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prince-kallisto · 7 months

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Mirror Chamber Analysis: Altars, Offerings, and Diasomnia’s Mirror

I haven’t seen many people- or anybody actually but I could be mistaken- talk about the dorm mirrors in the Mirror Chamber. A huge thank you to @serenitystarrie for compiling all these images together!!

Seeing all the mirrors together instantly reminded me of ofrendas home altars with offerings for our passed loved ones. Although they typically involve food, photos, flowers, and candles, what drew the similarity in my mind were the specific items strewn around the mirror. Why? Because ofrendas also leave sentimental gifts/personal items related to what the person had in life. For example, if an ofrenda was for a child, their favorite toys and clothes may be on the altars. The four elements of fire, air, water, and earth (Avatar moment haha) can also be represented through these ofrendas as well, through the candles, papel picado, food, and glasses of water or a wash basin.

Twisted Wonderland is a Japanese game though, so maybe it’s based off the butsudan, a Buddhist home altar with a similar idea to an ofrenda. Although butsudan’s have become less common over time, they’re seen often in Japanese media. They often have candles, incense, and food, and are home to a Buddhist statue as well as honoring passed family members. The idea of an altar is present across several cultures and religions.

But do you all see the pattern I’m seeing?? Candles, offerings, steps that look like an altar, and the shape of the mirrors…it all looks like an altar for the dead. If this is intentional, it’s yet another insanely clever way TWST repeats the death imagery.

Heartslabyul has various types of mushrooms and interestingly enough, a BOOK in front of the mirror. The book looks to be made out of stone which makes sense, but a book is very interesting. Nearly all of these classic Disney stories are based off a fairytale/book, but only the Heartslabyul dorm has a book to represent Alice in Wonderland. Hm…also, all the visible cards framing the mirror are all Ace cards.

Savanaclaw has bones- perhaps representing the elephant graveyard in the Lion King? The claw marks around the wall are super interesting to me, because it seems to represent Scar’s spirit a lot more obviously. Haha, I can just imagine Crowley scratching up the walls to get this vibe. It’s also interesting that the “candles” are not on the walls like the others, but instead are right on the steps leading to the mirror. It looks a bit more sacrificial that way- perhaps representing the King of Beast’s “sacrifices” as king and the spirit of Persistence? It may also be a reference to how Scar was burned alive at the end of the movie haha

Octavinelle’s mirror was actually the one I saw that reminded me of ofrendas, and I connected the rest from there! I love the variety of items left here: corals, seashells, stones, starfish. The frame is also incredibly intricate, including Ursula’s tentacles, her shell necklace that took Ariel’s voice, and her two eels. The idea of someone purposefully gathering these seashells as an offering feels very sweet to me.

I really love how “rigid” the frame of Scarabia’s mirror is though! All the other mirrors keep a round shape except this one. It’s fascinating that Scarabia is based off the Sorcerer’s “mindfulness” and meticulous planning, but their mirror is the most boxed in and rigid. I love the sand and the domes- I thin it would’ve been really cute to have scarab beetles in the sand too! The candles/lamp for Scarabia is very intricate as well.

Pomefiore’s mirror obviously had to be gorgeous haha. The crystals, perhaps representing the Dwarf’s mine, are a really interesting choice. I would’ve thought of apples, but I think the crystals elevate the elegant vibe. The emphasis on the peacock for Pomefiore is yet another interesting thing to me. The Evil Queen had a Peacock Throne, but it was very subtle and just decor. But TWST seems to put a lot of emphasis on the peacock, even using the peacock in this frame representing the Evil Queen holding the poison apple. If you look closely, the peacock also wears a pendant similar to the Evil Queen’s jewels. I’m also just very delulu, but the peacock’s face looks like a mask to me haha…Crowley hours

Ironically enough, Ignihyde, the dorm with the most connection to death, does not have a mirror so far. Do they?? Please let me know if they do! We hardly ever get to see the Ignihyde dorm at all, asides from Idia’s room, so I can’t remember a moment where we’ve gone through the Ignihyde mirror. It doesn’t show up in the big portrait of the mirror chamber either.

However, Diasomnia does…and I WAS SHOOK AT WHAT I SAW

OKAY YES WE SEE DRAGON WINGS BUT??? ARE THISE TWO CROSSES NEXT TO THE MIRROR??? LIKE. CROSSES IN CHRISTIAN LORE THAT REPRESENT SUFFERING, SACRIFICE, AND RESURRECTION? SOMETIMES USED AS SYMBOLS FOR THE DEAD EVEN IN JAPANESE MEDIA? IN TWISTED WONDERLAND WHERE RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM IS EVERYWHERE? THOSE TYPE OF CROSSES? UM. WHO DESIGNED THIS MIRROR I JUST WANT TO TALK. Because. Are those two crosses meant to represent somebody?

No but seriously what is that?? Swords? If they’re swords that’s…a very cruel piece of imagery lmao…

Crowley. If you had anything to do with these mirror chamber designs I will strangle you fr BECAUSE WHAT IS THAT

#I am the embodiment of that one audio ‘oh my god what is that!’ because FR WHAT IS THAT #twisted wonderland #twst #twst theory #twst analysis #twst heartslabyul #twst savanaclaw #twst octavinelle #twst scarabia #twst pomefiore #twst ignihyde #twst Diasomnia #twst meleanor draconia #kallistopost

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harvestleaves · 1 month

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Seen and Heard

Summary: Tommy likes to think of himself as very observant. So when Buck has an asthma attack while staying over, he takes care of him. Not knowing that was something Buck has desperately needed.

Rating: T, for occasional swearing.

Word Count: 1, 847

A/N: After Thursday's episode, I'm back on my 9-1-1 bs! So here's Buck and Tommy having a soft, tender moment. The fic can also be read here on Ao3.

Tommy was observant, more or less.

Sure, he initially thought that Buck was simply jealous when it came to his friendship with Eddie. But, after he and Buck had started to go on more dates, he was able to pick up on the other man's quirks. Like how he loved to ramble on about some new fact or another, and how he looked almost dejected when others didn't find it as cool. Or how Buck seemed to melt under his touch, and how the softest smile graced the younger man's face every time Tommy pulled back from kissing him.

So after the first few times of being over at Buck's apartment, and seeing more than just the kitchen, of course, he noticed the inhalers. How there was one in the bathroom cabinet when he needed some Tylenol one night. And how Buck also had one hidden in his nightstand. That one he discovered after one of their make-out sessions had started to turn into more and he needed the condoms. Not to mention the one Buck had in his work bag, the bag he usually brought whenever he stayed over.

Despite noticing these important things, Buck still hadn't mentioned his asthma. Not that Tommy would have cared if he did want to keep it a secret. He was allowed to have his privacy. He was just a little surprised though considering how soft Buck always was when it was just the two of them and how much more open and vulnerable he seemed in the weeks that they had been seeing each other.

He shoved that nugget of knowledge to the back of his brain for later though, almost forgetting about it until Buck came to stay the night at his place after a particularly exhausting shift. They both had the following day off, a rare occurrence for the pair, but Tommy wanted to make the most of it, even when Buck fell asleep early in bed, the two just watching a movie to relax. Buck's head was settled on his chest, blinking back tiredness for a solid fifteen minutes before he finally gave in and fell asleep.

Yawning himself, Tommy gently ran his fingers through Buck's hair to relax his boyfriend into a deeper sleep and reached over to turn off the lamp next to his bed along with the TV. Sleep quickly came for him, completely unaware to Buck stirring in his arms.

——————————–

Buck couldn't remember when he fell asleep, but the exhaustion from his shift, coupled with the fact that he was pretty sure he caught a chest cold, had made sure he was asleep well before midnight. That didn't explain however why he woke up at 1:30 in the morning feeling like an elephant was sitting on his chest. Slowly pulling himself back from Tommy, Buck reached over to the side table next to the bed, instinctually grabbing for the drawer where he would normally keep his inhaler. Except when he opened the drawer, all he felt was air and then he remembered. He was at Tommy's, and he definitely didn't put his spare inhaler in his jacket pocket last night after he finished up his shift.

Blinking back a few tears that threatened to fill his eyes, Buck moved to sit up and looked over to where Tommy was sleeping soundly and he bit his bottom lip, shakily taking a breath through his nose to calm himself. Logically, he knew that getting upset would do his breathing no good, but he felt at a loss of what to do, not wanting to risk waking Tommy up to bother him.

Tommy stirred as Buck's warm body pulled away from him and he groaned, rolling over to sleepily feel for Buck's waist to pull him back to his chest. He scrunched his face up in confusion as his hand met the still warm bed sheets. Followed by, the leg of Buck's sweatpants? Something that usually wouldn't be up towards the head of the bed.

Opening his eyes to the darkness of his bedroom, Tommy squinted before his eyes adjusted and he saw Buck's silhouette, the shape accentuated by the moonlight as the other's hand came up to press against his chest. Worry creased Tommy's forehead as he moved to sit up, reaching a hand out to Buck's shoulder as his ears finally registered the wheezes and how Buck's shoulders seemed to rise and fall rapidly.

"Evan? Babe, what's going on?" Tommy asked, keeping his voice gentle as he leaned across Buck to click on the side table lamp.

"Sh-shit. I'm sorry, I didn't want to w-wake you," Buck wheezed, his eyes slowly adjusting to the bright light that was now in the room before his eyes met Tommy's unable to stop a tear that worked it way down his cheek at the soft look of concern on the other's face.

"Based off your appearance, I think you should have woken me up. That's a conversation for later though. Do you have your inhaler on you?" Tommy asked, reaching up to wipe the tear from Buck's cheek with the pad of his thumb, before he glanced around for the bag Buck had brought with him and spotted it over near the bedroom door.

"M-maybe one in my bag? I think I left it at home though," Buck whispered, taking another shaky breath through his nose as Tommy nodded before pushing himself up to grab Buck's bag. He had honestly forgotten about the inhaler he normally kept in his bag until Tommy asked, the other man's presence calming him in a way no previous partner had. He felt seen. Taken care of as Tommy set the bag down at the foot of the bed and started going through it with precision, locating the inhaler easily in the small front pocket, almost as if he'd seen Buck place it there.

Giving the inhaler a shake, Tommy sat back down next to Buck and held it out to him. "Do you need my help? Or have you got it?" Tommy asked, not wanting to overstep boundaries as Buck took the inhaler, shaking it one last time before he took a breath.

Buck let his eyes fall shut as he focused on slowing his breathing down, letting the medication do it's job. The feeling of a hand over his own made the tension melt from his shoulders and he gently squeezed Tommy's hand back.

"I'm going to grab you some water. Just focus on your breathing. I'll be right back Evan."

Buck pouted as he watched Tommy leave the room, not caring that his mouth did feel dry from the albuterol, he just wanted Tommy to hold him, kiss his hair, make everything feel better.

Stepping back into the room with a glass of water, Tommy frowned at how dejected Buck looked and walked back towards the bed. He set the water on the night stand before sitting down on the edge near Buck's knees, tilting his boyfriend's chin up to look at him.

"What's going though that head of yours? You look like a kicked puppy," Tommy said, pressing a soft kiss to Buck's forehead, making a mental note of the warmth he was radiating.

The kiss was apparently Buck's breaking point as he felt the tears overflow and he pressed his face against Tommy's neck, the other man's arms wrapping tightly around Buck to hold him close, dropping his chin onto the top of Buck's head to be the steady presence he needed.

Tommy just held Buck, letting him cry the much needed feelings out of his body before the younger man sniffled and shakily pulled back.

"S-sorry for all of that," Buck whispered, his throat even drier from crying as Tommy reached around him for the glass of water he'd set down.

"You don't need to apologize. Not for the asthma attack, and definitely not for the crying. You were scared, it's understandable," Tommy said as he guided the cup up to Buck's mouth so he could take a sip.

"H-how did you know? About the asthma? And where I keep my inhaler? I never actually told you anything," Buck asked after a few drinks of water. His breathing still had a slight whistle to it, and he contemplated taking a second breath of medicine, but he was more curious at the moment.

"I guessed about the asthma after I saw the inhaler in your bathroom, that night I had a headache. And then when I found the one in your nightstand," Tommy explained, gently running his fingers through Buck's hair soothingly as he studied the other's face. "I am curious though. Why didn't you tell me? You know I wouldn't have judged you, or thought anything less of you, right?"

Buck blushed, about to shrug before he changed his mind and bit his lip, thinking over his next words carefully.

"I've never been this vulnerable with a partner before. Had someone treat me with such softness, such care. I didn't tell you because I've never mentioned it to any of my exes and they never asked either, so it felt almost insignificant," he paused, taking another sip of water before he looked back at Tommy.

"But when I woke up just now, unable to breathe, all I wanted to do was wake you up, have you hold me, tell me everything was going to be okay. You make me feel cared for. Wanted."

"And that scares you? Being cared for?" Tommy asked, tilting his head as studied Buck's face.

"Yeah. Because with so many people, it has felt like their love was conditional. Like I'm only worthy if I'm of use to others and can do something for them, fix something. But you just like me for me, and it's scary. Up until recently I had no clue what all of me entailed, and you just accepted it with open arms. Fuck, I'm gonna cry again," Buck sniffed as he reached up to rub more tears from his face, Tommy reaching out to cup his cheek.

"Evan, feeling this way is a good thing. This is what a healthy relationship should feel like. You should feel loved, you deserve to feel loved. You are worthy of love. And I am so sorry that anyone made you feel less than that. I love you." Tommy pressed a kiss to Buck's temple, right over his birthmark before glancing over at the clock, now reading almost 2:30 in the morning.

"We should probably head back to bed if you're feeling ready. Or I can put a movie on if you just want to lay here and cuddle for a while. It's up to you. I move at your pace."

"Movie and cuddling sound great," Buck nodded as he watched Tommy grab the remote, setting his inhaler down on top of the nightstand before he wriggled his way under the sheets again and pressed himself close to Tommy. As the movie started, Buck watched Tommy's face before turning his head to kiss him.

"I love you too by the way."

#evan buckley #tommy kinard #buck x tommy #911 fanfic #911 fic #911 abc #bucktommy

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ellieluvr420 · 4 months

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We meet again, darling pt.9 (detective Abby Anderson x criminal reader)

Synopsis: Abby Anderson is a skilled detective that's never let a criminal escape her grasp, until you. You've infiltrated every part of her life and she still can't get you. As she grows more and more intrigued by you she finds herself descending further into darkness until there's no way back. She takes your hand and follows you as if your presence is the only thing giving her life knowing that you are the most dangerous thing for her. Her life will never be hers again and she will stop at nothing to keep following you down your path of corruption.

SMUT, mdni please xox

After you had kicked Abby out Saturday morning, she spent basically her whole weekend in bed. She had been so anxious about Ellie, you, her job, everything, she felt sick to her stomach. It was Sunday evening when you knocked on her door.

"So you do know how to knock?"

"I knew you were in and I didn't want to reveal how I get in when you aren't."

"Right."

"You going to help me out and let me in or leave me standing out here all night?" You were holding Abby's suit which you had had dry cleaned, some takeout and your bag, you were sure you had about 2 minutes before everything crashed to the floor.

"Sorry." She opens the door and grabs the suit and takeout from you before stepping aside to let you in. She kicks the door shut behind you and puts the suit down to lock the door. "You brought food?"

"Yeah I figured you might want a taste of the outside world since I've had you cooped up for the weekend. If you're good I might take you on a walk later." She can't see your face but she knows you're smiling to yourself.

"You're hilarious. Food smells good though, thank you."

"It's okay." You sit down on her couch and wait for her to join you with the food. As you're waiting you look around the room. The walls were a bright off white colour and there was a warm light lamp with a simple grey shade standing in the corner next to the tv on the opposite wall to where the couch sits. She had a black wooden coffee table in front of the couch with a grey rug that matched the lamp. The couch was comfortable, squishy and black with grey accent cushions. You expected the monotone colour scheme from her really but you did notice the plants and decorations that added colour to the room. Her apartment was nice, clean and homey, you felt comfortable there.

"You judging my interior design?"

"The opposite actually, I had never really noticed it but your apartments very nice."

"Oh, thanks." You nod and start ripping open the takeout bag and laying all the food on the table. You waste no time in digging in as between all of the things you've had to do over the weekend you haven't had a chance to eat a proper meal since your dinner with Abby.

"Holy fuck this is good." Abby sighs and leans back as she continues eating.

"Mhmm" You agree through a mouth full of food. She chuckles at you and you laugh with her but you decide now is the time to address the elephant in the room.

"I'm sorry for blowing up at you like that yesterday."

"It's okay, really."

"No please let me finish, I planned my speech and everything." Abby nods her head, signalling you to continue. "I panicked. I'm used to hiccups, that's life. But I'm not used to hiccups involving the cops and it scared me. Regardless, accidents happen and I know you weren't being careless, I forget that not everyone is used to how careful you have to be with these things so I hold everyone to my standard and that isn't fair on you. So I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Abby stays quiet for some time, pretending to contemplate whether she should until she smiles and pulls you into a bone-crushing hug. "You know for a second there you actually seemed human."

"Don't insult me." Your words came out muffled as she is still firmly holding you to her chest. You slap her shoulder as you start struggling to breathe. She laughs and lets you go. "But Abby, this cannot happen again. I dealt with the problem this time but it might not be so easy to fix next time. I mean I don't even know for sure if the problems fixed. Depends how smart your little friend is."

"Williams? What do you mean?"

"I paid her a visit."

"Andddd?"

"I didn't hurt her. Just threatened everyone that she loves and paid her for her silence."

"Oh my god."

"What?! It had to be done."

"So she knows about all of this?" She points a finger between you two.

"Errr not exactly. She knows we're... associates and that you're working for me but she doesn't know what we're doing, although I'm sure it won't take her long to figure it out when we start mission take over." Abby rolls her eyes at the use of the name and then raises an eyebrow.

"I work for you? I thought we were partners."

"I don't have partners, Abby. But if I did you'd be pretty close."

"Gee, thanks."

"That was a compliment darling."

"Your compliments don't often sound like compliments." She leans into you, looking you up and down and stopping to stare at your lips.

"I can only be so nice." You lean in further, tucking a piece of hair behind Abby's ear as your other hand threads its way through her soft, blonde waves, tugging a little. Abby presses her lips to yours in a sweet kiss that soon turns hungry and rough as she slips her tongue in your mouth to dance with yours. She tugs on the top of your thigh to pull you down as she climbs on top of you while pressing a strong thigh to your core. You close your legs around it and immediately start grinding down into it. Tonight is nothing like Friday night, its rushed and filled with need instead of want. You're both consuming each other as all the pent up emotions are released through your touches.

"Fuck this. I need more room for what I'm about to do to you." Abby's voice is low and raspy, it leaves you so entranced you don't feel her strong arms wrapping around your waist and under your bum as she hoists you up to carry you to her bed. As she reaches the foot of her bed, she throws you down with enough force that you bounce a little. "Strip."

"Make me." She had turned her attention away from you but the look she gave you as she whipped her head around was enough to make you comply. She chuckled at your reaction and said over her shoulder. "Good girl." You roll your eyes knowing she can't see and continue stripping. As you sit on the bed waiting for her you watch her strip her clothes off painfully slowly still facing away from you. You take a second to admire the firm curve of her muscley ass and thighs as you see her fitting a harness around her hips. You gulp knowing what's to come and lick your lips at the sight of her back profile and the way each muscle contracts and relaxes with each movement. She turns and your mouth falls open at the sight of the red appendage strapped to her hips.

"Don't worry, it's new, saw the colour and thought of you."

"How sweet." Your face is deadpan but in a weird way your heart swells at her words. "I don't think that thing is going to fit inside of me. That is a monster dick."

"Oh I'll make it fit. On your knees, hands behind your back and face the back wall." You whimper a little at her words but move quickly to listen to her. You hear a metallic clanking and before you have time to react you feel handcuffs being attached to your wrists.

"Woah Abby."

"Tell me you want me to stop." You huff and stay silent. "That's what I thought." She runs her hands down your back and squeezes each cheek hard enough to leave a bruise then one hands laces itself into your hair and starts pushing you forward while the other presses on your upper back to arch you as much as possible. "You are unreal." Your face is being pushed into her pillows and she knows that, so she doesn't expect a reply. You hear the sound of her spitting into her hand and your crane your neck inwards to see her lubing up the strap on. "I know you don't need this, you're already dripping but I thought I'd be nice. Don't get used to it though." She lands one harsh slap to your pussy and laughs as you jolt and moan and with a faux, sweet, sympathetic tone she says "You tell me if you need to stop okay?" She was mocking you but you knew she meant it as you made eye contact.

At the feel of her slowly easing the dick into you, you moan and push back onto her "Oh fuck," you've never felt this full before, it makes you feel like the airs been knocked out of you. As she bottoms out, you sigh and she lets you get used to the size for a minute. You're shocked as it doesn't match her previous demeanour but when she pulls out and starts drilling you into the bed you understand why she did that. You bury your face into the pillow to stop yourself from screaming but she doesn't like that at all. She pulls you up by your hair and then wraps an arm around your neck and grabs and squeezes your boob with the other. She's kissing your neck, your shoulder blades, anywhere she can and then she leans her head on your shoulder and bites down, hard. You gasp at the feeling of her licking the wound. She grabs your face with the hand that had been squeezing your boob and brings you in for a desperate kiss. You can taste your blood on her tongue and you groan into her mouth. You can barely breathe from all the ecstasy you're feeling but you manage to rasp out: "You're just as fucked up and insane as me, doll, you can't deny it," she growls at your statement and grabs at your chin with the hand of the arm that had been round your neck, you gasp only to feel her middle and ring finger being shoved into your mouth so hard you gag.

You whine and cry around her fingers as you feel yourself getting close. You lean your head back on her shoulder and she plants small kisses on your cheek and temple. "You close love?" You nod as your eyes fall shut until you feel her other hand that's unoccupied snaking down to rub tight fast circles on your clit. You screamed around her fingers as tears fell down your cheeks and you came so hard you thought you died for a second. She keeps pumping in and out of you slowing down to a stop. She lowers you gently down to the bed and kisses a line down your back. "I'm gonna pull out." She pulls out quickly get gently and discards of the strap. You feel her weight shift as she grabs the keys for the handcuffs and undoes them . She rubs each wrist gently and leans down to press a kiss to both afterwards. She lays down next to you and brushes your hair out of your face and laughs as she sees your giddy smile and tired eyes. "You okay?"

"Mhm all good."

"You gotta get up and pee."

"No." You slam your face down into the bed and take no notice of Abby standing up until you feel her large hands grabbing your hips and lifting you up. "No, no, no." You claw at the bed but it's no use. She plops you on your feet and keeps her hands on your hips

"Come on, you know I'm doing you a favour." You huff and walk off to the ensuite as she goes to the kitchen to get some water for you both. When you walk in she's already laying in bed and you climb on top of her and entangle your legs with hers. You lay a hand on her chest without a word.

"Do I want to know what happened to your hand?"

Your eyes are closed and you look asleep but you reply quietly and bluntly. "I killed Luke."

"Oh."

"It had to be done."

"Yeah I know. Was it hard?"

"No. He screamed and cried like a little bitch but I expected nothing less. It doesn't make it harder for me, it does Johnny, but not me. I like it when they fight."

Abby strokes your hair and realises she didn't even have a reaction to what you just said. She didn't care, she didn't feel sorry for Luke, she didn't feel scared of you. She only cared that you were back in her arms. You both fell asleep together and for the first night since Dan she didn't have any nightmares. She slept soundly holding the monster she should be having nightmares about.

#abby anderson x fem!reader #abby the last of us #abby x reader #abby anderson tlou2 #abby anderson x you smut #abby anderson fanfic #abby anderson tlou #abby anderson x female reader #abby anderson smut #abby anderson x reader

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bun-lapin · 10 months

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Confessions

Summary: Kalim confesses his love to you.

A/N: Second one shot complete! Kalim was a character that I was not too familiar with initially so I chose him for this chapter as a bit of a challenge for myself. I hope I got his character voice right! He's so sweet~

(Arabic text for "Ya hayaati": يا حياتي )

Confessions series: Rook, Kalim, Idia, Floyd, Vil, Silver, Leona, Trey / AO3

“That’s it! Your steps are looking great! Can you finally feel the rhythm of this song?”

Golden-red sunlight and the soft glow of hanging lamps throw evening shadows across the lush carpets and cushions of Scarabia’s dormitory lounge. Closing your eyes briefly, you listen to the sound of footsteps on cool tile and to the music coming from a nearby speaker. Various stringed instruments and drums from the Scalding Sands play against a glittering, wavering voice. You take in a deep breath and the warm scent of spices, tea, and lamp oil weave a harmonious and luxurious tapestry around you.

You continue to place your feet in the basic steps Kalim had shown you earlier and admit, slightly out of breath, “It’s a great song but I feel like I’m just copying you.”

Kalim places his hands on his hips and throws his head back in a boisterous, good-natured laugh, “You should give yourself more credit! You’re such a fast learner! It took weeks for some of my siblings to learn this particular dance.”

You raise an eyebrow as you watch him continue the dance and say teasingly, “Aren’t most of your siblings really young? Are you saying I’m as good as a baby?”

Kalim instantly stops mid-step and raises his hands in anxious defense, “No no no! That’s not what I’m saying at all! You’re way better than a baby! I mean you’re just really good! Babies have nothing to do with it!”

As he continues his stream of nervous consciousness, you notice his delicate tan shoulders seem tense and his brows are knit in frantic concentration. Kalim’s garnet-red eyes, that usually look into yours without hesitation, that usually blaze with excitement, now dart around the room like fluttering birds that greet everything but your gaze.

You reach out and softly place your fingers on his shoulders and ask gently, “Is everything okay? You know I was just kidding. Why are you acting so nervous?”

Your touch instantly silences Kalim’s rambling and he finally looks directly at you. His eyes are wide and they seem entranced, almost as if he’s stepped into a waking dream.

You begin to feel a sense of worry build up in the back of your mind. You resist the urge to shake him by the shoulders, to snap him out of it, and instead ask hesitantly, “Kalim?”

Hearing his name fall from your lips, something seems to click into place in Kalim’s expression like a key turned in a lock. It’s as if you’ve opened the gate of a canal when Kalim’s next words come rushing out like water, strong and full of life.

“I love you so much!”

Kalim immediately gasps and clasps his hands against his mouth looking as surprised as you do about the sudden declaration.

You swiftly drop your hands from his shoulders and blink rapidly from the sudden shift in the conversation, “Wait, what did you just say? Did you just say you love me?”

Closing his eyes and letting out a frustrated groan, Kalim places his hands over his face and sinks down onto a nearby pile of silken pillows. He peers out at you from between his slender fingers and explains in a disheartened voice, “I didn’t want to confess to you like that. I had a whole plan involving elephants and flowers and fireworks!”

You seat yourself on a soft and intricately designed carpet next to Kalim’s throne of cushions and smile reassuringly at him. Thinking back on the many loud and extravagant parties spontaneously thrown at Scarabia, you briefly imagine just how involved Kalim’s plans could have been and let out a slightly relieved laugh, “That sounds like it would have been intense. You don’t have to do things like that for me.”

Kalim practically lunges from his seat to clasp your hands in his and gazes into your eyes with strong concern and affection wrinkling his brows. He practically shouts, “Yes I do! I do need to do all that because you deserve to be treated like that! You deserve to be treated like royalty!”

You feel a pleasant warmth wash over your face and you look down at Kalim’s hands delicately wrapped around yours, as if they were holding irreplaceable treasure. Kalim follows your gaze and, almost apologetically, withdraws his touch. While absentmindedly spinning a golden bangle around his slender wrist, he speaks carefully in a kind voice that rises and falls with worry like a gentle wave.

"I always see you taking care of others and helping everyone with their problems. You're so diligent, and responsible, and capable! People really depend on you and it makes me so proud to just be close to someone as smart and wonderful as you. But seeing you work so hard for others makes me want to take care of you even more! I want you to rely on me in a way I've never felt before. I want to cherish you and fill your days with only happiness and joy."

Kalim falls silent and turns to look out a nearby window. His eyes have a far away look, as if he’s lost in thought. You trace his slight silhouette with an equally thoughtful gaze. You’ve never seen him so still. A warm breeze flutters in, bringing with it the dry scent of desert sand, and playfully ruffles the white feather-soft hair peeking out from under his dark red headscarf. A small, dazzling smile flickers across his face and Kalim glances over at you in a friendly and comfortable way.

He explains with a quiet laugh, “I was just thinking of something my dad told me a long time ago. Once, back when I was a kid, I asked my dad what it was like to fall in love. At first he just laughed and said I'd have to find out for myself. But I was so persistent and kept asking because I wanted a real answer."

Kalim’s voice drops wistfully quiet and his garnet eyes sparkle with memories, "My dad looked at my mom with this really gentle smile and told me that falling in love is like feeling a fire come to life inside of you. That love is warm, sometimes even scorching, but it's always there to fight the cold of loneliness."

He suddenly turns his head to face you directly. The burst of movement sets the large bow of his headscarf into a swaying, dancing motion and his golden accessories softly clink and chime against each other in metallic melody. Your eyes widen as you take in the sudden noble bearing on his face. Kalim’s expression is kind but determined and his voice rings out clear and strong.

"Seeing you smile and hearing you laugh, I finally realized what my dad was talking about. You don't just light a fire inside me, you ARE the fire! Even on the coldest days, I feel warmed by your kindness. When you smile at me, it feels like there are no more shadows because it's like the sun has come out."

Kalim reaches out towards you and purposefully takes your hand in his. Gently turning it over, he lightly traces a finger down the length of your palm. Gazing into your open hand, he smiles with quiet ease and murmurs dreamily, “Ya hayaati, when we laugh together, I feel like I could stay like that forever. When we sit together in silence, it feels like home."

You drink up Kalim’s words and his touch like morning dew in the desert. The air in the lounge is the same as it’s always been, warm and luxuriously scented, but now it sparkles with shining, unspoken affection in a way that leaves you breathless and spellbound. Somewhere, off in a distant hallway, you hear the faint echoes of pleasant laughter.

Kalim looks up into your face and his expression breaks into his usual cheerful and youthful grin. You notice a touch of worry at the corners of his eyes but it only makes his smile even sweeter.

"Don't look so serious! However you feel and whatever you say, I'll always be your friend!" he exclaims with a laugh that reminds you of starlight.

Kalim stands up with a graceful leap before turning to offer you his hand, "Now cheer up, and let's dance the night away!"

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst imagines #twst fanfic #twst kalim #kalim al asim #kalim x reader #gn!reader #fluff and romance #bun-lapin écrit

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feelingpure · 7 months

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Fellow Travelers | The Orange Elephant in the Room

Alright, let's talk about it.

For those who've watched the available episodes of FT so far; I'm sure we've all noticed the citrus haze they all seem to be living in.

Especially if you've attempted to edit/GIF any portion of it. The struggle is real and I'm sure has inspired many colouring dilemmas.

And we're all asking "WHY?!".

Now, I'm writing this having not looked up anything about it. So I dunno if anyone responsible has made a formal confession.

One of my initial thoughts around it was; okay... so is this just a 1950s thing? But after watching (and rewatching) episode 2, I feel like it's part of the story in a different way; It's clearly a stylistic choice, yes (I should hope that doesn't just happen by accident). But it also seems to double as a narrative choice.

Putting the rest, with image examples, under a cut because it's kinda long.

Warm vs Cool

The conclusion I've come to is pretty simply, one that we've seen used across media in a lot of movies and shows. Warm tones used to colour scenes that are meant to literally be 'warm'; a loving environment or somewhere where the character(s) feel like they can be themselves. Cool tones used for scenes where it's quite the opposite; a cold hostile environment where the character(s) does not feel welcome. Gradients in between for all the neutral/'greyarea' spaces.

Consider

Cool/neutral outdoor bench scene (with park spies around):

Maybe it's an indoor/outdoor thing? No...

Indoors (even with the mandatory orange lamps nearby) they stay pretty neutral:

Night time/day time thing? No...

Night time vs day time in Tim's apartment:

Compare it to day time neutral alone Tim in the same room before. The difference is that he's with Hawk, out of sight of any would be naysayers.

So yeah, while I am mad about the colouring for giffing needs, I do think what they're doing is pretty neat, and the POC in the show look glorious in the warm tones.

The warm/cool motif is dialled up even more in episode 2, with the contrast of Mary's warm welcoming party and Hawk's cold af family gathering (even though they still have the orange lamps/sconces around, they add nothing to the warmth):

🥺 Ugh, Tim at Mary's party. Might be my favourite part of the episode, alongside the kissing n spooning. Anyway...

The transition of Mary from the same living room where she hosted that party, to the kitchen they were just questioned in:

That transition made me start paying more attention and go back to rewatch previous scenes just for colour themes.

Interestingly Hawk's apartment seems to live in this neutral/warmish space. It was more warm earlier in the episode, especially when they were in the bedroom the morning Tim left his glasses. But in general it's a lot less warm than Tim's apartment when compared; still their skin glows with a hint of tangerine:

Of course, not only the lighting/colouring but their outfit choices say a lot. Tim is usually in the warm browns with his dress, while Hawk pretty much sticks to black, white, grey (hints of a cool toned blues and reds in his ties). This coupled with the differences in their own living space probably reflects a lot about the character and how 'welcoming' they are to others. Idk... or I could just be thinking too much about it.

This is another really interesting transition in episode 2. As Hawk hangs up the phone in that cool toned side room, opens the door to the main room of a gay bar, the warm tones literally seem to absorb him in. Which makes sense, this is obviously a gay friendly place in San Francisco. He doesn't have to try to hide any part of himself, like he probably was still trying to do on that voicemail to Lucy just before.

Now, I could go through and screenshot a load more examples (some scenes with Lucy are interesting, and that lounge/club), but you probably get the gist, you see the pattern. If not before, on your next watch, you'll certainly see it.

This has got longer than intended; I'd be surprised if anyone got this far, I did NOT fully organise my thoughts before I started this, I just began rambling and I feel like it could've been more organised and laid out better. But if you have thoughts about the colouring, I'd really like to see those too. 🤗

#fellow travelers #orange #ft spoilers #ft motifs #tim laughlin #hawkins fuller #colouring #lighting #colour grading #tim x hawk #hawk x tim #gay #lgbtq+#warm tones #cool tones #colour theory #giffing things #long ramble #this show make we wanna convert every pic/gif to greyscale

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dearsnow · 2 years

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CUDDLES AND CONFESSIONS

- jacaerys has hidden his feelings for you, his childhood friend, but everything unravels during a midnight confession. (jacaerys velaryon x gn!reader, modern au, pining into fluff, luke definitely turned down the heater so the events of the story could take place but we ignore that)

word count: 2,692

a/n - this was inspired by the very incredible @valeskafics’s modern au stories :) i love love their fics so definitely check them out ^^ this is a lot longer than most of the stuff i’ve written recently because it came straight out of my heart. please enjoy <3

Sunlight filters through Jace’s window as he repeats vocab words for you to study. The shadow he casts is long and warm toned on his carpeted floor, stretching just enough to reach the base of the chair you’re sitting in. He shifts his position from cross-legged to lying flat on the floor, fingers holding an index card. You rattle off the word you know connects to the definition in his hands.

You slump forward a little bit, arms wrapped around your knees. “God, Jace, we’ve been going at this for hours. It’s gotta be time for a break.”

“Well, I wouldn’t phrase it like that,” he all but laughs, “but sure. I think we’re well-prepared. I mean, as well as we could ever be.” He lifts his hand to his mouth to yawn.

In actuality, his mind has been elsewhere for a while now. He helped you study like a good friend while his eyes gazed over your form lightly, imagining how soft your hand would feel in his. How you could hold the stars in your palms and love in your eyes, shining as bright as the burn he felt for you. How nice it would be to graze over your face with his fingers, feather-light touches roaming the expanse he longs to kiss. It would be nice, he thinks, to see your eyes crinkle in a smile as he kisses the corner of your mouth.

He shakes his head, breaking the immersion. He can’t let himself get hopeful. You’re just a friend. A best friend. His best friend. A friend who he dreams of loving, a friend who makes the tips of his ears turn red when he looks at you too long. And that’s all you ever will be, he reckons. He’s far too invested in your happiness to risk it with a silly move like asking you on a date.

“Let’s get a snack, yeah? I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry.” You look down, happiness on the curve of your lips. It’s surprising how much he can eat, really- he could put an elephant to shame. It’s just one more thing you’ve noticed about him, one more thing you’ve grown to love.

He scoffs lightly. “Like I haven’t been hearing your stomach growl for the last ten minutes. I literally offered you a snack and you said ‘no, I’m okay’.”

“Shush,” You say, stretching your legs. “I was focused.”

He scrunches his nose. He would drop anything to give you what you want. He’d find a way to bottle the moon in a jar if you said the word and give you the sun if you asked. “Sure.”

He gets up, and you follow.

The sun disappears below the horizon, wind whispering softly through his open window. His room is illuminated with the soft light of a lamp, and you sit on his floor partially covered by a blanket.

It’s not unusual for you to spend the night at his house. His mother and stepfather treat you like their own (when they’re home at least), and his brother and half-sisters are as dear to you as any siblings would be. A warm feeling erupts in your heart when Rhaenyra ruffles your hair and Luke bursts into Jace’s room to spend time with you. In some ways, you feel more at home with him than you do in your own house.

You’ve known him for forever, so the line between his family and yours blurs sometimes. It all really started when the Targaryen/Velaryon family moved in to the house right next door to yours.

Why they did it is a question that you don’t think will ever be answered, though you think it has something to do with the odd circumstances surrounding Jace and Luke’s dubious parentage. They needed a fresh start, they told you one time. They wanted to give their kids a chance at a normal life despite their riches was another excuse. In any case, you’re glad they did.

Jace became a quick friend of yours. You first met when he was playing outside your window- you looked down on him like a royal stuck in a tower while your prince teetered on a little blue bike with training wheels below you. You called down to him, and he answered.

You often pretended to ride on dragonback with him, cruising through the streets on his bike. His stepdad put some little steps on the back of it so you could ride at the same time, though you’re not sure his mother approved. You would hold on to his waist as he peddled; he never seemed to let his exhaustion show, even when you were sure his legs were sore and aching. He only let you ride on the front a handful of times, insisting that he was stronger, so it was only right that he should carry you.

In his mind, he was flying. Nothing seemed to matter except the feeling of your arms around your midsection and the wind in his hair. It was freeing, giving him the first glimpse of life he had ever felt. In that moment, he was a prince of old, written into a thick book of fairytales, and you were right there with him.

He started noticing that warm emotion and how it was always present when you were in the room. How you started to make him feel things he had never felt before. He became excited when he got paired with you for group projects and when his hand brushed yours while you were playing in your room. These feelings, the love (and whatever else he might have felt) built up inside of him until this moment, this night, when you were snuggled up in his clothes on his floor talking to him.

“…and he was saying that it wasn’t important at all! It’s totally important. I don’t understand how people can be so dense.” You shiver.

“Yeah, seriously.” He hesitates, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed. His room is unusually cold. Even with the window open, it never gets cold enough to give him bumps on the flesh of his arms. For some reason, tonight is different. “Do you want to come up here? It’s kinda cold, and I have thicker blankets.” He reasons. You glance up at him. Sometimes, when you look in his direction, your heart gives a funny little twist.

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Totally. It’s not like we haven’t done things like this before,” he chuckles. A strange mix of anxiety and anticipation is boiling in his stomach. It’s true: you have slept in the same bed before, though that was a long time ago with far less feelings attached. He figures it doesn’t matter as much to you as it does to him.

It does matter to you, though. Your heart pounds at the thought of something so quietly intimate. You’ve liked him since the moment you laid eyes on him all those years ago. He is your fairytale prince, even when there’s no hope of him ever reciprocating your feelings.

He’s strong, kind, and bold in an endearing way. You’re sure you would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked. So you hop onto his bed and give your heart a sad stroke of pity when he wraps his blankets around you.

You shuffle a little closer to him, hoping to feel his body heat a little more. The goosebumps on your arms begin to fade, but you shiver still when his hand brushes your side.

Jace clears his throat, hesitantly putting his arm around your form. “We’re uh… we’re getting pretty comfy, huh? I hope you’re not cold still.”

“God, that’s how you break the tension?” You laugh. Your nose is almost touching his chest, he realizes with a foolish hope.

“What? I was just saying.” He snorts. The pleasant warmth of another body next to his is something he thinks he will never get tired of. The fact that it’s you out of anyone else brings a different sort of heat to him, but he tries to push that away.

You feel a touch lightly brush your bare back, where your shirt has lifted up. It sends a little shudder up your spine, but it feels as natural as sunlight.

“Sorry.” He whispers, eyes staring down at you. You don’t seem to notice his gaze.

“It’s okay.” You whisper back, cheeks as hot as dragonfire. You wouldn’t mind if he kept his hand there. You wouldn’t mind a lot of things, really, but you’re afraid he would.

It’s silent for a moment, a moment that seems to stretch for an eternity. It breaks with the quiet movement of your head finally turning to look at him.

“Jace, um, I…” there’s a brief pause.

“You what?”

“Nothing. It’s a stupid question anyway.”

“There are no stupid questions, unless it’s about Luke’s macaroni project.” He quips. You laugh at a joke you created so long ago it feels like a lifetime in the past. A joke made of love and fluff and just the slightest little bit of teasing. That’s how you know it, right then and there. You’ve fallen in love with Jacaerys Velaryon. “Seriously though, what is it?”

You hesitate, trying to bring up the topic in an inconspicuous manner (which is hard in the middle of the night while his arm is absentmindedly wrapped around your waist, which you desperately try to ignore). “Do you like anyone?”

He sucks in a breath, letting a beat of awkward silence pass. “Where’s this coming from?”

God, how he longs to say “you”. How he longs to tell you that his heart beats for you, fast and desperate and aching in the cold nights when you’re apart. It’s almost unbearable to keep it inside, shoved in a little corner of his consciousness so he doesn’t ruin what you’ve already built.

He decides, then, that he can’t hold on to comfort forever. As awkward as it may be, as terrible as the most likely outcome is, he needs to say something.

“I just want to know. I’m interested in your love life.” You try to play it off as a joke when you know full well it’s not. The question has been scraping your mind raw and dull for months now.

“I do.” He croaks, voice hesitant. Your heart drops.

It could be that girl he was staring at in math class, you think. The one with pretty bleached hair and a smile so bright it could kill the gods. Or maybe the person he was talking about after school; his friend, he said. A friend that made his nose scrunch up cutely when he talked about them. It could never really be you. It’s wishful thinking, you tell yourself.

A million thoughts race through your head, but one screams its purpose above the others: who is it?

You tap his chest lightly with your fist. “I can’t believe you’ve been hiding that from me. Who is it this time?” You’ve had this conversation a few times in the past. He’s attractive and kind and smart, he was bound to have a few significant others over the years. You’ve met both of them. You figure this is another one of his crushes, as fleeting as they usually are.

He takes a deep gulp of air, blood pounding in his ears. He hopes you can’t hear his heart beating. It’s time, he decides.

“You.”

Your brain almost doesn’t register his words. You… you? Really? Is there anyone in your school named You, or is he really saying what you’ve wanted him to say for years and years?

“Me?”

“Yup.”

You can’t say anything. You feel lightheaded and like you’re about to explode at the same time.

“Why?” You ask. There’s a giddy edge to your voice, bordering on disbelief. You can’t fathom why the hell your best friend likes you, when he started liking you, and what is going on in his mind.

He smiles in the dark, where you can’t see him; his lamp was silent and lightless. “Y’know my last girlfriend? She broke up with me because I didn’t want to kiss her. I was saving my first kiss for something special, someone special. Then I knew I wanted it to be with you.” Your heart all but explodes. “I’ve been in love with you since before then. Since before I even really knew what love was. I just… god, I was just a coward. But here I am, and here you are, and if you want I can drop you off at home and we can never speak of this again.”

He feels like he’s about to cry and laugh at the same time. Of course you don’t love him. It was foolish to believe you could ever like him as anything more than the boy next door.

“No, I don’t want that. I like you too. I love you.” You blurt out, burying yourself further into his sheets. “I just never thought you would like me back. I mean, I never thought I could be your type. Or that I could date you or anything. I just didn’t want to confess because I thought you would hate me for it.” The lilt of your little speech makes tears well up in his eyes. He wipes them away furiously.

“Of course I like you. You’re my everything.” He huffs. He can scarcely believe that you feel the exact same way, that you had the exact same worries.

He slides down to lie face-to-face with you, breath fanning across your face. You hold his face in your hands, and he whispers, “I’ve really thought about this a lot and I just wanted to ask you before I did it, so here I go. Can I kiss you?” It takes every last drop of your respect to not let a giggle slip in the face of his very vulnerable confession.

A sliver of moonlight shines on your face, illuminating your wide grin with a sort of halo-like effect. When you nod, the glimmer bounces off your teeth.

He presses his lips to yours. Finally, finally, he kisses you. You run your finger along his jawline, eyes closed and heart full. Your touch brands his skin in a way he knows he won’t ever forget.

That one kiss holds all your feelings and more. When you finally pull away to take a breath, he traces the outline of your lips with his thumb. You’re breathless and panting and so very alive; it’s better than pretending to fly on a dragon, you think. Much, much better.

It’s a while before you can speak again. You’re so giddy you think you could run a lap around his house if you weren’t so tired. Jace feels the same, like all of his worries have been gently plucked from his mind and discarded. You could get used to this, you both think.

“So, can I be your boyfriend? Officially at least.” He sounds so serious that you can’t help but laugh. The events of the night have been so incredible that everything has a little twinge of humor to it.

“But of course, my prince.” You tease. He scrunches his nose like he always does and gives you a peck on the cheek. You’re sure he can feel how hard you’re blushing just by grazing your warm face.

“I’ll choose to ignore that.” He says. He wraps his arms around you more securely, also choosing to ignore how red his own cheeks are.

You give a small “mm” in reply, snuggling closer to him. Your faces are so close together you can almost imagine they’re kissing without touching at all.

You almost don’t realize you’re falling asleep before it happens. Jace’s arms are just so comfortable, and you’re just so tired, and the night is just so perfectly dark and the outside noises are just so perfectly droll.

You slip away into a good dream as Jace draws hearts on your back with the tip of his finger.

Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated!!

#solar eclipse.#house of the dragon #jacaerys velaryon x reader #jacaerys velaryon #jace velaryon x reader #jacaerys x reader #hotd x reader #hotd fic #hotd #jacaerys strong #jacaerys imagine #hotd fanfic

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danvolodar · 1 month

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Pathologic and the Town's Russianness: Intro

I've noticed, it's common enough to see talk about, say, Russian colonization of the Steppe among the Pathologic community; or the language everyone speaks in the game being in-character Russian, or any similar ideas that equate the Capital-centered civilization that founded the Town-on-Gorkhon with the historical Russian Empire.

But the funniest bit - as for me, - that for a Russian, most of Pathologic is purposefully coded by Ice Pick Lodge to feel generic Eastern European, if not even European in general. Let me go with a brief rundown.

So brief, in fact, that this post will only serve as an introduction, and not to make it overly long, I'll write up more in separate ones.

So, the elephant in the room: Pathologic is not meant to be perfectly realistic.

The first thing that needs to be said here is: of course the Town on Gorkhon is not meant to be 100% lifelike. If you will, it is a realist painting, rather than a photography. Very visibly theatrical scenery rather than a faithful depiction of the town. It is obviously done on purpose, too: partly for gameplay reasons, party as artistic choice.

Some things had to be sacrificed for the overarching plot to make sense, so, let's call them logical limitations.

The Town is relatively large (10k+ citizens at the very least), and it's economically important, so realistically, of course it would have a hospital and multiple medical professionals. Checkhov, for instance, managed such a clinic in Zvenigorod in his youth, and that town barely had three thousand souls then. But of course nothing like that can be present in the Town as it would entirely undermine the game's premise of a handful healers fighting against the Plague and their own prejudice against each other.

Similarly, there can't be telephones (while by the rough time period of the game, somewhere in the 1910s to 1920s, there were already first automated exchanges introduced), nor electrical or even optical telegraph to connect the Town to the larger world (a technology about a century old by then), for obvious reasons.

Thematic limitations are necessary for the game's themes to work better.

For instance, Saburov is a commandant, not just a governor (and I believe he's refered to as such in the English translation of P1). But where's his command? He doesn't seem to have a single soldier under his leadership, just the ragtag town militia. Why's that? Because the game has to make the uniformed Army, when it arrives, feel utterly alien to the Town, and incompatible with it.

As another example, the only lifestock the Kin seem to be herding appears to be cattle. That's an economical absurdity for nomadic pastoralists. With no sheep, no goats, no camels, not even horses, they can't establish a sustaintable subsistence economy. But of course with the game so focused on cows, both in its visual language, the Kin mythology, and other aspects of storytelling, presenting cattle to be just one of the many species the Kin herd would reduce the impact of the game's message.

To continue in that vein, the Town interacting with the Steppe is one the game's major themes: so overgrazing by those huge herds the Bull Enterprise with its thousands of employees should be slaughtering can not be shown; and the cultivated fields (which a steppe near a major water source readily allows) that should surround the Town cannot be, either.

Then, there are the tech limitations: with seven thousand workers (as Aglaya estimates the losses in the Termitary), the Bull Enterprise must be slaughtering insane numbers of cattle every day; of course all these herds cannot be shown, just like the thousands of ordinary citizens doing the ordinary jobs that keep the Town running cannot be visible.

Finally, some of the Town's unfinished, sketch-like nature is pure artistic choice. I think the perfect example is the table lamp in Isidor Burakh's room - unplugged, yet shining brightly. I don't think it's Ice Pick simply being careless: it is more like they're blinking at us, saying "remember all of this is not real".

If anything, I must say I have an issue with some of the choices made, and particularly with the Kin dress. Some of the Town characters are fine to wear rags (such as Clara or Murky), but why do the Kin, universally (other than, perhaps, Taya, their supreme leader)? Compare their crude dress with its huge stitches to what was worn in Middle Asia at the time in reality. Even beggars wore much better than a highly respected figure like Aspity. Sure, those are to be taken as essentially theater costumes, but as far as culture-specific costumes go, they are wildly unflattening.

But the important thing to take from this part: some of the simplifications and the generalizations are necessary for the game to work, on many levels. They're not about representing a particular culture well, just about making a good game.

#pathologic #мор утопия

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violetlunette · 2 months

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Ideas for Villainous Characters for your Yuusona / Ocs in Twisted Wonderland

To help fanfic writers and artists, I thought I’d make a list of characters/items that creators could use to make their own twst characters. Feel encouraged to add if you have any ideas as well! The bigger the list, the better!

These are all things that present a challenge to the heroes in the Disney films or are connected to an antagonistic force, such as the poison apple being connected to the Evil Queen, or are just shown in a wicked light, such as the vultures from the same movie who just follow the queen looking devious.

Below are things that feature from the main animated features that feature in Twst; Alice in Wonderland, The Lion King, etc. But aren’t technically taken. Other animated movies, live action, games, and etc. will get their own list.

(Someone else will have to do the sequels and remakes. I suffered the sequels enough and the remakes--well, I'd rather leave them to others.)

Alice in Wonderland:

*The King of Hearts

*The Walrus

*The Carpenter

*Any of the Flowers

The Lion King:

*The Hyenas that weren't used in the story

*The Wildebeests that killed Mufasa (Debatable as they were forced into a panic by the hyenas)

*The elephant graveyard (note: this is a location in the Savana Event)

*The fire that nearly kills Simba and whose embers give Scar an advantage

The Little Mermaid:

*Vanessa (Ursula’s other form)

*The necklace that held Ariel’s voice

*The Contract (Note: Technically used as Azul’s unique Magic)

*The Storm (beginning and end)

*The Shark

*The Chef (Debatable)

*The “unfortunate Souls” (debatable)

Aladdin:

*The Guards

*The Cave of Wonders

*The Scarab that took Jafar to the cave

*Jafar’s snake Form

*Jafar’s Genie form. (Note: Used as Jamil’s over blot)

*Iago (Debatable)

*Jafar’s Staff

*The lamp that traps Jafar in the end

*The hourglass that nearly drowns Jasmine

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:

*The Vultures

*The Woods that frighten Snow White in the beginning

*The Hag Form (Note: Vil’s phantom takes the form of the hag)

*The Potion that made the Evil Queen old

**Any of the components to make the potion may work

*The Heart Box

*The raven that played witness to the potion-making

Hercules:

*The Three Fates (Note: These Gals are mentioned as superstars who are older than they look, like Lilia)

*Pain

*Panic

*Meg (debatable)

*The Hydra

*The potion that made Hercules mortal

*Any of the Titans

*The Centaur

*Any of the beasts Hercules fought during "Zero to Hero"

*The Souls of the Underworld (debatable and note: these seem to be represented as Phantoms)

Sleeping Beauty:

*Diablo (Note: Theorized to be Crowley, but no confirmation at the time of this post)

*Any of Maleficent’s minions (Note: Two are taken by Lilia and Baul)

*The Spinning Wheel

*The Thorns

*Maleficent’s Fire

*Maleficent’s staff (Note: This may be an item that appears in Chapter 7)

*The Death Curse itself (Note: In the original Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent cursed Rose to DIE. The Sleeping Curse was actually placed by Merry-weather to SAVE her. Maleficent just rolled with it to create a fate worse than death.)

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leviackermanscleaningbuddy · 2 years

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SKZ DRABBLE-OT8

The one where scary movies count as a date. And your girlfriend counts as a distraction.

Or the eleventh installment of the SKZ!pack prequel series.

Tags: SKZ, Stray Kids, Stay, OT8, SKZ!pack, SKZ!abo, Poly!SKZ, Omegaverse, skz x you, skz x reader, ot8 x you, ot8 x reader, skz!pack prequel, pack!prequel, prequel series, skz imagines, skz reactions, skz scenarios, skz fluff, fluff, bang chan, lee minho, seo changbin, lee felix, hwang hyunjin, han jisung, kim seungmin, yang jeongin, y/n, abo, alpha beta omega

Genre: Fluff

Title: Dire Straights

“Stop drooling all over my carpet.”

Minho bumps his hip against yours with enough force to pull a glare from you, one eyebrow cocked, an amused smirk on his lips, full popcorn bowl held loosely in his hands.

“I am not drooling.” You retort back, sticking your tongue out at him, although you know the gaze you’d leveled on Felix and Hyunjin up until a few moments ago was a little too intense to just be called ‘casual.’

They just smelled really, really good together, okay?

Sharp lemon against the backdrop of soft, sugary vanilla-

You shake your head to physically clear your wandering thoughts and glance back to Minho, who is still watching you with something akin to smug triumph on his pretty features, lit up by the meager light from the lamp and the paused TV.

“Shut up.” You snap out, though you know it’s basically an admittance of defeat. “If you wanna talk about drooling, address the obvious elephant in the room.”

You nod your head in Changbin’s direction, sitting in the corner of the couch, one arm slung along the back, watching with intense, focused interest as Seungmin talks quietly to him, probably explaining something sciency if you’d have to guess, judging by the excited motions of the beta’s hands.

“Oh my god, more popcorn.”

Jisung appears suddenly at Minho’s shoulder, plunging his hand unceremoniously into the once again full bowl, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he glances between the two of you.

His cheeks puff full of food, like a chipmunk, and you resist the urge to coo over him.

“What’re you guys talking about over here?”

Minho scoffs and rolls his eyes, moving the bowl out of Jisung’s reach as he tries to steal another full hand of popcorn, the beta pouting as he lets his chin drop to the alpha’s shoulder in defeat.

“Drooling.”

“Gross.” Jisung makes a face, wrinkling his nose up in an altogether adorable motion. “Not kink shaming or anything, but spit? Not exactly my thing. No thanks.”

“I’m not afraid of getting wet and messy.” You remark, leaning against the wall next to Minho now, stealing a piece of popcorn before he can notice. You shrug, giving Jisung a slight smirk and a cock of your brow. “Wanna try it out sometime, Sungie? Maybe I can change your mind.”

“Yeah, Sungie.” Minho grins, teeth sharp, and chucks the obviously disgusted beta under his chin affectionately. “Let her spit on you.”

“God, no. I’d rather listen to Hyunjin talk about art shit for three hours.”

Your gaze slides across the room to Changbin, leaning in closer to Seungmin now, into their shared space, a slight smile on his lips as he says something in a low tone for only the beta to hear.

You don’t miss the slight blush that comes across the arch of Seungmin’s cheekbones, reddening the tips of his ears.

“I bet Changbin would let Seungmin spit on him.” You snicker beneath your breath, and Jisung chokes on the next handful of popcorn he has just inhaled.

Minho slaps him on the back until he stops coughing, his eyes streaming and his face blotchy and red.

“Oh my god, you’re right.”

“Hyung!” Hyunjin whines from his spot on the couch, snuggled up against Felix’s side, the other omega playing carefully with his hair. He makes grabby hands at Minho. “Hurry up with the popcorn, would you?”

Minho rolls his eyes.

“Try to tell me what to do one more time, Hwang Hyunjin. See what happens.”

Despite his threat, the other alpha moves toward the omega duo anyway, popcorn bowl outstretched.

Hyunjin grins sweetly and thanks him and Minho looks like he’s just lost a battle in a greater war.

You settle back down into the adjacent couch, pulling Jisung along with you, and shove a handful of warm popcorn into your mouth as you glance at the running movie with limited interest.

“God, this movie is boring.” Jisung complains around his own mouthful of popcorn, rolling his eyes so violently you swear you hear them bounce around his skull.

You giggle, reaching down for more popcorn, and glance from the corner of your eye at the beta, who looks utterly and entirely uninvested in the current plight of the heroine on the tv screen.

“You picked it.”

Jisung sighs dramatically, heavily, and slings an arm around your shoulders. The smell of clean laundry envelops you in a heavenly wave.

“I know. But I can’t be faulted for my past mistakes.”

You pick up another piece of popcorn, and Jisung opens his mouth wide in response, raising his brows and widening his eyes in a silent plea for you to feed him.

You roll your eyes, but do it anyway, popping the piece of popcorn into his open mouth as he snaps his teeth shut around the kernel and chews happily for a few moments.

“Seriously, Sungie, you’re such a baby.”

“Yeah, your baby.” He teases, leaning into your space, nuzzling his nose into your neck, making you flinch ticklishly, even as you laugh and squirm beneath his weight.

“Gross.” You quip back his words from earlier, biting down a grin as you reach up to tug playfully at his hair. “Not to kink shame or anything, but sappy words of endearment? Not really my thing.”

“Guess you’ll just have to get used to it.” Jisung retorts right back, leaning back to look at you now, his nose scrunching as he gives you a giant heart shaped grin. “I’m nothing if not a smooooooth talker, doll. Ask Minho-hyung.”

You glance toward Minho, settled down beside Hyunjin, and part your lips, as if you’re actually going to ask him like Jisung said, and the beta lets out a yelp and slaps a palm over your mouth, muffling your instant laughter.

“On second thought, don’t ask him. He’s not gonna tell you the truth anyway.”

“Okay, okay.” You laugh out, voice muffled against his skin, and when he doesn’t immediately remove his hand from your lips, you chance a nip to his palm, taking a chunk of his muscle in between your teeth and biting-not hard enough to hurt, but insistent enough to be felt.

Jisung yelps again and pulls his hand back from your mouth like he’s been burned, shooting you a petulant glare as he rubs at the offended skin dramatically.

“Damn, noona. I hope you’ve had your rabies shot.”

“I have not.” You tease back, leaning toward him and snapping your teeth near his throat, even as he yelps once more and scrabbles to get away from you, effeciently boxing himself in against the corner of the couch. “The vet couldn’t find the time to fit me in, sadly. Same situation with the flea problem, unfortunately.”

“Ha. Ha.” Jisung fake laughs, shooting you a glare that lacks any sort of real bite. “You and Minho-hyung think you’re so funny-”

“We are funny.” You protest, leaning in closer to him once more, the scent of laundry suddenly filling your nose in a way that has saliva gathering behind your very back teeth. “Tell me I’m funny, Sungie. Go on.”

“I would rather listen to Changbin-hyung flirt with Seungmin for an hour straight.”

“Brave words.” You muse beneath your breath, letting your tongue dart out to wet your lips, and you can tell, by the way Jisung presses back against the couch behind him, that he’s suddenly on edge-nostrils flaring, pupils widening and darkening. “You know, you talk a big game, baby. Care to see if you can actually play it?”

The air smells cold now-like a light frost on the very edge of a winter morning.

The movie drones on in the background, long since forgotten.

Finally, Jisung swallows hard, his adam’s apple bobbing, and manages to get halfway to a halfhearted scowl.

“I’m not letting you spit on me, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“You’re no fun.”

*******

You’re in the kitchen several hours later, refilling your glass with cheap box wine-some cupcake flavored pink shit you’re sure Hyunjin picked out-when Seungmin appears.

You glance at him from the corner of your eye as he sets the empty popcorn bowl in the sink, and then turn to lean against the counter, staring him down fully now as you take a long sip of your drink.

It’s overly sweet for your taste, but you’re just buzzed enough that the flavor itself doesn’t matter too much anymore.

For a poor college student, wine is wine.

“So. You like Changbin, huh?”

The bold question holds less curiosity than it does open smugness.

Seungmin glances at you, head tilted-looking way too cute and way too puppy like for your currently inebriated heart-and the corner of his mouth lifts, just barely, into the start of a small smile.

“Yeah. He’s cool.”

“He hasn’t shut up about you since the study group.” You complain with harried amusement, rolling your eyes and biting back a smile. “I’m glad he finally got the nerve to ask you out properly.”

Seungmin arches a dark brow. “Does it really count as a date though if we’re simply watching scary movies in his current boyfriend’s living room?”

“Sounds weird when you put it that way.” You wrinkle your nose in slight distaste. “But yeah. For Changbin, it definitely does. He doesn’t usually do things very conventionally.”

“I mean-” Seungmin grins now, white teeth on display for the briefest of moments. “-he did stalk you before you ever went out. So. I see what you mean.”

“And you didn’t believe me!” You point out, waving a wild finger in front of his nose, as the beta laughs beneath his breath.

“You sounded batshit crazy.”

“I know. So you’ve told me. Multiple times.”

A comfortable silence falls over the kitchen as your laughter dies down, and you take another long sip of your wine as the muted sounds of the current movie choice of the movie marathon wafts through the open doorway from the living room.

Seungmin taps his finger on the counter along to the background music, and suddenly, you have a thought.

Maybe it’s not the brightest thing to ask, but hey, the cupcake wine is starting to make you feel warm and hazy and altogether less inhibited than you were before.

To hell with it.

“You like Changbin.” You reiterate, and Seungmin glances at you sidelong, blankly, as if wondering why you’re restating something he already confirmed.

You take in a breath and plow onward, swirling the last bit of wine in your glass, watching the way the pink liquid sparkles and spins instead of the way the beta beside you is currently staring you down like you’re an idiot.

“Do you like me? Like that?”

There is silence, and you feel your heart in your throat.

Because maybe you’ve never considered Seungmin as anything but a study buddy, maybe a friend, but this, this is uncharted territory and you’re suddenly so nervous you could throw up.

“No.”

Your head jerks up and he’s watching you, face unreadable and serious, eyes dark, and something inside of you dies a little at his blunt return.

You admire him-the way he always says what he’s thinking, the way he doesn’t spew bullshit-but it hurts a little, stings a lot, and you swallow before you manage to speak again.

“Oh-okay. Cool. Just thought I’d ask.”

You scuff your toe along Minho’s tile, and try to imagine him making Jisung scrub it clean with a toothbrush.

“But-” Seungmin speaks again, his tone softer this time, and you manage to make yourself look at him, his eyes gentler now, his face just as serious. “I think I could like you like that.”

Your mouth suddenly feels dry.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He nods, looking thoughtful now. “If I gave myself the chance.”

Suddenly, your heart rights itself in your chest and you can breathe again.

“Okay. Cool.” You repeat dumbly, stupidly, biting back a smile, and Seungmin chuckles.

“You already said that.”

“Dude. Do you really have to pick apart my flaws right now?”

Seungmin grins, cocking his head, and the puppy side of him resurfaces. You force yourself to stay cool, even though you suddenly have the intense urge to squeeze and pinch his cheeks.

“Ah yes. Changbin mentioned the ‘dude’ thing. Said he really hates it when you use it as a term of endearment.”

“It’s not a term of endearment. I do it strictly to annoy him. Now when I call him that, it’s meant to be an insult. I’m gonna have to clear that up immediately.”

Seungmin grins wider now.

“Whatever you say. I think it’s cute, dude.”

“Shut up.”

********

“Did you have fun with Seungmin last night?” Hyunjin teases, as he carefully smooths the face mask over the bridge of Changbin’s nose, patting it into place.

“Did you have fun with Felix last night?” Changbin retorts in return, shutting up as soon as Hyunjin tuts and slaps his shoulder, fixing the slipping face mask back into place once more.

“I did, thank you.” Hyunjin sniffs, before sitting back and admiring his handiwork for a moment, before swiveling to face you. “C’mere. Your turn.” You lean toward him, and he begins to delicately place your own face mask into place, the sweet smell of strawberries filling the air as he does so, the gel of the mask settling coolly and deliciously over your skin.

Hyunjin’s fingers are gentle as they smooth the mask down carefully, rubbing across your cheek bones and down your jaw, and you bite back an affectionate smile as you say, careful not to jostle his handiwork, “I’m still shocked you lasted the whole scary movie marathon.”

“Yeah.” Changbin grunts, rolling over on his stomach and reaching for his phone on the nightstand. “You never do that with us.” “Felix was scared. I had to be the brave one.” Hyunjin retorts, finishing with your mask and sitting back on his hands, shooting you both a glare. “When I’m with the two of you, I can be as much of a little bitch as I want, because I know you’ll protect me.”

“Ah, baby.” You reach out to pinch his cheek, and he dodges easily, swatting your hand away. “That’s sweet. Hand me the nail polish.”

Hyunjin leans around Changbin-currently engrossed looking at something on his phone-and places the bottle of bright orange nail polish into your outstretched palm.

You glance down at the shade-Neon Sunset-and hold out your other hand without looking up until Hyunjin places his fingers into your own.

“Pretty.” You remark on the color, before you begin to carefully apply the bright nail polish to Hyunjin’s perfectly manicured nails.

Changbin glances up from his phone and to the bottle in your hand, and makes a dramatic show of covering his eyes, squinting between his fingers as he glances at Hyunjin.

“God, that’s bright.”

“I’m going for memorable and unforgettable, darling.”

“I don’t think you need orange nail polish for that, baby. Your overwhelming personality is enough.”

Hyunjin makes a move to lunge toward the nonplussed alpha, and you giggle, pinning his fingers in place, even as you squawk, “Don’t move! You’re gonna make me mess up!”

Hyunjin settles back down beside you, and Changbin grins, hiding behind his phone screen once more.

There is silence as you concentrate, painting the rest of Hyunjin’s nails, except for Changbin’s quiet typing in the background, and the soft music Hyunjin had picked playing over the speaker in the corner of the room, and eventually, Hyunjin asks conversationally, drowsily, “Is that hyung?”

Changbin blows out a harsh breath and nods, reaching up to rake a hand through his dark hair.

“Yeah. He won’t shut up about this project we’re supposed to be doing.”

“Hyung as in Chan right?” You ask off handedly, finishing up Hyunjin’s nails and putting the polish away, as the omega blows on them carefully.

“That’s the one.”

“He’s from Australia.” Hyunjin adds, glancing at you, as he arches a brow and grins wickedly. “His accent is stupid. But don’t tell him I told you that.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“You wouldn’t dare, hyung.”

Changbin rolls his eyes and types out another response, before tossing his phone to the side and sighing, flopping heavily onto his back as he throws an arm over his eyes.

“God, he’s a slave driver.”

You glance at your boyfriend with slight sympathy, and reach out to pat the meaty muscle of his thigh in a show of support.

“I’ve never met him, but he sounds terrible.”

“That’s the thing-” Changbin sits up suddenly, throwing his hands out, a look of utter irritation splayed across his features. “-he’s not! He’s like, the nicest guy I’ve ever met-not to mention, he’s an actual genius when it comes to producing-so I can’t hate him, no matter how hard I try. He just-” Changbin blows out another breath through his teeth, clenching his fingers into fists in frustration. “-is apparently allergic to sleep and takes on the workload of four people and never, ever stops?”

“Yikes.”

“He’s also really pretty.” Hyunjin points out, inspecting his nails and picking at some polish that has rubbed off on his skin. He glances up between you and Changbin in the silence, meeting the other alpha’s disbelieving stare head on. “What? He is. The one time I met him, I’m pretty sure I swooned like one of those ladies in an old timey film.”

“One time.” Changbin replies helplessly, as if he can’t believe Hyunjin had been that taken the first and only time he had met his department buddy.

Hyunjin shrugs. “Like recognizes like, hyung.”

You grin. “So you think you’re pretty?”

Hyunjin huffs. “Baby, I know I’m pretty.”

You lean toward him and kiss his cheek, face mask and all.

“The prettiest.”

*******

The moment you enter Changbin’s dorm, your hackles immediately rise.

Rain.

Why does it smell like rain?

You set your backpack down beside the door cautiously, every inch of you on high alert, and kick off your shoes as silently as possible, before you creep into the kitchen.

Hyunjin glances up from his spot at the table with slight disinterest at your entrance, his phone held loosely between long fingers, a cheeto halfway to his lips.

“Why do you look like you’re ready to start a fight?”

“You don’t smell that?” You ask, keeping your voice low, eyes scanning the kitchen for anything out of place, as you sink into the chair beside him, body still stiff.

Hyunjin gives you a funny look, before he stuffs the cheeto into his mouth and finishes his message to Felix before clicking off his phone with a sigh.

Suddenly, understanding dawns in the dark of his eyes.

“Oh, the rain thing? That’s just Chan-hyung.”

Your wolf perks its ears at the name, but you feel confusion sweep across your face at his words.

“Chan-?”

“Oh, hey.”

Changbin enters the kitchen, glancing at the two of you, before he heads straight for the fridge, pulling out a bottle of gatorade and chugging it in one fell swoop.

He swipes at his mouth with the back of his hand, and meets your leveled gaze with a raised brow.

“Your scent is all weird.”

“My scent?” You quip back, pinching your nose teasingly, forcing your nervous wolf farther back down into the pit of your stomach. “You smell like a dumpster.”

Changbin rolls his eyes. “I just got back from the gym. Sue me.”

He tosses the empty bottle into the trash and you track his movements as he moves to the table to steal a handful of Hyunjin’s cheetos.

The omega doesn’t even notice, nose buried back into his phone once more, probably texting Felix again.

“Why does your apartment smell like that?” You query, trying to keep your voice level and your wolf under control.

“Like what?” Confusion crosses Changbin’s face, and then something clicks into place as you watch. “Ah, yeah, sorry about that. Chan’s here.”

“Why?”

Changbin looks caught off guard by the defensive question, reaching up to rub awkwardly at the back of his neck as he fumbles over his words.

“He went to the gym with me. Now we’re gonna order some takeout and hole up in my room for the rest of the night, try and finish that stupid project he can’t seem to let go of.”

“He actually wants to hook the two of you up, if we’re being honest.” Hyunjin states boredly, glancing up from his phone long enough to throw Changbin an exasperated look, before he’s back to furiously typing, stuffing another cheeto in his mouth.

“What?”

The scent of frost sharpens significantly, and Changbin holds up his hands, as if to thwart any murderous attack you might throw in his direction.

“Okay, look, it’s not quite like that-”

“What is it like then? Hm, Seo Changbin?” You question in a dangerously low voice, rising from the table, as you stare him down, pinning him against the refrigerator with your eyes alone.

“Hyunjin-” Changbin pleads, but the omega simply waves a hand in the alpha’s direction.

“You got yourself into this, figure it out. Told you she’d be mad.”

You stalk toward your boyfriend, who looks increasingly more afraid by the moment.

“Okay, look-” Changbin tries again, voice wavering slightly, as you come to stand right in front of him now, toe to toe, expression murderous. “I just thought, that maybe, if hyung had someone in his life, you know, someone special, maybe he’d lay off me a little, let me breathe, take it easy every once and awhile.”

Your wolf growls, low and menacing, and it starts to rumble in the back of your throat.

The scent of rain is making your insides twitch and your skin itchy.

“So you offered me-and my pussy-up as tribute? That really sounded like a good idea to you?”

Changbin audibly gulps.

“Fuck. Okay, when you put it like that, it sounds bad-”

“He doesn’t know if he’s into men.” Hyunjin offers helpfully, gleefully, watching the two of you with open smug amusement from the kitchen table now. “So he figured what college guy doesn’t want to bang a hot chick? Especially one as hot as you, noona.”

“Thank you, Hyunjin.” You acknowledge the convoluted compliment over your shoulder, before facing Changbin once more, lips pulled back into a scowl. “I’m going to kill you. I’m literally going to murder you-”

The sound of footsteps in the hallway, and then the smell of rain, of damp earth, is almost overwhelming, and your wolf snarls warningly.

A man you don’t recognize appears in the open doorway of the kitchen, still toweling off damp hair, a music department hoodie that’s a mirror of your alpha boyfriend’s-the one Hyunjin currently wears-slung over broad shoulders.

Changbin looks nothing short of relieved.

“Hyung.” He slips past you before you can make good on your promise, and slaps a hand down on the other man’s shoulder, grinning broadly, if not a little shakily. “Look who just got here. This is (Y/N).”

You do your best not to wrinkle your nose as the full wave of petrichor hits you and Chan offers his hand, smiling widely, white teeth a stark contrast to his copper skin.

“Chan. Nice to meet you.” You force a half smile onto your face and grit your teeth, slipping your palm into his for a brief, singular shake.

“Yeah. I’ve heard a lot.”

Changbin glances between the two of you hopefully, and when Chan turns to address Hyunjin, you level him with a glare caustic enough to peel paint.

You’re so dead, you mouth silently at the other alpha, and Changbin grimaces.

Chan turns back to you and you try-with little to no success-to ignore the way his now drying curls fall softly over his forehead, the broad slope of his nose, the cute little dimples that divot his cheeks.

God dammit, Hyunjin was right. He is really pretty.

“It’s honestly a pleasure to meet you. Changbin never stops talking about you guys, you know.”

Chan grins and cocks his head, eyes sparkling, and you tell yourself you’re not admiring the way the golden flecks in his caramel irises offset the ebony of his pupils, you’re not.

“Hm.” You hum back in confirmation beneath your breath, your skin still prickling with something akin to annoyance.

Hyunjin was also right about another thing.

His accent really is stupid.

************************************************************************

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on-stardust-wings · 1 year

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Findings from watching the season two opening. Here be spoilers if you haven’t seen it, begone all who seek to avoid those.

Crowley climbs up the rock (and does not look like he enjoys climbing much). Does that mean demons can’t fly? Crowley in particular can’t fly?

There is a moth (butterfly) that starts flying with Crowley and Aziraphale when Crowley lights the match. It’s the first creature that accompanies them. Is it important?

The fuck is this thing. I thought it’s an elephant first? With a trunk? But it’s on fire. Could just be a rock? Whatever it is, the angel with the box (Gabriel?) spawns right behind it. I would say portal to Hell, but angels don’t commonly come out of those. Or do they now? Anyway mysterious fiery thing.

There’s also a bunch of animals in the background of this setting. They seem to be mostly sheep and goats. And there’s huge bones/skeletons. Dinosaurs are fictional in the Good Omens verse, though. (Something about the dinosaurs are a joke thing? Please let it be something about dinosaurs being a joke, I love this bit.)

It’s raining fire and the poor goats and sheep get torched. :( Looking pretty apocalyptic for a season that (maybe) isn’t about the end of the world this time!

There’s the pickled herring from the spoiler/bts pics! And this person looks like Hastur IMO. “Everyday” apparently already died; it’s on a tombstone. What is the person in the back (behind the herring barrel) carrying? A miniature airplane? A rocket launcher? A big camera?

And THEN there’s the lamp with a face and feet guy, walking in front of the person with the headscarf. WTF is with lamp with a face guy. Lamp with a face guy even has a smaller lamp attached to his arm. I do not want to meet lamp with a face on a dark graveyard!

There are some more spooky characters joining the procession as it goes underground. What’s up with red head and a lamp on a stick guy for example?

Lovelovelove Hell with the magma and the giant spider and the office chairs on rocks (some of them upside down). Giant pentagram in the background that seems to be spinning! I loved the basement office hell vibe they used for Hell in S1, but this fiery Hell looks so cool. Creature with bat wings perching on top of a rock! Great vibes, very hellish.

London during the airstrike has a cool blimb, a tank, lots of wreckage, is apparantly a 30 zone, so no speeding, and there’s an ad for Stairway to Heaven. Seems like a play or a movie maybe?

Aziraphale and Crowley with their wings out walk in front of a bus with “wings for victory” written on the side. And then an aircraft throws a bomb on them.

It is raining rabbits in the entryway to the magic show theatre, and there’s person sized and shaped rabbit in the audience. Is it Harry the Rabbit?

Lots of interesting head dresses in the people following after Crowley here, and there’s Beelzebub. They’re being led to meet Aziraphale in his magic uniform, now upgraded with a cape! (He should have worn the cape to Adam’s party, capes are cool.)

Space! Spacespacespace! Look at the planets and stars! Also the tank, it’s still here. And there’s... a rabbit astronaut? With glowing eyes?

Little UFO crossing in front of that moon/planet! Looks a bit like the flying saucer from season 1.

Thy kingdom airways lol! And it’s raining hearts! On Aziraphale and Crowley on the bookshop roof.

“Give me coffee or give me death” is a very metal slogan for a coffee shop. And there’s lots of music themed stuff in the street. There’s a jukebox, a pile of records behind it, that decoration between the street lamps looks like vinyl records cut in half strung up? And the Bentley is there, probably blasting Queen. :D

The skycrapers are elevator shafts. The one in the middle has an angel in it, riding down. Down to Hell? Ding!

It’s the Dirty Donkey! And the movie theatre is called “The Arrival”. It’s screening today! That’s very clever, wonder if the opening will change with the different episode titles? :) Also, there’s the image from the box the angel is carrying again, on the film posters for The Arrival. Can’t tell what it is.

Look at them all walking into the light! They’re going to be enlightened! Or something. But it is a very bright light! Lighthouse! It’s also covered in scrap and junk nearly to the top. Whatever that may mean. (Guys don't walk into the light, no!)

My friends, I am really looking forward to stop waiting and see what this is all about!

#good omens #good omens season 2 #s2 opening title #in which I definitely watched this too often #should probably go to bed #but there's so much to see!#what's the mystery light they all walk into #p+a

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disasterofastory · 11 months

Text

The pretty little actress of Rogers - Part 6 (Steve Rogers x Reader)

The pretty little actress of Rogers Part 6 - Plans // The pretty little actress of Rogers Masterlist Steve Rogers x Reader Mafia AU Warnings: none

Summary: After a weekend with your husband, you plan the next with Steve.

The weekend you promised to spend with your husband comes quickly. Your week goes by with rehearsals and texting with Steve while Kent is busy with his own life too. You know his job is demanding since he is the new guy, but you are sure it's not the only reason he hangs on his phone every minute. However, it doesn't hurt you so much anymore. And this makes you worried. You get further and further away from each other, but you don't feel so panicked and saddened anymore. He wanted this, you remind yourself. It's on him.

Maybe these things are the reasons you feel awkward when he invites you out for breakfast. The city is already busy, and you have to search for a place to eat with a free table. "And how was your week?" Kent asks after biting into his sandwich. "Busy," you reply. "The theater…" "A new show?" "Yes," you nod. "I really like my character, though." "You always do," he smiles. "Maybe I could go and see it." "That would be good," you lie. Your smile is tight and forced. The thought of your husband and Steve in the same place disturbs you. How would they react? What would you do? To avoid saying anything more, you take a bite from your own breakfast before sipping from your coffee. "And how is your work?" Fortunately, your question is enough to change the topic. Kent tells you everything about an upcoming project. "If it goes right, they may promote me." "That would be amazing," you congratulate. "I'm really happy for you." "Thank you," Kent nods. "I'm really grateful you agreed to move." "Yeah," you hum, not sure what else to say. A sour taste spreads across your tongue. Since he gave you an ultimatum, you didn't really have much choice. You either move with him or get a divorce. "Do you want to go somewhere?" He asks. "And we could watch movies at home like old times." "We could take a walk in the park on our way home," you suggest.

Both of you feel like walking on eggshells around each other. After your jobs, you talk about politics, news, and movies even though the elephant is in the room again. It's huge and unavoidable. "So," he clears his throat. "What about dating?" "It's… it's good," you reply. "You were right. We needed to experience more things." You feel horrible because of it, but lazing on the couch and watching TV make you disappointed. After years of doing nothing, you wish for more. "And did you…you know…" "No," you shake your head. "But I guess you did…" "Yes," he admits. "And who is the guy?" You don't want to tell him Steve's name. "Just a guy. And your… co-worker?" "She is… good. Just a woman." "Yeah," you nod, leaning back on the couch. Just a guy. Just a woman. Which one of you is lying? You don't know. "Be honest with me, Kent, did you have sex with her before our agreement?" You dare to ask. Eyes on the TV. "No." You don't know if you can believe him. "But she was the reason for all of this," you state. Silence. "Yes." His admission doesn't hurt as much as you thought it would. "Are you mad?" He asks after a while when you say nothing. "Not anymore." You are honest. "As I said, you were right. We needed something… else. Something new."

"I won't be home next weekend," Kent says on Sunday. The sun barely left the horizon. The street lamps are already on. Their warm lights filter into the flat in long patterns. "Where are you going?" You ask, surprised. He doesn't answer immediately. "I… me and…" "Oh," you nod, looking down at your hands. "I see." You really hope it wasn't the only reason he wanted to spend the weekend with you. A weak consolation before he takes the other woman away for a weekend. Because the other woman deserves it. A weekend away from the city. But you? The couch and the TV are enough for you. "Does it bother you?" You are not sure. "No."

Later that night, you sit on the couch while Kent is in the bedroom, chatting or sleeping, you don't know. Your phone is in your hand. The TV is still on for some background noise. The light of the screen illuminates the small space. Hey, you send a message to Steve. The answer comes quickly. Hey! How was your weekend? It was good. I'm free next weekend if you want to meet. My husband goes who-knows-where. Do you mean the whole weekend? He asks. Yes. So you can come over to my place? Maybe I could pick you up on Friday and take you home on Sunday. Steve suggests after a few seconds. If you are okay with it, of course. You need a few minutes to decide. The thought of you being home while your husband is away with another woman makes you feel pathetic and lonely. Okay. I'm in. As an answer, he sends you a photo of himself. He smiles at the camera while lying on his bed. One arm is under his head.

You still don't know how someone can be so handsome.

Did I scare you off? He asks when you don't react. No. Your reply before taking a picture of yourself. You are smiling too. Beautiful. I'm sure I will dream of you. Giddiness spreads across your chest as you read his message again and again. Your husband and his weekend are forgotten. I will dream of you too.

#steve rogers imagine #steve rodgers x reader #marvel imagine #avengers imagine #marvel x reader #avenger x reader #mafia au #mafia!steve rogers #x reader

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heartfullofleeches · 1 year

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Requesting a reader hellbent on getting Gus to admit to not being human?

- 💀 anon

Gus giggles as you flash a bright light in their eyes, bursting into a full on fit as they speak. "That tickles, Sugarcube. Look at you, making a clown laugh, how funny is that? Sigh I knew you were the one for me."

"Can it 'clown'." You remove your hands from the table lamp to slam them on the smooth surface, Gus trying to keep his snickers to a minimum. This thing.. You don't know what it is, but it definitely isn't human. They don't even deny your claims, going on and one about how they were simply - clown.

Your suspicions derived from the fact their makeup never smudged. They never took it nor their costume off. Something you expected them to by now due to how long they've been invading your home. There was also the matter of their extreme flexibility and talent to pull things from thin air. Not to mention them being able to just vanish without a trace when you try to prove that someone has been stalking you, only for all of their equipment to be scattered across the floor the second you close the door.

"Tell me what you are right now. Or you won't like the consequences."

Their shoulder quake with a slight laugh. They fall as they continue. "Oh, Y/n. You wouldn't hurt me." Gus claimly states. It's the calmest you've ever seen them, and a little unnerving...

"Because who would hurt a clown!" Yet again - they laugh again without a care in the world. Your frustration reaches levels beyond comprehension, but through that fury an idea comes to mind. You're going to regret this in the morning.

You sigh, running a hand through your hair. Tell me what you are - and I'll give you a kiss."

Gus perks more than their cheerful face could express; smile reaching from ear to ear as they clap their hands together. Were the markings under their eyes always pink hearts? You remembered them being yellow suns.

"Well now you're talking! I'll be a pink elephant if it means I get to smooch those pretty lips of yours, Y/n. I'll tell you exactly you want to hear, but just know that despite everything I tell you, I'm just a normal clown.

#Gus my oc #yandere oc #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere imagines #yandere scenarios #yandere headcanons #yandere insert #male yandere #yandere blurb #yandere x you #Yandere clown #yandere x y/n #yandere x darling

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reflections-in-a-critical-eye · 9 months

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Me: Wow Jimin doing a house tour wth how

JM: proceed to walk around his house only showing the ceiling

Me: i knew it i would never

JM: Goes back showing his workout room and a room

Me: how the world changed overnight

Translation: This is my equipment room and the room my parents stay in when they visit

why did i expect more i should have known by now he excels in showing only thing he judges are meaningless. Also love how happy he was showing his mood lamp

What did Jungkook say, that cuteness covers everything?

He's absolutely right, it's so easy to find Jimin endearing regardless of what he does. Of course the house tour would look like that. I was shocked he showed the secret gym room and his mood lamp! That's a lot.

When he talks, when he does a tour, everything is being executed in a way that gives us something, but not too much. Did you see what he said about the IG picture? He was laughing that he looked like an anchovy. As if that's the only thing he had in mind when he posted and it's all people are talking about. Totally ignoring the elephant in the room. He's annoying and adorable at the same time

And he can still look like a baby 🤧

#jimin #jimin live #m thoughts

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onomatopoetic101999 · 7 months

Text

Chapter Three: Iconoclast

Chapter Four: Ignoramous

Ignis Fatuus Masterlist

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Iconoclast: a person who challenges accepted beliefs

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The rest of dinner is so wonderful, you forget the enormous elephant you had left in your hotel room. Sam is mercifully light on the teasing, and while his looks being the explanation for how flustered you've been feeling didn't feel like an exact answer, it's enough to put your mind at ease.

You head back to the room hand in hand, and your eyes are closed in laughter as he opens the door for you. Your gaze lands on the bed when they open again, and your laugh stops in your throat.

Sam notices the change immediately.

"What's wrong, Darlin'? Are you-"

He sees the bed too, then, and catches on.

"Ah." He comes around to stand in front of you, blocking it from your view.

His expression is kind and open, and his smile is gentle. He rubs his hands up and down your arms to soothe you.

"Relax, Darlin'. I'm already planning on taking the floor, okay?"

You take a deep breath. You were an adult. You could do this. You could share a bed with Sam. It was Sam! It was just Sam.

"No," he raises an eyebrow. "No. We'll share. Nobody is sleeping on the floor all week."

He blinks, clearly shocked by your suggestion.

"It's no trouble, Darlin'. The last thing I want is for you to be uncom-"

"Sam! It's fine. Really."

You move around him and grab your tank top and sleep shorts, heading to the bathroom to change before he can argue anymore.

When you get out, he's turned off every light except the lamp on the bedside table. He's also taken off his shirt and jacket, leaving him only in soft looking pants.

At the sight of his bare chest, you swallow. Sam smiles apologetically.

"I didn't pack a shirt to sleep in. Are you sure you're still okay with this?"

You squeak out a "It's fine!" as you briskly walk over to the other side of the bed, sliding under the covers and turning so your back faces him.

You feel the bed dip as Sam gets comfortable on his side, and you're thankful the bed is big enough to keep you from touching.

"Good night, Darlin'."

Sam's voice is no higher than a whisper, as if he's worried he'll scare you if he's any louder.

You offer him a quiet "Good night!" back and screw your eyes shut.

You could do this. It's just Sam. Sam, your closest friend. Sam, who was so attractive, looking at him was difficult. Sam, who apparently slept without a shirt on.

You shift slightly and tug the covers up over your arms, forcing yourself to relax. It's just Sam.

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You wake up the next morning in complete bliss. Everything feels more comfortable than it did last night. You'd shifted at some point to lay on your stomach, one leg bent to rest across the mattress. The pillows are somehow softer than you remember, and you must have missed that the blankets were heated in your hurry to sleep, because you're completely bundled in warmth this morning.

You smile and shift slightly, nuzzling deeper into the pillow under your head. It isn't until you feel the supposed blanket on your back tighten that you realize your mistake.

Your eyes pop open and you try shoot up onto your forearms. Sam, still asleep, doesn't let you go so easily. His arm is an unyielding band across your back, and he sighs sleepily as he brings your head back down to rest on his chest with his other hand.

His fingers bury in your hair, and you close your eyes, trying to deny how nice it feels to be wrapped up in him like this. After a few more fruitless attempts to get free, you give up, allowing yourself to go back to sleep. You'd deal with it when he wakes up, you decide. You really were very comfortable...

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You don't know how long you fall back asleep for. It doesn't matter, really, because at first it seems as if you're in the same predicament as before. Sam's hand has migrated from your head to around your back, and the one previously on your back has drifted down to rest on your thigh, but the effect is the same; you wouldn't be getting out of bed until Sam let you.

Suddenly, Sam's breathing pattern shifts, and his hands tighten where they rest on your body. You force yourself to remain the same. For a reason you can't explain, you want to find out how Sam will react to waking up like this.

You feel his breathing hitch under your cheek as you assume he realizes what's going on, but he doesn't respond with the same panic you did. Instead of trying to get away, Sam nuzzles his face into your hair and inhales deeply through his nose. The hand on your back presses you closer to him, and the one your thigh raises to rest where yours sits on his chest.

He sighs out a whisper as he laces your fingers together, so quiet you almost don't hear it.

"Oh, Baby Girl. What am I gonna do about you?"

You feel heat begin to thread through your entire body. 'Baby Girl'? You weren't awake yet, why was he trying to fluster you? You feel him press a kiss onto the top of your head. 'Baby Girl'??

You pretend to wake up, then, sure if you laid there any longer you might spontaneously combust. When you rise onto your forearms this time, Sam lets you, running his hand up and down your back slowly.

His blue eyes are lidded with sleep as they meet yours, and they crinkle at the corners when he smiles at you.

"Good mornin', Darlin'." His voice is deeper and raspier than normal, and you feel heat creep up onto your cheeks.

"Good morning."

There's a pause where you both just look at each other for a moment before you speak again.

"Are you, uh," you clear your throat and Sam raises an eyebrow, amused. "Are you gonna let me go?"

Sam's smile widens, and as he moves his hands off of you, he sighs a resigned, "if I must."

You get off of him as soon as you're able, and high tail it to the bathroom to change, your mind reeling. What in the galaxy was that? 'Baby Girl'?

Was he so committed to messing with you that he said it on the off chance you were awake? You look at yourself in the mirror and scrub a hand down your face. If he was putting this much effort into flustering you, handling this whole week was going to be even more difficult than you thought.

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Chapter Four: Ignoramus

#magswrites #ignis faatus #sam coe #sam coe x reader #sam coe starfield #sam coe starfield x reader #starfield #starfield x reader #magsscreamsintothevoid #fluff #reader insert

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