#this is the second time ever I've drawn Epic

[junipers-insects]

This is what kids like these days right?

[extra-love]

Happy New Year, @spear-gsun , I was your @touhousecretsanta for this year- I have one fresh miss Mizuchi for you!

Apologies for how late it is! (Thank you for waiting warmly ^^;) I hope the new year treats you well!

[yours-the-author]

...And by a day or two I mean like five.

Sorry for the delay, everyone! First I had work and assignments to do, then I had to spend a whole day drawing the base sketches for each picture, then I had to color them but my phone started dying so I had to do it in two days instead of one... I feel like I always overestimate or underestimate how long things like this will take; there is never an in-between.

Anyway, as you may or may not know, @lumyious-studios came up with a lovely little idea (original post here and post further exploring the concept here), and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to draw something. This isn't a full concept or anything (I don't have the brain energy to make a whole AU out of this), but I've got some fun little bits and bobs to show off, so enough waiting around! Let's set the scene!

.

.

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The shadow monsters appeared suddenly, quietly, as if they had always been there. A planet already struggling with violence and theft was at the mercy of a darkness that spread mischief and tragedy wherever love was felt. The world prayed for a savior, but nobody came. So the world kept turning, for what else was there to do?

Much time passed, and the world eventually found a new sense of normalcy. People's lives continued on around the dangerous shadows, including the lives of the Toppat Clan as they scoured the world for treasures and valuables to expand their power and influence.

Then, one fateful day, in an inconspicuous lot of dying grass that was rumored to hide a great treasure, the world changed forever...

Desperate to save his chief, the Right Hand Man of the Toppat Clan reached for what he hoped was an impromptu weapon to fight off the darkness.

And one

*MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE THAT LOOKED REALLY COOL AND EPIC TRUST ME YOU GUYS*

later...

RIGHT HAND MAGICAL GIRL was born!

As unexpected as this sudden transformation was, Right Hand Magical Girl quickly got to work.

And that's the first half of the episode!

The second half introduces the staple of every magical girl anime/manga ever: the adorable and definitely not dubious magical companion that leads the hero to the right path!

And just as quickly as it was introduced, the adorable and definitely not dubious magical companion was gone forever...

...Or was it?

As uncertain as the chief of the Toppat Clan was about his Right Hand Man's magical new side gig, he quickly came around to the misadventures that followed.

...Too quickly, actually...

Aaand, SCENE!

Obviously, a magical girl dress should be drawn in complete detail with all the frills and ribbons to match... unfortunately stick figures- despite the name- do not actually have good figures. So I ended up creating a slightly thinner version of Mayor Fredrickson as the base for the full image of Right Hand Magical Girl. It took a lot of time to get the body down just right (and don't even get me started on those hands), but I think it looks pretty okay!

You may be able to tell, but a big influence for this outfit was the Magical Dress from Animal Crossing: New Horizons (I tried to add a link to a picture but Tumblr Did Not Like That), but I also drew inspiration from Sailor Moon and whatever Google Images pulled up. The shoes were also fun; I decided to add some fun little ankle flaps that pop outwards and I like it a lot! I also settled on giving Right Hand Magical Girl silver slippers as a homage to the original version of The Wizard of Oz, which was switched to ruby slippers in the movie since color TV was new and silver wouldn't look as fun. Here though, silver is a better match for purple.

Speaking of purple, you might be asking: why he ourple tho? I thought about doing pink, or a variety of colors, or even mint green, but given that Right Hand Man's official Among Us color is purple, I figured it'd be good to stick with a classic look. And he works it, if I may toot my own horn for a bit.

The shadow monsters feed on love, so since Right Hand Man and Reginald are... you know... they get attacked pretty frequently. Right still has his hands full protecting his chief, there's just some magical stuff added on now.

Hmm, that adorably dubious magical creature we got rid of in the first episode looks all shadowy when it gets splatted... maybe it's actually the real leader of the shadows, a miniature god of chaos and hate that plays this game over and over again on every planet it finds, picking some random sap to be the "hero" that eventually gets defeated in the end? If it is, I can't imagine it's too happy that Right Hand Magical Girl isn't playing by the rules... Right had better watch his back (or the back of who he most desires...)

Okay, done, boom, happy birthday, peace and love in the world despite everything! I hope this little thing I made brought a smile to your face, or at least made you exhale sharply out of your nose in amusement.

Stay safe, ya'll. I'll see you this Monday for the next update of Liminal Love!

[chevvy-yates]

[NC_RES]-13062047-EUR-BU-NED de_wit_m_portraits_004_GA_HW.file ///core:_thyjs_de_wit.file\\\

—

⚠️ READ: Please do not repost/reupload any of my art here or to any other platform, or I will be forced to do anything to get it annihilated.

jumpsuit jacket by @pinkyjulien

—

'Thunder and lightning Heading your way Ride the rainbow Crack the sky

Stormbringer coming Time to die' — Stormbringer by Deep Purple

In other words:

'You've been thunderstruck' —Thunderstruck by AC/DC

—

Thyjs' theme playlist.

FIRST:

Yup! That's right – Thyjs is going to electrify y'all.

My original thought was that I've wanted to create a little playlist with thunder/storm/electro lyrics but then I stumbled over these songs in the list up there (first one shook me the most) and so I threw my original idea into the storm. Spending like two months on it now how to write down what I feel or see when I listen to this selection tied to Thyjs. So, here's his entire Playlist now: basically Introduction and fight theme songs as well as a calm one — like I did with V before but different.

Storm If I had to choose just one song for him, this one would be it. This awesome instrumental song is the ultimate standalone theme song for Thyjs. Like his goddamn introduction in a movie appearance. When I listened to it for the first time it just struck me like one of his lightning strikes. It is the only song that can be tied to the cyberpunk music genre since every song in the list is more classical soundtrack-ish (he needs that epicness. He's a godverdomme soldier). Back to the song: It sounds tempting right from the start with that beat giving you an overall Cyberpunk feeling at first, making you somehow feel alarmed because of the electronic sound. The air around you may feel electrified and you know something is coming. Then suddenly there is that melodic part setting in with those classical elements that literally screams 'Thyjs' to me. When I look at him I see; He's beauty, he is grace — but coming as an all through soldier package. No one would probably expect it but Thyjs does love to listen to classical music (piano, violin/cello and entire orchestra) of various known artists as well that is why it brought me on the way to look for songs like these in the list. It calms him down, especially after a long and hard mission. To me he feels unapproachable, like he's not from this world at all, yet he is. Wherever he goes in uniform or military gear, people will look at him with a certain respect. You're immediately drawn into admiring him because you probably ain't seen such a pale soldier like him ever before. He can make you feel like time stopped only to let you know with a loud thundering bang that everything you see is real and time is still running. That is when that part that sounds electrifying somewhere near the middle of that song, starts right out of nowhere. Sir! I'm so sold to it right now. I have to admit, the song is fairly long at 7 min, yet I recommend listening to it completely but the important parts really are the start and the middle.

Into the Storm is literally Thyjs getting ready for the battle that lies before him. Ride right into the storm, full force. It is like he can feel a storm is coming, with the storm being the enemies. You gotta know, Thyjs is a soldier to the bone. He devoted his entire life to it, trained as soon as he was old enough for it, to serve his country and Benelux Union. He's heroic in his own way. And that song does him justice.

I'm Electro A short song that strikes you after just a few seconds — the hard way. It represents that you gotta show some respect towards him if you do not behave correctly. He'll immediately put you back into your place where you belong, using his voice and electro shock (if you dare to enter his comfort zone) — like AC/CD would say: in the 'You've been thunderstruck' way (it's in fact exactly what happened to Ryder meeting Thyjs for the first time). Thyjs is capable of making use of electricity that is fed into his left arm, therefore also the glowing (Hanako) cyberware. The brighter it glows the more electricity Thyjs has to make use of. He already knew very early he was kind of immune to electricity after he grabbed an electrified fence feeling literally nothing. Once he lost his left forearm during a heavy battle with drones he decided to get himself some limb replacement that could make use of electricity since he literally survived a lightning strike as well on the battlefield during a thunderstorm, but more of that I'll keep for another time. That battle also gave him his nickname 'Storm', which he also uses as a code name. He can power up from any source that is running with electricity — Night City is full of it. He will give Arki and Ryder a boost if they need some as well. Ry gets himself Shock-n-Awe installed after having met his future lover for the first time. Thyjs even suggested the team to wear mods in their clothing gear if they do not want additional cyberware to their body because lightning can't be really controlled. It will always spread over to the next best source.

Storm Another Storm song (I wanted to decide for one of them but they are both so awesome I have to include them both). This one here seems to be a re-interpretation of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and this song hits differently: Thyjs has Sandevistan — the Militech 'Apogee' Sandevistan Mk. V of course. So he's fast. Like lightning. The fast stringed instruments represent his fast acting and when that thunder sets in right at the start he vanishes into air. The only time you'll see him is before he starts and when he ends it, with the ladder it is already too late for you. The highlights in the song can stand for that if you are able to watch him in action you will be seeing him in between, avoiding incoming their enemies that are fast as well, sometimes he may even look gracefully, appearing for a moment, time pausing for max 3 seconds until he vanishes again just to reappear in a different place again, slaying his enemies one after another. You can hear exactly 3x a loud bang in that song around 2 min in — this is him starting with Sandevistan going for the enemy, then disappears, leaving only electricity behind, and lastly he shows up again, right in front of you with his Constitutional Arms M2038 Tactician 'The Headsman' Power Shotgun –BANG– three enemies on the ground, limbs missing, or even their heads exploded. He's able to load his shotgun within his used Sandevistan time but he often makes use of his toxic knife as well dealing severe damage to the enemy who will die because of poison going into their bloodstream.

Tempest It's like that epic battle song everyone likes and may even get goosebumps from. It is fast paced, tearing forward, to set one strike after another. See it as the last boss battle. The final big one. Before everything is finally done. Battle won, for Thyjs and his squad (when he was still serving) or the team he joins shortly after the incident out in the badlands that led to his whole squad being blown up and him being the only survivor. If you can't imagine Thyjs' fight style in some epic battle try imagine a combination of playing battlefield V and e.g. watching Final Fantasy Kings Glaive. Thyjs moves similar like Nyx Ulric, the warps with the weapons I mean, only he does not warp, he's just super fast with his Sandevistan but also leaving lightning behind.

Van Gogh's White Roses Calm moments incoming. Thyjs loves to play piano. The pretty tunes calm him down as he plays them, or even just listens to them. It is his way to chill and he could do it all day long appreciating the calm moments of his live thrice as much because as a soldier he is mostly on high alert (even if it doesn't look like it) and always prepared that every day could be his last. So better especially appreciate the little things in live and things that he loves: music, art, flowers and his new gained friends and most of all; time with his love: Ryder. The moment I decided Thyjs is Dutch was when I added the ears cyberware to him. Idk I just got reminded of Van Gogh in that moment. So Thyjs went to be Dutch, he loves Impressionism and is ofc an admirer of Van Gogh's art (I might do an extra post for that as well some time why I made Thyjs like Van Gogh).

[dragonofeternal]

So one of the coolest bits of animanga ephemera that I own is probably these two volumes of the Epic Comics printing of AKIRA.

In 1988, American comics publishers were starting to take notice of the growing popularity of Japanese animation, and Marvel wanted a slice of the pie. A few years earlier, they had made the Epic Comics imprint to run more adult stories free of Comics Code censorship, including both standalone titles and non-canonical spinoffs of their more popular characters. The fledgling imprint seemed like the perfect place for a slice of that cool, weird Japanamation pie. They set their sights on Katsuhiro Otomo's AKIRA, which had done well in Japan and was set to get film adaptation that year. The editor of Epic at the time felt that the disaffected youth, psychic powers, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi setting would be familiar enough touch points to make the series resonate with American readers.

However, Epic didn't think that American comics readers would be as drawn to something that read "backwards" and was black and white. So, they did what would become the standard for many years- they flipped the pages to read left-to-right. They then enlisted colorist Steve Oliff to create a full-color version of AKIRA. While it's easy to jump to thinking of this as a butchering of the original work, Otomo was actually fully on board, as he wanted his work to reach as many people as possible. Otomo collaborated with Oliff directly at first, flying out to meet with him and share some of his personal desires for the coloring. He had some initial color guides, stills from the as-of-yet unreleased movie, and a deep passion and desire for his work to do well in the west. For the first five or six issues, Oliff sent all of his colorings off to Otomo for approval, but after that, Otomo was pleased enough that he gave Oliff free reign to go with his instincts for the rest of the comic's run. The colored version was even re-licensed, flipped back to the Japanese order, and released in Japan! I've never seen any copies of that, but I bet it's cool as hell!

I got these as a Christmas present sometime in the mid '00s from my Aunt Ing and Uncle David, who knew I liked anime and manga, but knew absolutely nothing about the stuff. They picked them up at a garage sale in DC for pocket change, and gave them to me along with a second hand copy of the DEVILMAN live action movie from 2004. I clearly remember them saying something along the lines of "Here, I hope you like this! We know you like that manga stuff. Hopefully 'Akira' isn't Japanese for like hardcore donkey porn or something, hahaha!" ...As if you couldn't flip the book open and see what was in it for yourself, Uncle David?

(Also worth noting that I had already seen the Akira movie at this point, so it's not like I didn't know what I was getting into!)

The manga (and the not-long-after release of the anime) made AKIRA a hit in the states. The Epic Comics run split the series into 38 issues that ran from 1988 to 1994. However, the legacy of Epic's colored run has an influence outside of just helping to introduce this iconic series to American readers.

It was also one of the first digitally colored comics.

Oliff and his company, Olyopitcs, were pioneers in using digital coloring methods. While he made initial color guides on paper versions of the pages using traditional methods like pantone films and paint, the finalized versions were all colored digitally, allowing for a wide, rich range of colors. This style of coloring incentivized Marvel to print it on slightly higher quality paper, and the series' success made Marvel more interested in looking to computers as a way to enhance their art and workflow. Perhaps he overstates it a bit, but Oliff credits his Eisner award-winning run as the colorist for AKIRA as the turning point for digital art's acceptance in comics.

It's unlikely that the colored version of AKIRA will ever be re-released, as the rights that Marvel held have LONG since traded hands, first to Dark Horse and then back to Kodansha. Copies of the colored version of AKIRA are hard to come by and pricy now, ranging from $10-100 for a single issue on eBay depending on condition and what particular issue it is (climactic issues are obviously more expensive than more laid back ones). It's not completely out of the question that it'll see the light of day again, however; Oliff still has all the digital files of the colored version of AKIRA, and he has expressed that he would be more than happy to have them reprinted if Kodansha wished to.

If not, though, I still have my two issues, and a very cool piece of anime localization history.

Historical info for this post was fact checked/sourced from this Japan Times article from their 30th anniversary retrospective and this 2016 ANN interview with Oliff. Feel free to check them out if you want to know more!

[eliotqueliot]

Queliot & The Magicians Fic Reading Winter Challenge, part 2

Just to make it clear, the numbers you will see aren't a ranking of any kind. It's just me keeping track of how many recs I've made during this personal reading challenge, as I hope to hit 40 by Jan. 31. I'm reading fic at a wide range of lengths, and I wanted to find a way to allow myself time to finish the longer ones, as well as work in the shorter ones, so I hope this works! For the most part I'll be posting only the ones I've finished reading, but exceptions will be made for WIPs and one or maybe two fic that are going to be too long for me to finish in the time period (if I'm also reading anything else).

These are just some of the fic I've been reading and commenting on lately, and I love them all! So much! You beautiful Queliot writers...you get me right where I live...and you save me, every time.

Also--I'm hoping to have some more time to read over the next few days! So hopefully I'll get in more recs!

4. A lovely, cozy Christmas getting-together story. Q has a cat and a bookstore! Eliot sings a Christmas song! There is rain and a fluffy bathrobe! And an epic make-out session! And friendship, and it's all just so sweet. Specifically written Hallmark style for the holidays. Thank you, @itsminimes!

As Long As You Love Me So - itsminimes - The Magicians (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

5. 31 absolutely stunningly beautiful and funny and sweet and poignant vignettes! Put them together and they read like poetry...sharing some of the deepest moments of the heart...sometimes out of these small, beautiful everyday moments that might get overlooked...sometimes sharing amazing new adventures or twists! Truly beautiful! Thank you, @lasouris-r! Nothing else to fear - LaSourisRousse - The Magicians (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

6. Here's another Christmas story for you! I love this one so much! Eliot is a doctor and Quentin is a cowboy, and Eliot tends Q after an accident...I love the casting and friendships in this story (very sweet and well-done, just love the strength of these bonds and how much everyone helps each other...and how much Eliot and Quentin bond so quickly)...love the exploration of Eliot & Quentin's feelings, too...just all so very sweet!! Thank you, @itsminimes!

A Christmas wish - itsminimes - The Magicians (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

7. This is by far the longest single fic I'll have ever read. I've been reading it off & on for several months and I just love it so much and I don't want it to ever end. I'm now in Ch. 10 of 24 and I'm still going to be reading it through the end of the challenge, I'm sure, so here it is right now. It's an AU in which Quentin is Fillorian and he and High King Eliot are in an arranged marriage and OF COURSE they totally fall in love with each other, but the very arrangement makes it hard for them to understand that the other one actually loves them. The characters are just so well drawn, so true to themselves it's like watching the show, and the bedroom scenes are so hot, and there's a lot of humor just like in the show, and also a lot of really deep emotions and thought. The worldbuilding, expanding on what we know, is also fantastic. Oh, and Penny is a king!!! My description here is longer because the fic is over 384k but it is totally worth every second of your time! Thanks, @hmgfanfic!

Little Quirks of Fate - HMGfanfic - The Magicians (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

[its-short-for-jackalope]

the second prompt for Slowtember is wind, so I decided it was the perfect excuse to draw Zadock doing some magic and having their clothes flapping in a magical breeze and just looking epic... and maybe a little creepy. they have a talent for unsettling smiles.

I did not think I'd be able to get this one done in time since it got pretty detailed & complicated, but I finished this at 2 am, so I'm hardly late at all, lol! I am REALLY, REALLY proud of this one & absolutely in love with how it turned out!!! (I also had sooooo much fun doing the different little knickknacks in the background, so I forsee more drawings of Objects in my future, lol)

more chatter & my first public reveal of some necromancer lore below the cut! <3

okay so before I get to the Lore™ I have to finish gushing, haha.

at this point, I have filled several pages in my sketchbook with drawings and diagrams and notes about the magic in my story, including many sketches of souls & threads/tethers, but this was the Very First Time I got around to experimenting with drawing them digitally!!!

I was so excited, and I'm so beyond thrilled with the results. Like, guys, this is the closest I've ever been to showing just how I imagine it in my brain. 🤯

this is also like. the coolest thing I've ever drawn in my fucking life—and I have drawn some cool stuff lately!!!—so if nobody looks at this then you are all missing out, lmao. <3

alrighty, now that I am done experiencing a rare surge of self esteem, let's get to the Lore™

I have an entire section of a binder dedicated to how the magic in my story works, so this post will NOT be a super detailed guide whatsoever! I'd need SEVERAL posts for that, lmao. I just wanted to try and run through a bit of background stuff to provide some context for this artwork.

You will notice that I have included two versions of this drawing—one with the crazy glowy lights, and one without. This was not (just) to show off Duck's shirt and their badass top surgery scar that was unfortunately covered right up by their dang soul (😂😭💀), but for lore reasons!

There is only one kind of magic in this story, and it can only be gained as blessings from the god-like entity humans named Death; if the god agrees to give you power, It takes a tiny, tiny portion of Itself, Its essence, and puts that right into your soul. (It hurts, btw. In case you were wondering.)

The first blessing makes you Sensitive, allows you to perceive and sense other souls and to properly bear witness to magic. You aren't able to do any other magic besides seeing/sensing unless you receive more essence. Going back for additional blessing(s) is what makes you a necromancer (if you claim that title) and lets you do some real magic. But we'll get into that some other time.

For now, I will leave you with this handy little comparison thingie I threw together on my phone at 3 am instead of sleeping. <3

the regular folks are really missing out! poor bastards.

[ethaneldritch]

So apparently we're just going full imposter syndrome tonight.

(please note: there is a substantial amount of writing under the cut. do NOT say I didn't warn you)

Legacy of Kain is an incredibly tightly-written series (for the most part). If you want to make a divergence, sequel, spinoff, or whatever feel believable, you've gotta manage at least, like, forty different events all at once. 'Cause if there's one thing being obsessed with a comparably short piece of media will do to you, it's knowing the entire thing back to front. If you try to pull off something wonky, everyone's gonna notice.

Which is fine.

If that's the point.

Harmless little oneshot fluff fics aren't usually gonna get picked apart because they're not meant to be taken that seriously in the first place. But if you intend to write a stone-cold epic, you'd better make sure you have all your ducks in order. Otherwise you're gonna run into problems very quickly.

This isn't a problem with the fandom itself, mind you. You could post a little blue stickman drawn in crayon and everyone would go freaking nuts!

It's about the frickin' time travel, man.

Anyway, point being: I've been burned out on basically everything recently, so I wanted to try my hand at churning out a few more chapters of Limbo Shepherds.

And woweeeee, the imposter syndrome is hitting haaaaaarrrd~

I suck at characterization. That's not self-pity. I think I'm fantastic at description.

...but the details of a room's furniture means boo when the series you're writing for is all about characterization.

*pauses to catch my digital breath*

Long story short, I'm having a severe fit of imposter syndrome now that I've gotten the fluff out of my system and am faced with turning my (very self-indulgent) mushiness into an actual plot.

But if I think about it for more than two seconds, I'm really just afraid of not doing LoK's character depth justice.

There's a ton of talented fan writers in the community, and all their takes on the characters are enchanting to read. It's fascinating to see which facets people choose to highlight or tinker with.

Buuuuut, this is the first time I've attempted writing my own fanfic.

Ever.

14-year-old me genuinely thought it was illegal, but that's a whole other can of worms.

I'm suddenly feeling very overwhelmed and inadequate. I have an idea of where I want to go, but every time I turn around, there's some new objection to tackle.

I've inadvertently put this massive task upon myself by just going "hey! let's turn this fluff fic into an actual fix-it narrative where everyone survives lol". And I hate myself for it :D

[perroulisses]

Homie, you have no idea how long I've wanted to raid your ask box with silly questions! >:D

What got you into art? How long have you been drawing?

Do you have a favorite Greek Mythology monster? Whether for design or for the myth surrounding it.

What's your favorite song from Epic?

What's your favorite food?

Do you have a favorite dinosaur?

...Does Lobo ever get their wool sheered with a funky haircut? >:)

alright this is the second time i do this because Tumblr decided to erase it

so first of all

talking about art I've actually got introduced to it by my uncle (who works as an illustrator) talking about the drawing and painting side of it and by dad (who is a book worm lol) to the literary side of it.

and it was since i was really small

so I've also been drawing almost all my life (though i only started actively trying to improve my skill until i was like 11, and around the same age i started creating my silly stories and characters)

not related but started actually trying to write literature until i turned 14 lol

Now, fav Greek mythology monster?

I'm not so sure what counts as a monster and what doesn't but

I'm gonna say my favorite is Argos Panoptes. Because his story is a little silly and my boy Hermes is on it and also because he has a cool design (I've even drawn him a bunch of times and i have a painting of him).

I also like the Gorgons because snek

and my doggy Cerberus because he's a puppy I don't care if he has 3 heads and lives in the underworld i still loving him :-)

talking about my fav song of epic 🧍

that's a hard question

i think it is Just a man

but there's other songs that i like as much

fav food?

ENCHILADAS VERDES

my beloved<3

damn now im hungry

LISTEN LISTEN my fav dinosaur is the velociraptor

BUT BUT

I'm not talking about this alien looking bald mf

i don't like this guys

they're so darn ugly

i talking about ✨THIS SILLY LITTLE GUYS✨

my bird like babies <3

fluffy birdie

Lobo with FUNKY haircut?

I've never thought about that before

gonna make a whole post about lobo getting funky haircuts omg

[shellyb04]

The Story of Ming Lan (2018)

The Story of Ming Lan (Cdrama)

Minglan is an unfavored concubine daughter in the Sheng family during the Song dynasty. Due to a tragic incident in her childhood, she is raised by her grandmother and keeps her actual talent, intelligence, and emotions to herself. Through her cunning and intelligence, she hopes to bring justice to her late mother. Gu Tingye is one of the few who sees her intelligence early on and quickly becomes a friend in her corner. He has his own tragic circumstances and is trying to make something of himself in the world and being thwarted at every turn. Will he and Minglan ever get justice for the wrongs done to them?

9.5/10

This is an incredible, beautiful, moving story. Minglan's pain is so beautifully portrayed. Her relationships, both with Gu Tingye and second lead Qi Heng, are believable. The evil characters make you want to slap them. I spent many hours yelling at my tv over this drama. The only minor fault I have with this is that the first few episodes, despite being necessary for the plot, tend to drag. This is my third time trying to start the show and I finally pushed through. And then, toward the end in the last ten episodes or so, the politics tend to make the story feel draggy. They are necessary beats for the story, I just wish they could have been a bit less drawn out. But overall, this story is sincerely FANTASTIC. My complaints are miniscule. The characters are well drawn, the scenery is beautiful, and the cinematography is some of the best I've ever seen. If you enjoy historical epic tales of love, politics, and power, and somehow haven't seen this, do not miss this one.

[queenofstelena]

The beginning of their epic love

Summary: The beginning of our favorite love birds aka how things could have been different and with a twist. Stefan gets to guts to ask Elena out on a date when they first date it may seem a bit rushed but I think it's adorable!

Notes: Supposed to have at least 2-3 chapters. For some reason I don't have a lot to say today lol!

Chapters: 1/3

Characters: Elena Gilbert, Stefan Salvatore, Bonnie Benett, Caroline Forbes, Lexi Branson, and Damon Salvatore

Warning(s): Nothing really for the millionth time just fluff

Rating: General Audiences

Hope you enjoy <3

Elena's POV

Mr. Tanner was talking about the Civil War in 1864 I tried to focus but I couldn't. I kept thinking about the new kid Stefan Salvatore. I looked over to the window watching the fall leaves. I tried to distract myself but it wasn't working. My thoughts kept drifting back to him. He was mysterious but also cute.

He also, had this romance novel look to him. Oh my God, I've been hanging out with Bonnie too much. I internally groaned at this she's been rubbing off on me and not in a good way. I mean she's not wrong. Sometimes I hate it when she's right, but she wouldn't be Bonnie if she wasn't right or wise about something.

But there was something about him, I was drawn to him. Somehow in a short amount of time he made me smile, he made me giddy, and I felt like he understood me. It's like we had this unspoken understanding and bond.

I know I haven't known him very long but this was something I was certain about. Out of all the boys, I've ever dated combined he is the only one I truly felt something strongly about. In the past, I did like boys but I never felt this strongly about one before.

I was snapped out of my thoughts from my vibrating phone. Bonnie texted me saying "Hawtie starring at u." I smiled as I felt my cheeks warm up. Stefan sat a cross from me.

I turned carefully as I peeked a look at Stefan. He was indeed starring but I didn't care, I liked this boy. We locked eyes, I looked deep into his forest green eyes and he look deep into my chocolate brown eyes.

He had a small smile on his cute face. I couldn't help but look down and smile sheepishly as I blushed a deep red.

After class

Today, I had been running a bit behind putting my stuff away before the bell. But I wouldn't regret it this time. Unbeknownst to me as I put my stuff away Stefan walked up to me.

Bonnie and Caroline watched giddily and smiled at each other. "Your Elena right?" Stefan asked softly. No matter how sweet or softly he had asked me I still jumped a little.

"Oh, God I didn't see you there," I said apologetically as I put my hand over my chest for a second.

"I didn't mean to scare you, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after school?" Stefan asked looking into my eyes.

"Umm, y-yes of course I would love to!" I shuttered shyly.

"I'll pick you up at 6:00," Stefan said about to walk away.

"Wait, you don't know where I live?" I said grabbing his wrist.

"Don't, worry Bonnie and Carolina told me," Stefan said softly, smiling wholeheartedly.

"Oh, ok good. I'll see you at 6:00." I said quietly looking at him one last time before grabbing my stuff. I blushed to smile to myself.

"How about I walk you to your next class?" Stefan asked.

I turned around and smiled. "That would be great." "What's your next class?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, French," I said pulling my bag over me.

"Well you're in luck we have French together." We both smiled as we headed for our next class.

Bonnie and Caroline smiled brightly at each other as they saw Stefan walking with me. We walked out of the door my heart was raising our hands were so close.

I closed my eyes and steadied my heart rate. Stefan seemed to notice this and said this to make me feel more comfortable.

"You know you've really made my first day a whole lot better. You've been sweet to me. Thank you for making me feel welcomed." Stefan said looking at me sweetly. I smiled and said

"I'm glad I've made it bearable I know high school isn't easy. I'm glad I met you Stefan you've made it better for too.

I said looking into his eyes. We both looked forward and realize we arrived at French class.

"Well, our talk has just made me more eager for tonight," Stefan said sweetly as he moved he tucked a strain of my hair behind my hair. I blushed looking at him we both headed for our seats thinking about one another.

[nailamoonsi]

2 and a half years worth of Blue Horizon book 1 pitches (mostly Pitlight) [and a bit of light novel and book 2]

The first "pitch" ever, and it mostly dealt with draft 1 of Blue Horizon book 1--back when in my mind I fancied writing a simple novella with the dads, Ranvir and Armando, before tackling an epic novel project after that (but that's now book 2).

I realized a lot in the process of figuring out book 1 through 2020 and 2021, however, and it quickly grew into a monster of a project--yet another epic science fantasy book for the series in my head. In my head I think of it as "the prequel novel." However I've long called it "book 1" online, so it'll stay "book 1." (It is complete but not yet published.)

Some parts of the pitch above barely has anything to do with book 1 as it is now...for Ranvir and Armando and friends. Weirdly, it might work for characters who show up later within book 1.

The moodboard above I'm very fond of as the first moodboard ever, and it involved the Chandrani family's energy re: ocean and water as well as a concept for "a wide open world." However I rarely wound up using it compared to the later regulars. (And apparently never for pitch practice again or any pitch event.)

A big note for all pitches is that any photography is by someone else and gotten from free-to-use stock image sites like Pexel and Unsplash BUT any drawn art is mine.

Above is the first times I tried bringing up the eerie aspect AND the soft aspect of Blue Horizon book 1. This was my experimental stage in all ways--a pitch with a mood and my first attempt at a "typical" moodboard, though obviously I wound up dropping these moodboards immediately. As can be seen with the moodboards I would settle on hereafter, I did need this stage to understand what I really wanted to go for!

As for the pitches--in the former, it basically revolves around the way the reader first walks into the novel, so to speak. In the second, it hints something about Ranvir and Armando, and brings up the Protector of Worlds without naming the role.

THIS WAS THE FIRST DEBUT OF MY MAIN 2 MOODBOARDS!!! And the first Pitlight I ever took part of in 2022. It somehow got to 23 notes without retweets (that 1 is for a quote retweet).

This was a quick Nanowrimo write-up--I can tell why people didn't take to it, but I guess in terms of pitches, I was learning and it didn't really matter, especially in the early days. Currently I'm doing Camp Sapphic instead.

This was the first time I referred to the Protector (of Worlds). It's technically a typical storyline across epic fantasies and many other types of stories--a "chosen one," so to speak, but in reality this is a job that's passed from person-to-person in their world, and was once representative of their place in the galaxy.

So this pitch very much focused on Ranvir and Armando right as I was finishing up Part 1, which is largely THEIR story arc! I'm very affectionate of it.

For a few posts in the early days, I kept reusing the first digital Armando and Ranvir art I ever drew. ; v ;

This was the first time I brought up the Mysterious Children (they keep appearing before Ranvir and Armando at different ages). This wasn't the first time I utilized this moodboard--the first time was January 2022!

But as people can tell at this point, this moodboard actually represents Alejandro Altaha and Antonio Chandrani-Rivera! Specifically, the sun, moon, lavender clouds, and the white clouds with shadowed figures skating across them with a teal sky surrounding--the shadowed figures are Ale and Tono.

I reused the same pitch for the later November Nano:

--this year however I'm doing Camp Sapphic and have let go of Nanowrimo due to its controversies. Edit in the evening is that this was the first time I got an agent like!

Even though this was extremely exciting and kept me going, I'm solo self-publishing Blue Horizon.

Next, back to summer 2022 pitches:

This was something I was hoping people would like, and in the end wound up one of my most popular pitches! :D This focuses on the warmer side of Blue Horizon and brings up a key character we all know by now--Antonio Chandrani-Rivera--for the first time!

(I'm unsure how much agents can gauge from this pitch, but I do like the feeling of it though and thus obviously used it for Pitlight.)

The rest under a cut because honestly I'll admit this is insane long.

This was the first time I brought up the children borne by magic lore! I forgot I did that when I looked back at old posts like 2 weeks ago. I'm actually surprised it got 11 likes, as I wasn't sure how people would see the children borne by magic subplot. Noticeable through the webcomic already!

So these two pitches are nearly identical; I was just worried one of the first pitch wasn't specific enough. However the first pitch got more retweets, likes and views, LOL. (It's an interesting situation--I think sometimes you wind up lucky with pitches.)

It'll become noticeable that I wanted to start referring to Antonio and Alejandro's conflicts, but Layla and Alia are major characters too, and thus I tried to put Layla in as well. However, at one point, people mentioned Layla comes off a bit random at the end of these sort of pitches. :"3c I do get that, but aw...

Overall, I realized what was best to focus on--Ranvir and Armando and their son (a.k.a. a direct connection) Antonio Chandrani.

MY FIRST OFFICIAL AGENT-RELATED PITCH EVENT... QueerPit! Official pitch events have been sporadic on Twitter since around 2022 but I was happy to catch this one.

Since I wound up emailing a lot of agents I decided not to take part in that many official agent-oriented pitch events in the end--my last was only my second one I believe, a.k.a. DVPit (unless I've blanked out another agent-oriented pitch event on Twitter). Those I won't show here directly from DVPit on Discord but from what I dropped for Twitter afterwards.

FOR THIS ONE... It was the first time I ever pitched... THE LIGHT NOVEL (also completed but unpublished). Just wanted to try.

This wasn't a real pitch exactly, and I dropped it on Twitter on September 28, 2023! However, this was the first time I brought up the scope of the epic science fantasy book 1 and its LGBT romances. My last Main pitch for Blue Horizon back a few days ago focuses on that too.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF 2 NEW PITCHES THAT I CRAFTED FOR BOOK 1 IN THE DVPIT SERVER ON DISCORD FOR THE OFFICIAL AGENT-ORIENTED PITCH EVENT, DVPIT...

For some reason neither were very popular on Twitter, but I like both of them a lot. My guess is due to the decision to try using a video for this one and a cropped art for the other one. [I did get agent likes...for the pitch I reused from QueerPit 😂 (which thankfully also got agent likes). However, I'm solo self-publishing Blue Horizon, as most of y'all know.]

Above is the first moment I was stressed, but thankfully by early this month I wound up cheery again.

So this was my first serious dud pitch after a very long time (i.e. my first Nano in March 2022). This one isn't the one I dropped on the actual NYEPitch day (also 1 like)--I'm embarrassed to show that one, but I was excited over people having fun about sun mage OCs at that time around the original day of January 1, and didn't think about terminology (I paid attention for my book)--since I use the term "water-bearer" and "ocean-bearer" a lot in my book, I ORIGINALLY used the term "bearer of the sun" for Alejandro [who's part of a binary star system] and "moon-and-sea-bearer" for Antonio in the pitch. (I do not use anything near "bearer of the sun" within Blue Horizon's epic fantasy books as I don't want to use similar terminology used in a popular published book.) I realized my mistake very late and changed it on January 5th, after 4 days! There's also the fact that this wasn't a pitch for book 1--I wanted to relax and try a first and second-to-last pitch for book 2~

However, thankfully that started my artist adventure because I got gloomy over only getting 1 like for the original and decided I wanted to destress.

I think it's also partly due to my showing up late and not participating with others due to it (I was feeling nasty tbh), possible shadowban (my posts at this time started plummeting in views compared to before in the months prior), and not specifying in the post that it isn't a sudden change from book 1 pitching, but a random attempt at a book 2 pitch.

It's because I got really emotional over finishing a story arc between Antonio and Alejandro for book 2, essentially.

THIS WAS THE SECOND DVPIT PITCH I CRAFTED IN THE DVPIT SERVER, AKA FOR THE OFFICIAL AGENT-ORIENTED EVENT... The only change from DVPit server is that I used Antonio's surname there, a.k.a. used Antonio Chandrani.

This IS about book 1; the epic science fantasy is a multi-POV book. I liked this one too, but I'm guessing either Antonio's depression era POV or the cropped-looking art made it not appetizing? This pitch is essentially a flip in perspective to Ranvir and Armando's perspective, and done partly due to my admitting that obviously Antonio Chandrani-Rivera (and Layla Chandrani) are the "traditional" main protagonists (though it's a very ensemble cast-oriented epic science fantasy book [and comic]).

This was for ChaosPit. Pitch as badly as you can, iirc.

SOOOOO AFTER A LOT OF STRESS AFTER AUGUST... I'M GLAD MY LAST PITLIGHT AND PITCH EVENT FOR BLUE HORIZON WENT OFF WITH A BANG...!!! On April 6th:

FOR THIS LAST MAIN PITCH FOR BOOK 1, I really really wanted to show off the "epic science fantasy" scale as well as mention tons of BIPOC and LGBT characters existing in it! (Calling back to that earlier proto-pitch.) I'M REALLY GLAD IT WAS WELL-LIKED.

I liked being able to use those emojis, too! They just feel like they give implications and have a weird or '90's clipart vibe together.

This is still the same Pitlight! I just wanted to try pitching the completed (but unpublished) light novel before I stopped pitching for Blue Horizon. Surprised and glad it was liked more than I expected! :D

Since it was my last time pitching for Blue Horizon after 2 and a half years, I wanted to drop one pitch for Book 2~! The first story arc is pretty serious but I thought it'd be an interesting note for anyone curious about Blue Horizon book 1 and the light novel.

AND FINALLY... I originally wanted a "cyclical" ending to all those months and even years pitching by utilizing my first Pitlight pitch ever (which was never reused in the interim).

It would've looked dreamy like this. However, I f*cked up the pitch due to changing the first sentence BUT MAKING A HUGE ERROR. LAST PITLIGHT WAS FUN. That's all!

[manicpixiedreamcurl]

I Want to Do What Lovers Do With You.◦○˚♡.˚ₓ

Pairing | Eddie Munson x reader

Warnings | 18+ only, P in V sex, unprotected sex, dacryphilia, praise kink, brief mention of uncomfy virginity loss (not to Eddie), brief mention of underage drinking, drug use, Eddie calls himself dumb a couple times, there’s maths talk early on I promise it’s only short.

Request | Concept. Reader has never gone on a date or anything before, they're not naive, they just haven't been interested in anyone. Eddie and reader have been crushing on each other for a while and when eddie half-jokingly asks them out they say yes. Reader being easily overwhelmed by the newfound affection and eddie having to get them used to it.

Word Count | ~4,000

A/N | So here's the thing. In hindsight I realise maybe you wanted virgin reader, and I didn't do that. I also didn't even write a date. However, I think I got the ~spirit~ of the request. I will definitely write virgin reader in the future, but I didn't do it here, sorry if that's what you were looking for. Reader is new to intimacy though, if that helps.

"Zero point seven." Eddie’s head snaps up from the calculator, waiting hopefully for the approving nods he’s been earning from you more and more. 

"Mm-hmm,” you nod, pointing to the page of rough triangles you’d drawn out for him to practice. "Now remember, the cosine of the angle is equal to the adjacent, which we want, over the hypotenuse, which is twenty three, so..."

"I've gotta divide something now."

"Well, how about you write the equation down with what you have?"

"Shit," he sighs, leaning back in his chair. "That's just your nerdy way of telling me I gotta multiply."

You smile in spite of yourself, knowing that Eddie is the only person who has ever called you a nerd without any real malice. There's admiration, appreciation, in his tone somewhere, under the frustration.

"C'mon. Give it a try and then we can take a break, yeah?"

Eddie's face splits in a conspiratorial grin. “What sort of break are we talking here?"

"That depends on whether you answer correctly."

"Man. If only my real teachers knew how to motivate me like you. I'd probably have graduated early."

"Eddie. The cosine of the angle equals?"

"That’s just cruel. I’m trying to concentrate and you know your teacher voice gets me going."

You have to fight a nervous laugh, choosing instead to bite the inside of your lip and gesture to the paper with your head. Eddie sighs and brings his attention to the square lined notebook, twisting the pen round his fingers while he glances between the question and the calculator. You watch him pull his own plump lip between his teeth, hair falling over his shoulders when he leans down to stare at the numbers on the page the way he needs to do sometimes. He looks so sweetly determined your heart aches.

That's unique to him, too.

When you were twelve, you’d read teen romance novels and imagined yourself falling for someone the second you entered high school. Then you got there and boys were…exactly as they always had been. Sometimes friendly, sometimes cruel, but never very interesting. Your heart didn’t flutter, your knees didn’t shake. 

Even when you lost your virginity, fumbling in the dark, head fuzzy with an early taste of alcohol, and it had been an endeavour of pure mediocrity. You expected it to hurt, but you wanted that hurt to feel like passion. Instead, it was an uncomfortable burn that had you gritting your teeth and avoiding wet kisses until he was done. 

Luke Thompson would catch your eye in Physics years later, looking forlorn and longing. 

Then there had been senior prom, something you had dreamt of when you were a pre-teen waiting for epic romance. You thought you probably would go, if you were asked. But when a smooth talking basketball player had sidled up to your locker, talking all kinds of slush about how he’d always thought you would get along but had never had the guts to ask you out, you’d weighed an evening of dancing awkwardly and pulling a strapless chiffon dress up to your armpits every twenty seconds against sitting comfy in your pyjamas and renting a good movie from Family Video. 

You spent prom night gorging on microwave popcorn and falling asleep with Dune playing in the background.

You left for college, away from Hawkins and high school and boys whose parents knew your parents, and it allowed you one night stands without the pressure of seeing them in class every day after. Just the occasional awkward nod across a hallway, if you remembered them at all. Whatever they were, it was not love, or even affection. You were using them, and felt used in turn.

But now there’s Eddie.

When you were at school together, you moved in entirely different circles. Then you’d come back from your first year of college with fewer friends in Hawkins and a new interest in Mary Jane. You’d been standing in his trailer, fishing in your purse for a five dollar bill when he’d stopped you with, “hey, you’re kind of a nerd right?”

You blinked, raised an eyebrow. “There are seven hand painted Dungeons and Dragons miniatures to my right, Munson. You really wanna play this game?”

He grinned, a little surprised by the bite back. “Yeah, but a real nerd. You’re smart, I mean?”

“Not many people would admit to being stupid.”

“I do.” 

You think that’s probably where it started. The ache for him. Eddie Munson, who you’d always dismissed as another boy with more confidence than he had any right to, stood there in his room, a sad but accepting smile on his face, and told you he thought there was something wrong with his brain.

“I mean, I never understand anything when I’m in class,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “And then whenever I think, maybe, I’m starting to get it, we move on to something else and I’m left sitting there like, hey, you’re not gonna go over that another couple times?” Eddie gave a defeated shrug. “I’m gonna fail again this year, I just know it.”

“Well, you don’t actually know that,” you’d tried, feeling guilty when he’d rolled his eyes at the meaningless platitude. “Okay, what, you want me to tutor you or something?”

“Yeah? I mean nobody smart enough at school would risk being seen with me. Wouldn’t be a problem for you though, right? You’re a college girl now, above that kind of stuff.”

“And the benefit to me would be?”

“Free bud? Or whatever else you’re into,” he shrugged, dimples appearing soon after as he leaned into your space, your heart beating in your ears. “I’ve heard you academic types struggle to stay away from the good stuff.”

So while your new friends from college are spending their long Summer in Key Largo, or camping in Joshua Tree, you are at home in Hawkins, driving most days to Eddie’s trailer to get him where he should be in Math, English, Science and Geography. 

You are giving him more help than he’s paying you for, but it didn’t take you long to think of him as worth it.

Big brown eyes you have to get up close to appreciate, pretty pink lips always smiling when you’re around. He’s self deprecating but he blushes when you compliment and encourage him. Eddie calls you smart with adorable reverence and listens to your opinions. He’s funny and he’s talented and you want to hold his face in your hands and squish. 

It’s like every embarrassing girly teenage crush you never had has been focused all on this one boy and fuck, you weren’t expecting it when you drove up to his trailer for the first time with a calculator in hand, but it’s barely been a month and you want him like you've never wanted anybody. 

You didn’t mind touching people who knew better what they were doing than poor Luke from Physics, didn’t mind clashing teeth and your face pressed into sheets. You didn’t mind that they’d leave in the morning, or you would. You never wished them back. You never imagined holding their hand the way you think about holding Eddie's hand. Warm, big, soft in the palms and rough at the ends of his fingers, chunky rings you want to bring to your face and stare at.  

You think so many things about Eddie you never expected, wonder endlessly about what you wish to know. 

What is his favourite food? Could make it for him as he wants it? Does he like horror movies, or is that an assumption? Even if he doesn't, would he watch one with you anyway, let you cuddle into his side on his Uncle’s couch, jumping and laughing together? Would he want to drive you places, play the gentleman? Would he want to meet your parents? Get a house in the city? Adopt a dog or a cat? Go on dates and be sweet with each other well into your sixties?

What does Eddie picture when he thinks about his future? Are you there?

You wonder if he knows. No matter what he says, Eddie is not dumb, not even close. Surely he has to see that you’re giving more than you’re getting back. 

“Sixteen point one.”

You flinch a little to be pulled from your thoughts, face warm while you check his work. Scratchy, messy handwriting, calculations done correctly. You smack your hands on your knees. “Break time.”

“Hell yeah,” Eddie grins, fingers waggling in the air as he stands to search for his metal lunchbox.

“You left it in the kitchen.”

Eddie pauses to give you a warm, thankful smile, hand coming to lay flat on the left side of his chest. “You always keep me right, sweet thing.”

You have a love-hate relationship with the flirting. It makes your palms sweat like nothing else, your stomach do something it has only ever done at the first jolt forward on a roller coaster, your heart pound in excitement even as it aches with worry. It's exhausting. 

Eddie reappears at his door, hair flying out behind him as he glides over to you, settled on his bed. He settles in next to you, his long arm warm and in line with yours from shoulder to elbow. While he rolls a spliff on his side table, you pick at a new hole on the knees of your blue jeans. You scowl, thinking about how you’ll never locate a pair as good as these in Hawkins, thinking about driving to a city for the day, thinking about abandoning this place altogether, heading back to your college town where good stores sell quality jeans and whatever else you could want. Away from here, away from Eddie, who is beginning to torture you with his smiles.

And his touch.

Eddie grabs your hand from your knee to pass you the newly lit joint, leaving your skin aching to remember the feeling of his calloused fingers. You know his eyes are on your face when you take a drag, and you wonder helplessly if you look cute, or hot, or sexy in your college sweater and jeans, lips wrapped around rolled paper. 

It's a new feeling, and you can't say you're enjoying it. Since spending all this time with Eddie, you’ve come to understand why other people had so much trouble getting their heads down at school. If you thought like this back then, endlessly pondering the prospect of being liked, desired, loved, you would never have got anything done. 

“Hey,” Eddie says when he takes the joint back. “I have a question.”

“No, I don’t expect you to get back to trigonometry when we’re done.”

You hear the rushed breath from his nose, a little amused sound. “No question there. You lose all authority when you’re high.”

“Do not. I could make you study.”

“Nah,” he answers, eyes crinkling at the sides pleasantly, just like everything he does. “You get pretty docile. You’d let me do anything I wanted.”

His fingers brush yours at the next pass, a heated tingle running up your back and across your neck. Your mouth feels a little dry, and you lick your lips like it’ll help, thinking about all the implications of that sentence. “Not anything.”

Eddie has the good sense to blush then, but he quickly shakes his head and powers through. “What I was going to ask was, how come a girl like you is spending her Summer with me?”

You raise an eyebrow, settling back into his pillows to get comfy as your head begins to fuzz, trying to ignore the pleasant hit of his smell emanating from the squished fabric. “Were you smoking this before I got here? You asked me to tutor you.”

“Yeah, and God knows I need all the help you’re giving me,” he says, eyes wide and earnest. “I mean, seriously, I feel like I have a real chance of crawling my way out next year. But what I- what I meant was, and tell me if I’m crossing a line here, sweetheart, how come you’re here, with me, and not road tripping with some college boys or whatever all your friends are doing right now?”

Your face gets hotter. “Does it matter?”

“Does it- yeah. Yes. It matters.”

A prickle of recognition crawls up your spine, stemming from his tone, the way he’s looking at you, how he’s sitting; tense against your side. In the past, you would have felt pure dread, mind working overtime to prepare the required explanation for a boy who was really looking for you to change your mind. Instead, there’s nerves, all along your body, but there is excitement, too. Butterflies zipping about in your stomach. 

“Why?” You ask, passing the joint back, letting yourself freely enjoy the brief touch of his skin, now that you realise that’s allowed. “Why does it matter?”

Eddie blinks at you, his bottom lip shaking. “Well, if I’m being honest,” he starts, pausing to turn away from you and take a long drag like he needs a moment to think it through. Then he eyes you from the side, thumb flicking ash into a metal tray. “I guess the answer might save me from making a fool of myself? If you say that this is all an elaborate prank or I have a rich distant relative paying you to spend time with me or, I don’t know, that helping out super seniors will be good on your resume, then, then I’d accept it. And even this particularly dumb super senior would know not to ask a really, really dumb question.”

“You’re not dumb, Eddie.” You nudge his body with yours, head cottony, loose lipped. “I really, really wish you’d stop saying that.”

Eddie’s gaze moves to your face where you are leaning back on his pillows, watches the subtle turn of your head, rubbing your cheek against the cotton, the feel of it uniquely pleasant after a couple hits. 

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to if you go out with me.”

It sounds like he wasn't even entirely aware he was speaking until he's done. Eddie's eyes widen, his face flushing pink.

“Is that you asking me?”

“Depends on whether you answer correctly” 

Eddie smiles at the repetition, like he’s playing coy, like this is fun, but he is too expressive by half. His big eyes are searching, waiting, with a hint of resignation, to learn that he is fooling himself. 

Eddie always came across as cocky to you, at school. Just like the jocks he hated, he was an overconfident boy. Even now you can picture him stepping up on cafeteria tables and declaring himself a rebel with about a million different causes. But here, alone with you in his room, Eddie makes himself vulnerable.

Your cautious heart calls out to his. Don’t worry, me too.

You take a deep breath, forcing yourself not to look away. “I’d say yes, Eddie.”

You receive a classically Eddie slow blink, followed by a grin that screams every ounce of his joy and relief. His head tilts forward. “Shit. You’re serious?”

"If you are."

"Jesus- yes, I'm serious." Eddie nods emphatically, eyes wide like he’s worried you’ll take it back if he doesn’t establish how much he meant it. “We could get dinner? Or I’ll take you to the nice cinema in the next town? Or- or the lake, or I could show you the bar my friends and I play in-”

You gaze at him, butterflies erupting at the sight of his pleased smile, the way his hair moves with every excited tilt and nod of his head. This is new, and exciting, and scary.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ♡ ୧.˚ₓ  

You stay in Hawkins until the end of Summer, until you have to go back to college and Eddie needs work for his final, final year at high school. 

He sends you off with a worn Metallica t-shirt to wrap around a pillow and cuddle into, a buzzy, crackling recording on tape of his voice over guitar, the black ring from his right hand that would be a promise made too early if it was from anyone else. 

You leave him with all the pens he chewed the tops of, hand written practice sheets for every class he’s taking, old notes on differentiation, centripetal force, the River Nile, searched for and retrieved from the back of closets in your parents house. You hope Eddie knows that this is you trying.

Across the months you spend in his arms with weather cooling and trees turning, followed by stolen weekends, every break from classes lasting longer than three days, you learn so many things about Eddie. 

He eats boxed mac and cheese by the pot. When you boil up some pasta on your own, he shovels it down the same way, surprised when the rich homemade sauce leads to you rubbing his tummy all night and trying not to laugh while he groans out that every spoonful was worth the pain.

He likes all kinds of horror movies; psychological and slasher and comedy. Getting you under his arm while they play in his living room and covering your eyes without your permission during the scary parts becomes a particular joy for him. 

“Eddie, get off!” 

“No can do, sweet thing. Gotta protect you from potential nightmare material. That’s my job now.”

He loves driving you everywhere, loves the sight of you in his van, sorting through the tapes in his glove compartment.

“Mega…Death?” 

“The world’s foremost thrash metal band. Great choice.” 

He wants to meet your parents, but he’s scared of what they’ll think of him. Dog or cat, he doesn’t mind as long as it’s not a horrible little yappy thing. He wants to get out of this town forever, live in a city, or really anywhere but here, where he could afford a nice-ish place. 

When he pictures his future, you are there. 

“Course, I would stay in Hawkins if you wanted to move back here.”

You’re trying, all of the time. You want him more than anything, because this is different, this is special, but that’s also what makes it so difficult. You are used to pleasured touches followed by closing doors, and it has left you disarmed to the open way that Eddie loves you, the only way he knows how.

“I know, I know,” he murmurs to your cheek, the roll of his hips a steady, torturous rhythm, drawing long whines from the back of your throat. Eddie’s big hand covers your forehead, pushing sweaty stray hairs away, rubbing your eyebrow with his thumb. The other is tucked under your back, helping you to arch sweetly so the head of his cock can find the spot at the back of your pussy that claims you, makes you desperate for him, with each heavy thrust. His brown eyes are sympathetic to your whimpers, proud of you for taking everything he has to give, even when it feels like your heart will beat out of your chest. “It’s always just a little too much for my sweet girl, mm? Still not used to being touched right.” He sighs, gives you a little pout with shining eyes. “I left you waiting too long for me, didn’t I?”

“Eddie,” you cry, fingers digging into his back, arms and legs wrapped tight around him as if he might leave if you let him loose. It’s perfect like this, his body weighing down on yours. You are too warm, your lungs protesting the lack of space to expand, but you can feel Eddie’s skin against every part of you. Any time you want, you can reach up to tuck some of his hair back off his sweaty neck. You do, earning yourself a perfect Eddie smile and a kiss from soft lips. The taste of his mouth, familiar to you now, makes your body clench around him, arms and legs around his torso, your weeping cunt around his cock. Nothing is like this, nothing is so perfectly overwhelmingly right.

“Oh, I felt that,” he smiles, breath spreading across your face at his chuckle. “Remember the first time you let me inside you? Wanted to be bent over and fucked, like you’re used to, mm?” Your toes curl in embarrassment, wanting to hide your face from him but there’s nowhere to go with his gentle hand holding you in place. You are left with your watering eyes, his pretty face blurring until you just about manage to blink the tears away. “It’s better like this, isn’t it?” He presses kisses down your nose, across your cheek to the corner of your mouth, sighing happily. “It’s better when we make love?”

You seize up, crying out, your back arching further as if you could get any closer to him. Eddie fucks you through the desperate clenching of your cunt, each hit to the spongy nerves of your spot building your pleasure past what should have been its peak. Your hand drifts up his back, grasping his neck from behind, fingers flexing and pulling at his pale skin enough that there will be dark bruises there tomorrow. 

At the heavy sob that falls from your mouth, Eddie lets you up, wrapping a hand around the back of your head to help you bury your face in his neck. 

Eddie hums as you come down, hips moving in tight circles like he’s just trying to get deeper while you weep into his skin. Your lungs feel increasingly restrained, little gasping breaths between wails, still confined between Eddie’s body and the mattress. “C’mon,” he says, leaning down to kiss your temple, rubbing below your ear with his thumb. “Let me see you. Need your pretty eyes to make me come.”

You feel him twitch inside you when he settles you back into his pillows, blinking up at him, finally letting the tears fall. The first time Eddie made you cry like this, overwhelmed at the intensity of feeling for him and all he does to you, you were afraid he would slow down, that it would ruin it for him. 

He’d licked the tears off your cheek and grunted through gritted teeth that nothing had ever made him so hot.

Eddie stares at you intensely now, mouth relaxed and open, letting out excited groans as his hips stutter, almost ready to fill you up. He could cum without your voice, like the others before him, but he is the first who deserves it.

“You treat me so well, Eddie,” you breathe, taking a shaky gasp at the sudden increase in the pace of his thrusts. 

Eddie nods desperately, his bottom lip shaking. “‘M trying.”

“I know,” you nod in turn, grasping his face with your hands, whispering so he knows it is all only for him. “I’m so lucky, Eddie. You’re so good, so good. Better than anything when you make love to me.”

His lips find yours to kiss you, but you end up breathing in his final moan instead, feeling him fill you up right with pooling warmth. Your legs squeeze his back, your pussy gifting you another little peak, a grateful flutter for taking Eddie’s cum deep inside you. 

Eddie drops entirely then, face pressed to the base of your neck. You groan a little, but allow yourself to caress his face, sweep his hair away from his sweaty forehead, hold it away from his heated neck. He presses a final wet kiss to your collar and rolls off you, finally allowing your protesting lungs the space to breathe properly. 

It doesn’t last long. Without ceremony, your whole body is pulled towards him, leaving your face tight to his chest. It steals the fresh air of the room, replacing it with the humidity your bodies create this close together. 

But it’s good. It’s better, because it smells like Eddie, feels like Eddie, and everything is better with him.

[shinidamachu]

Hi!

This is in regards to your post about why Kagome and Inuyasha never had an actual kiss in the manga. I remember reading somewhere (unfortunately can't remember where exactly) that the reason Takahashi didn't include an InuKag kiss was because in the manga kisses typically symbolized something negative. I can kind of see this with the first kiss shared by InuKik. I read that kiss as a "kiss of death" (if that makes any sense) in which Kikyo binds Inuyasha to the vow/agreement that he will sacrifice his life and go to hell with her (without his consent, in my opinion, at least when Kikyo first plants the idea into his head and then eventually he comes to believe he owes it to her, but I digress). As for the second kiss, it was more of a kiss that symbolized a permanent separation/goodbye (this I remember being mentioned in that source). They were kisses that didn't take place in the most romantic or idealized settings, I guess. It would have been epic though for InuKag to have the first happy kiss though and break that superstition!!!

INUKAG 10000000% DESERVED THEIR MANGA KISS and I'll probably always be bitter over the fact that Takahashi didn't give it to us!!! Although, fanfic writers and artists have written and drawn the most epic, magical kisses. So maybe we didn't miss out on that much?

Hi! Thank you so much for your input! This is the first time I ever hear that the reason Takahashi didn't include an Inukag kiss in the manga was because kisses typically symbolized something negative in the narrative.

Like I said in the tags of my original post, the only explanations I remember reading were: Takahashi was too shy to draw kisses (which is debunked by the kisses she did draw in the same manga) and Kagome was too young for that (which is debunked not only by the two Inukik kisses that happened even though Inuyasha was the same age as Kagome, but also by the fact that Kagome was 18 years old when she came back to the Feudal Era by the end of the story so why didn't they kiss then? Or in the epilogue?).

I'm one hundred per cent with you when you say that Inuyasha and Kikyo's first kiss was a "kiss of death" since it wasn't really reciprocal from Inuyasha's part and she used it in an attempt to drag him to hell with her without his consent. And I also interpreted their second kiss as a goodbye. Now this one was truly consensual and meaningful, but it wasn't a kiss of love, it was a kiss of closure. I agree that none of the kisses were romantic, but whether they were or weren't is a different discussion and not the point I was trying to make. The point I was trying to make is that these kisses happened.

Kisses are not inherently negative. On the contrary: they're most often than not a positive thing. In fact, didn't Takahashi draw a Miroku and Sango kiss as well?

I haven't reached this part of the manga yet, but the fact that I have come across this image a couple of times, combined with the fact that I've never seen people complaining about any lack of Miroku and Sango kisses in the manga and that I'm not by any means capable of differencing a real panel from a fan made edit, makes me believe this one is real.

And sure, you can argue that it was a goodbye kiss as well. Miroku was seriously injured and Sango had to leave him right after it happened. But to me theres a huge difference between seriously injured and seconds away from dying, which Kikyo was when the last Inukik kiss happened. Sango isn't saying a final goodbye. She is saying "I love you, don't you dare dying while I'm gone." And that's positivelly romantic to me. Not happy by any means, but definitely romantic.

Couldn't Inuyasha and Kagome have the same kind of kiss? There were countless occasions for that to have happened with Takahashi still mantaining this trope. For instance, after making the final wish, Kagome could have been forced to choose which world she wants to live in. If she chooses Modern Era, Inuyasha can not follow her. Time is running out and if it does, she gets stuck in the Feudal Era for good. Inuyasha doesn't think it's fair for her to sacrifice everything just to stay by his side, so with a final kiss, he tosses her through the closing portal, a parallel to the time he pushed her down the well to protect her. Everything else could have stayed the same.

And even if I'm wrong and the Mirsan kiss didn't happen or you weren't convinced it was romantic because it was an angsty kiss, there's still no explanation as to why Inuyasha and Kagome couldn't have broken the superstition with a happy kiss, like you so brightly put it.

Using kisses to symbolyze negative emotions is actually brilliant because you're giving a different meaning to an act that is usually associated with positive things. But this doesn't mean you can't break that rule ever. Didn't Takahashi herself almost did it by heavily teasing Inukag kisses at least twice?

I'd argue that, in fact, breaking that rule would have made for a much better writting decision, because this kiss would have stood out in comparison to the others. It would have been Takahashi telling the audience: "see how this one is different? See how it feels right in a way the others didn't? See how this is what is suposed to feel like? See why this is your endgame couple?"

And I can't understand why wouldn't you give that to your protagonists and to your expecting audience? I feel like this is what Sunrise tried to do when they gave us the Inukag anime kiss, which could have been done way better if they had a reference to follow (yet another reason as to why the kissing scene should have happened).

Like I said, Takahashi did a great job building the Inukag relationship, in a way that we didn't need to see them kiss to know how deeply they loved each other, but after everything they've been through they deserved that kiss. Kissing is something people in romantic relationships do (and if Inuyasha and Kagome were in a romantic relationship during the series or not is yet another debate, but they were definitely married by the time the story ended), unless they mutually decide they don't want that part of the relationship for personal reasons, which is totally valid but it's obviously not Inuyasha and Kagome's case. They wanted to kiss.

That being said, I still can't think of one single reason as to why Takahashi didn't allow Inuyasha and Kagome to kiss that it didn't sound like complete bullshit. To me it all comes down to a simple truth, that is a much harder pill to swallow: she didn't want to.

[starside-selfships]

🎫 here's a gush pass ^^ feel free to gush about whichever f/o you want, however much you want, then send this ask to 3 other self shippers! (if you don't feel like sending tho that's okay too!! 🌻 here's a flower ^^ have a nice day)

HI ANON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE GUSH PASS AND THE SUNFLOWER!! (it's been a while since I had some of these)

Y'know what, because I've been getting back into Fortnite because of Epic introducing Zero Build (thanks Slone, I hate you for your betrayal back in Season 7 of Chapter 2, but thank you for the new permanent game mode) and me writing and developing my self-insert into the story that is this game, along with my little AU I keep to myself, I figure I gush a little about Meowscles! But where do I start? I guess I should skip to the good part and work my way from there!

So on 2/20/2020, Epic release the second season of Fortnite Chapter 2 and introduced one of the most amazing skins that I've ever laid my eyes on in all my time of playing this game. He is my feline duo partner for life and my handsome trans husband (yes I headcanon him as trans because you have no power here >:3) and his name is Meowscles! Words can't explain how much I love and simp for this buff kitty, he was the only skin that I used for pretty much the entirety of C2S2, I CARED FOR NO ONE ELSE OTHER THAN HIM-

I don't know what it was that had me so drawn to him in the first place. I guess I had several imagines in my head of the two of us running duos together and he would be so intimidating, but seeing me so nervous, anxious, and overwhelmed, all it would take was a pat on the shoulder and with my focus on him, he'd nuzzle close to me and fill my ears with those addicting purrs. IT'S FUNNY HOW MY SONA IS A CANINE AND I HAVE A THING FOR FELINES, IT'S CRAZY HOW THAT WORKS-

I definitely see him as the protective type, like when Midas started doing some sketchy shit (doomsday - season 2 event), Meowscles didn't want me leaving his sight. For those 124 days the season has been going on for, we had some crazy first dates and that moment was proof that this cat and I were going to go through some hectic shit in the future. And here we are, we went through 9 seasons of some crazy bullshit and we're reaching our 10 season anniversary on June 4 with the release of Season 3!

During season 2, one of our dates consisted of going to the ASTRONOMICAL event with you-know-who (YOU STILL GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO). But during the concert, as well as the Rift Tour, I knew practically all the lyrics and I felt his gaze on me when I was singing along, bouncing up and down, and enjoying every second. Especially when I sang along to goosebumps, that's when I let loose and just sang my heart out. Meowscles pulled me close and wanted me to keep singing, so I did. The smile on his face was wide, he just watched me as I was in the zone and in a state of bliss.

But back on the topic of protective, at the beginning of Chapter 2 Season 6, HE LITERALLY TRIES THROWING HANDS WITH A PREDATOR, THIS IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY HE 👏🏾 WILL LITERALLY 👏🏾 PROTECT 👏🏾 ME 👏🏾 FROM 👏🏾 ANYONE 👏🏾 AND/OR 👏🏾 ANYTHING, NO MATTER HOW SCARY IT MAY BE. There are some pretty rare times where I'm the one coming in to save him, but like I said, very rare.

When the season 3 trailer dropped, I was BLESSED with him being in the spotlight for majority of the video, casually (*googles the correct definition*) waterskiing and showing off, saying what's up to Aquaman too, like WHY ARE YOU SO PURRDY?? While protective, I see him having a bit of a crazy side like me, not afraid to launch himself into the heat of battle, even if it might get himself killed and therefore, sent into another Loop. Then he tries again! There's very few times where we'll find a place to chill so he can take a little catnap (haha yes I did a funny) and in turn, I end up falling asleep with him and it's a deep sleep thanks to those deep purrs of his.

I absolutely love his main variant, I have a MAJOR soft spot for his SHADOW variant and I kinda regret picking the GHOST one during the season because LOOK AT HIM, HELLO???

AND HOW COULD I FORGET HIS TOON VARIANT?? Someone at Epic knew that I had a thing for cartoons and animation and they decided "y'know what, let's keep him coming back for more" and look at what they did!

So far in the current chapter, we're doing pretty good! And by "pretty good", I mean Meowscles driving a truck while I'm shooting with a nerfed heavy sniper at an oncoming enemy vehicle that's shooting back with other ranged weapons and-oh shit, we just ran over Peter Parker and Vi from Arcane.

AND THATS ALL I GOT FOR GUSHING ABOUT MY DUO PARTNER FOR LIFE! I'm eager to see what new events we'll both go through together and fresh new hell awaits for us both on Artemis (the name of the current island). I guess we'll have to see. Aaaaaaand that's about it! Thanks again, Anon!! 💜

- Starside

[arthotsglasses]

Hi @arthotsglasses!!!!! I just really wanted to ask how you're doing!!! And tell you about how amazing your Mc x Kyle art is!!!! Hugs!!! It was honestly so amazing omg!!!!

Oh! Also I was kind of looking through your masterlist and noticed that you know collar x malice! I just recently bought it so I was wondering if I can ask your opinion on what you thought of it!!!!

More hugs!!!💗💗💗 hope you are doing well!!!

oyaaa thank u thank u. Hope u are enjoying the holidays too.

ok I will try to talk about CxM without spoilers, but I apologize in advance if something slipped. U HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Art - the cgs are litttt af. Especially the dynamic angles they use. idk as an artist, I'm a big fan of it. Also the good part is, the side characters are drawn with actual care and don't look like dogshit. Would 10/10 date some of the side hoes cuz damn side bois and girls be lookin hawt.

Bois: I think this is one of the very few games where I don't have anyone that I dislike or don't want to play their route. I'm in favour of everyone, ofc some more well written/designed than others, but thumbs up for me. The biggest thing for me is that, all of these boys have some sort of natural imperfections, like being clumsy, can't keep the room clean, and just more normal flaws that maybe real human boys would have. Cuz a lot of Otome game bois are completely perfect with a traumatizing childhood or depression, they lack that reality check for being good at literally everything and saves mc at all perfect times.

MC: ok fav mc out of all mc in Otome games I've played so far. SMART, INDEPENDENT, CAPABLE, STRONG, WOMAN LETS GO. She solves her own problems, does not solely solely on bois to come and save her like a little princess, has strong braincells and passion in what she does. (and not to mention, in this game, mc has a sad backstory too which makes mc more relatable unlike other mcs who lived perfect life loved by friends and family and never had a crisis) She has friends, family, a social life outside of just being with the bois, which I find very important and good to include. (cuz u know many mcs, they get yeeted somewhere and only simps for the boy and nothing else)

Gameplay: pretty good, very interactive with the player. It's not just clicking next for hours straight, there's some navigation, crime scene observing, and aiming for gunshots. (ik pretty epic) I suggest you play with the walkthrough unless you don't mind having you or your mans flat out dead in the next 5 seconds. Also you better have massive braincells if you are gonna blind it, cuz you have to actually solve many parts of the crimes as the player. sAvE tHe GaMe frequently plz or you will regret it (like me but it's all good now)

Can be triggering cuz there's a lot of blood, drugs, violence, stabbing, manipulating, crimes, people going feral, and apeshit. Play with caution.

ok I ordered the -unlimited- (the sequel) the day I finished the main game cuz damn it was really good. Now I'm ever so slightly biting off of each sequel route cuz I don't want it to end p_q. Hope that was a decent review, if you want more specific or other games feel free to ask more!