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underwhelmingalchemist · 2 months

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So apparently the version of the "Isn't It Bromantic" interview that gets passed around isn't the full thing

So after seeing a tumblr post I can't find, about two and half hours of intensive internet digging, and one purchase from a sketchy second-hand site later (full story under the cut, I promise it's interesting, but also long), I got the physical magazine and scanned it

So here you go: the full "Isn't It Bromantic?" TV guide interview with Robert Sean Leonard and Hugh Laurie

Feel free to repost wherever you want- I want people to be able to find the full thing

SO, as for how I found it:

I saw this tumblr post forever ago that I can't find anymore because tumblr is just Like That with a cropped screenshot of an interview with Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard. In the interview, they're asked about the "bromance" between their two characters. Leonard makes an annoyed comment about how "everyone [is] obsessed with homosexuality", followed by the interview apologizing and Laurie immediately jumping in with, "No, no, let's talk about it. Wilson and House have an unusual relationship so you have to explore…" and the screenshot cuts off there. Cue funny comment from the OP about the interaction, roll credits.

Except, as these things tend to do, it ended up becoming a bit of a brain worm, and I wanted to find it again. But I couldn't find the tumblr post. I looked absolutely everywhere, and in the process of looking everywhere, I found what I thought was the original interview- a blog post with the full quote from the actor. I didn't think too much about it, I figured it was just a short quote given to a popular blog in 2008. There's a magazine cover above it, but I don't think too much about it, because I'm focusing on the quotes in the article instead of the rest of it.

So I send screenshots to a couple friends to make jokes, and it probably should have died there.

However, late at night I end up thinking about that interview again, because of course I did. I start to think about how it's weirdly formatted for, what I assumed at first reading, was just an entertainment news blog reaching out for comment and getting a response. So I pull up the screenshots of the article (because weirdly enough, the old-ass blog only loads on mobile) and look at it again.

This is when I realize that this isn't an original piece from a blog interviewing these two after reaching out for comment. This is a blog post quoting and commenting on a full interview from a magazine, which I had originally thought had just been the inspiration for the piece.

So naturally, I go looking for the magazine.

Luckily, the name of the magazine is displayed on the cover, and so is the title of its main piece. This should be easy to find, right?

Wrong.

This is an interview in a physical magazine. From 2008. October 13th, 2008, to be exact.

I know this exact date because searching the article title and magazine name leads me to an archive on the TV Guide website.

Of covers.

And nothing but covers.

I spend like forty-five minutes searching everywhere I can think of on the web. Internet Archive, the TV Guide website, any search result that comes up when I search any combination of the words "House" "Interview" "Bromantic" "Bromance" "TV Guide" "Archive" etc. Over and over, all that's coming up are that original blog post and the cover from the official gallery.

The only things I could find online were:

The cover and date of the issue on the TV Guide website

The original blog post that was screenshotted in the original tumblr post

Another blog post that had a much shorter version of the quote, references something Leonard says from later in the article, and makes a comment on the nature of his reaction to the term "bromance"

An entry on Leonard's IMDB page's "interview" list mentioning it in title only

And:

5. A single listing for the issue on what seemed to be a second-hand site that looked like it hadn't had its UI updated since the mid 2000's, with a listing with no date or additional information besides what issue it is.

This is the only listing anywhere. I checked every other second-hand site I could think of, and then some that only came up through google searches. There's not a single listing for that issue on any of them. There were plenty of listings of TV guide magazines, including one that seemed promising because it included issues from that year, but it was missing all of October.

It seemed like the only listing for this issue on the entire internet was this one copy on this one obscure website. For all I know, this was listed in 2008 and abandoned, and just never got marked inactive. It could also be a complete scam.

A few quick google searches show that that website seemed to be legit, albeit a bit loose on quality control (which makes sense, this website seemed like the kind of thing you'd have to use the Way Back Machine to access). It also had an option to pay via PayPal, which meant I could file a chargeback if need be.

It was $11.50 when you include shipping.

So at about half past midnight, I bought the listing.

Naturally, about an hour later, I manage to actually find a scan of the interview. I had to follow a link in the comments of a post on FanPop, taking me to an old wordpress blog, and I'm sitting in front of the damn interview at last.

But something doesn't make sense. Why would their cover story only be two pages of text that aren't even full pages, and why would it cut off so strangely? There was no concluding sentence or paragraph, even though it started with a fairly long lead-in. It also led right up to the edge of the page, which felt like there should be more to it. There were more images in the interview than text, and the fact that there are so many of them and they clearly did a whole photoshoot indicated that they had them on hand for a while. The silly string one, for instance, I imagine probably had to require a couple takes, which means cleaning off Wilson's hair and face, adjusting makeup, etc. for it. Meanwhile, the conversation itself seems like it could have taken ten minutes total. I could have been totally wrong and that was where the article ended, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more.

So I hold tight. A couple days pass with no update, and then the PayPal purchase gets updated with a tracking number. Promising, but it could still be a scam. Whether or not I get the actual magazine becomes a source of anxiety for the next week.

Until today, when I get told it was delivered. And when I opened the envelope it was sent in: there it was.

When I tell you I was happy stimming in my bedroom just holding the damn issue in my own hands... And then opening it and finding out that I was right, there was a missing page... I was elated. I still am, just typing this.

So I spent half an hour getting my scanner to work, and I give you the above issues.

Like I said above, feel free to repost however and wherever you want. I want all this to mean something.

In the meantime, I have two more House-themed TV Guide magazines coming to try and get articles from.

#i am so psyched to have found this you have no idea #house #house md #hatecrimes md #malpractice md #gregory house #james wilson #hugh laurie #robert sean leonard #tv guide #magazine #interview #house interview #isn't it bromantic #hilson

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cloveroctobers · 14 days

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JEY USO x BLACK! READER — Spring Writings 🩵

A/N: I took a stab at writing for roman and now here I am doing the same for jey? Except this one isn’t strongly plot based…Wish me luck! I’m new to the scene so I apologize if this isn’t in his character…But I think I got it? We’ll see 😆

PROMPTS ARE FROM HERE + HERE & I’m using: “did you seriously use the last of the milk for this?” “i thought it would taste good!” + “well i put it on the grocery list!” “i didn’t think i needed the list!” “you clearly did!!” + “i can’t find the remote.” “i’m actually going to kill you.” 1. “But look, this is on sale!”

WARNINGS: language + just doing typical bickering couple things.

☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎

In the near future, you wanted to advocate for detaching your head (not on some Black mirror type shit, although you knew there was a 70% chance that it could go that route) and leaving it to get any protective style for yourself, sisters, brothers, and non-binaries while you went about your business before you came back to collect your freshly did head. You originally wanted to go in with some straight backs with the water wave left out towards the ends but switched to boho locs last minute.

Thankfully you had that type of relationship with your stylist so she didn’t mind much.

You were always down to try something new and been contemplating getting some locs after a few of your family members been on their journey for years now. Tending to your head nearly everyday was a hassle especially as a routine to go into the world and work. Hair had a mind of its own and it didn’t need to be explained, if you know, you know.

The last thirty minutes of your appointment, you were reaching out to your husband to see what was on the menu at home or if you needed to pick something up. The snacks your go to girl provided only held up for so long and when Jey told you that he had a taste for Kopai, basically hinting that would be for lunch or dinner—when Jey threw down he made enough for both occasions—you sat up a bit in the driver’s seat, one hand on the wheel, while you floated through the streets to get back home.

When you unlocked the white security gate to the bright russet orange home (Jey picked the exterior color and you weren’t crazy about it but at least it stood out from the other homes, which was his main goal), you were already hit with a whiff of spices, thanks to the breezy San Francisco spring air and found the petal pink front door wide open. Which made you quirk up a brow but you were too famished to think too hard about it as you quickly made your way through the small entry way into the master bedroom to toss your things onto the bed.

You sighed with a shake of your head as you made your way up the stairs, hearing Jey listening to Kendrick’s disses on loop again but you also ignored that as you made your way to the right where the kitchen and living room sat. Sneaking behind the man on your toes like swiper, you slapped a hand and squeezed his backside in greeting while Jey legit yelped and yanked himself away.

Grinning at him innocently you say, “why are your clappers clenched?”

Jey sucked his teeth while you attempted to hide your laughter, “yo, what I tell you about doing that man? That’s my job to do to you, not other way around.”

“I thought we believed in equality in this house?” You placed your hands on your hips while Jey just huffed.

You moved towards the stove, where Jey was hovering over. The soup pot was there, steaming but the aroma wasn’t giving Kopai. While jey was distracted on his phone again, mumbling to himself and nodding his head—possibly the lyrics—you snatched up a spoon to dip into the pot.

Wincing against the temperature on your tongue, you managed to get the food down after chewing and sucking air into your mouth. That was enough to get Jey’s attention as he looked at you with a straight face, annoyed that you went and sampled.

“This is not giving dumpling…where are the dumplings?” You managed to get out after your last chew.

Jey folded his muscular arms honestly replying, “that’s because there isn’t any.”

“Huh? But it’s Samoan Sunday.” Which meant each Sunday included something from Jey’s culture, sometimes combined with soul food, depending on what y’all were in the mood for.

Jey lifted his chin, “turns out it’s a whatever’s in the fridge day. That you just rudely sampled behind my back without giving me any proper love by the way, it’s spicy chicken and rice chowder.”

Scrunching up your face, you popped your tongue in distaste at the aftermath. Now that you knew what it was, it could explain this foul after taste because something wasn’t adding up.

“Joshua.”

“Oh here you go,” Jey threw his hands up in the air, “If I wanted another food critic, I’d just call your damn father.”

Your father has his own successful restaurant here in California and back up North where you were originally from. Majority of the time if your family was over, Jey did everything in his power not to be the one who was solely on food duty because your father was very critical especially when it came to food.

That’s that Virgo shit.

“Chowder includes milk right?” You didn’t get the culinary trait but you watched enough cooking competitions and attended plenty to know the basics. You weren’t the biggest fan of seafood, although that was the common type of chowder, there was no seafood in this dish.

It still didn’t taste right to you.

And Jey usually knew what to do in the kitchen, more so on the grill but still he got by and knew Gordon Ramsey would approve of at least a few of his dishes. If not? His bitch ass could certainly see Jey’s hands. Not your pops though, he wasn’t messing with him at all.

Jey scoffed, “yeah.”

“Hey, I’m not feeling your attitude.” You addressed over your shoulder as you went to the fridge to open up.

Jey shot back, “well I’m not feelin’ you sneaking and holdin’ two handfuls of my ass but here we are.”

It was one hand but whatever fed his ego.

He was really about to bring the hangry out of you if he kept it up to be honest. Your hands went to the top shelf, immediately spotting the now empty glass milk bottle. Yanking it out, you held it up in the air for your husband to see.

“Did you seriously use the last of the milk for this?” You questioned, one hand on your hip now.

He blinked between you and the glass and then back again, “I thought it would taste good!”

Your eye twitched, “With expired milk, Josh?!”

He scrunched up his face at this news, “be for real,” he starts as he makes his way towards you to grab the glass, “…how was I supposed to know?”

Jey’s fingers quickly unscrewed the silicone dispenser cap to take a sniff of the inside and recoiled.

“By doing that like you normally do.” You respond, “also there’s a label on the back that aways gets written with the expiration date.”

Jey snarled, “Why can’t we just keep the damn carton instead of this aesthetically pleasing bullshit?”

“That’s rich coming from Mr. Leo the flashy asshole himself.” You tilted your head to the side, sending him the same type of energy.

“Why am I catching strays?” Jey pounded on his chest, voice naturally booming off the walls, “it’s my fault I like nice things?”

‘And that I tried to cook us a meal?’ He thinks to himself.

“No but it’s mine?” You repeat his motions, pointing at your own chest while Jey sighs, “I tried to remind you this morning before I left, that the milk needed to be dumped.”

Jey scratches at his ear with his lips pushed out in thought, “I heard none of that.”

“Well, I put it on the grocery list!” Your voice went up now and you can only blame your hunger.

Jey slides the bottle onto the white surface of the pale blue counter, “I didn’t think I needed the list!”

“You clearly did!” You laugh humorlessly at the fact that you just ate partially spoiled food.

It was funny how your husband picked and chose what he wanted to remember. Granted it was pretty early when you told him this, waking him up from his snoring slumber as you pecked his cheek on your way out. Last night in bed he said he would hit the store for a few quick items you needed for the house and milk was the first thing on the list. He didn’t remember that but he knew you had a hair appointment since he insisted on paying for it, he always loved your fro and didn’t mind seeing you change it up.

He was very vocal if he didn’t like a look either, even if you were pranking him a few times with stiff wigs from Tyler Perry Amazon, which caused many more lashings from the both of you that it sometimes got personal. The both of you could take the shit talking from each other but once it actually stung just a little too much? And if it happened to occur in front of family? Oh the silent treatment was more lethal than the actual words.

“Now I see why your ass was so clenched when I came in here. You were trying to poison me, or encourage me to go vegan, my own got damn husband.” You scoffed while Jey rolled his eyes at your dramatics and that was saying a lot, since he was the number one Thespian.

He makes the noise of a buzzer, “wrong answer forehead! My fatty is too well rounded for it to be clenched. Especially if it was glute day yesterday. There’s no high booties around here and I’m highly offended that you think I would do that to you when you’re my whole heart.”

You stuck your tongue out giving him a thumbs down, “don’t try to butter me up, I’m still aggy and I’m trying to big my back, not make my stomach touch my back.”

And just like that he grins as he moves to grip the sides of your face, “I’m sorry ma, you know I always got you and already have a back up order for dinner if this didn’t turn out too well. Plus, I got something else that could feed your appetite. A appetizer if you really think about it.”

His smile turns devilish now as he moves to place his hips on yours to feel exactly what he’s serving up. You shove at his chest as he goes even further to try and kiss up your neck, “Nope, if you don’t get off me! You’re not getting none of that.”

“Why not? We got at least twenty-five minutes before option B is ready and I can make it work.” He’s chasing after you now.

You’re on the other side of the white and blue island with a shake of your head, “for one, I have no nutrients in my body and it’s really sounding like you want me to cross over to the other side.”

Jey interrupts as he stares at you in all seriousness, “never.”

Holding up fingers you continue, “Two, my laser appointment isn’t until Wednesday.”

Jey caressed his beard in thought licking his lips, “oh word, hump day? That’s even better but fuck all that we grown! Let me get you that jug of fruit water you made and then that ass is mine.”

You laughed, “you think I’m gonna just fold after you deprived me of Kopai? You really done lost your mind and it’s all KDot’s doing.”

“Nah, leave my boy out of this.”

You gasped, “That switch up is crazy.”

‘Guess we know who Jey’s shaking that ass for and it’s not just for me,’ you cackle internally before focusing back on what your husband’s response would be to picking with him. You knew better than to let that slip through your lips because you wouldn’t hear the end of it and your body was already going through it okay!

From getting your hair done and WORKING OUT!

Get your mind out of the gutter you hoes.

“I mean I didn’t say I was going to completely cut BBL—

Your eyes went wide as Jey smacked a hand over his mouth. You pointed at him and hopped up and down to prove your point.

“Be quiet.” He hissed before he made his claim, “I mean sure if im in the car I’ll bump Drake over Kendrick but he had something on his chest so some shit talking needed to be said.”

“And did.”

“Exactly but Drake’s still my guy.” He shrugged.

You shake your head as you pace the floor as if you were analyzing Jey like you were in some courtroom instead of your kitchen, “That’s just like you, taking up for the light skins.”

“Aight now you dragging it.” Jey sent a glower in your direction.

You laugh as you leaned against the counter feeling like a nap but not without facing the issue here, “so…what’s actually on the menu since you lied to me about the Kopai and then flopped the chowder.”

“It wasn’t a complete flop!” Jey argued with a deep furrow of his brows, “the flavor was on point, I just messed up with the dairy portion.”

You stated, “Goat milk would have been superior.”

“Oh hell no, wait until I tell your father about that one.” Jey’s shaking his head in disgust, goat milk was only great for a skincare routine and he could say that based on experience but far as consuming? Jey was good on that.

“Wait until I tell him that you tried to give me food poisoning.” You countered with a heated stare.

Jey deeply inhaled and sucked his teeth, “aight let’s roll before you get my blood pressure up to the point I need to be hospitalized.”

He turns the stove off and moves the pot to the side while it’s your turn to make your way over to the tatted man. You nuzzle your head into the back of shoulders while hugging him, “it’s only fair that we get on each others nerves.”

“You’re lucky I love yo ass.” He mumbles, resting a warm hand on top of your clasped ones.

“And you’re lucky I love you right back and didn’t take a bite out of your behind for depriving me of food.”

Jey scrunched up his nose at that and side eyed as he turned to face you a bit but you held his stare, letting him know that you weren’t joking. “See, I knew it in my spirit that you were one of those kids that liked to bite. I’ve seen baby pictures and that’s something I’ll have to keep in mind when we’re blessed with children.”

“Says the fighter out of the marriage.” You quirk up a brow but Jey just shrugs.

“I own my shit.”

“Whatever bro…where’s your keys?” You remove yourself from Jey to look around the kitchen while the said man follows you.

He buries his forehead against the side of your temple bumping you, “i’m not your bro so I don’t know who you think you’re talking to.”

You push him from your space, “stop playing with me, Joshua. We don’t have time for this!”

“Come correct then.”

You roll your eyes with a flick of your hair, “keys or I’ll go get my own.”

“I’m driving, I don’t need you acting like the streets are Mario kart like you probably did on your way here.” He states before he sarcastically jokes, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”

Let’s not talk about driving skills…of course you didn’t say that but Jey could tell you were thinking it. So he steps to you, holding out his hand but kept his eyes on you until you placed yours in his. He led the way back downstairs to the front level of the home, keys already in his pocket as he locked up the front of the house before heading to the garage.

There was tension on the first five minutes of the drive but not to the point where you two knew you wouldn’t get past it. You fumbled with the radio as the wind whipped across your profile and before you both know it, you’re both singing along to music from 2018, which was reminiscent back when things were starting to heat up between you two. Back when Jey was inviting you to family barbecues and being too afraid to ask you to be his girl and making an ass out of himself to his family when they questioned what you were.

It was all trial and tribulations that led to your marriage a year later. This bickering was nothing compared to what the both of you dealt with prior. And what’s a perfect marriage?

“By the way, the new look is sexy.” Jey comments as the both of you sit in his car digging into your food.

He chose Japanese…which was satisfactory since you loved the Wagyu beef tacos here and he was tearing into the BamuBamu wings, licking his fingers and everything that you knew his mother would be slapping the back of his head if she was in the backseat.

“Thanks baby, we’ll call this look: Gaia or Alani.” You posed, hands still holding a taco.

Jey nods, “ooo, Gailani is fire! See how I just did that?”

“Hope you come up with better earthy names for our future crotch goblins.” You told him while Jey frowned at you mid-bite.

“No way you just said that.”

Shrugging you say, “I mean I don’t know how pregnancy is going to make me feel so that’s their potential nickname.”

“I mean…how would you feel if I referred you as a gremlin?” Jey questioned, not liking how you were picking on your unborn children already.

Listen to him being the sensitive parent! He cared deeply for his niece and nephew, he also didn’t play when it came to them either so he can only imagine how he would be with his own.

“…I’d blame the children you played a part of helping create. Like child like father.”

“That’s cap and not exactly how that works, that’s right, I paid attention in biology class! You’ll probably start taking it out on me, I’ll have to have doc on speed dial for tetanus shots.” Jey winked at you while you elbowed his arm, “but nah I’ll love y’all through it regardless because like it or not I’m a pretty great guy.”

You snort, “You say that now.”

“I mean it though and I know you know that. I couldn’t have picked a better person to ride through this rollercoaster of life with and the world deserves to have mini versions of us roaming the earth, plus I’m always down to get to practicing.” He winks at you while you shake your head.

“I can tell, you almost leaped over the counter to take me down.”

He pointed, “You started it by grabbing my ass and the new look isn’t helping my urges.”

“Well,” you shrugged with a smirk on your lips, “it’s definitely not happening since you like to pull hair and you didn’t buy the milk.”

“There’s a farmers market right up the street, they got to have some and then will you chill?”

“I’m chill now.” You chew with a smile as you slump into the passenger seat while Jey deeply exhales.

“Yeah, cause you’re spoiled.”

“You made me this way.”

“I know.” Jey smiles at you adoringly before shaking his head, “my own personal pain in my butt.”

“But I do appreciate the effort…although my stomach might feel different in a few hours.” You pout a little, feeling it flip just a smidge.

Jey widens his eyes at you, just hoping that didn’t happen, “nah we getting probiotics or some type of cleanse at this market, let’s go before they close. Seatbelt please.”

“I’m eating.”

The side eye he gives you makes you do so but you hold onto your taco a little tighter in the process. Driving across the street to the open parking lot that sat to the side of where the market was set up, he’s ready to hop out the car, door tossed open, without you since you were still eating but you call out to him to wait for you.

The farmers market was one of your favorite places to be, especially on a Sunday and there was no way he was going without you. He was the main one that said the both of you were always going to be by each other’s sides wherever you went. When it came to grocery shopping, Jey was the type of shopper that wanted to get in and get out. Anything else? Clothes? Cars? He could spend all day there.

Yes he was huffy as you took your time, knowing they were about to start closing up in the next fifteen minutes. You had to search his car for your gum, lipgloss, and micro wallet that you stored in here just in case you didn’t have your purse (which was sitting pretty back at home on your bed) and stole Jey’s car for the day.

“C’mon,” Jey says your name impatiently, “what’re you doing?”

“Where’s my green mini wallet I had stored on the side of the rati?” Your hands are going along the pocket of the black Maserati.

Jey answers, “that little thing? I been took that out and threw it somewhere in your drawer back at the crib. What do you need that for when you’re with me anyway? Let’s go, ma.”

Then he questions why you’re a pain in his butt!

Checking your lips once more, you get out the car dusting off any crumbs from your lap before you circle around the car to intertwine your fingers with Jey’s. You huddle closer to him as the wind is at your backs before you enter through the tarps of set up sections. He’s on a mission while your eyes are wide, trying to look at any and everything to the point he lets go of your hand to keep searching for what you’re mainly here for.

Usually it’s mostly food here but occasionally they’ll have a few clothing, accessories, and even home decor shops set up as well. It really was the best of both worlds when that happened. Jey already knew that you would search for one of those while he stayed where the food was at. He chatted with the elderly man who had his own farm about forty miles from here, got three jugs of milk: oat, goat, and coconut. Along with a nice tip before he bid his farewells then began checking for you around the sizable space.

“Hey baby,” you greet as he eventually finds you at a vendor that wasn’t selling food yet you’re holding a few fruits and fruit juices in your hands, “I got us some more papayas and pineapples. It’s already paid for since the lady took Zelle but I want to show you something else.”

You finally shift the items into the netted bag onto your other wrist as you reach out for Jey’s wrist to drag him back to a few vendors over. It was some shop that was selling antiques and he’s now standing in front of two figurines.

“Wouldn’t this be cute for the mantle above the fireplace?”

Jey glanced at you, “yeah if we wanted to be murdered in our sleep at some point.”

“Joshua!” You shushed him, “I thought they would add more color to the mantle since the fireplace is black.”

“And the marble on the bottom is white along with the rest of the furniture that’s light and the walls except for that one kitchen wall that’s a chalkboard.” The man blinks as he vividly remembers your shared home, “We don’t need anymore unnecessary stuff, especially no dolls that look like annabelle and her possessed friends.” Jey tells you while you frown as he grabs your wrist now.

You’re being dragged away while the woman laughs and sends you a wave as you attempt to persuade him one last time on one other decor piece sitting on a table, “But look, this is on sale!”

Jey mutters, “there’s a reason why majority of her items are. I know evil when i see it.”

“Not the judgement. You don’t know that lady, Josh and you need to stop watching so many scary movies lately, they’re making you so paranoid.” You sassed while you two made it back to his car.

He peeked at you before he grabbed his seatbelt, “did you see her pet possum on the leash sleeping underneath that dusty red chair?”

“Her what?!”

“Uh huh.” He nods, starting the car while going into detail about how the vendor felt off the moment you dragged him closer to it.

By the time the two of you get home, you’re heading into the master bedroom to grab your floral bonnet while Jey heads up stairs with the food. He does the clean up of the soup, finishes up his wings while you eventually make your way upstairs to eat your own food. When you meet Jey’s brown eyes across from the dining table, the both of you share a laugh at your matching low-lidded eyes. The Itis. You’re the first to move, discarding your food since Jey finished way before you and pull at his hand for him to stand.

Wrapping your arms across his shoulders before moving one hand to play with the end of his hair, he leans down to grasp your back before slipping his hands down to your ass to lift you against his hips. “That’s how it should be,” he tells you as you kiss his lips and he makes his way over to the couch.

You warn your husband, “Watch my head, we know how heavy handed you are.”

“I got it, I got it.” Jey mocks as he protects your head, laying you down first before he climbs over you to rest against the couch.

He loops an arm across your shoulders as you move around trying to get comfortable thanks to your new do. Finding that your left is less painful than your right, you face the coffee table, two living chairs, and tv instead while Jey lightly wraps his arm around your neck instead.

And you’re fine just like this, well fed and in the arms of your man ready to get a nap in until…

“I can’t find the remote.” Jey breaks the silence that makes your eyes peel open with a flare of your nostrils.

You want to fling your entire body back but your neck said different, leaving you to only side eye Jey as he sheepishly smiles at you.

“I’m actually going to kill you!” You inform him, “i said leaving the remote in the drawer of the coffee table makes it easier so we don’t have to go crazy looking for it.”

“And I may or may not have done that.” He says nonchalantly, not bothered that he was pushing a button again, “I like to leave it tucked in the cushions along with my leg in there because you know how that stupid thing likes to overheat sometimes and it’s always cold in there.”

Only Jey y’all.

Only Jey.

Once you go quiet and manage to face the brown eyed man again, you smile softly at him as you caressed his face, “that lady at the market that you were shook over, ain’t got shit on me.”

“Whatchu mean? Aye!” Jey yelled as you started to playfully ring his neck.

The only way to get you to stop was for him to slap his hand right on top of your sore head and wiggle it and what did he do that for?

“OW! Why would you—I’m done.”

You hop off the couch and circle around it but not without yanking a pillow and slamming it against Jey’s stomach, “disrespectful ass.”

“So I’m just supposed to take you son-ing me?” Jey sat up on his elbows, grunting at the attack before shoving the pillow to the floor.

You snapped over your shoulder, “I don’t know, I thought you might like that since you like your ass grabbed, although you try to deny it as much as possible.”

“What?! Now you just saying shit.”

“And you’re always doing shit!” You yell back, out of sight now and heading back downstairs.

Jey sighs as he settles back against the couch again, “Where you goin’?”

“To bed!”

“It’s 4pm.”

“Goodnight mullet! You play too much.”

Jey felt his chest bubble with some laughter but said back, “I LOVE YOU!”

“So?!”

“I SAID, I LOVE YOU!” Jey called back out but when he didn’t get any response, he jumped up to his feet and raced down the stairs just to see you laughing waiting to slam the door in his face.

Yet you were too slow, making Jey barge into the room to latch onto your body to pepper your face in kisses.

It was the little things that he did that he knew would get on your nerves (which was mutual) but ultimately you loved that man down no matter what.

Jey could say the same even if you got on his case majority of the time.

You were his everything and more.

☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎༄·❅☘︎ ☀︎

#Spotify #queued #jey uso #jey uso x black reader #jey uso x reader #joshua fatu #Joshua fatu x reader #spring writing

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myheartalivewrites · 5 months

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(Some of) My favourite fics of 2023

2023! What a year, eh? Jesus fucking Christ.

There's no way I can start this list without making a huge caveat: unlike last year, I have NOT read all the RWRB fics that have come out in 2023, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all. There's just been SO MUCH, and I have in no way kept up.

Anyway. These are my favourite things that I HAVE read. Rules (because who am I if not an extremely organised rule follower?): fic has to have been published in 2023; no more than one per author (some of you gave me real trouble here). Last year I only let myself put five fics on the list, this year I’ve been slightly more generous. Here we go:

muscle memory by @dumbpeachjuice: (E, ~30k) pining while fucking so good it makes me a little bit insane.

Going Platinum by @cricketnationrise: (E, ~20k) OMG the camboy!Alex AU I never knew I needed.

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by @kiwiana-writes: (E, ~65k) Shakespearean actors goodness!

Sweetheart Grips by @orestespdf: (E, ~13k) I am a little bit in love with trans Alex.

coyote ugly series (part 1 part 2) by @smc-27: (E, ~12k) *the rules are being bent, no one look over here. I'm already screaming at myself for not choosing the tennis AU or the stripper!Henry entry* Pining that's worth its weight in gold.

Taste the Way You Bleed by @cha-melodius: (T, ~4k) *again it pains me to not go with spy bois or cheesemonger Henry* The Halloween Huh! fic that nearly ended me in the best way. So funny I could scream.

The Edge of Glory by @historicallysam (T, ~10k) fantastic post-canon exploration of: what if Alex got asked to back into politics, after they've had a kid?

a rich and complex tapestry by @everwitch-magiks (E, ~9k) Henry hosts a radio show about sex and relationships, Alex fucks his way through his bisexual crisis. Delightful.

And of course I couldn’t leave out these babies I helped birth (gross, I beta read them):

Underground by @zwiazdziarka: (T, ~4k) If you love Labyrinth (and Henry in tights, which--who doesn't!) then I've got the fic for you!

why are you googling vampires? by @daisymae-12: (E, ~14k) vampire Henry goodness starring Twilight obsessed Alex

***

As for my favourite out of my own fics, I'm gonna go for an outlier: Down by the Water, I Saw You (E, ~63k). I love all my fics, and the numbers on some of the post-August 11 fics speak for themselves, but this one has my heart. The journey from sad/angry exes to trusting each other again and getting over all the past hurts; to being able to dig into their hearts and find that love that they'd both buried but never managed to get rid of. I wrote it because it was what I wanted to read and it still kills me. Of all my fics, it's the one I miss the most.

***

Thanks to all of you who've read my stuff, everyone who’s sent a nice comment or message my way; everyone who started reading RWRB fic this year, everyone who watched the film then found the book then turned to ao3 because they needed MORE. I know the feeling. What a ride it's been.

#rwrb fic rec #rwrb #red white and royal blue #rwrb fanfic #rwrb fics #firstprince #rwrb fanfiction #about me #ao3 wrapped #firstprince fic #2023 wrapped

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universitypenguin · 5 months

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Chapter 24

Summary: Haunted by the mistakes of his latest abduction, the killer faces unexpected challenges when his victim fights back. In the dark forest a confrontation unfolds as the killer learns: you never know what lurks in the shadows.

Word Count: 1,811

Masterlist

Warnings: Depiction of kidnapping and violence. Allusion to murder and other criminal behavior. Minor use of foul language. Only appropriate for 18+ readers. No minors.

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Abducting Laine Cruz had been a mistake.

In the two days since that regrettable decision the killer's awareness of his error had grown with each passing hour. He’d begun mentally listing his miscalculations, to learn from this misadventure and avoid repeating the same errors. Yet, logging entries proved endless, offering no clarity, only serving to expand his tally. To address this, he narrowed the list to three crucial failures.

First, he had abducted someone he knew. Second, he’d left behind evidence. Worst of all, he hadn’t just known Laine Cruz - he had been romantically linked to her in public.

There was no mitigating factor to soften the severity of his first error. For the second, the 'evidence' left behind wasn’t damning. A digital trail connecting them - his name, contact information, and records of texts and emails - would be found on her phone. If the police cast a broad net and investigated all of Laine’s male associates, he'd be at least questioned. Finally, there was his brief, very public entanglement with the lovely brunette pharmacist this spring. It had been little more than a blip on the town’s gossip radar, fading into obscurity after a snake bit Eileen Eastlake’s dog, and then buried under news of Mrs. Montgomery’s affair with the Lutheran pastor.

Despite their failed relationship Laine had sought his help after her car trouble on Friday night. Having forgotten her cell phone she’d walked to his office. She’d been alone. No one else knew where she was. He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opportunity. The temptation was so strong that he acted without considering the added risk of their personal association.

He’d offered his assistance and insisted on lending her a spare jacket before driving her back to her car. Using the distraction of helping her put it on he’d injected her with a sedative. By the time she was in his passenger seat, she was on the verge of unconsciousness. He drove her to her car as promised, but only to discard her purse in the passenger seat.

Now, parked near the woods in a chain installation area, the killer’s eyes darted around, searching for signs of movement in the shadows. Anxiety clawed at him and paranoia whispered in his ear. Apprehension gripped him as he reached for the backpack on the passenger seat and slung it over his shoulder. He stepped out of the vehicle, locked the car, then double-checked it was secure, and headed into the woods. Hopefully the hike to his cabin would settle his nerves.

After a brisk mile, it was clear that the fresh air and familiar terrain hadn’t helped. He couldn't shake the stubborn unease and kept glancing over his shoulder and listening for signs he was being followed.

This wasn’t how taking victims was supposed to feel. It was supposed to evoke a sense of power and control, yet this time it had unleashed a flood of distress. The abductions weren’t what mattered most, he realized. It was the deliberation, planning, and preparation. Absent that delayed gratification, without the build up of anticipation, this peculiar hobby of his lost its appeal. Each phase of the game, each carefully considered detail falling into place was what made it worthwhile.

In the absence of these rituals, the attraction of killing diminished.

The killer confidently navigated the unmarked path. Overhead, the heavy canopy of leaves was still thick enough to block out most of the light from the waning crescent moon. After a few miles of wilderness hiking, he reached a barbed wire fence. Pulling apart the wires, he ducked through the opening and turned left, crossing the open field. The exposure made his skin crawl. A sense of heightened vulnerability, as if he were being watched, made him quicken his steps to reach the security of the next grove of trees and the dense forest beyond. Again, there was no trail but that didn’t concern him. He’d grown up in these woods and knew them like the back of his hand.

Under the canopy of trees again, out of sight, he felt better. It wasn’t typical for him to worry about being seen in this remote corner of Fairfax County. However, because of the timing, a degree of caution was warranted tonight - it was hunting season in Northern Virginia.

The killer wasn’t sure what animal was in season but seeing a trio of orange vested hunters this afternoon had reminded him of the ongoing event. It must be a waterfowl, maybe ducks or geese. When did dove season start these days? He didn’t keep up with the hunting calendar anymore, having transitioned from big game to more sophisticated prey decades ago.

A quiet thud, followed by the snap of a branch, jolted the killer from his pondering. He froze, listening intently, then turned around to scan the shadows. His eyes searched for the source of the noise but in the dense woods with only a sliver of moon in the sky, it was useless. Patiently, he waited. A minute passed. Nothing moved. Three minutes, then five. Still no movement from the shadows. It must have been a tree shedding its branches or a rambunctious animal. The killer tugged down his knit cap against a gust of wind. He thought of the pharmacist caged in his cellar and turned back to the path.

The notion of taking a new victim had been circulating in the killer’s mind for weeks. With Leo McKenzie in jail and Shun Nguyen on the other side of the world, all it would take to reclaim his reputation was one new victim, and the entire town would know. They’d know they were wrong about Nguyen, wrong about that useless drunk McKenzie, and wrong to believe they’d been safe these past two decades. They’d realize the killer had never been caught and hopefully, they’d deduce that he’d been among them this entire time blending in like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When that revelation came the thick-skulled Neanderthals at the Sheriff's department would dine on a fresh plate of crow. The blathering gossips at the hair salon would spend weeks chewing on a far juicer piece of drama than affairs and teenagers knocking over mailboxes.

Ahead, the trail narrowed, rising into a series of switchbacks that led to the top of a hill. The mismatched shingles of the old woodshed came into view and a smile played on his lips. Its exterior was composed of sunbleached scrap lumber and the foundation was crumbling, but this place felt like home. Thirty years ago it was his refuge from an increasingly unstable family situation. Twenty years ago it had been a base of operations during the most exciting three summers of his life.

The sight of the cabin lifted his spirits. He shook off the anxiety caused by his mistakes, by the unprecedented risks he’d taken over the past two days, and focused on the silver lining in this misadventure.

He was going to reclaim his identity.

The killer unlocked the cabin, stepped inside and removed his backpack. Stripping off his windbreaker, he exchanged the knit cap for a ski mask. Laine Cruz had no idea who had kidnapped her. Since he hadn’t enjoyed her abduction very much, he’d planned a dramatic reveal to make up for the disappointment. He was looking forward to her reaction when he took off the mask. Shifting the heavy trunk that barred the cellar door, he unlocked the bolts that secured the plywood board, pushing it aside to reveal the trap door underneath.

Friday’s spontaneous kidnapping had already been over by the time the killer remembered he was scheduled to work all weekend. Unable to trade shifts, he’d left Laine chained up in his guest bathroom on Saturday and Sunday before moving her to the cabin early this morning. Just when he’d been ready to leave, his colleague had called in sick and with no one else available, he was forced to cover the day shift.

Laine was exactly where he had left her. Upon opening the cellar door he noticed her hands were still bound with zip ties. Unfortunately, he failed to realize she’d freed her legs and was therefore unprepared for the impact when she shot straight up from the cellar like a high jumper, slamming into him. The killer went sprawling. When he tried to recover a powerful blow from Laine’s heel struck his temple. Clutching his head and swearing, the killer scrambled to stop her, but she darted past him, bolting for the door.

No one had ever escaped him. The absurdity of it was such a shock that the killer stood in the doorway of the cabin, staring after the pharmacist, and laughed. Amazing. This almost made up for the stress of her kidnapping. He shook his throbbing head, caught between disbelief and amusement. It seemed he’d have a second chance at a proper abduction. There was no way she’d find her way out of the forest. Even if she made it the four miles over uncharted territory to the road, it was so remote that traffic would be light. If she followed the river and went in the opposite direction… well, then she’d just be making his job easier.

For the sake of entertainment, the killer decided to give her a thirty-second head start.

After the thirty seconds were up he grabbed his backpack and headed toward the tree line. He was focused on looking for tracks that would indicate which direction she’d taken. That was why he didn’t hear the footsteps as someone snuck up behind him. He was so absorbed in the hunt that he didn’t even feel the tell-tale rush of air just before a thick tree branch slammed into the side of his head. The killer dropped to his knees. He threw his arms up to ward off his attacker, who dropped the tree branch and continued to assault him with bare hands.

Discombobulated by the blitz attack and unable to see past the blood in his eyes, it took the killer a moment to process that his opponent was much stronger than Laine Cruz. When he grabbed the attacker’s arm and felt the slick synthetic material of a windbreaker he realized his paranoia hadn’t been unfounded. Someone had followed him. Right on the heels of that revelation, a fist plowed into the killer’s face.

Before they could land their next blow, he caught his opponent’s hand and moved in, wrapping his arms around their waist. The killer knew his strengths. He’d wrestled three years during high school and had the best ground defense in the state. For a moment, they grappled. The attacker resisted the killer’s attempts to knock him off his feet. Finally, the killer caught their ankle and suddenly they both went tumbling, falling head over heels down a leaf-covered embankment.

They rolled to a stop at the bottom of the hill in a patch of mud. The killer broke free of the attacker’s grip and staggered to his feet, wiping the blood from his eyes. He turned to face his assailant and the recognition was instantaneous.

For a moment he gaped at the familiar face. Then he smiled, baring his bloody teeth.

“Dr. Nguyen. Long time, no see.”

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Next - Chapter 25

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Masterlist

#series: the princess and the lawyer #the princess and the lawyer #the princess & the lawyer #series: the princess & the lawyer #no minors #minors in #18+ content #18+ blog

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hezekiahwakely · 2 months

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After spending literally multiple days and nights listening to hours of new music, here are my thoughts on what the Protocol playlists might tell us about the characters. I'm gonna break it down by large themes and I'm putting it under a read more bc I don't know how to not ramble about this. its SO MUCH

Gwendolyn Bouchard 👁️

Hers is the most self-explanatory. Girlboss is girlbossing and paying for it. But I did pick up several nuances.

Gwen is: Cold, power-hungry, and ambitious (you should see me in a crown, Are You Satisfied?, Severance theme). Suffering from her own hubris (Oh No!, Gasoline). Resentful and envious, especially about family, wealth, and power (Family Jewels, 24 hours, Warriors). Touching the dark and being supernaturally influenced (Mr. Bonzo theme, Evil Eye, We Don't Talk About Bruno, Making Love to the Dead).

Special mention to the 'daddy's money' reference in 24 hours.

Samama Khalid 😶‍🌫️

Sam makes ridiculously long playlists, like me, so this entry is gonna be long, but the emotional vibes were pretty easy to pick out once I got through it.

Sam is: Straight chillin' to some lo-fi beats, desi hip hop, and melodic bops (literally too many to list but, Remind Me, Forgive the Mess, 93 'Til Infinity, Magpie, Fire Sale, Iniesta Flow, I Guess, Prarthana, Hai Hai, etc., etc.). Rebellious (The Adults Are Talking, Reptilia). Bonded with someone (Halo Flip, soulboy). Yearning, romantic, and playful (Girl Like You, Mr. Sandman, New House, Meteor, You Only Live Once, Be Your Girl, Dear Jean, Say The Word, My Girl/Hey Girl, Smiley, The Real Sugar). Reminiscing about a break-up (Oui, Afterparty Lover, Last Nite, Stick Season, Turn off the Lights, Jessie (i miss you), WONDERING, Afterthought, I Love You, I'm Trying). Full of regrets, pain, and melancholy bitterness (Seasons, Can't Call It, Let It Go, nightmares, Pretty Insane, different tomorrow..., Cigarette Daydreams, CABIN FEVER, Self destruct, Go Back, Stuck Here With Me, Bliss City). Alienated, yet wanting to be alone (uh-oh) (Creep, Alone, Stone cold., Paint it, Black).

Special shout-out to all the implications about the old Sam/Alice relationship. And I'm especially worried by the potential meanings of Downside Up, Let It Go, Go Back, and Stuck Here With Me.

Also, interesting that there's a lyric-free track just called 'drained' at the end of his playlist. I'm sure that's fine.

Alice Dyer 🌀

Oh my girl. What is going on with you. She has impeccable and predictable taste, at least. But... then there's the Ominous Implications again...

Alice is: Rebellious, anarchic, and irreverent (Underclass Hero, Toxicity, Tribute, Buddy Holly, Dragostea din tei, Feel Good Inc., Piss Off, Rebel Rebel, Ghost Town, Brimful of Asha, Surrender, Uncle Walter, United States of Whatever). Blasting high-confidence power anthems (Material Girl, Therefore I Am, Jump, Bad Reputation, The Middle). Depressed behind a mask of high energy and false cheeriness (SugarCrash!, Mad World, Bathroom Floor). Yearning after someone's love (A.M. 180, Zombie Love Song, Nearer Than Heaven, Save Tonight, Ms. California, Because I Love You, Fell In Love With A Girl, Take Me Out). Reminiscing about a break-up (Ciao!, Built This Way, Kidz 'N' Stuff, FRIENDS, Free Fallin', Not In Love, Who Knew, Song for the Dumped, When It All Falls Apart, Laid, Complicated). Feeling crazy and overwhelmed (uh-oh) (Basket Case, In Too Deep, Bonkers, I'm A Robot, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, 19-2000, Wonderland, High, Undone, Cosmic Castaway). Creeped out and brushing up against the supernatural (Walking On Air, The Blue Wrath, Pet Sematary).

Oooh. Oh, the implications. The Sam/Alice break-up. The potential for feelings that remain. I HAVE to know what happened between them.

Also, here are some select lines from five Alice songs presented without comment: "Yeah, I'm a zombie, baby," "I'm a robot, I'm a robot/I don't have any feeling in my heart," "I don't wanna be buried in a Pet Sematary/I don't want to live my life again," "Take me down, six underground/The ground beneath your feet," "Walking like a zombie, like a zombie."

I'm sure that's all fine.

Celia Ripley 🕸️

The most mysterious new member of the OIAR, her music choices are appropriately enigmatic. The Vibes make me excited to see what she's hiding under the surface.

Celia is: Raring for a fight (Seven Nation Army, Rumble, know your place, Run from Me). Fed up with the system (Blood//Water, Run You). Bold, sexy, headstrong, and self-confident (Creature, Took A Trip, River, Do It For Me, Aerials, Uber). Struggling against supernatural influence, feeling trapped and helpless (Mama! There's a Spider in My Room, Where Is My Mind?, I Feel Like I'm Drowning, Closer, Space Dementia, Rain)

So we've all but confirmed the theory that she's from the OG Archives timeline and that she has continuing ties to the Web from passing through Hill Top Road. I think we have hints here that she's manipulating the others, but I also think there are signs that she's fighting her own battle against an evil trying to take her. There also seems to be an overarching theme of water in many of her songs for some reason 🤔

I can't wait to get more of Celia. Even if she is lying, I'm rooting for her (<hoping this doesn't come back to bite me in the ass)

In conclusion, I love them all already your honor, and I want to thank the cast for putting such loving care into crafting these for us. Thank you for such great food to feed our wild theorizing.

#i think i had the most fun listening to hindi rap for the first time #theres just something about following the flow and beat when you cant understand the language. its really fun #sort sort i love to arbitrarily sort #also i assumed these were songs /about/ the characters and not under the conceit that these are songs the characters are listening to #just play in this space with me #tmagp #the magnus protocol #gwendolyn bouchard #gwen bouchard #alice dyer #samama khalid #sam khalid #celia ripley #tmagp theory #also i started writing this a few weeks ago and since then ive been listening to KR$NA obsessively lol. thank you Shahan

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lurkingshan · 1 month

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Your list of ride or die couples is iconic and has so many of my faves, flower of evil bad buddy it's okay that's love lighter and princess one spring night like yes give me a show where the entire story is two individuals willing to take on the world together and for each other, it's my favorite dynamic and we don't get a lot of it especially in heterosexual couples. You have amazing taste and I would take any other suggestions you have of the same dynamic.

Hi anon! Thank you for the kind words, I do agree that I have amazing taste. :) The Ride or Die list is specifically about drama couples who we get to see be in a confirmed romantic relationship for at least half of the drama's run, with their relationship development the primary focus of the plot. I think of them as battle couples; they face challenges together and stay loyal even when they struggle. There actually are not that many of these in dramaland, which is why they are so precious to me and why I hold them close.

That said, since I wrote that post I do think we have gotten a few more entries for the list, so here are some additional recs for you:

Won and Sarang, King the Land

(S Korea, Netflix)

It was getting salty about fan reaction to this show that inspired the Ride or Die list in the first place, and I am happy to report that when it finished its run, these two were still a rock solid couple. This drama is entirely about their relationship and we get lots of time with them as an established couple getting to know each other and settling into a great relationship. I love it and will stab anyone who says it's boring.

Ten and Prem, Cooking Crush

(Thailand, YouTube)

Ten and Prem, my beloveds! These two meet, start liking each other, and move into dating in relatively short order, and the back half of the show has them navigating a slew of external conflicts that would normally result in a lot of breakups and false starts. But not for them! They slay every relationship demon via the power of communication.

Maki and Haruta, Ossan's Love Returns

(Japan, Gagaoolala)

This one comes with a caveat that this is technically a sequel season, and the first one would very much not qualify them for this list. But you don't have to watch that first season if you don't want to, and in this return they are a couple the entire time and there is just so much time spent on them navigating their relationship and facing every day life challenges. They're an extremely charming pair.

Yuanzhou and Ruyi, A Journey to Love

(China, iQIYI)

The most literal battle couple on this list, we have ourselves an assassin and spy master pair here. They meet, she decides he's the perfect baby daddy specimen, and a hilarious pursuit begins. These two get together remarkably early for a cdrama and face just so many trials and tribulations, phew. But they face them together in their color coded costumes and look amazing doing it. CW: the plot is basically about them and a band of buds leading a suicide mission so, uh, there will be many deaths, and their ending can be read as ambiguous but IMO is actually quite a happily ever after in context.

Achi and Karan, Cherry Magic Thailand

(Thailand, Viu)

Karan and Achi are so into each other it's embarrassing, and we get to see them build and deepen and maintain their relationship every step of the way. This one is a little harder to watch--you will need a VPN if you're not in Thailand--but so worth the effort, trust me. And you may recognize this actor pair from the main list, because they are in fact the same beautiful faces behind Pete and Kao of Dark Blue Kiss. Congratulations to Tay Tawan and New Thitipoom for being the only actors who have achieved the honor of making the coveted Ride or Die list twice.

#king the land #cooking crush #ossan's love returns #a journey to love #cherry magic th #shan recommends #shan answers

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ladyduellist · 3 months

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Epistles of Saints & Sinners

Chapter Summary:

Tension grows amongst the companions as secrets are revealed.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Story Summary:

When Astarion meets the humble bard, Tav, he soon finds out he's the only one between them that knows they are bound as soulmates through their marks. Deciding it's more trouble than its worth, he refuses to tell her along the course of their journey across Faerûn.

But, unbeknownst to him and their companions, Tav is harboring a gruesome secret that she only thought was nothing more than a traumatized period in her life.

As they both come to face to face with their pasts and presents, will they choose to move forward or let it consume them?

Healing isn’t linear—after all.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Chapter 14: Tension

Ao3

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter

Main Page & Chapter List

Word Count: 3.7k

Pairing: Astarion x female bard Tav

CW: Language, Sexual Language, Blood & Violence, Act 1 Spoilers

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We’ve all had to learn to make accommodations. And it has caused me to miss my peace amidst the night orchids. Though the journey has been difficult, I can feel bonds starting to form. Where deceit lies and trust begins, I have yet to learn. I wonder, how many of them I will be able to call a friend when this is over.

— Shadowheart, diary entry 26 in newly bound entries of surviving tadpoles & outlanders

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Such a strange idea waiting for the heart to be broken.

Stranger still, waiting to break one’s own heart.

The tale of any relationship unfolding like origami with worn creases trying to make it stabilize.

Tav floated on her back in a pond, staring up at the clouds. Undergarments christened by the crystal blue waters, hugged her body tightly. She danced her pruning fingers on the surface of the liquid, summoning puckered ideations of an unrealized romance between her and Astarion.

In her dreaming state, she imagined the vampire being the one to pull the sword out of her stoned heart. Pulling and pulling until the curse set upon her was alleviated.

A tightness clasped around her throat when she imagined his waves of hoary tresses entwined within the billowy vanilla clouds passing by. Oh, to feel a hunger for someone one day only to experience mourning their touch the next.

She cupped both of her cheeks. Her fingers ran down the knobs of her collarbone, sides of her breasts, strumming her ribs with the same wandering journey Astarion once spoke to her about when he caressed her in his tent. Tenderly. Sweetly. Unbound to feel her executioner’s teeth covet her flesh. Desperate to resurrect the forspoken recollection of his touch. Letting her float up to heaven with his voice near her ear, only to drag her back down from her Elysium to remind her she was still alive.

Seven days had passed and she missed his scent in her hair.

Seven days had passed and she missed his hands encircling her waist.

Seven days had passed and she couldn’t help but imagine that who she thought him to be, was a myth of her wishful beliefs.

He planted a seed and she became his wine. He eclipsed her sun and she served his darkness. He fed her etiquette and she satisfied his appetite.

The bard was reluctant to admit that she had been captivated by a man that may not fully exist. A black mamba whose dubious gaze clocked her every move, before capturing her with his venomous bite one too many times.

Lips parting to push out a soft puff of air, she let her hands fall listlessly back into the water. She roughly skimmed them across the surface—attempting to fist the escaping liquid—much like she wanted to continue holding onto her embryonic feelings towards the pale spawn.

He seemed unhappy when she told him they should end their companionship, but not in the way a rejected lover would by tearing through the night on unhallowed ground. It was disappointment shadowing his eyes and a dramatic quip placated upon his perfect lips he left her alone with on the pathway.

“Well, pardon me while I go die of a broken heart,” Astarion professed in pseudo shock, placing a showy hand across his chest. ”It’s unfortunate really—I thought we got along rather melodically. Though, I’m sure there’s plenty of other tadpole-brained bards in the proverbial sea. Please do have a splendid evening,” He paused in thought before articulating his final word to her. “...songbird.”

Gods! It bothered Tav how uncaring he seemed. It’s not as if he wasn’t being honest with her when he spoke about certain subjects, but he was clearly omitting truths—finding loopholes around her concerns with his ambiguity. His flippant attitude towards her, vexed her in ways she shouldn’t even concede herself to plummet her thoughts upon.

Did he truly have little to no interest in her? Better yet, why did he continue to force himself to have sex with her if he didn’t like her? She felt used at times, like she had been the one taking advantage of him.

Is that what she had been doing this whole time? Relying on him to provide her with the affection she besotted after in her daydreams? Were they both only using each other?

But, what about what she actually wanted? What she began to unchain her shackled heart for—

Her hand rose out of the water like a reawakened invocation for her idleness and settled delicately on the nearly healed bite marks above her breast tissue. The songstress tapped at the tiny dim brown dots making up her soulmate mark that he had appeared to fixate on betwixt the fang marks.

Why did he choose this spot? She wondered.

Tav wasn’t sure she was comfortable with him feeding from her privately anymore. She knew he wasn’t fully there when he bit her. That far off look—his complete withdrawal from their intimate moment—Astarion had been completely overtaken by the ephialtes she knew he relived day in and day out. Though, what if he accidentally harmed her during another episode?

It was at a crossroads she stood at. One leading into a clear meadow of amnesty from his former life and the other leading into the bleak caverns of the underworld where all his torments resided.

Yet, what of the middle path? The one waiting to be traveled. With deadened forest roots risen out of silted earth and life brimming inside resting tree cavities. Impossibilities being the catalyst for possibilities.

“I did the right thing,” she voiced aloud in reassurance to herself, knowing not even her hymns resounding from the valley in the mountains could save them.

For now.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

The road leading to the Mountain Pass disentombed secrets from their residing magic casters.

Upon saving the aggressively cautious Barcus Wroot, he informed them that he saw a rather large fire engulfing a building north of the windmill the goblins tied him to.

And with the usual debates to lend aid to more hopeless souls in the Wilderness, they swiftly arrived at Waukeen’s Rest Inn.

Flaming Fists scattered about. Some dead; some alive. Drow bandits and goblin raiders laying around in their own pools of blood like painted ragdolls. Knights screaming and screaming at the sealed doors of the inn—until they flung open.

More are found dead. Suffocated from the smoke. Burned alive. Counsellor Florrick barely intact, almost succumbing to the fumes polluting her lungs. She was desperate to find the Duke Ulder Ravengard, father to Wyll, kidnapped and taken to Moonrise Towers.

Wyll does not rest for several days. Their journey had suddenly become more than any of them bargained for. He pleaded with Tav to find his father on what she knew would be an imperative mission. She does not refuse.

Later, Mizora arrived with outstretched cambion wings, to castigate Wyll for disobeying Zariel’s orders to slay Karlach. His breach in their pact cost him his appearance. Thick onyx horns sprout, curling backwards from the handsome brown-skinned man’s forehead. Thin slices of boney cartilage protrude under his skin on his upper cheeks and neck. He writhed in pain: cursing her; the hells; himself.

And then, disharmony struck. With eddies of discord blowing over the camp.

Gale informed everyone that he was a literal walking bomb. The Netherese Orb inside his chest would not calm lest its hunger be consummated in arcane artifacts imbued with magic.

“Let me get this straight,” Astarion frowned, holding his sharp jaw. “Any type of armor, weapons, or items we find with strong magical properties that—oh, I don’t know—could probably assist us on this godsforsaken odyssey, will have to be consumed by a man whose feet are already in his own grave?”

Tav slowly nodded, feeling a pit in her stomach. This was the first interaction the former lovers had in a week beyond simple civil exchanges.

Ever scrutinizing her under his dark lashes, his age lines deepend around his mouth as he contorted his lips. “For one man?”

Again, she nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

Her heart ached in tandem with her gradual breaths. And much like her time wading as a forgotten mermaid in the pond’s embrace, her broken thoughts about Astarion momentarily returned, before she quickly caught them to tie around the roots of water lilies so they could drown at the bottom of her murky watery floors.

“Gale is our friend. We won’t abandon him,” she hesitantly replied, knowing they could possibly get caught in the explosion if the orb decided to activate. “I will not see him left for dead like his goddess once did to him!”

Stormy eyes swept over to the wizard. His shame was palpable. Innocence lost to Mystra; taken by the weave. Tav shared his sentiment. They had both loved someone so religiously, that they committed the treason of destroying their bodies in their names. Omens foreshadowing cumbersome emotions over future romances.

Through their suffrage did they offer penance, Intercessory prayers to the seats of worship. Side by side with the saints they prayed in earnest, Only to be answered in blood. Farewell, go with the gods.

Shadowheart was monotone, critical with her doubt. “And you would bet his one life over the rest of ours?”

Tav pushed her index finger into her chest firmly. “What I would bet is that we should give him the opportunity to find real treatment for his affliction. Do not make me choose, Shadowheart,” she pleaded. “Have you all forgotten your own requests and the dangers that belie them already?”

The cleric concentrated on her response, offering little more than a sigh. “Very well.”

Wyll’s cathartic tone made its presence known like the curling heat from a loaf of fresh bread. “Gale has been with us from the beginning. Have we truly any right to condemn the man at this juncture? His suffering is no more or less than our own. Besides, finding items for the orb to consume shan’t be too difficult to come across.”

The songstress nodded in agreement. “Wyll makes a valid point. Even if we have to take on a few more quests along the way to secure those items, we—”

Astarion interrupted her, huffing out an annoyed laugh. He threw up his hands in defeat and walked towards his tent to retrieve his daggers.

Tav called after him as he marched out of camp. “Astarion, wait—“

“Let him go, soldier,” Karlach mumbled within earshot of her. She had kept mostly to herself during the dispute and it surprised the womanly elf suddenly hearing her speak.

“She-lak! Have you gone mad?!” Lae’zel chastised, snarling her hand to emphasize her point. “We are soon to become ghaik and instead you would ask us to additionally take on this burden as well? If he is too weak to survive his ordeal, then leave him to his fate.”

They should be upset. At Gale. At her. This was too much to ask of them. The cold inviting shroud of Death itself would be preferred over breaking up their entourage at this stage. Choices came in extremes for this predicament: succumb to one’s fate alone or continue risking each other's lives with their yesterdays.

A heavy paw patted the bard’s shoulder. “Yet, Gale still walks amongst us for the time being. Let us not be so hasty to cast out one of our own knowing what awaits us in the Shadowlands. We will need all the help we can get.”

The scent of oak and fruits hit Tav’s olfactories.

Halsin.

It was the prospect of having found ‘infernal iron’, that Halsin offered his altruistic services to seek out Dammon the blacksmith. Back to Emerald Grove did he travel—the wood druid comparable to the solstice in Kythorn. A warm bear steeping in nature’s gracious light amidst a field of upturned sunflowers.

The bard turned to smile at the man towering over her. “Were your travels kind to you?”

“I expected you to be further along the pass by now, but I am grateful I’ve managed to catch up—given my middle-age amongst the youthful,” Halsin chuckled. “And before you ask, Dammon is working on the infernal iron piece as we speak. He said it should be ready for Karlach by the time we head back down in the area to seek out the Underdark.”

Karlach fisted her hands at her sides, shaking excitedly. “Eeeee! I don’t know what to say! Halsin, I would pick you up and swing you around if I could! Thank you so much for this.”

“Enough of this foolishness!” Lae’zel roared, walking through the crowd of their group. “I would rather slice open my own throat than stand here another moment to witness anymore of these inane activities!”

The space before them grew silent. It was scarcely a revelation when the gith expressed her displeasure, but the intensity of her anger directed at them had never attained this level.

Finding her spry footing, Tav paraded after the githyanki. “Lae’zel, please at least tell me where you are going in case something were to happen.”

Lae’zel continued ahead until she arrived at her tent, grabbing up a waterskin and her longsword. “I’m going to speak with Astarion.”

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

The sound of clashing steel, reminded Tav of setting personal boundaries.

Cold metal striking with brute impact against each other. Forceful, yet necessary. The promise of fatality or defense depending on how the blade made contact. Testing the resolve of one’s faith in their morality by striking during that perfect opening with the brunt of a pommel.

Tav had no plan when she decided to track them down. Haplessly relying on her compassionate magnetism to speak with her obstinate comrades and their matrimony to their own causes.

Which brought to mind the actual disposition of her charisma. Most bards were gifted with the art of persuasive speeches or gregarious notions. Their outgoing personalities flirted with music and charmed the delights of people far and wide.

However, she relied entirely on thoughtful observation and processing to eventually deliver direct oration. But, her unchosen leadership required curtailing days into mere minutes. There would be no quarter extended for her verdicts in most cases.

So, when the bard arrived at her destination, the performance had already begun.

The staged cathedra of Astarion and Lae’zel’s bladed pirouettes, oversaw the valley below. And, oh, how the heavens breathed upon patches of wheat, kissing their florets of golden chartreuse in waves.

It was quite evident why Lae’zel was a known poster child for her crèche. Donning trousers and a black leather harness barely covering her breasts, her longsword sang with abiding precision as she swung it sideways towards the vampire.

He ducked down, narrowly missing the slice cutting heavily through the air. Protruding out his limber leg, he attempted to trip her stance only to be rebuffed by her springing backwards.

“I’ve seen better sweeps from a hatchling, spawn,” the yellowish-green woman taunted.

Acrobatically, he spun a short sword in his hand. “I was only testing your nimbleness, my friend.”

“I am in no mood for tests. Come and strike!”

Tilting his head slightly towards Tav’s location, he pressed a finger against his lips. “Hush a moment.”

A lone tree hugging a section of rocky crags near their spar, provided instant refuge for the bard. She hid behind it, covering her mouth to control her breathing. Tav had little interest in eavesdropping, but to manifest now, could possibly cause Lae’zel to erupt further into her rage.

“What is it that you hear?”

Anticipating the rogue had likely heard her, the songstress peeked around the tree trunk, catching a wide smirk clinging at the corners of his mouth.

“My mistake. It must have been a ballad upon the wind,” he replied. “Shall we continue?”

Oh, he definitely knew.

Astarion looked out of place in the midst of the shimmering bronze sun rays bouncing off the ragged stones of the mountain. An achromatic timepiece from a bygone era. Baroquely carved ivory abs and chest exposed to serve as a fable that drew enamored breaths on top of an isolated summit.

She could not thaw her eyes away from him and the thoughts that persecuted her previous choices. To feel naked flesh pushed against naked flesh again as that translucent cage once had entrapped her underneath him back in the forest clearing.

Tav clutched at her shirt. No, stay focused.

Monogramming the ground with their steps, the pale elf dodged Lae’zel’s oncoming attacks more than executing his own.

“You seem angrier than usual,” he cheekily commented.

Lae’zel perked her brow. “Are you not also frustrated with how things are?”

“An understatement,” Astarion scoffed, sidestepping a vertical swing of her weapon. “Though, the plebs have the majority ruling here.”

“Tsk’va! You speak true,” she spat. “Once we arrive at the crèche and I am granted liberation by the zaith’isk, our brainwashed leader will see that this expedition’s flaws lie within herself.”

Tav rolled her eyes. She was not in the least bit shocked to hear Lae’zel bashing her to Astarion. Par for the course with that batlike snout of hers.

“Speaking of, what is your status with the bard?”

“My status? You make it sound like I recruited her in my endless harem of simps! But, to answer your question, she made the mistake of cutting things off between us. It’s all rather nauseating and best left as some poor soul’s lost sonnet,” he reported with a sly grin.

Bastard, Tav swore in her head.

The githyanki relaxed her stance, stopping her sword from cruising into another onslaught. “I have misjudged you.”

Astarion rested his weapons at his sides. “Oh? And which part about me did you misjudge? My godsgiven beauty? My expertise in poisoning the drinks at that nasty goblin party? Please do regale me with tales about me.”

“I have been watching the way you perform in battle. When you bare your teeth to rend our enemies necks—I cannot help but notice the primal instinct in your eyes. Should you allow me to swill your taste, I can promise both our blood red urges will be fulfilled,” she recited poetically.

I’ve never heard her voice so soft before—wait, is she hitting on Astarion?! Oh gods, the bard grimaced, once more covering her mouth as she gasped.

The vampire cocked his head to the side, examining her intensely. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Lae’zel held her sword to the side, gripping the hilt tightly. She narrowed her eyes at the spawn inquisitively. “Why have you not tried to bed me yet?”

Astarion offered a short laugh. “I was not aware the gith knew how to flirt.”

“Tsk, my people are capable of many things and I thought given your rakish behavior, you would seek out my bedroll,” she aggressively stated, with a rosiness filling her cheeks.

“Hmm. May I approach?” He pointedly asked.

Tav watched as he strode up to the petite woman, using his hips as part of his usual gait when he meant to seduce another.

He bent down to whisper into her ear, a few of his curls—those same curls Tav loved winding her fingers around—tactfully dusted the githyanki’s temple.

Lae’zel took a step backwards, conceding to whatever he told her from ochre colored irises. “Very well, but know this: I will not wait long before I take another.”

She bowed respectfully to him, taking up her belongings to head back down the passageway down into camp.

“You can come out now.”

Tav scanned the area before stepping out from behind her sanctuary of the tree. Particles of dust in the dusked sun, floated excitedly through beams casting final gleams through branches.

Astarion fumbled with a waterskin he retrieved from the ground, dousing his body with its contents. “Why were you hiding?”

She averted her gaze to peer at the now dimming sunlight, trying to distract herself from droplets of water scandalizing his bare torso. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Ah! Are you sure it wasn’t to listen in on some juicy gossip to spread around?” He teased.

“I assure you that falls out of my own interests,” she insisted, stopping a few feet from him. “I didn’t know you and Lae’zel were…friendly.”

“It would appear that I’ve managed to impress her in more ways than one,” the spawn said, twirling a hand in the air. “She has come to find me quite stimulating.”

The bard stared down at him. Hunter to hunter ready to pursue the game of taste. The killing time.

“Out with it, I don’t have all day to stand around waiting for your tongue to loosen,” he gibed, pursing his lips like a bow.

She jutted her left hip, stationing her hands firmly on either side of hips, fingers pointed downwards. “Did you accept her proposition?”

Astarion circled around her as a devil would compass a prophet, tempting a soul to waste.

She felt his undeath exhalation furl the tendrils at her nape. “The mask of jealousy does not suit that lovely face of yours.”

“Who said I was jealous? Maybe I’m asking because I’m hopeful your next bedmate will relinquish me of my ‘blood bag’ duties,” Tav contested, tracking his movements by the light route of his feet.

Liar.

Of course she was lying to herself. She was irrevocably jealous and they were both tackling the other for control.

Astarion roosted himself back in front of her. “Aww! Has my bite proven to be a tad too much for you, darling? Can’t quite escape how it makes you feel.”

Ah, he was toying with her. Implying more than just a general weakness of strength, but the arousal he knew so readily poured in the middle of her thighs when he pricked his fangs into her suppleness. The arousal that seemed to appear out of habit when he was near.

She blew out a sigh, struggling to moderate her accelerating heart rate. “Assumptions make an ass out of you.”

“Is that right? Then, let your mouth rest and pull out that blade by your side,” he purred thickly, reaching out to thumb the busk of her underbust corset.

“For what?”

“To spar of course,” the vampire casually unveiled.

Tav wrapped a tight hand around his wrist, forming half moon nail marks into his skin “Is that a challenge?”

“No, sweetheart. It’s an invitation,” he crookedly smiled.

⸺⋘✤⋙⸺

Notes:

Githyanki Words

She-lak = benevolent burden Tsk’va = shit Zaith’isk = purifier, device to remove mind flayer parasites

37 notes · View notes

diodellet · 1 year

Text

i think i've found a place for us (jamil viper x gn!reader)

lovingly strapping jamil into a rollercoaster ride along the full emotional spectrum😇😇 fic title is from this song content warnings: -reader is yuu/ramshackle prefect -mix of jp and en terms -post-Book 4 OB (references to master-servant relationships, assassinations) -self-deprecating thoughts (references to symptoms of depression) ++this fic is hurt/comfort, whatever issues kalim and jamil have, it's probably mentioned here word count: 3.4k words

This was now Jamil's... fourth day of staying at the Ramshackle dorm. And even though he spent most of the time drifting in and out of sleep, he could make a list of all the inconveniences that came with temporarily living in the once-abandoned dorm. Mold, dust, cobwebs—those were only the first of many entries on his list.

It was far from the quiet, secluded place he initially pegged it as. The building would creak and groan as its living residents moved from room to room. At the peak of midnight, bits and pieces of the ghosts' conversations would travel through the walls, up the floorboards, mix with the sound of the wind outside.

That didn't mean it was completely unbearable.

Whenever you thought that you were alone, you would fill the silence with song. More humming and mumbled syllables than audible lyrics, but still melodious and pleasant to listen to.

"I didn't know you sang." Jamil's voice is rough with sleep.

You spin around to see him, eyes widening in surprise. “You! Should be sleeping!”

"I… think I've had enough."

If anything, he’s spent too much time asleep for the past few days, dealing with more lingering headaches instead of feeling rested and energized. He sits up, turns his gaze to an interesting patch of clawed up wood on the bedframe left uncovered by your mattress. Grim's doing.

"...did I—do you want anything? I could run over to Sam's or the cafeteria?"

"No, no thank you." It wasn’t that he couldn’t stomach the thought of food, but it was along the lines of not really feeling up to it.

He’s been feeling an awful lot of nothing lately. It was as if everything—all the rage, the resentment, everything that had festered within his being—disappeared with the Blot.

“Do you… want to talk about it?” All that remained now was the shadow of his Overblot. The lingering discomfort, the hushed whispers from the students, the vision of ink coating his fingers.

“Just…” He shakes his head. “...Go back to what you were doing.” The words spill out. Clipped, taut. A demand—no, a plea for you to leave it at that.

He doesn’t miss the way you flinch. “Okay.” You nod, and slowly turn back to your textbook. Slip the other earphone back on and spin your pen in between your fingers.

(The reflexive ‘sorry’ catches in his throat, a few seconds too late for it to be used.)

Jamil lies back down, staring up at the ceiling. The hour ticks by, rays of the afternoon light slowly dimming. He shuts his eyes again, but doesn’t let himself doze off.

The scratch of your pen stops. “...hello?” Jamil turns to rest on his other side so that he’s not looking at you or your work desk. “He’s still here, yes… what about Kalim?”

Even if you lower your voice, it doesn’t stop his ears from picking up on the conversation. The same way that his sleep never tips too far into deep unconsciousness.

“I see… I’ll try asking him about that later.” You fall silent again, listening to the person on the other end. “...Are you guys holding up alright? On top of your…usual stuff?”

He suspects it might be someone from Octavinelle, maybe Jade or Azul.

The chair legs squeak against the floor. “...If it does get to be too much, please tell me. I’ll figure something out. Maybe I’ll visit Scarabia tomorrow or—” The sentence dies in your throat.

Another pause elapses before you give a resigned sigh. “Alright, sorry, I-I’ll leave it to you…thank you.” Something clatters on your desk, probably your phone.

“...Okay, dinner. What to make…” You mutter to yourself, clicking on the desk lamp. Your footsteps travel to the other side of the room to undo the curtains.

He continues to feign sleep, remaining still as you switch on the lamp at the bedside table. The mattress dips with your weight as you lean over to pull up the blanket so that it covers his shoulder.

The first day that he arrived at Ramshackle was in the middle of a snowy night. An otherwise normal interaction with Kalim escalated into a heated argument. And then the dorm leader insisted on doing something by himself, which steered the conversation into doing away with their opposing statuses and then…like his Overblot, Jamil couldn’t remember the exact specifics of what happened.

Only a persistent gnawing at his temples, red-hot flashes obscuring his vision, his hands haphazardly gathering his things. Not a single one of his dormmates stopped him, quickly moving out of his way or fearfully standing to the side. Kalim's voice calling out for him was the last thing Jamil heard before he stepped through the mirror.

Somehow, his feet brought him to the once-abandoned dormitory. His shoulder was protesting under the weight of his gym bag. The wind bit into the exposed parts of his face, his hoodie did little to protect him from the cold. The gate was locked, of course. But just before he turned on his heel to return to Scarabia, one of the Ramshackle ghosts appeared and unlocked the gate for him.

Everything else was a blur after that. He was just…numb. And tired. Pliant to letting you peel off his snow-covered outerwear and replacing it with a thick blanket. Another ghost pushed a warm mug of tea into his hands. He couldn’t fall asleep though, not with Grim sitting next to him by the fireplace and whining about being woken up.

“—just let me call back in the morning, he’s…no, he’s not hurt, he’s fine.” You were on the phone, cradling it against your shoulder as you laid his hoodie on the back of a chair. “Okay, bye.”

Jamil didn’t feel alright. If he didn’t upend his family’s carefully-built legacy with his betrayal and Overblot, then he single-handedly sent it to its downfall by running away from Scarabia, away from his charge.

“I…should go back…” he mumbled, moving to stand up. He set the tea aside, the drink was untouched. His fingers had warmed enough at this point. The blanket fell to the floor. “Kalim…”

“Will be fine,” you cut him off, gripping him by his shoulders. “He’s got the rest of Scarabia with him. You’re…not okay.”

Those words stung. He shrugged off your hold. “It doesn’t matter, I have to go.” He needed to stop acting like a child. Go back to what he was meant to do.

“Jamil, I’m not letting you walk in the snow. If you really want to go back, then at least…” Your expression, pained with concern, then softened with your voice. “...at least wait for the weather to calm down by next morning. Please.”

“...Next morning. I’m leaving,” he conceded.

He didn’t leave when morning arrived. When he awoke, it was already afternoon. He was covered in two new blankets and Grim was curled up against his legs.

At the foot of your bed, resting beside his gym bag, were two overstuffed suitcases. Kalim’s handiwork.

Save for the light emanating from the desk lamps, the rest of your room is shrouded in darkness. Shadows stretch across the walls, the floorboards, the edge of your bed, seemingly dripping with ink.

He scrubs a palm over his face. The room returns to normal—no, it's always been normal. He's the one with problems. To solve and to shoulder, those were the only courses of action he could take. And to say that he was merely shouldering all these burdens would discount the resourcefulness he honed from a young age.

But then to be denied both options with your interference—you, Kalim, and that Octavinelle trio—to have you all meddle a second time, it should have sent him into a rage again. Maybe it would have warranted a second Overblot, but he was. Just. So.

Tired.

He pulls himself out of your bed and goes down to the kitchen.

You were at the stove, finishing up a batch of pasta and serving it on a plate. One of the Ramshackle ghosts was carrying Grim in its arms. Maybe to keep him from jumping onto the countertop and sneaking a few bites. Atop the small dining table, an upbeat tune played from your phone, it sounded like something from a musical. The scene in front of him was nice, but dinner was tuna carbonara. And for the past four days, his meals consisted of fish. Not even shellfish, just some iteration of canned fish. Tuna, sardines, mackerel, salmon, maybe shrimp if Grim was up for the "variety."

Jamil can’t complain, he won’t complain. He’s not a picky eater by any means, but even he had his limits when it came to eating processed food. In his mind, he decided that he would have to take over kitchen duties. Tomorrow. He can only manage helping with cleanup.

(For now, even as an outsider, he can enjoy the shred of normalcy that the shared meal brings.)

You spend one more hour at your desk, going through your winter break homework. Steadily and methodically finishing one subject at a time. Your foot taps against the floor, in time with the music playing through your earphones.

“...Done!” You sigh in relief, stretching your arms above your head. “Will you still need the lights, Jamil?” You turn to look at him.

One of his own textbooks laid open on the bed, little lecture notes and annotations neatly written along the margins. His homework was already completed a day before the holidays started. But, he decided he could redo some of them, make an attempt to earn a higher grade.

“We can stop holding back on account of our social status.”

Jamil feels a twinge at his left temple. He closes the book, leaving a pencil in between the pages as a makeshift bookmark, then sets it at the foot of the bed. “No, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm.” There’s an urge to make himself small, invisible to your concern. Which he knows is just basic courtesy as a host—as the head of the Ramshackle Dormitory.

“Alright. Good night, Jamil.” A click, then darkness.

That would make this the fourth night spent away from Scarabia. Another night of resting in two hour intervals. Of waiting for sleep to claim him before his racing thoughts consumed him. He calls your name.

It’s surprisingly easy to, now that the lights are off. “You should be sleeping in your own bed.”

“...But I can’t just let you sleep on the sofa. It’ll be a killer on your back.” The sound of your footsteps slows to a stop, floorboards creaking with the motion. “The both of us are fine sleeping downstairs.”

“Isn’t he a restless sleeper?”

“Nope, he sleeps like a baby.”

At that remark, somewhere from the first floor, the sound of rapid footfalls could faintly be heard. Coupled with the fire-monster’s trademark cackle.

“Well, that is, when he gets tired enough.”

The both of you lapse into silence, listening to Grim tear through the first floor hallways. The sound of the ghosts playfully taunting him.

You mutter quietly to yourself, “yeah, he’ll tire himself out in a bit. Hopefully.” The floorboards creak again, you’re probably leaning against the doorframe. “Does the noise bother you?’

“No, not really…” The Scarabia dorm was unnervingly quiet in the days after his Overblot. It was as if there were eyes on him, breaths held in anticipation. Watching and waiting for his next misstep. Nighttime wasn’t any easier. Whenever he'd jolt awake, he would stifle any screams or cries with his pillow, wait for the terror to run its course, count the hours until sunrise. “It’s just—”

There’s a faraway crash and the sound of Grim cursing, a chorus of ghostly laughter in response.

“Never mind, I misspoke. It’s…” Stupid. Jamil quickly dismisses your concern. “You should go check on him.” He turns his back to the doorway.

But you don’t leave. The sound of your footsteps approaches your bed. “Grim’ll be fine. I’m… more worried about you. Could you scoot over?”

“It’s your bed.” He tamps the embarrassment down, forces irritation into his words. Nonetheless letting you climb into the spot next to him. The mattress dips with your weight added to it.

Your own response was bashful. “I know, but…” you pause, thinking of your next words. “Grim and the ghosts… noticed that you were having… nightmares.”

“They’ll pass.” He’s dealt with worse.

“...You’re not wrong for feeling these things,” you say, voice low. As if speaking any louder would disturb the other residents of the dorm.

"How could you still say that…” A lump forms in his throat. “...after…"

"After everything?”

It doesn’t feel right to hear you cut to the heart of it. His words spill into the darkness of your bedroom. "After throwing you and Grim into the desert, keeping you against your will—"

"Hey, we were glad to get out of the cold for a little bit."

At his silence, you let out a quiet laugh.

"...I mean it though. It wasn't all bad." Your fingertips press against the side of his arm, apologetic.

He doesn’t… shy away from the contact, but he remains still. Staring up at the ceiling. “You could’ve died.”

Your touch withdraws. “I can say the same to you."

"Wouldn't that have been better? What use is there for an insubordinate servant?” Jamil thinks back to the attempts made on Kalim’s life. Investigations were made into the other staff. Into esteemed guests, renowned politicians, prospective and longtime business partners. Through it all, only the Viper household remained clean.

And it just had to be him, the person closest to Kalim, who tarnished that steadfast loyalty. He’s seen what happened to assassins who were caught.

(There’s a certain irony in having to spill blood for the protection of another.)

"Don't…don't say that. Kalim doesn’t think of you like that…"

But he still treats Jamil like one. “He thinks the world of everyone he meets. Even those who’ve wronged him.”

“...sure, maybe he’s a bit naive—” That was an understatement, Jamil thinks to himself. Dense, ignorant, stupid were more fitting. “—but he really does see you as one of his closest friends.”

“What do you know?” he counters. What could you say that he hasn't already heard?

“Kalim’s not stupid. He genuinely trusted—he still trusts you in spite of what happened.”

And wasn’t that the most irritating part? That he was still being showered in empty kindness and praise by Kalim? That in the end, he would have to be held accountable for something as careless as losing control of himself?

“It isn’t that simple.” Frustration laces the way he says your name. “Put yourself in my shoes for a second—”

“I am…I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s my duty, to Kalim’s family and my own.” God, he was sick of hearing the dorm leader’s drivel about friendship, but to hear himself repeating his parents’ own words to you was painful.

“That’s true, but you’re not…”

There’s a familiar heat building at the base of Jamil’s throat, an ugly mix of shame, embarrassment. “His title and status as the Asim heir takes priority, and I have to make sure that he doesn’t die before that happens—”

“But you were just a kid!” Your voice rises to a furious whisper before falling, quiet and trembling. “...you were just…a kid… and you shouldn’t have had to bear that on your own for so long…And then to be expected to carry on as if nothing happened…”

Jamil should be angry at hearing another shed tears for him. Expressing the emotions that should’ve been his. Only one other person has done that in front of him, and that misplaced kindness sent him further along the route to his eventual Overblot.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t but—” Despite your apology, the thickness in your voice doesn’t let up. "Still…! Who just tells their own child to ‘lose thrice’?"

The anger that he has carefully nursed doesn’t rear its head. Maybe it really did disappear with the dispelling of his Overblot. Or maybe it’s because you didn’t face him with the fear that his dormmates held.

“How do you know that?” His question is met with your silence. With the curtains drawn closed, only faint slivers of moonlight creep into your bedroom, scarcely enough to reveal the shape of your figure beside him. Jamil’s hand reaches out tentatively—the back of your hand is damp—before withdrawing altogether.

“...When I fell into the Blot ink, I could hear them…and I saw you. When you were younger.”

He could remember the ink pouring into every orifice. “Then you…” If it went on for any longer, it would have drowned him, then consumed his magic, then his body and then—

“Yeah, then I managed to pull you out.”

“But you weren’t in the infirmary.”

“...Fourth time’s the charm, I guess.”

“Did…that happen with the others?”

“Yeah. With Riddle. And Leona, and Azul. I don’t know why it happens." You shift, the sound of your clothes rustling against the bed covers as you move closer to him. Your shoulder lightly nudges his. “The first time it happened, no one else knew what I was talking about.”

“Tell that to the livestream of my conversation with Azul.”

“But they didn’t broadcast it… it was just a speaker call. For the rest of the dorm to hear.”

Jamil sits up. “What.” He was supposed to know about this? Those Octavinelle fuckers.

“I…I thought—oh, I guess they didn’t tell you, I’m sorry—”

His stunned silence is broken with a laugh, bubbling from his throat and building into sharp, hysterical laughter. He feels warm, burns with embarrassment, because of course it wasn’t a livestream. And why was he feeling a hint of relief at that revelation?

His palms press against his eye sockets. To his ears, the sound is foreign, but he can feel the exertion in his throat. Feel his breathing quicken, the start of a sob which he chokes down.

It takes him a few more moments to register the tears flowing down his cheeks. His outburst dies as quickly as it erupted. His chest hurts at the feeling of stifling his cries, to keep them from escaping.

God, he feels dumb.

You sit up, pull him into your arms. Let him cry against your shoulder, rub a soothing hand against his back. You don’t say anything, but the tender gesture speaks enough.

By the time his emotions have calmed down, his head aches with a dull pain. The all-too familiar sensation of exhaustion seeps into him.

“Will… you ever talk to Kalim?” you ask. Your own expression was stricken with tear tracks, from sharing in a fraction of his pain.

“Of course I have to eventually.” He sighs, lying back down and you follow. “...I have no choice.”

“You don’t have to…force yourself to though.” You reach forwards, gently wiping away his tears with your thumbs. And he lets you. “If you still need time, you can stay here… To rest and recuperate.”

Paradoxically, it’s in the words of a stranger—(did you count as an acquaintance though? Acquaintances didn’t just spoon each other though, they didn’t just tangle their legs together while sharing the same bed)—that he finds a pinprick of solace.

And sure, you could call it that. ‘Rest.’

But to Jamil, this was stagnation. He couldn’t just keep mooching off your hospitality, blindly trusting in Kalim’s resolve to change. He couldn’t let himself stay indebted for this long.

“I can’t just stay here for the holidays. But…thank you.”

Once winter break ends, what would he do? How should he go about repairing his social standing in the dorm? With the rest of the student body?

What’s the next move?

He doesn’t even realize that he’s fallen asleep. Rest comes to him, gentle and peaceful.

When early morning arrives, Jamil gives himself five minutes. Five minutes of sitting in the rare calmness of his mind, of listening to your slow even breathing, of being encased in between the warmth of the blankets and your body heat. Comfortable, protected, safe in your arms.

Then he extricates himself from your hold. At the motion, you make a weak sound of protest, blindly reaching after him. Your fingers brush against the hem of Jamil’s shirt. He catches your wrist, gently sets your arm down on the mattress. Then he pulls the edge of the blanket over you to keep you warm and goes to get ready for the day.

Since he was planning on making breakfast, he’d first have to check if the school store had anything available.

(A part of him is grateful that Kalim packed a scarf.)

A/N: originally this started as a scene of jamil being the lazy one for once and trying to keep u in bed with him. i just wanted to write cuddles (read: the intended kissies were somehow lost along the way. i am still sobbing crying weeping and calling for them to come back home) but aaa its finally done, one of my persistent brainworms is freed!! and more have taken its place help id like to credit @jessamine-rose for betaing this fic, thank u ms maam twst veteran💕💕 wcidfy ch3 will take a bit more time to be written. so im gonna chip away at other wips (shorter oneshots) as i try to get the main beats down. it would take a miracle for it to be posted soon, so id probably expect chapter 3 in (late) june. anyway, i hope u enjoyed reading this, don't be afraid to rb and holler in the tags!! i treasure each and every comment!! taglist (ig i have one of these now?): @merotwst

#dellet-writings #twst #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #jamil viper #jamil viper x reader #g/n reader

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dark-night-insomniac · 1 year

Text

| Twice Jihyo x 10th member s/o

| Genre; gender neutral! Angst with fluff to make it all better, one smut-ish moment

~ 3.3k words

| Warning; fear of being outed, forbidden love, Homophobia??

| These are characters with the names&characteristics of these idols, i am not trying to disrespect any person mentioned in this story

A/n: @justalonelybitch this one's for you, also inspired by secret love song cover of Yoohyeon from Dreamcatcher ;)

—---------------------------------------------------

Twice was announced to have a comeback recently, so it was no surprise that you and your members were rehearsing today.

Your first stage was scheduled for next week, and although you had memorized the whole song, you still struggled with a few dance moves. Luckily, the group's dancer was there to help you. Momo was in front of you, facing the mirror, repeating with you each and every move that you struggled with.

In the back of the room, your girlfriend was staring with a taunting smile. Usually, her attention would make you shy, but you had no choice but to try to ignore it and focus on yourself. She sure didn’t make that easy

Every time the sexier moves of the routine were being rehearsed by you and momo you heard her teasing fangirling screams.

When you were close to being done with momo, Jihyo approached slowly, now standing behind you with her arms crossed, clearly checking you out

A few minutes later, once you were done, she completely walked up to you and imitated your moves and facial expression to tease you, ending in her laughing when you whined for her to stop

‘’Im kidding Jagi, you did great’’ she cutely pouted before patting your butt.

—-----------------------------

One more hour of passionate dancing had passed for you and your member when your teacher thankfully called you all to take a break

You sat down, melting into the sofa in the back of the practice room, Jihyo soon followed, meeting your eyes from across the room with a smile. You lifted your arms towards her, grabbing at the air, silently asking for her to sit on your lap. She happily obliged, giving you the biggest hug she could in the process.

Your group knew about your relationship, so it was nothing new for them to see you both like this. Chaeyoung and Sana sat by you and Jihyo’s side. You were all starting to hold a conversation when you noticed Sana's expression change to a worried one. You were about to ask why but you looked at the entry door and saw your manager right outside, probably about to step in once his phone call was done. Although your members knew about the two of you, the company didn’t, and you were trying to keep it that way in fear of the repercussions.

You didn’t want Jihyo to stop being close to you, but when Sana gave Jihyo a sign to move off of you she immediately retrieved. The group’s manager walked in, looking your way, seemingly having caught the hurried movements over that side of the room. You gulped, had he seen us?

But luckily, when he spoke up, he only asked why you seemed saddened by his entry.

You brushed off his question with a joke to which he laughed.

Although your situation wasn’t ideal, you were happy to know your members had your back. Sometimes, you would consider yourself cursed for falling in love with your teammate, out of every human existing, why did it have to be Jihyo? But at the same, you wouldn't want anyone but her.

The choreographer made its way toward you and the girls to announce the schedule for the next few hours. A special concert was to be held a few days after your comeback showcase for the fans in Korea. You all knew the set list and practiced the songs, so all that was left was for the units to practice their covers.

You went first, accompanied by Dahyun.

Then came Jihyo and Mina. Jihyo had ventured more into dancing as of late and had asked Mina to do some sort of ballet dance choreography as a unit project. Mina was thrilled and accepted to teach your girlfriend.

So there they were, Jihyo in silk white, Mina in silk black. Both were dancing beautifully but you were obviously mesmerized by the girl in white. How did she do it? Such power, then such grace. You truly admired her for how far she had developed her skills. One of the many reasons you loved her.

You sat next to Dahyun and Jeongyeon on the floor, back against the mirror while you watched the unit dance. It was to no surprise that you were staring at Jihyo, but it didn't mean the members wouldn't take the opportunity to tease you about it.

You watched intently as Jihyo danced, failing to notice Jeongyeon calling your name.

She opted for a nudge and threw you out of your trance, turning to your member with a clueless expression

‘’what?’’ you asked

The both of them couldn't hold their laugh anymore

‘’Y/n you looked like a deer in headlights, I swear Jihyo isn’t that mesmerizing to look at’’ Jeongyeon teased, making Dahyun laugh again

You groaned before getting her back, gently slapping her arm away from you. ‘’Yea, keep talking miss heart eyes for Nayeon unnie’’ you faked a smile.

‘’Yah, shut it’’ she scolded, to which you only giggled before turning your attention back to your girl.

Soon Mina’s and Jihyo’s performance was over and everyone cheered. As you clapped, your eyes locked with your girlfriend’s, making her grin impossibly bigger. She almost ran to you, being so happy with the results of the performance. She reached you and was about to jump on you, planning to get a congratulatory kiss from you, but she stopped herself mid-track, realizing the staff was all around, She halted, eyes now looking down, her expressions saddened. She opted for sitting by your side, giving you a small smile.

It hurt feeling this way, having to hide your ever-so-growing fondness and love for her, but what hurt more, was seeing how much having to hide was affecting her. Jihyo wouldn't usually mention anything about it, saying that you both could come out after the group disbandment, but her actions always showed otherwise. You knew she was trying to comfort you with her words, trying to not let you see her worries in hopes to attenuate yours. But god forbid, she was only human.

You felt your hand slowly reach for Jihyo’s, instinctively looking for her warmth, how her hand would fit perfectly in yours. Every piece of her just fits perfectly

Jihyo unintentionally moved her away by reflex. Her stress getting the best of her around the staff. You felt impatient and restless at that moment, deciding to lay yourself down, head on her lap. Jihyo looked at you surprised but played the whole thing off as friendliness.

As the manager and the choreographer gave your group a recap of today, Jihyo found herself undeniably melting into your touch and warmth. She knew she couldn't act on her feelings, but she couldn't stop herself from fidgeting and that led to her hand starting to comb through your hair.

—---------

A few days later…

The group was on its way to an outdoor fan meeting before their first pre-recording.

The fan meeting went according to plan, inevitably sticking by Jihyo’s side through it all. Your fan’s had taken a liking to ship the both of you, and your behavior today did not fail to inflame the fan’s social platform. It was an accident, to say the least, it was quite cold outside, and being unable to resist your girlfriend's red nose, you kissed the tip of it to tease her, proceeding to tell her how cute she was at the moment. There was nothing seemingly wrong with your show of affection, it’s Jihyo's movement that made the whole thing suspicious. She was recorded slightly leaning in when her eyes locked with your lips at the moment you kissed her nose.

Albeit, the remainder of the group’s schedule went by quickly and free of any problems.

It’s when you came back to the company that problems started to arise.

The girls were told to go back to the dorm while you and Jihyo were pulled aside to meet with the manager and the CEO.

You sat nervously on the other side of the table, staring down, not daring to look up

Once the CEO entered and closed the door, he told you both the reason for this unsuspected meeting.

‘’Y/n, Jihyo, I'm glad to see you are both healthy and had a great day. Although some rumors were brought to my attention by your manager. Some online fan sites have these pictures of you circulating’’ He slides forward onto the table, pictures from today's incident and to your surprise, one of your secret dates with Jihyo, where the both of you seemed to be too close for it to be friendship.

Your mind went blank, you started to internally panic

‘’Now as you may understand, these are only rumors, but it would be best for the group’s image and future if we knew exactly what these photos were about so we can release a statement against the malicious rumors’’ the manager continued

‘’Malicious?’’ you blurted out

‘’Well, if these photos are suggesting something that is true, then the news of you both being more than friends will damage yours and the group's reputation’’ the CEO replied

Jihyo spoke up ‘’Isn’t our dating ban over?’’ she dared to look over to the CEO

‘’Yes Jihyo, but this isn’t the sa-’’

‘’It is the same’’ she angrily cut his sentence

The CEO and the manager looked at each other. One leaned in to whisper a few words before leaving the room. Leaving you both with the manager.

‘’Listen now, my job is to take care of your image. We all know dating someone from your own group would be a scandal in itself. On orders from the Ceo, if anything new comes up from this, we will have to consider ending both your contracts to ensure the group’s survival in Korea, which by the way, is one of our biggest sources of income’’ he dictated

You could feel tears stinging your eyes, maybe you were cursed after all.

Jihyo took off, angry at the manager.

‘’I understand sir’’ you choked up ‘’It won't happen again’’ you said before following in Jihyo’s footsteps.

Once you both found yourself at the dorm, out of the manager’s sight, you embraced each other. Feeling her grip on you, as if she was about to lose right then and there. You felt yourself start to sob, although quickly, with how close your bodies were, Jihyo could tell. She cupped your face and brought it up to face hers, already steaming down with tears.

‘’We’ll be okay y/n’’ she reassured through the aching pain in her chest, a broken heart trying so desperately to hold on.

You sniffled before nodding in her embrace. ‘’We should go rest now’’ you suggested

‘’Let’s do that baby’’ she smiled before bringing you to bed with her

—------

Today after your group interview that was scheduled, some of your members had individual schedules to attend. Some joined variety shows to promote the comeback and some had photoshoots for brands and magazines.

You were free but decided on following Jihyo around for the day, wanting to support her. Although you mentioned that if you were to do so, you had to cover up and not speak to any fans, you were ready to comply to be by your girlfriend's side for the day.

Now at your next destination, you stood backstage amongst the cameras and makeup staff. You sat down and waited for Jihyo to be done with her makeup and stylist. You would've followed her into the makeup lounge, but your manager had stopped you, to not give any more suspicious report of the two of you. Although your identity was hidden, he was scared that you'd be recognized for following Jihyo around. So here you were, sitting silently with the excuse of being a media manager for Park Jihyo.

Half an hour later, you heard a commotion and looked up from your phone to see Jihyo entering with staff around her, helping her walk with her dress.

Your breath hitched at the sight. Jihyo did tell you the magazine was known for its reckless visuals for the idol industry. But you somehow hadn’t believed her. You sure did now. She walked through with her dress of many layers, that somehow still made her seem like she wasn’t wearing much. The dress was sculpted to her figure, leaving her shoulders bare and ending with an array of flying layers towards the bottom of the legs.

You found yourself thinking about how lucky you were to call her yours. Although incredible joy was brought to you when doing so, sorrows would soon follow. These days, every time thoughts of her would surface, ones of sadness would follow. You tried so hard to not let the turn of events affect you, but the thought of never being able to be public with Jihyo was ripping your soul apart.

—---------

After Jihyo’s schedule, the two of you were free and sent back to the dorm for the day. To your surprise the dorm was empty. You were both tired and decided to go to sleep early that day.

Jihyo went to shower and you were changing the sheets on the bed in the meanwhile. Once done you lay down on your shared bed. An idea popped into your head.

‘’a shower wouldn't be too bad’’ you smiled to yourself

You made your way to the bathroom before undressing. You slightly open the shower curtain before sliding in behind your girlfriend. She slightly jumped upon seeing you before softly smiling, returning under the warm water

You pressed your body against hers ‘’You’ve been in here for a while Jihyo’’ you teased

‘’I know but the warm water feels good’’ she hummed, the sound drove you mad, ever since earlier your mind had been clouded with her, and now that she was in your embrace you wanted to give in to those feelings

‘’You know what else feels good baby?’’ you asked, hands sliding to the front of her thighs, making Jihyo involuntarily moan.

You placed your chin above her shoulder, peeking at her perfect silhouette.

Your hands were dangerously approaching her but before anything, you had to ask ‘’Can I?’’

‘’Yes, baby’’ she hummed before turning her head to kiss you slowly.

—----------

The next day…

Just like the day before, you followed Jihyo for her schedule, you did have the day off today like many of the members but you could just never get enough of your girlfriend.

Being at the same studio where her photoshoot took place, today was now an interview as well as content for the magazine’s youtube channel.

You sat again backstage, looking at Jihyo adorably through your sunglasses. Jihyo answered each question swiftly and professionally. You were always impressed by that side of her but then, isn’t that why she was the leader, because she was good with words?

One question piqued your interest.

‘’Who do you consider the most important in your life at the moment’’

Although you wanted to be mentioned, you knew Jihyo wasn’t permitted to do, so you waited quickly for her answer. But her answer didn’t come, you looked over at her again and saw her hiding her face, then wiping off some tears. You wanted nothing more but to run to her side at that moment.

The filming crew asked Jihyo if she wanted to stop the recording and have a break but she refused and spoke again. Surprising everyone in the room.

‘’The person I consider the most important in my life would be my partner, y/n’’ she stared right at the camera

Your vision went blur. You felt your heart beat rapidly as you heard the manager scream at Jihyo. The crew was taken aback by it all and weren't sure whether to continue or not.

The director mentioned they had enough footage before calling it off for the day for everyone.

Awkwardly, Jihyo sat in silence, while the manager cried out of frustration. He was telling Jihyo how she ruined her career and that there was no coming back from this, a staff from the company would surely leak this and ruin the group.

—-----

The next few days were painful. The company had sent Jihyo back to the dorm while you were obligated to stay at your parent's home. Not only that Both your phones were monitored and the company had posted an official statement announcing you and Jihyo’s indefinite hiatus from group activities. The fans were shocked and confused, that was until the inevitable happened and the Magazine posted about the scandal.

Your heart was broken and you couldn't imagine how Jihyo felt. The only thing comforting you was some of the fan support you found while on social media.

A few days after the news, the manager picked you up and brought you to the company, where the CEO and Jihyo were waiting.

You sat down, your heart beating out of your chest again. Not daring to look at anyone.

‘’So’’ The CEO opened some files in front of him

‘’I imagine why you are both here?’’ you hummed while Jihyo stayed silent

‘’Listen, kids, I won't make the suffering go on any longer’’ Your heart shattered at his words, that was until he spoke again ‘’We are leaving it to you to stay or leave the group. We waited for the public’s response. And with Korea starting to recently release tv shows representing LGBT individuals, it seems that the response was mostly positive. People aren't for it but aren't against it either, and of course, most of your fans are supporting you both’’

‘’So now the question is, do you want to stay and make an official statement about it and leave the group’’ the manager added.

You were in disbelief, you looked over at Jihyo for the first time in days and saw her smiling through tears. You asked her non-verbally before replying to the CEO, to which she nodded.

‘’We’re staying with the group’’ you stated, still feeling like you were dreaming

‘’Well although I am unsure of the future as of now, I will both support you the best I can, now go back home’’ The CEO smiled

You hurriedly exited the room before jumping into each other's arms, unable to stop the tear of joy and relief from exiting your body.

You pulled back to look at your beautiful girlfriend. Knowing that you never wanted any more than her, to spend the rest of your days with her would be your soul’s blessing.

‘’I love you so much y/n’’ Jihyo kissed you, desperate for your touch after so long

‘’Marry me’’ you blurted out

Jihyo looked at you confused, unsure of what she heard

‘’Marry me…please’’ you squeezed your eyes shut waiting for her response

She kissed you once more before answering ‘’There no one I’d rather be with you than you y/n…yes…yes ill marry you’’ she choked on her own words from all the emotions she felt

As soon as the words left her mouth you picked her up and spun her around, making her laugh for the first time in what seemed like forever. You kissed her before putting her down.

‘’I love you’’

‘’I love you more’’

—---------------------------------------------------

A/n: first time at angst and of course i had to put my cheesy fluff all over it sorry. for reference, i know they're getting married and it might seem like a bad thing for them, but in my story it doesn't change anything and the public is just fine with it and they have a happy wedding ok? thanks fhjbjhbvkufd Thanks for reading!

#twice x reader #twice edit #twice imagines #twice au #twice scenarios #jihyo x reader #jihyo imagines #jihyo scenarios #jihyo au #park jihyo x reader #park jihyo imagines #park jihyo scenarios

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bakedbakermom · 5 months

Note

Hi ! I’m relatively new to txf fandom and you seem very knowledgeable and lovely, and I just saw a post that had this tweet and I wanted to ask if there’s a fic like that for us ? And if not, do you have any recommendations for your all time favorite txf fics ? Thank you :)

Well aren't you sweet. Not sure about knowledgeable and lovely, but I am quite susceptible to flattery!

Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 fics that have remained key pieces in the fandom since their publication:

Arizona Highways by Fialka Fialka's entire body of work is astonishing, but AH remains not only a staple for the XF fandom, but is widely regarded as one of the classics of fanfiction itself. It made an impressive showing at the 2000 Spooky Awards (fanfic awards within the fandom), winning the outstanding novel, x-file (casefile), angst, Scully characterization, and "other" character categories, and second place for outstanding Mulder characterization.

The story provides a resolution to the Emily arc that both fans and characters were otherwise denied in show canon. It follows Scully, Mulder, and Kresge (from the Christmas Carol/Emily episodes) as they discover that Emily - like the Samanthas and other clones - was but one of a series of children produced from Scully's ova to be test subjects in the wider hybridization conspiracy.

Iolokus by RivkaT and MustangSally A grim alternate universe take on the show's mytharc, this fic is highly controversial due to its bleak takes on Mulder and Scully's characterization, and the horrible things they endure throughout. Clones, rape, human experiments... I must admit that I have not finished this one - it got too dark for me quite early on - but it remains bookmarked for a time I feel ready to get into it.

This fic is both famous and infamous, and has been sparking controversy since its first publication in 1998. Proceed at your own risk.

Incrementum by Lepusarcticus A far more recent entry into the fandom (2017), this work is a series of canon-compliant alternate-universe vignettes which explore what would have happened if Mulder and Scully's romantic and sexual relationship had begun much, much earlier than in canon.

Honorable mention goes to Parabiosis by Penumbra which explores Mulder and Scully's shifting relationship throughout season seven. Penumbra is another author whose entire body of work is worthy of a deep-dive; Fathoms Five is a stunning piece concerning Scully's struggle to understand her own immortality as the world around her marches inexorably onward, and Upsidaisium is a heart-breaking story set in the long grim night of Gethsemane.

Also of note is the series Life During Wartime, a years-long collaboration between four of the fandom's best writers (Maria Nicole, cofax7, finisterre/Marasmus, and Fialka) exploring the colonization apocalypse that never came. Sweet, heart-wrenching, poignant, and fearless.

Do also check out the fics listed under the various categories of the Spooky Awards (linked above) - some are enduring classics, some are great stories that have merely been buried in the sands of time. Many of the fics listed there can be found on Gossamer (one of the few surviving archives from the show's original run and a fandom archaeologist's wet dream) or X-Libris (one person's effort to save older fics and their art from the Wayback Machine in epub and pdf format for posterity and personal use).

Also dig through the XF Book Club's archive on Livejournal for some interesting pieces you can browse by category - and as an added bonus, you can watch fellow fans debate, critique, and generally lose their minds in the comments section!

I know I have some mutuals who are fellow fandom-oldies (or newcomers who have done deep dives) so please feel free to add your recommendations to this post.

#txf #fanfic #fandom history #fandom lore #fic rec

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seelestia · 1 year

Text

— 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑!

SUMMARY. it isn't easy being a heart catcher, much less when the hearts you caught belonged to the yashiro commissioner and his retainer. [VAPORIZE]

CHARACTERS. kamisato ayato, thoma + GN!reader.

GENRE. fluff, crack-ish, love triangle.

CW. reader is an inazuman noble and is referred to with "mx", not a poly relationship (they have friendly catfights over you), reader just stays unbothered throughout the whole thing.

THOUGHTS. my entry for the elemental supercharge collab by @zhongrin! this turned out so diff from my first draft, but i still hope i did this justice. good luck being sandwiched between these two (you'll need it for your sanity)! <3

✰ masterlist.

As the heir of a respected clan in Inazuma, you were always expected to master many types of talents such as performing a tea ceremony, negotiation, wielding a blade, and more. Catching hearts, however, was never on your list — and not to mention, two of them at the same time.

[ HYDRO | Pillar of Fortitude ]

KAMISATO AYATO is never shy to admit that he finds beauty in your resilience from the start... Or at least, resilience in rejecting his advances, that is.

You're always so professional, always so firm in keeping your composure — but to him, that just adds to your appeal as if you're a locked treasure chest and Ayato is having the time of his life trying to find the right key to you. Needless to say, he seeks enjoyment from trying to crack that mask of yours.

The sweet tone in his voice that has the intent to charm, the glint in his eyes when he looks at you. Just the way he acts when you're around already speaks enough of his fondness for you. It isn't hard to notice; if the Commissioner's mood seems awfully good, that must mean your name is somewhere on the list of visitors that day.

Not to mention, the touches that linger longer than necessary and the excuses that roll off his tongue like second nature just so he can stay close to you. All of these quirks of his just further incite the urge inside you to give him a good knock on the head... if it weren't for the fact that you have a reputation to keep up.

Oh, goodness, there he goes again with that look in his eyes. Have your previous words fallen on deaf ears, you wonder? You place your teacup down with a heavy sigh, "...Lord Kamisato, you are staring."

Ayato smiles, faux innocence shining from his face so naturally like sunlight. He hides his fit of chuckles behind his hand, "Pardon me. It seems I was lost in your eyes again, can you repeat what you were saying just now?"

The frown on your face is clear. A clear as its purpose to become an armor so it can distract the insufferable male from noticing the way you faltered a little and you emphasize, a little, at his words. You huff defeatedly, "Fine, I shall start again."

(...Really, how does he say all that with such a straight face?)

But Ayato knows. He can see how you're itching to chuck an object at him and how badly you want to roll your eyes at his sweetened compliments. Well, he wouldn't go as far as to call himself a true sadist — but maybe, that sight of annoyance on your face only makes him fall for you even harder. Who would've thought the Yashiro Commissioner is someone who enjoys being loathed as his love language? (Does this mean he is also a masochist, then? Albeit, an odd one.)

Seriously, what are you going to do with him? Seeing as you're the current heir to a bloodline that has worked with the Kamisato Clan for generations, it seems there is no avoiding him. The only thing you can do is to curse fate for letting you be born in the same timeline as this brat of a man, probably.

But Ayato certainly stays true to what the gods have gifted him, for he is as suffocating as the properties of his Hydro Vision. Curse him and his pretty face. (...So, you do think he is pleasant on the eyes, after all?)

[ PYRO | Protector From Afar ]

On the other hand, THOMA is almost untrue to the Vision he holds for he is anything but the feeling of a scorching blaze. But he is so passionate, so intent on helping others that you'd understand why he was chosen by such a fiery element — and strangely, his flames are the kind that you wouldn't mind throwing yourself at and you're sure many people agree.

The retainer of the Kamisato Clan is so welcoming, so comforting to the point that just the mere sight of his face is able to lift up your spirits. Like a pat on the shoulder or an unspoken whisper that everything will be alright, whether that be because of his 'fixing' skills or just that bright smile on his lips.

The amount of adoration he has for you is not a well-hidden secret either. Why else would he fumble and fret so much every time you come by? Some may say that it's common sense since you are an important guest, thus it is natural that he wants to treat you well. But that is what others would say and Thoma can speak for himself — and as such, he can say with certainty that he likes you. Or why else would his heart flutter so much when you're around?

Even amidst any sort of rush, he'd still drop anything and everything for you.

In fact, he is very willing to; a fact that he learnt when one day, you came to visit and he wasn't there to greet you per usual. It is only when he was trudging up the steps to the Kamisato Estate after some business in Ritou that he was informed of your presence. And goodness, Thoma has never run so fast before in all his life!

"Mx. [Y/N], when did you get here? Did you wait long? Has anyone prepared tea for you yet? I'm so sorry, I just got back from an errand. Hold on, let me—"

"Relax," you chuckle, shaking your head politely at the genuine panic in his voice. "I arrived merely some moments ago. And no, I told the staff I'd wait for you so you'll be the one to make the tea like always," you state calmly.

You say that so casually... but why does Thoma feel like his heart just skipped a beat and is struggling to catch up? Maybe, his heart is overreacting.

"Oh, y-you did?" He stutters upon hearing your words, as if his breath has been knocked out of his lungs and all he can think about is you. Both of them are true.

"Yes, I did," you affirm with a smile.

Yep, his heart is definitely overreacting and definitely not racing a mile faster.

Gosh, where should he start? He likes how composed you are, how you try to quieten your laughter when all he wants is to hear it clearer, how you smile at him and make him feel so appreciated when he does something for you. Oh, how he really, really likes you; something he has told Taroumaru many times before whenever it is quiet and empty inside Komore Teahouse.

Thoma knows his place as a servant where his status is way lower than you are but still, it doesn't lessen these feelings in his chest... Maybe, he is more than qualified to be called the exact definition of lovesick.

[ VAPORIZE | And thus, chaos ensues. ]

When water meets fire or vice versa, it will result in a mist of vapor; either an engulfing one or a haze that brushes against your skin softly. That is what you know according to the laws of nature, so what in the name of the Shogun is this clashing aura lingering in the air?

You've already grown quite immune to AYATO's teasing and eccentric remarks, so much so that it should be considered a skill of yours now. But for some reason, there are times where he seems more spirited to do his worst than usual and if you connect the dots, the sole factor for this occurrence leads to... THOMA?

It isn't unusual for a commissioner and their retainer to be in one room, but being in the same room as them brings about a whole new meaning. Everything just turns into a domino effect; when you talk, another responds, then the other disagrees. These are the moments when you remember that both Ayato and Thoma don't necessarily see eye to eye at times and thus, here you are, caught in the middle.

"My Lord, I don't think that is a good idea," comes the hesitant plea of a certain blond. The one who sits across from him raises an eyebrow, resting a hand on his chin and sporting a dignified tone.

"I didn't know you had such an interest in politics," the commissioner regards the former with a hum. "Or is it our guest that you're interested in?" Ayato continues, a wide smile too far-fetched to be called harmless chipped onto his lips.

"W-what?! No, no, I just think that we can choose another way to make things easier for Mx. [Y/N] than that one. Doing that would put too much on their plate," Thoma stammers out his reason like a deer caught in the headlights but rather solidifying his defence as intended, he only looks a tad more sillier than before.

How thoughtful of these two to care so much to the point of bickering — but you're very much an independent person who is more than capable of making their own decisions, respectfully.

But these two have been at it for a while now, you muse to yourself as you sip your tea quietly. Should you interrupt or should you enjoy this stand-up comedy show a little bit longer?

"I was already thinking of buying them gifts as my compensation, but you're acting as if I am heartlessly subjecting them to this. I thought you would know me better. I'm quite offended, Thoma."

"My Lord, please—"

Okay, you're going to sip this tea and watch just a little bit longer.

Naturally, you remain on the neutral side like the fence in between two quarreling neighbors. Their squabbles can be very amusing at times, irritating the next, or even both simultaneously. Sometimes, you don't even know the end of it — but what you do know is that neither of them back down easily.

However, there is something you'd like to point out. In most cases involving an employer and employee, the latter would have had no say in any matters that belonged to their master... But as you watch the banter between Ayato and Thoma, this doesn't seem to be the case in the Kamisato Estate and somehow, it warms your heart.

To know that Thoma feels comfortable enough around his employers to be able to express his opinions, to know that both Ayato and Ayaka are the ones who enabled Thoma to feel as such because they don't see him as just a servant. In Inazuma where the value of traditions and honor is important as eternity that the Raiden Shogun chased, it is the type of bond you've never seen before, the type of bond that makes you smile.

Everyone in the Kamisato Estate is so full of surprises, aren't they? ...Though, it might be better if you start discussing business with Ayaka instead of these two from now on. Just to save everyone (and yourself) in this property from their incessant disputes over you.

─ ⊹ ⊱ ・・・・・・☆・・・・・・・⊰ ⊹ ─

✰ TAGLIST: @meimeimeirin @hcikazu @tsuk4sa-yug1 @catcze @semi-orangeapple @yuuki4646 @d-a-r-k-s-w-a-n @daisydkj @omgscaramouche @coquettemaiden @lemontum @herdrops — [ bolded names are unable to be tagged + register here to be a part of my taglist! ]

#zhongrin.elementalsupercharge #genshin x reader #genshin x you #ayato x reader #ayato x you #thoma x reader #thoma x you #genshin fluff #genshin crack #genshin scenarios #genshin imagines #genshin headcanons #genshin hcs #genshin drabbles #seelestial.inks

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hils79 · 11 months

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DMBJ Entry Level Fanwork Recs

Following on from this post a few people asked for some recs for fanworks they can read to get a better handle on the fandom and the characters if they don't know much about what DMBJ is about

This is by no means a definitive list, and I'd suggest checking the tags on any fanworks to make sure it's something you'd enjoy before you dive in.

I have my own personal preferences when it comes to favourite characters and ships and while I've tried to throw a bit of everything in here this is a fandom that loves its rarepairs and poly ships so I can't cover everything.

Please, by all means drop me an ask or a reply if you have any questions. I'm always willing to drag new people into the pits with me

A couple of things to start off with:

@foxofninetales has written a very useful list of possible entry points to the fandom

And if you want a very brief overview of the main players (this franchise has So Many characters it's totally okay to be confused) I wrote one over on Dreamwidth at the start of the year

Okay, to try and organise this in some sort of coherent way I'm going to break it up into canon fanworks and AU fanworks. Sometimes an AU is a better way to get to know the characters, or you might want to get a feel for the canonical settings. Reader's choice.

Then I'll break it down into ships in case Fox's guide has got you interested in something specific

Canon

Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling

Keepsakes Box by ShenWeiLightning

When Zhang Qiling loses his memories, the Zhang family attempt to whitewash Wu Xie from his world. Only the box he instructed they give him as a precaution was never checked for compartments and some of the pictures hidden inside, lead to certain conclusions...

The POV character has amnesia so you learn things along with him

Tabula Rasa by xantissa

Zhang Qiling forgets. Then he comes to some interesting conclusions regarding his relationship to the man named Wu Xie.

Another amnesia fic so same thing applies as above. I'm pretty sure this was the first fic I read in this fandom myself.

Visible to All But Me by Hils

“To the merging of the Wu and Zhang families,” his uncle toasts with a raise of his glass. "It's not what I'd hoped for in terms of securing the future of our family, as you know, but at least it's better than nothing."

Wu Xie blinks at him and raises his glass to take a drink while he tries to figure out what’s happening. There aren’t that many members of the Zhang family that his uncle has had dealings with. Xiaoge would have mentioned something if he’d entered into some sort of arrangement with his uncle. Perhaps his Ershu has made some sort of business deal with Zhang Rishan.

Five times Wu Xie didn't know he was dating Zhang Qiling but everyone else did, and one time he figured it out (with some help)

Yes, it's probably poor netiquette to self-rec but this is hands down my most popular DMBJ fic and it's mostly just about Wu Xie being oblivious with no real ties to the canon plot

Liu Sang/Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling

Cat's Paw by Merinnan & Xantissa

While some very basic knowledge of The Lost Tomb Reboot is needed for this, you mostly find out what's happening through Liu Sang's perspective so it's not entirely necessary.

Wang Pangzi/Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling

A Distracting Effort by elenothar

“Teensy tiny favour,” Hei Xiazi starts, with the kind of grin that says he knows he’s about to stir some shit and is looking forward to it. “I need someone to distract Zhao Ji and you” – he points at Wu Xie – “happen to be exactly his type.”

Wu Xie blinks. That’s… not what he’d been expecting.

Next to him Pangzi looks like he’s readying himself to bristle in protective outrage at any moment now and across the room Xiaoge’s relaxed sprawl has turned into something rather more threatening.

Hei Xiazi has opinions on Wu Xie's wardrobe, Wu Xie has opinions on interior decorating, Pangzi has opinions on Wu Xie's flirting and Xiaoge lurks protectively (and pointedly).

While this is not about tomb raiding it is exactly the sort of nonsense that happens in canon on a regular basis

Reunion to Rain Village by achray, hils, teyla and fangirlishness

A series of stories that are all standalone but are all set in and around our shared version of Yucun. The stories are not connected beyond some background themes and characters.

The only thing you really need to know is that the canon franchise ends with the three main characters retiring to a country village to run a restaurant and live in a house that Wu Xie designed and built for them. This series is set during that time but apart from that no canon knowledge is needed.

Hei Xiazi/Xie Yuchen

Why does it have to be you? by blackwatervial

It’s common knowledge that, if a delicate flower finds itself in a dire situation, a knight in shining armour will come to the rescue. Only that Xie Yuchen is no delicate flower, and his knight in shining armour is more of an overpriced mercenary.

This fic is only short but it perfectly covers everything you need to know about their relationship

Gen

Cascade by frith_in_thorns

Liu Sang didn't need looking after. Absolutely not. It had only been a small stabbing.

Unfortunately, Wu Xie overrode him.

Even more unfortunately, that was only the start of everyone's problems.

An excellent tomb raiding adventure with plenty of whump, misunderstandings and tomb nonsense

Take a Cup Of Kindness Yet by fox_of_nine_tales

There are several reasons Liu Sang doesn’t drink, and all of them are true.

I'm trying not to make this rec post entirely about Liu Sang because, as I mentioned in my DW post he's really only in one of the dramas/books. But he's very popular in my corner of the fandom so...

Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling

Those who fear darkness have never seen what light can do by Merinnan & Xantissa

When Wu Xie was seven years old, he snuck away from his guardian during one of the digs that Sanshu took him to. Only things went wrong, the entrance collapsed, and it took a week to dig the child out from the near collapsed tomb.

They expected a body. They prayed that the child had somehow survived, but seven days without food or water for an adult would have been deadly, a child had no chances of survival at all.

They found Wu Xie deep in the tomb, sleeping on his little backpack. He was warm and healthy, confused at why the adults were yelling, looking like he’d just stepped into the tomb five minutes ago.

An alternate first meeting where Zhang Qiling is a supernatural creature.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by slutspeare

Yincangui is Where Lost Things Return, and Wu Xie, captain of the Wushanju , has been trying to find it since his uncle went missing fifteen years ago. The only thing is that no one is quite sure that it actually exists, except for Liu Sang, who manages to finagle his way onto Wu Xie's ship and into their quest. Without any solid proof or idea of where they're going, it seems like Yincangui is always going to be a lost dream... unless the crew of the Wushanju can unravel the threads of the universe and lead themselves to what they've been searching for.

Absolutely stunningly written space AU where no real prior knowledge of canon is needed.

Liu Sang/Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling

Catch and Release by Merinnan & Xantissa

After weeks of being on the run from the people who'd been experimenting on him, Liu Sang was cold, hungry, and still hiding as a fox. When he came across a live capture trap in a large garden, baited with good, good food, he decided it was worth the risk. Then kept coming back again. And again.

Wu Xie just wanted to catch and socialise a feral cat into a pet. He hadn't planned on a fox deciding the trap he'd put out was a convenient and consistent source of food.

There's a lot of fics in this fandom where Liu Sang can turn into a fox. It's entirely down to this Liu Chang photoshoot so I figured I'd put one in here as a taster. Plenty more where that came from if you like it

Hei Xiazi/Xie Yuchen

Ad Hoc Services by fox_of_nine_tales

If assumptions make an ass out of you and me, well, why let a perfectly good ass go to waste?

In which Hei Xiazi is mistaken for a prostitute and his evening just gets better from there.

This might be an AU but it perfectly encapsulates how ridiculous these two idiots are

Vids

If you're more of a visual person these vids are a taster of what the fandom is all about (also linked in my DW post if you've already looked at that). It's a mixture of general fandom vibes and ship specific vids (and one solely about Pangzi because I love him)

youtube

This is just a very small sample to get you going. If you're not in the fandom and this has piqued your interest feel free to let me know and I can try and put together a more specific rec list for what you like

If you are in the fandom, feel free to reblog with any additions that you think should be on the list. This is only intended to be a sampler.

#fic recs #dmbj #pingxie #pingpangxie #heihua #entry level fanworks #Youtube

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soul-controller · 10 months

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Owen’s Solo Mission (Teaser)

Set in between the events of Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, Owen Grady is trying to find a way to keep himself and his new family of Claire and Maisie safe. When a mysterious note appears on his doorstep offering assistance in helping protect them, Owen secretly heads out to meet with the sender.

When Owen Grady first took up the position as a Velociraptor trainer at Jurassic World, the former Navy man didn’t have a shred of admiration towards the formerly-extinct dinosaurs. Although he vehemently turned down the prospect of militarizing the dinosaurs to use in the field, Owen still found himself not really embracing the concept of becoming the alpha of the four raptors that he trained. This however changed though after the events of Isla Nublar, when only one of Owen’s raptors (a female named Blue) survived and stayed on the island after all of the humans were evacuated.

Upon returning back to the island at a later date to find and rescue Blue and several other dinosaurs from the now-active volcano that would completely decimate the island, Owen found himself slowly growing more protective of his favorite raptor and dinosaurs in general. This was most certainly assisted by his renewed relationship with Claire Dearing, who turned her life around after the events that occurred on Isla Nublar. Once a ruthless businesswoman who ran the park with an iron fist, Claire now found herself becoming a self-less activist trying to save all of the remaining dinosaurs from the volcano.

After defeating not only the Indominous Rex but also the Indoraptor, Owen and Claire’s pseudo-family with Blue further expanded upon “adopting” Maisie, who was orphaned upon the death of her guardian during the events of the Indoraptor’s rampage. While the Indoraptor was going on its aforementioned rampage, several of the saved Isla Nublar dinosaurs were quickly sold off to countries and militias all across the globe to further line the pockets of greedy businessmen. However, many dinosaurs still faced extinction due to a gas leak in the basement of the dinosaur sanctuary where the sale was taking place. This quickly changed due to Maisie’s actions. Having recently discovered that she herself was a clone of her guardian Benjamin Lockwood’s deceased daughter, the girl began to empathize with the dinosaurs. With this in mind, the genetically engineered girl opted to free the remaining dinosaurs into the California wilderness to have a fighting chance at survival.

In the time since the dinosaurs spread across the continental United States or arrived at their new locations across the globe, Owen and Claire had found themselves trying their best to care for the still-grieving Maisie after the death of her grandfather Benjamin. While Claire continued her activism by working at the Dinosaur Protection Group, Owen relocated Maisie to a cabin in the woods of California to prevent anyone from finding the cloned girl and using her for genetic experiments to find out how to continue cloning more humans.

Due to his constant efforts of trying to prevent anyone from taking advantage of Maisie, Owen had quickly found himself growing incredibly protective to the point where he truly cared for the young girl. As such, when a note mysteriously showed up on the cabin’s doorstep one morning with the promise of helping provide “reinforcements” to protect Maisie, Owen was quick to accept the invitation. After convincing Claire to come to the cabin for a few days to stay with Maisie while he “went to meet up with some old Navy friends”, the hunky man quickly headed out to go meet the mysterious individual.

Upon arriving that next night at the location listed on the note (a dilapidated house near the California-Mexico border), Owen tapped into the skills he’d gathered during his time in the military and cautiously approached the house before making a slow entry. As he slowly walked around the creaky old house with his gun drawn, Owen was quick to call out for anyone there to slowly make their way into the large foyer so he could see who sent the note. As he suddenly began to hear the sound of squeaky wheels grow louder, Owen quickly directed his flashlight in the direction of the noise. Upon seeing who the individual was, Owen was unable to prevent his jaw from dropping...

To read more about who Owen meets and what happens afterwards, click here to sign up for my Patreon!

#male transformation

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peridee · 6 months

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Mae plays Divilethion

Hi, so I’m continuing my playthrough of NemLei’s games, and next up on the list is Divilethion.It’s another cute yet dark visual-novel with very pretty art. I don't have too much to say about it, but there are some things I’d like to mention about it. Firstly, there’s the art, it’s gorgeous. It's everything we’ve seen in previous games but taken to an extreme, it’s all so lush and vibrant and with a strong sense of style.

The story of this game concerns a small village in the middle of nowhere, completely unremarkable. Unremarkable except for the fact that its villagers worship and offer sacrifices to Divilethion, a kind and benevolent god, or an evil and cruel demon. Or both. Divilethion protects the village from monsters, disasters and all manner of other things, and all it asks for in return is for human hearts to be sacrificed to him in a midnight ritual.

Divilethion is not just an unseen patron, but a character in the narrative, he’s present, he’s mean and he’s also evil. The villagers pray to him, and he solves their problems in return for human hearts. It’s not clear how long this has been going on, who first started it, how Divilethion arrived, but the story isn't really about these things, so it doesn't matter. The story is about the relationship between the main character, Lynn, his younger brother and Divilethion.

Lynn serves as one of the three high-priests of Divilethion and his personal favourite. After a terrible flood hits the village, Divilethion demands a sacrifice. He’s annoyed that Lynn skipped out on him, and marks her Brother as his chosen sacrifice.

The player is given the choice of accepting Divilethion’s wishes and sacrificing his brother or refusing and helping her brother escape. That's the main conflict of the game,

The novel is a little short and with only two endings, one where you sacrifice your brother, and one where you don't and escape the village together.

I’d have liked it to have been longer and to explore more about Divilethion and the cult and to have the story play out more slowly. But apparently it was a NaNoRenO 2020 entry.NaNoRenO is an annual month-long game jam in which developers are challenged to make a visual novel from start to finish. So, I really can't criticize it for being brief or short.

Overall, it's cute and dark, and enjoyable, Worth playing to look at all the cool art and see the premise. But I don’t really have much else to say about it.

(Blog entry included for completeness)

#maeplaysgames #divilethion #nemlei

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umbrify · 11 months

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realizing it is probably better to Use The Askbox For Its Intended Purpose than to attempt conversation in tags ^^; anyway. YEAH I WOULD LOVE FWHIP THOUGHTS. MY LITTLE GUY. MY DUDE. I LOVE HE. fwhip's throughline IS SO VERY MUCH AVOIDANCE YOU'RE SO RIGHT (haven't seen scott s1 so can't comment on that yet). feel free to elaborate on any of [fwhip's avoidance, the thing about fwhip instinctually shooting sausage, fwhip's relationship to the rest of the WRA]! (also, 13:05 - 13:12 on the twelfth episode in fwhip's e1 playlist, "MAKING PEACE and NEW SKIN!", has the moment with the bow, if you're curious)

Ooh yes, okay. I’m gonna go into Empires season one fWhip and the Wither Rose Alliance, how fWhip handled the rise of Xornoth and the proceeding corruption of Sausage, as well as Sausage’s curing, and the reconciliation of the WRA. Basically, I’m gonna talk about why I love the WRA so much, as well as highlighting some really interesting character moments for fWhip, and his overarching theme of avoidance. Welcome to my Ted Talk.

(If you’ve only ever heard about empires season one through osmosis, or never watched any of the Wither Rose Alliance POVs— fWhip, Gem, or Sausage, this might be a good way to kinda figure out what their deal is. I ended up explaining a lot of context for things, for the sake of saying what I wanted to say, so I feel like it’ll be comprehensive even if you don’t have much prior knowledge of season one.)

At the start of the season, fWhip and Sausage got pretty close pretty quickly. They were partners in crime, if you will, each often helping each other out with various schemes and pranks, such as fWhip helping Sausage get back at Pix for stealing Sausage’s villagers, [fWhip e9, 7:18], even before the proper foundation of the WRA [fWhip e10, 17:25]. Which is to say, they were very close, even before everything went down. After fWhip steals the Codfather head— which he seems to be happy to deflect partial blame onto Gem for, trying to avoid any accountability— the WRA together gear up to create a sort of trap vault, to secure the Codfather head.

The tentative rise of Xornoth began before the vault was constructed, with fWhip having an encounter with the demon happening just before the vault plans were solidified, in his episode 17. In that episode, he makes a log of things he knows about the demon, including a list of things the demon seems to like, which includes two notable entries— “I think [the demon] likes MythicalSausage? And, they really like the idea of the dragon being killed […] they really dislike the dragon. I think their goals are […] the death of the ender dragon, it really keeps coming back to that, and they keep saying, if we kill the ender dragon, they’re gonna be free” [12:43].

This, combined with the need to create a secret vault, would ultimately result in the items being hidden in the End. fWhip, tasked with finding the location of the vault, decides on hiding the items this way, saying “With everything, especially the demon being so scared? Of the dragon? I feel like leaving the Codfather’s head with the dragon, as like a final form of defense, might not be a bad idea. Because, then Jimmy will never be able to get it. He’ll never be able to get it. Nobody’s gonna be able to take out the dragon” [17:21]. He presumes that everything will be safe with the dragon, that nobody will be able to take it down.

Meanwhile, Sausage seems to have almost made friends with the demon. When fWhip visits him to bring him some firearms, he says “Xornoth is uh, is planning some things, it’s great! […] For the demon! For armageddon!!” [fWhip e17, 30:20]. fWhip becomes, understandably, somewhat nervous, yet even here he still seems to… deflect. He laughs, nervously, telling them to have fun, before heading home. fWhip flies off, saying “What a weird guy— people say I’m the evil one. Quite worried about him.” fWhip sees that something is… definitely wrong, with Sausage, and yet he still can’t bring himself to properly have that confrontation. He’s avoiding it, maybe just hoping that things will turn out alright.

Another moment right in this era that I think about often, that I’m not sure where else to put, is the moment where Sausage and Gem have a brief stand down, when Gem says that she’s the most powerful wizard on the server, to which Sausage bites back that she only is for now [fWhip e18, 32:40]. This happens right around when Sausage was starting to get corrupted, and Xornoth promised him great magical power— power that Gem had said he would never have. And I think often about this moment, in the context of the WRA as siblings, right— you’re fWhip, and you’re standing there as your younger brother and older sister are doing the magical equivalent of holding guns to each other’s heads, and just… how do you react? What do you even do? He’s not sure, which leads to that horribly nervous little song he sings, and it’s just… god. It’s so much. Caught in the middle of all the things he’s been trying to look away from, unable to do anything as the two most important people in his life are a hair away from taking each other out.

Finishing up the final preparations on the WRA vault, fWhip expands on his reasoning to hide the Codfather head in the End: “Right now, the only way out of the End is either by killing the dragon, or by jumping into the void […] there’s a little bit of a demon, on the server right now, who keeps trying to tell people to kill the dragon to unleash it upon the world. And, there’s one thing I’m pretty confident in: Jimmy does not want to free Xornoth. And, well, at this point, neither do I. So, if I put the cod head in there, I think Jimmy’s gonna find an ultimatum where he’s like, hm, nope, I can’t get it back. Or, if he does, and he wants to bring it to the overworld, he has to unleash the most evil thing, on this entire server, into the open. So, uh, hopefully he doesn’t do that. I think he’s smart enough” [fWhip e19 9:43]. He tells Gem about the plan later in that same episode, to which she agrees that it seems like a good plan. The idea is foolproof. Surely, Jimmy won’t risk the entire server’s safety, all for the cod head, right? It feels reasonable enough to assume that Jimmy wouldn’t willingly doom the world by releasing the demon, and that’s something that he banks on— it’s the perfect way to get rid of the Codfather head, in a way that Jimmy can never get it back. Surely, nobody would be so foolish. Problem successfully solved!

Right?

Wrong. But… it wasn’t just Jimmy.

The collapse of the Wither Rose Alliance, in fWhip’s episode 20 [4:10 - 7:28], is what finally forces fWhip to really face what Sausage has become. Xornoth demands a sacrifice to allow the WRA to escape the Nether, and Sausage, imbued with the power of Xornoth, takes Gem out quickly. As fWhip is left alone to face an invincible Sausage, Gem pleads with Xornoth: “I was sacrificed! You have to let fWhip out!” Of course, it’s to no avail, and fWhip is forcefully dragged out of hiding to face Sausage once more, being taken down. fWhip and Gem reconvene in Mythland, where fWhip hides Sausage’s dog Bubbles in the ground. Sausage returns, demanding to know where Bubbles is.

This moment, right here, is one I find very chilling. fWhip, a character who so often avoids direct serious conflict, one who worries for people on the sidelines, takes his stand. While Gem demands their stuff back, he says “I told you, [Bubbles is] gone until you get rid of the demon.” He knows this isn’t good, that Sausage is making a mistake siding with Xornoth. He tries the last ditch effort he can think of to get his little brother to snap out of Xornoth’s control.

It’s not enough. Sausage begrudgingly returns their things, and as the two sort through their jumbled items, Gem mutters that they can’t be allies anymore, after this. fWhip agrees, with a haunting certainty, “Sausage, you chose a side… you chose a side. […] We tried to save us all, you chose.” The two stand on the bridge in Mythland, opposite Sausage, and fWhip says it seems like their endeavor that day may have been their last, as an alliance. Sausage shouts for them to leave, and as they take off, Sausage swings, hitting fWhip.

Gem and fWhip fly off, without Sausage. As they make their way back to their lands, fWhip says, in a shaking voice, “Gem, it’s back to just you and me here,” to which Gem assures that they’ll be fine, that they’ll stand up for each other. He quickly accepts her words, saying “Yeah, it’s— it’s all good, it’s all good… it’s all good. He— he took the powers of the demon to kill us, there, that is— that is one too— one too far. That is— it’s one too far.” He’s afraid, having just firmly ousted one of his oldest allies— his own brother— from his oldest alliance, despite knowing that it was the only thing he could’ve possibly done. There was no other option… and yet, he barely gives himself a single sentence to essentially mourn that loss, before he’s trying to pave back on the mask of indifference— look away, avoid, avoid— it’s fine, he says, it’s all good, as if he didn’t just have to do the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life.

But it’s not over yet. Not even close.

(Continued under the cut. This got Really Long)

In that very same episode, a meeting is held [16:30 - 18:03] where fWhip and Gem happily tell the others about how they hid the Codfather head in the end. Everyone else is, of course, terrified. Scott tells them that Jimmy’s just gonna kill the dragon to escape, and that if Xornoth is released, it’ll bring about an eternal winter. Gem and fWhip, realizing they’ve messed up, devise a plan to prevent the Cod Alliance from killing the dragon— they need to heal it, keep it alive at all costs. Gem insists to everyone that they have to be a team, that even though they’ve messed up, that they can fix it.

It’s now or never. They head into the End.

[End scene from 19:20 - 22:57] fWhip immediately flies around to the main island, before stepping down onto the bridge in front of Jimmy. He begs, pleads for them not to do this. “Jimmy— Jimmy, I’m sorry. Jimmy— Jimmy— I’m sorry, Jimmy, we need to not kill the dragon here.” Jimmy demands the Codfather head, and fWhip immediately agrees to return it, reiterating that they must not kill the dragon. It’s this— this moment of being immediately and forcefully thrust into the face of the problem he caused, the problem he’d been trying to avoid, by hiding the Codfather head away in a place where he was sure that Jimmy would never dare to go. It’s this moment of fWhip pleading with Jimmy, to please, please not do this— they’ve lost so much to this demon, they can’t let this happen. He can’t let the demon be freed because of his mistake, he’ll do anything to prevent it from happening. The absolute, terrified resolve of a man faced with a problem he can no longer run from.

Jimmy says he’s gonna kill the dragon, barging past fWhip, up the main island. Chaos breaks out, and fWhip leads Jimmy down, beneath the portal frame. Jimmy says it better not be a trick, and he assures it isn’t, voice panicked. He returns the head, and begs them not to do this, in a soft, shaking voice, “We gotta keep the dragon alive, don’t— don’t let— don’t let Sausage kill it, don’t… […] Chaos, chaos is coming, we can’t— we can’t let the dragon die.” The fear, and absolute certainty… he can’t let this happen. Can’t let his mistake ruin the world.

Jimmy, uncertainly, says “fWhip, I think, whether you like it or not, this dragon is dying.”

fWhip desperately attempts to prevent the dragon’s death, to no avail. Chaos, as the two sides wage war in the end, with Jimmy caught conflicted in the middle. Sausage and Joey, corrupted by Xornoth, cheer for the carnage.

From the moment the Codfather head was stolen— perhaps even from the moment Jimmy started a confrontation with Sausage at all, all that time ago— it was too late. Xornoth would be released.

In a single episode, fWhip’s entire world is turned upside down. The WRA is shattered, the world is fast approaching an eternal corruption, and… he doesn’t know what to do. Gem says they can fix it, that she has the dragon egg, but… what else can he do but to just… shut down. He turns away from it— from Sausage, from Xornoth, from everything. He avoids it all— doubles down on the construction of his city, Eastvale, resolutely looking away from everything else.

With Xornoth freed, and Sausage well and truly corrupted, fWhip becomes extremely cold towards Sausage, to the point of being openly defensively hostile. The brother that he knew… that isn’t Sausage, anymore. One of the best examples of this can be seen in Sausage’s episode 32, 12:54, where Sausage and Pearl go to invite fWhip to their arena. fWhip answers the knock on his gate with a drawn bow, immediately and coldly asking what they want with him, even as Sausage still greets him as a friend. While fWhip is willing to speak to Pearl, he refuses to even entertain the idea that Sausage isn’t here to hurt him, shooting him a few times throughout the conversation, to the point where Sausage is sent away from the gate so that Pearl can speak to fWhip alone.

And… god, isn’t that just so much? You’re fWhip, and whatever thing is possessing the person in front of you, he isn’t your brother anymore. He’s not your friend anymore. He’s not safe, and you’re not safe with him here, even though… he used to be one of the safest people for you to be with. Not anymore. That’s not him, anymore.

And, it’s not unwarranted, with Sausage later saying to Pearl “I try my best around him, but sometimes I just wanna choke him out, Pearl” [15:24]. Yet… Sausage still greets fWhip as a friend, at first. Still tries to talk to him, insists that he’s “not evil today,” and… well, Sausage really did still care very much about the WRA, even while corrupted.

In Sausage’s episode 33, he opens by reading his last will and testament, knowing that soon enough he’ll be taken by the corruption. Within his will, he writes out things that he wants the other emperors to have, should he not return: “To fWhip, you can keep all my deepslate redstone ores… I don’t know what you want them for, they’re kind of useless to me, but… I kept a lot, […] Gem, you can have my great staff of Mythland. Uh… in your hands, it’ll probably be very effective. And to the Wither Rose Alliance, you can have access to my iron farm still” [1:07]. He still thought about them… still cared about them. The fact that Sausage kept collecting deepslate redstone— something that fWhip loves and cares for very much, for the sole purpose of giving it to him, even though they were on such horrible terms… I think about that. He loved them, even still. Even through the corruption, he loved them.

Gem never turns her back on Sausage in quite the same way fWhip does. It was she who cured him, in the end— killing him, at his own request, voice corrupted as he struggled against the influence of Xornoth. She finds him in Mythland, after he’s free from the corruption, and asks if he’s okay, saying she’s so glad to have him back again. He shakily asks her if he can be back in the alliance again, now that he’s cured, and Gem says “We’ll have to talk to fWhip about it, how about for now, you just… heal up over here” [Sausage e33, 33:25].

Gem knows that she forgives Sausage, that it wasn’t his fault. But… she also knows fWhip, and she knows it won’t be so easy for him, that it’ll take time. It has to be his own choice, in the end, to forgive Sausage for everything he put them all through.

Gem brings fWhip around to see Sausage, now that he’s uncorrupted. [Sausage e34, 24:00 - 34:25]. Once fWhip realizes that Sausage is there, he draws his bow, asking coldly why they’re here. Sausage asks what’s going on, and Gem says she’s brought him fWhip. Sausage is immediately distracted by Gem’s wizard hat, and fWhip happily jumps on the bandwagon of teasing Gem. Gem tells fWhip that Sausage is cured, and while fWhip is skeptical at first, having to kill Sausage himself to make sure he’s no longer unkillable, the three seem to fall back into their old patterns. Gem sends the two running into the river, lightheartedly chasing them with her sword, and as they both climb out giggling, she says “I missed this.”

This scene, this moment of the WRA, finally back together again after so long, it’s so… god. They’ve been apart for so long, they haven’t been able to hang out and laugh with each other, and this is the first time in so, so long, that Sausage has been able to hear that light in fWhip’s voice again— that he’s been able to speak to fWhip on any terms that aren’t cold and callous and unloving. They have each other again, they have their family back, unsteady as it is.

Sausage asks if he’s back in the alliance, and Gem says it’s up to fWhip. He seems… uncertain, but says that Sausage can be tentatively back— like he’s still nervous, still feels like something could go wrong. The three of them agree that Sausage owes them both three favors, and then he’ll be back in the alliance for real.

In Sausage’s episode 35, fWhip cashes in his first favor [9:30 - 10:17]. He asks Sausage to come by to help him with something, and as Sausage flies in, fWhip immediately shoots him with a flaming arrow. Sausage flies away, circling around before making his way back to land near fWhip. fWhip greets him with that old harsh coldness, a curt “Hi, can I help you,” how fWhip used to speak to Sausage, while he was corrupted. Sausage says he didn’t come to fight, that he’s good now, and fWhip lets out a slightly nervous laugh, saying “oh, right, right… sorry, sorry, I’m still just a little… it’s gonna take a while, it’s gonna take a while— you can’t just expect me to like— just like, forget, instantly, right? It was just— you know,” fWhip trails off, and Sausage says that fWhip hit him in the face, to which fWhip laughs, slightly, before restating his initial greeting in a much more friendly tone.

And it’s just… god. Isn’t that so much? Isn’t that So Much? Like, you’re fWhip, and you see your own little brother coming, and your immediate instinct is that you have to protect yourself. That you aren’t safe, that he’s gonna hurt you, prepare to fight back— god. Could you imagine what it must be like to be feeling that way? To be trying to reconcile the feelings so ingrained in you now, with the person now before you? He’s trying— he’s trying so hard to let Sausage back in. But… it’s not that easy.

I think this essay has definitely gotten long enough, but I do wanna leave off with one final moment. In Sausage’s episode 41 [11:25 - 14:22], fWhip finally feels able to fully accept Sausage back into the alliance. He tells them that he wants to make them all a new meeting room. The three end up falling back into their old antics, playfully attacking each other, and Sausage ends up getting killed. fWhip picks up a bunch of his things, including a splash potion of invisibility that he had. fWhip cheekily says he’ll keep the potion, and Sausage asks for it back, to which fWhip starts to walk off to where he wanted to show them anyway. Gem follows, and in a disapproving tone, says “fWhip, give him his things.” fWhip turns around, says “Okay, here you go,” and splashes the invis on them all, to which Sausage indignantly says “I can’t believe this!” fWhip immediately starts laughing, with Gem giggling as well, and both fWhip and Sausage quickly realize how silly Gem looks while invisible, with her massive hat floating in the air.

I point out this moment because it really encapsulates why I love the WRA so much. They’re such a chaotic bunch— acting like three siblings who love to tease each other, who get into fights and have falling outs and still, in the end, they make up again. They find each other again. They never stop caring about each other, even through everything. It’s a really sweet little moment— the WRA, finally, truly whole again.

#empires smp #THIS GOT SO LONG. OOPS.#i spent like. over 5 hours making this #and I could keep going. i could talk more about fWhip and Gem #about the moment where Scott accidentally blasts Gem with the magic. how worried fWhip was #how he insists that she get help #but honestly that gets into territory that I haven’t yet seen myself #and I can’t tell it properly #and honestly this is long enough #also thank you for the timestamp for the bow thing!! it’s very interesting #i reckon it’s more about them wanting to create peace in that moment than it was about Jimmy specifically? if that makes sense?#but! who’s to say #you’ll notice I ended up talking a lot about Jimmy here #this is because it is impossible to talk about fWhip without talking about Jimmy literally ever #thank you so much for the free excuse to talk about empires one fWhip and the WRA. this is been so enriching for me #i love them so much #and e1 fWhip is my favorite character across both seasons of empires #uh. can you tell?#ANYWAY. thank you to anyone that ends up reading my whole essay.#it is over 3000 words in total.#umbrify talks #umbrify answers #erstwhilesparrow

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