely, it’s no surprise that he is annoying now, allegedly dead.

And yet, Ye Baiyi had not anticipated this level of stupidity from him: the brat did not tell Qin Huaizhang’s disciple of his plan.

Children, honestly. 

Now, the hem of his robes is wet and a few feet away, Qin Huaizhang’s disciple is wasting perfectly good wine in an unnecessarily dramatic manner. “Whatever stupid thing you’re planning,” Ye Baiyi says, eyeing the broken jar by the rocks, the dullness around the brat, “don’t.”

Zhou Zishu whirls on him with all the grace of a dying wet cat as if he’s in any condition to be fighting anyone, as if his hands weren’t shaking and his steps didn’t falter. The sword, once elegant and proud, wavers. Stupid boy. “Ye Baiyi, you–”

“Have you lost your manners down that jar? Or just your common sense? Put that away before I knock it off your hand myself,” he sighs, shaking his head. He should have stayed in his rooms, like planned, until the Heroes Conference; none of this has anything to do with him, his role in this play is mostly over, he just has to wait it out the intermission. And yet. “What kind of nonsense were you thinking? That fool, Wen Kexing, ran around for days like a headless chicken trying to save you and for what? You to throw it away?”

“What’s the point?” Qin Huaizhang’s disciple laughs, cold as the mountains, “what’s the point if he’s not here? Tell me, qianbei, why should I care to live if my soulmate is gone?”

His sword is dragging up the mud and Ye Baiyi wants to call him disrespectful for it, but the sight of it alone dredges up a well of grief that drowns the words in his throat. Why, indeed. This terrible emptiness, Ye Baiyi knows well– the hollow silence that comes where once a familiar voice called your name, the cold where once there was warmth, a hand never reaching back. Snow, all through summer and spring.

“Because that dumb disciple of yours will not last a day on his own,” he tells him, watching the water run towards the cliff’s edge, “because Qin Huaizhang has only you to pass on his legacy. Because that ridiculous hairpin on your head.”

“That’s not fair,” Qin Huaizhang’s disciple says, sounding exactly like he had been about to do something incredibly stupid earlier that would render this entire charade pointless from the start.

Truth be told, few things are, least of all, fate. Ah, but Ye Baiyi had unchanging decades to come to terms with that, perhaps he should spare the boy the heartache, unfounded as it is. “It’s not, but enough is enough. What are you crying for? Did you think it’s that easy to get rid of that pest? He should be ashamed if a little tumble is all it took.”

“Qianbei… you mean?”

Ye Baiyi heaves a pointedly tired sigh. “Yes, yes, the brat is alive. Probably holed up somewhere in that blasted valley of his.”

Qin Huaizhang’s disciple is as wide-eyed as his baby-deer disciple and if he actually starts crying, Ye Baiyi will drag Wen Kexing out of hiding kicking and screaming just to push him down the cliff again for making him witness this. He’s too old, he has little patience for the dramatics of the young, and he’s supposed to be drinking the best wine from the Yueyang area. 

So before he’s pulled even further into their nonsense, Ye Baiyi turns away, back to town and his quarters where he can drink and meditate in peace and really, Qin-xiaozi, your disciple is even sillier than you. 

At his back, he hears Zhou Zishu call, but his voice is lost to the waterfalls and Ye Baiyi makes no real effort to catch the words. What’s there to say? Pah, he’s already done more than his share on this, at no point did he promise to intervene on their pointless little dance. Once this is all over, that brat has better pay for all the wine in the land. And make those dumplings, too, for good measure.

*

iv.

Nobody told him whose wedding this is.

Considering they are in this thrice-damned place, he’s assuming it’s one of the ghosts, but Ye Baiyi figures the brat would be more annoying if it was his and Qin Huaizhang’s disciple’s. Then again, his own presence here is unfathomable, as is the insistence with which the little idiot had asked him to come. What on earth has Qin Huaizhang’s disciple told that child? Give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile, truly– now that boy is running around thinking Ye Baiyi cares about these lunatics.

“Who let him in!” Wen Kexing is screeching from somewhere, and Ye Baiyi mourns his peace as the brat approaches with his purple shadow trailing after. Had she been there this entire time? He squints. No, he would have noticed it, she’s very loud. “Old toad monster! Why are you still here? Who allowed you past the gates?”

“Who are you to tell me where to go?” He scoffs, flicking his sleeves as he crosses his arms. Nearby, a ghost hastily scurries away. “And it was your dumb disciple who begged me to be here. For what? Will there even be a banquet? And you call that decorations? That lantern is so crooked, it’s offensive!”

The purple child bristles. “Ah! And who does that silly boy think he is, inviting people to my wedding! Old man, you! Of course there’s gonna be food! Master and Luo-yi have been–”

“A-Xiang!” The brat cuts her off, closed fan tapping her forehead, as if everyone and their grandmothers don’t already know he’s been running around making preparations. What face is there to save, shameless as he is? If Ye Baiyi was a lesser man, he might have rolled his eyes. “Stop running your mouth, what is your husband going to say? And you! What crooked lantern? You’re going blind in your age!”

Still, even as he speaks, a pointed glare sends the ghosts scattering like mice, rushing to check on the decorations. Ridiculous. “No wonder the girl has no manners. What, you only know how to be polite when asking for something?”

Wen Kexing grumbles. “This one apologizes, qianbei.”

Well, that’s certainly worse. Unsettling. If even Wen Kexing starts being deferential, then what has the world come to? No, Ye Baiyi finds he’d prefer the brashness. Stupid child, what’s the point in changing his tune now? Pah. “Girl,” he says to that purple wisp of a thing, “your master is a pest. Where’s the wine?”

Baffling enough, the girl laughs, tugging at her master’s sleeves. “Master, master, Zishu-ge was right! You did make a friend!”

“What nonsense is this! Don’t you know when A-Xu is teasing? Friends! As if–”

“What rubbish have you been filling these children’s heads with?” He shakes a threatening finger in their direction. Not that it matters, considering the girl has already stepped back, giggling as she sidesteps Wen Kexing’s fan. 

Leaving them to their childishness, Ye Baiyi slips out of the crowd, picking a jar of wine as he goes. The alcohol is good, burning down his throat, and he hadn’t thought he’d step foot in the Ghost Valley, not like this. Something in him will always recoil at this place, always lay the blame at the valley’s mouth, a yawning jaw that’s swallowed whole the people most precious to him with no mercy. 

And yet, Changqing ah, you bastard, look at it. They’re holding a damned wedding, and here Ye Baiyi is, drinking their wine. Are you happy now? Did you become a bodhisattva yet? Fate makes fools of them all, there’s no way around it. He pours the wine over the rocks, lets it spill and run like blood. Xuan’er, did I not tell you not to climb so high? That shifu wouldn’t always be there to catch you if you slip on the ice? Ye Baiyi laughs at the memory– always clear in his mind, suspended in time, unfading, even if his sight blurs with tears– that boy, always scaring them half to death, climbing up the frozen mountainside as a child, then crying in fright once he looked down. 

“Look at the mess you’ve both left me,” he says out loud, downing the rest of the wine, and the silence is never quite as loud as in the hollow space where another would speak. For so long, Ye Baiyi knew to leave room for Changqing’s teasing, for their child’s incessant questions, even Rong-furen’s tired voice. Then, nothing. “What do you have to say for yourself, hm? Typical. I’ll drink for all of us this time, then, how about it? Changqing, I’m keeping my promises, so you’d better keep yours or I’ll–” 

The jar breaks where it falls from his fingers and he shakes his head as if dispelling the murky thoughts from his head. Perhaps, coming here was a mistake. The ashes have already been sent back to Changming, so what business does he have in this place? To see it closed with his own eyes? Besides, a wedding or two, a handful of people, are not worth the bloodshed creating the valley has brought, no matter what Changqing might say. 

Is this a comforting story to be told later, if– by the bridge, in case– 

His thoughts grind to a halt, veering off suddenly into attention to his surroundings. Someone is coming. Indeed, from his place near the entrance, Ye Baiyi can see in the distance a mob climbing up the path, silent as thieves in the night, with only a blue streak of disciples in plain sight at the front.

So much for avoiding bloodshed. Did they even wait for the dust to settle after the monks left town? And what kind of harebrained scheme is this? Has this generation been born with no brains? Such a reckless, petty move! No honor, agreeing to something and then plunging the knife behind their backs. 

There is little time to curse their dishonesty, though, with their numbers fast approaching, so Ye Baiyi swipes a last look at the desolate landscape and slips back inside to sound the alarms. After all, heaven knows that little purple girl will be terribly loud if she doesn’t get her wedding, and Ye Baiyi is not looking forward to remembering what headaches feel like. Honestly, if these people would stop nearly dying for five fucking minutes–

*

v.

Today, the mirror showed a new patch of white hair, faint lines at the corner of his eyes. 

Time, it seems, is catching up to him.

It’s exhilarating.

The plum trees have already lost their blossoms, winter gone as swiftly as it came, the cold melting to the lingering warmth of spring. Today, he walks past blooming azaleas, purple and red radiant against the blue backdrop of the sky.

It brings him to little Qin Huaizhang standing beside Rong Xuan, trying so very hard to impress his friend’s seniors with all the desperation of youth. The poetry he had waxed about his sect’s gardens– Four Seasons Manor, blooming all year round! Ye Baiyi had found him so silly, blabbering while Rong Xuan beamed, so quick to pick the fights Rong Xuan dropped. 

At the time, had he not thought history was repeating itself, if kinder? The Baiyi sword, gifted with the promise to keep his dumb disciple out of trouble? He still remembers Changqing’s face, the hypocrite. So exchanging swords for cursed books is fine, but anything else and you draw the line? At least promises were as reliable as the person making them. 

Now, he has to admit, the silly boy had not been wrong– Four Seasons Manor stands in more color than Ye Baiyi had thought possible. If he’ll have time to witness all its blooms, he doesn’t know, but this spring, he’s here, and isn’t that enough?

At the gates, the young disciple lets him in without a word, bowing respectfully like his seniors have never done. Good. At the very least, those two good-for-nothing brats had the decency to forewarn their juniors of his arrival. How long has it been since Qin Huaizhang’s disciple woke up from the procedure? Aiyah, Ye Baiyi can’t remember, he had been traveling south at the time. 

Well, it’s long enough to be past the need for coddling, that’s for sure. “Qin Huaizhang’s disciple, what kind of Sect Leader are you that you won’t come greet your esteemed guest?”

“Not really a Sect Leader,” comes the voice from his left as Zhou Zishu rounds into view, his silly disciple trailing faithfully after him. He looks better now, death no longer draped over his shoulders like a shroud, smiling like he found peace somewhere in the months since that disastrous wedding. “Qianbei, this one is honored to welcome you to our house. You’ve come at a good time, A-Xiang is visiting with her husband too.”

“Who’s an esteemed guest here? All I’m hearing is a bunch of freeloaders!” says Wen Kexing from somewhere inside the building, just as loud and brash as always, and following his words, the thundering footsteps of children. 

Ye Baiyi snorts, shakes his head. Changqing ah, wait a little while longer, will you? I’m on my way, but I have some places to visit first. Meet me by the bridge, I’ll tell you all about it in a bit.

[snapdragon-mina]

Ludus

A/n: This is not my best work and I do have something better for miruko on the way! This is pretty rushed ngl but I hope y'all enjoy it.

Warnings: Swearing, innuendos, mentions of blood, mentions of bruises

Being friends with the number 2 pro hero in all of Japan was definitely stressful. There were times were he'd disappear for months with no contact and then magically reappear. Never helped that he usually hadn't had time to actually stop and hang out with you. Your life changed when he invited you to a party dedicated to the pro heroes. 

The two of you were casually chatting when the new no. 5 hero approached. "Hawks, who's the cutie? I've seen all your other lil flings, but this one's new." She seemed to study you. Your face, body, hair, clothes, etc. Anything you had, she was openly staring. 

"Nope, y/n is my best friend. They've always been with me." He put his arm around your shoulder and smiled. Miruko raised an eyebrow. 

"So what I'm hearing is… they're single?" 

"Yeah, I am-" The moment the words left your mouth she grabbed your wrist, grinned at Hawks and dragged you away. 

The moment she stopped dragging you (key word: dragging) was when you two reached one of the many tables in the dining hall. You sat down and she sat across from you. "You a pro?" She asked. 

You nodded in response. "Yeah, but I'm underground. I hate the spotlight." 

She nodded once before suddenly lighting up. "Fight me." 

"Right now?"

"No, not now. After the party. You look pretty strong and you're hot so it's a win-win for me." She casually drummed her fingers against the table. 

Trying to brush off the casual way she just called you hot, you cleared your throat. "I'm down as long as it's in a private space." 

"Good." She grinned, an almost feral look in her eyes.

The party had ended a few hours ago and Miruko had given you a chance to change into your hero costume. You hadn't worn it to the party for personal reasons. She gave you an address to an abandoned area that (when you looked into it) turned out to be an old fighting ring. The moment you showed up she started rocking in the heels of her feet. 

"Ready to get your ass kicked?"

You rolled your eyes at how eager she was. "By you? It's my dying wish. Try not to use your finishing move on me though, it'd be a… shame if I died tonight because of your thighs."

"That tone of yours says otherwise." She hummed, leading you through the building. 

You just grinned, following her until you both got to the center of the arena. Taking your respectful sides, you nodded at each other and the unspoken rule of this fight was clear. 

Don't kill the other person, but give it your all.

The fight lasted for almost 3 hours. Miruko watched you lay down on the floor, sprawled out. She was still raring to go but you'd already been exhausted. "Tired already?" She mused. 

"Yeah. I'd do that again in a heartbeat though." You huffed, grabbing a water bottle and chugging it down in seconds. You had bruises everywhere and would definitely be sore as hell in the morning. The rabbit hero was no better. Covered in bruises as well as a bleeding nose. 

You had judged the fight based on who was injured the most. Going up against the number 5 pro hero? The one with what seemed like an insane pain tolerance? You definitely took the L on that one. 

Her crimson eyes watched you as you sat up and stretched. "Think you can stand?" She asked.

"Yeah, you wrapping your thighs around my neck and body slamming me ain't enough to render me completely immoble." With that, you stood up, continuing to stretch. 

Miruko laughs. "If you were a villain there's no way you'd survive that." 

You hummed. "I don't doubt that." You tossed her a water bottle, which she caught easily. 

"Y'know I never considered that someone would actually already know my moves. You countered that shit a lil too easily." 

You shrugged. "What can I say? You're hot and you're powerful. Of course I'm gonna know your moves."

"Feedin' my ego after fighting me? It's almost like you were made for me." She teased, chugging the bottle right after speaking. 

You rolled your eyes and walked alongside her as the two of you left the building.

It'd been roughly a month since you first met Miruko. Hawks was... Upset. You'd started spending more time with Rumi and it was about time he said something about it.

He called both of you to his appartment and complained for 20 minutes about how much he misses his best friend and how unfair it was that Rumi took you from him.

"You done yet, birdie?" She asked him, bored. He huffed but nodded.

"Hawks, I'm not replacing you. You know you're the only idiot for my best friend slot." You purred at him watching him smile at the compliment and then realize you called him an idiot.

"What have you two been doing this whole time, anyways?" He asked after getting over the insult, which was very quickly.

"I've had her thighs wrapped around my throat more times than I can count." You commented casually, fully aware of how inappropriate that sounded. You watched in amusement as Hawks spluttered in surprise.

"What?!"

"We've been fighting like 5 times a week. That's one of my moves, dumbass."

"Oh yeah..."