#while making this i realized that this is the only people in oasis springs like only 3 filled households 👀???

[kazuaru]

"Big" Oasis Springs Townie Makeovers.

[igglemouse]

The start of a new day brings me a fresh wave of optimism and that's all because of the success of my stand. It started as a random dream, a stray hope that maybe, just maybe, I could move forward into a new life and have it be fueled by a career driven by my passion and ambition.

So yes, I will start the day off with left over pizza because I simply deserve it!

There are a few things I must do before I can really get the day started. The usual chores of course. I cook so there's always dishes to be done and counters to be cleaned and of course there's always flowers to attend to as well. It's the dying days of spring with the coming of summer so I have plenty of gardening left ahead of me it looks like and that is work I look forward to.

Just when I think things are going well the day hiccups, putting before me a challenge, a problem to be solved in the form of a broken toilet. Yeah, I'm not going to worry about it and so I call the now usual repair service, my voice familiar to them by now, and let them know that something else in my house is broken.

I thought about trying to fix it myself but I do have things to do today and I do have somewhere to be as well.

And that somewhere? Pascal's.

I'm not going to dwell on what Simón and I shared earlier this week. I'll think of it as a book completed and closed. I've come to Oasis Springs to start a new life and that means starting new relationships which also includes those of the romantic variety.

So here I am before Pascal's place, large, big enough to house multiple people to be sure but its less than what I would have expected. He's an athletic prodigy, right? The next big thing? I'd think he'd at least live in a mini-mansion of sorts.

It's more than I have so who am I to judge?

Pascal is there to open the door for me and lead me deeper inside. Holding my hand on the way there, perhaps ready to direct me into this next part of my life or maybe he's just grabby? Either way, his presence is welcoming and his smile is inviting.

"You look amazing," he breathes out, bringing his lips to my fingers for a well placed kiss. Playing the role of gentleman, I suppose? The subtle action brings some warmth to my cheeks that is difficult to hide.

Pascal pushes every button for me. Physically, he's everything I could ever want. Mentally? Well, that is up for debate, isn't it? Mental faults are something you have to dig up to discover. Honestly, I feel fortunate that he finds me attractive at all.

"Love day is tomorrow," I remind him, already picturing another date with him, wondering if I should imagine a future with him at all.

"I know! It's just too bad I have a game that day," he says, sincerely disappointed, I think. "It is only a day, we have more than one day to spend together, don't we?"

"We do," I agree, two words fumbling from my lips and realizing that the language we are using right now assumes there is an 'us'. It's vague and really, too vague for my tastes. I want something more, something concrete, something I can rely on. Especially from a man like him. I chew on my lower lip, hesitating to ask the question I know must be asked. "When you say we..."

The laughter that comes from him is welcoming and the sound itself pushes relief through me. It's warm and jovial and comes before a confident nod of his head. "Yes, we! There should be a we, shouldn't there?" It was my turn to give a nod, I feel a little fluttery to be honest, thinking this relationship is advancing rapidly but feeling like there is no sense in getting in front of a speeding train. "Frida?"

"Y-yes, yes, 'we' sounds good!" Does that make it official? I suppose so. For a moment I think of Simon and then remind myself that he's a man from my past and not my future.

In the wake of our mutual agreement I can see that Pascal seems a little lighter, the smile on his face brighter with a vibrant look to his eyes. It's the look I imagine he has on his face after scoring a goal or making a crucial play while playing futbol.

Speaking of that, I find myself a little more curious about his world. I don't know much about it, if I'm being honest, next to nothing other than a bunch of people kick a ball around and try to get it into a goal, but the questions I ask him, about the basics and such, creates a shared energy between us. His passion for kicking balls around on a field is very infectious. "I should come! See you play-"

"It's an away game," he says, crushing that idea the moment I thought of it. "Of course you could travel. There's a wives club or something, they keep together sometimes but-"

"Yeah, pass," I reply a little harshly. I'm not a wife and I sure don't want to spend time with a gaggle of what I presume are stuck up and spoiled women who will certainly judge me for being just a girlfriend. "I can't any ways, my food stand is really picking up and I don't want to slow down that momentum."

"Your stand is so cute," he says, bringing energy back into the conversation. "And those waffles were amazing. I keep meaning to come back but my diet is pretty strict sometimes."

That I can understand. He's an athlete, after all. "I thought about becoming a full time chef. You know, work at a restaurant so that I can earn even more simoleons."

At this he frowns for just a moment. Quick enough for me to notice. He's also quick to explain himself. "If you're going to be with me you won't have to worry about simoleons."

"You can never have too many! Besides, I'd like some simoleons that I earn for myself. You know?"

"Yeah," he utters, but the word comes out flat, a tone that doesn't quite fit well into my ears. It's a disagreement then, one he's not ready to get into but what could be the issue? If we were to become official official, you know, living together and everything, what would be wrong with having more simoleons between us? "Give it a year, Frida, and I'll be one of the best players in the world. Simoleons will never be an issue for us."

He says it with such conviction and confidence that all I can do is nod my head. There is a clear determination in his voice and and a look in his eyes that tell me this is a future he's already seen. One promised to him or at least he believes it has been promised to him. This part of him is a little intimidating, the drive of a man that will not be stopped and will let nothing get in the way of his goals but that part of him is also exciting and admirable. Maybe it's because its a contrast to what Simón offered, a man who was happy to get what he could out of life, nothing more. Pascal, I can tell, is a man that settles for nothing.

I make it back home with more of a direction. I'm not single anymore. I'm not single! I don't know if this is a good or bad thing (because you know ladies sometimes its better to be single than miserably coupled) but it is definitely a thing!

I'm back in my kitchen, making waffles and baking cookies and decided to do something a little new. Fried chicken! It's one of those foods universally loved, who hates fried chicken? Other than vegetarians and vegans I suppose but I hope it will be a welcomed surprise for my customers!

The waffles and cookies disappear from my counter, dishes that are familiar to my customers by now, and the chicken is not far behind. Overall, a pretty breezy 700 or so simoleons are earned and that's enough alone for rent. I might outgrow my little place before I can even get settled into it!

The sun starts to fall, casting long shadows over the day and slowly but beautifully giving way to night. I don't like having my stand open at night because...duh, why would I? So I'm just about ready to close up shop until one more person lingers over to my stand.

"Hola!" I call out, catching his attention. One more sale won't hurt.

"Fryda?" He asks, his pronunciation all wrong. I nod my head any ways, impatiently wanting to make my sale and call it a night. "Closing up?"

"Yes, loong day but...one more," I keep it simple, Simlish still being new to me meant short sentences are better than longer ones and despite what others say I do not like my accent.

"Anything you would suggest?"

"Ummmm..." that's a question I don't get a lot so it makes me think for a moment. I look over the counter, most of the dishes are cleaned, my best offerings long gone leaving nothing I'd really suggest. "Pizza?" I wave a hand over it. It's not my best creation but he smiles, hands me his simoleons, and takes a slice.

"Can't go wrong with pizza! Thanks, Fryda!"

But little does Friday know that her last lingering customer was none other than Ray Booker. Infamous local food critic and one who was looking for any reason to leave a scathing review.

He happily made his way to a nearby bench in a neighborhood park, cleared of children thankfully, and signaled for his cameraman to pop out and start the show.

Once the lens fell on him he went into his usual motions. Playing up his chewing, making the same 'oooh' and 'ahhh' sounds as if his palate was so distinct that he could suss out every bit of flavor.

After finishing it, he gave his audience a knowing smirk, an expression they knew all too well as the precursor for a bad review.

"I've never had a slice of pizza so bad that it might make me consider having pizza ever again. Who makes a cream corn pizza, any way..."

Episode List - Next

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

I always have this feeling about Castle Village is that it’s not as lively as Pelican Town, like everything there is like an empty desert. There are not much trees growing there, no snow, no cold weather, flowers are rare over there.

What are your views on it? I wanna hear your opinion.

I have to disagree, dear anon, about Castle Village not being as lively as Pelican Town. Well, there's nothing in Crimson Baldlans but a perpetually howling bloody sandstorm and merciless monsters - that's undeniable. But thanks to wizards and witches (special credit to Camilla), people were able to find a home even in the literal hell on earth.

From the size of the concept-art that FlashShifter showed, and my perception before watching the interview, gave me an idea that the place is pretty big. Probably a bit bigger than Pelican Town itself (that's if you exclude the railroad area, the beach and the forest).

Of course, given the closed nature of the village itself and the fact that only Camilla decides who is allowed to enter, it makes it clear that you can't expect an influx of tourists. However, don't forget that the Castle Village is the main coven and gathering centre for all adventurers and wizards in the whole Republic, where you can buy a new sword, enchant amulets, stock up elixirs, sell valuable monster loot, learn to develop your magical talent, hone your swordsmanship, or just be in the company of people who work as hardened monster hunters. The many who have been given permission to step onto this land and purchase property, as well as the number of indigenous people who were born in the Village, will cumulatively make up the same number of people as in our good old Pelican Town.

As for the setting of the town itself - I always thought that the walls of Castle Village were built around a magical oasis that allowed people to live here, providing a source of fresh water and food resources, and protecting the oasis from corrupt magic was the job of the Ministry of Magic, Camilla in particular, since she was the one who lived here.

I always thought Crimson Baldlans was just an ordinary desert with unusual oases. Dark magic of unknown origin slowly but surely consumed the entire desert over a long period of time, but the magic that surrounded the oases tried to resist the dark onslaught. Unfortunately, it was not possible to resist for too long (to prove my headcanon, I will give the example of that black lake in Crimson Baldlans, where we could fish in the game). There was only one oasis left, the most important one, and the wizards of the time realized that their only hope of salvation lay in this little scrap of life in the middle of an already corrupted desert, as it held the secret to fighting this dark magic. The people built walls, put up a magical shield and began to study and guard the oasis. Some were immersed in the search for answers to this important question, others just wanted to live without worries, mages and adventurers settled here, started a family, the settlement grew, and we have what we have.

By the way, I'll add that one of my favourite headcanons that I've never written about here (or did, but forgot lol) is that once in a while Camilla opens up for a day or two for all the merchants that somehow know about the Castle Village to enter here so they can sell their wares and buy raw materials from the local merchants. A sort of event where there's a bazaar in the centre of the village, so there's even more people for a while (Thanks to this ambient that inspired this idea): 👇

https://youtu.be/8uRtW8lBe0I?si=19f49CEV1_IYIVg5

The climate is a bit more complicated, because time and weather in the village itself under the magic dome now flows differently: it's always, I think, a warm spring (late spring, when it should smoothly turn into a hot summer, to be even more precise), while everything outside the walls of the impregnable fortress has nothing that hints at life but a searing sun, a desert storm, and certain death. I swear, some of the natives are sure to complain that Crimson Baldlans has "heat worse than Hell".

I don't usually focus on comparing the world building of SDV and SVE with the real world, but the setting, buildings, objects that I saw in the latest teaser from FlashShifter about the Castle Village reminded me of Egyptian motifs, and the Middle East in general. I could be wrong, it's just my guess, so feel free to write about your theories!

So, conclusion:

For me, the Castle Village is provided as a hub for all monster hunters, adventurers, mages, wizards and people who are not sceptical or fearful of magic. Each house is an impregnable fortress of dark stone, the same as the walls of the Village. The main magical academy and the most imposing Adventurers Guild towers above this houses. There is sand everywhere, and only a few places have emerald grass, flowers, ponds and gardens of extraordinary beauty with many different plants and sculptures. Everywhere there is the smell of spices, the noise of markets, laughter in taverns, the clinking of blades, and the air is saturated with magic.

Nevertheless, there is gloom, isolation from the world and a huge graveyard, reminding all residents and visitors to the Continent of Galdora that this is not a perfect blooming paradise and how easy it is to lose one's life. That the vast number of graves are but a small fraction of those fallen heroes who gave everything to protect this place, for many of their fellows still walk around as soulless shells, shadows of their former selves. That almost all of the part of the place they call home is a cursed land that will spare no one.

[kimium]

kimium you do not know me but I read almost all your Hitman Reborn fics because even after 10+ years this hellhole series won't let me go, and each one of your 10051 fics are like an oasis stumbled upon after days meandering in a dusty barren landscape. also your writing is just plain good.

The way I remember it that Hanahaki Disease wasn't really a trope until after the manga curled up to die with the bulk of the Fandom, but it SHAKES me that I cannot locate any Byakuran hanahaki fic. It's just unnatural feeling. Like Graham crackers and chocolate without Marshmallows. An ominous void in nature where there shouldn't be one. Light without shadows.

Please share your thoughts about 100 hanahaki to satiate this thirst of mine. Only if you want too though of course! Thank you for listening!!!

Hello Anon!

Thank you so much for this ask! You are so sweet to describe my 10051 fics as an oasis in a barren, dusty landscape. That's such a fun comparison and makes my heart warm to have such high praise.

While I also cannot exactly pinpoint when I kept seeing "Hanahaki" as a trope in fics, you are correct that it was long after the bulk of KHR was an active fandom. It certainly feels like a trope that fits Byakuran well and your analogy to a s'more without chocolate is also a very fun image. Love it.

Now, as for my thoughts on Hanahaki, let's break it down.

In general, I do not like the "traditional" hanahaki trope. However, I understand why it's popular. In fact, I wrote more "traditional" hanahaki trope fics once upon a time, so I used to like the more "traditional" trope. Unrequited love is a topic that can be cathartic for the writer and readers to explore in fiction. We've all experienced rejection (romantic, platonic/friendship, professional, etc.) and the heartbreak we feel truly feels like we are going to die. Also, flower symbolism is always Top Tier and my favourite kind of symbolism.

The main reason why I dislike the "traditional" hanahaki trope is because to me it feels very self-entitled. "You didn't return my love and thus I will die!" I cannot help but make the comparison to people who try to guilt trip someone for breaking up or not dating them.

Also, the idea of "I have to completely forget about this person" cuts off so much emotional growth and development. Yes, I know "falling out of love" is an option, but I rarely saw "traditional" hanahaki fics go that route. Makes sense though: magical amnesia is such a juicy trope (and also one of my favourites). Of course, I do not mean the traditional trope advocates it, but I cannot shake this thought out of my brain.

What I enjoy more is "seasonal hanahaki" where the symptoms are less severe and more akin to a seasonal cold/fever/mild allergies. Nothing to dismiss but also the person will recover from it with time. How the writer can set this up has a lot of flexibility which I enjoy. I've seen writers write is as literally seasonal where people who experience "seasonal hanahaki" do so in spring and fall time (where traditional cold/fever/mild allergies kick up). I've also seen people write it where the person "catches" their "seasonal hanahaki" when they first realized their feelings aren't requited.

Regardless, because this isn't deadly could you imagine the world building? The Drama! The work place or friend gossip??? This opens so many more avenues than "pity" which I find most traditional hanahaki goes towards because someone is dying.

So, where does this place Byakuran in my mind? While I am not a big fan of "traditional hanahaki fics" I think the trope suits him. Even seasonal hanahaki opens up so many avenues to explore! Could you imagine the denial he'd soak himself in?? Shouichi -obviously- loves him! They're destined to be together! The list goes on. This could lead to all sorts of irrational decisions/ways of coping for Byakuran.

Again, thank you for sending me this ask! I love taking about KHR and I'm so happy for all your support. Feel free to pop on by in my inbox again or if you're not too shy, in messages!

[simvibing]

Meet Emmalyn Helton

A former psychology professor at Foxbury Institute turned entrepreneur running a successful bakery and cafe serving the Britechester community. Emmalyn is the daughter of Simon Helton, the mayor of Willow Creek, and Lillian Helton, a renowned bestselling novelist, and sister of Sierra Helton, a well-sought-after playwright. Growing up, Emmalyn did what was expected of her. She got all A’s, dotted her I’s, and crossed her T’s. She learned proper etiquette by the time she turned 11– prim and proper, the star child Simon always wanted, though he expected to have a Jr. to pass on his family name. Emmalyn fit the role perfectly though. The press loved her. Simon brought her and Sierra along on campaign tours to help seal the deal as a beloved father and husband. As Emmalyn grew older, the pressure only grew stronger and she started to feel less free to express herself— she knew how to play the role of the perfect daughter, but who was she aside from a politician’s daughter? Like her mother, she was incredibly creative. She loved baking, a skill she picked up from many summers visiting her maternal grandmother, Savannah out in the rolling hills of Henford. Simon enjoyed Emmalyn’s baked goods like everyone else but constantly did his best to persuade her to stick to a more prestigious route for her future. She could do it on the side as long as she focused on what actually makes money and commands respect. Simon persuaded her to look into politics since she knew the ins and outs already, but she settled for the path of obtaining a PhD. While in college, she encountered men like her father— charming, ambitious, and full of themselves. It was familiar. Weren’t men supposed to lead anyway? So, she let them lead her right into chaos and a broken heart. Most of the guys she dated were in short-lived relationships, but one guy really messed with her head. Donovan “Don” Lothario. Born and raised in Oasis Springs, he was also a child of a politician— governor of Oasis Springs and a cherished alumni at UBrite. For Emmalyn to date, a guy like Don would only boost connections for her dad to reach the type of status he’d only dreamed of. The governor was very close with the Landgraabs who had been looking to expand their operations out East. Then, Don ghosts Emmalyn out of the blue. Things had just started to escalate with their relationship and she just knew he was going to propose soon. Instead, his non-committed self realized they moved way too quick and he was in no way ready to settle down. He enjoyed playing the field even though he told Emmalyn he loved her and flaunted her around campus. Come graduation day, he disappears. No one could tell her where he’s gone. Completely wiped socials. Heartbroken, Emmalyn blames herself for not doing more or being too much— she honestly can’t pinpoint what went wrong and why. She did everything he asked her to do. He told her to dye her hair blond, to stop wearing heels because she was practically towering over him, and even gave up sushi because he thought it was disgusting to eat raw fish. And here she was, single, confused, but holding a Masters in psychology… shouldn’t she have seen the signs? She dove deeper into her studies and decided she would pursue becoming a professor and then, she‘d seek tenure. Her students loved her! They loved how she gracefully carried herself, brought in the occasional platter of baked goods for early morning classes and was straightforward with them. She published numerous research articles and secured adequate funding per the university guidelines. And yet, she was denied tenure. Constantly overlooked by inconsiderate people, she faced a turning point. From that point on, she decided to live her life for herself, no more chasing accolades in hopes someone would see her and validate her worth. Welcome to “Layers of Perspective”

[sanssoucisims]

the crazy lore of my caliente and landgraab families

So for some reason, the Caliente and Landgraab families in my game have weird intertwined lives. 

I’ve already talked about Johnny Zest (who you may or may not know is related to the Landgraabs) and his wholesome life with his adoptive daughter in a previous post, but the rest of his family has been up to quite a bit.

First of all, for the record: Geoffrey and Nancy Landgraab along with Katrina Caliente are deceased. They died of old age a while ago long before I conceived the idea of creating a blog to document my sims’ lives, so I haven’t grabbed a lot of funny screenshots of them.

But anyway...

The whole gang lives in this little section of Oasis Springs, aka Bedrock Strait (I only have Johnny Zest’s household as playable since tbh I like them the most. I honestly don’t care for the rest of them lmao). As you can see, everyone but the Zest family likes to show off how big and bougie their homes are.

Malcolm Landgraab (son of Nancy and Geoffrey) is married to Don Lothario (who lived with the Calientes) of all people.

My personal headcanon is that Malcolm got tired of the richy rich snooty super-straight lifestyle that his parents tried to raise him in but didn’t know how exactly to get out of it at first. Don, on the other hand, realized he may be bi-curious though he wasn’t sure how Katrina and her daughters would take that considering they were crazy for him. One thing led to another, and Don started to fall for Malcolm. Once Malcolm reciprocated his feelings, they eloped and moved into their own place together.

Now here’s the crazy part: Don and Malcolm share four children together. Malcolm actually had his two eldest children (Jayme, who is a teenager, and Dusty, who is a child) with KATRINA MOTHERTRUCKING CALIENTE. Presumably, this was before he found himself attracted to Don and it’s probably how he wormed his way into the Caliente family in the first place. Who knows how Malcolm and Katrina broke up, but as I’ve said before, she’s currently dead and out of the picture.  He has two daughters with Don (half-sisters of Jayme and Dusty): Jodi, who is a toddler, and the most recent addition to the family, newborn Alisa.

For two people who have the noncommittal trait, they sure are loyal to each other. I mean, Don was willing to put up with someone sleeping with a woman he was probably attracted to at some point, and then marry that person and raise the children he had with Katrina as his own. That takes... something.

Oh, and, Don is currently an elder, so he’ll probably kick the bucket pretty soon. Well, at least he can spend the remainder of his life with his lovely family. This is basically the whole reason I wanted to make this post so I could have their crazy relationship recorded for the ages, lmao

Now I bet you’re wondering how Katrina’s daughters are faring without Don...

Dina Caliente is married to Gavin Richards (from the Roomies household) of all people. Meanwhile, her sister Nina is still single AND living with them. I’d imagine she’d be, well, less than pleased, lmao. Why she doesn’t just move out, I don’t know. Maybe she thinks she’s prettier than her sister and deserves Gavin more than her.

Dina and Gavin share three sons together. Their genealogies weirded me out at first but it seems like Dina adopted a son named Laurant, who’s now a teenager (he’s the one with mid-length red hair). Gavin, on the other hand, adopted a son named Heath, who’s also a teenager (he’s the one with the short brown hair). I imagine they get along pretty well and are close to the same age, so they’ll always tend to hang out with each other.

Their third son is Gordon, who is an infant. He’s a weird one, because his genealogy shows he’s the biological son of Dina and Gavin. However, when I looked at the genealogies of his brothers, he was shown as either adopted by Gavin (according to Heath’s genealogy) or adopted by Dina (according to Laurant’s genealogy). Even if that seems to be one thing the brothers will fight themselves over, all that matters is their parents have acknowledged their baby brother as their own, and they seem to be very much in love (they had a lot of flirty interactions that seemed to rival another one of my sim couples...)!

Moving on to the Caliente sisters’ other siblings (because Katrina apparently got busy before she died)!!

Tonya Caliente is (I believe) Katrina’s eldest “non-canon” child (if you didn’t catch on already, it’s because I have neighborhood stories turned on for my townies/”other households” so they’re able to have lots of babies). A while ago, when Katrina was still alive and having more and more kids, I decided to move Tonya and a few of her younger siblings out and into their own place (only for Katrina to replace them with more babies). Back when I moved Tonya and her siblings out, she was (I think) either a teenager and they were just children, but now she’s a young adult and they’re all teenagers.

Tonya is the one with the short dark pixie cut, reddish cardigan, and black pants. Her younger siblings (at the moment, I don’t know if she’ll adopt more or anything) are Wendell (the only boy, who’s sitting off to the left), Gem (the blonde with the blue dress), Rylie (the one who for some reason generated with a flipping Victorian dress, no joke), and Elise (the fan of the color blue playing with her phone off to the right). They haven’t done anything too earth-shattering yet; in fact, they’re probably the most normal of the extended Caliente-Landgraab family (I suppose Dina and Nina’s little family could be considered “normal” too, if you ignore Nina still living with her married sister and keep in mind Dina’s healthy romantic relationship with her husband).

As for the rest of the Landgraabs (yes, Geoffrey and Nancy got busy too), it appears that Malcolm’s siblings have inherited their parents’ home. They all live there together.

There’s Russell and Irvin, who are a teen and young adult, respectively. At first, I assumed they were possibly twins considering their shared hairstyle, but knowing their age difference, it isn’t possible, lol. Sure isn’t stopping them from sharing a bedroom, though. When I looked at Irvin’s genealogy, it appeared he fathered a daughter with a random townie woman, Alexandra Weir. However, they actually don’t seem to have any kind of relationship with each other. I can only assume they were one of those people who dated in high school and ended up having a one-night stand which resulted in her getting pregnant and him ditching her because he wasn’t ready to have a kid. Yeah, weird (this post is getting messy on its own so I don’t think I’m going to throw Alexandra in here too. Maybe she’ll get her own post one day...).

Then there’s Gideon and Kailani, who are both young adults. Kailani has quite a few unfortunate traits (she’s gloomy, evil, and has the “sinister” major impression personality - courtesy of the Wonderful Whims mod) though has surprisingly gotten along well with everyone so far.

Gideon, on the other hand, received the notification below as I was literally in the middle of writing this post. It seems like he’s taken after his brother Irvin and had a one-night stand with Cassandra Goth of all people, and now they’ve got an infant daughter. And of course it’s the female partner who’s raising their child on her own.

“Ok”. That’s all he can say, lmao.

Lastly, there’s Halle (a young adult), who has also taken the same path as her brothers and had - well, adopted, actually - a little girl of her own named Lila. As you can see, Lila has a very interesting sense of fashion. I actually headcanon Halle (whose originally appearance was generated by default to be the most “hipster” or “LoOk aT mE i’M sPeCiAL aNd NoT LiKe ThE oThEr GiRLs”) to be quite a fangirl of the notorious Willow sisters (my OCs) and wants to emulate them. It’s likely due to the fact that she was the most spoiled of her siblings and is now passing that down to her daughter, whom she also wants to be special and unique (hence her qUiRkY appearance).

Guess I should prepare for the Caliente-Landgraab dynasty to flourish and drag in more people throughout my town...

[ygreczed-3]

The Red Guard and the Snow Angel

Summer Falls desert concept art

Hank and Connor

Gavin and Nines meditating + thunder, snow, fire and wind seal

Gavin and the thunder spirit

More concept arts - traditional art & inking

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

When they go through the Summer Falls desert, Connor and Nines pass out fairly soon due to their intolerance to fire magic. They only get better at night, when the temperature drops, so they stay awake to watch out while the humans sleep. During the day Hank and Gavin have to take them on their horse/Sumo and walk beside them, even though the intense heat isn't making things easy for them either. They reach a village in an oasis where Connor and Nines get better, and when they realize there's a spring in it, they decide to go and rest a bit as the night arrives.

Nines and Gavin are gone meditating on a less crowded part of the spring.

Gavin : That's stupid… How can this make me stronger than my training ? Nines : Stop talking and focus on your breathing.  Gavin : Grmphh.. Nines : Can you feel the source of magic inside your body ? Gavin : … Yeah. Nines : You have to… establish a connection with it. Show him you don't fear it Gavin : But I fear it. Nines : The war spirit you host is an incredible source of power, and you can believe me, it is as bellicose as you are. It only needs a goal to aim for and you'll be able to channel its energy.  Gavin : … You know I'm your enemy… Why do you help me ? Nines, closed eyes : I know I can compete with you. I'm ready to be challenged. And it's funnier to fight a skilled warrior than a scared little boy. Gavin : … Fucker.

X

Connor and Hank in the hot spring

Connor : I think that's what your hug feels like. Hank : hm ? Connor : The hot water. I think it's what hugs feel like. Hank : You said my hugs... Connor : Did I ? I was just thinking… about how you hug Sumo sometimes. He loves it. Hank : Yeah, this big boy loves cuddles  I admit that. Connor : It must feel good. Hank : What… You've never been hugged before ? Connor : Golems do have… intimate behaviors, of course but it's not… I mean we're… not physically warm, so... (NB : I was thinking golems in this universe would be like vampires, not as freezing as actual snow but still colder than humans) Hank : ...Thought you didn't like heat that much. Connor : Warmth from human's touch is different from fire magic : it feels more… safe, less aggressive. I think I'd like that. Hank : … How do you know that ? Connor : I touched your back to heal it, remember ? Your warmth feels nice. Hank : Yeah okay, you touched me, but you don't know what my hugs feel like ? Maybe you'd hate that. Connor : I wish I could know.

They look at each other, but then Hank looks away and stands up.

Hank : It's late, I'm tired. I'm going back to the inn. Connor seems disappointed, but then Hank keeps going. Hank : You coming ?

When they enter the room they share all together, Nines is already in stasis and Gavin is snoring loudly.

Hank takes Connor's wrist silently, looking at him in the eyes as if tacitly asking for permission. Connor just lets himself be enveloped by wide arms, and rests his cheek on his collar bone.

Connor sighs, closing his eyes as he enjoys that nice bear hug. He feels that warm something in his chest growing in his body, invading his stomach with pleasing flutters. 

Connor : Hank… Hank : Shhh… it would be embarrassing to wake those two idiots up now.

Connor bites his lower lip as he silently reaches for Hank's hand, his skin turning white as he presses gently each of his fingers against Hank's. It's known to be a quite intimate gesture among golems, and the closest human equivalence to it would be a kiss. Connor is aware that it could even be interpreted as indecent given how close their bodies are, and that if Nines was to wake up at that moment he would probably choke on thin air. Of course Hank has no clue about that and just thinks it's funny.

Hank : What, you wanna dance ?

Connor realizes they're holding each other on the left side and touching hands on the right side, and it seems like they're going to waltz. He chuckles from the absurdity of the situation from a human's perspective. 

Connor : I wouldn't know how to. Hank : Good thing, I'm a terrible dancer. Connor : Ahah...hmm, Hank, I like it. Can we stay like this for a moment ? Hank : Sure.

X

One night in the middle of the desert, Gavin is on the watch as Hank sleeps in the tent. Connor is with him, but Nines inexplicably stays around the fire, silent. Gavin is bored out so he just starts the conversation. 

Gavin : I feel like the old man and your stupid brother are getting along. Nines : I have this feeling too. Gavin : Doesn't bother you? Nines : What can I do ? I asked Connor to be careful, but I'm not blind… He's shining with glee whenever Hank is around him. I can't… force him not to feel. Also, I think Hank isn't that bad of a person… for a human. Gavin : Still certain we're the bad guys ? Think about it : you were made to serve us.  You betrayed your creators and let us starve like dogs. Nines : Humans didn't create us. Kamski did, and if he had wanted to, he could have made unthinking, obedient golems. Maybe we were meant to break free. Gavin : Oh yeah, so why can't you even procreate ? Simple answer: you were not designed to be an individual species from the start. You were built with no other purpose in life than to help us survive.  Nines : Didn't that even occur to you that humans did bad things too ? Gavin : We're just trying to survive ! Nines : So we are. Gavin : … So what ? You're saying we're two evils ? Of course we are. But I have to protect my people, you understand that ?

Nines stays silent, exploring the surprisingly genuine glare Gavin throws at him. Of course he understands that. His own despise for humanity is only driven by his deep desire to protect Connor, Marcus, and his people. He looks back at the fire heating them, unconsciously processing how ridiculously similar they are.

And yet, something starts growing in his mind, the irritating sensation his relationship with Gavin has changed from the moment they met, and that he unexpectedly wanted to protect him as well.

Nines : Would you kill me ?

He can't even explain how this sentence even made it out of his throat. He already knows the answer. Gavin stares at him longingly, noticeably surprised by the question. He stays silent as he puts more wood in the fire.

Gavin : If I had to, I probably would. But I… hum… don't want to. Nines : … hm. Gavin : What about you ? Would you kill me ? Nines : I don't know. If lives were at stake, certainly, even if I'd find this decision… regrettable. Gavin : ... Oh wow, is that your way to tell me you like me ? Nines : … Don't set your hopes too high.

Gavin breathes in a laugh and goes back to silence, smiling smugly. 

X

They arrive in Nestlepeek and split in two teams, Hank and Connor go to the center of the town, where Connor hopes to find more precise information about Kamski and where he hides.

Gavin and Nines were supposed to go buy supplies, but as they head to the covered market, they are challenged by a man in the street to defeat his champion in a fight. As Nines realizes it's all for illegal gambling, Gavin accepts and finds himself in a cage, combating a birdman.

He thinks he's got the hang of it but as soon as the birdman starts flying Gavin can't touch him with his sword anymore and becomes vulnerable to his aerial attacks.

Nines : Gavin ! Summon the spirit ! Gavin : No way ! Nines : You'll lose if you don't ! Gavin : I know what I'm doing, alright !? Nines : You obviously don't ! Thunder magic gives you advantageous long throw attacks, you can't win against a flying foe with close combat techniques ! Gavin : I think I killed enough Golems to know how to fight flying foes ! Nines : You bastard…

Nines uses his snow magic to catch the champion in ice and immobilize him.

Owner : What the hell !!! Who did that ?! Nines : I did. I'll replace your champion, open the cage.

The owner is confused first but then he sees the opportunity and accepts. Nines enters the cage and gets ready to fight.

Gavin : … You wanna die ? Told you I could do it. Nines : We've been talking about this fight for ages. It's time to see what you're capable of.

They start fighting and they're pretty even for the first ten minutes. Their fight gathered a lot of gamblers and spectators.

When Nines starts to take advantage, Gavin's eyes suddenly turn bright yellow, and he charges at him : Nines can see the thunder magic halo surrounding him. He parries many strikes but Gavin has gained in speed and ferocity. Soon enough, Gavin throws him to one extremity of the cage, and as the crowd around them is screaming in excitement, Gavin holds up his dagger. He's trembling, electricity forming around his hand. 

Nines can make eye contact but somehow, Gavin isn't answering his glare.

Nines : Gavin- You hear me ?

Gavin doesn't say anything, and Nines is sure he's gonna die when the human warrior shoots down his dagger… only to hit one of the cage's bars just behind him. Gavin closes his eyes, and opens them, showing blue-green orbs again, and he straightens up, breathless.

The crowd boos them as Gavin takes a step back and drops the other dagger. He asks the owner to open the cage and leaves the place, Nines following him, still out of breath as well.

Nines : Gavin !

Gavin stops, letting Nines get closer, until they face each other again.

Nines : You did it. You mastered the spirit… Do you realize that ? Gavin : I could have killed you, then everyone around me. That's what the spirit wanted to do… Do you realize that ? Nines : But you didn't. With a bit more training-... Gavin : I almost killed you, Nines, for fuck's  sake ! Nines : … So what ? Thought you were ready to. Gavin : Listen, this beast wanted you dead, everyone dead so bad… How can I… How can I use this power when I know how dangerous and unstable it is? Nines : … But you stopped it, right ? You can control it. Gavin : You fucker, if it wasn't for you, I know I couldn't have stopped it. I would have killed all those strangers, I know that, and I'm not… I'm not a murderer. Nines : … What do you mean, for me ? Gavin : Drop it. I need some air, don't follow me.

X

Hank and Connor enter the library, Connor is looking for the archived events-records to see if Kamski came into this village (which is most likely given it's the first one you can find after the desert)

It appears that the local people can fly so the library is very high, and most scales don't even reach the top of the bookshelves.

Hank : How the hell can we reach the archives ? Connor : Wait a minute, I'll go there and take some volumes with me.

Connor spreads his wings, that widen to support his weight as he takes off to the highest point of the library. Hank is impressed by how graceful Connor looks in the air. When the golem comes back with a consequential pile of old, handwritten books, he's just there, mouth open in amazement.

Connor : Here we go… the last 10 years of history in this village… Ready to pull an all-nighter ?

Hank doesn't reply.

Connor : Hank ? Hank : You're beautiful.

Connor blinks once, his lips slightly parted from the surprise, his eyes conveying nothing else than confusion and yet, low-key content.

Connor: ..I'm sorry ? Hank : When you fly I mean… that's impressive… and beautiful. Connor : Huh… Thank you, I guess ? Anyway hum… let's… let's find a table… Hank : “Thank you” ? But do you even realize how beautiful you are ? Connor : I was created to meet some human ideal. Why would I be proud of something that isn't my doing ? Hank : Ah, don't be so modest.  Connor : … you know, I think I find humans more attractive than Golems. Each one of you is unique, and I love everything you call “flaws”.

Hank laughs halfheartedly at his last line.

Hank : You don't make sense, kid.

X

They read the archives until it's dark outside. Hank can't help but yawn as Connor lights the candles to keep reading.

Connor : You can go back to the inn, Gavin must be there already, and Nines can take over. Hank : Nah, I'm good. Connor : Hm… Hank : You okay ? You look… worried. Connor sighs : … What if we can't find Kamski ? What if… I was wrong, what if we had to go back to Detroit and Jericho with just nothing ? I don't want to return to a situation where I'll have to fight you… I just can't.  Hank : … Yeah, I understand that. I don't think I can remain a Red Guard after what we've been through… After I got to know you. Connor : If we were to fail… nothing will never be the same again. Without you.

Hank just looks at Connor with sharp eyes, as if he's got the urge to say something. At this point Hank knows he's falling for the Golem, but of course, he won't say anything, because he's sure it's only one sided, Connor is so young and handsome he can't possibly feel the same.

Actually the dark haired golem is totally in love with the man, but again, he thinks Hank can't reciprocate his feelings since he's probably into women (after all he used to have a wife), and definitely not into Golems anyways. It just feels so unfair to both of them to consider going back to their normal life when they just want to stay with the other so bad. They just wish they could stay together and run away in some romantic and lovesick lunacy. Again, they won't tell each other about it.

[joshstambourine]

What Friends Do pt. 2

Warning: Cursing

Word Count: 2954

Synopsis: Josh and Jake are surprised when an old friend stumbles back into their lives, taking their world by storm with old feelings, new feelings, and problems they never would have expected.

Josh Kiszka x Fem!Reader x Jake Kiszka

Jake laid in his bed, blankets wrapped around him tightly as his eyes just lingered on the ceiling above him. He didn’t want to be awake. He didn’t want to be continuously stuck staring. Something though just wouldn’t let him sleep tonight. In a smooth movement Jake turned to lay on his side with his eyes closed, it only lasted for a moment as they soon opened again to look at the clock beside him reading 2:42 AM. Not all that late no but certainly late if you cuddled into bed at 10:30 pm, this fact made Jake let out a low groan in annoyance. 

‘What is going on with me tonight?’ Jake wondered to himself, as he moved to sit up straight. He began rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. Jake never had this much trouble sleeping usually, of course he wasn’t quite like Josh who was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but he’d normally be out within twenty minutes.

Looking around the dark room, Jake eventually reached out to turn on his side lamp. The light blinding for a brief moment, but Jake's eyes adjusted as he made his way to his feet. In nothing but boxers he made his way from his bedroom to the kitchen, if he was going to be awake he was going to enjoy it at least. Jake opened a couple of cupboards and began to pour himself a glass of whiskey.

Back against the counter he began to take a small sip, but was interrupted by the sound of his phone chiming from the living room where he normally left it to charge. His brows furrowed a little, ‘Why is someone texting me so late…?’ He wondered to himself, moving towards the living room. Jake planted himself on the couch and his legs kicked up on one end with his head at the other.

Unknown Number

(Received 1:43 am) Hey Jake! It's (Y/N) sorry to text so late, but I just wanted to make sure I sent you a text before I forgot. It was really nice to see you guys today! Hopefully we can get together sometime soon!

Clearly an email was what the notification sound was actually for but Jake chose to ignore it. Jake moved to take another sip of his whiskey as he contemplated whether or not he should bother responding. It felt like forever since they had seen each other let alone spoken; he knew well that he had changed as a person and that more than likely she had as well. This (Y/N) wasn't the same girl he had fallen head over heels for in high school.

It was easier to tell himself that than to really believe it unfortunately; his mind quickly pulled him back to how her eyes had met his earlier. Jake felt like (Y/N)’s eyes were full of so much love as she looked at him… but was he only imagining it? Jake felt like he had been staring at the text for hours by the point he decided to toss his phone back to the side.

Taking a bigger swig of the drink, Jake began to push his hand through his hair, thinking about the few memories her scent had trudged up into his mind. To Jake’s surprise he could still envision the old her when he closed his eyes, he supposed that old habits were harder to get rid of then he would care to admit.

A small memory slipped into view of (Y/N) as she walked ahead of him down a beaten down path in the woods. Summer sun making her skin sparkle, she lightly turned to look back at him with a small laugh. A ratty black Janis Joplin t-shirt hung over her shoulders, it was something that Jake could always remember her wearing. A lit cigarette smoldering between her fingers as she cheerfully took a drag. The sight made him wonder now if (Y/N) still smoked, Josh and her had started around the same time after a friend of theirs stole a pack from his dad. Josh had since quit knowing how much it was ruining his voice. With how crisp (Y/N)’s voice was he had to imagine that she must have given the terrible habit up.

(Y/N)’s smile brought him to another moment, he could see clearly in his mind’s eye as Josh spun her in the middle of the kitchen while they were trying to make dinner. Jake was there, but at the time he kept to himself… leaving Josh alone with her to enjoy their time. (Y/N)’s eyes were always so full of joy when she was with Josh. 

The laugh that left (Y/N) soft lips was slowly drowned out by the sound of heavy rain, his view becoming one of her standing in the middle of the rain, completely drenched but laughing as she danced alone to the music she seemed to always have playing in her head. A sudden picture of (Y/N) standing before him in a drenched floral gown, her voice filling his ears, “Jake?” He could picture her uttering, with a saddened look in her eyes.

"Jake?" Called her sweet voice again, this immediately caught Jake's attention, he quickly turned to his side. Music played loudly overhead, his gaze fixing on (Y/N) who was suddenly dressed in a black lace dress that fell just below her knees. “Are you listening?” (Y/N) asked him.

"Huh? What did you say (Y/N)?" Jake quickly responded with a shake of his head.

(Y/N) let out a little laugh, "I asked you if you wanted to dance?" She repeated to him, wearing a soft smile. (Y/N) was so beautiful at this dance. Jake could remember that he had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her, the way her dress fit, the way she had done her makeup, even the way she chose to wear her hair, it was all so perfect.

Ah… Jake was at the spring dance again.  

His eyes moved to take in the sight of her outstretched hand. Jake could recall being a little frazzled, though he couldn’t quite remember what he had been looking at beforehand that made this gesture so surprising. It took a second but soon a wide smile came across Jake’s lips, "I'd love to!" He said eagerly. Taking her hand as he felt his cheeks go a soft pink, "oh… wait, what about your date?" He slowly asked. Both (Y/N) and Jake came with different people to that dance,

"Ah, he went to find a spot to smoke a little while ago." (Y/N) softly mused, tucking her hair behind her ear. “He’ll probably be back soon but I just wanted to take this opportunity.” They would find out later that both of their dates had ditched the party together to hook up. Right now however, (Y/N) held tight to Jake's hand as she led him out to the middle of the gym that doubled as a dancefloor when the school saw fit.

Looking back, it was beyond cliché that it was the song that played, some might say meme worthy but of course it was Wonderwall by Oasis playing over head as Jake had his first slow dance with (Y/N). Jake could remember how nervous he was as he placed his hand on her side, unsure if he was holding her too tight. (Y/N) seemed to have no issue placing her hand on his shoulder with a friendly smile across her lips. It was a lot of awkward shuffling at first, Jake unsure where to look, and (Y/N) only smiling when their eyes did meet. 

Jake realized now that she could tell how nervous he was, the way she had begun to sing along with a serious look in her eye was all to make him chuckle a little. Even back then (Y/N)’s voice was something magical to listen to. The sound of it made Jake relax a little; he was completely caught up in the way her lips moved. His own lips would curl into a smile when she would close her eyes and become entirely enthralled in the music. Jake always frowned when he remembered just how sweaty his palms had gotten, and even more wistful when he thought about just how much tighter he wanted to hold her hand in this moment.

This wasn’t the last slow dance Jake had shared with (Y/N). In fact he always made a point of dancing with her at these kinds of things, because frankly, the times Jake shared with (Y/N) were some of the best moments he'd end up having at the school dances. 

Of course also getting to watch Josh and (Y/N) pick the most outrageous songs to dance poorly to was also an astounding highlight of everyone's night.

As that dance came to a close, neither of them pulled away very quickly. Jake just stared down at (Y/N) with gentle eyes, and she stared back up at him with a warm smile. Jake knew that he didn’t want to let go of her hand yet, that he loved the feeling of her fingers being laced with his. “Hey (Y/N)?” Jake lightly started,

(Y/N) was already looking at him, and responded with a light, “Yes Jake?” 

“I…” he started, trying to muster up the courage to tell her how he felt, but Jake just couldn't do it. At the time he was so filled with self doubt that he couldn’t imagine her ever feeling the same towards him, “I’m… sure Josh would probably love a dance too.” He tells her weakly, immediately beating himself up on the inside. 'What was that…?' He remembered thinking to himself; when Jake was laying in bed later that night he would think about all the suave things he could have said instead.

(Y/N) gave a nod in agreement, "Yeah you're probably right…! His date seems to be off with every other guy tonight." She utters, looking across the room at a blonde girl dancing with someone who clearly wasn't Josh. "Thanks for the dance, Jake!" (Y/N) said in a sing-song way, her hand lightly running down his arm, "I'll see ya in a little bit?"

Jake gave a weak smile, and an enthusiastic head nod "y-yeah, of course! See ya later…." He uttered. Finally releasing (Y/N)’s hand just to watch her walk off through the crowd. Even then Jake felt like he could never compare to Josh; that (Y/N) would choose Josh over him every single time.

Those memories were always difficult to even just graze over, especially after everything else that would happen later. Jake could feel his heart get heavy as the scene began to change. The music was still playing loudly in the gym, he could hear it despite standing in the middle of the parking lot. Jake had come outside to look for his date, she had never come back from the washroom and being as naïve as he was, he hoped that maybe she went outside for a smoke. Instead he found a tearful (Y/N) sitting on the hood of his car. 

(Y/N) sat slumped over her one knee while the other leg dangled down, she was smoking a half finished cigarette and looking at the ground. All Jake could remember thinking as he approached her was. ‘Where on earth are her shoes?’

(Y/N) was almost always barefoot and this was no exception.

“Hey (Y/N)!” Jake called out lightly, gaining her attention rather quickly.

“Oh… hey Jake…” she responded in a half hearted way, returning to take another drag of her cigarette. 

Jake frowned as he heard her say his name in such a sad way, “What’s up? You sound upset…” He lightly asked, coming to sit beside her on the hood of his car.

(Y/N) shook her head a little, “Ah… Alex is gone.” She stated, referring to her date whose car was indeed missing from the parking lot now. Jake furrowed his brows a little, he couldn’t believe that Alex would just take off without a word --- of course he figured out why later, but at this moment it burned him up a little.

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Jake told her honestly, beginning to scratch the back of his head, “If it makes you feel any better I think Lindsay is gone too…” He muttered, referring to the girl he had asked last minute to the dance.

(Y/N) was quick to look at him with her brows furrowed, “No that doesn’t make me feel any better!” She exclaimed, “I have to beat up a bitch now.” She was quick to say. (Y/N) despite being the same age as Jake always seemed to be so protective of him; Jake really couldn’t say that he hated that fact even now. 

Jake laughed a little as she said this, “It’s okay (Y/N)...” he sighed, “I knew she wasn’t really that into me from the beginning.” He shrugged, trying not to seem all that bothered. Jake always tried to seem put together when it came to being around (Y/N) but things like this always were a blow to his self-esteem. 

(Y/N) shook her head clearly unhappy with this news, “Jake, you definitely deserve better than her anyways.” She tells him, taking another deep inhale from her cigarette. “You’re way too good of a guy to be treated in such a shitty way.” She tells him with smoke pouring from her lips, still slightly shaking her head.

Jake watched (Y/N) with a small smile, he was happy that she thought that of him anyways. “You really think so…?” He lightly asked.

(Y/N) gave an enthusiastic nod, “Of course I do! You’re handsome, funny, and charming.” She tells him seriously, turning her focus to him. “You deserve someone who loves all that about you---  someone that loves everything about you.” She told him with a smile. 

He gained a little bit of courage, his gaze becoming focused on the moon. “Do you love everything about me…?” Jake asked, it was a forward question of course, but he wanted to know.

(Y/N) seemed to raise a brow, surprised by his asking. Her arm quickly came out to pull him into a headlock, “Of course I do! That’s what friends are supposed to do!” She laughed, “And then make fun of you mercilessly for being such an amazing person.”

Jake had to stop himself from frowning in that moment, giving a weak laugh; he should have known that would be her answer. “Yeah I guess it is huh…” he uttered, moving to place his hand over hers, his thumb brushing over her soft knuckles.

(Y/N) looked over at him, she must have been able to tell that her answer didn’t quite suffice as she began to give a lopsided expression. She just couldn’t resist taking another puff before saying anything though. Jake couldn’t help but shake his head a little, “Why are you doing that?” He lightly asks her, causing her to look at him quizzically.

“Doing what?”

“Smoking.” Jake said sternly, he always hated seeing her or his brother smoking. “You know it's terrible for you.” He continued.

“Well fuck Jake, I didn’t realize you cared so much.” (Y/N) laughed, as her arm on him lessened its grip. “They're just addicting, I don’t know what to tell you.” She admitted, tossing the remainder to the ground.

Jake would shake his head at that moment, “You’re an idiot.” He told her.

“Hey! I just told you I loved everything about you, you don’t need to be so mean about it.” (Y/N) responded loudly, she clearly knew he was right… but oh how she hated being wrong.

“If you’re ever going to get into music you’ll need your voice you can’t just fuck it up by smoking that garbage.” Jake continued to scold, recalling the look she gave him. It was a look that really expressed how she felt about getting into music… a strong disdain.

“Y’know Jake… not everyone wants to get into music like you.” (Y/N) told him pointedly, “Some of us have other dreams.” She continued, with a hate filled look. Thinking about it made Jake upset still, he knew how heavily (Y/N) was being strong armed into music by her family at the time… she didn’t need him to add to it. (Y/N) recoiled her arm, bringing it to sit on her lap. 

“I’m sorry (Y/N), I just don't---” Jake could recall starting, hand moving to take hers.

All of a sudden Jake’s eyes had snapped open staring at the ceiling of his apartment, sun pouring through the curtains in an inhumane way --- he had fallen asleep. Sluggishly he sat up, running his fingers through his slightly knotted hair while he searched for his phone with the other, ‘what time is it…?’ he wondered, knowing he had to meet with Josh for eleven… or twelve Jake’s time.

Jake cradled his phone in his palm, seeing the time was 10 am. That was a relief at least. He also noticed a new text.

Josh

(Delivered 9:30 am) Okay so hopefully it’s cool but I invited (Y/N) to tag along at 11! If it isn't… well sucks to suck I guess.

The sight of it made Jake let out a light drone, falling to lay back on the couch again. “...Well fuck.” He uttered.

[picnic-table-writing]

Raspberry Gummies

We arrived during the opener’s last song: lopsided indie rock. The backyard venue was buzzing with people I had never met, save for an oasis of familiarity near the middle which Tessa and I latched onto like a life raft––rescued by smiling faces and friendliness. Eva, Aidan, Emily, Emilie... usual candied dynamics in a fun-sized portion.

We soon decided to both have another gummy––Are you feeling anything yet?

The sun slid steadily towards the earth­­––warm pink light clipping the top of the house––while an ambient glow trickled through the not-quite-blossoming branches of the Sakura tree to blanket us all in spring. A lull in the performance lineup left space for socialization. I finally learned the name of a person who I’d seen three times before on campus (all coincidences, and two of which was them complimenting me on my sweater), which I now know to be Sonia. I congregated with the band who was my reason for coming in the first place: Aidan, Micah, Isaac, Josh––when are you playing? will there be time? are you excited?

By the time the next band started I was feeling comfortable, things were a bit funnier than usual but otherwise I knew where I was. I was struck by the quality of the music; it was as if a professional rock and roll band had stumbled in from the alley in a drunken stupor, deciding that the only way they would feel at home was by terraforming the environment through the purity of their sound. The singer and lead guitar fancied themselves comedians, pausing between songs to tell stories and laugh at the crowd. One of the tracks featured a slow building lead-in to the chorus, where the singer led everyone to crouch down in a hushed conspiracy of anticipation; and all the while the drummer kept the beat pumping with a head-splitting veracity. The release into frenzy with everyone jumping up in unison was just as electrifying as you’d imagine. I realized during those bridges that drummers are the most moving musicians to watch; no other shows the life-and-death drama of their craft more clearly­––in every moment the body battles its physical limits with the lifeblood of the song on the line. There’s something seductively tragic about their movements. It was near the end of their set when nighttime established itself over the yard, and it was under this cover of darkness that the gummies sprang their revenge.

Whenever I’m too high I tend to freak out, desperately grasping for continuity with every moment bringing a fresh wave of disorientation. I look at the person beside me singing along with the band, I search in my mind for what I should be doing, I try to copy them. I notice how the muscles of my face are being held, I am too aware of how air is hitting my arm right now. I swallow. It feels weird––my adam’s apple moving with its own agency. Someone catches my eye to the left, a guy around my height, wearing a denim jacket. His hair looks like mine did before I cut it, he nods coolly to the beat. The sporadic flashes of light illuminate his profile so I can see some of his face, and a numb horror washes over me as I realize that he is me. I feel foolish for having thought I was here as a person––no, I am a floating observer, a dreamy film camera here to capture my life from a few months ago. The more I look at myself the clearer this becomes. How strange it is to see yourself as others do––have I always looked that rigid? I’ve usually despised looking at myself in pictures, and while the hatred remained in person at first, it is starting to subside. Seeing myself in motion adds an element of sympathy that I could see people getting used to; a mouse face that announces its self-consciousness through animacy. I wonder what is so special about myself to get a filmic adaptation, but I make sure to frame the shot elegantly nonetheless. My trance begins to intensify, a dolly-zoom spinning sparks of parallax across my vision, when suddenly a hand grabs my shoulder and I whip around to see Tessa with an alarmed look on her face.

She said “what’s going on?” through wholesome giggles, and I immediately fell back into the evening as I previously knew it (back to past tense––thank god!). I told her that I saw another version of myself over there, and about my momentary freakout, and she laughs and I laugh, restorative light-headedness. She questioned me on it further, so I point him out to her, and he still looks exactly like me, but she says she can’t see him (wait wait, back again?). I’m quite a bit taller than her so she can’t see over the people between us and him, I lean over to give her room, and he turns away just as she looks at him. She says she can’t tell: it’s too dark.

We stood there gob-smacked and slack-jawed for a while, talking about how we couldn’t believe how high we were, before giving up on listening to the music and shuffling over to Kat––when did she get here? She was standing with Eva and Emily; we communicated our dismay to them and were met with amusement. Suddenly, in a non sequitur of consciousness, I found myself surprisingly deep into a conversation with Maggie about how her hair was shorter than it was last year, and I did my best to say what a normal human would in that situation. Returning to the druggy solidarity of Tessa and the others, we found enjoyment in saying the things we were thinking and marveling at how ridiculous they sounded out loud. Someone tells me to look down and before I know why or how, my vision becomes nothing but purplish white; an ocean of rods and cones crying out in pain. I exclaim and press my palms into my eyelids, the purple edges of the ocean start to recede and I finally realize that it was a camera flash: someone had taken a group photo of us all from below. I can only imagine how goofy I must have looked. I open my eyes to find Tessa equally pained, waving her hands in front of her eyes––ohmygod ohmygod, and once again we are spurned into inescapable breathless laughter.

I noticed at some point that the bands had switched, now an alternative indie group whose name has slipped my mind. The camera flashes continued their assault on my retinas, but once I got used to them I found the beauty in their spectacle. Along with each one came my own personal snapshot from the moment of the light, a Polaroid negative printed in blue and green over my eyes. A figure with outstretched hands, a paintbrush hair-flip, Josh’s smiling face; a chemical slideshow of jubilation viewable by me and me alone. I felt a rush of gratitude for the magic of my sensory experience, that the illusory system produces beauty even when it is momentarily broken.

The light behind the band was steadily cycling through all the colors of the rainbow, and Tessa and I became transfixed by a pressing scientific discovery. We noticed that the leaves of the tree in the distance became more sharply detailed when the light was near the red end of the spectrum, and murkier on the blue end. I stared at those branches for way too long, riding the marry-go-round of visible light, running my imagination along the tactile crimson buds and stirring the indigo soup. It had been who-knows-how-long before I noticed the music building in the background, keyboard arpeggios dancing higher and higher, tickling my eardrums. I turned to Tessa to say “wait this sounds amazing!” and she nodded her head enthusiastically—Right?? The singer with dyed-red hair stepped away from the microphone to focus on their guitar solo, singing with metal rather than breath. Closing my eyes, I could feel the physical presence of the music, a rainbow orb spinning above the yard. Everything reaching crescendo, fierce melodies piercing my soul, I felt a white-hot ball of euphoria rising out of my spinal cord, before it was sling-shotted by the resolving note into my skull, bouncing around inside for longer than I thought possible. Vegas bulbs igniting with every supercharged pinball bounce, I made a noise halfway between a laugh and a scream, and I had to steady my dizziness against the tree, a floaty high made from the overwhelming distillation of the music and the people and the life into my brain. I told Tessa I couldn’t believe how good I felt at that moment, that I had no idea such a feeling was possible. And the best part about it was that the gummies weren’t what gave me that high; sure they might have helped a bit, but I had a confidence within me that it was produced by my environment, and the inconceivable effect it has on me when I’m able to truly appreciate it.

This is not to say the experience wasn’t scary. Early on, the host of the party grabbed the microphone and said his neighbors had called the cops for a noise complaint, which did wonders for my paranoia. From that moment on, any passing flashlight or unexpected movement was a SWAT team with guns drawn. Also, I would frequently fall back into my retrograde amnesia–whereamIohgod mindset, a sinkhole of unreality that came and went unceremoniously. All I had to do to trigger it was look across the yard at myself, unable to suppress my curiosity in this past version of me. Tessa later called my experience ego death, which seemed right. It certainly felt like dying––like this was my last opportunity to kiss my earthly body goodbye before pledging allegiance to the great Nothing. There was so much I wanted to say to myself. And yet––like an estranged father on the run, I was condemned to make silent amends from a distance… observing my creation in all his damaged solitude through a one-way mirror, unable to salvage our relationship with words––I love you; I know you; I’m sorry, please forgive me. I made sure to keep my distance from him; it was hard to picture us interacting without one of us trying to kill the other. Tessa did well to diffuse my situation, repeating that the guy didn’t actually look like me at all, and approaching random friends to ask “are you nate? are you nate?” in a demonstration of my ridiculousness. She was right: when I eventually got close to him the effect vanished. But nothing could convince me that this wasn’t just another malevolent trick by the god who was responsible for our meeting. There is strange part of me that refuses to recover from the existential test of that experience; some arcane allure to the idea that I am not the only version of myself in the world. Maybe it’s because it makes me feel less alone. It’s comforting to believe that there’s other mes bumbling around out there, making the same mistakes for the same non-reasons, who would understand, who could join in on a smiling shrug at our own expense. The more friendships I have, the more I realize how far away true understanding really is; that no one will ever fully know me, even if they cared to. We are all castaways––each stranded on our own island of an archipelago. We have too much to tell each other, and the smoke signals aren’t enough. Sometimes I think the great expedition of our lives is to cross this unknowable gulf that lies between us, to become acquainted with the embarrassing core of each other’s being, to show the version of yourself that’s only there when you’re alone. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared at the prospect of someone stepping onto the shifty sand of my domain––what will they think of the me that hasn’t been packaged for human consumption? Maybe a compromise is best. Meet me in the middle, hitch your raft to mine for a little while, and we can trade our mother tongues into the night.

I was beginning to come down when Aidan’s band started their set. I had seen them play maybe eight times before, and this was up to their standard level of magnificence––no amount of complication could change my love and appreciation for them. To be in such close proximity to a creation so enlivening is enough to make me feel like the luckiest person in the world. They generate a sacred space at all their performances, one in which you can go bananas with your closest friends and give in to the insanity calling your name. Not only is it amazing to know a band so closely, but each of their concerts have been a gift––free of charge. They’re really out here making us all happy one weekend at a time, out of the kindness of their hearts and the strength of their art. The whole project has been oddly validating, as if it confirms the quality of our community. Part of me feels that the creation of something great from our friend-group was an inevitability; like a chemical process in which colliding enough interesting atoms together is bound to produce something beautiful––social alchemy.

By the time they finished, it was nearing eleven o’clock. Some people began to head for the alleyway exit, others shuffled forward in a congregation of thanks––this was when we’d ask for pictures and autographs if we weren’t already friends. After hugging everyone and doing my best to convey my appreciation, I noticed how fried my brain felt and decided it was time for me to leave as well. Of course, it only made sense to leave with Tessa––my comrade in the terrifying experience. I am endlessly thankful that she was there to keep me sane. As we were crossing the wooden threshold out of the yard, I couldn’t help but throw a glance back at myself, secretly hoping he was looking at me too. I saw him gazing up at the stars with a little smile on his face, breathing in the evening while it lasted. The smile was contagious, and I turned back contentedly to Tessa, ready to skip off into the darkness.

Nate

[igglemouse]

The morning light pulls me from my sleep as the headache reminds me that I've probably had a little too much to drink but not too much to have forgotten about yesterday.

The room around me is bland and simple, a space that's mine but one can hardly tell with how impersonal it is right now. It might as well be a hotel room.

Still I am thankful. I do miss home, deeply, but at the same time I realize I can't go back and that here, Oasis Springs, isn't so bad. My father, a man I don't enjoy mentioning as he is a horrible person and yet for some reason he's done me this kindness.

I wanted to deny this, to say no to this simple bit of fortune, but that would have left me as prey among wolves...

The kitchen is my sanctuary. Despite waking up with darker thoughts the moment the mixer starts mixing a smile forms on my face. Ideas push into my mind about how to give my waffles a bit more kick but not only that, what else can I sell for my food stand?

Just the act of cooking is meditative for me. It's ancient alchemy you know? Our ancestors would just stuff whatever they found in their mouths and might throw it over a fire but how far have we come from those times?

I am surrounded by modernity. Bottles of sauces and jars of spices. Each honed over the decades to add texture, flavor, and aroma, making this all a science not only to enhance taste but also to tickle the soul.

Making simoleons however is not so much a science. I started earlier in the day which might have hurt me because in the end only forty simoleons were made. I could say that this was the worst day ever but then again forty is better than four.

Perhaps there is a secret to it, finding the right time, the right dishes, the sweet spot? I don't know. All I can do is pack up and try again tomorrow.

The day's light fades and with it the realization that expectations were not met. Again. This whole food stand business has really been a story of ups and downs and while I'm sure I can take it, it doesn't make the process any less frustrating.

I sink into the cushion of my couch, flip on my TV, and spend some time wondering what can be done to be a lot more consistent. Improving my skills obviously, the better the food tastes the more likely people come back over and over again. Skill will come with time, practice, and patience.

Perhaps its my marketability that is lacking? Watching commercials is a reminder that sometimes a good advertisement campaign is all a product or service needs to make simoleons.

An insistent knock at the door breaks up my thinking. That's right, I do have an expected guest today...

Of course my visitor is the increasingly familiar face of Pascal of of course I step aside and invite him inside. He takes a moment to take in my small place, the hint of being impressed on his face but its only a hint because he opts not to say anything other than to ask if he might sit.

There isn't much here, a couch, a table, and a bed. My only income is my food stand and that's not at all reliable yet and so the dining table seems as good a spot for a conversation as any.

"So, what's up?" I ask, suddenly feeling nervous, even more so than my conversation with him yesterday? How does that happen? I guess because then I thought he was just some random handsome guy and now I know that he's very ambitious and might just be the most eligible bachelor in town.

"Dunno, just wanted to see you again is all," he says casually but still looks around some. "You have a nice place."

"Gracias," it's then I take a small breath and calm myself. He's here, isn't he? He doesn't have to be and yet he is. The attraction is mutual, I assure myself, so I should act like it.

"Flower Day is tomorrow," he mentions, as if that has some meaning to me. It doesn't, not really. I've always thought of it more as a filler holiday. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to do something together?"

"A date?"

He chuckles. "I guess you can call it that, yeah."

There's a lot of confidence in his offer as if it is a formality itself, he expects a yes, and I plan to give him one but only after one question is answered. "Why me?"

"Why you?" This catches him off guard. "What do you mean?"

"You don't have a lack of options, I am sure, so what makes me stand out from the others?"

This draws another laugh and a look my way as if I have asked a silly question. I suppose I'm just not used to seeing the worth in myself. I mean eventually I figured I'd find love and settle down and start a family but I certainly didn't come to Oasis Springs with that in mind. It was more like I was pushed out into the desert and forced to survive. Any friendly travelers I meet on the way would be appreciated but not necessary, never necessary.

"You're humble," he says breaking a silence between us I wasn't aware of until his voice made it apparent. "A lot of the women that approach me or vice versa expect it all and its clear that they only see my ambition, not me. They make me feel like I'd be the supporting character in their story and nothing else."

"There is nothing wrong with being a supporting character-"

"But mainly, I want a woman who is prepared for failure."

"Failure?"

He leans in just a little, taking the measure of me, seeking eye contact as if it was all he needed from me. "If I break my leg in three places would you still be with me?"

"I-I didn't even know you played for a pro team!" I say jokingly but also defensively.

"Exactly!" He says with some satisfaction. "So, tomorrow? Date?"

I push out a breath and give my head a nod. Before, the answer would have been yes but now? Yes? I'm a little less sure, this conversation felt more like a try out than just two people getting to know each other. "Yeah, sure, let's see what happens."

Episode List - Next

[cassianstattoo]

HAPPY ACOSF RELEASE DAY!

(ACOSF SPOILERS AHEAD) ARE YOU EXCITED?

I personally am. It’s time for Nesta’s story (and not just hers) to be told. So, this leads to another thing I think (and hope) you’ve been waiting for.

LET’S EXPLAIN THE PLAYLIST! (Read every song’s meaning while or after reading the book) And thank you for all your love and support.

“Alone” by Melancholia: It describes the Cauldron scene at the beginning of the book. In this song you can feel the rage and how hard she’s struggling. This song is not about weakness. It’s about her strength.

“Impossible” by James Arthur: Chapter 1. Even if it’s not so clear in this chapter, I think this song represents how Cassian feels when Nesta’s around. He feels worthless and not so different from the other men she beds (as he thought in ACOFAS). He lost his hope of an happy future with the woman he loves and he feels like he’s breaking that last promise she made her. Everything just seems so impossible.

“Sister” by The Black Keys: Chapter 2. This just makes me think of Feyre and Nesta’s fight. It’s from Feyre’s pov.

“New House” by Toro y Moi: “I want a brand new house Something I can not buy, something I can afford I just want a long shower I been feeling so crowded” Chapter 3. It’s about Nesta settling down in the House of Wind. It’s not the place she feels she can call “home”. First of all, it’s not really hers. The last two sentences of this verse are about her breathing and trying to calm herself at the end of the chapter. She’s just tired.

“My Mother & I” by Lucy Dacus: Chapter 4. The whole song is about Nesta and the relationship with her mother when she was a child. I think there’s nothing else to say. Also, in the 1st Chapter it says that she’s born in spring, so the song talks about a girl who was born in May. It all fits.

“Teacher’s Pet” by Melanie Martinez”: “Teacher’s pet If I’m so special, why am I secret? Yeah, why the fuck is that? Do you regret The things we shared that I’ll never forget? Well, do you? Tell me that I know I’m young, but my mind is well beyond my years I knew this wouldn’t last, but fuck you, don’t you leave me here” Chapter 5 and 6. Nesta and Cassian’s first day of training together. She basically doesn’t want to act like she’s his pet and she’s got to do whatever he want just to respect her sister’s will.

“Dangerous Man” by Valley Of Wolves: “They say I’m a wanted man Holding line and break the fire I’m setting all the captives free But I’m hanging by a wire” Chapter 7. It’s about Eris and his double-cross. That’s how probably Cassian pictures Eris in his mind tbh.

“Control” by Halsey: Chapter 8. Nesta facing the stairs. It can be linked to other chapters too because if you take this song as a whole and not just a few verses, it really contains A LOT of things. For example, the line “The House was awake”. Also Chapter 9, when people start calling their children. You can find this moment in the song when it says “All the kids cried out ‘please stop, you’re scaring me”.

“Bookstore Girl” by Charlie Burg: Chapter 9. The bookstore girl is Gwyn and Nesta tries to know more about her.

“Wrong Direction” by Hailee Steinfeld: “I don’t hate you” Chapter 12. This song is about the chapter’s ending.

“You’ve Got a Friend In Me” by Cavetown: Chapter 13. Nesta and Gwyn’s interaction. Also, Nesta helping her.

“like that” by Bea Miller: Chapter 16. Nesta and Cassian’s tension is hilarious, but this song makes me thing about this scene so much.

“Queen” by Shawn Mendes: Chapter 17. Elain fighting with Nesta. This lyrics is so powerful. The first part is Elain talking to Nesta. The second part is Nesta talking to Elain.

“You’ll Follow Me Down” by Skunk Anansie: Chapter 17. Same scene. This is totally Nesta. She’s so scared of herself and of the world that surrounds her. She’s afraid to lose her sister in this world she still knows nothing about if not violence. She wants Elain by her side, even if it means dragging her down with her.

“Teeth” by 5 Seconds of Summer: Chapters 18/19. I like to call it “THE chapter”. Do you need me to explain why I chose this song? Um, I don’t think so. You know it.

“Only You” by Ellie Goulding: “Baby I’m on my knees” Chapter 22. He’s... returning the favor.

“Revolution” by Diplo, Faustix, Imanos, Kai: Chapter 24. Our girl Nesta knows what she’s doing. What she’s starting.

“Best Friend for Hire” by Anthony Amorim: Chapter 25. The whole song is about Nesta and Emerie’s interaction. Everytime I listen to it I can’t help but cry.

“Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue)” by Hozier: Chapter 26.  Nesta’s worried about Cassian and gives him relief.

“Rise Up” by Andra Day: Chapters 27/28. These three girls are going to rise up, bitches.

“Nina Cried Power” by Hozier, Mavie Staples: Chapter 29. This song is really powerful, just like Nesta. She always is, but in this chapter we learn HOW MUCH.

“Fix Me Now” by Garbage: “Bring me back to life (fix me now) Kiss me blind” Chapter 31. THAT scene. HE HEATED UP THE WHOLE ROOM Y’ALL. Cassian literally kissed her back to life.

“Ready or Not” by Fugees: Chapters 34/35/36. I can’t choose only one quote from this song. But can you hear its vibes? Nesta’s leading a dead army. This is THE power. 

“PILLOWTALK” by ZAYN: Chapter 37. *wink* This song says everything.

“Go Fuck Yourself” by Two Feet: Always chapter 37. I couldn’t choose just one song, you know. Also, lowkey Chapter 38.

“Never Again” by Breaking Benjamin: “Never again, never again Time will ot take the life from me” Chapter 38′s ending. All I can say is: NEVER AGAIN.

“Boy In The Bubble” by Alec Benjamin: Not linked to just one chapter. It makes me thing of Azriel a lot.

“Past Lives” by BØRNS: “I've got the strangest feeling This isn't our first time around Past lives couldn't ever come between us Some time the dreamers finally wake up Don't wake me I'm not dreaming“ Chapter 39. Gwyn and Azriel. Well, these lines are about them, but I think the rest of the song represents Elain and Azriel, too. I don’t know if you feel the same.

“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day: THIS IS AZRIEL’S SONG. YOU CAN’T TELL ME OTHERWISE.

“Watch Me While I Bloom” by Hayley Williams: Chapter 41. Nesta teaching Cassian how to treat a woman. She’s got big dick energy ayeee

“R U Mine?” by Arctic Monkeys: Still chapter 41. Cassian taking control of the situation. This song just screams “dominant” lmao.

“Walls Could Talk” by Halsey: So Halsey once said “The House was awake” (Control). What if those Walls Could Talk? Like, poor thing. It could have a mental breakdown. This song is dedicated to the House of Wind ‘cause it needs respect. It’s alive. Just imagine how’d you feel watching non-stop those two fucking and fighting. Also Azriel, you’re loved.

“Despicable” by grandson: “If I were you I wouldn’t love me neither” Chapter 43. Tamlin deserves a song, too.

“Part Of Me” by Katy Perry: Chapters 45/46. It’s all SO chaotic. This song means a lot of things. They all lied to her, but this song is particularly about Nesta and Amren’s fight. In my opinion, she did the right think telling Feyre the truth ‘cause she deserved to know, but it just wasn’t the right time and space.

“Don’t Give Up On Me” by Andy Grammer: Chapter 47. Cassian’s going to take care of Nesta. She made a mistake but she knows here better than anyone. He won’t give up on her.

“There You Are” by ZAYN: Chapter 50. Cassian comforts Nesta when she finally explodes. He’s there for her with open arms.

“You Found Me” by The Fray: Still Chapter 50. This chapter was so hard to read and this is another song that can describe it best.

“Locked Out Of Heaven” by Bruno Mars: Chapter 51. Illyrian bat boys just love flat objects. I see.

“Thin White Lies” by 5 Seconds of Summer: Chapter 51. Yeah, still thinking about that desk.

“Chosen Family” by Rina Sawayama: Still Chapter 51. This song is wholly dedicated to Nesta’s new found family. Not only Gwyn and Emerie, but also Cassian.

“Library Magic” by The Head And The Heart: Chapter 52. Listen to this song and read the scene at the beginning of the chapter.

“Battle Cry” by Imagine Dragons: Chapter 54. I know it’s weird but I feel this song talks about Lanthys and Nesta’s fight.

“Hurt” by Christina Aguilera: Chapter 55. Nesta takes Cassian to the place she lived with her family in the mortal lands. It’s dirty and broken now but it’s still there. Nes talks about her father and realizes how much he’s done for her and her sisters.

“Story Of Another Us” by 5 Seconds of Summer: Chapter 56. I know this sounds like a sad song but to me it represents Gwyn’s present. The story of their past (of another “them”) and also their present.

“Drama Club” by Melanie Martinez: Chapter 57. Eris vibes, y’all. I know you can feel them. Everytime I listen to this song I can’t help but thinking of him. So the only thing I can tell you is: listen carefully.

“Genius” by Sia, Diplo, Labrinth: Chapter 57. Hear this song. It just makes me think of a ballroom where two people try to talk to other people and they’re avoiding to make eye contact. And they fail (yeah, those people are Cassian and Nesta btw)

“Therefore I Am” by Billie Eilish: Chapter 57. Still about Eris, but also Cassian. They can’t stand each other. So imagine the astronomical energy (inside of this bus lmfao) when Nesta comes in between.

“All About Us” by He Is We, Owl City: Chapter 57. Nessian dancing.

“Rock Bottom” by Hailee Steinfeld ft. DNCE: Chapter 58. This song is SO accurate. This is the moment I realized “That’s it. I think I can die happy now” and then I started crying. Nesta just thinking she’s not enough and she deserves to be with someone as ugly as she thinks she is. Cassian is like “shut the hell up, woman” and yeah. That’s the kind of energy and conversation I was waiting for.

“Stop Crying Your Heart Out” by Oasis: Chapter 58. Their life becomes brighter. They have to stop crying their heart out because of their fears and the emotions they keep trying to hide. They need to feel free and express all the love they can give to each other.

“Fade Into You” by Nashville Cast, Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen: Chapter 58. Finally the truth comes out and everything becomes real. Even if the song is pretty sad, the lyrics is just SO accurate and it describes the scene perfectly.

“I Miss You” by Adele: Chapter 59. Basically Nesta feeling needy ‘cause she doesn’t see Cassian for days, but it’s more than that. Pay attention to the depth of the song. It shakes you. And that’s what Nesta feels when she thinks of Nesta.

“Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera: Chapter 59/61. I want to dedicate it to my favorite girls in this book: Nesta, Emerie and Gwyn. They’ve been through a lot but they also learnt to face their fears. And they realized that unity is strength.

“Smile” by Uncle Kracker: Chapter 62. Cassian’s sooo happy to be with Nesta it breaks my heart. And his own too.

“Broken Pieces” by 5 Seconds of Summer: Chapter 62. Aaand here we go again. Cassian just wants Nesta to give him the chance to be happy with her.

“Carried Away” by H.E.R.: Chapter 62. Nesta thinks they got too carried away and now they’re at a point of no return. She opened herself to him too much. It’s not like she regrets this but she understands that now everything’s too real and changing. She doesn’t feel ready.

"What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes: Ending of Chapter 63. Okay, I’ll make you laugh but this is me after reading it. I needed to put a song about how I felt when I read this freaking ending, after all the devastation Chapter 62 brought into my heart. And the fact that Nesta’s 25 and the first line begins with “25 years”... I DIED. Also I think of her just screaming to the word “WHAT’S GOING ON?!”.

“Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves” by Eurythmics ft. Aretha Franklin: Chapters 64/65/66. DO I NEED TO DESCRIBE IT? NAH, I DON’T THINK SO. THESE GIRLS ARE POWERFUL, STRONG AND SMART AS HELL.

“Run The World (Girls)” by Beyoncé Chapters 67/68/69/70. The girls want to win and they’re going to conquer everything with no mercy.

“Puppets” by Depeche Mode: Chapter 71. Eris impotence t is heartbreaking.

“Warriors” by Imagine Dragons: This song is for every character. It’s about Nesta, Emerie and Gwyn, but also Cassian, Azriel and Eris. They’re fighting different battles and they’re doing it with every ounce of power they have.

“Emperor’s New Clothes” by Panic! At The Disco: Chapter 74. Nesta kicking Briallyn’s ass.

“Survivor” by Destiny’s Child: This song is dedicated to Emerie and Gwyn. They spent all their lives learning how to survive. At the end, they finally won.

“Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele: THE Nessian Anthem. I put this here ‘cause FINALLY they’re endgame. But something bad’s about to happen...

“Cancer” by My Chemical Romance: Chapter 76. This chapter’s been the hardest one to face. I had to put the book down for a minute and breathe. I know this song made you panic and ow you know why I chose it. I can’t stop crying thinking about Feyre in those conditions and all the IC and her sisters surrounding her. I’m still so heartbroken.

“You Saved Me” by Skunk Anansie: Chapter 77. Nesta cares about Feyre. She’s her little sister and she just can’t let her die like that. She gave her a happy ending even if Nes had to lose almost every ounce of power she had and learned to accept. But they’re worthless in comparison with her sisters life. She just loves them both. She’d do anything for them and this scene proves it.

“Lean on Me” by Bill Withers: This song is about friendship and sisterhood. Nesta’s relationship with Gwyn and Emerie, but also with Feyre and Elain (and lowkey Rhys). Also, I dedicate it to little Nyx, too. They all love you, babyboy, and would do anything for you. Welcome to this chaotic world, kid!

“Sorry” by Halsey: Chapter 78. These are not explicit apologies. Nesta doesn’t need to say “sorry” vocally. She already demonstrated it. Her actions speak louder than words and her sister know it. This song is not about a “romantic lover” but a “person who loves” and they all love too much and strongly.

“Amazing” by Aerosmith: WE FINALLY SEE THE LIGHT. This is the happy ending they deserve (but the cliffhanger is killing me tbh). It’s about everyone in this book. I put it in the playlist ‘cause at first I thought it could refer to Azriel and Cassian. But the more i listened to it, the more I realized it just describes every single character.

“The Reason” by Hoobastank↓

“this is me trying” by Taylor Swift: Both the songs refer to Chapter 80. Nesta visiting her father’s grave is one of the first steps to finally go on. The songs represent what she really wants to tell her father. He’s the reason to start over. And she’s trying. Even if she made mistakes she’s ready to fight for the happiness and love she denied herself years and now she knows she deserves it.

[nardo-headcanons]

Kumogakure Headcanon

yesss thanks so much to @hicortez​ for requesting!! Doing the research and writing it was a lot of fun!

Kumogakure General Knowledge

People

The citizens of Kumogakure are known for their laid back and friendly attitude. Individual and artistic freedom is very important to them, as they enjoy a lot of different arts like music, drawing and poetry. Generosity, friendlyness and humor are considered great values, while shyness, cowardness and being ‘boring’ are seen as negative. It is not rare to find strangers asking each other “How are you doing?”, however it is seen more as a greeting opposed to a genuine question. Saying Kumogakure has only one culture would be wrong, as it consists of a lot of cultures being blended together. Outsiders may mistaken their easily approachable and proud attitude for being loud and obnoxious, but later on they realize that it is easy to make friends in Kumo. As a guest, bringing smaller gifts for your hosts is well seen here, the most common ones being a bottle of sake or a box of pralinés. Due to the strong diversity and multiculturalism, Kumogakure is known as one of the least xenophobic and lgbt-phobic villages.

“Oh, you’re a man who’s into men? Damn... I kinda don’t care.” (if you got this meme reference ily)

Politics

Kumogakure has a free market economy and is internationally known as a tax oasis due to the lowest taxes in the five great ninja nations, a lot of businesses and corporations are located here, leading to a strong, flourishing economy. In contrast to Kirigakure, Kumogakure does not have a state owned social welfare system, however it is common expectation for the bigger corporations and businesses to hold private charities to help those in need. A refusal of these charities will often lead to bankruptcy in the long term. Since artistic limitations are often frowned upon, freedom of speech is guaranteed in Kumogakure, although complaining about the taxes being too high right in front of the Raikage is seen as very impolite and rude. However, it does leave room for musical and visual satire, which consumption is also one of A’s guilty pleasures. Although criticized by other nations, Kumogakure does teach their children about financial management and sex education in the academy to minimize the rates of teen pregnancy and encourage local spending of money.

Clothing

Most residents prefer grey and light brown clothes in a more western cut. It is not easy to tell which class a citizen belongs to, as clothing tastes are usually shared between the rich and the poor. Agility and freedom to move are important factors when it comes to picking the right clothes.

Nature

Flora

The climate in the lightning realm is cold to moderate, resulting in cold winters and mild summers. Due to the warm air coming from the wind realm, sweeping over the wave realm and clashing with the cold mountain air of the lightning realm, thunderstorms are not a rarity here. The landscape is dominated by mountains, rivers and luscious grasslands which are often used for cattle breeding. There is a wide variation of herbs and flowers growing in the mountains, some of which are often used in the cuisine. The woods in the mountains also offer a great variation of mosses and mushrooms, which are also popular in the light realm cuisine. The lightning realm is also known for its impressive coast lines, altough swimming is rather difficult due to strong riptides and high waves that crash against the rocks. Due to the high geotermal activities, there are also a lot of hot springs located in the country, which have become a big tourist attraction over the years.

Fauna

The mountains and grasslands offer a great habitat for various cattle like cows, bisons, sheep and mountain goats, most are kept for commercial success. Most native animals, including bears, ibex goats and lizards, have been driven out to expand the room for cattle breeding. In the sea around the lightning realm, there are a lot of saltwater fish that are moving through the rivers. Near the village though, it is not uncommon to find racoons and badgers scavenging the trash for food. In winter you can also often find whales migrating towards the waters of the iron realm.

Food

Meat

The Kumo cuisine consists mostly of beef, lamb and other cattle, there are a lot of different ways the latter is prepared. Kumo’s meat industry is very big, and a lot of it is exported into other countries like the wave realm and the fire realm. The most popular meat based dishes are roasted beef, roasted lamb and burgers. The meat coming from Kumogakure has a great quality, which a lot of residents are very proud of.

Drinks

Beer and Sake. Nuff said.

Candy

Many don’t know this, but most manufactured sweets come from Kumogakure and the lightning realm. They are known for their colorful candy and delicious sweets. The rainbow bonbons are especially popular among children. These are available in apple, cherry, strawberry, lemon, melon and mango flavor.

Baked Goods

In the lightning realm, there are a lot of apple, pear and cherry trees. It is a common tradition to make delicious pies and cakes out of them, they taste very good with whipped cream.

[jaxsteamblog]

Cuddling for Warmth

Click here to read the entire fic on AO3

“I want to run away now.” Katara said.

The interview left them feeling raw. It wouldn’t air until the next day, and they debated where to go. Zuko doubted even his uncle would be pleased, and Katara wasn’t looking forward to anyone’s response from either Pole. 

They were silent as they rode down the elevator. The talk show hadn’t taken them to some fancy lot, but instead sat them down in a sharply lit room with barely any furniture. Katara had kept very still in the canvas backed chair set for her, while Zuko talked with great animation. 

Overall, she could barely remember anything.

Stepping out of the nondescript building, Katara shivered. Winter in Republic City was more wet than cold, but she could still feel the humming burn of the lights on her skin. On the awning above them, the fat clumps of falling snow were fingers flicking against the top of a drop. Flinching at the noise, Katara pulled the edges of her coat tighter around her. 

After Zuko finished putting on his gloves, he put an arm around her. 

“Cold Ice Queen?” He asked, kissing the top of her head lightly. 

“Weren’t you hot in there?” Katara questioned.

“I’m very good at regulating my body temperature.” Zuko said and paused as Katara snorted. “But yes, I think the lights were particularly warm.”

Zuko tilted his head to look past the edge of the awning. Katara could feel the slate gray sky that stretched above them. With La in her veins, her bending could thread through the debris and water vapor hanging thousands of feet in the air. The weight of it just to dump clotted snowflakes over their heads. 

She shivered again.

“I don’t think it’s going to let up.” Zuko remarked, rubbing Katara’s arm absently. 

“Where should we go?” She asked.

“I’d say Ember Island, but that’s a bit too close to home.” 

“Is there any place in the world far enough for that?”

Zuko paused and Katara glanced over at him.

“There might be one.” He said slowly. He then looked back at her with a small smile. “But we’ll have to do some pretending.” 

“How did I not know about this?” Katara gasped. She then smacked Zuko’s shoulder. “How did you not tell me about this?”

“I’m telling you now!” He answered, laughter rippling through his words.

Katara gasped again, her hands holding tightly to the handles of the wheelchair. 

The ice spiral resembled a bamboo shoot. That alone didn’t make it impressive; the miles of arid desert that surround it did.

“How is it not melting?” She asked quietly.

“Oh, it’s melting. The Avatar has to do regular upkeep and obviously Thuy hasn’t been here.” Zuko answered.

“Why not?”

“She’s not a fully realized Avatar. This takes spirit energy.”

“How do you know that?” 

“Jinora.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“I can’t believe we’re going to miss our reservation.” 

Katara clicked her tongue in annoyance but started pushing the wheelchair down the smooth walkway.

One of the many amenities of the Misty Palms Oasis were the purported healing spring spas. Zuko, unable to truly hide his scar, had heavily bandaged that side of his face and plunked himself into a wheelchair. He had a fake passport, of course, and Katara had only done some slight lying to keep her presence equally under wraps. 

Not many were willing to deny the Water Tribe Queen access to healing water for a mysterious patient. One that required a different oasis, deep in the southern continent of the Earth Kingdom.

While they couldn’t sightsee, here was a privacy they couldn’t get elsewhere. 

Zuko was mute while Katara checked in. A woman in a crisp green uniform was swift, showing them to their private room with barely a sound. The door closed and the AC unit kicked on, blowing cold air into the room just as Katara walked further in. On the other wall was a wide window, and Katara pulled back the curtain just enough to peer out.

She heard Zuko stand up, groaning as he stretched. 

“Blazes this thing itches.” He muttered and Katara smiled.

The ochre sands that covered or inspired the equally sandy buildings felt warm. It was subdued where the South Pole, another desert, glared under the sunlight. Ice blue broke against her eyes, while the dunes spilled like honey.

The air conditioning curled over her flesh, raising trails of small bumps.

“I feel like those sand dunes.” Katara said, feeling Zuko standing behind her.

He collected her hair in his hands, lifting the heft of her thick curls up so he could kiss the back of her neck.

“You’re darker and much warmer.” He murmured.

She shivered.

The air conditioner ran continuously. With the curtains shut, there was no desert sun to fight back, and so the room quickly filled with frigid air. They burrowed under the downy blankets, finding each other in the subdued light. 

All hotel blankets were snow white. Even here in the desert, with the ice tower slowly melting into blue-green pools, Katara could not escape the snow. 

But, as Zuko’s body curled around hers, it wasn’t like she really wanted to. 

“My birthday is coming up.” She said.

Zuko had returned to kissing her, on whatever bare spots he could find. 

“I know.” He replied when she didn’t continue. 

“Will you visit?” 

“Of course.”

Katara sighed happily, her umber skin melting into his starlight body. 

Sokka was right; they weren’t opposites because they never opposed each other. Emptiness meant to be filled, darkness meant to be illuminated, and pain meant to be loved. 

“How do you like being in the Poles?” She questioned.

“I like it well enough when you’re there.” He said, jostling her so she turned. 

When they kissed, Katara lost all hold of time. When they stopped, she continued. 

“I wish you were more comfortable there.” She said.

“I’m more comfortable than you are in the Fire Nation.” He retorted.

“Hmm.”

“Hmmm?”

“I think I’d like to spend more time there.” 

“Why?”

His tone was somewhere between surprise and disgust, but not at all suspicious.

“I want to know more about you.” Katara said.

“You already know everything about me.” Zuko replied.

“I don’t know about the war.” She countered.

“You know enough.” He said. He sounded sad and tired.

“I don’t know about the Eastern Air Temple.” She added.

“That’s…” Zuko drifted and Katara waited. 

“Difficult.” He finished. 

“I don’t know about your mother.”

“I don’t know about yours.” 

He kissed her again, knowing her tenuous hold on time. He was distracting her, obviously, and his hands spread out the sand of her body over his. 

When he stopped, the room was dark even outside of their snow white burrow. 

Katara tossed back the blanket and propped herself up on one elbow. Looking down at Zuko, she saw how his ink black hair spilled over the white sheets. It resembled something abstract, or like the cards she saw in the psych department that made people see weird things. 

Tilting her head, she looked for some subconscious imagery. As she searched, Zuko ran his slender fingers up and down her side. The heat escaped from the blanket and the air conditioning rushed in to fill the void. As his hands moved, he stirred up a current and Katara shivered.

“You have been awfully cold lately my love.” Zuko stated.

“Only when you leave me.” Katara said.

He placed his hand firmly on her lower back, and she lowered herself over him.

“I’ll keep you warm.” He said.

“Is that a promise?”

“It’s a vow.”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

[wavesmp3]

directors cut: oasis

[doing this entirely for myself, out of pure self indulgence lol] [this will be very messy/poorly organized and there will be spoilers]

okay so where to even begin omg..... we will start with the origins of oasis:

its actually, techinically a spin off of the world from this drabble with dino from svt. which the world in this drabble is what the world from oasis would look like very far in the future. but i changed a lot between writing that drabble and creating oasis. but there should be a scene in the drabble that is very similar to a part in oasis (hint: the first vision they got from saskila was not just a random vision with no meaning.......hehe)

but that drabble (its titled dreamscapes) was inspired by a mix of this post on tumblr about how nuclear waste warning signs sounded very cool and the book that i was reading called the children of blood and bone by tomi adeyemi

and then after i had made that drabble i saw dee’s (@/atbzkingdom’s) post about the time capsule collab, and i had a couple ideas of what i could do for it but i ultimately decided on what would eventually become oasis !! so i guess we really have dee and that collab to thank for this piece lol

now for the timeline of me writing:

so i started outlining this piece in the first couple days of january, and normally outlines take me a while to come up with just because i struggle in coming up with plot, but i knew that my spring semester of classes would be starting soon and that I didn’t have a lot of time so i just sort of grinded an outline out as well several paragraphs of pure worldbuilding. 

and then i started writing

and wow i was Really writing!! at my peak productivity i was easily getting down like 2k a day which for me is insane (for reference, i wrote 1k a day for tsiytt and i struggled my way through that) 

but then life happens classes had begun and my writing for oasis slowly become nothing... 

i really only found the time to work on the piece every other weekend, so i was really nervous that i wouldn’t finish in time (which technically i didn’t cause it was supposed to come out march 1st) but luckily i did

and at some point in february, i had lost so much of my momentum and motivation for this piece that i almost gave up on it. (at this point i was writing the scenes after they find the seat of wisdom destroyed) but again luckily i did not, but i personally can definitely see a decline in the quality of my writing towards the end (i mean maybe its in my head, but its sort of like i can see the loss of love for the wip in my writing at the end of it)

but don’t misunderstand, i still love oasis!! and in all honesty, i’m already considering starting a second draft to it, which is way sooner than i thought i would lol

also when i started writing this piece, i began writing it in the order that it would be read, but then halfway i switched to writing chronologically

anyways, something i learned while writing this piece, is that writing is a marathon. whereas, even with my longer pieces, i always viewed writing as a sprint. so as i start venturing into original works and more lengthy pieces of writing, i think this was a very valuable lesson for me to have learned.

okay now to the good stuff lol: [the first word of the bullet about the next chapter (?) is bolded for some crumbs of an organized commentary]

so this is jumping to the first past bit... but when i first wrote farah i had a very different plan for her character than who she ended up being. i had imagined that she’d be a lot more cold and a tough love sort of person. so that’s who i was writing when she’s first introduced in the flashback, but she very quickly become a much kinder full of love sort of person. but anyways i mention this because whenever i read that first part and the introduction of her character, i’m always a bit taken aback by how like mean here character is to crown then lol

also zoar !!!! its a terrible place, but i love that underground city

i also wrote the first flashback after i had written the scene where crown and chanhee are talking at his place in andhor, so the whole “fearless” connection was done very purposefully here since i knew how it’d be referenced in the next scene. someone mentioned this small connection in their reblog but i cant remember who 

also rashi is my favorite character xD

i personally think how crown and chanhee became friends (the running thing) is so cute 

this first bit of conversation between crown and chanhee when it switches back to the present and chanhee is giving them a tour of andhor is actually quite important to me, in the sense that its the first glimpse of how their actual relationship works and how they act together and just like their dynamic despite the fact that they havent seen each other in so long 

and yeah i think kyu mentioned this and a few others, but i love how awkward it is when chanhee and crown are in his home in andhor, cause one: they havent seen each other in years! but also: anyone else find going to someone’s place for the first time oddly intimate, like wow you’re opening up your home to me and now suddenly idk how to sit or stand or what to do with my arms... maybe just me LMAO

DUDE i struggled so hard with making it so that chanhee knew how impossible this whole mission was going to be without actually revealing that he knows about the mirror. it was so hard for me, hopefully it came out alright though. if anyone is reading this, did the twist(s) come as a shock to you? did you see it coming? or did it feel like it came out of absolutely no where and not in a good way?

yes i did name the desert after the department store kohls .....

i was so excited to explain all the mage types, i had so much fun writing this whole chapter 

fun fact: there was originally another sub group of psyche mages called dream mages who had like powers with dreams and stuff, but it ended up being irrelevant and really underdeveloped so it took it out

if anyone else was raised catholic or is catholic then i’d hope you recognize the names of all the relics.... i stole them from a prayer in the rosary whoops

it took me very long time to figure out exactly how the whole soul for the relic business would work, and idk if im a 100% satisfied with what it is/how it works/how it plays into rashi giving chanhee the locket

the note new gives crown.... the first slice of their friendship blooming, bro i eat that shit up 

this part where crown and rashi are talking after the lesson is actually one of my favorites. (like i said i love rashi, but i just really love her interreacting with crown, i think they have such an interesting dynamic and one that i’ve seen irl a lot between students and teachers, where the student adores the teacher... i’ll get more into this later) but moving on, i like it for a number of reasons. one: it’s the first time we as readers get to see rashi talk outside of her role as lesson master. two: i love crown getting this validation from rashi. it’s not really expanded on a lot, but crown’s magic is definitely a bit of an insecurity for them, in the way that they don’t feel like it belongs to them. but here rashi comes, this person that crown looks up to so much, and telling crown that they’re a bit similar when it comes to having magic. and surprising crown by comforting them. and... idk i just really love this moment for crown.

okay this line: “You call your mom Rashi?” is a lowkey reference to game plan,, if anyone knows what i’m talking about then please come clown me for nearly having the entire movie memorized 

oh, i also find the capital really cool. in my head the capital was always one huge building that contains an entire city but i realized while editing that i never really explained that, so idk if i successfully described the capital as cool as it is to me 

also the five friends part.....CUTE

when chanhee says “i know. i remember.” !!! girl i felt that line with my entire chest. idk why

okay wait this part: “But that knowledge seems to fall flat right now. Because despite everything, curiosity won the war.” i love it so much, its that tiny of sliver of hope that gets me personally

i think this part where crown’s pride is so hurt by no one telling them about chanhee’s healing magic is quite important because its a glimpse of how stubborn and prideful and headstrong of a character they can be 

also this : “ ‘and do you believe everything rashi says’ / without hesitation, you answer, ‘yes, of course’ “ this is another example of how highly crown thinks of rashi while growing up, almost to a fault. to the point where crown thought rashi could do no wrong. which i think is so interesting to think about when contrasted with the fight crown and chanhee have in the jungle where crown is the one discussing how rashi was wrong. i just like how much growth crown has had between all these years. and their opinion / perspective on rashi is one of the largest indicators of that growth. 

I also just really like that paragraph where shadow vs healing is explained... I think chanhee’s magic is so sick

oh also the names thing.... I can’t remember where I got the idea to do that from but im so glad I did. its one of my favorite aspects to this world, and it looks like a lot of other people enjoyed it as well. but apart from the intimacy of it, i love how the use of names affects one’s magic. and that paragraph where they go through all that a mage could do with a name. it gives me chills. just cause.... the possibilities

so many people have mentioned this line.... but I must too, so this part: “magic always comes with a price. this is new’s” ..... crazy

saskila scares me omg

again the first vision they see is not a random scene.... the easter eggs I planted with that mwahaha

yeah that scene where they’re outside the tent discussing who should give their name to saskila..... I love that scene chanhee’s “I don’t have anyone but you” and crown deflecting all that tension with the pinky promise and the saskila calling them lovers.... mwah

this random scene about the hot summer and laying with Farah and new in the gardens is another one of my favorite, it’s just so sweet

but this next scene makes me so sad

like I know what happens and I know that everything turns out okay but I get so scared for crown

yeah just that entire part after Rashi gets to them and when they’re going to the infirmary and before crown passes out... I love that whole part. i think i did an effective job of writing the gravity of that whole moment. cause it makes me a little stunned every time I read it. and I was pretty nervous about not being able to do that scene and that moment justice so I’m glad it turned out like it did

and again this line: magic always comes with a price, and in your case, it comes with several.

okay this part after they jump out of the ship and crown is talking to Chanhee but that other dude is talking too... I hope it’s not too confusing. I really wanted to show through the writing that this was all happening at the same time, but idk it came out well. like in my mind I have such a clear picture of this scene, but I have no clue if I did effective job of showing you guys what I’m seeing through the writing

oh yeah, crowns thing about dual wielding and engulfing the blades in flames.... I find that so cool. they’re so sick for that

yeah also the part where crowns hurt and they give Chanhee their name and they use it.... great moment, but I feel like my writing is a bit lacking here. i just know it could be better.

I think at this point of writing my classes had started, and again the disparity in writing quality is so obvious to me 

but the line where chanhee is describing how it all feels, and it says “chanhee feels golden” was inspired by daylight by taylor swift, theres a line in that song that goes “i used to think love would be burning red, but its golden” and like hello the parallels between that and crown’s fire magic.... something to think about 

so this next part where it’s back to the past and crown is getting in trouble (as crown does) but the part where crown is like asking but not directly asking for rashi’s name.... that part is so crazy to me cause it’s feels so out of place. but it was purposeful. i was trying to show that crown’s growing and that they’re at this weird age where they feel invincible. and also i wanted to put more emphasis on how being royal and the heir to the throne kind of effects the relationships crown has

and the last line of this part when rashi says “never abuse it” it gives me chills whew

the next part ... another part that i had high hopes for in the outlining stages of writing, but when it came to actually writing, this scene totally flopped, i’m gonna try not to dwell on this part too much cause i just know most of my comments will be about how much i don’t like it. but just overall, this scene could have been SO MUCH BETTER !

omg this little interaction: ““Look!” Chanhee deadpans, shooting you a glare. “The match is about to begin.” / “Wish me luck.” /  “I hope you lose.”” i think its so funny and cute

“ Your eyes immediately got to Rashi “ another example of how highly crown regards rashi 

“In Wurltan.” hmmmmmm sus.... *laughs in i love mentioning things that won’t make sense to reader until later*

okay this: “Yes, but not just any mage. I…” your voice trails off, pulling at your fingers and looking anywhere but at him. “I wanted you to know.” i cannot stand these two omg 

okay this part: “Chanhee thinks and overthinks the words spoken between you both. His mind drifts off to last night as well, that moment in the tent where you shared your warmth. He doesn’t even realize he’s staring at you until you give him a funny look. He quickly looks away and wonders if you’re overthinking everything as relentlessly as he is.” this part makes me think about what ina said about how chanhee shows his love by keeping you in his thoughts and YEAH chanhee’s love language in this piece is thinking about you and staring LOL

i hate this next part, not cause i don’t like it or anything it just makes me sad 

but this line: “Like if someone shoved you from behind right now, you wouldn’t push back; you’d let yourself fall straight to the ground.” i actually love that line

also this next entire bit i see SO clearly in mind, i hope i wrote it well enough so that you all saw it clearly too

when chanhee wipes the dirt.... girl i’m wiping my tears 

this line : “We’ll lean on each other.” mini love declaration sighhhhhh

yeah that whole part i love so much 

the seat of wisdom :(((( no!!!!!

so about this line: “He stares at his palms, at all the lies buried under each nail and at all the secrets shoved in every crack. He watches as they all blow up in front of his face.” >> i had like ten different versions of it before i settled on this one lol

okay so the first part of the last past flashback with crown realizing their true feelings... so soft 

news gone, rashis’s dead, :((( it makes me so sad

gosh okay this paragraph..... “I’ve always wondered why the gods blessed me and you the way that they have. They entrusted you with such great power. The only person to be both a healing and shadow mage in centuries. And then,” a tear falls from her eye, “they entrusted you to me.” Chanhee thinks this might be the first time he’s seen Rashi cry. “But now I have reason to believe that this was no accident. I’m beginning to think that the gods have always known it would come to this. And I’m starting,” she falters there, “I’m starting to spite them for it.”  it hurts so bad im sorry 

the first confrontation with harlan took me so long to write, and i’m still not sure if i actually like it, so again i will refrain from commenting lol

but the part where crown screams : “YOU LOST THE MIRROR OF JUSTICE!”  I think i told kyu this but this line makes me laugh because in my head its said the same way bella says: “you nicknamed my daughter after the lochness monster” whenever i see that line i smile lol

honestly this argument scene..... one of my absolute faves,,, everything lina said about it in that reblog just yes!yes!yes!! i can’t even comment about a particular part because all of it i love so much. its another part that leaves me slightly speechless.

but my favorite part of it might be how it ends hehe

these next couple parts were a bit diffucult to write because obviously the air between crown and chanhee is not very light right now so it was just hard to navigate their dynamic at these moments until they apologize but hopefully it turned out alright

i really like this line: “But this moment—with the scent of Harlan’s wine under his nose and the chill of Harlan’s blade against his neck—this moment feels nothing like those. It feels empty.” 

“ Chanhee just stares at you.“ -- staring as a love language exhibit b 

this whole part... chills bro 

“Chanhee exhales because for the first time since this afternoon he looks at your face and sees you.” -- exhibit c ....

okay wait another one of my favorite parts here: the spilled glass metaphor!! again please reference lina’s rb on this because everything said there... could not have said better myself. inspired by this writing advice by ocean vuong and yeah i just think the metaphor speaks for itself, one of my favorite lines (well paragraph) from the entire piece, actually from ALL of my works 

it was so hard to think up all of yumi’s different names, i was struggling

them talking about how farah will be happy to see chanhee...... how do i break it to you crown.....she’s dead...... awkward

red streak q! yesss. also i’m so sorry for killing off farah 

also kyunyu bestiessss

tbh this whole paragraph: “I get this overwhelming burst of honesty. As if what you both speak of is more than just a simple truth, as if it’s a commandant you blindly follow. What’s even odder is that I only feel that burst when you speak of each other.” Q stops walking and turns so that he faces Chanhee directly. “You speak of Crown constantly. And last night, when I met Crown, your title never left from the tip of their tongue. Humans are so simple really. We mention what we love.” Q pauses for a moment, bringing a hand under his chin. “Do you love Crown?” --i wrote it for myself no regrets

oh wait this bit too : “Quietly, Chanhee says, “I know.” / “Have you been watching?” / “I’ve been waiting.” / “For what?” / He meets your eyes. “For you.”” -- sometimes i do things that live rent free in my own mind

okay im so sorry for just quoting myself but this too : “ He sits back slightly. Shocked. Not by his love for you, but rather by how easily love walked into his heart and settled between his lungs “

lol the part where they try fooling q... why are crown and chanhee like this

the running !!!

yeah also every part after that... tears okay

yumi’s magic !!! its so cool to me, i love it so much 

i surprisingly don’t have much to say about the end... i mean i like it, but i just don’t have any comments. the last line tho... good one shawna

okay im done for you sake i hope no one read this lmao 

[dreams-of-the-arcana]

Wildflowers

@asras3rdeye’s Kipling x Tikos the Pirate

It wasn’t often Tikos found himself away from his ship with nothing to do. On board there was always something to do, no matter how small the job. Out on land though, not so much.

Wandering aimlessly could only entertain him for so long. Luckily, excitement was about to hit.

His fingers danced along the ukulele’s strings as a lively tune filled the square he had stopped in. The air bustled with chatter from people going about their normal days and the ambient hum of port towns.

Suddenly, a familiar feeling creeped up into his mind and he couldn’t help but grin. A memory of excitement, the taste of alcohol, the feel of soft lips. A single brown eye roamed the crowd until it landed on a particular face.

She hadn’t noticed him yet, perfect.

Stashing the instrument, Tikos popped up to casually stroll over across the square. Luckily she was looking the other way as he crept up. He plucked a bouquet off a nearby stall when the vendor wasn’t paying attention. It was filled with vibrant colors. It was time to make his move.

Tikos slipped a hand over her eyes from behind then put his arm on her shoulder so when she could see it would be the flowers.

“Guess who, Bumblebee?”

It had been a little while since their first meeting at the little port bar but Tikos was always playing the optimist.

Kipling jumped at the sudden contact and started to grab at his hand but once he spoke and she felt the scarred hand over her eyes she relaxed slightly.

“... Tikos?” She was hesitant.

He lifted his hand off her eyes with the bouquet right in front of her face.

���Aye,” he pressed a small kiss to her cheek.

A smile lit up her face as she reached out for the flowers and pulled them close to take in the scent.

“Did you get these just for me?” She teased.

“Of course, Bee. I knew you wouldn’t be excited if it was just little ol’ me.”

They both laughed and Tikos pulled Kip closer to nuzzle her neck with a wide smile.

“What are you doing here?” She managed to get in between laughs.

Tikos shook his head though.

“First, I’m taking you somewhere special.”

Before she could argue, Tikos had her hand laced in his own as he led her through the town. They headed for the edge opposite the sea surprisingly. Before long the town was a fair distance away and the fields opened up before them. As the almost reached the crest of a hill Tikos stopped.

“Up you get, Bee. I want to see your reaction.” He pushed her by her lower back just slightly.

Kip shot him a confused look but stepped forward to the top.

Below them a field of wildflowers spread almost as far as they could see. Beautiful reds, yellows, oranges and every variation filled the area.

Kip gasped and her mouth fell open slightly at the sight. Tikos grinned from her side as he watched her take it in.

“Oh, T! It’s beautiful!”

They made their way into the field and found a soft place to sit. Once they were closer to the ground, little purple violets could be seen under the bigger warm colored flowers. Tikos reached out to pluck one and slipped it into one of Kip’s buns.

“Sweet violet, it suits you.”

Kip smiled brightly back at him.

“I thought you didn’t know anything about plants?” She asked.

Tikos shrugged trying to look casual as he gazed over the flowers.

“I picked up a book or two...” He trailed off.

Kip’s smile only grew as she realized he’d learned because of their conversation from that night about how much she loved plants. He could have never known they’d see each other again but he had learned just in case. It was a bit of a heartwarming thought to her.

Slowly she weaved the flowers around them together. The warmth of the sun mixed with the spring breeze created a perfect sleepy little paradise out in the field. Time seemed to move like warm honey.

Kip focused on her task as her fingers expertly wove through the stems. Finally, she looked up from the crown in triumph. Only to find Tikos stretched out on the grass, fast asleep.

She should wake him up, she really should, but as she looked at him she realized just how peaceful he looked.

Instead, Kip crawled over to lay down about a foot away for a better look. Golden eyes roamed over his suntanned face. Without the grins, the jokes, or the walls it was easy to appreciate the little details of his face. Freckles scattered across his nose like constellations and seemed so innocent next to the scarring that covered much of his body. Slowly she reached out to trace the large scar running down his left eye, partially covered by the patch.

“Mm, if you wanted some attention you could have said so.” Tikos chuckled, his voice even deeper with sleep.

Kip jerked her hand back with heat rising up to her face.

“I- uh- I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s alright, Bee.”

He lifted himself up to his elbow and set his head onto that hand. Kip wanted to look away in embarrassment but she couldn’t seem to draw her eyes away.

Carefully she reached over and placed the flower crown onto Tikos’ white curls.

“I made you this,” she almost whispered.

He reached out to grab her hand as she pulled back and placed a small kiss to the inside of her wrist.

“Thank you,” his brown eye caught hers.

It was as if a magnetic force started to pull and then their lips met. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Out in their own private oasis, all that mattered was the moment.

[anncanta]

Delicacy

Fandom: Dracula (2020)

Characters: Count Dracula, Agatha Van Helsing

Relationship: Dracula/Agatha

Rating: Mature

Warnings: None

Read on AO3

Or read below

There was so much snow that Agatha seemed to have lost the feeling of top and bottom. Large flakes swirled in the air, connecting, weaving, turning into thin white threads. They descended from heaven and stretched toward him from the earth. Stopping, Agatha squinted and threw back her head. Thousands of icy needles dug into her skin immediately. Turning away, she covered her face with a hood and ordered herself not to panic.

She was not in such distress. Agatha grunted – she was just alone in the middle of the Transylvanian forest, strayed from the road and knee-deep in the snow.

There is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Swinging from another gust of wind and deciding that it would be foolish to turn into a statue from the ice after such a long journey, Agatha pulled her hood down and stepped forward.

She didn't remember how she got to that house. She did not remember at all and was not sure whether the house was there. The golden glow in the windows could be just a dreaming oasis, a waking dream. Once upon a time, Agatha read about travelers, who crossed deserts. That books told about oases. Shaking her head, she tried to throw off her numbness and, falling with every step in the snow, went to the door, which was half-swept.

Agatha hit the door with all her might with her fist several times, then buried her forehead in it and settled in soft, crisp snow.

“Agatha, it’s more difficult to get rid of you than of hay fever,” was heard from above, and then she was dragged inside.

Agatha sat in a chair by the fireplace, banging her teeth and holding out her numb hands to the fire.

“Drink,” a cup of hot tea sprang up in front of her nose. Agatha raised her head. “This is not poison, do not flatter yourself. Besides, if I wanted to poison you, I would have done it earlier. I had a ton of opportunities.” Dracula's voice sounded annoyed. “Drink, your pneumonia may be about to begin.”

Without a word, Agatha took a cup and made a few greedy sips.

Feeling heat slowly spreading over her body, she leaned back in her chair and allowed herself to cover her eyes.

“What are you doing here, Agatha?” a new question was raised with sincere curiosity.

Opening her eyes, Agatha looked tiredly at Dracula, who sat in a chair opposite and staring at her.

“I wouldn't let you reach London,” she said.

“Oh, I see, my chances now are totally done,” Dracula held out, “I am in despair.”

Agatha stared angrily at him over the cup.

“Why don't you…”

“How did you find me?”

“Well, that wasn't a big deal,” Agatha shrugged. The heat from the fireplace, along with hot tea, completely melted the excruciating cold, and she felt herself starting to fall asleep.

“When I woke up... at the convent and realized that you were gone, I immediately went to Bistritz. I have a friend in the port, he told me that only one ship is leaving for London in the near future.”

“Demeter.”

Agatha shook her head, agreeing, and took another sip.

“The captain recognized you from my description. You were going to travel under your real name,” she said in an unbelieving tone.

Dracula smiled.

“Why not?”

Agatha made a skeptical grimace.

“There were just a few days to leave, so I concluded that you probably stayed in one of the Bistritz's hotels.”

“I hate the hotels.”

Agatha nodded.

“It became clear almost immediately. But in that case – where could you go? You have no friends in the city, besides, I don’t think you would like to be noticed.” She grabbed the cup with her fingers. “Returning to the castle is also not an option: it is at least eight hours before it, even if you change horses twice – you might not have time before sunrise. So – somewhere in the forest.”

“Not bad,” said Dracula.

Agatha smiled absently.

“But in order to come here, and so quickly... I know, I know, you burned with righteous anger and dreamed of destroying me,” he said, seeing her eyes darken, “...you should be sure that I am here and that exactly is me – how did you find out?”

“I bribed the huntsman,” she shrugged again.

“I should have eaten him,” Dracula grinned.

“And to remain without communication with the outside world?” Agatha raised an eyebrow.

“Your rationality is charming,” Dracula smiled again. “I understand correctly,” he added, looking around as if searching for something, “that you lost your bag of weapons and provisions in the forest?”

“Yes,” Agatha said dejectedly.

“You lost to nature itself. Don’t be upset,” he looked at her, clasped his hands, and laid his chin on them.

“Why did you let me in?” asked Agatha.

“Would you prefer to have stayed there?”

She averted her eyes.

She would have preferred never to know him, she wanted to say – or should she say so? It seemed right, and at the same time, somehow... childish. Suddenly tears rolled up. Holding her arms around her shoulders, Agatha squinted. How embarrassing. And how ridiculous.

“There's only one room upstairs,” she heard Dracula's voice. “The huntsman is miser: he took crazy money for this shack. But for want of something better, one has to be content with what he has.”

Agatha opened her eyes and forced herself to look at the count.

“I sleep in a box, so the bedroom is yours,” he said dryly, got up, and went out.

For a while, Agatha sat looking at the fire blazing in the fireplace, and then got up and wandered upstairs.

After a sleepless night, she slept all day. Going to the window and making sure that there was still a blizzard outside the walls of the house, she went down to the kitchen and began to peer into the numerous drawers and cabinets, hoping to find something edible in them.

“The basement is full of provisions,” she heard, opening the next door. Agatha emerged from the cabinet. “The huntsman, at least, swore that his pantries were always full,” the count stood at the door, arms crossed. “You are lucky – there is no one to compete for it.”

Hardly refraining from caustic remarks about her luck, Agatha nodded and headed for the cellar door.

Perhaps a huntsman is a miser, but he knows about food, she thought after half an hour, chewing appetizing pork ham and sumptuous homemade cheese. She did not suspect that she was so hungry.

“What will you do then?” arriving at the kitchen door, asked Dracula. “Would you try to convert me to your faith? Or will you tear the floorboard,” he tapped the wooden floor, “and still try to use brute force? Oh no, oak floorboards,” striking once more and listening to the sound, he held out with regret. “So what?”

Agatha got up from the table and took a can of tea mixture from one of the nearest shelves. Making tea always reassured her.

“Why did you let me leave?” not turning to him, she said, pouring the mixture into a teapot.

“Sorry?”

She turned around.

“You let me leave. I remember that quite clearly. You agreed not to touch Mina if I let you… Why didn't you kill me?”

“You weren’t tasty enough,” he looked mockingly.

Agatha nodded.

“Maybe. But I am the witness at the same time. I am the one who could tell people about what you have done. I am well known in the city. Known and respected. I…”

“Why, then, didn’t you collect respectable squires, equipping them with stakes like your nuns, and not take them with you?” his gaze was calm and sharp.

She turned away.

“I don't know,” said after a few seconds of silence.

“Well, I don’t know either,” he said briefly. “Don't offer me tea, you know that I do not drink, – neither tea, nor wine, nor whiskey,” he added sharply. “I wish you a good evening.”

The kitchen door slammed behind him.

Agatha furiously threw an empty cup at the wall.

The days dragged on painfully long, and an endless white haze seemed to hang outside the windows. Agatha could not remember that it had snowed so long in her life. In desperation, after a couple of futile attempts to open the door that seemed to have been brought up to the top, she suspected Dracula's intention in this – she read about something similar in vampire stories – but the count only snorted skeptically at the suggestion made by her.

“It's enough fog to cover the sunlight,” he said, “and if you didn't notice, I'm locked here just as you are. I could, of course, go outside,” Dracula smiled thoughtfully, “but to walk the path through the forest to the city in the guise of a wolf does not seem a good idea. I'd better wait for spring.”

Yeah, if this continues further, they both threaten to wait for it here, Agatha mused angrily, wandering around the house and trying to occupy herself with something. There were no books there, she did not like to cook, and sitting by the window made her sad.

She hadn't noticed, when she started to speak with Dracula. Do not snap, exchanging a couple of angry words, colliding in the living room or in the kitchen, and not trying to cheat each other. Apparently, he began to be seriously annoyed by the silence, which, like fluffy cotton wool, enveloped this small house. However, Dracula must be accustomed to silence, she thought, which does not mean that he likes it.

In a strange way, these conversations seemed familiar. Like the whole situation as well – a small room, shelves with some barrels, jugs and old cups, there are two of them, and they talk...

They talk about books. Dracula claimed that he loved stories – for some reason this did not surprise her; among his favorite authors were Calderon, Lope de Vega, and Tirso de Molina. According to the count, he personally knew the last one, and in 1630 de Molina even presented him with the first edition of one of his books – with a dedication inscription. “He was glorious,” Dracula smiled idly, noticing her inquiringly raised eyebrows, “I'm sure you would have liked him.” When asked why he only grinned mysteriously and answered: "He had a special taste for life." Agatha chose not to go into details. But she liked several poetic passages, read by heart by the count, and so a comedy retold from memory – about a noble lady entangled in her own lies. In any case, they were funny.

Somewhere between the exquisite lines and two cups of fragrant tea, she talked about how she found herself in a convent – after the quiet owner of a hardware store, whom she married to save her family from bankruptcy, died of typhoid and his older brother just kicked her out of the house. The new marriage was slightly better than the old one, Agatha said indifferently, unwittingly expecting another stream of ridicule from Dracula, but it did not follow. “There's a joy for the afflicted – a ray of hope,”* he quoted and started talking about something else.

“You should have sailed to England tomorrow,” Agatha said one evening when they were sitting alone by the fireplace. Chess was discovered in Dracula's luggage, but it seemed that there weren’t enough pieces in the set.

“The day before yesterday,” Dracula answered, placing the black pawns and taking the knight out of the box.

“Yes,” Agatha agreed, casting a thoughtful glance out the window. “This storm is terrible,” she sighed. “Everything merged into some kind of white haze. Everything is mixed up. Like it's one endless day.”

“Or an endless night. And you are with the losers again,” Dracula smiled.

“What?” Agatha did not understand.

“Never mind.”

“All the pieces are here,” Agatha said, taking a short look at the board. She decided not to spoil her mood, trying to figure out what he had in mind. It is possible that nothing – and just teases her. “I start.”

Dracula made an inviting gesture.

She won four games in a row. And lost two ones. The ratio of victories and defeats amazed pride, but for some reason did not please. Perhaps...

“You behave strangely,” she said, moving the queen.

“Stranger than usual?” he moved the pawn and defended the rook.

“If I may say so,” Agatha squinted at him. “And you never tried to stab me all evening.”

“Maybe I'm tired of it.”

“No, impossible,” she waved her hand. “You look exhausted, pale much more than before, and I...” She sat up abruptly. “You are hungry!”

“What a subtle observation,” Dracula snorted sarcastically. “Don't be distracted, Agatha, your left flank is on fire.”

“What is on fire, is your left flank!” Agatha got angry. She leaned back in her chair. “You did not expect to have to be here so long. Two days ago you planned to board a ship on which there must be...”

She faltered.

“Well, go on, what's your problem?” Dracula grinned.

Agatha frowned.

“On which you probably had food supplies.”

“Exactly,” he bowed his head, continuing to smile sarcastically. “And, believe me, I chose it carefully. Pity – the weather mixed the cards.”

“And how will you continue to cope?” ignoring his mocking tone, asked Agatha.

“I’ll have a meal with boars and foxes, they are in abundance here,” he drummed his fingers on the table. “It costs me nothing to open the door.”

For a while, Agatha silently examined him. He really didn’t look very healthy. And without that the pale, cheeks turned completely white, lips marked on a sharp face with a dark spot, deep shadows lay under the eyes.

Thundering on the floor with the legs of a chair, Agatha got up and went to the window. Behind the glasses, white porridge still flickered dully.

Agatha turned back to the fireplace and, unbuttoning the button, threw back the shoulder pad.

“Eat,” she said, looking to the side.

For several minutes nothing happened. Hearing the steps, she did not turn around.

“Why?” Dracula's voice was unusually serious.

She didn’t answer.

“Why, Agatha?” his fingers laid on her cheek, forcing her to raise her head.

She looked into his eyes.

“You are suffering.”

“Less than you suffered when I threatened you, less than Jonathan Harker or his fiancee, or any of those I ate or was going to eat.” He looked intently, not blinking. Agatha forced herself not to look away. “Why?” he repeated once more.

“Anyone deserves sympathy,” she answered, trying to speak with confidence. “Any creature...”

“You are lying,” he let her go and began to examine her, arms crossed over his chest.

“You too,” Agatha answered quietly. “I tried to open this door,” she said, seeing surprise flashing in his eyes. “And I couldn’t. You will succeed,” she breathed, “for sure. But you will take it off its hinges and the house will be left without a door. While you are hunting foxes and boars – which will take you four hours in such weather – attracted by the warmth and human smell, their relatives will come here. Do you often share prey?”

They looked at each other for a very long time.

“Come on,” he said finally.

Obediently, as if all her strength had been devoted to the recent struggle, Agatha went after him – from the living room to the hallway and up the stairs to the bedroom. She let him sit her on the bed and out of the corner of her eye saw him sit next to her.

“I can feel the weather,” he said quietly. Agatha turned and looked at him. “A thaw will come in two days, and it will all melt away,” he waved his hand at the gray dusk swirling outside the window. “And I can really hunt boars.”

She nodded.

He approached and bent over her.

“I'll try to be quick.”

The thaw lingered for a day.

Most of the snow had melted in a couple of hours, and by evening, Dracula, again unnaturally pale, opened the damp door and disappeared into the forest.

During the time that has passed since the day when Agatha offered herself to him as food, they never once remembered what had happened, as if this had never been. Nothing has changed either in her or in his behavior, except that the chess games have become longer and the conversations – shorter. Dracula looked gloomy, but she did not try to find out why – in the end, the fact that he had not bitten her to death did not mean that they had become friends, Agatha reasoned, sorting herbs in the kitchen and making mint tea.

However, she had no anxiety – perhaps because the sun finally appeared during the day, and the world outside seemed no longer monotonously empty and gray. At night, stars were even visible.

Dracula returned near the morning. Agatha sat on the carpet by the fireplace, her knees pulled up to her chin, and looked at the flame. She did not respond to the knock of the door that opened.

Behind her, steps rang out and subsided in the kitchen.

“What are you thinking about?” the aroma of nutmegs and rum tickled her nostrils.

Agatha lowered her eyes and stared at the mug of grog that had arisen in front of her.

“About who I am, after all, a hunter or a captive?” she said, looking at pieces of clove floating in a mug.

“And how did you come up with it?” Dracula settled to the right of Agatha and extended his legs to the fire.

“I could leave while you were gone,” taking a sip, Agatha held out absent-mindedly.

“That's right,” he leaned back, leaning on his elbow. “I did not lock the door and did not intend to.”

“Why?”

He shrugged.

The silence continued for several minutes.

“Who am I now?..” Agatha said quietly.

Dracula stood up and slowly pulled an empty mug from her fingers.

“You are Agatha Van Helsing,” he said, looking straight into her eyes, and pulling her to him, he kissed her.

It was strange... all of this. The taste of his lips mixed with the taste of grog. The stiffness of a linen shirt wrinkling under her arms. The strands of his hair that fell on her cheek, an incoherent whisper in a patter. To look from under half-opened eyelids at how he takes off his clothes – all without a trace, and what she expected, yes. This is completely... She's not used to it. Not that she did it too often... Decent matrons lift their skirts – and that's it.

What did she expect? In a couple of short movements, he pulls off her dress, behind the dress – her shirt, Agatha tries to protest faintly.

“I want to see you,” he pronounces clearly, moistly, into the hollow between her breasts. Agatha leans back, helpless, feeling like a fire floods her body as if it was open to the whole world.

And then comes calm and seething curiosity. He follows it, catches up, runs ahead, comes back, kindling it and indulging. Finds treasures and denotes new lands. And in this way, only his caution can compare with his recklessness.

Feeling that he was spreading her hips apart, Agatha shuddered in frustration: in her memory, all that was pleasant usually ended with it – if it was at all.

“Shhh,” she freezes at the touch of his insistent fingers, moans, and cries out, her eyes wide in amazement. Pleasure, unusual, strong, grows, pulsating, almost bordering on pain – and spills out into the sea, as in her old crazy dreams.

“Oh my God... this is... I never... never...” she whispered, catching her breath. Looking up at Dracula, she caught his pleased look.

“Your husband was an idiot,” Dracula nodded. “Let's not talk about him anymore.”

Agatha burst out laughing.

“You shameless monster.”

“Is that a compliment or a verdict of the Inquisition?”

“If you could tell them apart,” Agatha snorted. “However, I am not surprised. You have no limiting principles.” He looked at her, squinting. “No elementary decorum and rules,” she continued, feeling his arms tracing her bare shoulders. “But how could I allow myself to be so...”

He raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

“So... unrestrained,” she coughed, squinting at her limp body.

Dracula moved higher and looked at her for a minute, bowing his head.

“How not to remember the noble de Molina now,” he said thoughtfully, leaning on one hand and hanging over her.

“De Molina?” Agatha frowned. “In what sense?”

Dracula smiled and leaned over.

“My lovely prude,” he whispered, kissing her behind her ear. “My captivating liar,” he slipped his lips along her collarbone, and then lingered on her nipple. “My wise minx,” clasping her hands clutching at his shoulders, raised them up, held her hips with open palms, bent her knees, pressed them to her chest. Another movement, continuous, long, inhale, exhale. “My love and mistress.”**

Somewhere outside the window, a sound was heard – as if something had crumbled with a soft rustle. It must be remnants of snow, Agatha decided.

Spring is coming soon.

On a late March night, the hotel on the second floor of the Falcon and Lion tavern was dark and quiet. Making his way along the corridor, the last of the regulars, who went over a little, not so much as not to stay on his own, but enough to not want on these two to drag home across the city, stopped, trying to determine where the room was, the key to which the tavern's owner gave him.

“Only for one night,” he warned, “and tomorrow, you son of a bitch, I will charge you everything that you owed me in the past two weeks, including a bunk for today.” Fairly so. The man took the key out of his pocket and moved forward along the corridor.

All the doors seemed identical, differing only in numbers, and the muffled sounds that rang from the rooms. The man listened – for the most part, it was measured snoring, less often – swearing and hoarse moans. There were only a few steps left until the room in which he was to spend the night when the corridor was announced with an angry scream.

Stopping, the man froze in place. The snoring in the rooms stood still in fear, in the room by the next two doors someone sobbed, squeaked, and coughed. An alarming silence continued for a couple of seconds, after which the scream repeated.

After hesitating, the man approached the door, from which screams were heard.

“You said you won’t get anything!” the voice sounded so clear as if its owner was standing in the middle of the corridor. “You said you agreed to follow your diet.”

“I follow,” the tone of the lady's companion was not so angry as tired and displeased. “But when I was really hungry you could not just expect from me…”

“Innkeeper lost all his ducks and hens at once,” the woman said with an icy tone. “He claims there are thieves in the neighborhood, but I'm not sure, – it is too convenient for someone.”

“Don't you think, I'd go down to hens and ducks?” There was amazement in the man's voice, sincere and even some kind of discouraged.

The woman did not back down.

“I know it's not easy for you. I understand how this is... I promised to help you, and I will help. I am sure that we can find a way to solve your problem.”

“I will not eat cattle!” the man barked. The tavern regular, who had pressed his ear to the door, recoiled, almost dropping the key and the candlestick.

“You won't have to!” the woman exclaimed. “Listen to me, you yourself said that the future lies with science, it invents incredible things. We'll figure out how to arrange for you...”

The man interrupted her.

“Why do you think we will succeed?”

“Because I have been solving puzzles all my life, and I know that there is no one for which no answer can be found,” now a smile and tenderness sounded in the woman's voice. “Just believe me and don't try to eat everything. I know you can do it.”

There was a long sigh behind the door.

“Hens and ducks were stolen by a messenger boy. He's been hanging around here for the past two weeks. This was in the newspapers – he sold drinks and meat to the head of the Bistritz-Budapest train.” Pause. “The pink color suits you.”

“Go to hell.”

The room became quiet.

A regular of the Falcon and Lion tavern looked at the candle, then at the door of the room, stood still for a while, listening, and then shrugged and walked away.

You never know eccentrics on earth.

* Dracula quotes the line from the song of Lucia and Martha from the film "Martha the Pious" based on the play of Tirso de Molina. It is a part of the original text but is changed a little.

** Quote from the play "Martha the Pious" in the interpretation of M. Donskoy.