#which is always nice

[blooming-cecilia]

secret valentine ft. diluc and venti

today’s date is something that becomes even more painfully obvious to you as you walk the path towards your first class of the day. there are more people scattered around the campus grounds, peers and couples alike exchanging gifts, the spirit of love and giving in the air.

you smile to yourself as you glance down at the extra bag of gifts you brought with you today. it’s valentine’s day today, and while you might not have a special someone in mind to spend the rest of the day with, you did plan to hang out with your friends after classes today, and you might have prepared a little something to give to each of them too. you don’t care much for the occasion itself, but it’s always nice to put smiles on the faces of people you hold dear to you, and give a little thanks for their companionship.

you continue walking to your classroom, the small smile still on your face at the nice weather and the lighthearted mood. when you arrive, you greet your classmates with a good morning! and a happy valentine’s!, thanking those who hand you any presents. you turn to your desk, finding some of your friends surrounding your desk, chattering amongst themselves at what seems like a present sitting on your desk. curiously, you approach, and they part to let you see the mysterious gift.

diluc 

all of your classmates have been wondering about the big wrapped gift on your desk. your friends were anxiously waiting for you, waiting for you to finally get to the classroom and open that giant gift. 

you were immediately dragged into the room and to your desk once they saw your head peeking out from the staircase, and when you finally opened the gift, everyone gasped.

it's a basket full of your favorite food, the really expensive kind. those pricey chocolates you'd only get as gifts from wealthier relatives? imported snacks from various countries? there’s several of those in the basket. some of them are even unfamiliar to you, which makes it all the more exciting. 

you can tell that whoever this mystery person is, they took great care in ensuring the snacks they give you are ones you really liked, or at least for the unfamiliar ones, they thought hard to think if the snack would be up to your taste. 

you can also tell that this person wanted to provide you with only high-quality items. the packaging does not have any sort of damage, each of them carefully arranged to look appealing and to avoid damage in transit.

there is no sender or any sort of indicator as to who this mysterious person is. they're careful to cover their tracks, as the card that comes with it is a simple printed graphic for valentines. included are well wishes of, i hope you enjoy my simple present. have a wonderful day., as well as your name at the end, still printed at the back. no handwriting to be seen.

despite you not knowing who this stranger is, part of you is sure that this person’s intentions are truly genuine, to only share what they could with you—despite it being more than you’ve ever been given by anyone—it was not a show of wealth as some of your friends have suggested. after all, if it was, why is their name not plastered all over the gift? 

your friends bounce off students they know of in school that may fit the bill of a mysterious rich admirer, to which you mostly tune out once they became annoying, focusing instead on the yummy snacks this person sent you. you're curious as to who this is of course, but with how many students there are in this school, it's going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. 

still, you hope that one day they find the courage to reveal themselves to you. it's only right that you give your personal thanks, and perhaps, a little something of your own to gift to them, too.

(you and your friends fail to notice the red haired man sitting at a table farther away from yours, discreetly peeking towards your seats to see you munch on your treats. he smiles to himself seeing you so obviously delighted by the tasty treats, and his mind starts to plan for yet another basket of treats…or perhaps, this time, he can give you trinkets that remind him of you now, too?)

venti

your eyes look down to your desk to find a small but quaint gift box. it’s a cardboard gift box that's dyed in your favorite colors, and has a rather elaborate design all over it. it’s secured together by a ribbon, tied into a rather complicated and intricate bow, a small tag on it with the valentines greeting, your name, and nothing else. 

whoever this person is, they’ve got an eye for style and aesthetics, and clearly paid attention to the kinds of designs you liked.

you delicately untie the bow, almost a little sad to ruin their work. you take off the lid of the box to see…

…a mixtape?

well, no, not literally of course. nobody owns a functioning cassette player anymore these days. but this person seems to be rather old-fashioned still, to gift you with two cds, along with what seems to be a worn notebook? 

you shift your focus to the two cds, setting down the notebook for now. 

you observe the cd cases, the doodles and hand drawn typography on it immediately catching your attention. it seemed to have been drawn on with permanent markers, in a variety of colors too. the cds are also written on with what each cd contains.

each case also comes with a little handwritten letter inserted in the inner part of the case. you find that there’s no name written on those letters either, just some sweet notes (perhaps the sweetest you’ve ever gotten in your life! quite the poet this one is…), and a tracklist scribbled in for you.

you safely tuck away the cds into the box when your professor walks in, the rest of the class rushing to settle down into their seats, and you try not to let your curiosity take over your mind as you turn your focus onto your professor.

you were, in fact, unable to keep your curiosity at bay. 

and neither could your friends, as they crowd around you and your ancient laptop at your usual spot outside your building. they urge you to insert the first cd into your disk drive, and you mumble to yourself about how thankful you are to yourself for keeping around the same laptop you got when you were sixteen—or rather, for being too broke to afford an upgrade.

a folder pops up when your pc processes the contents of the cd, and a list of mp3 tracks pop up, matching the tracklist written on the note in the case.

the first cd is a collection of songs that remind this person of you. it turns out to be quite a lengthy playlist, the first couple of tracks make you think that it's just some kind of prank with how generalized the songs are, but the more you listen to them, the more you find yourself in them, lyrics that apply to you and melodies exactly the way you like them.

your friends giggle and nudge you as they listen too, singing along to ones they are familiar with. 

(“hey, is this admirer of yours too broke for spotify premium? is that why they went with a cd—hey!” “c’mon it’s sweet someone did that for them! you’re just jealous your girlfriend won’t do that for you!”)

the second cd is a bit more special, as it's an album of songs this person has personally written for you, and about you. you find it a bit hard to believe that a stranger can make this many songs about you—especially when you're sure you don't have the slightest clue as to who they are. however, you're once again proven wrong when you listen to the songs. each one blows you away with how beautiful the melodies are, and the lyrics touch you so much, you can hardly believe someone even thinks of you as such.

(this of course, causes your friends to tease you even more… you’re rather flustered by both the thoughtful songs and your friends’ jokes.)

you all part ways soon after, and you only get the chance to take a peek at the notebook that comes with the cds when you get back home. you observe the worn notebook and skim through it, feeling the paper creases and indentions from the writing on each page. you quickly note that this notebook is actually your secret admirer’s thoughts and insights, both for their playlist of you and the album they wrote for you.

each track has commentary. they truly have a way with words, and you already feel so connected with this person by the stories they share about their song choices and their song writing. you smile and laugh at most of them, and even manage to tear up at some of the behind the scenes of the songs they’ve written for you. this mystery person is able to drag out such emotions from you despite the fact that you’ve never met… and now you’re certain you’ve fallen for them. or at least, you’re definitely much more intrigued by them now; you want to know more about them.

so you spend the next weeks listening to both cds over and over again. no, i’m not obsessed, you tell your friends when they notice. i’m simply enjoying the thoughtful gift this mystery person put together for me. they have good taste in music. 

you import all the songs into your phone to listen to them wherever you go, and on days you do bring your laptop, you still listen with the cds in the drive, as if it makes any difference. you constantly checking the cd’s folder like a new file will just pop up, perhaps a notepad file of more details about them…?

you feel sillier the longer this goes on. you really hope this isn’t just some ridiculously elaborate prank. the sheer audacity of this person to just drop you the most thoughtful gift, writing such wonderful stories and melodies and omit their name, aka the most important detail of all?!

you're going to find this person and give back everything they've done for you, if it's the last thing you do!

but for now…

perhaps you'll relax again and listen to that one song from their album. it's the perfectly calming track for a quick lil nap in between classes... 

(you fail to notice a head peeking behind a tree a little bit away from the one you lean against. eyes full of mirth and mischief, he giggles and coos to himself seeing you nap to one of the songs he's prepared just for you. with one last look at your peaceful sleeping face, he smiles and saunters away, slipping away before you can wake and notice him there. he's eagerly awaiting the day you'll find him, but for now, he enjoys sneaking around you and watching you pine for him.)

happy valentine's everyone! hope you enjoyed diluc and venti's gifts for you <3 if you'd like to give me a present too, perhaps a reblog would be nice? 👉👈

[pushing500]

your mechanitor's message series has me wanting to draw art of my own colonists

I highly recommend drawing RimWorld pawns as a great way to practice art! I sometimes feel like I should try harder to figure out digital art because of all the stuff I end up drawing while I'm playing. I'd save a lot of money on sketchbooks and paper if I was drawing on my laptop.

I have a whole bookshelf dedicated to sketchbooks, and my desk is running out of room for pencil pots!! Still, I enjoy looking back at older art and feeling like I've improved—and like I'm improving a bit more each day!

It's definitely worth trying, in my opinion, and if you ever feel like posting your efforts... Well, I can never get enough RimWorld content! <3 <3 <3

[sniperct]

both my soyona/brooklynn fics are definitely doing better than I expected for a niche ship in a ...well idk how small or large the extended fandom is but the m/m ships are more popular than the canon f/f ship on AO3 lol

[cloudwhisper23]

Aghhh, I read the 2 newest chapters of Cut Right Through Me last night and it makes me so sad that Jeremy has pretty much lost hope. I need him to get out of there so bad so he can feel better again and be happy ✨️

Love your writing as always, crying in a corner but enjoying nonetheless, lol

Aww, I'm so happy you liked it! Yeah, things are heating up, and it's only going to get worse for everyone involved, I'm afraid. Pix says he needs a hug, and I honestly agree. But that'll come later (my way of saying I don't know which chapter!)

Angst is where I thrive or something

-shuffles through crumbled pages of murder and death-

But I will get to some fluff eventually, I promise!

[bagel-boy-sama]

I got lovebrush chronicles because I'm legally required to play every gacha game ever and I'ma say, I'm pleasantly surprised. I could see this taking over my life and I'm barely joking.

The plot is kinda odd, but interesting. I'm eternally thankful that the "guardian who isn't related to the MC" isn't a romance target.

None of the characters are all that annoying, though some are getting very close in the alt world. I'm really hoping it's not a constant.

Ayn best boy, goodbye.

[thehungrycity]

New lit review time, and I'm on the high I always get when delving into new literature and I'm trying to categorise and sort into themes/findings/outcome measures. We have a ridiculous timeframe to get this done, so my team is working together, which I also enjoy. Trying to hold back from doing probably unnecessary overtime just for the joy of it. And yes, there probably is something wrong with me lol.

[howdidthisevenhappenanyway]

even if I think the curtains are just blue several months down the line I’ll realise that I was actually processing a profound grief over something or other

Nothing will dispell the "the curtains were just blue" myth faster than writing something yourself, because the amount of pretentious symbolism i am putting in my silly little fanfics is ridiculous. I mean SO much with these words, literally every single one of them. This fic has twenty five typos and zero correct uses of punctuation but if there's curtains you bet your ass I put thought into what colour they were.

[exculis]

i WILL maintain that adding a can of beans to an alfredo pasta (WITH the bean liquid) really adds such a lovely smooth texture to the sauce

[springtrappd]

since the vietnam post is getting notes again can someone remind me to drop a quick history lesson in the reblogs when i'm not busy riding the wave of post-physio pain-free bliss. Thanks

[journeytodrawiii]

Praise Watercolour✨✨

I just finished up a page in my new sketchbook, and I'm proud to say it's the first colourful page!! I'm waiting for it to dry properly before I post it, but boy am I happy!!! Watercolour just has something so ✨special✨ about it. My acrylic paints are wonderful too, but watercolour is so quick and easy. Putting it down on paper feels so effortless. Not that I don't take my time and fret over bled out sections, but I still find it much easier compared to acrylic. It also helps that I have some really wonderful watercolours, I have NO idea where they're from as I just recently found them in an old box of children's art supplies in a dusty box (and they're unlabelled). Still. Just had to praise the ✨wonder✨ of watercolour. Love them so so so so so much. Yippie!!

[theothersarshi]

I don't believe in gender as this... Immutable Thing. I'd call myself gender critical, except I discovered at some point that it doesn't mean what it ought to mean. (it ought to mean a recognition that gender is artificial and a free-for-all, *grumble*)

But there are certain markers of gender. Certain things. Certain small, can't-put-my-finger-on-it things of gender that we learn from others. What is a woman? Oh, such and such. What is a man? Oh, such and such. Associations. An entire unspoken vocabulary we no longer need to interpret consciously, because we're so used to it we do it automatically.

We learn how to people from other people, and we might emulate things we believe are sensible, things we feel are right for us. Things that make sense to us. Sometimes we do it on purpose. Sometimes it's by accident.

(My bf's fashion choices have rubbed off on me consciously. Whenever I visit a certain city, I pick up some of the accent unconsciously.)

I remember, before PhilosophyTube came out as trans, that I started getting a trans vibe. Something about the grooming that was different, I think. Something that felt purposeful and still within "manly" limits, but it felt like a change (especially watching videos out of order) and which felt feminine in approach.

I wouldn't be surprised if trans people were keeping an eye on queer people and picking up and integrating queer-specific gender markers or having queer-specific gender riffs on more general gender traits, which other queers might pick up on more easily.

As a lesbian, it’s happened twice already that one “guy” stands out to me and I think “huh maybe they’re kinda cute and interesting, I wanna get to know them” and then I get to know them better and it’s a closeted trans girl who I somehow sniffed with my little nonbinary lesbian nose

[egophiliac]

was this anyone else's first thought, or

[lilislegacy]

*percy seen from a far, wearing a suit*

piper: do my eyes deceive me or is percy jackson wearing formal clothes? since when does he have the ability to look like a domesticated human being?

frank: how come HE, percy of all people, king of untidiness, can wear a cream linen suit and look like a celebrity, but when i tried one on i looked like a man-child going to a high school dance?

hazel: sweetie it’s just because it’s such a casual suit, and you’re much more elegant than percy is!

annabeth, turning to them: um okay, hi percy’s best friends? can you guys compliment him without insulting him?

leo: his ass looks incredible.

grover: has he been working out?

annabeth, side eyeing them:

annabeth: okay, you have all now either insulted him or hit on him. how about from now on, you do neither?

rachel: how about we do both? because i’ve actually just perfected doing them at the same time

[stuckinapril]

friend wanted to see my tumblr, and when i told him i can’t show it to him bc it’s basically my personal diary he went “oh so I can’t see it but a bunch of strangers on tumblr can??” he literally does not get me. no one will get me like the people in my phone get me

[chloesimaginationthings]

HBEBEBEBEBEB UR WILLIAM DESIGN IS SO SILLYYYYY THAT SKRUNKLY OLD MAN IS GETTING THE CHAIR <3333

The worst man ever 💜

[melancholiaenthroned]

i will literally never care if a zombie movie is completely predictable or adds nothing new to the genre. there are a zombies. you dont like zombies? rarrrghh?