#zephs streams

[asterssunzephyr]

Hey gamers, if you want to follow a streamer who sadly has no mic but good gameplay: may I suggest my good friend James? Hes interactive with his community in his chat, and hes my friend!

twitch.tv/IntoTheAbyse is his url and he is a dead by daylight streamer for the most part!!! He streams minecrafy bedrock w me sometimes and hes a big hollow knight/dbd/cotl fan

[clingyduofan]

“there’s no such thing as it not being personal.”

[zephsthings]

i fear i will never recover from this

[castielafflicted]

being sttracted to rela life people is so stupid. im looking a tthis stupid fuck man and i want him so bad. and he's just a guy.

[gloombby]

need 2 sleep but i have so much to do

[falling-down-the-scroll-hole]

Looking back on this, it reminds me of when Motoko Kusanagi has to sit in a child's shell.

I look so smol!

[luminouslotuses]

q!quackity and the tenderness (and tentativeness) that comes with loving again

a history of my brief body by billy-ray belcourt (reposted here) // CONOCIENDO A MI HIJO POR PRIMERA VEZ twitch stream (all screenshots) // @comfymoth // scared of everything by zeph // @pixiecaps // this december by ricky montgomery // @pixiecaps // letters to véra by vladimir nabokov (reposted here)

[wrathofrats]

Mushy May Day 12- first time/ wound tending/first aid - zephrit.

Thanks to @forlorn-crows for the prompts and @gothdaddyissues for the divider!

Ifrit is stupid and Zeph just wants to bandage him up (and fuck him)

2.3k Featuring: homoerotic wound cleaning, idiots in love, zephs first time, first kiss too but-, I was only a little weird about blood, only a little I was good this time. But be warned there’s a couple sentences where I’m weird about blood. Also possessiveness. Also being weird about virginity. Did I mention that I promise this is fluff.

“Why didn’t you think to wear gloves!?” Zeph tried not to shout, gingerly looking for a place to grab Ifrits arm so they could drag him upstairs, “why didn’t you let go when it hurt!?”

Ifrit cradled his free hand into his chest, attempting to stop the bleeding with shirt. Both hands were covered in small pin pricks that oozed drops of blood down his skin as he attempted to keep it from dripping onto the floor.

“I didn’t know roses had thorns until I had already grabbed them” ifrit attempted to defend himself. The roses laid discarded with blood around their stems on the table for another ghoul to find later. “I’m fine I promise, I can go clean up myself”

It was a sweet gesture that Zephyr wishes they could have appreciated more if it wasn’t for the fact that ifrit had attempted to hand them the flowers while blood freshly streamed down his forearms.

“Absolutely not. I didn’t trust you to know how to tend to your injuries if you don’t even know that roses have thorns”

“Zeph I’m fine,” ifrit whined, trying to hide that he was wincing every time he had to move his hands. He was shoved through the door of zephyrs bathroom with a small growl telling him to sit on the side of the bathtub. Zephyr rummaged through the cabinet under their sink, pulling out gauze and tweezers.

Ifrit sat palms up on the lip of porcelain. There was a small feeling of embarrassment that bubbled in his chest watching zephyr almost angrily gather their supplies. He truly was fine, ifrit wasn’t known for having a low pain tolerance, and knew enough to keep the wounds from getting some kind of nasty infection, but it was the scared look in zephs eyes that allowed himself to be dragged behind the smaller ghoul and into their bathroom in order to be taken care of.

A warm wet washcloth brushed over ifrits hands, earning a hiss from him at the stinging sensation. He instinctively pulled his hands away as zephyr reached to pull them back into his lap so they could wipe the drying blood away.

“Shit- Zeph don’t you have numbing cream or something?” Ifrit winced, tugging once again against zephyrs grip on his wrists.

“I do, but then what will you have learned?”

“That you love and care for my well being and the fact that I’m in pain?”

Zeph snorted in response. They tried to hide the small smile on their face as they lay the scarlet stained cloth on the tub next to ifrit, reaching for the tweezers. There were still small bits of dirt and plant matter in his hands, enough that couldn’t simply be washed out with running water. Black asymmetrical specks littered his palms while ifrit took a deep breath to try and prepare for zephyr digging them out of his skin.

There was a tenderness in the way zephyr worked. Knelt in front of ifrit with his large hands practically taking up both of their own, to cradle them and delicately pluck the splinters from his skin. Ifrit was easily twice their size. Broad and tall, cowered on the side of a porcelain tub while zephyr, who could easily be engulfed by his frame, had him making himself appear smaller for them to work on.

Ifrit couldn’t help but breathe heavily and grunt whenever zephyr dug out the deeper pieces. His skin was tender and raw from the cleaning, and every poke of the metal tweezers felt like another stab into his hand.

“You have to be almost done right?” Ifrit asked, jumping again from another poke.

“If you’d stay still this would go a lot faster ifs”

A part of zephyr didn’t want to admit to themself that they were absolutely drawing it out a bit. It’s not often they got the fire ghoul in such a vulnerable position. They tried to make their heart still everytime they had to look up at him. His sweet smiling face staring back down even if he was in pain. Only the word beautiful came to their mind whenever ifrit would look at Zeph in reassurance that he actually was ok.

It didn’t help that ifrit was making noises that had zephyr blushing like an idiot.

Small whines and grunts that could easily be taken for moans fell from his lips as zephyr spread the neosporin over the cleaned wounds. He’s sweet, stupid, but sweet and hearing him make such pretty noises has zephyr about to rip through their own skin to get on top of him. The way he looked down at Zeph through hooded eyes, softly whimpering, was truly more than they could bear.

The lewd sounds only got louder as Zeph wrapped his hands in gauze. It almost sounded on purpose, the painful edge lessening with every moan.

Finally zephyr stood up to look him in the eye. Their arms crossed, a frustrated red tint to their cheeks while ifrit gave them a shit eating grin. It was hard not to get lost in his eyes, no matter how distressed they were with the current situation. A warm orange red hue, like he contained the sun in his eyes himself. They were kind in nature, comforting and safe. Streaks of magma danced in his irises.

“You’re cute when you blush wisp.” Ifrit muttered, giving a quick glance down to their lips, before returning their eye contact.

This could feel the heat radiate off of him, hear how his breathing hadn’t slowed down even though Zeph had long since bandaged him up.

“Shut up”

Zephyr leaned into ifrit, using their arms to steady themself on the tub, before encapsulating his lips with theirs. They could feel ifrit smile into it, as if this was somehow his masterful plan all along. The motions were almost too easy as if they had been ingrained in both of them all along, fated to end up like this.

Their movements feel slow and sweet like molasses. Only opening their mouths to quickly take a gasp of air before diving back in for more. Ifrit grabbed at zephyrs shirt first, using the fabric as leverage to stand up and pull them closer. An air of passion surrounds them, like they’d die if they ever had to stop touching each other.

Ifrit carded a bandaged hand through zephyrs hair, tugging lightly at the white and gray strands. He bit along their lip as he backed them up into the sink, using the newfound control to lick into their mouth as they gasped with the sharp pin prick of pain in their scalp. Unconsciously ifrit moved his leg in between zephyrs, pressing onto their rapidly hardening cock through their jeans.

“Wait- Zeph, '' ifrit panted, pulling away to take a chance to catch his own breath, “is this what you want? Are you sure?

“I’m sure, please ifrit” zephyr pleaded. They already looked a mess, hair sticking up in all directions with kiss swollen lips.

“This is your first right? I just don’t want to-“

“If you don’t fuck me right now I will put the thorns back in your hands”

The message was received loud and clear as ifrit took his turn to drag zephyr wherever he wanted them to go. He pushed them onto their bed, taking a second to take in the image of the air ghoul beneath him.

The usually grumpy and semi aloof nature completely drained in favor of a look of desperation and want. The usual upkeep now turned disheveled in ifrits wake. If ifrit thought that Zeph wouldn’t tear him to shreds he would’ve taken a picture so that he could savor it for a lifetime.

“Is there something wrong?” Zephyr asked, brow furrowed in confusion as to why ifrit hadn’t climbed onto them already.

“I just think you’re beautiful Zeph”

Ifrit straddled zephyrs waist, leaning down to kiss them once again, just to savor the taste of their lips. A mix of mint and his own spice from moments ago. Large hands tugged at zephyrs clothing. It’s meant as a suggestion, only if zephyr wanted to actually expose themself for him.

Ifrit wants to be a gentleman so badly, to go slow and take care of zephyr like they did for him. Soft touches and careful looks to ensure that they still look needy and not like they had changed their mind at any point.

“Wait ifrit your hands-“ Zeph struggled as ifrit reached to palm at the front of their jeans. “Shit- you really shouldn’t-“

“Let me do this for you darling, I can handle a little pain”

Zephyr could see the blood seeping through the bandages as ifrit looked for permission to undress them. It was dizzying, a weird arousing fear at watching him remove their clothing with blood soaked palms. If all the blood from their brain wasn’t currently aching in their cock they probably would’ve made him stop so they could patch him back up again, but with the hungry look in ifrits eyes as he admired zephyrs naked body, they couldn’t bring themself to care.

“Am I the first that gets to see you like this wisp?” Ifrit rubbed his hands over zephyrs exposed thighs, pushing them up and open for himself to admire. “Am I the first that you’ve allowed to touch you properly?”

“Let me see you ifrit come on, don’t tease me” zephyr whined. They threw their hands over their face in an attempt to hide their blush.

“Relax, I’ll take care of you Angel”

Zephyr opened their eyes to watch ifrit undress in front of them. Slow with a bit of a cocky smirk like he knows exactly what he’s doing to Zeph. Miles of toned muscle beneath his shirt, just leaving on a chain necklace he rarely takes off. Zephyr could drool at the sight of it if they had any less dignity at the moment.

They gasped when ifrit finally unbuckled and shimmed out of his pants. He was big, a lot larger than anything Zeph had ever put inside themself. Their own cock twitched on their stomach the thought of ifrit being inside them.

“You seriously just had that with you?”

Ifrit had reached into the pocket of their discarded jeans to pull out a small bottle of lube, beaming at zephyr’s obvious distress at knowing this information.

“You never know when you’ll need it” he laughed

He dispensed a small dime size amount onto the tips of his fingers, rubbing them together to warm it up while he settled between zephyrs legs once again. Their thighs moved out of the way instinctively, giving room for ifrit to smear some of the lube around their rim.

“Gonna go slow, let me know if anything feels bad”

Zephyr almost whimpered in pure anticipation when ifrit finally pushed two fingers into their hole, giving them a second in case they needed to adjust, before slowly pumping them in and out in an attempt to work them open. Ifrit littered kisses alone zephs pale skin, worshiping any place on their body that he could reach. He had never seen zephyr so vulnerable. Completely spread out, almost begging for what they want, all just for him and no one else.

“You can give me more ifs, stretch me out wildfire”

“ Don’t want to hurt you” ifrit pulled his fingers out to add a third, slowly letting zephyrs hole stretch around them. It was a bit awkward as ifrit attempted to work around the bandages on his hands, but watching Zeph practically writhe around his fingers was reward enough for the bit of pain.

“You’re not going to hurt me, but I will hurt you if you don’t fuck me already” zephyr grumbled, thrusting their hips down to try and fuck themself on his hand.

“Just can’t wait for me to claim you huh? Mold you around my cock before anyone else can?” He practically growled, shoving zephyrs thighs up higher in order to line his cock up.

“Make me yours ifrit”

It took all of ifrits self control to not immediately shove his cock in zephyr at their words. He tried to go slow, watching as zephyrs mouth fell open and their eyes screwed shut at just the tip. They were fucking tight, warm and wet and perfect.

A high pitched whine escaped Zephyr's throat once ifrit bottomed out. They had never felt so full, there was a painful pleasure in the stretch as Zeph tried to breath and adjust to his size. Ifrit trailed more small kisses along their torso, waiting for a sign that they were alright.

“Move” Zeph whimpered. Ifrit rocked into them slowly, taking his time to really watch his air ghoul come undone beneath him. Zephyrs hands flew to claw at Ifrits back as he started moving in earnest, digging their nails in while their vision went blurry at the edges.

“Shit- ifrit fuck touch me please” their voice shook as they begged. Ifrit slipped his hand between their bodies to grab at zephyrs cock, stroking it in time with his own thrusts. They were wet, tip sticky with the pre that had dribbed down their shaft and onto their stomach. A pretty pool of arousal on their skin.

“Doing so well for me wisp, so fucking beautiful underneath me”

“Close” Zephyr gasped, attempting to rock their hips up into ifrits hand. A warm desperate feeling radiated through their stomach, tears forming on the tips of their eyelashes.

“Cum for me darling”

[zephsomething]

This is what I assumed

Y’all I just caught up on steeple chase? And I have 1 (one) question. Is Kyrstal (with a k) okay?

[sentientgolfball]

Ghoulette Appreciation: Week 4

This week I chose elemental practice

Read here or on Ao3

Word Count: 1132

Pairing: Mistshine

Summary: Mist reflects on her conversation with Ifrit when she gets an unexpected visitor.

In and out. 

Breathe. 

Just breathe. 

Every flutter of Mist’s gills releases a stream of bubbles that float up to the middle before popping. She’s been in the lake for a day, or was it two now? They didn’t count the minutes this time. The little chat with Ifrit didn’t go quite like she expected. 

Actually, that’s not right. It went exactly as she expected. That’s why they’re sitting at the very bottom of the lake now. Ifrit had been so excited for Mist. Zephyr had to keep him calm so he didn’t scorch them. He made her start from the beginning when he noticed how troubled Mist looked. She told him everything, not willing to leave one detail out in case it affected his advice. Occasionally through her retelling, Zephyr and Ifrit would make eye contact and smile at each other. The third time they did it Mist called them out, confused as to what they were doing. 

“Have I said something humorous?” 

“No you haven’t I’m sorry it’s just…this is really cute” Ifrit had laughed out. More of a giggle really. 

Zephyr then slapped his arm, though they were chuckling themselves. 

“What he means to say is you’re in love Mist. It’s very obvious.” 

“How can you be certain?” 

“Mist” Ifrit started “It took me a year and a half to work up the courage to tell Zeph how I felt. Trust me, I know love when I see it.” 

“That and we used to share a tour bus with Aether and Dew. It’s like second nature to be able to tell when a ghoul is pining now” Zephyr added.  

“Love” Mist tried the word on her tongue. 

It was after that conversation she dove into the lake. They were never one to run from problems, never one to sugarcoat, but she needed to this time. They needed to truly understand if this was what Ifrit said it was. They knew these things were delicate, that they took time. They were solitary, not an idiot. 

What worried them the most was how different Sunshine was from them. She was aptly named for the way she could brighten any room she walked into or how warm she could be. She was energetic and friendly and affectionate. She was everything Mist wasn’t. 

Mist was cold, preferring to be alone most of the time. They were aptly named too. They were called Mist because of the fog she could create. A fog so thick she was able to sneak up to Alpha and poison him with the barbs in her wrist. It was the first thing she did Topside, right out of the summoning circle. She was quiet and straightforward and rational. 

Sunshine deserved something more from a mate than a cold predator. 

Mist made her mind up in this underwater meditation. Once she truly determined this feeling deep in her chest was love, she was going to tell Sunshine right away so she could be rejected. So she could move on with her life. So she stopped feeling like she had no control over her own thoughts and feelings. 

The idea sent a pained feeling through her. She shuddered knowing this was not helping the case they made up in their own head. 

They were going to get up and swim around, stretch out their fins, but before they could they saw the flash of bioluminescence. They squinted up towards the source and quickly recognized Chain’s unique pattern. It wasn’t a hunting signal, no, he was trying to tell her something. 

You’ve got a visitor. 

Mist flashes a response back and starts swimming up to the surface. They breach the surface near the dock and search for Chain. What she sees instead is Sunshine sitting happily with her legs hanging off the dock. 

“Mist! Hi! Hey! You got up here really fast.” 

“Sunshine” Mist says with disbelief in her voice “what are you doing out here?” 

“I was looking for you. I had something to ask.” 

Every bioluminescent dot on her body lights up at once as her fins flare under the water. She keeps her expression as neutral as she can, waiting for Sunny to elaborate. Her stomach twists. 

“Will you teach me how to use water?” 

Mist’s gills flare letting out a sigh of relief under the surface. 

“If you truly wish, of course, but may I ask why? You excel with fire and air.” 

Sunny hesitates, almost looking surprised as the tip of her tail flicks in the water. 

“I don’t know. I’ve been really bored without everyone around. I figured if I’m gonna do something, at least I can be productive with it.” 

“That’s…very practical of you Sunshine.” 

She grins “So you’ll teach me?” 

“Gladly. What do you know about water magick?” 

“Uhhhh…nothing?” 

“Nothing?” Mist blinks.

Sunshine nods, chewing her lip. 

“Did Rain show you anything?” 

She shakes her head. 

“Swiss?” 

She shakes her head. 

“Dewdrop?” 

“I mean, he showed me some cool fire tricks.” 

“I see. I’ll have a word with them when they return. In the meantime, I’ll show you your first lesson.” 

“Oh! Okay! I didn’t expect to start right away but—“ 

Sunny is cut off as she springs up in the water. They grab her wrist and yank her into the lake. Sunny yelps when the cool water hits her. 

“What was that?” She sputters and laughs, coughing up water. 

“Lesson one, being one with the element you wish to invoke.” 

The two spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around the lake. Mist claimed it was for learning purposes, but Sunny wasn’t convinced. Sunshine didn’t complain, though. She couldn’t think of another time she’d seen Mist smile so much. She would live in this lake if it meant Mist would keep doing it. 

Eventually, though, the fire in her got tired. She crawled up and rested on the shore, sighing as she laid on the sun-warmed rocks. Mist followed as well, sliding up to sit next to her. They stayed like that, happily sitting in silence watching the little waves of the lake. Sunny finally stood when she felt the exhaustion settle into her bones. Mist stood up after her. 

“You don’t have to follow me back. I know you’ve been hanging out here for the past couple of days.” 

“I know” she simply replied. 

Sunny just smiled and laced her fingers with theirs. They walked back to the Ministry hand in hand, Sunshine filled the silence with whatever burning thoughts she had. Mist listened with rapt attention, nodding every so often. 

It was strange really. Normally physical touch made her skin crawl. She tended to avoid it unless she initiated it. Ifrit was truly the only one they felt comfortable enough allowing to touch first. 

Or at least, that’s what they thought.

[asterssunzephyr]

btw yall I cancelled stream today🧍 it'll be tmrw!'

[auraee]

- 𝕃𝕠𝕥𝕦𝕤. -

𝔸𝕔𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖.

✿ 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕣'𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕖 ~ It's finally done! I first started this in Febuary and now I'm offically finished with it! Writer's block (and crimpling doubt about my abilities towards my writing) had me in a chokehold for the past few months, but today I managed to shake it off a little and try and finish this once and for all. I did enjoy writing this for what it's worth though! Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments, I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Also, also, if you'd like to check out my other pieces some of which are pretty old as well as my current work check out my writing blog! It's linked here ↝ ✿ Also, also, also, if you like read act one and act two to this story first (I highly recommend you do that so this makes sense and so you can enjoy it at it's fullest) it's linked here! ↝ ✿ Act two is here ↝ ✿

✿ 𝖧𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀!

✿Tagging ~ @potofstewie @wanderingfaee @mitsuris-pussy @comatosebunny09 @cherrykamado @atobler19 @gingerspicelattemix @seimorponekami (you might all enjoy this!)

✿ ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖 ~ Never land - Zeph

✿ 𝔻𝕖𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 ~

𝕃𝕒𝕕𝕪-𝕚𝕟-𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ~ A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman.

ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 ~ is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century.

ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒𝕣𝕞𝕤 ~ A coat of arms is a symbol that represents a specific family or person. Originally appearing on shields or flags, coats of arms were once used as a way of distinguishing one knight from another on a battlefield.

𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕦𝕣𝕒 ~ Serradura dessert or Sawdust pudding is one of the easiest traditional Portuguese desserts to make. A crowd-pleaser, this simple no-bake Portuguese dessert is made with Maria biscuits, condensed milk, whipped cream, and vanilla extract.

𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕪 ~ These are sporting events in which two knights (or two groups of knights) jousted on horseback with blunted weapons, each trying to knock the other off, the winner receiving a prize.

𝔸𝕔𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 ~ 𝔸 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥.

“The air in here is wonderful, my lady.” 

 My gaze wandered the flowers in the conservatory. “I trust that you feel more at ease now, yes?”

_____ nodded, keeping her pace towards the flowers. She lifted  the hem of her dress to hop across the slim crystalline stream.

The Conservatory was beautiful during the day, but even more so during the night. Violet rays of the night danced along the stain-glass panes, flora here grew in abundance, contributing to the room’s romantic air. A collection of scents and colours formed the most beautiful piece of art, and _____ stood right in the middle of it all, having found her rightful place on the floral canvas. The moon’s eye fell on her teal gown, making it look as though it sparkled with moonlight with every step she took. 

I’d often find myself venturing here with the princess. She almost always seemed to be contemplating something when she did. Probably something political. Worry would dawn her doe-like eyes while her lips would curve to a weary pout.

I’d often find her staring quite intently at whatever bundle of flowers she was in front of. It was almost as though they’d suddenly jump up and scamper off if she wasn’t looking. 

 Her mother’s illness had deflated her. Leaving her with limited time to come to terms with being solely responsible for the future of our nation. I know that we have no control over when illness arises. It comes to everyone and that’s the truth but, in recent times ______ seemed so… lost. And when she’s lost, she’d decide to do the safest thing. The things she believed would make her court and the rest of the kingdom happy as crowned princess. 

She’d lose all sense of self and mimic her mother. 

I lingered a few metres behind my lady, wandering behind her as her knightly shadow while she watched the flowers as she did many times before. Perhaps talking to flowers was another ability she had that she never told me about. 

“Are you going to give me a reason why you left the festivities?” I asked, lending my weight on top of the beams of the central pavilion. 

Not lifting her gaze, _____ rolled her lips inward. She took a deep breath before she replied-

“I’d rather not, thanks.” 

Hm. 

“Do I have to pry it out of you then, your highness?”

_____ yanked her gaze away from the bundle of tulips. Her inky brows furrowed forming a cautionary bridge on her temple.

Well, I suppose that did it.

____ fiddled with her fingers. I watched her mind churn to choose the words she’d say next. “I’m… worried, Kyojuro.” She mumbled. “About the festival.”

I titled my head to the side. From what I could tell the event was going without incident. I remember from books written, that during the occasion the crowned royal must remain safe as the likelihood of attacks on the royal family tends to increase during the fourteen days of Lotus festival. I’ve had the knights under my command patrol the palace grounds long before the holiday began, thus leaving the responsibility of watching over the princess to myself, to counter any attempts to hurt her. Thankfully nothing has been reported to me, but I still refuse to let down my guard. …Perhaps it had something to do with her mother?

“I’m not quite sure… I understand my lady—” “Look up, Kyojuro!” _____ squeaked, her heels creating creaking sounds from her pacing. “The sign from the gods still hasn’t come yet! Was my offering not good enough? What if they don’t rekindle our promise? What then?!” 

Under the eye of the moon, _______ took another shaky breath in. Her eyes looked as though they were made of glass. Brittle and twinkling with the threat of tears.

I suppose that the sign was taking a while, but I don’t imagine it made much difference to her mother when she made the offering at the previous gala. Besides, we were still ways away from sunrise. 

I wish she didn’t doubt herself like that, nor that she’d hide within herself whenever she was troubled. 

I have been trying to make sure that she knows that she could confide in me whenever she needed to and it’s worked somewhat, but still. I need to try harder, for her sake.

 “You know, your highness. I’ve also experienced similar worries.” I said. 

_____ paused and stared. 

“Well, not exactly like yours— l-let me explain.” I cleared my throat. “I believe that you and I are not so different in some regards. The legacy my forefathers left behind long ago is now left to me to uphold. To strive to be even half the pillars they were requires tremendous amounts of work.”

That’s right. This sense of duty was embedded into my mind since childhood. To keep the Rengoku lineage alive, to have our name continue to bask in honour as it has done now for thousands of years. While my father was away, my mother would tell me and my then baby brother, stories of my father and grandfather and their duties to the kingdom. From the ventures made alongside comrades to the timeless battles fought for the kingdom… It was all fascinating. Over time I began to see my journey towards knighthood more clearly. I’d ask my father to train whenever he was home. There were occasions where I remember catching the slightest hint of hesitation in my father’s eyes.

I don’t think it was that he didn’t believe in me, no, it was more so that he was worried. 

Just as there was a sense of accomplishment on the path to becoming one of the pillars to the crown, there were hardships as well. 

Not returning home being one.

I wanted to assure my family that I had what it took and put my all into my training. So when I signed up and rose the ranks nigh effortlessly, my family was thrilled— I was thrilled. Through the trials I had made friends. They were both my brothers and sisters in arms. We had experienced so much together and with being much younger then, we thought we were unstoppable. 

Until about seven years ago.

There was an attack on three of the western outposts. Treasure hoarders. Supposedly, an informant had told them there were goods not yet transported further into the kingdom to be found there if they’d look. Their operation was intricate, reasonably thought out. Prior to making their assault, they knocked out most of the patrol guards if not killing them. 

After having caught light of the situation at the western border, we made haste. Though it happened so long ago, I remember the chain of events like it had occurred moments ago. Chaos. A spiralling storm of flame, bloodshed and death. Before the mania of it all, someone failed to inform us of something. There had been a third party. Lingering in the shadows, they took advantage of the distraction and went in search of the item. So not only did we lose most of our siblings in arms, we failed to keep the treasured goods safe. 

Something my father told me plagued my mind weeks after the incident. 

“Your friends… who laughed and drank with you the day before— are likely to end up dead the next.”

The incident brought about questions that I hadn’t thought about during my youth. I realised that my father was right. This line of work has no shortage of loss and mourning, and only those who could endure it all would be given the title of pillar. 

“I see… I’m sorry you had to experience that while so young, Kyojuro.” _____ said. Her eyes flickered away. “It must’ve been horrible…”

Earnesty dwelled in the princess’s voice, spreading its warmth around the confines of my heart.

“I decided to tell you that story because I wanted you to know that we are both bound by duty and we share instances where we wonder if we’re good enough, if we could ever hold a candle to those who came before us.”

_______ hummed. No larger than a wind spirit, a tune sent away to lands unknown. Warmth continued to radiate from her a smile replacing the threat of tears.

“Over time,” I continued. “I had to learn to trust in myself and in my abilities just as much as the loved ones who supported me did. What I thought of as flaws were just unique traits that required nurturing, so don’t sell yourself short. You’re far more capable than you know! Look at what you’ve done so far? Why do you choose to forget what amazing things you’ve done already?”

Perhaps this was inappropriate, but in the moment it didn’t seem to matter. 

I held ____’s hands. Not particularly surprised at how much smaller and softer they felt in mine. Music from the festivities slithered in through window panes, its melody feathery and light due to our distance from its source.

“Would… you like to dance, your highness?” 

The princess’ smile faltered a little, her gaze scurrying away to a shrub growing not far from where we stood. “Ah, I’m not sure about that, apologies for my humming. That might have given me away.”

“I don’t see the need for apologies! Surely, you know how to dance, no?”

______ giggled, raising her hand to my shoulder. “Well, my good knight, I’ll have you know that I have two left feet, so this dance won’t be as gracious as you think it will be.”

I grinned. “Ah, well, your highness I’ll have you know that I have two right feet, so I think we’ll balance each other perfectly.”

“Didn’t you mention that you were taught when you were young?” 

“Well, yes— but never mind that!”

“Mhm... right, right.”

Our fingers intertwined, my other hand cupped the princess’s clothed waist. There was a moment’s pause before I began leading our dance. My movements were slow at first, deliberate so I could get a gauge on her highness’ skill for dance. The tender flow of music effortlessly took us both.  _______’s eyes remained fixed on her feet, following my movements with utmost focus. It was difficult to hold back a chuckle.

Another endearing quality to her highness.

Together we made our way around the conservatory, twirling around the display of lush flora the royal family has preserved for centuries. Our bodies rocked in toe with the music, under a floral arch, then another and another. In time, the princess gained confidence in her movements and lifted her gaze. Mesmerising is the way I’d describe them. Enamoring me the way gold and jewels would capture and enchant a covetous dragon. Enticing it with its glow to never let it out of its sight. 

Why… am I having such thoughts?

She is to be queen one day and I am her guard. I shouldn’t be thinking about her gaze, or her star lit smile or her touch. 

She’d far… far sooner be interested in another man of similar calibre and love him.

Yes... that’s right. 

She should love a man deserving of her grace. Someone who’d keep her safe, adore her oddities, make her laugh…

She… shouldn’t settle for anything less.

Sharpness of a pointed object punctured my lungs, carving a bloody path to my heart. A dragged exhale left me, my lips rolled inward only to spill out a small chuckle moments later to _____’s  playful antics. 

I musn’t crack— not in front of her.

“Oh my, Kyojuro look! T-the goddesses! They’ve responded!” ______ squealed, elation enveloping her every feature. 

When my gaze reached the sky there they were— the approval of the gods. Streaks of seafoam and coral coloured light paved the inky skies. Curving and bending like rivers of magic, winding their way into my soul and granting me with a sense of peace that was unfamiliar to me. The pace of my heart quickened when I finally took my gaze from the skies and gazed over at my lady. I was glad that her attention was fixated on the light display in the sky because I was sure that the warmth in my cheeks was probably bright enough to compete with it.

“I… did it. Didn’t I?” She finally spoke.

“Yes your highness, you did.” I said, offering her a smile. “You should be proud—”

Before I could finish, _____ leapt into my arms, coiling her arms around my neck while burying her face at its juncture. I could feel her smile on my skin. For a moment I stood motionless, my hands at my sides before I steadily guided them to her waist to hold her.

Must she make this so pain-stakingly difficult?

“M-my lady, please. I understand you’re happy, but you surprised me….” I gulped, my hands descended ever so slightly. “You shouldn’t jump into people’s arms like that!”

Supposedly amused, _____ chuckled, whispering a candy laced apology to my tender warm ears, effortlessly lodging all of my muscles into place. 

I don’t know how much longer I can take this.

“B-but as I was saying,” I continued. “I believe you should be proud of yourself and your efforts. Clearly, your worry was misplaced.” 

_____ pulled finally away from me. Regret stirred in my stomach as she parted from me, but I quickly squashed it. 

“Yes… perhaps it was.” She began, her face now filled with ease. “Do you hear it, Kyojuro?”

“Hear what, my lady?”

“The citizens, for one.” _____ smiled, placing her hand on her heart. “Their happiness makes me happy. But if you listen close, you’ll hear something else. A melody— different from the one at the ball, playing just for the two of us.

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❀ 𝔸𝕟 𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕖 ⚘ ꕤ 𝕀𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 ⚘ ❁ 𝕊𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕠𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕟

[castielafflicted]

dune movies are too long for my adhd to be unmedicated. or for me to be sober.

[cristalin-league-official]

Double Time: Aug. 31, 2024, at the Aventurine City Concert Venue

[@discoindahouse @tobias-the-legend]

The stream starts on an empty venue. The camera is pointed at the stage from an aisle seat near the back, but it's zoomed in enough to be clear. People slowly start filing into the seats, most passing by the camera. Notable guests include Nat, who sits right next to the camera, Zeph, who moves down to the front row while chatting with someone, and Posy, wearing wireless headphones of some kind. About twenty minutes pass of people arriving before the opener steps out onto the stage.

They're a pretty good pop band, of a similar style to Double Time's previous work, but they're not what anyone came here for. Throughout the handful of songs they play, people continue to arrive. They get a respectable applause, and head offstage.

A keyboard, drum set, and several microphones are moved onto the stage.

Two or three minutes later, the spotlights turn to center stage as someone new steps out. He has short pink and purple hair, and is dressed in a fancy-looking stage outfit and holding a bass guitar. He waves to the crowd, tapping his mic to make sure it's on. "Hey, everyone! Nice to see you all here, whether you're in the stadium with us or watching at home! My name's Finn, as you probably know. We've got a new set for you all tonight, so... let's just get to it! This is Double Time!" The audience gives an uproarious cheer as the three other members of Double Time run on. Wyatt is holding his guitar, and the other two run up to their respective instruments.

Finn smiles. "This first one is the titular song from our new album, Glass Slipper! Jett, whenever you're ready."

Jett, the drummer, counts in, and then everyone starts playing. Almost immediately, something in Wyatt's expression subtly changes, but it's hard to figure out what.

The lyrics come in, Finn singing while he plays, and then, seconds later...

Wyatt stops. The guitar line completely cuts, in the middle of a measure.

Wyatt himself looks like he's about to throw up.

The audience is staring, their cheers all but silenced, and the band stops a beat later. Finn flicks off the microphones, and says something to Wyatt.

Wyatt responds, and puts his guitar down, leaving the stage. The crowd starts mumbling (though the stream picks up very little of it), confused and worried in various measures.

Finn turns the mics back on. "There's been some... technical difficulties. Wyatt's fine, but we'll need to reschedule. Refunds will be issued at the gate, or you can keep your ticket for next time. Please remain seated until further notice. Um, Nat, could you-?"

The stream abruptly cuts.

[violet-moonstone]

from the chapter im working on (spoilers for the end)

please enjoy nuffink and zephyr being the most precious children in the world

“She thinks I’m a baby,” Nuffink insisted. “That’s why she’s always worried about me.”

Zephyr scoffed. “No,” she said, with something sharp and impatient in her voice. “It’s because you’re her favourite.”

Despite himself, Nuffink laughed. “What?”

Zephyr looked a little surprised by her own words. “I-I didn’t mean to…I just…Nuffink, it’s not like I’m angry at you about it, but it’s obvious that she likes you more.”

Nuffink laughed again. Suddenly he was overcome by giggles even as tears streamed down his face. 

“...Nuffink?” Zephyr asked. “Are…are you…okay?”

Nuffink shook his head. “I’m not her favourite, Zeph. You are.”

“What the Hel are you talking about?” Now it was Zephyr’s turn to laugh. “I’m never good enough for her—never perfect enough.”

“She thinks you can be perfect because you’re like her. You’re strong.”

Zephyr’s eyes grew wide. “I—that’s not—” She began, but stopped herself, clearly thinking about the situation differently for the first time.

Nuffink continued as he wiped his face. “She doesn’t ask me to be perfect. She doesn’t even bother because she knows I’m not good enough.” 

His words hung in the air, and the two were quiet for a while, looking out at the dark horizon. The lap of waves filled the silence until Zephyr finally responded.

When she did, it sounded like she was going to cry as well. “That’s not true, Nuffie. You know that’s not true.”

“It is,” he said. He looked down as more tears welled up in his eyes. This time, he didn’t try to stop them—just allowed them to roll down his cheeks and drip from the tip of his nose.  He felt Zephyr’s arm stretch around him. He didn’t hug her back, but sat still, allowing himself to be held.

“It’s true,” he insisted again, quietly. “You’re the favourite. Ma likes you because you’re brave. Da and Gran like that you’re fun. And I’m…I’m just here. No one likes me, they just love me because they have to.”

Zephyr squeezed him tight and rested her head against his. “Nuh-uh, Nuffink.”

“Uh-huh.”

She sighed. “Well…guess what? You’re my favourite.”

Nuffink laughed quietly. “I’m your only sibling, so that doesn’t count.”

“You’re not just my favourite sibling. You’re my favourite person. You’re my favourite in the whole world.”

More tears spilled from Nuffink’s eyes. He hugged his sister back. When he spoke, his voice was muffled. “You’re my favourite too.”

And for a little while, Nuffink wanted to disappear just a tiny bit less.

[morningstarzine]

TEAM INTRODUCTIONS

Moderators

Our moderators are a dedicated team managing and organising the zine. If you have any questions about the zine itself, we're here to help.

Ellis Benji (she/her) is the zine's organiser and art mod. She's a playful multimedia illustrator & general creative, and an enthusiastic (if busy) zine participant. She's contributed to Hermitzine 8, Trafficzine 5, and Bdubszine, as well as moderating professional wrestling fanzine Moonsault.

You can find her at @shootingst4rpress, or on her beloved website, https://shootingstarpress.xyz/. Her favourite Minecraft Youtuber is FalseSymmetry.

Zephaniah Grains (it/they) is the writing mod for this zine! It's also a writer, ttrpg designer, and stage manager. On the fandom projects front, it production manages and vocal directs the From The Archives podfic project, wrote for and edited the Scarland Artbook, and contributed writing to both Hermitzine 8 and Trafficzine 4. And is modding a few other zines-in-the-works! Keep an eye out.

Zeph doesn't have any social media, but you can find its writing on its cowriter's ao3 account, Sixteenthdays. It has normal feelings about Minecraft Youtuber ZombieCleo.

A10 (he/she) is the social media and art mod! She is a french animation student that probably spends more time working on zines than school assignments. His previous projects include modding the 8th edition of Hermitzine, and participating in many other mcyt zines as a contributor.

You can find him as some variation of @boxbug on most platforms: tumblr, instagram, and youtube. Picking a favorite is hard, but in terms of watch time it is, without a doubt, Pearlescentmoon!

Marzo (she/her) is the editing and layout mod for Morning Star. As a professional graphic designer, she loves bringing design elements into the illustration-dominated MCYT fandom space, especially within group projects like zines! Her zine experience spans several mcyt fandoms, including Hermitcraft with Hermitzine, DSMP with SAFEGUARD, MCC with the Winner’s POV zine, the Life Series with Trafficzine, and Empires with Empiropedia.

You can find her art and design on her tumblr, as well as her writing on Ao3. She’s decided to pick Stressmonster up and put her in her pocket. She’s not currently willing to share.

Watt Volt (he/its) is a writing mod and a finance mod for Morning Star. Self-described as an amateur poet, he loves all things literature! This, of course, includes dedicated fanworks, whether that be prose, poetry, or even theorizing and long-form discussions. You might recognize it from the Hermitzine mod team as the writing mod there, too!

You'll find him over on tumblr or twitter, but it's prone to scuttling under a rock when approached. (Bring a piece of paper that has the name "ivorycello" on it and it'll be more than happy to see you!

Bax (He/She) is a finance mod for Morning Star. He has a passions for illustration, graphic design, cosplay, print production, and of course, project organization! Currently, Bax is also running The Hermit Arcana: a Hermitcraft Tarot Card Zine, and has contributed/is contributing to zines such as the MCSR Tarot zine and Hermitcraft Season Zine.

You can find him on tumblr and twitter, and he also sometimes streams on twitch! He’s a huge fan of ZombieCleo and her very normal, very comfy recording setup.

Experts

The MCYT fandom is big, so our Experts assist the moderators with knowledge about the many fandoms we feature.

Blods (she/they) is the Aimsey consultant for Morning Star. They are a hobby artist with a love of horror, medieval literature and portraiture. They have previously worked on Hermitzine 8 and the Scarland Artbook, she was also commissioned by Aimsey to create a poster for their project, “Hope for an endless sunset”.

You can find Blods yelling about Aimsey’s various projects, QSMP, hermits and the Welsh language on twitter and tumblr. They promise to be very normal if you ask them about the ARG variants of Guqqie and Aimsey.

Rott (he/him) is the QSMP consultant for this zine. He is a video editor and rpg/podcast enthusiast who dedicates a lot time to watching VODs in languages he may or may not understand! While this is his first zine, he is the sound director of From The Archives, a Hermitcraft podfic project.

You can occasionally find him on twitter but he's mostly lurking in the shadows of qsmpblr and can be summoned for the low low price of mentioning vampires (he promises not to bite). Favorites are hard but he just thinks oiBagi and f1nn5ter are neat :)

Elo (she/her) is the Dsmp consultant for this zine. She's an animation student who is way too busy to be active on social media. Somehow, she's still an active anon on Tumblr for Tina <3. She spent a good chunk of her adult years watching every possible Dsmp lore point of view to create theories and is now in retirement, only helping to make statistics for competitive mc events.

If you want to force her to talk, ask her about animation, Tina, Sylvee, or even Hannah, she may come out of hiding.