#but even if it wasn't *necessary* in recent years it always MIGHT have been. i learned from my entire childhood that i could never be safe

[fallingdownhell]

Hello!! If your requests are open do you have any plans on writing something similar to genshin men forgetting your birthday but with different characters? :D maybe diluc and/or kaeya for example

Sure can do! Angst will always be my favourite!

Characters Included: Diluc; Kaeya

Content: gender neutral reader; hurt/no comfort; angst; the boys don't realize their mistakes; cursing; not proofread yet

Word count: 1,3k words

Enjoy the heartbreak<3

Diluc

Being with Diluc was exhausting sometimes. And sometimes, it felt like you were in no relationship to begin with. You knew that protecting the city and it's people was important to Diluc, but.. sometimes you just wished to be his number one...

Sometimes, you really wonder how you managed to stay in this relationship for three long years without any issue.. then again, its not like it has always been this way.

The first two years were amazing. Diluc was an attentive lover, always concerned about your well being, that you felt comfortable with him. Only recently did that seem to change. He had less and less time for you, always coming back home in the dead of night and left before you woke up in the morning.

You tried to deal with it somehow, since talking to him about it was apparently no option, seeing as he always pushed you away when you tried approaching the topic with him.

But today... today might just be your last straw..

In all the three years with him, Diluc has always made it a point to make your birthday a most special occaison. Telling you weeks in advance to clear this day up since he wanted to spend it with you. He always planned something different, but you loved it each time.

This year, however, nothing came from him. No notice to keep your calender clean, nothing.

You thought, that when you spotted him in bed next to you this morning, maybe you just thought wrong and he wanted to surprise you.

But when he woke up, no words of gartulations left his mouth. Instead, he simply got up, got dressed and went out again, but not before telling you that he would be back for dinner tonight.. which was a rare occaison as well.

You tried so hard to give him the benefit of the doubt.. going about your day at the mansion, going on a walk in the nice, afternoon soon as people from the Dawn Winery congratulated you for your special day. You thanked them, while trying to keep your composure.

Nothing meant anything to you when the person closest to you didn't remember it themselves...

Night came, and with it came dinner time. Adelinde took the time out of her day to prepare a full on five course meal, all consisting of your favourite dishes. You told her multiple times that this wasn't necessary at all, but she wouldn't have it. So, as fate would have it, you were now enjoying the food... however, alone.

Diluc has yet to show up, but not wanting to let the food get cold, you decided to just start eating.

Later on, you realized that the dissapointment washing over you didn't even face you anymore, having expected this outcome already.

So, you ate quietly, until the door to the mansion opened, revealing the owner of Dawn Winery himself.

"Diluc!", you exlaimed, standing up from your seat, a smile on your lips. He came after all...

But he immediately put a damper on your mood as he raised his hand, a deep sigh escaping him as he threw his coat off.

"Please, not now, (name). I'm exhausted."

With that, he went directly for the staircase, not even acknowloding anything else around him.

"But.. don't you wanna join in for dinner? There's a lot left and-!"

"I said, not now!", he suddenly yelled at you.

You were shocked, looking at him like a deer caught in headlight. Regret briefly washed over him for raising his voice at you, but he chose not to say anything. Instead, he turned around again and made his way up the stairs where he immediately went into his office, looking himself away from you again.

You watched after him, slumping back into your chair as he was out of sight. You tried so desperately to hold back your tears but they came crashing out of you as soon as you saw Adelinde leave the kitchen, a big birthday cake in her hands.

She gave you a weak, sympathetic smile as she sat down next to you on a chair, patting your back gently as you let the dissapointment sink in..

Kaeya

You were maneuvering your way through the many people in your living room, trying to get to your balcony, hoping to get some fresh air and clear your thoughts.

Lisa planned this whole thing perfectly. Keeping you busy the entire day with her while everyone else was preparing your surprise birthday party in your home.

You had not expected anything like that, especially not after the dissapointment you recieved this morning already. Kaeya has never once failed to remember any special day during your relationship. Be it a birthday, an anniversary or anything like that. You never had to remind him, he just always knew and was prepared.

So, naturally, you didn't feel the need to remind him that your birthday was coming up, thinking that he was already aware of that fact.

However, when you woke up this morning, everything was far too normal. He was still sleeping beside you, cuddling with you for a few more minutes, before you both got up and he left for work.

No congratulations, no gift, no nothing. He didn't say anything at all...

You were feeling kinda down after that, slumping around in your home.. That's when Lisa came over and practically forced you out the house. She congratulated you, then took you shopping, to lunch and so on.

She kept you busy the entire day and the incident with you boyfriend went farther and farther to the back of your mind.

That was, until you returned back to your house. Suddenly, the lights switched on before you could even do anything. People jumping out from all around, yelling "Surprise!", at you, while laughing at your flabbergasted reaction.

A surprise party.. now Lisa's behaviour made sense to you. Your mood lightened up, thinking that it must have been Kaeya's doing and planning.

You thanked everyone that came up to congratulate you, making small talk with them while trying to scan the people for your boyfriend. When you didn't see him anywhere, you went to ask Lisa about him, but she said she had no idea where he was..

This dampened your mood again, so you decided to get some fresh air, maybe that would help cool you off again.

As you were outside on the balcony, you saw Kaeya approaching your shared home. Excited, you went inside again to meet him at the front door. But when you opened it, you were met with a seemingly bad mood from your boyfriend.

Before you could ask him what was going on, he already started complaining. "Seriously? Are you for real?"

"What?", you just said, confused on what he meant. But that just seemed to frustrate Kaeya even more.

"So, everyone leaves work, leaving all of it for me to deal with, just because you decided to throw a fucking party? I've had a fucking exhausting day, (name). How do you expect me to relax with this many people here, huh?"

"I-It wasn't my-!"

"Oh, don't give me that crap! Who else if not you would plan such a thing, and in our house as well? You know what, I'm gonna leave. I'll sleep somewhere else for the night!"

And before you could say anything else, he had already turned on his heels and was walking away. You had no idea what this was about and what caused his outburst..

You were so confused about what was going on, but you felt the tears running down your face as you fell on your knees right there at the open front door while the party was still going behind you...

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin scenarios #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact angst #genshin angst #diluc x reader #diluc x you #diluc x reader angst #diluc angst #diluc scenarios #diluc ragnvindr #kaeya x reader #genshin x reader angst #genshin impact x reader angst #kaeya x you #kaeya alberich #kaeya angst #kaeya x reader angst #kaeya scenarios

[prodsh00ky]

from the cradle to the grave

pairing: vampire!seonghwa x reader

warnings: use of words probably, crying, mentions of blood, death, war and violence, seonghwa creeps the reader out by breaking into their house, deja vu era seonghwa look combined with 2023 long haired hwa bc this should be a warning, some angsty stuff, fluff if u squint really really hard, past lives (sort of), reader is referred to using they/them pronouns but i might have left something that suggest they’re female/afab in the way; please let me know if there’s more

wc: ~4.6k words

notes: i tried to finish this in time for halloween (it was sitting in my drafts since 2021...) so this was supposed to be a spooky season fic. it didn’t work but here it is anyways! hope you guys like it. im a big vampire enthusiast and a bIG seonghwa enthusiast which makes me the biggest vamp!hwa agenda supporter so lets gooo

well, at least your gut feeling was probably right.

these last days have been… weird, to say the least. every time you’d go back to your apartment after college you felt like you were being observed, maybe even followed. it was like there was someone always behind you or around the place you were in a way that made you feel like you were never alone indeed, and you didn't like the shivers you got from it. to top it off, the whole thing was giving you even more bad nightmares than the usual; the most recent ones involved big mansions from the eighteenth century or something, a lot of fighting, blood and a pair of piercing eyes staring into your soul. the worst part was that you always forgot in the course of your day that you were having them, only remembering when waking up in a cold sweat from a new one. your friends told you it probably was due to the time of the year since spooky season just began, and you thought it might be it; a scary vibe was nothing less than expected from fall.

but the tall figure standing behind your favorite armchair that welcomed you home seconds ago after you locked your apartment’s door told you otherwise. you automatically move to grab your floor lamp to defend yourself.

“who are you and what are you doing here?” 

“so you’re feisty. i should keep track of that.”

his voice is deep but also smooth. he’s probably a head and a half taller than you and wears a white shirt with a v cut, black trousers paired with a black blazer and his neck is adorned with a sole silk ribbon. when he turns to you, you get to see that his long black hair would probably reach his silver pendant earrings if it wasn't tucked into a fancy hairstyle with a silver pin holding the front and that his eyes are sharp and piercing (and strangely similar with the ones in your recent nightmares, but this time they feel familiar and not frightening as usual), just as the rest of his facial features. he is probably the most handsome man you’ve ever seen. but you still have no idea of who he is or how he got inside your house, so you quietly get your phone and dial 911.

“i'm going to repeat it just once more. who are you, what are you and how the fuck have you gotten inside?” he seems too entertained eyeing you from head to toe for some seconds, but he quickly wakes from his apparent trance and answers you.

“right. i'm sorry for the rudeness... and for the invasion, for that matter, although this apartment was virtually 100% accessible for me. oh, and for the last few days too, but i'm afraid the observing was necessary. i’m park seonghwa, one of the royal eight, and deeply pleasured to know you.” he bows lightly and opens his mouth to continue and it shows you a glimpse of long sharp canine teeth. it makes you interrupt him.

“so you’re the one who’s following me? know what, it doesn’t matter actually, i’m calling the cops.” you turn to open the door and get outside, however the keys aren't in the door handle anymore. with the lamp still in your hold you try to open the knob forcefully, adrenaline beginning to fill you due to despair, but the jittery sound of the keys dangling makes you turn to the stranger once more. he holds the keys with his left hand, the right one leaning in the armchair.

“forgive me for my ways, but calling the police won’t be needed and after you listen to me you’ll see why. i’m not here to hurt you in any way, it’s actually… quite the opposite. i was following you because me and my brothers needed to reach you, and after i finally found you i wanted to know who we were looking for. if you’re willing to give me some of your time, i’ll be happy to explain everything i can for now. please?”

considering your options, either you jump out of the window into a 65 feet fall or listen to him. but you still want to be sure someone is keeping track of you, so you move to open the window hoping today the old couple and the friendly lady who lives in the building next to yours and are always inviting you to spend the holidays and have dinner with them are gaping inside your place as usual and turn on the localization device in your phone.

“you have ten minutes.”

“thank you for considering my offer.” he answers, seemingly more relieved, and starts talking. “i’m not sure how to address it correctly… there probably isn't a correct way to do it, so i’ll be plainspoken. i’m a vampire, such as my brothers, and we need your help because you hold powers that can save our empire from the mass attack it is suffering right now.”

you huff, because it’s the only thing you feel like doing.

“you really invaded my house to fool me into a halloween prank? who made you do it? oh, it must have been yeonjun and kai, right? i'm calling the bastards right now, this is way off limits.” you manage to grab your phone in your pocket again but, just like your keys, you see it appearing in the guy’s hands.

“it’s not a prank and your human friends have nothing to deal with it, swear with my long gone soul. i am indeed a vampire, as you can verify by my teeth. vampires exist, such as some other ‘magical creatures’, as your people like to call us. i’m park seonghwa, the second vampire emperor, or prince, whatever you’d prefer, and am here to plead for your help because my empire is perishing and the eight of us can’t do much without you.”

the serious way he’s speaking almost convinces you, but it still sounds so crazy and nonsensical you keep yourself skeptical. you can't avoid some classical questions, though.

“why aren’t you burning or shining in the sun, then? and i don't see you sweating due to the giant amount of garlic in my kitchen. there’s no proof to your allegations, fang boy.”

seonghwa finds it really hard to suppress a smile. you were much more fun (and cute) than he thought, and seeing you being so doubtful only added to the feeling he had.

“because not all the tales you humans like to tell about us are true. garlic does not affect vampires at all, i have no idea where this... thing came from. we only get paler in the sunlight, as you may perceive.” he moves closer to your window, and you can see his slightly tanned skin turning paler and paler until his veins start to become proeminent and dark blue in his skin. it’s almost as if he's like a living canvas full of paint.

“i don’t believe you.”

“do you expect me to prove my identity then? because the only way to do it is by feeding, and im afraid you’re the only human in the nearer 260 feet at least.'' he steps closer and while he’s talking you see his fangs getting longer. and sharper. he touches his pointer finger with his teeth and his skin rips easily as if a needle had been dragged along it. when you look into his eyes they’re rouge as… blood. fear creeps into you and you step back, moving your head no.

“y-you can go on! i will hear you, i p-promise. i'm not exactly doubting it anymore.” you say, voice weak with fear. you move to your couch slowly, eyes still fixated in his every move. “i-im going to sit because this doesn’t sound like a conversation i’ll be able to take in while standing. feel free to sit too.” he moves to sit in the same armchair he’s leaning, but you start to talk again before you forget and his eyes move up to you again. “oh, but i want my keys and phone. you’ll not be getting my help making it look like you want to keep me in captivity.”

he nods, putting your phone and keys in your center table. you grab them almost immediately murmuring “thanks” because well, look where you are. he nods again and waits until you stop moving to talk.

“i’m shall start from the beginning since you have no familiarity with the vampires situation, right?” you nod, asking yourself what a vampire situation would mean. “the… ‘magic’ realm, i’ll call it this way for now because it’s easier, is hidden from human eyes. we have our own rules that exist to ensure mainly two things: that we won’t reveal ourselves to you with ease and that we will have peace, or anything closest to it, within us. some centuries ago people lived in balance and each kind had their own inside rules and organization besides these two major ones, but a riot some of the folks started created chaos and eventually a war. it was a slaughter; many villages were destroyed and many creatures, killed. it’s one of the darkest chapters of our story.

“wait, what do you mean by ‘creatures’ and ‘folks’? you’re not saying…”

“witches, elves, mermaids and sirens, gnomes, fairies, fauns, they’re all real. at some level, at least. i say this due to the fact you humans love to fantasize about their characteristics way too much, as you could testify with me and the sun belief you had. the majority of things you assume you know about them or about ur are probably inaccurate.”

your frown, “and what is the truth about all of you, then? what is wrong in the things i’ve been taught?”

there’s hints of a smirk in his lips, but he tries his best to keep neutral. “curious, aren't’ we? i’d love to share it with you, but it’s best that you learn it by yourself.” your eyebrows raise and he gets the sign to keep talking. “we’ll get there, do not worry.”

he takes a deep breath, a shadow of something gray crossing his sharp features. “after the war finished, pretty much all that was left was chaos. in an effort to save the survivors, an assembly was arranged so we could fix new rules and try to establish things. it happens that the vampires were the race that had the fewest deaths and casualties during the war and managed to better organize ourselves for that to happen, so it was decided by majority that we would rule all races from then on.”

“holy crap-” you tap your mouth, using the best of your self control skills to not laugh in his face, “this sounds like a fanfic i’d have read when i was twelve. how did you guys manage all the power? and you said majority, not unanimity. there was someone against it, i suppose.”

seonghwa allows himself to smile, happy to observe you notice things rather quickly. you try to suppress your own reaction; if he was already handsome poker faced, it felt like his smile alone could convince you about anything he was saying and more. “we accepted it, since it was what most wanted. some begged, even, at some point of the discussion. it was never easy, though. we have faults and committed many mistakes, some worse than others and some… unforgivable, if i’m being honest. but i assure we hardly did then out of personal selfishness, the weight of keeping things in place is always something that humbles us down. and yes, you assumed correctly, there were people against it.”

he pauses abruptly, looks at you and laughs quietly, which confuses you. the fact that his laughing warms you inside has nothing to do with it, you reassure yourself.

“what?”

“if you thought the previous facts i’ve told you sounded like a… fantasy book or so, you can’t wait for the next bit.” he tries to dwell his laughter down to answer you, but you can see he’s struggling. “guess who disagreed with us being in power?”

it takes you less than a millisecond to reply. “no shit it were the werewolves.”

he starts laughing again but freely, not trying to refrain himself, and this time you can’t control the shocked smile that creeps onto your face along with your eyes widening.

“jesus fuck, seonghwa-” you have to pause for a second to recompose yourself, because you started laughing too hard along with him without even realizing, “it was already hard to believe the whole vampire convo and all, now you’re saying that not only other species of magical creatures do exist but the rivalry between vampires and werewolves is real? how do you expect me not to think this is some sort of twilight remake?"

“oh, no, not that movie,” he says while trying to stop laughing, “i’ve never watched it but it has caused enough misunderstandings already about us.”

you eye him up and down, “have some respect, it’s a masterpiece! i’m sure you just have never watched it because you know you’ll get inferiority complex since you’ll never be edward cullen.”

“i’ll pretend i know what you’re talking about and agree.” you laugh but on your own this time, and he can’t avoid admiring the wrinkles in your face when you do it. “resuming, the werewolves were never exactly comfortable with the idea of us in power in the first place, but as i said it was what the majority wanted. it has been like this for over eight centuries, and everything was going peacefully until around the nineteenth century. the werewolves started a rebellion against our empire, and to do it joined forces with each and every wrongdoer in our realm. they managed to have each and every single creature that had committed horrendous crimes as their allies, which caught us by surprise. we’ve tried to talk to them in the beginning, but it didn't work; they started to kill vampires and pretty much everyone that agreed with our power. it has been like this since then, and we were succeeding in controlling the war until one century ago.”

“oh.” nice way to react, you think. but what would be a great reaction for a narnia x game of thrones crossover of sorts? “i’m… i’m sorry, i guess. i’m not sure how to properly react to all of this, and it’s harder to conceive it as true. and what does it all have to do with me? swear i’m trying not to be a jerk or so, but why are you telling me all of this? why did you come after me?”

seonghwa, once again, has to control a smile creeping in. “because you, y/n, might be the key to saving everything.”

your brain short circuits. “what?” you freeze, wanting to laugh in his face, but the serious and hopeful look he gives you indicates he’s telling the truth. then a detail, a tiny but important detail comes to your mind. “wait- how the fuck do you even know know my name? i haven’t said it to you until now, there’s pretty much no mail you could get that from and most of my friends call me by nicknames, how do you know it?”

despair flashes through his eyes, but it’s only for a second. “well, here's where things start getting… interesting. or complex. i know it might sound crazy but… there’s… you… you’re…”

its the first time he seems uncertain or insecure and maybe even afraid in his speech if you squint, but the next bit that comes out of his mouth makes everything really sound like a big joke.

“i’m afraid there’s no easy way to let you know this, so i’ll have to be straightforward. you’re a living amplifier to any type of supernatural being. this amplifying power is given to a human in earth as a blessing from whatever force that keeps the universe balanced from time to time, but there are always at least a few centuries that part the amplifiers’ births. the last amplifier was a friend, an ally of ours that helped - or rather lead us vampires to our victory and was the sole reason why i and pretty much all of the survivors are still alive. i know your name because it was one of the last words he said before passing after sacrificing so much to guarantee peace amongst supernatural folks. i’m here to ask or rather plead for your help, because although we have more resources and ways of fighting now we’re afraid that it might not be enough for the challenges we might face.”

you blink once. twice. then you sneer.

“you know, i was almost believing you. i’m ashamed to admit it, but it was almost getting to me. but after this i'm afraid i’ll have to call kai and yeonjun and tell them to stop fucking with me every halloween season because this is way off limits. you’re a great actor, though,”, you say, reaching for you phone, “i’m sure you’ll go the distance or so. your costume is very well made too, i have no idea who thought about the eye mechanism but is sure surpr-

he takes your hand with his extremely cold one before you reach your phone.

“please. me and my brothers don’t have much time to deal with your doubts properly, and i’m sorry about that, so i beg of you. it probably sounds way far from your human rationality, but have you never felt anything different? any other type or force or liveliness different from what others feel? have you never seen the way some people thrive when they’re by your side? how they go higher than they probably would if they weren’t close to you? how it’s so easy for your to really connect to the people you love and how pleased they seem to be to love you back? have you ever felt observed? have you never seen that there are beings trying to put their eyes on you all the time, specially in nightmares?”

you head starts to spin. yes. he actually had a point. your presence around people you liked seemed to bring them more joy and great opportunities for some unknown reason, and it has been this way since ever. your childhood nickname was “lucky” due to this; the games and toys were funnier and happier when you were around, even if one of your friends got hurt - it would be fine, after all, right? the foster home you grew up in started to receive more donations after you arrived, and your foster dads were able to house even more children. your presence became a must in problem solvings while you grew up, because, for some reason, the fact that you were there made it all calmer and somehow easier. your friends would get higher grades, nicer positions in the school teams, greater opportunities and happier memories if you were involved or cheering for them; you were a walking lucky charm all over your life. your parents, your foster siblings and the few real friends you have always said the love they feel towards you is different than any type of love they’ve ever experienced. kai and yeonjun even like to joke that you have some type of magic on your blood or something, because they feel that your friendship will undoubtedly last for the rest of your life, no room for doubt.

and the nightmares. they were way more intense and frequent when you were a child. creepy and lone places, destroyed cities, dark alleyways stained with blood, desolated ghost-like faces, cries of help you never knew whom they belonged to. but the worse ones were the ones that had eyes around aware of your every move no matter what you did. they were the ones that offered your nights of sleep no mercy and made you wake up crying hard and shaking up from despair for years. funnily enough, they always seem to happen again frequently each spooky season. 

“i-i suppose you’re right in some way, b-but-”

“have you had a time where you painted a lot? maybe when you were a kid?”

that’s what breaks you.

“h-how the fuck do you know this?”

his lips curve up, a sad smile reaching his eyes. “eden, the last amplifier, was a painter. probably one of the best ever seen in the whole world, if i have a say on that. an amplifier born will always have and nurture the last amplifier’s talents for at least some time, specially during their childhood. if you took on his talent, i bet your paintings were astonishing, even more for a child.”

your memories flash in front of your eyes: how many paintings have you made for your parents’ office? how many times did you spend your early sunday mornings painting in order to gift your siblings? how many of these were still with them, in their houses, becoming part of the scenery of their lives until nowadays? and why the fact you abruptly stopped doing them when you were nine or ten had never made sense until now?

“i’m- i’m sorry, but- this must be some type of misunderstanding or bad taste joke, that’s ithe only explanation, that's it-”

“as said before im deeply sorry that we don’t have more time to do this with ease but…”, he huffs, looking down and then to you again, “this is what will have you believing me. i’m really sorry.”

he stares into your eyes for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight seconds straight.

and then it all hits you.

flashes of some of the places you saw in your nightmares, but this time live, in person, because you were there; a giant castle with an art studio, your beloved art studio, where all your creativity flew through the canvases, where life seemed to make more sense. flashes of people you never met; unfamiliar smiles in their faces, but the lingering feeling there’s no physical building that could carry your conception of home more than they could; nights together singing by the moonlight, but also serious conversations and arguing and fighting but always making up because, in the end, they’re your family; war and horrible battles and you standing in all of them offering everything this force inside of you could because things had to end in peace; crying, seeing red and hearing their last words for you. darkness, solitude, happiness, yearning, melancholy, bliss, doubt, joy, frustration, hope, all types of feelings that weren’t and were yours at the same time.

you snap out of it with the feeling of seonghwa’s cold thumbs drying the tears you didn’t realize were streaming down your cheeks.

“i’m sorry this is so unfair to you,” he whispers, “i really wish this could happen naturally, without demanding so much of you and shattering the world you know with such violence as it has always been with the others…”

for a while, you just allow him to hold your face and caress it, too overwhelmed by everything that’s flooding your brain. after what could be some seconds, minutes or even hours, you’re not sure at this point, you move away from his touch and he lets you go, something heavy in his eyes you are not able to decipher due to your state.

“you need time to digest it all, and you’ll have it. i’ll make sure that no nightmares or even visions plague your mind in the next days so you can rest. but i’ll have to come back in a week or two to ask you to come with me and help us if you’re willing to do it. i promise that i’ll answer any of your questions then and that more understanding of what you’re capable of will make it a bit easier. you can share all of this, but be sure to do it only with trusted ones and with as fewer people as possible.”

he gets up and makes the beeline to the door, but comes back and leaves a black business card in the table in front of you, just a single phone number written in red in it.

“if you need anything, do not hesitate to call this number and talk to me. i’ll do anything in my power to help you.”

he opens the door, turning to look at you for one last time. ”we’ll see each other again, y/n.”

seonghwa closes your apartment’s door and in a couple of minutes he’s walking in the street again. he takes his phone, dials a number he knows by heart and waits. the voice that answers him is curious, yet patient.

“hey, are you fine? how did it go?”

he huffs before replying, “as well as you would expect, hongjoong. they didn’t hit me with a broom or tried to shoo away with garlic, but also didn’t believe me until i forced them to see.”

“so you did have to hypnotize them?”

“unfortunately. humans got way too used to believe we’re bedtime stories, specially in this century, so it wasn't something i didn't expect, but i-”

“you’re not entirely comfortable with doing it too, i know. by the way, how did you feel? since it all probably got stronger, was it okay for you?”

seonghwa hesitates for a few seconds. “it was ecstatic, hongjoong. i’m not sure i’m able to fully translate it into words. the more time I spent there and the more I understood about who they are now the more it became hard to let go. this is nothing like anything else that i ever felt, and it’s only the first time i saw them. i feel lost but also as if i had finally found something very important inside me at the same time. i… have no idea of what to do.”

“maybe telling them, if you already didn’t?”

“no way. it was hard enough for them to believe the whole thing, it would be twice as hard if they knew- if i told them things probably would have been even harder. they’ll know when the right time comes.”

“sure, then. it’s your choice. are you already coming back?”

“yeah, i’ll call for the car in some minutes.”

“great. thanks, hwa. i know this was probably tough on you. come home safely.”

seonghwa replies with a hushed see you soon and hangs up. he knows hongjoong just wants to be sure, but they knew each other well enough for hongjoong to presume nothing of the matter would have been said to you by seonghwa.

because how could he? right after stealing the truth you had been living until and shattering it into pieces? it sounded too cruel for him, he felt it in the moment he laid eyes on you today.

time would say when he’d tell you that besides your name, eden also said that the next amplifier would be his soulmate, and that this would allow to change things forever.

©prodsh00ky 2023. no crossposting or translations allowed.

#ateez x reader #ateez #ateez seonghwa #seonghwa x reader #park seonghwa x reader #ateez fanfic #ateez scenarios #ateez fluff #ateez vampire au #vampire seonghwa #kpop bands #kpop writing #kpop writers #ateez fic #ateez fics #kpop fanfiction #prodshooky #prodsh00ky #user: prodsh00ky #ateez angst #ateez fantasy au

[nytb]

Battle Scars P2

You would think that when someone gets their own place, their own bed, they would use it. Well, that wasn't anywhere near your plans. Interchanging your couch with Leila's, there wasn't a single night you spent away from one another.

Keeping her close : always at a safe distance. A distance that prohibited you from doing what your heart wanted.

The Spaniard was a culé through and through - hell she was raised into the blaugrana colours. You? A Bayern fan, the team that your parents taught you to love. Leaving their academy when you were young caused major heartache, but it was a necessary sacrifice to get you to be the best version of yourself.

Barcelona's chances for the Champion's league rested in the outcome of todays game: Fc Barcelona vs Bayern Munich.

Everyone made plans to watch it amongst loved ones - everyone but yourself.

Alone, at home, getting ready to watch your beloved team face the Blaugrana rath you hear a loud knock. The lock opened fast, no time for you to react before the brunette made herself at home.

You might have known each other for only a couple of months, but you already trusted Leila with your life.

"I brought snacks and whatever potato weirdness this is" she sure liked to mock your food choices, in specific: the love you had for Bratkartoffeln. Potato pancakes that brought you back to your childhood, to your homeland, to your home.

"I will ignore the clear attack on German culture you just made and focus on how mesmerizing you look with that jersey on your shoulder" you noticed the Bayern shirt resting on the Spaniards upper body, a sight you would love to see over and over again.

Her love for Fc Barcelona was too big for her to simply switch sides and join your love for Bayern "You wish" the woman declared as she threw the jersey over to you, slowly opening her coat to reveal the blaugrana colours underneath "I'm a culé through and through"

Thank god your favourite teams didn't play against each other often. On many occasions, it would be a walk in the park for the Catalan team, but in recent years their spark had disappeared. The game not turning out how Xavi had expected. The Spanish woman crawling up to you only to bolt onto her feet to scream at your TV. You shushed down your celebrations as your team scored, ultimately winning the game, yet you didn't feel like the win had been worth it.

Seeing Leila upset, angry, sad. Her team's hopes for Chapons league football were almost impossible now. Sure, mathematically they could still make it, but Leila's eyed shone differently tonight. Closing the physical gap Leila had made, you grabbed the Spaniard into a bear like hug. Her head resting on your shoulder, her nose scrunched up against your neck. The woman felt safer than ever.

You didn't let go even after she stopped rambling "I could stay like this forever" she declared, further cozying up to you.

Your heart stopped. Fluttering feelings in your stomach. Is this what falling for someone feels like? It couldn't be - you hadn't even kissed her. But- was it time to?

As she left your embrace, her nose rubbed against your chin. You could only stare into her hazel eyes - god she is breathtakingly beautiful.

Her eyes doze off onto your lips, fantasising, dreaming of what kissing you felt like. Cupping your neck, pulling you down so she could reach you, grazing your lips before you interrupted the moment she had been waiting for "We shouldn't". A punch would have hurt Leila less. Did she read the signs wrong? Was she the only one who felt this way?

"I'll get ready for bed, then the room is all yours" you stated as you grabbed Leila's hands off your neck, slowly abandoning her touch as you made your way into your bedroom.

Taking a shower alone. The woman of your dreams meters away. Why? Why? Fuck, why did you stop her? It's not like the thought of devouring her lips hadn't crossed your mind that very moment. It's not like the Spaniard hadn't left your mind since you first laid eyes on her. What was stopping you?

The Spaniard, abandoned in your living room. Her fantasy broken by your rejection. Replaying the many times you had almost kissed, the late nights spent on your couch. What had gone wrong? Were you not on the market? Had someone stolen your heart from her?

Leila didn't take rejection well. She hated losing, but most of all - she hated 'what ifs'.

She made her way into the bedroom, her body begged her to stop, trying to protect her from inevitable heartbreak. You turned her down before, there was nothing stopping you from doing it again. But what if this time you wouldn't?

Opening your bedroom door. You're standing there - in shock, barely dressed. The defender approached you with lion eyes. A predator closing in on her pray. You were hopeless.

Grabbing you into a kiss -soft at first but as you melted into it, she roughened it. Devouring your lips, not allowing you to stop for air. Her hands travelled across your body, her nails dived into your back. There was no way you would escape her this time.

This was it. You were down for the count, you were falling hard.

#woso imagine #woso x reader #woso #leila ouahabi woso #leila ouahabi x reader #woso fic #woso imagines #manchester city imagine #imagine #fiction #x reader

[romaritimeharbor]

MORAL INJURY — a non-romance genshin impact series. ♫

       act i, chapter ii        "motherland."

➤ CHAPTER SYNOPSIS :: it is always cold in snezhnaya.

➤ CONTENT WARNINGS :: implied murder, implied violence/cruelty towards a child, implied kidnapping.

➤ WORD COUNT :: 2.8k.

➤ AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS :: CHAPTER 2 HELL YEAH 🗣🗣🗣🗣 sorry it took forever to publish this, please forgive me moral injury fans 😔🙏 a little note, be sure to click around on the words and symbols that are underlined at the top of this post! the word MORAL INJURY will take you to the series masterlist/navigation post, and the music note will take you to the spotify playlist.

➤ TAGLIST :: @zeldadou, @umgatochamadopercyval, @starryshinyskies, @www-brontide, @pookiebearcave, @lesanyanyas, @francisnyx. contact me through messages/asks/etc non-anonymously to be added.

       The Motherland was always cold—that much was a given. It was the northernmost region of Teyvat, after all, always with multiple feet's worth of freshly-fallen snow blanketing the ground in the mornings and subzero temperatures—at the eternal winter's very worst—at night. Snezhnaya was always cold.

       Carriage rides across the nation could be... mildly unpleasant for that very reason.

       They had some privilege, so they got to sit inside of one rather than walk alongside it or drive it, but they did not have enough prestige to warrant one of the carriages with heaters. Those, very few in stock, were generally reserved for Harbingers.

       The thought made them pout a bit. Surely being the direct assistant to one was enough to warrant at least some kind of comfort in their journeys? It wasn't like they were Tartaglia's assistant; that person surely had less privilege than they did. Though... now that they thought about it, that person probably got treated better than they did. Tartaglia was exceedingly more human than Dottore was, after all. Surely he didn't treat his agents like victims-to-be? Though, it was debatable how much of a "victim" he really viewed them as.

       (They were once again reminded that they really should have transferred out of the Doctor's division. However, a mentally subhuman assistant was surely suited to a physically and mentally subhuman Harbinger. Perhaps that was why they've survived for as long as they have.)

       Their situation was complicated; they would gladly be the first to admit that. Somehow, they were simultaneously the most at risk employee and the least at risk employee.

       On one hand, Dottore would not kill them himself unless it was truly necessary. Wounding them? Sure. It happened... sometimes. Not often, but sometimes. It was more common for the younger segments to hurt them somehow (gods, they hoped they didn't run into Lord Beta today; they were far too preoccupied to entertain him). Experimenting on them? That was even less common, but it had happened. In recent years, though, there had not been another such significant incident.

       In the past, it may have been worth transferring—they thought that, had their life gone in a different direction, they would have thrived under someone like Pantalone or Pierro, where most of their work would be in an office; boring, but easy—but nowadays, it was better that they didn't give up their position... largely for the sakes of their coworkers.

       (Deep down, they knew that in their current state of being, they would be bored to death working under anyone else, but they preferred not to dig too deeply into that frightening truth.

       A mind such as theirs was not designed for the menial, mindless work that the lowest ranked agents did—Il Dottore himself had said this to them a multiplicity of times. They don't like to think about it, for under what conditions might Dottore feel the need to say something like that?

       ...They don't like to think about it.)

       Maybe they were just never destined to be Tartaglia's or anyone else's assistant.

       It was still cold; their lamenting changed nothing, but they sincerely wished it had. The chill settled in their bones reminded them of their lack of privilege. Maybe if they just gathered up their courage and asked, they would be able to secure a heated carriage...

       They couldn't linger too much on those thoughts as their transport pulled to a stop. Absentmindedly, they tugged their coat closer to their body to block out the chill as they were escorted out and into Haeresys.

       They nodded in polite acknowledgement to the agents who'd escorted them, wordlessly dismissing them once their task had been completed.

       Now, they stood face-to-face with one of their older coworkers. He'd been around for a while. Sometimes they morbidly wondered who between the two of them would die first—someone was bound to.

       It probably wouldn't be them, as arrogant as that may have sounded.

       "Krupp."

       Krupp was a man prone to error. It was a wonder how he'd lived so long, anyway. Could they really be blamed for thinking about such morbid things? It was common for the Second's employees to die or go "missing." It was only natural, then, for them to wonder what would eventually come of Krupp's life. Would he live? Would they live? Even they could admit that it was genuinely anyone's guess.

       "[Surname]."

       They only stared blankly at him for a moment, before groaning. "Ugh... okay. What did you do this time? Is it something I need to cover up?"

       He raised his arms defensively at their blatant accusation. "Nothing this time, I swear."

       ""This time,' he says. Right. Good that you're self-aware. Well, then..." they prompted, eyebrow twitching in vague annoyance when he didn't get the hint. "What is it? I don't have all day. I have to do routine maintenance on Lord Sixth soon."

       "Yeesh, good luck."

       "You know, I hope you become Lord Beta's next experiment."

       He frowned. "That's not funny, [Surname]."

       "...Yeah, okay. You're right. That was kind of... yeah. Sorry," they admitted apologetically, hand raking through their hair habitually. A deep sigh left their lips. "Sorry. I didn't mean that, I've just gotten really desensitized to these things. I'm surprised you haven't. Anyway, what is it that you needed from me?"

       "Hmph, fine. Apology accepted." Their eyes were practically about to roll out of their skull at his smugness. He quickly changed topics: "They brought in someone from Sumeru. A girl with Eleazar."

       "So I heard. Lord Dottore was muttering to himself about something like that, but I didn't ask."

       "Right. Well, she's uncooperative, so they called for you since... you know, the test subjects all seem to like you. You're nice. She's also supposed to transfer under your care after she leaves this place."

       "I wouldn't call myself nice, but thanks, I guess," they muttered, peering into the one-sided glass window that displayed the inside of the confined room she was in.

       A little girl was in there, cowering in the corner.

       A little girl.

       That was a child.

       Immediately, they tensed up. "How old is she?"

       They've seen children be brought into this horrid, ugly part of the world many times before... but their reaction never changed.

       "I don't see why that's important. She's going to be taken back to the main lab regardless."

       Something in their chest snapped at his nonchalance. The glare they then shot him was one of the sharpest he'd seen in his time—he immediately recoiled, stammering and stumbling over his words. He was fawning. They had seen him do it a few times with other higher-ups, including Lord Beta.

       It wasn't as if they were going to tear his throat out. It just annoyed them how vague he was, how nonchalant he was, but perhaps he no longer could tell the difference between mild annoyance and murderous intent.

       Understandable, they supposed. The line did tend to blur after a few years under Dottore's employmemt.

       "How old is she?" they asked again after taking a deep breath and gathering their composure. This time, their tone came out far more calm and collected than it had before.

       It was not his fault. He did not bring her to Haeresys, so there was no point in snapping at him for it.

       The shift in their tone seemed to reduce some of the tension in their coworker's shoulders. "Pretty sure she's eight, or around that age, at least."

       "Archons above..." They cursed under their breath. "She's so young, what— what the hell is she doing here?"

       'Where are her parents?' they wanted to ask, but bit their tongue. Knowing how the Fatui worked... they were probably dead.

       In a way, they also knew the answer to why she was here; children were known to recover far faster than adults. They'd observed that phenomenon over and over and over again within the years of their employment. If any test subject ever caused trouble, it was probably someone under the age of twelve or someone who was brought in when they were that young. The older the subjects got, the weaker they grew.

       "How should I know?" he scoffed, drawing their drifting attention back to him with a wave directly in front of their face. If it had been anyone else, they might have been annoyed, but they were unfortunately used to his behavior. "I don't know, [Name]. Why would I? You think Lord Beta trusts me like that? I'm not as high-ranked as you are. If anyone would know, it should be you. All I know is that she's going to be under your care."

       A deep sigh left through their nose, but the more that they thought about it...

       "You said she's an Eleazar patient?"

       "Yep. Her scars are bad, too."

       "Oh..." They pondered for a moment. "...Hmm. Now that I think about it, I do have an idea about what she's here for." They tapped their fingers on their thigh briefly in a nervous fidget, before sighing once again. "Well? Are you planning on letting me in?"

       "Well, since you asked so nicely." Despite his blatant sarcasm, he obliged and fidgeted with the locks for a moment. When they released with a hiss, he backed off, but not before handing them a small medical kit. They took it from him, absently noting that she must have been wounded and refused to be treated. "Go ahead."

       "Thanks."

       When they stepped in, the door slammed shut behind them. It wasn't unexpected, but it was unsettling nonetheless. They were a bit morbidly grateful that the girl was such a small child; they wouldn't have to fight tooth and nail with her like they had done so many times before with taller and stronger subjects.

       Upon their entry, she immediately shuffled impossibly further into the corner, eyes blown wide with terror.

       "G— go away! Don't touch me!"

       "Hey, hey... shh, it's alright. I won't touch you if that isn't what you want," they soothed, settling on situating themselves on the floor a few feet away from the trembling girl. They offered a kind smile to her.

       She sobbed into her hands. "Please leave me alone... get out of here!"

       A bit of blood was soaking through her tattered clothes. They stifled a scowl—any negative expression they made would only scare her more, but... Archons above, would it kill their coworkers to be at least a little gentle with her? They made a mental note to... discuss their carelessness with them.

       After all, if they hurt her badly enough, she'd die.

       That would inconvenience Dottore, so... technically, it was within their area of concern. Surely they couldn't be written up for aggression towards and potential violence against their allies—after all, they would only have been doing their job!

       For now, though, they needed to focus on this poor girl and her evident wound.

       "Honey, you're bleeding."

       "I don't care! Go away!"

       "Please let me look. I promise I won't hurt you. I just want to see."

       "No, no," she cried, trembling furiously like a leaf in the wind. "Please, please just leave me alone..."

       A deep silence settled momentarily, only filled by the girl's weak cries and sniffles. She was the first to break it.

       "I don't want to die."

       "That won't happen," they reassured. It was... more or less of a lie.

       It went quiet again. The girl wordlessly shifted, moving a bit out of the corner. They took that as their sign to approach her. Any movements they made were gentle and purposeful as to not frighten her further or rile her up again.

       When they finally got close enough to her, their fingers moved skillfully and quickly, rolling her shirt up just enough to expose the wound on her side. She winced when the cool air hit it.

       "Shh, you're okay... what's your name?"

       "It's... um— my name is Collei."

       They smiled kindly, taking out a small tube of antibacterial ointment from the kit handed to them by their coworker and lathering her cut with it. "Hi, Collei. I'm [Name], okay? I'm going to be responsible for you from here on out."

       Now that they were closer to her, they could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

       Despite her fear, she nodded. The kindness in their face soothed her. It was as if they were an angel descended from the heavens specifically to protect her. It was so, so impossibly hard not to trust such a compassionate face.

       "Okay."

       After wrapping her wound in gauze tight enough so that it would not unravel but loose enough to nor cause her any discomfort, they allowed her shirt to fall back into place.

       Their hand dared to gingerly reach towards her face; it was not particularly surprising when she flinched back with the smallest, hardly perceptible whimper. Any movement halted. They simply waited to see if she would initiate the contact that they had attempted or if she would continue to reject it.

       Then, she slowly—hesitantly—relaxed, some of the tension leaving her body as she leaned forward.

       The smile they had offered her remained, it even grew a bit, as their fingers softly brushed some of the hair away from her face. It was perhaps akin to what a parent might do to soothe their frightened child. A hint of melancholia could be seen in their expression, but Collei was quite possibly too young to properly understand the wistful sadness they held.

       She did recognize that they were sad in some way. Maybe that was why she was so inclined to trust them—their emotions were tangible.

       "I have to leave, alright?" they murmured to her. "Some people are going to come later and take you somewhere else. Please let them. They won't hurt you if you listen, okay? And if they do, you tell me, because they absolutely are not permitted to use unnecessary force."

       "An— and I'll see you again?"

       "Yeah, of course. I'm very busy, so it might be a few days until you do, but you will. Try to be patient, okay?"

       "...Okay."

please consider reblogging, it helps me out quite a lot! written by aphelion & banner by @www-brontide. do not plagiarize, copy, ai train, or otherwise use my work -☆

#✧— aphe's creations. #divider by @/cafekitsune ♡ #genshin x reader #platonic genshin x reader #platonic genshin #platonic genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #collei x reader #platonic collei x reader #genshin series

[ananxiousgenz]

TPP HADESTOWN AU PART 6

whaaaaat part 6??? we're shifting into nureyev mode guys

tagging the regular crew: @smidgen-of-hotboy @ceaseless-watchers-special-girl @urjover @one-joe-spoopy @waters-and-the-wilde (@demonic-panini you're getting tagged too bc i've seen your reblogs :D)

it was so cold. and he was so damn hungry.

food and firewood had been scarce in recent years because the weather had been so brutal, but even then peter nureyev was no stranger to cold and hunger.

he had spent most of his childhood hopping between towns, traveling whenever the winds changed, always hungry for more food and better work. it didn't do him much good. things were always just as bad at the next town as they were at the last.

that was, until he met juno steel.

juno was.... a lot of things. a singer. a sweetheart. stubborn. gentle. clever. funny, and often unintentionally so. they met and got married in a rush, which would make most people nervous, but peter didn't mind. rita had been right about him, that day they first met at the bar.

juno steel was pretty damn good at making people feel alive again.

for the first couple months, things were good. no, not just good. they were wonderful. even if he wasn't singing that song he was so hellbent on finishing, something about juno's presence was so soothing. it made peter feel like he could finally begin to take off the layers of exhaustion and stolen identities he'd worn like armor for the past decade or two. those days, he would fall asleep in juno's arms, and when he dreamed, he dreamed of spring rains and new leaves and a world that had finally been spun back into tune. he dreamed of a future for himself and juno, with a little house and a garden, and maybe one of those big dogs he'd always been so fond of. even if things still weren't right with the world, he was starting to have hope- no, faith- that they would be. that juno's song would work.

he was finally beginning to feel human again. love will do that to you, I suppose.

and then the weather took a turn for the worse.

juno began spending more time on the song and less time working, the money began to dry up, and the food and firewood went with it. peter started waking up late at night to an empty bed, and the distant notes of the song floating up through their window, open to the frigid night air. once, he even caught juno muttering about the gods and their song in his sleep, and he was beginning to get worried.

peter tried, more than once, to ask him about the song, ask about the money, ask how long it would be until things were okay again, but it was like juno couldn't hear him. all he could hear was fractals of the song and its siren promise of spring again. he asked rita once if this was normal, and she said it was, and buddy, the woman who owned the bar, said it was nothing to worry about, but that didn't set his mind at ease at all.

because it seemed like there was nothing else to be done, peter nureyev decided to take matters into his own hands.

he began searching around for easy sources of food and warmth, but with most vegetation dead from the constant cold and wind, there was little to be found. peter was no stranger to pickpocketing and theft if it was absolutely necessary, but that became a bit difficult when there was almost no one around to pickpocket. jobs in the area were scarce as well, and peter wasn't sure how much longer they could rely on buddy's gracious nature for a place to stay. simply put, they were running out of options and time.

and that was how he ended up here, trudging through the snow and biting wind with an empty belly and little more than a shitty coat to keep him warm. he wasn't sure how long he had been out walking, but he knew it had been hours. each step was starting to feel like a herculean effort, and he was pretty sure if he risked removing his hands from the pockets of his coat, they just might fall off his body.

he didn't know where to go next. but he was getting dizzy, and large splotches of the world were beginning to disappear as his vision faded in and out. he was just. so. hungry.

hidden in the snow, he tripped over a ledge and landed hard on his knees. the pain rattled his already cold-brittle bones and he hissed out a pained breath through his teeth.

when peter had struggled to his feet, he saw he had tripped over the platform edge of a train station. it was completely deserted. funny, he could still remember the days when a station like this would have been packed with people going on vacation or traveling to visit family, maybe even looking to start a better life.

now, everyone knew. it was the same everywhere you went. so there was no point in trying to leave to find better weather or work or food.

he looked up from readjusting his coat and scarf to see that the station wasn't completely deserted after all. a tall man in a long, brown jacket stood at the other end of the platform.

peter and the man regarded each other for a moment before the man crossed the platform with large, heavy strides.

"good evening, sir. would you like a job?"

peter took a step back. ".......what?"

"I repeat: good evening, sir. would you like a job?"

the man spoke like a robot, clear and even, but unsettlingly emotionless. something about him wasn't right.

but the promise of a job.... it meant food. warmth. another month in the apartment buddy rented out to peter and juno. more time for juno to finish his song. and that was all he needed right? just a little more time.

peter narrowed his eyes. "how do you know I need a job?"

"your coat is torn in multiple places and covered with dirt, your glasses are broken, and you look like you have not paid attention to your personal hygiene in some time. poverty is a difficult thing to cover up. we employ only the very poor and truly desperate."

nureyev bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from snapping. "fair enough."

the man smiled a bit at that, and handed him a slip of paper. peter opened his mouth to ask, but the man cut him off.

"if you wish to accept our offer, meet me back on this train platform at 5 o'clock. that is your train ticket. do not lose it. good day, my associate."

with that, the man turned around and walked off the platform, and out into the snow.

#i'm stopping here bc i can't keep going #the next one...... #the next one will hurt #that's gonna go through the song "gone #so good luck #love yall <3 #the penumbra podcast #tpp #tpp hadestown au

[acourtofthought]

Whenever the fandom goes wild over something, there's an influx of debate from both sides. With the recent IG post we've got some saying it's proof Elain's is next while the other side argues she definitely will not be because she's irrelevant in SF.

I agree the sweater doesn't prove anything but I don't necessarily agree with the the other side either.

In the Live Talks Live with Eva Chen Interview:

28:40: "We were working on ACOWAR but still finishing up ACOMAF".

28:57 "What plans I had for Elain, and for Mor, and Azriel.

29:47 "Because I knew so early on while I was finishing up ACOMAF and working on ACOWAR" "because I knew where I wanted things to go it allowed to plant these for her journey and even Elain's journey early on and to set that journey up."

30:40 "There was a lot of planning involved. I always try to keep one eye on the horizon when I'm writing so in the book I'm working on I can set up for things later on so there's lots of little secrets in Silver Flames that set up for later books."

If SJM has been hinting at Elain's journey since ACOMAF and that didn't guarantee her the next book after the trilogy and some feel she still won't get the next ACOTAR book then why is it assumed that the possible hints that were planted for Azriel's journey in SF or anything that will be mentioned in HOFAS guarantee him the next book? If she could bump an Elain novel even after confirming her journey has been set in motion since book 2 than couldn't she do the same with Az?

While she has said she doesn't always stick to something as she allows the story to lead her, she also said that she keeps one eye on the horizon while writing, that she KNEW where she wanted Nesta and Elain's journey to go. The hints in ACOMAF and ACOWAR are no less important than what she put in SF. Especially when some of those hints led us to Nesta's journey in SF. She then said she planted hints in SF for later books. Even the addition of the crossover could be setting up ones down the line (like some of the 4 she was recently contracted for), not necessarily the very next ACOTAR book. We don't know if what happens in the crossover is going to introduce a future big bad that's a bigger threat than Koschei or if Koschei will remain the worst villain of the ACOTAR world or if there really are only two ACOTAR books remaining. She could have decided to go beyond that which means an Elucien book probably wouldn't end the series. For all we know, she plans on taking one of the four books and writing a multi character POV to wrap up the ACOTAR world as she once did with TOG.

Elain's journey was already being planted three books back so while there are still a few major hints for her in SF, it wasn't necessary to put a ton of focus on her character as we've already had a decent amount of buildup in terms of where her story might lead.

SJM has been somewhat silent on all things Elain related but she also mentioned being excited to finally speak openly of Rhys after keeping his and Feyre's journey in ACOMAF a secret. She spoke of being excited to finally talk about the crossover (another secret she held close). Could she not be doing the same by avoiding discussions about Elain and Lucien? I really dislike the argument that she just doesn't care about Elain enough to give her a POV rather than the more likely scenario being that she wants to keep the readers in the dark on Elain's thoughts. We know Elain is getting a book so do people really believe she's writing a book about a character she doesn't care about? That it's probably a calculated move to not give her a POV?

Ever since Bloomsbury has really gotten involved in what she's allowed to say, she's doesn't talk about her characters and what she has planned for them as she once did.

And over the last few years, her book worlds seem to be continually expanding. While that does mean her initial plans for Elain could have changed, it might also mean her plans for Elain have not changed and she's now just thinking beyond what happens after an Elucien book because at one point, she only knew what the first two books would be about.

SJM even added this in ACOWAR:

Doesn't that suggest that a Miryam / Drakon book is also still on the table?

I think it's a very real possibility the ACOTAR series isn't stopping with just Gwynriel and Elucien and I think with the crossover there are too many unknowns to say with certainty who is getting the next book. The crossover could merely be pointing us in the direction of that horizon she talked about and what comes down the line, not necessarily what is next.

#elucien #pro elucien #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #pro lucien vanserra #elucien book

[cloudymistedskies]

Understand Mari's character

..Or at least this is what I intend for the post to be... But uh... It gets a little off track

Starting with her backstory:

Mari was a child who was neglected/ignored by her parents (mother especially) and raised by her older sister who was 10 at the time. She has always been considered as a weird child because of her personality at the time and given her odd abilities to jump unusually high. Due to that, she was ostracized by the people in the small village she grew up in and that caused her to create a facade of being harsh/rude to anyone who isn't her sister.

When her sister left to become a demon slayer (and she wasn't aware at the reasoning before, nor the existence of demons), she began exploring around the mountains, and at some point when she was 8-9, got injured and lost. Tokito dad found her, and with after some time struggling (since Mari thought he was trying to hurt her), he took her in their home and that's where she met the twins and befriended Muichiro, with the reasoning that he was kind to her, even though she was intentionally trying to be harsh (silently). She began opening up and showing her true side and they became close together!

Around 11 years old, she encountered a demon while going out late at night, but she was saved by a demon slayer who happened to pass by and told her about demons and demon slayer. She found out her sister is one due to the slayer's uniform being the same as hers. Mari plans to run away and find her sister to train and become a demon slayer, however was hesitant as she had to leave the Tokito twins, who lost their parents recently. After deep thought, she ran away and followed the crow who sends her sister's letters to her.

She was trained by the former wind hashira and (reluctantly) her sister for only months (or nearly a year), and without her sister's permission took the final selection quiz along with Muichiro and Aoi (and she's unaware of Mui being there). She passed mainly due to pure luck...

She has a handful of ups and downs (mainly downs), but she somehow managed and even became a hashira at only 13.

About her character/personality:

Mari is someone who grew up thinking she had no purpose. She never was good at anything like cleaning or cooking, and wasn't able to help the Tokito twins while they grieve over their dead parents. When she began training as a demon slayer, she finds herself being good at it and slowly adapt into a mindset that she's useful as a demon slayer and becomes fixated on her job. Whenever asked about what she wishes to do when all demons are gone, she never has a clear answer about herself and mainly involves about helping her sister out with what she wishes to do. She didn't know what other use she has, anyway.

Ever heard of the quote: "The moon needs the sun in order to shine." It fits Mari with her being the moon and her sister being the sun she has to depend on.

The only reason why she even chose to live in the first place is cause of her sister. One of her motives of being a demon slayer is also to be with her sister. And as long as her sister is by her side, her smile never wavers. She basically can't live without her. And the only reason why her personality softened is cause of her sister raising her.

Mari, without even realizing it herself is insecure about how impulsive, airheaded and emotional she is. Her emotions tends to get in the way of her job, and it bothers her and sometimes envies Muichiro because he's able to get his priorities straight unlike her. She is aware of her insecurity of ‘not having a purpose’.

It takes a while to gain Mari’s trust, but once her trust is gained, she is basically vulnerable and unfortunately might be easier to manipulate, depending on their closure.

Mari can be mischievous and a little chaotic. Not afraid to use violence if necessary. She canonically broke a guy's bone since he was too stubborn to tell information that was important to her mission.

Her patience depends on the person. She is highly patient to her sister, and to Mui (not as much as her sister).

Mari's low-attention span is always something she had ever since she was young. It improved, of course. But she still gets distracted and still depends on her crow to help her stay focused on the task.

...Honestly, I don't know what ELSE to add. So I would really wish for some suggestions in the comments. Pretty please-

#cloudy writes #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #kny oc #demon slayer oc #kimetsu no yaiba oc

[yikes-strikes-again]

if i think about The Offspring too much i risk being creative about it. here's something. ao3 link

Beloved

rating: gen/no archive warning/fandom: Star Trek: TNG/characters: data, geordi, lal/grief-mourning, angst, bittersweet, family, one shot

And it was such a small thing that Geordi would never have remembered it if it weren't for now, but just yesterday, at the banquet, there was a moment when the ambassador from Xeno VIII approached them while they chatted at the bar in Ten Forward. He was flushed purple and had been gushing about Data before he'd even come within earshot.

Touching the arm of his fascination, he began spinning through all the advances in positronic technology his world had developed in the past few years. Geordi and Data had listened politely as he elaborated on the unprecedented complexity of the nanomechanical parts they could manufacture, the efficiency of the coolant system that allowed the simultaneous running of contact networks, the sheer scope of the emergent thought chains that purportedly surpassed the quadrant's largest quantum computers. He even suggested that Data study their work to produce another android like himself. Geordi specifically remembered him saying the words, "You could create a child of your very own."

At that point, he'd paused for breath and taken a sip of his drink. Data cocked his head in the way he always did before sharing his opinion.

"While I acknowledge the value of your species' contributions to the field of positronic robotics," Geordi now recalled him saying, "I do not believe that is necessary. I have already performed several experiments of the nature you describe, and after analyzing the results, I have decided not to continue my research. My interest in this subject is extremely limited." Then he'd stood up and walked away in a manner that Geordi would have described as "curt" if he didn't know better.

The ambassador looked confused. Geordi shrugged. "Guess he's made up his mind about that."

Then he'd caught up with Data a few minutes later, just as he'd started reciting one of his Spot poems to a drunken Lwaxana Troi, making Geordi completely forget that awkward moment. But now he was thinking about it, how strange it had felt at the time. Data had seemed almost offended for a second, which was unsettling, and even more unsettling was that Geordi couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. Data had described his interest in positronic robotics as "extremely limited," but he knew that wasn't true - his android friend had always taken an acute interest in his own construction.

It had been an accident. Earlier today, Data had asked Geordi to visit his quarters and feed Spot while he attended Dr. Crusher's tap-dance lesson. Geordi had performed his duty with honor and, feeling tired, leaned against the wall between a couple of Data's paintings. Then he had removed his visor - something he normally remembered to do only in his own quarters - to rub the spots where it dug in the most. But in doing so, he failed to see Spot approaching, or predict that she might pounce on his leg and dig her claws into the fabric of his uniform. Geordi started, and shooed her off, remembering that he had to be gentle with his friend's prized pet, but not that there was an easel mere inches away from his flailing. There was a loud thump.

Geordi sucked in a breath. He quickly reattached his visor and scanned the belongings he had knocked to the floor, relieved that there didn't seem to be any damage. He righted the easel to its original position and picked up the small canvas that had fallen face-down on the carpet.

His brow furrowed.

The lilac tarp had sloughed away to reveal an unfinished portrait, already saturated with Data's penchant for stylistic design and subtle color variation. Geordi saw a young woman sitting in an opalescent white room, hands engaged with a sketch of a bridge console. Data had dressed her in a sapphire uniform resembling recent prototype designs for Starfleet cadets, which Geordi remembered him showing him last week. More captivating than any of that, however, was her face. He squinted to see it better.

Her face was pale, narrow and sharp, with dark brown hair gathered around it in a stylish bob. The woman had red painted lips, a still-soft jaw that betrayed her youth, and a peculiar intelligence living inside her violet eyes. The eyes were by far the most completed detail of the painting. They bored into Geordi with such a particular presence that he felt compelled to make eye contact, as if Data's painted girl was real, as if, by some magic, she could see Geordi as clearly as he saw her. There was something almost...Soong-type about the look she gave him.

Geordi sucked in a breath and held it.

Suddenly, the door slid open, starting him, and Data was striding back into his quarters, pausing when he saw his friend still there.

"My apologies, Geordi," he said. "It seems I have wasted your time. The dance lesson ended prematurely because Commander Riker sprained - "

His gaze jutted to what Geordi was holding.

"Sorry, Data," he rushed out, "I wasn't trying to intrude. I knocked your easel over by accident, and was making sure I hadn't ruined your work-in-progress before putting it back." That would have sounded like a bad lie to anyone else, but luckily, this was Data he was talking to.

Data came up close and took the painting. "That is all right," he said quietly, and placed it on the easel. "It appears no harm has been done."

He stepped back to look at it. Geordi picked up the tarp on the floor and handed it over so that Data might reinstate whatever privacy he desired for his work. Data took it wordlessly, but just held it, as if he didn't realize Geordi had given it to him. Standing close to one another, the two spent a moment in silent observation. The only sound was Geordi's anxious sighs. He couldn't stop thinking about what Data had said to the ambassador yesterday.

Finally, he said, "What inspired you this time, Data?"

"A dream I had." Data loved to elaborate. Geordi waited; he did not.

He looked at his friend. The android's profile was as strong and unmoved as ever, but there was an incredulous quality to his voice. This suggested to Geordi that the subject of the dream had mused Data to a degree he hadn't expected. But looking at that pretty, tilted head, he couldn't bring himself to be surprised by that.

"She looks very sure of herself," was all he could think to exhale.

"Yes." Data brightened. "I believe that the next generation of Starfleet cadets will have the advantage of building off of recent advancements in curriculum material and educational philosophy. This will allow them to begin their training with a higher degree of confidence compared to previous generations of students. The aptitude Lal might have achieved in - "

He paused in seeing how Geordi had snapped his head towards him at the name. Data took his eyes from the canvas and cocked his head, just like his painted lady, mystified by his friend's distress.

"You wanted Lal to be in Starfleet," Geordi said, with devastated awe.

Data's facial muscles spasmed, as if making a terribly high-order calculation. "I believe it would have been the best way for her to acquire most of the skills I am often praised for by my friends and superiors. I am told that many parents experience a desire for their children to 'follow in their footsteps.' It would seem that I am no exception."

Geordi fell silent and shook his head. The more Data spoke on the matter, the more difficult he found it to swallow the heartbreak curdling in his throat.

"And you've been dreaming about that?"

"It appears so." Data's voice dropped in volume again. "Though I am aware that events perceived during sleep do not always make logical sense, they are often reflective of internal desires that may be advisable to act on in waking life. As such, I find myself compelled to search for a constructive action driven by my subconscious image of Lal as a Starfleet cadet. So far, I have failed.” Was Geordi imagining the mournful song in his voice?

“There is no way to repair Lal - her body is now in the permanent custody of Dr. Maddox in a state of irreparable dysfunction,” he continued, grimly. “I cannot act on the desires these dreams express.”

Dreams. Plural. Not for the first time, Geordi wondered if grief was even an emotion.

Then Data perked up. "I have found that the most satisfying way to process experiences I cannot use to refine my logical subroutines is to use them for artistic inspiration," he said. “Counselor Troi advised me to do so when I mentioned these dreams to her.”

It made sense, Geordi supposed. He had no traditionally creative hobbies himself, but he often dealt with things he couldn't understand by immersing himself in technical design. His feelings often came out in the engineering solutions he discovered. But what could possibly be gained from something like losing a daughter?

He thought again of what the ambassador had suggested. "A child of your very own." If a child was what Data wanted to begin with, it made sense that, armed with the knowledge he had learned, he might try to create another since the first one...failed. But he had expressed no desire to. In fact, he seemed emphatically opposed to the idea. Geordi felt wretched for wanting to pick his friend's brain on a matter so heavy, but he couldn't help himself, and he knew there was no way to offend Data with his curiosity.

"Data..." he began, as gently as he knew how, "do you ever think that you might want to, uh. Try again? You know, have another ch - android?"

Data looked over his work again. Geordi saw him stare into Lal's impossibly lifelike eyes, into time, medium, space, into indescribable dimensions. The foolish waking dream. Perhaps, deep inside, he had discovered something after all.

"No, Geordi," he said, very softly.

A minute muscle altered his expression.

"She was enough."

#fanfiction #star trek #tng #star trek tng #data #lal #geordi #geordi la forge #fanfic #angst #gen #yikes original tag #yikes art tag

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @imdamagecontrol

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

31 so far

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

441,751

3. what fandoms do you write for?

The wretched Naruto (in a secret account no one will ever find), Star Wars (I was there, I'm not), Harry Potter: Dramione (I was there, I'm not), Wolfstar and Jegulus (I was there and I left but apparently I'm back now?), Attack on Titan (my current love interest)

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Collars and Croissants with @solmussa

Runaway Groom

The Brew 

Goldeneye

Le Mange Dieu et le Dévoreur de Mondes with @greenvlvetcouch 

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

Not really. I will sometimes, but unless it's a question, then I don't really see the need for it. My "thank you" is the fic itself, so repeating it doesn't really make much sense. But if it's a particularly fun or interesting one, who knows.

6. what is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Heartless wasn't meant to be that ending at all, but I'm not mad.

7. what's a fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Your maker maybe? I don't really do endings, so a lot of it is up to the reader to decide what'll happen for them. I gave you their personalities and a slice of their lives, what do you think is gonna happen for them now?

8. do you get hate on fics?

I haven't yet.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Sure, it's a fun outlet, like writing science-fiction. I have to be in the right mood for it, but it does tends to happen.

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

I've been thinking about a Harry Potter / Attack on Titan crossover but nothing concrete yet. @greenvlvetcouch keep and eye out on our Playground.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

A few are available in Russian.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yep, it's always a fun ride.

14. what's your all-time favorite ship?

Naruto/Sasuke, only because I stuck with them for 10 years when I was younger. They've got a special place in my heart even if I don't read them anymore.

15. what's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

All the Graveyard Fics in my Notion page that have been started and unfinished. And a few collabs I have with a few people that are on hiatus but might never see the light of day. I am planning to finish the Dramione Echoes in Eternity in the coming months.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Metaphors and atmospheric juju.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Large casts and descriptions of shit. I'll give you what you need to know, you figure the rest out babe. I have been working on making it a little more descriptive recently, but I'm more about the atmosphere than the place they're at.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Unless it's necessary, no. And if it's done, it has to be done well. Make sense for my bilingual brain. But I'll never stop reading a fic just cuz it has these elements, unless they're completely over-played.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Naruto.

20. favorite fic you've written?

Heartless

no pressure tags: @otrtbs @rollercoasterwords @twisted-tales-told @rabidlittlestrawberry

#ask game #fanfiction

[niuniente]

How do you survive fandom for so long? I used to heavily be in fandoms, making fanart, fanfics, participating in zines, celebrating characters bdays, etc. But now I struggle to stay in a fandom. Maybe I'm just seeing to many bad sides of fandom these days. Like I recently got into SpyxFamily but when looking through fanart, discovered 18+ fanart involving the child Anya, while I know this is the internet and I can't escape seeing things that make me uncomfortable, I just haven't had the urge to try to join the fandom after it. I'm sure there's a wonderful side to it, but I just don't have the energy for it anymore. Idk I always feel like I have to keep up with the fandoms artists, writers and everything or else I'm not a part of it. Sorry if this sounded ranty, I've just been following for years and envy your ability to hop right back into a fandom you haven't touched in a while or into ones that are new.

Big fandoms are always difficult to be in. The more people, the more problems there are, and you'll encounter things you wish not to see. You have to then weight things; can I handle encountering something I don't want to see and immediately block the thing and the person posting these things I don't wish to see (and report it, if needed) or will they throw me out of the loop so much that it is better not to wander into there? You need to curate your own internet experience (as we all need to) but it is challenging when things aren't tagged. Then, you have to weight the pros and cons and decide what to do.

I'm not part of any big fandoms and I grew up in the so-called dark ages of the internet, when nothing was tagged, warned etc. so when you go to see or read things, it can be anything. Then you just go "Nope" and click away. Fandoms were smaller back then as internet wasn't a common thing in your pocket available 24/7 so chances of running into something you do not want to encounter all of the sudden have grown since those days.

How I handle ALL fandom things is that I mainly mind my own business and don't wander too far. A good rule of thumb is to find a small group of nice people (or just a few of them) and hang around with them. Follow just certain artists. Follow just certain fanfic authors. Hang only in certain Discords. Mute and block posts and people freely - you don't have to justify this to anyone. Black list in Tumblr words you don't wish to see (New Xkit is excellent for computers, mobile should have its own blocking system but I don't use phone to scroll anything unless necessary).

You can't control a fandom or other fans (not even the twisted ones) but you can try your best to control yourself - and if it means not wandering into certain fandoms & tags or not wanting to take a risk of seeing something you don't want to see (as it will be pretty inevitable in big fandoms no matter what safety measurements you take), then it is the best not to go there. As sad as it might be.

Also, the second worry; if you like a thing, congratulations, you are part of the fandom :3 It really is as simply as that. Fandoms aren't some social activity you have to perform to earn your fan badge. You like the things = you are a fan.

#ask niu

[gendertrickery]

❤️ 🪦 🧭

❤️ - What's one memory of your practice that you reflect the most fondly on?

There are many, but I think my all time favourite memory is the first time I talked to Loki all these years ago. I was considering myself norse pagan by then, but had a necessary break after toxic relationship - in truly fucked up way, norse things got kinda associated in my head with my ex and had to take a step back until I was ready to pick it up again. When I was, it became obvious who's changing out around me, and finally on one misty autumn morning I decided on a whim to go take photos in the forest and also decided that I'm gonna sit and talk to Loki while I'm there. It turned out to be intense and beautiful talk, and I feel warm inside every time I think about it. It was also stunning visually, all these autumn leaves and they was they looked - I want to paint them like that one day (and I think I finally feel like I'm on skill level to do that moment justice) I wrote a bit about it before on my dw here

🪦 - Do ancestors or human spirits play a big role in your practice?

Yes! Both in general way, when I feel connected my a looong chain of humans that came before me, and when it come to my own ancestors - I pay special attention to my grandma's side of family, as they were a working class family with strong leftist values for few generations and I feel a connecion with them. I have grandma's photo on my altar, and recently my mom found the only photo of my great grandfather (only other than the one Auschwitz memorial has sent us - he was aiding the reistance during WWII) and it made me very emotional, even tho it's a small group photo that's overexposed, but it's very candid and so *real*. thinking of him helps me find a strenght when times are dire.

🧭 - What led you to your practice?

I'm not sure I can pinpoint one specific thing. I was always a weird kid that looked for *more*, I read a lot, including various mythologies, and now I think there might have been a moment that could lead me to exploring paganism - when I was maybe six or seven, I asked an adult (teacher, I think) why nobody worships greek gods anymore (I was raised in mostly atheist household) and they replied that it's a thing from the past. I understood it in "mom said it's my turn for religious worship" kinda way and thought that maybe I should try worshipping ancient gods in the future so it will be fair. I suppose it stayed with me in a way. as for picking up heathenry... I'm not sure. It just resonated with me the most from all I explored. This, and talked back to me, which wasn't my end goal, but a nice bonus.

#thjanks Liriel! #replies #heathenry

[natsubeatsrock]

Top 7 Things I Enjoyed in 2023: Number 0

Working with children has been a constant reminder of my mortality. This upcoming June will mark ten years since graduating high school. I don't know that I'd imagine doing even a fraction of what I'm doing now. I didn't know about Fairy Tail. Writing as much as I have about anything would have seemed insane.

Other things were different then. A decade ago, Cartoon Network was still trying to make live-action shows. I didn't hate all of them. One of my favorites was Incredible Crew, which was their attempt at All That. The cast included Jeremy Shada, who voiced Finn from Adventure Time, and some guy named Shamiek Moore. He had some of the crazier roles in skits and he grew on me. And it's always great to see more black actors doing well.

We were also getting ready for the Lego Movie. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were directing a movie that we all thought was going to be a massive sell-out film. In reality, people were slightly disappointed it didn't get more respect. Honestly, it might have deserved an Oscar nod for best song. Even rewatching it recently this year, it's impressive how much was able to be done with the medium.

I wonder what they're all up to now…

Number 0 - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Apologies to Scott Pilgrim, but this wasn't a competition. 

Almost the instant I left the theater watching this, I knew this film wasn't just the best thing I experienced this year. It might be one of the best superhero movies of all time. Not just for kids, or Marvel, or Spiderman, or whatever time limit you want to put to it. If the competition between the prequel and Endgame was close, this blew the comparison out of the water. Aside from the Guardians movie I've yet to see, it doesn't even sound like there was much competition this year. 

We live in a world where so many properties are trying to handle a multiverse, in no small part because of the original. With a few exceptions, the experiments with the concept have yet to yield great results. Many studios have forgotten the lesson taught by Marvel Studios: get audiences to care about and connect with as few characters as you can reasonably develop at a time. Once that’s done, we can start caring about others as the universe is built.

A big focus of this film is Gwen Stacy. Rewatching the original film, I came to appreciate her version of Spider-Woman a lot more than the first time I saw the film. With one clever retcon, we got to focus on her more than before. She wishes for people she can open up to without the fear that it won’t end well.

However, we never lose focus on Spider-Man himself in all of this. Miles is coming to grips with the fact that, in his universe, he doesn’t feel like he belongs. A lot of people around me have noted that he’s giving up his artistic skills to study physics, just so he can be with his friends. All things considered, that doesn’t seem necessary. (From experience, that would be a depressing life to lead.) His journey is finding security in his own identity, both as Miles Morales and Spider-Man. 

These are the kind of superhero stories we’ve come to know and love over the years. Even after watching this movie once, I was impressed with how much was packed into the film on repeat watches and discussions with other fans. Some things I picked up on, but other things needed to be pointed out to me. The same can be said about the original, but this film feels like everyone involved knows what they’re capable of and is actively pushing their boundaries.

I am not expecting Beyond the Spider-Verse to come out next year. I didn’t believe it would come out on time when I saw the planned release date, and other news made that seem less likely. However, with as many questions and lines this film has set up for the future, it shouldn’t come as a shock to see that film top the list the year it comes out as well.

For now, Across the Spiderverse stands as the undisputed best thing I enjoyed in 2023.

#good riddance 2023 #across the spiderverse #spiderman

[amysubmits]

Hi Amy!!

I recently had a talk with my partner about all the ways we have grown together in D/s and areas we still want to grow. It made me really emotional (in a good way) to see how far we have come. If you were to do the same with CD, how do you think you’ve grown the most? No worries if you don’t want to answer! Have a good day!

Hey!

Sorry i'm answering this late, I hope you'll still see it. I read it and thought it would be fun to answer but I had a busy day and told myself I'd get to it later and then I forgot about it until a new ask came in and I saw this was still sitting there. 😬

Anyway!

It's so awesome that you and your partner have seen growth and that talking about where you've come from and where you'd like to get later made you emotional in a good way. I love hearing positive d/s stories! I know it's not for everyone for lots of reasons but I'd love to suggest to you (and really everyone with D/s experience 😁) to consider making a tumblr! we could use more voices in the community. :)

To the question part...CD and I do talk about how our D/s has grown sometimes. The biggest area of growth for us has been communication...and that's been true for us for years, but it's because it keeps getting even deeper.

Neither of us had examples of healthy communication growing up but I sort of see our communication growth in several stages...

When we first started D/s, just talking about what we wanted was a big improvement in our communication. We had always talked openly and honestly about everything from our childhoods to our morality and hobbies and whatever...but we had largely avoided talking about our relationship.

Next, we started having meta-talks where we'd share what wasn't working, what changes we wanted to make. This is a lot harder than sharing what we want, so it took longer. It was sporadic early on, but over time, we saw that we could have these conversations and it would stay emotionally safe, so it made it easier to have them more often. This is one that has felt like there have been several steps of improvement over a long period of time.

I might be placing this in an incorrect order chronologically, my memory stinks. But at some point we realized that a big key to making our D/s consistent was through discussing needs day to day. In other words, asking permission on days that I needed to be excused from a rule rather than relying on assumptions.

Also at some point (again probably out of order time wise lol), we got more confident in our roles and in seeing ourselves as D/s. That confidence made it easier to communicate my wants, rather than just my needs. I was too worried about overstepping or 'topping from the bottom' or accidentally taking control early on. I kinda thought that only requesting things from CD if it was really important was a way to ensure that I didn't accidentally top from the bottom. In hindsight, I see that as me actually holding on to control, despite thinking I was avoiding taking control. When I share my wants with him and let him decide, that's showing trust in him and in our dynamic. Holding things in isn't letting him decide.

In the last year or so, we've got to a place where we can talk about anything and everything in the moment. We've been able to talk about hard feelings for years but we both were in the habit of waiting days before discussing the issue, or sometimes we'd wait too long, thinking we could just avid discussing it but then it would keep happening so it would have to come up eventually. We thought we had to delay these conversations to let our emotions settle and to keep the conversations feeling really calm and safe. This last year, we've realized that really isn't necessary, we can talk about things in the moment it reduces our anxiety and it's easier to really remember all the details of what happened and why so it's easier to problem solve.

I feel like I have to be leaving things out but yeah, lots of layers of communication improvement over the years would be my answer. :)

#asks #d/s

[ace-the-fox]

Andrew can have baby fever, a puppy and a great marriage. Yk, as a treat :)

Day 5: Kids/Marriage

Children had always been in the cards for Andrew and Frank, from the moment they got married. Though, it was more of a duty for Andrew. Not that he didn't truly want kids, or that he wouldn't love them when they came. But he was never quite as outward about the idea as Frank. Never openly cooed at babies as much or discussed potential baby names.

That had all changed somewhat recently. Frank wasn't sure exactly what had spurred it on. Maybe Andrew was just subconsciously growing more and more aware that they had been married for five years now and might need to get a shift. Maybe it was just some natural adult process he was going through. Either way, it was definitely there.

It had started off with small things. An advert on the TV for diapers. "The baby in this is quite cute, aren't they?" A normal comment for anyone but Andrew, who'd typically merely watch the ad in silence or use the break to check an e-mail on his phone. Or the fact that he'd been spending a little more time with Akko and Amanda's little one (their two year old, Kiko, who, cute as she was, did still inherit both of their wilder personalities combined) than usual; playing with her, cuddling her, etc.

But their puppy, Lulu, had gotten the brunt of it...

For starters, while they were inside the house, Andrew had taken a habit of carrying her. Even when not necessary. Just always walking around the long hallways of the Hanbridge-owned mansion they shared, with Lulu in his arms in some fashion. Sometimes she'd wriggle around enough for Andrew to set her down, and Andrew would without question, but she seemed happy enough with the extra attention.

The next sign that struck Frank as odd was one afternoon when Andrew had to go off for a meeting. Lulu had been on his lap, happily chewing on the chew toy in her mouth, when he finally had to get up to leave. Lulu, disappointed by the sudden lonesomeness, toddled after him as he gave Frank his goodbye kiss, toy squeaking between her teeth. She nudged Andrew a few times.

"Awe, Lu," Andrew said sympathetically, bending down to pet her gently. "It's okay. Daddy will be back in time for dinner..."

He'd said goodbye and was out the door before Frank could fully question it, but it made his husband raise an eyebrow all the same. Andrew, as beloved as Lulu was to him, had never lowered himself to the pet parent status as Frank had. Frank had never, not in a million years, thought he'd hear Andrew refer to himself as "Daddy..."

The real kicker had been the other day, a particularly clingy evening for Andrew towards Lulu. He was messing around, getting a snack for him in the kitchen, with Lulu, again, in his arms like a michevious toddler. Lulu barked softly, happily, tail waggling. Andrew laughed in response, equally in a good mood. Frank watched casually from the table.

"Sweet girl... You're my baby, you know that?"

Frank had to say something. The holding was one thing, the self-proclaimed fatherly title was another, but both of those together and this? He had to say something.

He got up from his seat, waltzing over to his beloved and wrapped his arms around the man's waist from behind. Andrew barely reacted, used to it. "Do you... Do you want a baby? Like, a real baby?"

Andrew paused, blushing faintly. It took a moment, but then he nodded. "I mean, I suppose it has been on my mind more than usual. I had meant to bring it up..."

Frank beamed. "Then let's have one!"

Andrew's eyebrows raised for a moment, then he burst into delighted laughter. "Well then! I suppose i we're both so enthralled over it, perhaps we should..."

Frank responded with a sweet kiss to his husband's lips. "We very much should... I love you so much. You'd make such a good dad."

"Really?" Andrew queried, suddenly, almost painfully, sounding genuinely doubtful for a moment. "I mean, I want a child, with you especially, but I should mention that I didn't have the best role model..."

Frank brushed his cheek against Andrew's. "You have a good idea of what NOT to do, at least," he shrugged, half joking. Then, he became more sincere. "And, we'll be in it together. The whole way. I promise, this kid'll have the best life we can give it and then some." And, satisfied, Andrew beamed at the idea.

Lulu barked in Andrew's arms, and their attention switched back to their fur-baby.

"You should probably stop babying her first, though. In case she gets used to it and gets jealous when the baby arrives."

Andrew can only shrug, a lopsided smile on his lips. "Fair."

#lwa #little witch academia #lwarpw23 #andrew hanbridge #frank lwa #frandrew #ending was a lil rushed but hhhhhhh

[walker-extended-universe]

Love the AITA! What about one from Captain James and his inconsistent management?

AITA for not showing favoritism toward my former partner after my promotion?

Using a throwaway account for this because there are people I know on this website (and they all need to get back to work)

I (40M) am having a disagreement with my subordinate (39M) over his performance this past year. Let's call this person "Jared".

I've known Jared for a long time. We actually worked together for many years before I got my promotion about a year ago. I know that he's a capable of doing his job and doing it well but I have had my concerns about how he goes about his job. We're in law enforcement and we have policies that we have to follow. Jared tends to disregard these policies whenever he sees fit because "it gets the job done". I can understand the temptation, I'm only human after all. But, now that I'm taking on a bigger leadership role, I want to steer him away from that temptation. If we can't do the job right, then we can't do it at all.

The real issue is that he seems to think our past relationship is an excuse to act as he pleases, like I'll give him a free pass. I've been trying to be lenient with him since he recently lost his wife and has had a turbulent home life ever since, but there's only so far my patience can go.

For example: today, Jared arrived half an hour late to work without so much as an apology. We had a meeting set up with an inmate to make a deal to trade the rest of her sentence for help on a current case and future cases if necessary. Let's call her "Buttercup". Jared knows Buttercup and was actually the one to put her behind bars a few months ago. Before we could make a deal, Jared flat out said he didn't want to work with her because she'd demonstrated in the past that she couldn't be trusted. His partner, a new hire that I'm grateful for everyday (let's call her "Ashley"), argued in Buttercup's favor and we were able to move on as planned. For the entire mission, Jared was distrustful of Buttercup and deliberately alienated her from the investigation, almost costing us a major arrest. Ashely, on the other hand, followed the plan and did her best to keep him in line.

This is only one example of many. In the last year he's played hooky to "recon" with a criminal friend of his who came into town, assaulted a suspect that was half his size and claimed that he "felt threatened" to avoid getting fired, and even tried to work a case while he was on Leave of Absence (meaning he wasn't an officer and had no protections) among many other things. I don't think asking for basic respect and following the rules is a big ask but it seems like Jared is constantly trying to undermine me and won't even consider my side. Not like Ashely. Ashely is a star and I'm happy to work with her. I was lucky to find her so soon after his previous partner left.

I never considered I might be the AH but a conversation we had a few months ago has resurfaced in my mind. I was shot in the field and I named Jared to be in charge of things while I was out of commission (luckily, just for a few days). While investigating who shot me, he told me that he went to talk to a former colleague of ours, who is currently in jail. I was obviously upset about this but he argued that he was making progress. He also said that he knew he was my "second choice" for interim captain and implied I would've preferred his previous partner (let's call her "Lindsey"). Now, Lindsey was a great officer and I respect her. She may have been new to the job but I do think she could've handled the responsibility of the badge while I was out of commission. He's right in thinking that I probably would've named her over him if she hadn't already left.

What bugged me was how hurt he seemed by this. I thought he of all people would understand that a loose canon like him can't always be trusted. It's not like I can just let him do whatever he wants just because we worked together for years. I have to put my foot down somewhere and it bothered me that he was offended by that.

Of course, I do realize that there may have been issues with putting Lindsey in my position. She was a part of my force for less than a year and I'll admit she wasn't perfect. I nearly had a DPS nightmare on my hands with an incident involving an underground fighting ring (a story for another post) but I was able to get them to overlook that due to her rookie status.

I still don't think that I'm wrong for putting my foot down with Jared's refusal to follow the rules but lately I've been wondering if I could handle this situation better.

AITA?

#walker #larry james #aita #crack #salt ish

[captaintrio]

hoping to be the first to send you one piece for the meme!! but if not, star trek (or both) :3c

Hello my sweetest Peach!! You are the first one to ask for One Piece so here we go! ; u ; gonna put most of this under a readmore so I don't flood the dash with the longest yeah boy ever lmfao.

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the first character i ever fell in love with:

Roronoa Zoro the actual love of my life. Sanji was a very close immediate second (that I dragged my feet about forever bc I have to be like tsuntsun and obnoxious about everything) and then like 18 subsequent people, but Zoro was my first and my dearest. <3

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not:

I don't really have anything for this, or at least not that I can think of beyond like. Kaku from Galley-La, who seemed like a really chill dude until he wasn't lmfao. Maybe like. Usopp's gf from waaaaay way back in the beginning, though it's not even that I liked her and don't anymore and more that I just do not. Ever think about her lmfao. Usually my instincts aren't super wrong in this series, everyone I've loved I love still.

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not:

Again I don't really have anything for this, its less that I liked a ship and don't anymore and more that I've cycled through things I liked earlier that just don't really have my attention now bc the story has been off of them for so long. Usopp and his East Blue GF are like this, I used to be pretty hardcore Nami/Vivi, and I still really love the pairing!!! but I haven't seen Vivi in like. 400ish episodes? and so my attention has sort of cycled off into more recent/immediate things.

my ultimate favorite character™:

At the end of the day it's Luffy, isn't it? No matter how dearly I love anyone else, my heart always comes back to the best boy, oh captain my captain, I'd literally sail into hell for him. I think there's just something so beautifully, tenderly, viciously human about him, no matter where the story takes him, and I can't give the top spot to anyone else. There are lots of facets and contexts to which love and interest can be attributed and in other contexts the list might look different, but in terms of overall, objective favorites? It's Luffy forever. <3

prettiest character:

Genuinely not sure how to choose between Ace and Sanji and Law for this one. There are TON of like really really gorgeous people in this series by like varying metrics of attractiveness, but these three are like. The prettiest people I've ever seen, like. Got me on the actual floor every day, they're just breathtaking.

my most hated character:

I've got a couple of different answers for this bc it feels like I need to. Blackbeard, for literally everything he's done. Garp, for not being able to summon enough fucking humanity to tell a 10 year old that it's okay for him to exist, and that he isn't guilty of the sins of his father. Doflamingo, although this one is complicated by how interesting and necessary to the story I feel he is (juxtaposed with Blackbeard, who is v necessary to the story but is a spineless little cowardly worm that I'd like to squish with my shoe. 0/10 not interesting also killing him with beams).

Squard. Whitebeard may have forgiven you but I fucking don't.

Vander Decken. Pedophile. Arlong. Piece of shit asshole. Caesar Clown. There's a bunch of people in this series I'd like to hit with a rock forever lmfao.

my OTP:

(you mean aside from all my canon x oc otps?) Frobin, NamiVivi, Baby5 with a proper therapist, I like LawLu just bc I think they are so deeply important to each other, like there is SUCH a powerful narrative undercurrent to their bond like I get it and it's sweet when I see it.

my NOTP:

CrocodileVivi like YIKES, uhhh. OH yes yes I know there's a decently sized subset that romantically ships the ASL trio and that squicks me out, they're so very brothers and I Do Not Like That. Not tryin to yuck anyone's yum but it ain't for me. I know I'm forgetting something egregious but I make a decent enough effort to just Not Perceive pairings I don't like that I genuinely can't think of anything that's an actual One Piece ship that I find yucky.

favorite episode:

How on earth could I possibly lmfaooooo I. Here I'm gonna cheat, there's one called the Episode of East Blue that's like a little movie of the beginning of the series. That is what I will choose. There are bits and pieces of other episodes that I like to go back and rewatch, but bc the story is told the way it is, everything gets spread out and so mostly individual episodes just have pieces parts of what I love. I could do favorite arc though, like. Water7/Enies Lobby I wish there was some way to scrub it outta my brain so I could watch it for the first time again, it's so fucking incredible I'll scream.

All that being said, uh. Whiskey Peak bc Zoro, god fucking gesus.

saddest death:

I don't wanna say it in case anyone's reading this that might get spoiled but. ya know. you know who. Peach, look me in the eye, you know exactly who.

favorite season:

it's not a season but it's worth repeating Water7/Enies Lobby god fucking GESUS it's so good. SO good. There have been a ton of things I've loved, all of the stories really are so incredible but I get chills and goosebumps thinking about Water7 to this DAY. Marineford/Impel Down, too, though idk that I'll ever be able to watch them again lmfao.

least favorite season:

Hysterically, as much as I love it and am very pro Skypiea, I think in the scheme of everything I've watched up until now it's the lowest on the list? I wanna be clear, I fucking LOVED Skypiea, but like. If you pit it against like, Alabasta, or Water7, or Marineford, or 3D2Y, or Punk Hazard My Beloved, it just doesn't quite stand as tall.

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate:

Again, I wanna be very, firmly, completely, directly clear: I do not HATE him. I Don't Hate Him. but. Usopp. For the most part it's because I find him incredibly frustrating, even now in the post-time skip era where he's undergone all his New World Training and Preparation I just. Maybe it's envy, to a degree, that he's on this incredible adventure with all these people that love him and he grits his teeth and drags his feet and is cowardly about like. Every aspect of a story I'd kill to be a part of lmao. I don't know. I've warmed up to him considerably over the course of the story, and I'm very glad he's there and he plays an important role in the friend group but like. He also makes me insane sometimes.

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave:

Sighs listen listen listen listen. He's not trash. He's really intelligent and clever and driven and organized and powerful. and hot. he's just also a Bad Man who has Done Bad Things and actually I am the one in the dumpster but uh. Crocodile. I think you knew that going into this question. I'd redacted redacted redacted that man for as long as he'd let me lmfao, he's just also not a very nice dude lmfao.

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave:

Ace and Law and Cora and Sanji and Zoro and--

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship:

Fucking DoflaCroc lmfao. THEY'RE SO BAD FOR EACH OTHER. MINGO'S AWFUL. CROCODILE IS ALSO AWFUL BUT MIGHT BE SALVAGEABLE WITH THERAPY. THEY MAKE EACH OTHER WORSE! All their "intimacy" is like, violent and pernicious! It's just headgames and hatesex and lust and ugliness....and YET-

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship:

Idk really lmfao, I guess Usopp and his GF if they still are involved?? Mostly when I'm into ships I am Very Normal and Brave about them so it's like. ??? Shachi and Penguin are kinda cute back there, but I only ever really think about them in the context of how much they love Law, so I guess that counts??

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Thank you so so much for your ask bby, I love you dearly!!!!

#av answers #ask games #2003kiasorento #OP #one piece #best peachy ; u ;