#which honestly lifts my spirits like nothing

[quinzzelx]

Shadows and Starlight

Azriel x Fem!Reader

Summary: You and Mor return from a long mission on the Continent. Nine Months have passed since your departure and you couldn't wait to reunite with your best friend, a best friend you'd had a crush on for centuries. Only that Azriel wasn't there when you returned home. He would only return on Starfall.

Part 02

Word count: 4.5K

Warnings: A little spice at the end there. But honestly just a little! Otherwise Fluff, Reader being part of the IC!! I have not proof-read it yet.

A/N: Well, hello there! I have never posted writing for this Fandom before, so I truly hope it is enjoyable and finds it's people. Overall, I haven't really been posting on this blog in ages and felt inspired. I would love to write a second part if this is received well. This isn't proofread yet, I will do that eventually, so I apologize for possible errors. Please let me know what you think and feel free to drop into my inbox.

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The night was cool and crisp as you and Mor made your way through the streets of Velaris, the city lights casting a warm glow over the cobblestone streets. Returning to Velaris had been a relief, the mission Rhys had sent you on should have taken no longer than six weeks, lastly spanning nine months that felt like an eternity. What should have been a rather quick trip to the Continent turned out to be far more complicated than anticipated. You were supposed to look into the whereabouts of a magical artifact while Mor should keep up her work as emissary. What you did not take into account whatsoever was the uprising conflict between two of their biggest noble houses, which complicated things. Trust was not easy to come by. Diplomats and Mediators by day and treasure hunters by night. Of course, you also had plenty of time to bask in the sunlight, smothering heat seeping into the marrow of your bones. Even with Mor by your side, there had been moments of homesickness that gnawed at your heart, a longing for the familiar comforts of home that seemed to grow with each passing day.

But now, as you made your way through the streets of Velaris, you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over you. The city was alive with the buzz of activity, its streets bustling with life and energy. Even the stars seemed to shine and twinkle brighter than usually, welcoming you back. It was good to be home. As you stepped into the grand foyer of the House of Wind, you felt a rush of nostalgia wash over you. Albite nine months were nothing for Fae, you had missed this. The scent of fresh bread filled the air, no doubt made by Elain. A soft smile tugged at the corner of your lips at the familiarity, your shoulders relaxing slightly.

Mor wasted no time in making herself comfortable, stomping off to the sitting room and throwing herself onto the chaise with a dramatic sigh. You couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. As she settled into the plush pillows, you perched yourself on the edge of the nearby armchair, your gaze drifting to the flickering flames in the hearth. The crackling fire cast dancing shadows across the room, its warmth a comforting embrace after the long journey home. "So, what is on your mind?" Mor's voice broke through the silence, her eyes fluttering open as she regarded you with a curious expression. You let out a soft sigh, your thoughts drifting back to the tribulations of your time overseas. "It was... intense," you replied, voice tinged with a hint of weariness. "So much happened.” You groaned then. “Cauldron boil me, I really don’t want to fill out that mission report…” Mor nodded in understanding, a sympathetic smile playing on her lips. "I can imagine, me neither" she said, her tone filled with empathy. "But Rhys will not push us. He probably missed us as much as we missed him. It’s been a while after all.”

You smiled gratefully at her words, a sense of relief washing over you. "Yeah, you're right," you agreed, your spirits lifting at the thought of being back in Velaris once more. Back home. You fell into a comfortable silence then, the crackling fire the only sound echoing in the room. But beneath the surface, you felt a restlessness stirring within yourself—a longing to see him, to feel the familiar comfort of his presence. Obviously you missed the entirety of your family wholly. Definitely not thinking about one person more than the others. At least that is what you told yourself.

"I'm going to check on Az," you said suddenly, your voice breaking the silence. "I haven't seen him in a while…" Mor raised an eyebrow inquisitively, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Really now? Here I thought we saw none of them in a while." she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Missing someone, are we?" You felt a blush creeping into your cheeks at Mor's teasing tone, but you brushed it off with a playful roll of your eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," you retorted, though the fluttering in your chest betrayed your true feelings. With a playful wink, Mor waved you off, her attention already drifting back to the warmth of the fire. "Go on then," she said, her voice soft but encouraging. "I'll be here when you get back." And with that, you rose from your seat and made your way to Azriel's room, your heart fluttering with anticipation at the thought of seeing him again after so long. With a sense of anticipation bubbling in your chest, you picked up your pace subconsciously, your steps quick and eager. You had grown so close over the years, so comfortable in each other's company, that knocking on doors had become a formality you rarely bothered with anymore- and even if you usually still found yourself knocking from time to time, you just were too excited.

But as you pushed open the door to Azriel's room, your heart sank at the sight of the empty space before you. The room was quiet and still, save for the faint scent of cedar that lingered in the air—a stark reminder of the Male you had missed so much. Disappointment tugged at your heart as you surveyed the deserted room, your lips curling into a soft frown. It was Starfall in just a few days, you really thought, hoped, he’d be here when you returned. Before you could dwell on your thoughts any longer, a familiar voice broke through the silence, startling you. "So, Y/N, are you finally going to confess your undying love for my brother?" he quipped, his tone laced with amusement. You rolled your eyes, but a smile tugged at the corners of your lips now as you threw yourself into Cassian's awaiting arms. You had missed him, missed all of them, but the absence of Azriel weighed heavily on your heart somehow. After you pull away from your embrace, Cassian offers you a kind smile, his eyes warm with understanding.

"Hey, just so you know, Az has been on a mission for the past few days," The tall Illyrian says gently, his tone filled with reassurance. "But he should be back before Starfall." You feel a surge of relief at the news, your heart fluttering with anticipation at the thought of seeing Azriel again. You waited nine months, you could wait a few more days. "Thank you, Cass," you says sincerely, gratitude shining in your eyes. Then the tall male shifts on his foot, raising an eyebrow in mock offense, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes. "Hey now, Y/N, I hope you're not just excited to see Az," he says with a dramatic sigh, placing a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "I mean, I know I'm not as brooding and mysterious as our Shadowsinger, but a little appreciation for your favorite warrior wouldn't hurt." You roll your eyes again with a grin, shaking your head at Cassian's antics. "Oh, please, Cass. You know you're my second favorite warrior," you quip, your tone teasing as you give him a playful shove. You share a moment of laughter before Cassian's expression turns more serious, his gaze softening as he looks at you with genuine concern. "How was the mission? Everything okay?"

Nodding, your smile faltering slightly as you recall the challenges you faced overseas. "It was... intense, to say the least. But we made it back in one piece, thanks to Mor and her quick thinking."

Cassian nods in understanding, his expression reflecting his relief. "Well, I'm glad you're both safe. We'll have to celebrate your return properly, once you've had a chance to rest." Humming you find yourself relaxing into the familiar warmth of his company. You nod in agreement then. “Yeah, Rhys always has something up his sleeve for Starfall,” you say, voice tinged with anticipation. “I can only imagine what he has planned for this year.” Both of you fall into comfortable silence for a moment. Only when a yawn claws itself up your throat and past your lips does Cassian speak again. “Does Rhys know you’re back?” His gaze is gentle in the way he looks at you, it was easy to tell that the oaf missed you just as much.

Stretching your tired muscles slightly, you nod hastily. "Yeah, you should have seen his face when he came barging into the kitchen and saw us drink tea with Feyre." A soft chuckle leaves him then, and you share a knowing grin as you both recall similar situations.

Making your way down the hall, you find Mor fast asleep on the chaise lounge in the sitting room, her features relaxed in slumber. Cassian retrieves a soft blanket from the nearby cupboard and gently drapes it over Mor's sleeping form, his movements gentle and caring.

You settle into the chairs nearby, he joins you, and the two of you engage in light conversation, catching up on the latest developments with Nesta and the Valkyrie. You share stories and anecdotes, laughter punctuating the quiet of the night as you relish in each other's company. Eventually, exhaustion catches up with you, and you bid Cassian goodnight before retreating to your own chambers for some much-needed rest.

As you settle into bed, your mind can't help but wander towards Azriel. Despite the exhaustion weighing heavy on your limbs, thoughts of him linger at the forefront of your mind, like whispers in the darkness. You can't help but wonder how he's been faring on his mission, what trials and tribulations he's faced in your absence. A pang of guilt tugs at your heart as you realize that you hadn't even sent word of your return, leaving him in the dark about your whereabouts. Closing your eyes, you try to push aside the worry and uncertainty that gnaws at your thoughts, focusing instead on the memory of his warm smile and steady presence. You find solace in the thought of seeing him again, of being reunited with the friend who has always been a steady anchor in your life. With a soft sigh, you let the rhythmic sound of your breathing lull you into a state of calm, allowing yourself to drift into a restless sleep filled with dreams of starlit skies and whispered promises. And as sleep claims you, you hold onto the hope that tomorrow will bring with it the long-awaited reunion you've been yearning for.

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The next days pass in a blur, the absence of Azriel weighing heavily on your heart despite the moments of joy spent with your family. You find solace in the familiar routines of daily life, in the laughter and chatter of your loved ones gathered together in the warmth of the House of Wind.

Mornings are filled with shared meals and lively conversation, the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the aroma of freshly baked pastries. On the day before Starfall you find yourself amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life in Velaris, as you join Feyre, Mor, and Nesta for a day of dress shopping. The air is filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked goods, adding to the festive atmosphere of the day.

As you weave through the throngs of people, your eyes alight on a quaint boutique you’re all too familiar with, nestled between two bustling shops. Its windows are adorned with elegant gowns in every shade of the rainbow, their silken fabrics shimmering in the sunlight.

With a shared glance and a knowing smile, you make your way inside, greeted by the tinkling of bells and the warm smile of the shopkeeper. The interior of the boutique is a veritable treasure trove of fashion, with racks of dresses in every style and design imaginable. As you browse through the racks, your eyes are drawn to a stunning gown in a shade of deep midnight blue, its bodice adorned with delicate lace and sparkling sequins. It catches the light in such a way that it seems to shimmer and dance with every movement, and you can't help but feel drawn to it.

Feyre picks up a flowing gown in a shade of pale lavender, holding it up against herself with a thoughtful expression. "What do you think?" she asks, turning to you and the others for their opinion. Mor nods approvingly, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "It's lovely, Feyre. You would look stunning in that." Nesta, ever the pragmatist, arches an eyebrow skeptically. "It's a bit too... ethereal for my taste," she remarks dryly. "But if it makes you happy, then go for it." You can't help but chuckle at Nesta's blunt honesty, knowing that she speaks from a place of genuine concern for her sister's happiness. "I think it's beautiful, Feyre," you offer, a warm smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "But ultimately, it's up to you." Feyre returns your smile gratefully, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Y/N," she says softly, her voice filled with warmth. "I think I'll give it a try." As Feyre disappears into the dressing room to try on the gown, Mor turns to you with a glint in her eyes. "So, Y/N, have you found anything that catches your eye?" she asks, her tone teasing.

You shrug nonchalantly, though your heart races at the thought of the dress you had spotted earlier. "Maybe," you reply coyly, a playful smile playing at your lips. "There was one that caught my attention." Nesta raises an eyebrow curiously, her gaze sharpening with interest. "Oh? And what does it look like?" she inquires, her tone betraying her curiosity.

You hesitate for a moment, your cheeks flushing slightly as you recall the details of the dress. "It's... um, it's a deep midnight blue," you begin, your voice trailing off as you struggle to find the right words to describe it.

Mor's eyes light up with mischief as she interrupts, a knowing smirk on her lips. "Sounds like something a certain Shadowsinger would most definitely like," she quips, her voice filled with amusement. You feel your cheeks grow even warmer at Mor's teasing remark, knowing that there is some truth to her words. "Maybe," you mumble, unable to hide the smile that tugs at the corners of your lips.

Before the conversation can continue further, Feyre emerges from the dressing room, the lavender gown flowing around her in a cascade of ethereal beauty. You gasp in awe at the sight of her, your heart swelling with pride and admiration.

"Feyre, you look incredible," you exclaim, your voice filled with genuine awe. "That dress was made for you." Feyre blushes at the compliment, her smile radiant as she twirls in front of the mirror. "Thank you, Y/N" she says warmly, her eyes shining with happiness. "I think I've found my dress."  As Feyre twirls in front of the mirror, her radiant smile lighting up the room, Mor and Nesta exchange knowing glances before turning their attention to you.

"Well, Y/N, it's your turn now," Mor says with a playful grin, her eyes sparkling again. "You can't just talk about that mysterious midnight blue dress and not show it to us."

Nesta nods in agreement, her expression curious. "Yes, I'm quite intrigued to see this dress that has caught your eye," she adds, a hint of amusement in her voice. With a nod of determination, you make your way to the dressing room, the anticipation building with each step.

As you slip into the dress, you can't help but marvel at how perfectly it fits, clinging to your curves in all the right places. The fabric is soft against your skin, the deep midnight blue hue shimmering in the light, casting an enchanting glow around you. The bodice of the dress is adorned with delicate lace, the intricate patterns weaving a spellbinding tapestry across your skin. The neckline plunges low, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of skin, while the back dips into a daring V, leaving just enough to the imagination. You take a deep breath, steeling yourself for the reactions of your companions, before stepping out of the dressing room to reveal yourself to them.

Feyre gasps in awe as she lays eyes on you, her expression filled with admiration. "Wow, Y/N, you look absolutely stunning," she exclaims, her voice filled with genuine wonder.

Mor and Nesta nod in agreement, their eyes wide with astonishment. "That dress was made for you," Mor adds. As you gaze at your reflection in the mirror, a surge of confidence courses through you. It's been so long since you've worn anything other than fighting leathers, and the sensation of silk against your skin is a welcome change. You feel sexy, beautiful, and alive in a way that you haven't in months, the weight of responsibility and duty momentarily lifted from your shoulders. For the first time in what feels like forever, you allow yourself to revel in the simple pleasure of feeling feminine and desirable.

But amidst the rush of excitement and adrenaline, there's a nagging voice in the back of your mind, whispering of doubts and insecurities. What will Azriel think when he sees you like this? Will he be pleased, impressed, or will he merely see you as the same old friend he's always known? You bite your bottom lip nervously at the thought, a flush rising to your cheeks as you imagine his reaction. But deep down, beneath the layers of uncertainty and self-doubt, there's a spark of hope flickering within you, a glimmer of possibility that maybe, just maybe, he'll see you in a new light. That maybe the feelings you had harbored for him for the past two centuries weren’t one-sided.

With a determined shake of your head, you banish the doubts from your mind, focusing instead on the here and now. Tonight, you'll revel in the joy of the moment, surrounded by friends who love and support you unconditionally. And tomorrow, well, tomorrow is another day. "I must say, I almost forgot you had it in you to clean up so nicely."

You roll your eyes playfully at Mor's teasing remark, unable to suppress a laugh at her antics. "Oh, please, Mor," you quip, your tone laced with mock indignation. "You act as if I've been wearing armor for the past century." Feyre chuckles, her eyes dancing with mirth. "Well, you certainly seem to be enjoying yourself in that dress," she remarks with a knowing smile.

Nesta, ever the pragmatist, raises an eyebrow skeptically. "Yes, but can you actually afford it?" she asks dryly, her tone tinged with amusement. You feign offense at Nesta's remark "Of course I can afford it, Nesta," you reply with a playful smirk. "I'll just put it on Rhysand's tab."

The group erupts into laughter at your comment. With a final twirl in front of the mirror, you turn to the shopkeeper with a grin. "I'll take it," you declare confidently, a sense of satisfaction washing over you as you make your purchase. "And put it on Rhysand's tab, of course."

The shopkeeper chuckles at your remark, nodding in agreement as she wraps the dress in delicate tissue paper. "Very well, Miss Y/N" she says with a smile. "I'll be sure to send the bill to the High Lord's estate."

With your new dress in hand and your spirits lifted, you bid farewell to the boutique and make your way back into the bustling streets of Velaris.

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Azriel strolls through the lush gardens of Tarquin's estate, the relentless heat of the Summer Court bearing down on him with an intensity that he finds almost suffocating. Sweat beads on his brow, trickling down his temples as he walks, and he can't help but curse the relentless sun that beats down from above, as if intent on draining him of every last ounce of energy.

He sighs heavily as he reflects on his current predicament, his thoughts drifting to the far-off lands of his homeland where snow, cold, and winter reign supreme. The sweltering heat of the Summer Court is a stark contrast to the familiar chill of the Night Court, and Azriel can't help but wonder if it's possible that he's somehow managed to burn his wings in the sun. But such thoughts are quickly pushed aside as he reminds himself of the task at hand. Everything had gone well with his meeting with Tarquin, and now he simply longs to retire to his chambers and escape the oppressive heat for a few precious hours of rest.

As he continues on his way, Azriel can't help but think about the upcoming Starfall celebration. Tomorrow would mark the end of his short mission in the Summer Court, and he couldn't wait to return home to Velaris. The thought of spending Starfall without Y/N weighs heavily on his mind, and he can't help but feel a pang of longing in his chest at the prospect. Suddenly, a voice breaks through his thoughts, a familiar presence intruding upon his mind with the ease of a whisper on the wind. It's Rhys, reaching out to him.

"Enjoying the summer heat, brother?" Rhys's voice echoes in his mind, a hint of amusement lacing his words. "Remember, not all of us are fortunate enough to have wings to shield us from the sun's rays."

Azriel can't help but snort at Rhys's teasing, the sound reverberating silently within his own mind. "I'd take a blizzard over this heat any day," he replies, his tone dry with sarcasm. "At least in the Winter Court, I wouldn't feel like I'm about to melt into a puddle."

Rhys's laughter fills his mind. "Ah, but where's the fun in that?" he quips "Besides, think of it as a challenge. A test of endurance, if you will."

Azriel shakes his head incredulously at his brother's words, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips despite himself. "You would find amusement in my suffering, wouldn't you?" he retorts. But Rhys's next words carry a weight of sincerity that catches Azriel off guard. "In all seriousness, Az, you'll be home before you know it," He assures him, his voice filled with warmth and encouragement. "Starfall is just around the corner, and there are loved ones eagerly awaiting your return."

There's a cryptic hint in Rhys's words, a subtle suggestion that Azriel can't quite decipher. He furrows his brows in confusion, his mind racing as he tries to make sense of his brother's words. After all, he's only been gone for a week.  Rhys's voice fades from Azriel's mind, leaving him with a sense of calm and reassurance. "Until tomorrow, brother," he murmurs silently.

Azriel retreats for the night, the weight of exhaustion heavy on his shoulders. As he settles into his chambers, a sense of relief washes over him at the thought of returning home tomorrow.

His mind wanders to how he'll spend his first day back in Velaris, imagining the familiar streets and faces that he's missed so dearly the past week. But amidst the anticipation, there's a nagging sense of longing that tugs at his heart. Clasping his scarred hands together, Azriel reaches into the pocket of his bag and pulls out a crumpled piece of parchment. It's a letter from Y/N, the only way they've been able to stay in contact while she's been away on her mission.

He doesn't know why he took the letter with him, but holding it in his hands brings a sense of serenity and comfort. Even though their last exchanged letters had been about a month ago, knowing that Y/N is safe and well brings him a measure of peace.

With a sigh, Azriel unfolds the parchment and reads over her words once more, the familiar handwriting bringing a smile to his lips. He makes a silent promise to himself to write to her as soon as he gets home. But now, as he prepares to return home for the celebration, he can't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought of Y/N missing out. He wonders what she might be doing on Starfall, if she's found a way to make the most of the day despite being apart from their shared family.

Azriel knew how she hadn’t missed a single Starfall since… The heavy feeling of subdued rage settles in the pits of his stomach at the thought of what she endured during those dark years under the Mountain. He wishes he could have been there to protect her, to shield her from the horrors of their captivity.

His thoughts drift to a darker memory then, one that haunts him even now. He remembers her broken body, her spirit shattered and her light dimmed, when she and Rhys returned after Feyre broke the curse. The sight of her lying there, broken and bruised, fills him with a sense of sorrow and rage unlike anything he's ever known. He can still feel the weight of her pain, the echoes of her suffering lingering in the recesses of his mind. In that moment, all he wanted was to take her pain away, to hold her close and mend her broken spirit.  Azriel thinks of the first Starfall after they returned from under the mountain, how Y/N had opened up about her grief and trauma for the first time. He can still see the sadness in her eyes, the weight of her pain etched into every line of her face. It was a stark contrast to the joyous celebration unfolding around them, a reminder of the darkness that still lingered. From that day forward, Y/N never missed a single Starfall celebration.

As Azriel drifts off to sleep, frustration gnaws at his insides like a relentless beast. Despite his best efforts to push Y/N from his mind, she lingers there like a haunting specter, her presence weaving through his thoughts and dreams with an undeniable persistence. Rubbing his hand over his face in a futile attempt to banish the memories, Azriel can't help but feel a sense of shame at the intensity of his longing for her. He prides himself on his control, on his ability to keep his emotions in check, but she has a way of unraveling him like no one else.

And then there are the dreams - vivid and all-consuming, they play out like scenes from a forbidden fantasy, leaving Azriel feeling both exhilarated and guilty in their wake. They were friends. Just friends. Best friends, actually. And even though this urge was nothing completely unfamiliar, these thoughts had overtaken him completely as soon as she left.

Again his mind wandered. Asking himself how her lips would feel clashing against his, how she would wrap her arms around his neck, having to crane her neck for a kiss due to their height difference. What she would taste like, what sounds he could coax out of her. How those exact plush lips would feel wrapped around his cock.- A growl leaves him through clenched teeth. His eyebrows pinched as he squeezes his eyes shut, palming himself through his briefs. Confusion etched on his beautiful face then, because he just could not understand. She was his best friend, so why could he not stop thinking about her like this? Thus, so very determined, he decided that this had to change, while simultaneously fisting his heavy cock in one of his hands. "Fuck"

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I hope you enjoyed this little piece of my imagination. Feedback is always welcome and appreciated! Please let me know if you'd like a part 2 :)

[starryjkoo]

I've seen some people bringing up hickeygate for some reason so in the spirit of AYS?! release week, I’d like to talk about why I love hickeygate.

To begin with, I feel like a lot of people don’t understand that what makes hickeygate so funny isn’t even necessarily the hickey. Or rather, there’s too much focus on only the hickey when the whole thing is just hilarious and weird.

Like, apparently Jikook get drunk (alone) together and JK lifts Jimin bridal style, spins him around, and refuses to set him down even when Jimin gets super dizzy. And apparently Jimin’s drunken method of getting JK to set him down is to “bite” him on the neck in such a way that leaves a mark that looks exactly like a hickey. That’s weird! Every part of that is weird!

And what’s also kind of funny to me is that I think they told the story because imo in their eyes it really was all very innocent “see, we weren’t doing anything weird or wrong!” almost, defensive, if you will. Because technically, they weren’t doing anything inappropriate, they were just defending themselves/explaining the totally non-weird mark Jimin left on JKs neck. It wasn’t really a “hickey”, they have nothing to hide, they were just playing around, nothing untoward happened.

But I think it’s funny because imho it at the very least implies that Jikook have some weird-ass boundaries/behaviors, that they might be so deep into their strange dynamic, so used to and desensitized to it, that they don’t even recognize when they’re being weird af. Because, regardless, this situation is still ????

Most people don’t drunkenly spin their friends around bridal style and refuse to set them down and have hickeys bit (sucked??) onto their neck in response. I mean, maybe some do, but I definitely don’t think it’s the norm (and Jin’s & TH’s responses are hilarious). And certainly most people would realize that leaving what looks like a hickey on your friends neck is going to be perceived a certain way regardless of what story you tell or how it came about, and would maybe cover it up to save themselves the embarrassment if they were bothered by the implications. But clearly that’s not what happened. They were out and proud of that thing lol (well Jimin seemed a bit sheepish about what happened lol).

Anyways the whole thing is funny and very weird and says something about their dynamic and weird physical boundaries and what they might be like when they’re drunk and alone together (which seems like something they do/did a lot). We also now know they also have in depth discussions about singing to the point they get lost in their own little world even when they're with others which is cute too.

Anyways, I know I’m not crazy to point out that their dynamic is weird and their intimacy boundaries are weird and their dynamic can read a certain way because I’ll always point to one of my other very favorite Jikook moments — Rainy Day fight — particularly the way that the other members responded. Like, continuously cringing for no reason, shivering and yelling “ew”, calling it a drama, singing a kdrama song at them, smiling and laughing, which is all honestly hilarious, and unnecessary, and validating lol. Especially because it didn’t really deter Jikook, who were just telling that story as it was, with JK seemingly pretty serious and invested in making sure Jimin got the details right.

So yeah, that is just how they come off, even to their own group that already have loose boundaries - and I just love that about Jikook. Love their weird drunken shenanigans and their dramatic as hell couple like rain fights, and how soft and silly they are in general.

Also shout-out to the retelling of the Rainy Day story where they both separately took the blame because they're mature, considerate and sweet towards each other like that. Also the fact that it was something JK felt sorry for years down the line, even though clearly there were no hard feelings about it. I feel like they probably didn’t fight that often if a fight in which they immediately made up was on his mind like that lol. Also the fact that what upset JK so deeply was Jimin’s threat of not caring about him anymore.

Anyways, I hope we get to see some drunken shenanigans in AYS. They did cut out whatever tussle occurred on that mosquito net during ITS though, so idk what they’ll actually show in the end, but I’m here for it.

[pseudophan]

some post wad weekend thoughts...

i just wrote all this on the plane and haven't read it through so apologies for any mistakes

first of all, this weekend was incredible. i usually just kinda sit at home doing not much of anything, and this was a much needed break to actually have some fun. london in general always lifts my spirits but i suppose that danisnotonfire guy contributed a little as well.

guys i think i've met more people the past few days than i otherwise have in years. like. holy shit. i started listing people but i'm petrified i'll forget someone so i chickened out, sorry about that. but you all know who you are. i've met friends i've had for years, people i used to know but haven't spoken to in what feels like a decade, newer friends, and a frankly baffling amount of people i didn't know yet but who told me they've followed me for ages. like holy fuck you guys lmao what the hell??? and i mean did the reaction ever get old no of course it didn't. bad for my ego i'm sure but totally worth it. there's something very amusing and incredibly surreal about being chronically lame in most aspects of life and then suddenly finding yourself in an environment where you're kinda cool???? SO fucking fun oh my god, but also i do kinda feel like i've tricked you all? but hey i'll happily let you keep believing i'm cool, that is more than fine with me.

most importantly though everyone was SO lovely. like i said i don't think i've spoken to this many people in such a short amount of time in years and every single person i talked to was awesome. guys did you know phannies are kind of great... don't tell anyone but, lowkey... everyone is so funny and cool and absolutely insane but in a good way (shoutout everyone left at the gates until the very end, we should probably get some help).

and then lastly of course, mr howell himself. i talk about this a lot i feel like but fuck me that man was born to perform. whether you think he's actually funny or not, nobody can argue he doesn't absolutely thrive on a stage. he plays off the audience so well and he's so very obviously having the time of his fucking life. i'd already seen the show twice before this, and i didn't think anything would top the previous london show but man... the first night he came back out after the show having clearly been tearing up backstage, apologising for being an inconsistent absent parent, and i can't lie the "i had daddy issues and THEN i subscribed to dan howell" got me cause yeah no literally dude, you nailed it, exactly, well done. i think something about doing this show again, his magnum opus as he considers it, now after the dapg return was very special to him. he seems genuinely surprised that so many of us were ready to just jump back in like nothing happened, i don't think he was expecting so many people to still be waiting and it's... man. he comes off so grateful for us all and it's so fucking sweet. and then on the last night, i think that was my favourite, when the show ended and he got the standing ovation and people throwing him flowers.. he was so HAPPY. and clearly overwhelmed with emotion which, i gotta say, there is something honestly kinda funny about daniel howell standing in front of you trying not to cry. like no by all means dude go ahead, please, you've made me cry an endless amount of times it's only fair.

ugh. i'm proud of him or whatever. dick. and i'm proud of our ridiculous fucking community. i'm not sure what 14 year old nora would say if you'd told me i'd still be kicking it in the phandom a decade on, but at almost 25 (fml) i'm so so happy to be here still. you know, we get a bad rep, but i genuinely think as far as fanbases go we're pretty solid. and i love you all so much.

i believe i will have to rob a bank or something because the next time dan and/or phil do a tour i think i'll have to just show up at every date like i'm sorry but this was too good of a high we need to do it again immediately

anyway. back to work 💪

(by which i mean giffing dan and phil. i am still very much unemployed. fr though i'm two whole videos behind this has never happened i feel weird. who am i)

[deityoftherain]

fighting my battles - Majorwood Fanfic

Rating: Teen

Relationship: M/M

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Status: Completed Oneshot

Word Count: 1,849

Summary: Martyn and Scott are on the same football/soccer team, along with Joel, a man who has decided he despised Scott for some reason. After going a bit too far, Martyn throws the first punch and they get into a fight. The fic follows Martyn and Scott shortly after the fight was broken up. Scott tends to Martyn, though they both flirt and tease until both of their spirits are lifted once more.

I wrote this for @kaihuntrr via the low budget gift exchange on the Rainers server! Also, happy birthdayyyyy!

Full fanfic underneath the cut! Please reblog, leave kudos on the AO3 fic slash notes/likes here on Tumblr, comment either place, and etc if you enjoy the story :D

“That was really stupid,” Scott murmured, his voice sharp but not unkind. They were both dripping with sweat as the summer sun shined down on them. Using a spare towel, Scott attempted to dry the droplets that formed on his brow without irritating his slightly swollen face.

“I don’t know what he expected,” Martyn huffed, glaring at Joel from the other side of the football field– soccer, for the non-Brits. “Mocking you, insulting you so openly like that, trying to disgrace your name and skill… Honestly, he had it coming.”

Most of their teammates had gone home after practice finished, but a few had lagged behind. Martyn wasn’t sure who was still left, but there was, at minimum, one other person was still here. They were fussing over the black eye Martyn’s right hook had given Joel, but Martyn didn’t pay attention enough to notice who. They had the team uniform on, so Martyn would likely recognize them if he gave it a second thought. He didn’t, however, giving his boyfriend his attention instead. “I appreciate that you care enough to stand up for me, Martyn, but I can fight my own battles. Play my own game.” Scott dabbed the hastily thrown together ice pack against Martyn’s inflamed cheek. “I’m a good player in my own right. Joel’s taunts don’t change that. A few words of ill-will aren’t enough to break my spirit.” “Well, yeah, but, it's more than–” Martyn started to protest, but he promptly clamped his jaw shut when Scott pressed a finger to his lips.

“No need to argue. Drink.” Scott let his finger drop and, in exchange, lifted Martyn’s water bottle up for him to grab. Once he took the bottle and opened the top, Scott continued speaking, “I know Joel acts all confident and full of himself, but he’s really just insecure– and petty, which says something coming from me. I’m not afraid to be a little petty, but Joel can and has taken it to the extreme. He’s just taking it out on me like an immature child, for some reason or another.” Martyn snorted at the comment, finding the “immature child” part fairly accurate. He didn’t say anything though, tossing his head back and gulping down a good portion of the liquid in the water bottle like it was nothing. 

Scott frowned, gaze wandering over to their teammate with a vague sense of hurt and longing. “He’s been like that for as long as I can remember… which is about as long as he’s decided that he hates me, or that I’m some sort of threat to his image. There’s no use bothering yourself about the why when it comes to stuff like this, because there isn’t always a why. He’s just… I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. It’s okay.”

Martyn wrinkled his nose at that explanation. Really? What did Scott take him for? Of course he was going to worry! Scott was his boyfriend, and Joel was an ass when it came to him. Scott was nothing but friendly and a team player. He got along with everyone– everyone but Joel, that is– so Martyn couldn’t figure out what was possibly going on in Joel’s head. Joel hadn’t seemed like that bad of a guy when Martyn got to know him, but his attitude towards Scott tainted a lot of his good qualities. At least, they did in Martyn’s eyes.

The three of them were all on the same football team, so it would be in Joel’s best interest to work with Scott instead of against him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t how it often played out. Their team had lost several goals because Joel refused to pass to Scott (even if he was objectively the best choice at the moment) if he thought there was another option. 

Every time they would do practice scrimmage, Joel made sure he was on the opposite team from Scott. Martyn couldn’t deny the fact that Joel was a very passionate man, but Martyn just wished he put that passion into the sport itself and, maybe, actually, y’know, help them win without foolishly instigating in-fighting. Scott had expressed multiple times that he would be more than willing to let their “rivalry” be a thing of the past, but Joel just refused to let go for whatever reason. It infuriated Martyn and the rest of the team greatly, but Joel was too good of a player to rationalize kicking him off the team.

After a moment of silence, Martyn inquired, “Why does he hate you? Do you have any idea about what it could be?”

“It’s anyone’s guess. He won’t tell me.” Scott shrugged as if it were no big deal, but his tone was exasperated. He shot a glance toward Joel, his face contorting unpleasantly. He forced his facial muscles to relax as he turned his attention back to Martyn. “I don’t think he knows why he has it out against me– at least, anymore. I probably offended him when we were little, and he’s held the grudge so long that everything I do is cause for war.”

“Well, I will fight loyally by your side, milord.” Martyn lowered his voice an octave just to add some extra dramatics and flair to his words. He put a balled fist against his chest before dipping his head in a shallow bow. “If that scum doesn’t lay off, he will become well familiar with the taste of my fist, I assure you.”

Scott’s pout morphed into a wary chuckle, and Martyn beamed at him in return. His side mission of lifting Scott’s spirits after all the horrible jabs Joel had directed at Scott were succeeding!  

With a sly smirk creeping onto his features, Scott replied, “I thought Ren was ‘milord’.”

Martyn buffered for a moment as his boyfriend mentioned his best friend. Ren and Martyn both had a love of theater and D&D, and, long story short, they often spoke to each other as if they were a king and his knight. If one were to ask Martyn about this moment later, he would claim he recovered quickly, though who's to say he did? “I can have two! There is no law saying otherwise.”

“Oh, can you now?” Scott mused, raising an eyebrow. “Does that make Ren and I husbands?”

Martyn gasped in faux horror, clutching his imaginary pearls. “What kind of eighty episode season soap-opera drama am I in? Has my boyfriend and my best friend been getting handsy behind my back? This whole time? Without me? If you two wanted to do a three-way, you could have just asked!”

“Oh my void, Martyn!” Scott squeaked, cheeks flushing a dusty red against his fair complexion. The red on his cheeks only grew more vibrant as Scott burst into a chorus of giggles. “No, I am not having an affair with Ren. I promise.” “Okay, maybe so, but, consider this: if you were going to, you would let me watch, yeah? You would, wouldn’t you?” Martyn quipped, leaning into the bit. He personally found it amusing, and he happened to enjoy making others laugh at his intentional foolishness. “It’s the least you two can do, surely. A way to make it up to me for the affair. I deserve some entertainment!”

Scott whacked him over the head, intentionally not actually causing him any harm. Scott’s hand kicked up Matyn’s blonde locks, making his hair a little messy, but Martyn didn’t mind. He was already a sweaty mess after their recent football practice, and he planned to shower once he got back home anyway.

“You’re lucky I love you,” Scott tended to the mess he was partly responsible for, brushing the hair that escaped Martyn’s headband out of his face, “or I may just have to leave you for Ren after all.”

“Well, polyamory does exist, and so does being friends with benefits,” Martyn kept up the bit, purposely playing it up to make sure Scott and potentially others knew he was just being silly. “I mean, have you seen Ren? Like, damn, that man is fine. If we weren’t exclusive, I would have ‘friends to lovers’ our relationship a long time ago.”

“If you seriously mean that, we have some things to discuss,” Scott murmured, though it was clear that conversation would be shelved for later. 

“A’course,” Martyn concurred, taking Scott’s hand in his and raising it to his lips. “It’s always good to check in with one another.”

“Friends to lovers,” Scott repeated the story trope like it had just now registered in his brain, tone displaying a hint of baffled amusement. “Void, Martyn, you’re impossible. I can’t believe some of the things that come out of your mouth sometimes.”

“I don’t either,” Martyn placed his hands on Scott’s hips to help pull Scott onto his lap, “yet you still love me!”

“That I do,” Scott agreed softly, resting his arms on Martyn’s shoulders and wrapping his legs around Martyn’s waist. His knees were grass-stained, and his hair and clothes were mildly damp from the sun and exercise, but Martyn still thought he was the most gorgeous being to walk the earth. 

No other words were spoken between them as they closed the gap, sealing it with a kiss. The kisses started off gentle, but they quickly grew deeper until they were so deep all of Martyn’s other senses turned off. The world around them faded into the background, and the only thing that seemed to matter was Scott. It was like Martyn became hypersensitive to Scott’s touch, each little movement sending shock waves of pleasure down his spine.

They both gasped for air when they broke, chests heaving with the effort. Scott fell forward into him, forehead resting against Martyn’s shoulder. “Kissing you is more exhausting than football practice. You literally steal the air out of my lungs.” Martyn mounted his hands on Scott’s back, giving himself enough leverage to pull Scott’s body closer to him. “I don’t know if I should be offended or not.”

“You should be very offended,” Scott teased lightheartedly, though his words were muffled in Martyn’s jersey. “Or, perhaps, you should be honored. You know, for making out with the husband of King Ren himself.” “Oh, you cheeky motherfucker!” Martyn exclaimed in reaction to Scott bringing back his joke. He entangled his fingers in Scott’s dyed blue hair, securing a strong grasp on the locks. Once satisfied with his grip, Martyn pulled Scott’s head back so they were face to face once more before abandoning his hold.

“Perhaps,” Scott fluttered his eyelashes innocently, knowing exactly what he was doing, “yet you still love me.”

“Fortunately for you,” Martyn jabbed his finger toward Scott’s chest, “I do, you lucky bastard.”

“The luckiest,” Scott agreed, taking Martyn’s hand and raising it up to cup his cheek. He leaned into it, letting his eyelids flutter close with a content expression on his face. “I love you, Martyn.”

Martyn softened at those words, the playful nature being replaced with genuinity. He rubbed his thumb against Scott’s cheek. “I love you too, Scott.”

[lemonlokkich]

A Legendary throw

Legend wasn't mean.

Well, okay. He could technically maybe, perhaps come off as slightly rude sometimes. But it honestly was not his fault. 

He was just emotionally inept. 

Sadly, knowing you're emotionally stunted did not fix said ineptness either. Which left Legend where he was right now, staring down the worst man he's ever had the displeasure of meeting in his entire goddesses damned life. 

Warriors.

Warriors and his stupid, really punchable face. The face of a man that was currently grinning while he not so very subtly put a snail inside of Legends bedroll, presuming said Legend couldn't see him. 

This assumption was stupid, incredibly stupid. So stupid in fact that Legend couldn't help but openly gape at the man while he shuffled away from the scene of the crime, assuming himself to be the ever so smooth and unseen criminal as he viewed himself as right now.

Smug blond bastard. 

Technically all of the Links here were some sort of variation of blond, with the exception of maybe Hyrule with his brunette hair and Legend with his original hair colour being a nice, lovely, decidedly NOT blond, shade of pink. 

Well, before he bleached mostly all of it to prevent standing out like a cherry blossom among oaks, as said by his late uncle.

But this was not the point right now. The point right now was that Warriors was by far the most blondest, smuggest, punch worthy person in his life right now. 

And he was going to do something about that. 

Now, as a point stated previously above, Legend was quite emotionally stunted, curse of the heroes spirit or something or other. So, of course, one would naturally expect that in an effort to learn the skills of healthy communication between him and his brothers in arms he would calmly get up and talk to Warriors about how it's completely unethical to put snails in someone's bedroll. 

Legend only did the first part though. 

He slowly got up, bones cracking in the satisfying way they usually did and wandered over to where Warriors was standing, shoulders shaking ever so slightly in barely concealed giggles.

He was clearly very proud of himself.

“Warriors.”  Legend said calmly, tapping his power bracelets together to activate them just in time before Warriors turned around to face him, expression smoothed out and casually cheerful instead of smug and cheeky and dumb- 

“Legend! Brother! Comrad! Fellow hero under the triforce of courage! How are you? Did you need something?” Warriors said brightly, confidently, like nothing was wrong. 

Legend took a deep breath, reached out to put his hands on the taller man's shoulders and smiled warmly back. “Yes actually, could you perhaps not scream?”

“Why would I scream?”

Legend proceeded to swiftly grab warriors, lift the man up above his head and throw him into the forest. 

Warriors screamed.

Legend had a feeling that the W in Warriors maybe did indeed stand for Wuss that day. 

If you want to read more silly stories of mine pay me a visit on my AO3 account; LemonLokkich. Thanks for reading!

[boobabietch]

Chapter V: “Victoria O’Hara Looses Her Fucking Mind. Again!” | Diana Taurasi x OC

Warnings: V is loosing her shit (one more time) and Diana being the menace she is, and barely noticeable alcohol consumption

A/N: honestly guys I think I ate this time, with all due respect I fucking love this chapter that’s it. I know I said this would be out last week but I’m a struggling college student and I wanted this chapter to be extra fucking perfect, I just hope you guys love it like I do. Per usual you already know the drill, English is not my first language so yeah just lmk if my dumbass self screwed somewhere so I can change it and not embarrass myself, likes reblogs and comments(!!!) are highly appreciated and my ask box is always open for whatever you want to tell me. With nothing more to say, enjoy. Love Sof :))

Making headlines masterlist

“From Enemies to Allies? The All-Star Weekend Just Got a Lot More Interesting with O’Hara and Taurasi Both On Team Delle Donne!”

I hated her. And I wanted her. And I didn’t know which feeling was stronger.

I hated it.

She was going to be on my side, and I hated it. But I hated more the fact that she was the only thing clouding my mind right now. I just made the All-Star team, and my thoughts went straight to her.

Her words, her voice, her talent, her body, her hands, her lips, her hips—

Stop. It. Right. There.

I shook my head as I stepped onto the court, the noise of the crowd surrounding me, but it felt muted in comparison to the chaos inside my mind. Diana Taurasi was a living legend, and now I had to play alongside her. I had spent months battling against her on the court, and now she was going to be my teammate.

Great. Just what I needed.

As the game began, I focused on my breathing, trying to block out the fact that she was always right beside me, moving with that effortless grace that had everyone talking. The first few minutes were a blur of adrenaline and deafening cheers, the thrill of the crowd igniting a fire in me. I was quick on my feet, executing plays and sinking shots. But every time I caught a glimpse of Diana out of the corner of my eye, a rush of irritation mixed with something dangerously close to desire surged through me.

“Nice pass!” she called out after I made an assist, and my heart raced, my body responding to her enthusiasm despite my annoyance. I shot her a glare, determined to keep my focus. “Shut your mouth and focus on the game, Taurasi.”

She chuckled, that infuriating laugh that somehow sent butterflies through me. “Just saying, kid. You might actually be useful.”

As the game wore on, we fell into a rhythm. The crowd erupted every time we executed a play, the energy lifting me higher with each basket. But every time Diana scored or made a defensive stop, I could feel the heat radiating from her, and it made my competitive spirit flare. I hated that I was so drawn to her.

I was that stupid moth who crashed against the glass of the lighting bulb.

By the end of the first half, we were in the lead, and I was feeling pretty good about myself. But as we huddled together, I could feel her presence just behind me, an electric charge that made it hard to concentrate on the coach’s strategy. I forced myself to focus on the game plan, but all I could think about was how close she was, how I could feel the warmth radiating off her.

After the final buzzer sounded, signaling our victory, the cheers of the crowd washed over me like a tidal wave. But before I could relish the win, I turned to find Diana standing right there, a triumphant grin plastered across her face. “See? Not so bad playing with me, huh?”

“Don’t push it,” I shot back, unable to hide the smirk threatening to break through.

She stepped closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “What’s wrong baby?”

My arms fell, as I walked to be just beside her, my lips close to her ear, my heart racing for reasons I refused to acknowledge. “I said don’t fucking push it”

“Star Power: O’Hara and Taurasi Prove They’re a Force to Be Reckoned With”

With that, we made our way to the after-party, the tension sizzling between us like a live wire. The place was packed, music blasting and lights flashing in every direction. I grabbed a drink, needing something to cool the heat rising in my cheeks from our earlier banter. But as the night wore on, and the small talk with people who I didn’t really care about, but for some reason they cared about me turned poisoned, I couldn’t shake the feeling of her presence. It was intoxicating and maddening all at once.

The atmosphere was full with excitement, laughter spilling from all corners of the room. I tried to drown out the noise, but every beat of the music seemed to pulse in time with my heart, and every glance in Diana’s direction sent a rush of heat through me.

I caught her across the room, chatting animatedly with some teammates, her laughter cutting through the crowd like a siren call. I tried to focus on my drink, but my eyes kept drifting back to her. The way she moved, the way she commanded attention, it was infuriating and captivating at the same time. I hated that she could pull me in like this.

“Earth to Victoria!” a A’ja nudged me, pulling me from my thoughts. “Girl you good? You’ve been staring at Taurasi like she’s about to jump off a cliff.”

“Shut up,” I replied, rolling my eyes even as I felt the heat creeping up my neck. “I’m just… observing.”

“Observing, huh? Is that how we calling that this days? You’ve got that look, like you’re about to take her out or something.”

“More like I want to beat the shit out of her” I shot back, forcing a laugh that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

But the truth was, I was feeling anything but hostile. The tension was thick in the air, and I could sense Diana moving closer, the hum of energy sparking between us like static electricity. She was a force of nature, and I hated that I wanted to get swept up in it.

I made my way through the crowd, drink in hand, hoping to find a quieter corner. I stood on a secluded part of the place, the music now muffled for the walls that separated me from the chaotic mess inside, but somehow, it was peaceful, well as peaceful as you could be in a party, that was until I felt a presence behind me.

I didn’t even had to look back, my head just hung low knowing exactly who was there.

“You’re really not going to let this go, are you?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light, even though my heart raced.

She looked at me, eyes glinting with mischief. “Let what go? The fact that we actually make a pretty good team? Or the fact that you’re secretly obsessed with me?”

“Fuck. Off.” I shot back, crossing my arms. “You know what? Every time you speak I actually consider throwing you into the nearest wall.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?” she replied, stepping closer, the air crackling between us.

I narrowed my eyes, refusing to back down. “I don’t think you really want to find out.”

“Why not? It could be fun,” she challenged, her voice low, enticing.

I felt my resolve slipping, drawn to her in a way that made my skin prickle with awareness. We were standing too close, the heat of her body igniting something deep within me.

Suddenly, the playful banter shifted, and I was acutely aware of every inch between us. “You’re fucking impossible,” I whispered, my breath catching in my throat.

“And you hate that you love it,” she shot back, her gaze steady, daring me to disagree.

I found myself leaning closer, caught in her magnetic pull. I couldn’t help it; the tension had become unbearable.

“Is this how you deal with the girls that make you feel threatened Taurasi?” I breathed, my heart racing.

“Only the ones that are pretty” she replied, her voice low and smooth.

Before I knew what I was doing, I pushed her shoulder lightly, my frustration boiling over. “How about you stop acting like a bitch who own the fucking place,” I hissed, but the fight was half-hearted.

“Yeah? How about I don’t” she smirked, pushing back against me with just enough force to knock me off balance. “Maybe I’ll own you too.”

I laughed, a sound laced with disbelief and desire. “You really think you’re the shit don’t you?”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she took a step closer, her breath mingling with mine. “Why don’t you find out?”

The room faded away as I stared into her eyes, the challenge hanging heavy between us.

And. I. Leaned. In.

I leaned in!!! Can you fucking believe that????

And suddenly we were kissing

It was raw and heated, our lips crashing together in a mix of frustration and longing.

It was reckless and intoxicating, and I hated how much I craved her. My hands found their way to her waist, pulling her closer as she deepened the kiss, her fingers threading through my hair.

When we finally pulled apart, breathless and wide-eyed, I felt a mix of triumph and disbelief. “What the fuck Taurasi” I whispered, half-laughing, half-stunned.

Diana smirked, the challenge still burning in her gaze. “I really think you know what the fuck O’Hara”

And just like that, she left, but now there was an undercurrent of something deeper, a connection I hadn’t expected but couldn’t ignore. I hated that I was drawn to her, that the fire between us was undeniable. But maybe, just maybe, this was a battle I was finally willing to lose.

Wait did I really said that?

"What the Hell Just Happened? Why Do Victoria O’Hara Always Ends Up In This Position?"

Requests are Open!

Masterlist

[mooncello]

It's Wednesday night, and the migraine I've been under since yesterday evening is finally lifting. Fingers crossed it stays away. So many updates today! I look forward to catching up on them all. Thank you for the tags @rimeswithpurple, @monbons, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @hushed-chorus

@messofthejess, @bookish-bogwitch, @artsyunderstudy & @thewholelemon.

I'll be posting chapter 4 of more than a footnote sometime over the next couple days. I'm the most excited to share this chapter, and the most nervous. We get to learn more about Dev's backstory in this chap, and ngl it's a bit nervewracking to fill out and present a char to you all that isn't detailed in canon. I don't know why but it feels extra vulnerable. Even so, I'm excited. Because I adore him. When I thought about which snippet to share in advance of chap 4, I knew I wanted to share this bit about Dev. So here he is. 🖤

Dev POV

My father makes Malcolm Grimm look like a deadass softie. My mother cares for nothing except her tennis whites, Christie’s acquisitions, and organising extravagant parties. (Sorry, soirées.) And my brother and sister … I have a few sun-flared memories of strawberry jam on toast, ringlets of inky hair tickling my cheek during naptime, bare toes while searching for tadpoles along the country estate’s creek … and then my siblings got older and left me behind and, well, honestly, fuck them, too. With their perfect jobs and perfect partners and perfect teeth. Didn’t take them long before they were parroting our parents on everything. Too little focus, Dev. Too many boyfriends and girlfriends, Dev. Those shorts are too short, Dev. You never take anything seriously, Dev. I learned very early on that the best way to survive my family is to not care. They can’t hurt you, if you don’t have any shame. 

love + tags under the cut --

I want to echo Ashton's post from earlier today, about normalizing telling people how much we like them. So in that spirit: I fucking ADORE you all. I'm so lucky to know you, here in our little, precious corner of the internet. 🩵🩵

@drowninginships @valeffelees @run-for-chamo-miles @blackberrysummerblog @orange-peony

@youarenevertooold, @shrekgogurt, @hushed-chorus, @whatevertheweather, @fatalfangirl

@cutestkilla, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @artsyunderstudy, @emeryhall, @raenestee

@iamamythologicalcreature, @bookish-bogwitch @thewholelemon, @best--dress, @rimeswithpurple

@ileadacharmedlife, @skeedelvee, @monbons, @j-nipper-95

@ic3-que3n, @theearlgreymage, @theimpossibledemon, @brilla-brilla-estrellita, @palimpsessed

@facewithoutheart, @cosmicalart, @supercutedinosaurs, @larkral

[weaveandwood]

The Bard and The Blade Chapter 2: A Small Continent

Wyll/Named Tav | Slow Burn | Read on AO3 | Entire Work

Summary:

Rosalind has a poor showing in battle and the mission is a complete failure. Will Wyll change his mind about accompanying the party now?

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out before taking a large gulp of her wine, which he instantly topped up.  “For what?” He laughed. “For having a bad day? It happens to everyone. I have had a number of days end just like this, returning to camp with my metaphorical tail tucked between my legs, my only solace at the bottom of a glass of wine. Now…I can honestly say I haven’t died in the middle of a fight,” he smiled as he teased her, hoping it would help lift her spirits. He wasn’t ready to admit to her that the sight of her lying lifeless on the ground sent a cold dread through him, even though they had only known each other a little more than a day at that point.

AN: This chapter was born out of the fact that I am playing on Balanced mode (and am Not Good at the game, even though I enjoy it immensely) and a glitch in my Investigate Kagha quest. I'm hoping to update this fic every 2 weeks, alternating with Weave & Woods. Also big thank you to @druizard for the banner!

Dying the second day of their adventure wasn’t part of Rosalind’s plan, but as she woke up gasping for air with her three party companions standing around her, it was clear that was exactly what happened. She groaned as she sat up, her now pounding head in her hands as her elbows were balanced on her knees. 

“What happened?” She asked the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with Gale, Astarion, or especially Wyll out of sheer embarrassment.

“Wood Woads,” said Gale. “Nasty buggers, they got us all pretty good.”

“Speak for yourself, wizard. I am perfectly fine, thank you very much,” said Astarion, a hint of amusement in his voice. Rosalind glanced up. Gale and Wyll looked way more beat up than Astarion. She assumed he used his sneaking abilities to get around the majority of the fight. She had been friends with plenty of rogues growing up in the Lower City, she knew how they operated. 

“As I was about to say,” Gale said as he leveled a look at Astarion who was no longer paying attention, having moved on to look around the small island for chests that may have loot in them. “Luckily, we had taken down most of the mud mephits and the other Wood Woad before you went down. Wyll here got the final blast in right after you…well right after you died.” 

She looked at Wyll, who was staring off into the distance, not making eye contact with her. While she had to admit he looked extremely handsome as the sun shone on his face, this had clearly not been a good first impression on her part. He was probably rethinking their deal right at this moment and was plotting how to leave their camp and capture Karlach on his own, leaving her in the dust. She thought about resurrecting the Wood Woad to take her out again or crawling into a large tree trunk and never coming out. Maybe she could get Gale to cast an invisibility spell on her so she could slink off for good. All three sounded like good and valid options at this point. 

“Weren’t we supposed to find some sort of clue here about Kagha?” Astarion yelled from behind the large tree trunk. The whole reason they came to this area was to see what shady deal Kagha was getting into based on the letter they found in her quarters and hopefully try to talk her out of performing the ritual that would seal the Emerald Grove and set the tiefling refugees out on a road far too dangerous for anyone who wasn’t trained to fight. “There’s nothing here!”

Rosalind took Gale’s now outstretched hand and he smiled at her as he helped her up from the ground. What a good, kind man. She was glad she pulled him out of that rock. She walked stiffly to Astarion, groaning and rubbing her back as she did. “What do you mean, there’s nothing here? There has to be!” She was desperate for something to go right today. 

“Darling, I’ve looked in every chest, under each rock, and in every nook in this tree. There’s nothing. Either someone else got to it first, or we were duped and there never was anything here.”

She sighed. This was not her day at all. “Alright, let’s head back, I guess.”

As they walked the path through the swamp back to the grove, she found herself falling in step with Gale while Wyll and Astarion led the way. Gale was easy to talk to - partially because he loved to talk, and partially because wizards had always been so interesting to her. The way they practiced magic was so studied, so precise. Sometimes watching a wizard cast felt cold, calculated, formulaic - less about artistry, more about precision. Gale was on a different level - the way he moved his hands was faster than any wizard she had ever seen, and the spells he chose had a certain flair to them, either in the type of spell he chose or when he chose to cast them, which resulted in the most dramatic effect. An artist can always spot another artist, and Rosalind felt a kindred spirit in Gale. 

“You know,” he said softly as he slowed down, putting more distance between the two groups, “I think Wyll was angrier when you went down than he was during the goblin fight yesterday. An instant after you fell, the Wood Woad who caused your demise was nothing but ash. He was also the one to revive you. Astarion and I didn’t even have time to attempt to dig our scrolls of revivify out of our packs before he was already chanting the verbal components at your side.” He smiled, a knowing tone in his voice. “Interesting, don’t you think?”

Rosalind stopped in her tracks, her mind racing. Wyll revived her? Instantly, she was giddy as she pictured him pushing everyone away to rescue the downed, fair maiden. She giggled internally at the thought and caught herself starting to blush. On the other, more practical hand, it made complete sense. He’s a hero - of course he’d rush to her rescue out of a sense of duty. Part of the job. Just another day. She knew that. And the anger Gale described? Well, that was definitely because she was a failure and put them all in danger. Any thoughts she had of him potentially fancying her disappeared as quickly as they came, replaced by deep embarrassment again at being unable to hold her own on the battlefield that day. Living in a large tree trunk for the rest of her days now seemed like the most appealing option again. 

Maybe a family of raccoons would take her and her tadpole in. 

******

The mood at camp that evening was subdued. Wyll noticed everyone seemed to take their cues from Rosalind, effectively the party leader at this point, and Rosalind was not in the best of moods. She sat away from the rest of the group, using her fork to stab at the remnants of whatever vegetables remained in her bowl of stew Gale had prepared and muttering to herself.

He recognized that mood.

He grabbed two cups and a bottle of wine and walked over, sitting next to her on the ground. He saw her freeze for a second before looking up at him. She had the biggest blue eyes with flecks of gold. He hadn’t taken the time to appreciate them fully the other day, but he was sure he’d notice their beauty all the time now. He filled one cup and handed it to her before filling his own. 

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out before taking a large gulp of her wine, which he instantly topped up. 

“For what?” He laughed. “For having a bad day? It happens to everyone. I have had a number of days end just like this, returning to camp with my metaphorical tail tucked between my legs, my only solace at the bottom of a glass of wine. Now…I can honestly say I haven’t died in the middle of a fight,” he smiled as he teased her, hoping it would help lift her spirits. He wasn’t ready to admit to her that the sight of her lying lifeless on the ground sent a cold dread through him, even though they had only known each other a little more than a day at that point. 

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Don’t remind me. I have a scroll I can give you to replace the one you wasted on me.”

He placed a hand on her arm, the contact making her look at him. “It wasn’t a waste, Rosalind. It would never be a waste to revive a valued member of a party.” 

She sighed. “I’m not sure exactly how valued I am. I am sure everyone here thinks I’m awful and would leave me on the side of the road in a heartbeat. Well, maybe not Gale. I’m just…new to this. Fighting, traveling, roughing it. All of it. I’ve only been outside of Baldur’s Gate just a few times, and one of those times led to me being kidnapped by mindflayers. Once this is over I don’t think I’ll be venturing outside the city again for a good long while,” she said and laughed nervously, finishing her wine. 

Wyll took a drink, observing the rest of the party. Lae’zel kept to herself mostly, sharpening her blades each night. He had heard her admonish Rosalind for dying, ordering her to train with her during any free time from now on. Gale, Astarion, and Shadowheart sat together, laughing quietly at something. Gale looked over at them a couple of times as Wyll watched. He thought he saw a smile, a nod directed at Rosalind. Wonder what that is about? He turned to look at her and caught her staring at him, her chin resting on her hands. She quickly tried to look away, but he noticed the blush rising up her neck. He smiled to himself. 

“Refill?” he asked, holding up the bottle of wine, now half gone. 

“Please,” she replied, holding out her cup. 

“So you’re from Baldur’s Gate?” He asked, wanting to confirm that his suspicions on her identity were correct. 

“Oh! I guess we didn’t really get a chance to talk much. Eventful day yesterday, what with the kidnapping, the crash, and the battle with the goblins. I think I fell asleep 10 minutes after setting up my tent. Anyway…” She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m from Baldur’s Gate, born and raised, in a manner of speaking. You’ve already figured out that I’m a bard. Hmmm, what else? I mainly perform in coffee shops and taverns in the Lower City, sometimes the Upper City - but those are few and far between. I’ve been asked to perform at private events and bigger venues but I turn them down every time. One must keep their reputation intact, you know.” She rotated her cup in her hands as she spoke. “Do…do you ever stop in Baldur’s Gate on any Blade of Frontiers missions?” She asked. 

He shook his head. “I was raised there, but left seven years ago. I was seventeen with an eye for adventure and haven’t been back since. I did enjoy seeing bards perform in the Lower City Plaza when I was a teenager though.”

“I used to perform at that plaza! My first paying gig was there. I was so nervous!” She smiled, her face lighting up as she reminisced. “It was such a big place, and it was the weekend so of course it was busy with people not even pretending to pay attention to me. I remember it so vividly! I wanted it to feel intimate so I cast dancing lights but instead of the cool blue they normally are when I cast, I changed them to be warm yellow, like candlelight. I thought I was so creative,” she laughed. “I think maybe twenty people listened to me that night, but I’ll never forget it.” 

Wyll couldn’t believe it. It was her - The Sunlark. What a small continent it was. 

“I wonder if our paths ever crossed before this. It’s such a huge city, it feels unlikely. But I got that gig when I was seventeen, and if I’m doing the math correctly, that would have been when you were sixteen, so there’s a chance,” she said, looking at him again and catching him smiling at her. “What are you smiling about?” She asked, taking a sip.

“I remember you. I saw that performance.” He finished his wine, the bottle now empty. 

He heard her choke on her wine and had to hold back his own laughter. “You did? And you remember it after all these years? It was either really good or really bad to be that memorable,” she laughed nervously. “Hopefully good, though,” she added.

The fire cast a diffused warm glow onto her, reminding him of that night. “Good enough for a sixteen year old boy to skip drinking with his friends at the Elfsong. And good enough to remember a pretty bard’s beautiful singing after seven years,” he said softly as he looked over and saw her shy smile, the faint blush returning to her cheeks. His gaze traveled over her face, taking in the faded bird tattoos, the scar above her eyebrow, her freckles, the scar cutting through her full lips. They looked soft. He saw her beautiful blue eyes do the same, pausing when they got to his lips. He realized suddenly that he had been leaning toward her, their bodies closer now than they were when he sat next to her. All it would take was him leaning in just a little more…

No, there wasn’t time for that. He cleared his throat and stood up quickly.

“It’s getting late, I should get to my tent. Tomorrow we hunt down Karlach and we’ll need all of our strength to capture that infernal devil. Goodnight, Rosalind, thank you for the conversation.” He bowed to her before turning and walking across camp.

******

Rosalind smiled to herself as she finished the last of her wine. He had seen her perform. He remembered her. He called her pretty . Gone was the embarrassment of the day. Gone was the desire to run away. Gone were the feelings of doubt and insecurity - at least for now. She was positive she’d make more mistakes, most likely tomorrow. But none of that mattered because the Blade of Frontiers complimented her singing voice. She would float on the cloud she was now on as long as possible.

Not quite ready to end the day, she went across the campsite to sit between Gale and Astarion, laughing at jokes they were telling at each other’s expense. Her favorites were the ones about Shadowheart’s permanent scowl - even Shadowheart managed to crack a smile at a couple of them. As the wine flowed between the four of them, however, the attention turned to her. 

“So, Rosalind,” Astarion crooned. “You and Wyll looked rather…cozy over there.” 

Oh, no.

She felt her cheeks get hot, sure they were turning bright red. “We were just talking,” she said, taking a long drink. 

“Please, the two of you looked like you were two seconds away from -”

“Now, Astarion,” Gale interrupted. “Rosalind and Wyll are young. Surely you remember what it was like to be so young after the heat of a battle? I could hardly blame them for their…closeness.” Rosalind choked on her wine again. Somehow it sounded even worse coming from Gale. 

“No, no. He was just cheering me up! It was a hard day, what with dying and the mission being a complete failure. That’s all. We both grew up in Baldur’s Gate, so we were reminiscing.” Gale, Astarion, and Shadowheart all exchanged a look that implied they didn’t believe her for a second. 

She looked up at the sky, squinting at the moon, now high overhead. Does that even mean anything for nighttime? She thought, suddenly wishing she had taken the time to learn just a little about life in the wilds and not focus her entire childhood on just surviving in the city. “Well! Look at the time! We should probably wrap this up - big day tomorrow, capturing a devil and all! I’m just…I’m just going to go to my tent now.” She turned on her heel and raised her hand to give an awkward wave. “Good night! See you in the morning!” She heard the sound of muffled laughter as she entered her tent. 

She took two deep breaths, thinking again about her conversation with Wyll. She smiled as she climbed into her bedroll, grabbing her small notebook she kept for jotting down notes, potential lyrics. She wrote “fire, wine, soft lips, almost kiss” on a page and closed it, holding it to her chest. 

“Sorry family of raccoons, I think my tadpole and I are going to be sticking around here,” she laughed to herself.

[phightinghottakes]

We need more positivity? Bet.

I absolutely adore the Phighting lobbies!! Sure, there's the occasional person who just wants to argue, but most of the people there are just chilling. They're not there to grind for the next 5 hours, they just wanna talk, and I love it. 60% of my friends on roblox are from those lobbies, because they're really nice! I had a 10 minute conversation with a 7MK0 and a Cursedshot about which skins looked best together and which Phighters we thought would get a new one, and then play-fought with a Banhammer and a Skateboard. Of course, I eventually went into lobby, but it had really lifted my spirits, since I had been getting a lot of 6ths and 7ths lately.

Along with that, even with grindy people, it's fun to just... laugh it off. Sure, you're getting chased across the map by some random Sunburst Sword the entire match, but it's pretty fun to try and dodge their attacks while trying to fend for yourself, and funny to scream your lunges off as you get jumpscared by them when you thought they had finally left you alone. Along with that, not everyine in servers are grindy, some of them are just there to have fun, or to play with a friend, or maybe they are grinding but they still congratulate their team and point out how well other people did.

I see all these people talking about how bad the community is, and sometimes I see it too, but it's nice to take a step back and... choose to see things in a brighter light. Say Gg, make silly emoticons, interact with people inside and outside of matches, chill in lobby, make friends! I honestly love the community. The people online that you don't like are just that: people online, you can block them, or just don't interact with them. If you're looking at fanart and see something you don't like, then just try to move on and look at a creator you enjoy! If someone's being rude in a match, politely leave and join another, or just ignore them and enjoy the game.

Phighting isn't perfect, but it is fun. The people can be awesome, or they can suck, but they're usually pretty cool if you put in effort to be nice. The devs might make decisions you don't like, but they also make amazing skins, fx/sfx, environments, and have put their backs into this silly little game. Games are going to be grinded, you're going to lose a match, a person eill be rude, a character will annoy you, the lore won't always feel right, but nothing in this world is perfect, so just take a step back and appreciate the world of Phighting for what it is. It'll get better, it's still in Alpha, remember that, but it really is a wonderful game.

Thanks for reading this biblically accurate rant!

-- Love (or don't love, idk), 🌒 <3

.

[blindmagdalena]

I feel like the writers have had no clue what to do with Frenchie, Kimiko and MM since like midway through S3 because they were too busy hyping up Soldier Boy.

honestly, yeah. MM’s beef with soldier boy fell pretty terribly flat, and the echoes of that are haunting his narrative now.

some spoiler thoughts.

the scenes with Kimiko and Frenchie were horribly repetitive this season. just constant back and forth rehashes without either of them getting to what’s actually going on, which left me really frustrated. they’re platonic soulmates! why are we treating them like this all of a sudden? it really feels like putting all their development in a dumpster just so they can separate them.

the conflict this season (aside from what’s going on with A-train, Homelander, Ryan and Butcher) feels extremely contrived and very aside from the actual plot of the show. splitting Annie’s drama between the starlight house and firecracker really did nothing for it, imo. i actually loved the moment between Hughie and Victoria (even if it felt a little retconny. we knew they were work buddies, but family?) and i would have liked to see Hughie make more of an attempt to dig into that. especially considering the precarious position she’s in right now. she’s alienated from EVERYONE she cares about. c’mon!!!!

anyways! again, I’m really not wanting to be overly negative about the season before it’s done. i’m going to write my silly little stories and cherry pick all the things I am enjoying. just seeing the fandom take in a big breath of life and have new content to engage with and inspire us has really lifted my spirits!

[nozomijoestar]

LIFTING THE SPOILER WARNING ON THIS POST FOR LAUNCH DAY

Here's my initial analysis and thoughts on Asuka's ending (character episode) in Tekken 8

caught yearning in 1080p

handsome

thinking abt getting students now that the Zaibatsu ate shit (btw you don't find out the Zaibatsu is pretty much on track to being done with no leader again, which is why they continue the tournament presumably after the final battle unless you look through the character episodes, not the main story, for some fucking reason)

Asuka finally smiled at her accepting her and the feeling is mutual, this ending had great role reversal in the sense instead of previously only getting clear insight into Lili's feelings and thoughts now we're openly getting them from Asuka in response- she also felt tempted to give in to her old reaction first think later ways but here she's finally thinking before deciding it doesn't matter why, she enjoys fighting Lili and she finally seems to recognize what Lili's schemes are about on a level (wanting Asuka's attention and getting back at her for having lost), this is the closest so far we've ever gotten to a "I like you too"

this is on top of the teasing and compliment she gave Lili's ability in the same scene, and also correcting Lili on the Kazama Motto Asuka learned, which only Asuka could have told her at some point suggesting further closeness

"Softness overcomes hardness" you two are (HOPEFULLY) starting to change your relationship to be softer (also the hilarious hypocrisy of Asuka BARELY being a person living by any softness in practice)

I love that she even refers to Lili as "That noble (rich) girl", an ojou-sama, which is far better than calling her by nothing or using a rude form of You (anta) as in the past (and generally she's given up calling Lili by rude terms be it in the story mode or otherwise including Shaheen's ending, which is honestly more about AsuLili than him lol, it's also incredible seeing Asuka glad Lili's life was protected and joking about Lili being a handful with someone else)

And despite provoking Asuka in a very shitty way reminiscent of Feng, the premise of this ending is Asuka beating Lili at the tournament so Lili will honor her word of putting Asuka's dojo back the way it was before she bought it- which Lili does after losing rather than refuse out of spite, even if she then uses taking it in a fight to provoke Asuka again, it's nice that she IS willing to listen to Asuka when it comes to promises

honestly if you cut the entire scene into only my screenshots here it still looks so fucking gay

Video source ( @ 1:03 )

This is the de-facto best Asuka ending yet, at last she's happy, hopeful, not confused, and at some form of peace and connection in her life

ALSO ASUKA DIDN'T CALL LILI A DINGBAT SHE CALLED HER AHOU (Idiot/Moron) LIKE ALWAYS AND IT WAS SOFT THIS TIME 😭😭😭😭

Plus Asuka might finally get the dojo back up and become the next leader with Jin's image being fixed and thus how people would see Asuka since they're related, as well as the current war being over- though Reina's new devil bullshit will probably ruin this in the future

EDIT: I FORGOT TO MENTION

PAIR OF BIRDS; BIRD MOTIF FOR KAZAMAS RETURNS

I doubt these are Jun's birds specifically it's more likely just symbolic of Asuka and Lili if it means anything at all. Also doesn't have to specify meaning lovebirds, in general their characters will always be put together. But it is funny how Jun's birds always appear to show her connection to someone she loves, so there could be a parallel here that Asuka's bird imagery would represent the same sense of connection. If it is a visual metaphor for lovebirds though by the time we get Tekken 9 then, the cinema of it all.

ALSO Harada has said Jun attracts animals because of her spiritual mastery over martial arts. She's at a level of power where animals don't run because of sensing her aura; she can suppress her fighting spirit. With how at peace AND in control of herself Asuka is in this ending, maybe the birds imply she can move in a similar direction from here on. And it makes sense too because Asuka has returned to a state of equilibrium now that she doesn't have the stress of the world being in chaos affecting her. As a person who prefers being in control, she's back to feeling some control over her life.

----

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:

1. It's great that the tone of their relationship is now friendlier, but like in story mode and other places they appear as a pair, we're never shown anything on how they started transitioning from fighting all the time to agreeing to listen and partner up in general, nevermind during a global war they're supposed to have their own personal stakes in beyond not wanting to die (those personal stakes ended up being entirely irrelevant anyway which is it's own problem)

There's a problem present where you're shown the end result of an emotional shift with none of the journey or even a simple scene explaining how they got there, much like the main story and other characters in general many plot points and character changes are resolved off screen showing only the results with no explanation the majority of the time. In the main story this gets even more egregious because even how a character knows specific information usually doesn't get explained at all either unless it relates to Jin understanding the devil gene. This writing makes a lot of things simply happen like it's checking off a list.

In essence, WHERE is a scene connecting Asuka who did nothing but fight Lili and get pissed with her to the Asuka who's tolerant of her, is more catty and accepting than outright angry, is now willing to joke and play around with her, who taught Lili the Kazama Motto she learned (though I guess this one you can say Lili found it while looking up Asuka's family, something we ALSO don't get Asuka's thoughts on beyond surprise) and so on

2. The fact this scene ends with provoking another fight, as much as I like that it's friendly now, isn't the best direction. This fits again into problem 1; there's no on screen room to let these characters breathe and illustrate what made them change now to the viewer. There's no fresh angle given about their relationship outside fighting or even a new approach on their relationship within it. There's no pause in the formula which many people are tired of (and people are already back to calling Asuka a useless piece of shit who's a complete fucking joke, and I can't really blame them entirely because on a surface level all they see is the exact same situation as it's been for twenty years of cutscenes).

Also the logic of having this scene exist is confusing in itself. Nothing in the game story clarified if Asuka sat the tournament out or did participate but was eliminated and decided to follow Lili's progress in Rome as a spectator. A scene explaining either of those would give better weight and context to this one.

3. Zero mention of Asuka's father or his current condition

4. Having Lili imitate what Feng Wei did to dojos like Asuka's is the cruelest way she's ever provoked her. Whereas before it was often ridiculous, silly, and teasing, involving an event that led Asuka to spiral adds something uncharacteristically spiteful toward her from Lili's end. Insofar as what Lili has previously used to get her attention anyway. Keeping Asuka's trauma out of it has always seemed to be a line Lili was willing to respect. And it's off too because this is happening when they're supposed to be becoming friends/are friends now. It's too personal to be brushed off the way it is.

The only way I can rationalize it is if Asuka has let go of her anger towards what Feng did in part (but she still has a special intro where she wants to attack him on sight saying they finally meet so, I don't fuckin know, that may as well have been included as an easter egg if they're gonna do nothing with it) or she never really gave enough of a shit about the entire thing in the first place. You can make a loose argument using prior games to show Asuka never really cared about the revenge aspect as much- but her behavior sorta contradicts this at the same time. So really who fucking knows. Based on how she reacts here I guess it's not a big deal at this point cuz she doesn't get mad and jumps into messing around with Lili like a friend anyway.

Maybe this could be explained too by whatever made them act friendly now in the first place, but again we never saw that. So instead it comes out worse than if we knew.

5. WHY THE FUCK DID THEY MENTION THE ENTIRE MAIN KAZAMA FAMILY WAS ELIMINATED BY OGRE IN THE STORY MODE THEN HAVE THE NEWS NOT IMPACT ASUKA AT ALL

We also never see them discuss what Lili knows about the family in any depth between themselves

Viva le sex gay I guess but now I have more questions than answers and that's a problem when the game acts like I've been given answers it never provided. I got something I wanted but with nothing to show for it.

EDIT 1/27/2024 : However that won't discount that I do love what I received and the potential it represents; I adore this shit.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I wish mineru got to me an actual character because every single theme we get that has to do with her (thunder islands, spirit temple, construct factory) are so gorgeous and made me fall in love with her, the soundtrack does so much heavy lifting in this game

You're so correct about the soundtrack, it tells such a compelling tale and it really builds off itself constantly, it's genuinely one of my favorite parts of the game!!

Honestly Mineru had tons of potential. I really liked the entire quest to find her and her body, it was the part of the game that kind of sold me the most the mystery and wonder of having such a big world spanning the sky all the way to the Depths. The atmospheric mood of the Thunderhead Isles was wonderful, loved following the light all the way to the Depths (I had already stumbled upon the actual Construct Factory in them before). It was the part of the game that "felt the most zonai" to me, this sort of puzzle-like intricacy of how their influence permeate the world that their name alone was meant to invoke. I regret the lack of worldbuilding here, even a very light one (what was were the Thunderhead Isles? What significance did they have in zonai culture? What about the structures on the ground in the jungle? I would have *loved* more... anything in the Construct Factories), but it was still a treat as a gameplay experience.

(I mean I hated having to pilot the Construct Body itself, but that's more a me problem than a game problem, thankfully the boxing match was a ton of funs regardless)

The character herself though.... Like I feel like there's a lot of potential inherent to her status as one of the last zonais AND her status as the king's sister (not to mention her engineering proclivities). She feels like she should have a very unique perspective on the entire situation, insight about what caused the fall of the zonais (or their departure/refusal to engage with Hyrule), have both tenderness but also criticism towards her brother his wife might not have (as his lover and as an inherently lesser being bound to his good will, she's a priestess so she probably prays to the gods and zonais are said to descend from gods can we talk about that also), share a unique relationship with Zelda through their common love for knowledge (I think Zelda having a strong relationship with Mineru sounds more meaningful than her having one with Sonia as of now tbh, and it would have helped their scenes to be more interesting than an excuse to infodump, I almost said that it's a ship before remembering they're technically related SOMEHOW?? so mayyybe not).

But in practice, she has no desires of her own. She's but an extension of her brother's will, except softer, muted, heartbroken not for her loss (and the fact that her entire race is about to die out once she does), but for Hyrule's perdition. I am still not over the fact that when she swears her oath of fielty to Link, she *touches her brother's hand*, aka the only meaningful relationship in her life that we got to see, zonai skin touching zonai skin for... probably the last time ever? And the camera couldn't care less. No lingering, no body tension, not even one of the little sounds that BotW/TotK characters love to make in cutscenes everytime anything happens, not even any callback to the explicit motif of people touching each other's hand as a sign of support and unity (so you know what symbolism/allegory means game!!! you know this!!!!), the game doesn't seem to be aware that she should be a person with feelings that extend beyond her performative guilt about a situation that has basically nothing to do with her/she couldn't have done anything about/she did everything she could about, actually! She's just here to be a vessel for the restoration project of her brother's kingdom (Rauru being the only one allowed any emotion of genuine grief and upset, and it only lasts like half a second --which sucks!! I wish that, if Sonia was to be fridged anyway, it at least motivated him to become vengeful and furious and make a mistake that costed him his victory, which would have made him sliiightly more compelling instead of reverting back to a fancy cardbox of unquestionned perfection).

Also she's technically the last one you're supposed to get (but you can get her first??? this is such a weird choice sometimes linearity is good nintendo!!!), and after such a long quest, there should have been a narrative reward to finding her that goes harder than "and then Rauru decided to hype you up like crazy to Ganondorf, also Zelda is probably a dragon but you probably already know that" in my opinion. Some modicum of depth; a different emotional texture to the conflict. After that much build up, the payoff didn't land for me.

Yeah. Mineru. She really could have been the aqua-glue holding that ultrahand-ass of a plot together, but Alas.....

[caitlestial]

finished this lil T&T animatic i’ve been working on!

initial storyboard sketches and process rambles under the cut 

neska did nothing wrong and i couldn’t stop thinking about her for these specific mother mother lyrics so that’s where this idea was born :)

illustrated in procreate, animated in opentoonz (free and open source!), and final video editing in davinci resolve (also free!)

here’s the initial story board: 

i played around with some ideas for the shot before the snek reveal but i went with silhouettes bc it's infinitely easier than high angle character shots and it still gets across the general idea of what i was going for (no poji the dream chicken though 💔)

honestly the idea in my head was much cooler but projects like this are fun because they rarely turn out like how i imagine and the end result is a testament to what i'm currently capable of making, which makes me excited for the future

thx 4 reading, hehe :3

and listen to trials and trebs!

[howlingday]

If jaune was a relative of Lucy pretty sure he has his own branch of celestial magic....more similar to slayer

Lucy: Celestial Spirit mage

Jaune: Eikon Spirit mage

"Thank you." Jaune said to the waiter as he placed his coffee and saucer on the table. He nodded and left.

"Wow," Lucy remarked, "you actually thanked him politely!"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Uh, let's just say meeting someone who isn't wild and rowdy is a bit of fresh air for me."

"I have a teammate just like that."

"Try a whole guild of them." The two shared a laugh.

Jaune was a distant cousin's of Lucy's, but a close relative regardless. Before her father passed, he spent some time with the Arc family. He spoke highly of her to Jaune and his sisters, and those words nearly broke her. Thankfully, Jaune had tissues on hand.

"So," Jaune said after taking a sip of his coffee, "you're a Celestial Wizard."

"Mhm, that's right." Lucy replied. "And if I recall, you said you're an Eikon Summoner in your letters."

"Yeah." Jaune tugged at his chest plate and withdrew a necklace of four gems: red, blue, green, and yellow. "These are the four I've found on my journeys."

"Oh, wow!" Lucy admired. "I can feel the magical power coming from them already!"

"Just wait until their summoned!" Jaune chuckled.

"So, how does Eikon Summoning work?"

"I take the Cataclysm Crystals from here, and I call out an incantation. Wherever it lands is where it'll be summoned."

"Wow, your guild must be so lucky to have someone as rare as you!"

"I wouldn't say that." Jaune awkwardly chuckled. "There are plenty of better wizards at Beacon's Light than me."

"Yeah, but they can't do it without you." Lucy smiled. "Believe me, there's nothing wrong with letting someone else take all the action. Just so long as you're there for them, too."

Jaune smiled. "Thanks, Lucy." Jaune took another sip. "I'm glad I have a wise older cousin like you."

"I'm not that old!" Lucy whined. "I'm still sixteen!"

"Sure you are, Lucy," Jaune rolled his eyes, "just like you were sixteen when you joined Fairy Tail."

"I was!" Lucy put her head on the table. "Stupid island and it's seven year gap."

Jaune chuckled. "Would it make you feel better if I told you about my Eikon?"

"Yeah, it would!" Lucy perked right up.

"Okay, which one would you like to learn about first?" The gemstones clattered as Jaune lifted his necklace. The light reflected off each of them, making them glitter.

"Who is this one?" Lucy asked, pointing to the yellow on the far right.

"This is Titan." Jaune explained. "He's really powerful. I watched him lift an entire castle just to crush a monster."

"Wow... I don't think any of my Spirits can do that! He must be really powerful!"

"Yeah, he is, but," Jaune scratched the back of his neck, "he's also very, uh, not good with complicated tasks. Honestly, using him can feel like talking to a child. But I just can't scold him. He's too much of a sweetheart."

"Sounds a lot like one of my friends at the guild," Lucy gave a weak smile, "but he also sounds a lot like Virgo. She's scary strong, but she means well." As Jaune nodded, she pointed to the green gem next to Titan. "Who's this?"

"This is Garuda," Jaune answered, "she's probably the fastest of them all. Not surprising, since she's a Wind spirit. She can speak to birds, who are chatty about everything they see."

"She sounds really useful!" Lucy leaned in. "What else can she do?"

"She, uh, likes to sing." Jaune weakly offered. "But, uh, not really well. But she's very sweet, and she's always willing to help me."

"Sounds a bit like Aries." Lucy replied. "She's super sweet and is really useful, but she can also be really timid in a fight."

"Yeah, it's not easy putting your neck on the line for someone else, so I can understand that." Jaune nodded. "That's two down. Who else do you want to learn about?"

"Who's this one?" Lucy pointed to the red on the opposite far end. "Something tells me this is a Fire spirit."

"Mhm." Jaune nodded. "This is Ifrit, and he's kind of, uh... strict."

"How strict?"

"He won't do anything unless I complete my workout routine."

"What's your routine?"

"One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, and one hundred squats."

"That sounds intense." Lucy grimaced.

"It is." Jaune sighed. "Do you have anyone who refuses to do anything unless you do something for them first?"

"Do you mean my Celestial Spirits, or in my guild," Lucy asked, "because I can name them from either."

"I was thinking your spirits."

"Then Taurus." Lucy answered. "He has trouble doing things for me unless I give him an incentive."

"Like what?" Jaune asked. As Lucy grimaced, Jaune waved his hand. "On second thought, nevermind." He held up the blue gem. "That just leaves Shiva, the Ice spirit, and my first one." He smiled. "Honestly, she's helped me out so much, I can't imagine my life without her."

Lucy didn't answer. She just stared at the empty key-ring on her keychain. The same ring where Aquarius once hung. She could still remember her scolding voice.

"Lucy?" She looked up to her cousin, who wore a worried expression. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just," she gave a sad smile, "just thinking about an old friend."

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, that happens to me, too." Jaune's hand instinctively moved to his side, where a red sash hung from his belt.

[sweetmariihs2]

I feel like I'm in a loop. I'm hyperfocused, and when I gain excitement about my special interest I get anxious and go do stuff about it, like art for example. But my depressed ass is making me feel demotivated and tired. I get excited about my special interests but when I get up to do something I just don't feel like doing it and this brings me to a feeling of uselessness. Like I'm not using my time the way I was supposed to.

And to makes matters worse, I spent some time in front of screens, which gives me serotonin for a short period of time until I stop and notice that I spent my time doing nothing at all, making me feel sad.

I usually feel like this when I'm not doing anything for a long period of time. Because of depression, you may think that that's normal. But yesterday I cleaned my room, I organized my stuff, spent a full week making air clay figures, I drew and made sketchbook pages recently, besides studyng of course, and got ready every single day for school, I kept my hygiene up to date, I wasn't idle at all. But why do I feel like I was? I was supposed to feel free of duties now, and feel well. Maybe it's because I'm on my period. I'm just sad :/

When this feeling starts it only gets worse

Today I tried to prevent this from happening. I got up, helped in the house chores, got dressed, brushed my hair and teeth. I'm at home, but still, I did something not to feel so bad today, and usually that's enough. I think I'm feeling bad for not making art. Guess I'll open up the curtains a bit more to see if that way I'll feel a bit better. But I don't know.

I haven't ate yet, maybe that's why

When I feel depressed I go back to see stuff about my special interests and the cycle repeats I hate having autism depression and anxiety all mixed please send help

To make matters worse I'm getting tired of consuming the same content everyday (my fav songs, shows, etc) and I'm feeling my life monotonous. Not even music and hyperfocuses can lift my spirits properly

The only thing trying to keep me up is ch.ai but honestly I'm running out of rp ideas and feeling lonely

[wandanatbabybear]

based on oldies music in the other room and it’s raining

thinking about sitting on the couch in the drawing room of Steve’s pre-war and restored new york apartment in front of the fire place. you’ve been trying to read for some political philosophy class you’re taking this semester, but there’s a dull ache in your chest at the fault of nothing in particular.

as you zone out staring at the fire, you can hear Steve, Bucky, and Sam laughing in the next room over every now and then, along with Natasha and Wanda - the loves in your life. you hear their feet shuffling and old music playing from the 30s and 40s.

still zoned out, Bucky comes in with a small smile on his face. he sits on the couch next to you, which is what grabs your attention. “you don’t seem to be getting far with that reading.” you look at him with soft and sad eyes but you try to hide it. he can see right through you.

“it’s just not as interesting tonight.” his eyes squint slightly at your non-answer. “you should take a break. you’ve been in here for a while.”

right as you go to reject the offer, Natasha and Wanda joyfully enter the doorway. they glow in your eyes.

“come back, James. Sam has two left feet,” Natasha says with a smug grin.

“duty calls,” Bucky says to you before standing with a pat to your knee.

“join us, детка!” Natasha calls as she pulls Bucky back in the other room. the nickname of her first language never fails to bring butterflies to your belly.

Wanda moves into the room closer to you. you watch her with doe eyes as she gently takes the book from your lap and moves it to the side table, saving your place with the ribbon. she sits on the coffee table in front of you and holds one of your hands in hers.

“Steve and Bucky are teaching us to dance like they did before the war,” she tells you softly. she’s lovingly running her fingers over the back of your hand. “Natasha is excelling, but I’m sure you could’ve guessed that.” a small smile graces your face at this, and Wanda smiles back at you. she leans in and you close your eyes as you feel her lips meet your forehead. one of her hands comes up to to your cheek as she holds your face and your eyes meet hers again. “come dance with us, darling.” she whispers it, like a secret invitation only meant for lovers. “let me lift your spirits.”

you lean into her hand and close your eyes again, this time two heavy teardrops roll down your cheeks, but Wanda wastes no time swiping them away with her thumbs. “come on, любовь. I just know Natty will let you stand on her feet. We’ll catch you if you fall.” 

you consider it for a second before silently nodding, and she smiles as she helps you up from the couch. she lets you walk ahead of her and you tightly grasp her hand again. entering the main room, you see Natasha’s head thrown back with a laugh as Steve leads her in a dance, and Bucky and Sam sitting on the couch laughing with them. you can only imagine Bucky and Sam were bickering about dancing with each other when Wanda was with you and Natasha danced with Steve.

when the pair turns, Natasha sees you and Wanda, and she somehow smiles even wider. it’s rare you see her so happy and relaxed; it makes you smile honestly for the first time all night.

“my princess has arrived to the ball,” Natasha smirks as she leaves Steve’s arms. she leans slightly over your right shoulder and shares a loving kiss with Wanda, right before the Sokovian releases your hand and replaces Natasha’s previous position with Steve. you watch Wanda and Steve for a moment before Natasha grabs your attention by pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “come, my love. i’ll teach you, just follow my lead.” she says this softly, just as Wanda had earlier to you - a secret invitation only meant for lovers.

one of her hands takes yours as the other is gently placed on your waist. you stumble a little at first with a blush rising to your cheeks, but soon the two of you are gracing the room rhythmically alongside Steve and Wanda. you comfortably lean your head on Natasha’s shoulder, closing your eyes and inhaling the familiar scent of her perfume and soap.

a few moments pass before you feel another person swaying along to the music from behind you with their hands on your waist. the sweet humming you begin to hear tells you it’s Wanda. she presses a kiss to your shoulder as Natasha does the same to the top of your head.

the dull ache in your chest is not entirely gone, but you know for sure that, as long as you’re in Natasha and Wanda’s arms, the sadness in your body will easily be forgotten. your friends’ laughs buzz in the atomosphere, there’s a content look on your face; and you know you have found the peace within the people.